Lin Jiu had been the manager of Four Seasons Spring Cloth Shop in Jiang-zhou for five years now. The shop was the leading cloth merchant in Jiang-zhou, and as its manager, Lin Jiu’s status was far from insignificant.
By the time the sun had climbed higher, Lin Jiu was already in the house he bought just last year, being attended by a concubine as he changed clothes. Then, mounting the horse that his servant had long since prepared, he headed toward the shop.
By now, he was thoroughly familiar with the shop’s business, so going there once every seven or eight days was enough—just to look over the account books, examine some fabrics, and share a bowl of tea with the stewards. Life was easy and carefree.
Today was one of those days. The shop wasn’t far from his home, but Lin Jiu, conscious of his status, would never go on foot. After riding for a short while, he saw the shop’s splendid painted façade and colorful flags, standing out on the winter streets as they always did.
But today was different from usual—there wasn’t a single customer coming or going at the door.
“Didn’t they just bring in a shipment of top-quality fabric a few days ago?” he frowned and said.
The servant leading his horse nodded.
“Yes, yes. The Wang family had it shipped in by sea,” he replied. “Word’s been out for days—people should be scrambling for it.”
But this didn’t look like scrambling at all.
Lin Jiu frowned. As his horse reached the entrance, the feeling that something was wrong only grew stronger. It wasn’t just quiet—it looked like the place wasn’t even open.
Of the six black-painted doors, only four stood ajar, and there wasn’t a single clerk at the door to greet customers.
No wind, no rain—so why on earth was the shop closed? Not only would this hurt business, but it would also stir rumors and damage their reputation.
With a hint of irritation, Lin Jiu swung off his horse and strode into the main hall—only to stop short in surprise.
It wasn’t that the hall was empty. On the contrary, it was crowded.
On one of the short couches meant for guests, a man sat cross-legged, surrounded by four burly men. On the other side, the shop’s clerks and stewards stood stiffly, their faces tense and uneasy.
Troublemakers? Someone actually dared to cause trouble in Four Seasons Spring? Did they have any idea whose business this was?
“You’re the manager?”
The man sitting on the couch looked at him and spoke with an easy arrogance.
An out-of-town accent! No wonder. Lin Jiu smiled.
“I am indeed,” he replied politely. “May I ask what business brings you here, sir?”
“I’m no customer,” the man said, swinging his legs down and sitting upright. A faint smile crossed his face. “I’m your superior. I’m here to tell you that you’re done. Starting today, the manager of Four Seasons Spring is being replaced.”
Superior? Replaced as manager of Four Seasons Spring?
At those words, everyone present froze in shock. Had they heard that right?
Steward Cao’s gaze swept over the people standing before him, and he pointed at one of them.
“You. Yes, you,” he said. “You just claimed you’re the steward here?”
The man he singled out blinked in surprise, then nodded.
“Yes… yes, I am,” he replied.
Steward Cao nodded.
“Not anymore. From now on, you’re the manager,” he said.
Everyone present was stunned all over again.
Who was this lunatic? Was this some kind of joke?
“This way, sir—just head out, go one street over, then turn left, and you’ll find Ruyun Pavilion,” Lin Jiu said with a smile, pointing in the direction.
“How so?” Steward Cao looked at him and asked.
“Aren’t you a storyteller? That’s where you ought to be,” Lin Jiu replied with a grin.
The joke was good enough that someone nearby couldn’t help but laugh.
Steward Cao laughed too—a loud, hearty laugh—before slapping the document in his hand down on the table.
“I’m from the Zhou family, in-laws of Second Master Cheng. I’m here under the orders of his eldest daughter to take possession of her dowry shop,” he said. “Now tell me—did I come to the wrong place?”
People from the Zhou family!
The eldest daughter of Second Master Cheng!
This time, the faces in the hall weren’t just shocked—they were terrified.
This wasn’t a joke. A chill ran down Lin Jiu’s spine in an instant.
He knew very well what this shop represented. Since last year, there had been several waves of hidden turmoil—some involving the Zhou family, some the Cheng family, and some even conflicts within the Cheng household itself…
And all of it came down to the origin of this shop: it was part of a girl’s dowry. A girl’s dowry was her private property—apart from herself, only her children had the right to use it.
That was why, the moment Lin Jiu heard “Zhou family” and “eldest daughter of Second Master Cheng,” his back went cold—because he knew he had no ground to stand on.
But even so, he couldn’t just hand it over because of one sentence from this man. Especially since Second Master Cheng’s eldest daughter was… a fool.
