Chapter Nine, Sister Flowers

Su Jin felt a surge of emotion; this little girl was indeed endearing. Although only thirteen years old, she bore the demeanor of a mature older sister, exuding a maturity that was strikingly disproportionate to her age.

Given this, Su Jin boldly expressed his plan to hear the old shopkeeper's reaction; although the old shopkeeper was surprised, he did not exhibit the kind of rejection that Su Jin had imagined. This made Su Jin regard him with newfound respect. The old shopkeeper, having long been in the business world, held a tolerant attitude towards the ever-emerging strategies in commerce. Although he did not dare to assert that Su Jin's approach was the best countermeasure, overall, it was a targeted solution that would not lead to significant errors.

Su Jin returned to her room, and after a refreshing wash and bath, she changed into a light and comfortable silk shirt. The temperature on this spring night was pleasant, and the room was filled with a fragrant aroma. The large candles burned brightly, illuminating the space as if it were daytime, while beautiful maids busily moved about. Such days truly felt like a dream

Su Jin held her small hand and said: "Go to sleep, do you think I am disabled? If you are worried, just brew a pot of tea and bring some snacks. I need to discuss painting matters with the two young ladies of the Shen family, which will require going to the fabric shop. You have important tasks to attend to tomorrow, and it won't do if you have dark circles under your eyes."

Certainly, Su Jin's request for the old shopkeeper to come out of retirement is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. A person like Old Shopkeeper Zhang, who has spent a lifetime navigating the business world, is indeed the most valuable asset. He must not be allowed to idle at home. The term 'contributing one's remaining energy' is absolutely fitting when applied to the old shopkeeper.

"What is this..." Su Jin questioned with confusion.

In the silent room, Su Jin casually pulled a book from the bookshelf and began to flip through its pages slowly. The candlelight in the study flickered, occasionally sparking a small flame. After an unknown amount of time, a faint fragrance wafted in. When Su Jin looked up, Rou Niang and Huan Niang stood beside her in long skirts, one holding a tea cup and the other carrying a kettle of hot water and a box of pastries. Their damp hair was casually tied with blue cloth, and the beautiful faces of the two sisters resembled two night-blooming jasmine flowers in the night breeze, exuding an alluring aura.

At the banquet, Su Jincheng sincerely sought advice from the old shopkeeper regarding the current predicaments faced by the fabric store. To his surprise, the old shopkeeper's thoughts were remarkably aligned with his own.

The two sisters, having been taken in by the young master, naturally will assist Sister Sui and Sister Mi with some tasks. From now on, the cleaning duties in the young master's residence will be undertaken by the two sisters.

Su Jin truly has no way to deal with this ill-tempered little girl. She reached out and flicked her forehead, saying: "They have just entered the residence, so naturally they know nothing. You and Xiao Mi can slowly teach them, can't you? They will definitely not be the kind of people who are lazy and try to take shortcuts. Otherwise, I can just kick them out later, so why get angry over this?"

The only drawback is that there are no entertainment activities during the nights here; needless to say, there are no television shows or movies, and bars and nightclubs are nowhere to be found. Perhaps the only option left is to read a book, which makes Su Jin, who is accustomed to staying up late, feel extremely uncomfortable

Xiao Sui's small hand was held by Su Jin, which made her quite uncomfortable. Su Jin promptly let go, patted the little girl's face, and finally managed to coax her to sleep

Su Jin's head is as large as a basin, marrying so early, what joy is there left in life? "Mother, I wish to work diligently for a few years, wholeheartedly develop and expand the Su family's business. As for marriage, let's wait a bit. Your son is quite talented; is there any need to worry about not finding a good wife in the future?"

Su Jin coughed once, and only then did the two women realize they had been standing at the door for quite some time, hurriedly stepping forward to offer their greetings.

Xiao Sui'er and Xiao Mi'er walked one after the other, holding lanterns as they made their way along the corridor to the study. Upon entering the study, they saw two individuals dressed in plain garments and skirts, seemingly pulled from nowhere, with their heads wrapped in cloths, busily wielding dusters and dry cloths, completely absorbed in their work. The bookshelves, easels, writing desks, and piano stands were polished to a shine, spotless and immaculate. The two were so engrossed that they did not notice the arrival of Su Jin and the others. A few strands of hair slipped from their cloth wraps, but they paid no mind, diligently climbing up and down to wipe away the dust from every corner.

Su Jin thought for a moment and said: "I will strictly follow my mother's orders and will know when to stop. However, I believe that the Su family's business is substantial, and we hold a significant position in Luzhou City. Those who can truly excel in business must rely on more than just the act of doing business itself. The success of the Su family today is likely also related to the good reputation earned by my grandfather's generation through their charitable deeds. Therefore, I wish for the Su family to become 'righteous merchants.' Not only should our business thrive, but we must also maintain a good reputation; a good reputation will further enhance our business. I wonder if mother would agree?"

