"Young lady, you misunderstand. You wouldn't know, but my current wife is my late first wife's cousin. They grew up together and were very close. I was often away on business, and I was afraid that if I married someone outside the family, she wouldn't treat my daughter well.
It so happened that she was also in trouble at the time. Her husband had passed away, and her in-laws had found a man over fifty for her to marry. She refused and they intended to lock her up.
I had no choice but to marry her then, which was a betrayal to my recently deceased wife. However, I thought about how she often mentioned her cousin, and I couldn't bear to see her suffer, so she would surely understand my predicament."
In response to her questioning, Liu Baishi unhesitatingly repeated the excuses he usually used with others. He had told these excuses countless times, as if each retelling increased his sense of conviction. Over time, he began to believe that this was the truth of the matter.
Wu Caiwei, seeing his sincere expression, felt speechless and too lazy to engage. She turned and walked away.
Even if Liu Baishi was slow to realize it, he knew the young lady opposite him had misunderstood him, and even looked down on his actions. They had different paths and could not cooperate. They would be rivals from now on, so he didn't bother to curry favor with her.
However, upon returning to his own shop, he felt a pang of regret. It was just a cold remark, wasn't it? He had heard far worse while traveling for years. How could he stoop to the level of arguing with a young girl? Yet, he couldn't bring himself to swallow his pride and go back to flatter her. He could only let it go.
Then, Liu Baishi focused his entire attention on the shops. Unfortunately, by the end of the month, when accounts were settled, he discovered that his three shops had incurred a loss of nearly a hundred taels. The profits from his other shops weren't enough to cover the losses from these three. In the past, this would have been manageable for a while, but ever since his cash was stolen last time, all he had left at home were things of little value.
Even so, his wife had secretly sold a considerable amount. To his knowledge, she hadn't received much money for it. If this continued, let alone his jewelry shops, the Liu family's daily life wouldn't be sustainable.
Thus, Ren Jiajia clearly sensed her master's immense anxiety. He spent his days secluded in his study. She had even secretly pulled aside a young attendant by her master's side, wanting to know what was troubling him so much lately.
Upon learning that the shop's business was not doing well, she fell silent. She knew she had no talent for business and could only be a comforting presence, offering solace when her master was tired and weary.
When it came to business, she truly couldn't compare to her cousin, Li Jinyu. When she was young and living in the Li family, the Li couple treated them equally and had even taught her about business. However, as soon as she saw so many numbers and heard the clinking of the abacus, she would feel sleepy and find excuses to avoid learning.
Of course, when Madam Li taught her household management, she learned diligently. After all, she was ambitious and wanted to be the wife of a prominent family. At the time, she believed that running a business was a man's job. Her two marriages had been much as she imagined: with a man leading the way, there was no need for her to step forward.
But now, she regretted it. From her master's anxious expression, she could feel that the business issues had dealt a significant blow to the Liu family, and she could only worry helplessly.
In contrast, Wu Caiwei had been making quite a bit of money recently. So, when suitable shops became available for sale, in corners unknown to him, her reputation had actually spread throughout Yangcheng.
For the most part, businesses were run by men. However, over a decade ago, Miss Li Jinyu of the Li family was a capable businesswoman. Sadly, after her passing, no woman had been able to step into the limelight again. Then, Li Siqin, who had ties to Liping Village, entered people's sight.
A woman who could make business flourish in such a short time, constantly acquiring shops and preparing for a grand expansion, had people secretly taking notice. Although her current assets were negligible in the eyes of established merchants, one had to have foresight. If she continued to develop at this pace, this Miss Li was bound to be remarkable. Of course, some with fickle minds began to consider their own sons, wondering which one would be a better match for her.
Wu Caiwei stared, dumbfounded, at the elaborately dressed matchmaker before her. She had never imagined that her plain face would attract a proposal. From the matchmaker's exaggerated words, she gleaned much useful information.
The one who had proactively brought up a proposal was the Wu family from the east of the city. She knew of this Wu family; they were one of the few prominent households in Yangcheng. She knew a little about the proposer, the second young master of the Wu family. His first wife had died two years ago, leaving behind a daughter. She had met him briefly once before. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be an honest and steady man. If the original owner had truly been a girl from a village in Lanxiang, this would have been a good marriage for her. However, Wu Caiwei's identity was too precarious to be scrutinized closely. Her appearance was also false, and besides, she was waiting for someone.
The matchmaker spoke until her mouth was dry, yet the young lady seated at the head of the table calmly sipped her tea, clearly unimpressed. The words that had reached her tongue were swallowed back. With a hint of regret, she said, "Miss Li, let's speak frankly. Although I've praised it to the heavens, if we set aside all the flowery words, I truly believe this is a good marriage. The second young master of the Wu family is known in the city for his integrity, and their family has excellent principles. You absolutely won't be at a disadvantage if you marry into their family."
Only then did Wu Caiwei lift her head and smile. "I understand what you're saying, and I know you mean well. However, I am already betrothed. He was delayed for some reason, and he will be coming to propose soon."
The matchmaker's smile immediately turned to disappointment. She recalled how, as soon as she entered, she had grabbed the young lady's hand and launched into a torrent of words, not giving her a chance to speak. She felt embarrassed. If she had known this beforehand, she would have asked for clarification.
Miss Li had been in Yangcheng for so long, and she had never been seen being close to any other man, nor had she ever heard of her having a fiancé. Everyone assumed she was single, which was why they had asked her to come and propose. At the time, she had considered it a good match, and the Wu family's compensation was also very generous. She had immediately assured them that she would do her utmost to facilitate the marriage. To think she had made such a blunder, and now she was in a difficult position.
Wu Caiwei had prepared herself. She took a purse from her sleeve and handed it to the matchmaker. She said kindly, "I know you mean well, and it means a lot that you would personally come to arrange a marriage for me. Please take this purse and buy some good things for your little grandson. I'm sorry to have troubled you for nothing."
"This... how can I accept this?" Although she said so, her hands moved to accept the purse, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face. She hadn't expected this young lady to be so generous. Her trip hadn't been in vain.