vrcanaries Chapter 108 The Villainous Couple
Chapter 108 The Villainous Couple
Madam Wang wanted to give Jiang Xinyu 50% of the profits from the glass, but Jiang Xinyu refused no matter what. In the end, after much persuasion, she only accepted 30%.
In fact, Jiang Xinyu didn't even intend to take this 30%. The reason she kept it was to give it to the Eastern Depot.
The amount of wealth a person can manage is limited; money beyond one's means is not necessarily a blessing.
There are no eggs under the covering nest.
Whether she lives well or not makes little difference to whether she has tens of thousands more or less taels of silver.
If Xiao Yuan is doing well, she will never lack money. But if Xiao Yuan falls, she won't be able to keep any amount of money she has.
Money should be spent wisely; if you're reluctant to invest in guns and cannons, the money will eventually become war reparations.
Rather than letting that huge sum of money gather dust in their warehouses, it's better to use it where it's needed.
The Eastern Depot had a bad reputation not only because of its ruthless and vicious style, but also because its underlings were incompetent, extorting money and abusing their power.
If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it. The imperial court's funding is limited, so it's hard for the foreign officials not to take advantage of it.
Xiao Yuan couldn't enforce discipline at all, because if he did, his subordinates would inevitably cause trouble if they weren't fed.
He traveled thousands of miles to become an official, all for the sake of wealth.
Those who passed the imperial examinations and studied the classics for over a decade were corrupt and lawless; how could one expect lowly soldiers, who didn't understand any profound principles, to uphold loyalty and righteousness?
However, if the 30% profit from glass were used to win over Xiao Yuan's hearts, the style and manner of those foreigners could be toned down a bit.
Besides, one is obligated to those who pay their bills.
While there are many ungrateful people, there are also quite a few who know how to repay kindness; cast a wide net and invest widely.
If you make the right move, it could be another way out.
After Madam Wang took her leave, Jiang Xinyu rolled up her sleeves again, only to find out that Xiao Yuan had run away after closing the door and it was uncertain when he would return to the mansion.
Jiang Xinyu cursed angrily a few times, then suddenly laughed. Actually, this was a good thing.
In the past, this dog of a man was sensitive, insecure, and full of bitterness and resentment; even the occasional smile he showed was tinged with sarcasm.
It's good that things are like this now; she knows how to be mischievous. She should be happy.
Xiao Yuan, who had tricked his wife and run out of the house, listened to her pleading for forgiveness from inside the door and smiled slyly.
Just as brine is used to curdle tofu, there's a natural counter to everything. It's time someone tamed this little glutton in his family.
However, he knew his wife would not forgive him for his prank tonight, so he had to quickly prepare something nice to please her.
On his way back to the Eastern Depot with the good stuff, Xiao Yuan pondered and finally decided to ask the palace's informants to help him find another good cook.
The highest level of gift-giving is to give what the recipient likes and wants.
His wife had no other hobbies; she always said she was greedy for money but actually had little interest in gold and jewelry.
Besides loving to eat, I guess it's also loving to have sex with him.
Haha, calling her a little glutton is really accurate, she's a glutton in every sense of the word.
Upon returning to the Eastern Depot, Xiao Yuan's aura immediately changed, and he directly ordered people to send over all the recent files related to the Marquis of Chengyi's mansion.
A quick glance at the documents reveals why that lady was so eager to invite them to the banquet.
It turns out that the son-in-law and his wife's family were involved in the case and wanted to use his connections.
The case of selling substandard grain as high-quality grain from the national reserves can be serious or minor, and can be considered a major or minor offense.
Under normal circumstances, as long as one has strong connections and smooths things over with the higher-ups and lower-downs, and the grain is replenished, the worst that can happen is dismissal and a fine.
However, if a famine occurs and the granary is found to be empty, that would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.
Now that there's no famine and things haven't escalated, I can indeed downplay the issue by simply tilting my pen.
But since that stupid woman had schemed against his wife, and the evidence was irrefutable, he had to give her a big gift.