Su Jin poured a cup of tea and, with both hands presenting it, smiled and said: "Rest assured, Mother, your child will certainly cherish his reputation and will not engage in actions that would bring shame to the family. In fact, I understand that you are not pleased with my decision to bring the two young ladies from the Shen family into our residence. However, these two young ladies are from official families, and I admire them for not being swayed by poverty. Even though they have become songstresses, they do not resort to the brothels and are virtuous women. This is why I could not bear to see them fall into destitution and brought them into our home for their well-being. If such a situation had not arisen, I would have let it be, but since it has, how could I turn a blind eye?"

Su Jin smiled to herself and thought: Tomorrow, I will go to the market to buy more food and a few pieces of jewelry to cheer her up. Aside from her bad temper, the little girl truly cares for herself.

Lady Wang sighed, saying: "My son, with his warm-heartedness, rushes to save those in urgent need; as a mother, I should be pleased. However, there are countless pitiful people in the world, and if we were to help each one, even the entire wealth of the Su family might not suffice. Each person has their own fate, and my son should not be overly attached to this matter; he must understand the importance of making choices and knowing when to let go."

Xiao Sui'er said: "If I fall asleep, there will be no one to serve the young master even a cup of tea. The two of them have just arrived and are unfamiliar with their surroundings; if the young master feels thirsty or hungry, they will be as useless as two pieces of wood."

Xiao Sui'er and Xiao Mi'er hurriedly said no, no, but Rou Niang and Huan Niang insisted firmly, so they had to give up. Su Jin naturally would not say much on this matter. Once they settled down, she said: "I have something for you two to help with. The cleaning work does not need to be done right now; it can wait until you have some free time."

After stepping out of the room and lingering among the flowering trees in the small courtyard for a while, Su Jin suddenly thought about whether the two women from the Shen family had settled in. He hurriedly called for Xiao Sui and asked. Xiao Sui replied irritably, "They have already settled in. As for you, Young Master, originally, there were just a bunch of things for me and Xiao Mi to handle, and now we have two more mothers to attend to."

Jin'er, you have reached the age of sixteen. In our Song dynasty, one can marry at the age of fifteen. Your mother has been looking for a suitable match for you, how about marrying a virtuous woman from a respectable family with a proper background?

Although Madam Wang could not comprehend Su Jin's peculiar ideas, the fabric shop was already operating at a loss, so how much worse could it get? Moreover, with the old shopkeeper at the helm, it was a reassuring factor, making it necessary for her son to familiarize himself with the Su family's business. Therefore, her choice was to allow Su Jin to experiment. The only thing she should do in her lifetime was to carefully nurture this single sprout of the Su family, and at the appropriate time, hand over the Su family's assets to him intact. Her son was already sixteen, and it was time for him to accept the family business. His active participation in the Su family's affairs was something to be desired.

However, Lady Wang was somewhat displeased with Su Jin for taking in two singing girls into the residence. After the old steward took his leave, Lady Wang specifically discussed this matter with Su Jin, and the two of them exchanged opinions on the issue.

Rou Niang and Huan Niang hurriedly went to bathe and change clothes to apologize. Su Jin instructed Xiao Sui'er and Xiao Mi'er to rest on their own. Xiao Mi'er was quite obedient; as soon as Su Jin spoke, she went back to her room to sleep, which made Xiao Sui'er so angry that she stomped her feet and muttered, "All you do is sleep; you'll end up becoming a little fat pig sooner or later"

Su Jin's mood was excellent, and the *picture* book was in great condition. Being able to invite the old shopkeeper to take charge of the fabric store was actually taking advantage of the old shopkeeper's character flaw; his unwillingness to admit his age and his guilt towards the Su family were the best weapons to defeat Old Shopkeeper Zhang.

"With your glib tongue," Lady Wang chided with a smile, "you must assure me that you will never consort with disreputable women outside, and especially that you will not tarnish your reputation with them before marriage. Although the Su family is a merchant family, we value the inheritance of literature and education. Otherwise, we would not have allowed you to begin reading and writing at the age of five. It is our hope that the Su family will always be knowledgeable and principled, so that others will not look down upon us."

Xiao Sui'er pouted her lips high, while Xiao Mi'er giggled foolishly with her lips pressed together. Seeing this, Su Jin pretended not to notice and stepped towards the study. Xiao Sui'er hurriedly said: "It's pitch dark, where are you going? Wait for me to get a lantern."

Madam Wang listened to Su Jin's eloquent discourse and, seeing his radiant appearance, felt a deep sense of admiration in her heart. Her son had truly grown up, and his vision far exceeded her own by several folds. Perhaps it was time to let him venture forth on his own. For five years, she had painstakingly supported the Su family's business, and although she had been cautious, she had made no tangible progress. If this continued, she might become a sinner in the Su family. Her son had effortlessly come up with the concept of a 'righteous merchant,' a term she could never have conceived, no matter how hard she tried. Therefore, she decided to treat the current situation of the Su Fabric Store as a test. If Su Jin could turn around the loss-making situation in one fell swoop, she would then begin to hand over the Su family's business to him.

Su Jin expressed her surprise, saying: "Aren't you going to sleep? You've been tired all day today; you should go to bed early. Tomorrow, you still need to accompany me out."