Xiao Yuanshi thought deeply for a moment.

He instructed his trusted aide, “Continue to send people to keep an eye on Zheng’er. It’s best to create an opportunity to destroy his reputation.”

He acted as if he was thinking of his son. “The capital is too complicated with bloodshed and the glint and flash of cold steel. It’s not suitable for a village boy like him. He should just stay in Nanxi county and be a rich man.”

Since he had opened a few workshops, he should manage them well and better not take the imperial examinations.

He couldn’t manipulate him. Yet, he might even backstab him.

He had to be ruthless and cut off his son’s path to success.

His trusted aide nodded. “Understood. You are also thinking for your eldest young master’s sake, Sir.”

Xiao Yuanshi thought for a moment and emphasised, “Don’t leave any evidence behind. Do things cleanly. Don’t let Zheng’er know about it and discover anything.”

He was implying that his trusted aides shouldn’t do it themselves.

They had to borrow someone else’s knife to do it.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Hanzheng had grown up.

He was doing well and Xiao Yuanshi didn’t dare to act rashly.

Ultimately, he was just destroying his reputation.

If he aced the scholar examination but didn’t have a good reputation, he wouldn’t be highly sought after or given an important position by those senior civil servants in the imperial court.

Those people from the old residence had been egged on by that girl to come to the capital and purposely ruin their reputations.

He did not believe that his son would not know.

Since that was the case, he did not have to hold back his plans.

After ruining his reputation and future, he would stay in Nanxi county obediently.

His trusted aide knew what his master was thinking. “Yes, I will handle it personally.”

Hearing their words, Ge Chunru’s tightly clenched hands slowly loosened, and she also heaved a sigh of relief.

She said meaningfully, “It’s better to help Hanzheng change a wife that is docile, so that he won’t be led astray again.”

If it wasn’t for Shi Qingluo’s chongxi, Xiao Hanzheng would have died of illness by now.

Moreover, that little b * tch was also the one who came up with the recipes.

She didn’t want Xiao Hanzheng to have a helpful aid by his side, so she had to solve the hidden trouble ahead of time.

She also did not want Xiao Hanzheng to find a wife who could help him in the future.

Hence, she reminded him again.

Xiao Yuanshi thought for a moment. “You can handle this. I’m a man. It’s not good for me to interfere in it.”

He had already instructed his aides to find a scapegoat to get rid of that bad daughter-in-law.

However, he did not want to worry about what kind of wife he wanted his son to change to.

It was better to leave this to his petite wife.

She would get someone to ask around in Nanxi county and help her find a gentle and virtuous person who did not have her own opinions.

Then, she would get someone to act as a matchmaker for Xiao Hanzheng.

After all, Mdm Kong was very inconsistent and would only cause trouble.

Ge Chunru had a gentle expression on her face as she said considerately, “Alright, I will definitely help Hanzheng find a new wife who is virtuous and considerate.”

Xiao Yuanshi felt an itch in his heart when he saw her like this.

After getting his trusted aides to leave, he carried her to a bedroom.

In Xiaxi village.

Liang Youxiao had been wandering around the village for the past few days.

He often followed behind Shi Qingluo and went to the Xiao family’s workshop to take a look.

On this day, he brought his servant boys to the sugar workshop.

Shi Qingluo had just led her workers to make a batch of nougat and milk candies.

The cows on the mountain had already started to produce milk, so she let the workers squeeze them.

Other than the milk reserved for daily consumption, all were made into candies.

Xiao Hanzheng happened to have a day off today and was here to accompany his little wife to make milk candies.

Liang Youxiao was very conscious of his own thoughts.

He walked over, picked up a nougat, and threw it into his mouth.

His eyes lit up. “This candy tastes really good.”

Shi Qingluo had already realised that he was a foodie. “Of course it’s not bad.”

Liang Youxiao figured out that although this female tiger’s culinary skills were not that good, she was able to let others prepare dishes in many different ways.

He asked, “How are you going to sell these candies?”

“I’m going to sell them in the shops at the entrance of the village.”

Now that they had finished repairing the courtyard and shops at the village entrance, wholesalers from other places and local sellers from the county town were all crowding there.

Liang Youxiao frowned slightly. “It’s so troublesome for you. Why don’t you let me buy everything?”

Shi Qingluo rolled her eyes at him. “I won’t.”

If this fellow did it, nougat and milk candies would become exclusive to the nobles.