“Th-this… without the First Master’s permission, you wouldn’t dare—” Lin Jiu shouted, but before he could finish, Steward Cao braced his hands on the couch, sprang to his feet, and swung a kick his way.
Caught completely off guard, Lin Jiu was sent sprawling, crashing into the counter with a howl of pain.
“Now tell me—do I dare or not?” Steward Cao straightened his clothes with a shake and let out a cold snort.
That very day, with nothing but those two feet, Steward Cao kicked out the managers of two shops and two estates—and, without hesitation, pointed out new managers from among the stunned onlookers.
By the time the steward of the last estate came running to the Cheng household, wailing and sobbing, First Master Cheng was already in a towering rage.
“Shut up! Not another tear!”
He jabbed a finger at the steward who had just stepped in, ready to cry out loud.
The man froze, swallowing back his wails. His eyes and nose were red as he glanced at the other three men already seated in the room. Judging by the First Master’s dark expression, he was sick of hearing people bawl. So the steward let out a couple of choked sobs, knelt down, and quickly lowered his head—exchanging a swift look with the others to confirm that he wasn’t the only unlucky one.
“Utterly disgraceful!” First Master Cheng paced back and forth, his face dark with fury. “You let a few outsiders beat you down just like that? What happened—missing an arm, short a leg? Aren’t you supposed to be the local bullies here?”
Well… that wasn’t wrong, but still—
“Master, they said they were from the Zhou family. Claimed they were collecting the young lady’s dowry—and they even had papers to prove it…” said Lin Jiu, the former manager of Four Seasons Spring Cloth Shop.
First Master Cheng ground his teeth in bitter fury. That fool actually dared!
This only confirmed his suspicion: the entire scheme had been orchestrated by the Zhou family. First, they paraded that simpleton out in all her finery, then dangled a string of capital marriage prospects as bait—only to finally bare their true face and snatch the dowry!
“So what if that’s what they claim?” he barked at the managers, his voice like a whip. “She is a daughter of the Cheng family. Her marriage is arranged by us, and so is her dowry. What right does a junior like her have to jump out and make a scene? Even if she wants the dowry, she should come speak to me. Yes, it came from her mother, but who has managed it all these years? Us! How can they just barge in and snatch it by force? When they do that, they’re the ones in the wrong—and the ones who deserve a sound beating!”
The managers all lowered their heads.
True… that made sense. Thinking about it now, they really had been fools.
“What are you still standing here for?” First Master Cheng barked. “Hurry up and get people to drive them off! A servant from the Zhou family, taking advantage of my child to stir up trouble—and you just stood there like fools, taking a beating for nothing?”
He paused, letting out a short, derisive laugh.
“Though, I must admit, the Zhou family did do one thing right—kicking you out was no injustice. You really aren’t fit for the responsibilities I’ve entrusted to you.”
The four men before him felt a mix of shame, guilt, and anger. True—they had been completely stunned. Though there had been many disputes over this dowry before, those had always been private quarrels behind closed doors among the masters. This—being confronted openly in broad daylight, under everyone’s eyes—was a first.
“Get moving, now!” First Master Cheng barked. “Or are you waiting for me to go handle those servants myself?”
Terrified, the four scrambled to their feet and rushed outside, jostling each other in their panic.
“Master, just watch!” one of them called out, trying to save face even in the chaos.
First Master Cheng snorted, flicked his sleeve, and sat back down. His chest heaved violently with anger, and he slammed the small side table next to him to the floor.
At the same time, Steward Cao and the others were explaining the day’s events to Cheng Jiao-niang.
“The show of force worked, and it gave them quite a scare. As for those new managers I randomly picked, I wouldn’t be surprised if their hearts are still racing a bit. People always want to climb higher—it’s just a matter of opportunity,” he said with a laugh.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“So, what will you do next, Miss?” Steward Cao asked.
For now, they had only jumped out suddenly and dealt the other side a heavy blow. There was no way they could actually take control of the two shops and two estates just like that.
If this were a battle, today’s action was merely the sounding of the war drums. The real fighting hadn’t begun. No guessing needed—they could already imagine that the other side was regaining their senses and preparing to strike back.
“You’ve assaulted people,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “Then go to the authorities, confess your crimes, and turn yourselves in.”
What? Go to the authorities and confess? What on earth was she saying?
Steward Cao looked up in shock, and Ban Qin beside him stared at Cheng Jiao-niang in stunned disbelief.
