FID – Chapter 302

Winter in the capital arrived faster than in Yunzhou.

At this time in previous years, a thin jacket in Xinghua Village would be sufficient to keep out of the cold.

But in December in the capital, people have to wear thick cotton coats.

It rained continuously for several days in early winter. It carried a chill in the wind, and it showed no sign of stopping.

Liu Yusheng needn’t worry about the tea mountain. The Qian family was responsible for its management, such as keeping the tea trees warm properly. She stayed cooped up inside Shengxiao Courtyard. She didn’t step a foot outside the door and leisurely produced nourishing tea.

It will be the lunar New Year in another month or so.

After settling all the things here, she would be ready to depart back to Yunzhou.

She must go home to spend the New Year with her parents and grandparents.

She’d been away from home for a few months, and she missed home.

Today, there was another pattering of rain outside at noon. She opened the window, and the raindrops drifted in with a piercing chill.

Liu Yusheng shrank her head but did not close the window.

She liked the feeling of a clear head when the cold wind poured in.

“Miss Liu, can I come in?”

Fu Yuzheng’s voice sounded outside the door.

“Come in.”

Fu Yuzheng pushed the door in and smoothly wiped off the water droplets splashed on her aqua green jacket.

The room was warm and comfortable when she entered.

“Come and warm yourself by the fire. It’s cold outside, isn’t it?”

“It’s okay. I don’t feel cold running around.” Fu Yuzheng smiled and walked in.

There was a small brazier lit in the room, and Liu Yusheng was wrapped up tightly. She even held a hand warmer earthenware, terribly afraid of the bone-chilling coldness.

Knowing that her appearance was a bit funny, Liu Yusheng helplessly said, “I’m not afraid of the cold, but the capital is too cold. I have not yet adapted.”

This was a good argument. Fu Yuzheng nodded with a smile, “It is very cold. When the servants in the house are not busy, they will also usually light a fire pit and sit together to chat. Otherwise, it’s really hard to sit still just sitting there.”

This statement made Liu Yusheng feel better, not that she was too spoiled.

Absolutely not.

“You came here this time, is it because the stores in the city have been set up?”

“Yeah,” Fu Yuzheng nodded, “The dyed cloth has been shipped, and the business is still good these days. The weather is turning cold, so many people buy fabric to make new clothes.”

“What about the Fu family?”

The Fu family was also in the business of dyeing and selling colored fabrics. They have been entrenched in the capital for many years, and already had a number of regular customers. If they wanted to stand with them shoulder to shoulder, it would take a long time.

Fu Yuzheng sat opposite the girl and curled her lips as if seeing through her concerns.

“I told you before that the secret formula the Fu family took was flawed.

Even if they gained a firm foothold early in the capital, they may not always be able to sustain it.”

“What does that say?”

That day, Fu Yu Zheng did mention that the formula was flawed but did not elaborate. Liu Yusheng has yet to know the inside story.

“The dyed fabric by the Fu family looks quality at first. But after buying it, it will slowly fade after a few starch washes. There is no way to keep the cloth color magnificent for a long time.

The reason it hasn’t blown up over the years is because their regular customers are from rich families.

The rich wear clothes once or twice and replace them with new. So the number of people who noticed is still minimal.”

“If things don’t blow up, it won’t constitute an impact on the Fu family’s business, so how are you going to compete? How are you going to make a name for the dyed cloth in your hands?”

Fu Yuzheng smiled, her eyebrows glowing and shedding that layer of coldness. She was extremely eye-catching.

“There may be some difficulties before, but now, it happens to be an opportunity.”

Fu Yuzheng deliberately dangled the climax, finally showing a touch of vitality of a young maiden. 

She was no longer as before, brimming with apathy from head to toe, resembling an aged person who experienced the vicissitudes of life.

“Let me in the details,” Liu Yusheng smiled and said.

“The final screening for the imperial draft is next spring. When the nobles live in the palace, the Shangyi Bureau will start purchasing high-quality fabrics and go back to produce clothes for the nobles.

At that time, there will be a competition between cloth merchants. Whoever has the best material will be able to rise to the top.

I will be there, and I will personally bring down the Fu family!”

When it came to the Fu family, the woman’s eyes shone cold and stern.

Liu Yusheng also understood the opportunity that she mentioned.

In the past, Xiao Feng was still young, and the harem was empty. With only Consort Liu and a few concubines left behind by the previous emperor, the Shanyi Bureau undertook the whole task of solving the problem of clothing supply by themselves.

But once the harem was full, hundreds of noble ladies would move in, and the Shangyi Bureau alone would be too busy. Then they would have to buy from outside.

Fu Yuzheng’s opportunity was there.

The Fu family was confident with the secret formula in hand, and they probably haven’t noticed any problems with the cloth they dyed until now.

They would definitely participate in next year’s screening, and they were confident of winning.

Once the problem of the cloth was uncovered, the Fu family would not only be disgraced, but also turn into criminals deceiving His Majesty!

Fu Yuzheng’s move was extremely ruthless.

Once you dispose of someone, do it seamlessly and let them die a graveless death.

Finding the young girl lost in thought across the seat, Fu Yuzheng’s eyes darkened, and she clenched her hands. “Miss Liu, do you disapprove of what I’m going to do?”

Did she think she was acting too ruthlessly?

Liu Yusheng immediately snapped back to her senses and laughed. “I was just lamenting, not disapproving of your approach. There’s a clear distinction between grace and grudges. Revenge must be exacted.”

In this world, people who have a layer of blood relations can not be called the closest relatives.”

In her previous life, wasn’t it because she was affected by the blood relationship that she repeatedly tolerated and regressed? In the end, her corpse sank at the bottom of the sea.

“Don’t you really think I’m…ruthless?”

The young girl inclined her head and replied, “This way, now one will bully you. Do you want to wrong yourself again and again and compromise out of consideration for the general interest for the sake of your reputation?”

Fu Yuzheng was stunned, and then laughed away.

They were indeed siblings. They said the exact same thing.

At the bottom of her heart, she really cared about Liu Yusheng’s thoughts.

Because she was the first friend she had acknowledged in nineteen years.

“I have no other business, so I will retreat first.” When they got along, she still abided by her identity.

“What’s the hurry? On such a cold day, the store has been tidied up, so there’s nothing wrong with taking a rest and chatting with me. Feng Qingbai is not in. Except for you, there is only one maid left in the mansion. I am getting almost moldy from the idleness.”

“Pfft!” Fu Yuzheng couldn’t help but laugh.

It was rare to see such childish complaints from her.

“What are you laughing at? If this were in Xinghua Village and my home, the family would certainly gather around a fire pit like winter cats, lively as hell.”

“Winter cat?”

“There is no farm work in winter, and there is nothing to do. People who nestle at home to avoid the cold are called winter cats.”

“Your family is very close to each other, right?” Whenever that person mentioned home, his expression was also like the young girl’s, showing longing, with a warm glow in his eyes.

It must be a very warm home to raise such warm people.