She still hoped that the people of Daliang would be able to taste the milk candies that her family produced in the future.

“If you’re interested, you can sign a contract and buy some to ship them to the capital and sell them.”

It was fine to ship some to the capital for others to buy so that more people will know about these milk products.

This fellow was thinking of monopolising the goods she made all day long.

Previously, Bai Xu had also pestered her to let him monopolise the market for many items, and he even wanted to set up a furniture workshop, but she turned them down.

She was too lazy to get involved in making furniture.

At least for now, she wanted her house to maintain its unique style.

If she wanted to make more of such in the future, she would reconsider next time.

If she wanted to fiddle with things, she intended to focus on pitching them to wholesalers.

Liang Youxiao muttered under his breath.

Sometimes, he really could not understand what this woman was thinking.

If he bought over all her goods, she definitely could avoid the trouble of selling them in small quantities to multiple merchants.

The selling price would also be higher, yet she actually rejected it.

He said speechlessly, “Alright, then get me a batch first. I’ll get someone to ship it to the capital.”

He wasn’t very interested in gaining a position in the imperial court. He only liked money.

Hence, when he was in the capital, he told his family that he wanted to start a business on his own.

He also wanted to take a better look at the outside world.

However, he was not only rejected, but was nearly beaten up.

He did not give up. He secretly applied for a business permit and was prepared to go all out.

Who knew that others discovered his secret doings.

His grandfather and father said that they would break his legs, so he ran away and hid for a while.

Although they said shi nong gong shang 士农工商 (ancient China classified people based on occupation, namely scholars, peasants, craftsmen, and merchants) and merchants in Daliang had a not so bad status, it did not change the fact that they were at the bottom of the societal hierarchy.

Of course, his family did own shops, but they were only vassals meant for their housekeepers and shopkeepers to manage.

None of the children in aristocratic families would get their hands dirty in it.

Therefore, his family felt that it was very embarrassing for him to venture into business.

He originally wanted to try it for fun, but after his family strongly objected and even wanted to stop him, he had a rebellious thought.

The more you don’t want me to do it, the more I want to do it, and I also want to do it well.

What’s the point of just opening a few shops? If you want to do it, you have to do it big and strong so as to give your family members a big shock.

Besides, if he really expanded the business well, he would definitely help his family to progress more smoothly.

Of course, his family background was also giving him the greatest protection.

And because of that, ever since he discovered the good stuff Shi Qingluo had at home, he set his eyes on it.

The nougat and milk candy that this female tiger had produced was something that he had never seen before.

The people in the capital hadn’t seen these products either.

Not only did they taste good, Shi Qingluo also said that they could nourish the body.

He could buy a batch to test the market in the capital first and also see how his family members reacted.

He could not help but sigh, as if he were sighing on himself. “Why is it so hard to do something that I like?”

Shi Qingluo had similar feelings when she heard him sigh.

After all, she didn’t receive her family’s support to study agriculture in the modern era.

If it weren’t for her own struggles and hard work, she would have been forced to study economics.

“As long as you can make a name for yourself, there will be a day that others will recognise your capabilities.”

Daliang had just been established not long ago, and the previous war had affected the whole country’s economy.

Therefore, after the new emperor ascended to the throne, he raised the status of the merchants greatly and issued a number of policies that were beneficial for business development.

For example, there were no restrictions on merchants’ attire, and their descendants could participate in the imperial examination and enter the civil service.

Although they said shi nong gong shang 士农工商 (ancient China classified people based on occupation, namely scholars, peasants, craftsmen, and merchants), apart from scholars, were peasants and craftsmen really holding higher status than merchants?

It was just a matter of words. Apart from power, isn’t just the person with more money holding the higher status?

Many of the merchant families’ servants were born as farmers.

With Bai Xu’s status and his family background, if he wanted to do anything big, he better lay low. It would be easy for people to target him and until he sank.

Liang Youxiao didn’t have such status-related concerns, so Shi Qingluo supported his plan to start a more ambitious business. It would also be good that he got her on board in case she needed to do anything.

When Liang Youxiao heard this, he felt that they were really bosom friends!

At this moment, Third Son Shi sneaked in. “Girl, there’s a crisis.”

Footnote:

士农工商 shi nong gong shang – Classifying residents based on occupation is a central part of the fengjian social structure in ancient China, namely the shi (scholars), the nong (peasants), the gong (craftsmen), and the shang (merchants).