The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 728 - 727 Keep Your Little Schemes to Yourself

As these words were spoken, Shopkeeper Wu’s face involuntarily twitched, and everyone’s eyes were on the pot.

When Wang Yongzhu threw the sealed cloth bag into it, and then the color of the water changed, they knew the biggest secret must reside within that cloth bag.

On the surface, everyone seemed indifferent, but in reality, they were all fixated on it.

No doubt some were even thinking of fishing out the cloth bag after Wang Yongzhu had left, to unfold and study it.

Thus, those with the same intention didn’t speak of it, hoping that Wang Yongzhu would forget about it.

But to their surprise, Yang the Mute actually blurted it out.

Wang Yongzhu dismissed it casually with a wave of her hand, "That cloth bag is useless now, it doesn’t matter whether it is fished out or not." Inside this cloth bag, even if everyone knew it was madder root powder, the alum would have dissolved upon contact with water—where would they go to find out?

Not to mention that even if they did know, the formula was achieved through her many trials and experiments; it wasn’t that easy to replicate.

Ninth Master Lee was startled for a moment, then swept a piercing gaze across the assembly and darkly ordered, "Fish out the cloth bag and let Lady Wang take it with her!"

His men did not dare to delay, rushing forward to retrieve it, and soon, they fished out the cloth bag.

By now, the cloth bag had shrunk by half.

One of the men wrung out the bag and carefully handed it to Wang Yongzhu.

Wang Yongzhu truly did not want to accept it; the cloth bag was now a waste, so what was the point of fishing it out? She hesitated for a moment, and Yang the Mute busied himself with taking it for her.

Wang Yongzhu, touched by Yang the Mute’s devotion, thought for a moment, "Ninth Master, Shopkeeper Wu, now that your people have arrived at the dye shop, consider the handoff complete. As for Uncle Yang, I’ll take him with me!"

Yang the Mute had earlier exposed the dyers’ thoughts from the Lee Family for his own benefit, and if he were left in the dye shop subject to ostracism, it would be unfortunate.

Being mute, wouldn’t he be at a disadvantage?

Wang Yongzhu had always returned genuine care with genuine heart to those who truly looked out for her, and so she decided to take Yang the Mute with her.

Yang the Mute himself understood Wang Yongzhu’s intentions, made a couple of noises, ran back to the small cabin by the large gate where he lived, shouldered the bedding roll he had already packed up, placed the cloth bag in a wooden basin, and, handling it with the utmost care, stood behind Wang Yongzhu.

Shopkeeper Wu and Ninth Master Lee had no choice but to let them go.

As soon as Wang Yongzhu and Yang the Mute left, Ninth Master Lee’s face darkened, and he turned into the dye shop, berating them in a fierce voice, "Are you not ashamed? The petty calculations in your minds are so clear that even a mute can see through them! Have you no shame? Have you lost your minds? Since she dared to throw the cloth bag into the pot in front of us and didn’t bother taking it with her, it proves that she is confident her formula won’t be deciphered by you, a bunch of fools!"

"I don’t care how you conducted business in the past, but follow me and put away those little tricks! If this young master sees you using such despicable methods again, don’t blame me for being impolite! Do you hear me?" Ninth Master Lee said sternly.

All the men fell silent as if strained by the cold, not even daring to breathe heavily.

Having vented his rage, Ninth Master Lee left in a huff, striding away and leaving a dye shop full of people who looked at one another in confusion, particularly the older workers of the Lee family, who were somewhat bewildered, seeking Shopkeeper Wu’s guidance.

The young master’s methods hadn’t exactly been scrupulous in the past, had they? So why all of a sudden had he changed his ways, advocating for integrity and transparency?

This put those who worked under him in quite a difficult position, didn’t it? Furthermore, this barely counted as a strategy—such practices were considered mild in the business world!

Were they all now expected to become Saints?

Under the scrutiny of everyone, Shopkeeper Wu felt a headache coming on! Dealing with such an unpredictable boss made life truly unbearable!

Ninth Master Lee paid no mind to the grumbling of his subordinates, still fuming as he boarded the carriage.

One after another, they show no awareness. Not to mention anything else, the relationship between them and Wang Yongzhu right now is like a bond of mutual benefit—your wellbeing is mine, and your disarray is my disaster!

Such a deep partnership, and yet they choose to fail at such a critical moment.

No one is a fool, least of all Lady Wang. Yet, such a small package of fabric has indeed tested many a person’s nature.

As for Auspicious Fabric, it relies on Lady Wang’s exceptional dyeing skills. If such a talent were to be offended over a mere recipe, it would be the Lee Family who would suffer a massive loss!

Not to mention, Ninth Master Lee was keen on making a good impression on Lady Wang, but contrary to his wishes, something always seems to go wrong. Could it be a clash in their destinies? Why does he always come across as so inadequate in front of Lady Wang?

It’s true, the more he wants to perform well, the worse he does. It’s almost becoming a curse!

How could Ninth Master Lee not feel frustrated?

Wang Yongzhu had no concern for the feelings of Ninth Master Lee and the others.

She took Yang the Mute to the shop and led him to the backyard, arranged a room for him, and saw that other than his bedding, he had brought along a wooden basin, a few clothes, and practically nothing else—his belongings were so sparse, it was quite pitiful.

Fortunately, there was a well in the yard, so drinking water was not a problem.

Yang the Mute was not one to sit idly by. After drawing water, he began to clean up the room.

Wang Yongzhu simply went out to a grocery store to buy Yang the Mute two sets of clothes, as well as pots, pans, ladles, and the like, and even rice, flour, oil, and salt, asking people to deliver it all to the back of the shop.

In that short time, by the time Wang Yongzhu returned to the shop, the backyard had been swept clean, not a single leaf in sight. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

The room Yang the Mute occupied contained only two tables and a wooden bed, all of which had been wiped down.

He was sweating profusely, clad in a single layer of clothing, busily repairing a broken stool leg in the yard.

Seeing Wang Yongzhu come in, a procession of people followed her, bringing items into the yard.

Wang Yongzhu directed the staff to take the pots, pans, ladles, and supplies like rice, flour, oil, and salt to the farthest room from the shop, planning to use it as a kitchen, where they could cook over a fire.

Since there was no existing stove, they first settled for a small portable one.

Without a heated brick bed, and though the weather was warmer now, Yang’s bedding looked stiff and uncomfortable; it couldn’t be very warm.

She decided to purchase some quilts and blankets to layer on top of his bedding.

Yang the Mute watched helplessly as Wang Yongzhu purchased these items for him. Unaccustomed to receiving so much, he became anxious, babbling and gesturing that he didn’t want them.

Wang Yongzhu glared at him, "Don’t worry, I’ll deduct it from your wages!"

Upon hearing this, Yang the Mute relaxed, though his eyes grew red.

Seeing Yang the Mute react this way, Wang Yongzhu felt an unexpected surge of emotion, her heart aching and her nose starting to feel blocked. Pretending to be a cold-hearted, miserly boss, she said, "Let me tell you, I’ve bought you so much; you’d better work hard for me in the future! Otherwise, otherwise..."

But she couldn’t finish her sentence with a real threat.

Yang the Mute, however, nodded frantically and gestured with his hands, essentially promising to work as hard as an ox or a horse.

Wang Yongzhu...

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