Let's hold it for him for two days then.
They're relatives, after all. Shouldn't we let that lady's daughter, son-in-law, and her family celebrate the old lady's birthday before arresting her?
After all, once the arrest is complete, their property will be confiscated, and it's uncertain whether they'll ever see each other again. I hope the lady of the house likes the birthday gift I've given her.
As for how to deal with that idiot?
Xiao Yuan came up with several ideas, but none of them satisfied him. He even considered calling over all eight of his top gang leaders for a seminar.
However, after thinking it over, Supervisor Xiao gave up on the idea.
Doesn't he know exactly how much those pieces of material weigh? His ideas might not be as ruthless as his wife's.
Perhaps we should listen to what the lady has to say.
Thinking of this, Governor Xiao couldn't help but smile. He finally understood what it meant to see beauty in the eye of the beholder.
People often use words like beautiful, gentle, kind, and virtuous to praise women, and he used to think that these should be the standards for a good woman.
But now, his little glutton has absolutely nothing to do with these words, yet he just loves them no matter what.
Thinking of his wife, Supervisor Xiao, a knowing smile crept onto his lips as he stroked the purse in his arms, his eyes filled with tenderness.
His wife is smarter than anyone else; she can come up with all sorts of underhanded and dangerous tricks on the spot. If some notorious thief were to learn them, it would be a real headache for the Eastern Depot.
He's incredibly eloquent, his sharp tongue never falters, and even the top censors in the court would probably have to admit defeat.
It's strong, has sharp claws, and is never willing to suffer any loss.
When he gets angry, he can leave a scratch with every grab, and he even tore several of his undergarments to shreds.
The thought of his fierce yet adorable wife whimpering as she scratched him until he was covered in blood made Xiao Yuan's shameful face turn red again.
Work one day, rest two days.
The day after tomorrow, his wife will be up early for a banquet, and he definitely won't let him cause any trouble tomorrow night. If he doesn't fight for his benefits today, he'll miss out.
So, go home!
The thought of the perks tonight made Xiao Yuan restless. He had only taken two steps when he turned back and took two bottles of wound medicine from the hidden compartment.
Ahem, better safe than sorry.
After returning to the manor, Xiao Yuan did not dare to go directly to his wife's courtyard, but waited until after dinner before sneaking back.
Having raised Taotie for so long, he had some insights: ferocious beasts are easier to talk to when they are full.
When Xiao Yuan entered, Jiang Xinyu was lying on the chaise lounge, lost in thought, twirling a finger around her hair, seemingly pondering something.
Sure enough, the lady, having eaten her fill, became even more docile. Look at her lazy, kitten-like appearance; you just want to hold her in your arms and pet her.
Xiao Yuan, unable to resist the urge to be scratched by the cat, smiled and leaned over to scoop Jiang Xinyu into his arms, gently stroking her fur.
He thought the little glutton would make a fuss because he hadn't reminded his aunt, but Jiang Xinyu nestled obediently in his arms and didn't move.
Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "What are you thinking about so intently? Are you angry with me?"
As he spoke, Xiao Yuan took Jiang Xinyu's hand and kissed it on the lips, "Tell me what's bothering you, and your husband will help you."
Feeling Xiao Yuan's tenderness and doting affection, Jiang Xinyu chuckled.
"Shouldn't you say that you're unhappy about something and tell me so you can cheer yourself up?"
Knowing my aunt was there, he didn't even remind me, and said he didn't want to see me make a fool of myself.
The lady's coquettish words were like a feather tickling Xiao Yuan's heart, and he apologized while taking liberties with her.
To cheer up the lady, he even brought up the case of the lady's son-in-law and brother.
He said that the evidence was conclusive and all that was left was to arrest the person. He decided to arrest the person from the Chengyi Earl's residence on the day of the birthday banquet, which would also add an extra program to the banquet.
Looking at her husband's smug and self-satisfied expression, Jiang Xinyu wanted to cover her face. She remembered that she wasn't a villain lover, so why did she love this man more and more the worse he was?