Chapter 391: 398: A Complete Mess

“You really agreed?” Su Wenyue’s gaze fixated tightly on Han Yu, as if she feared that Han Yu would back out. If Han Yu dared to break his promise, she looked ready to turn against him immediately.

“Yes, I agreed,” Han Yu sighed helplessly. What else could he do? Even his father-in-law and eldest brother-in-law had intervened, clearly coercing him into compliance. If he didn’t agree, his daughter-in-law might cause who knows what kind of trouble, and he would be the one with a headache. He had no choice but to step back and agree for the time being.

He really had agreed, and Su Wenyue’s previously indignant face now revealed a delighted expression. She gloated as if she had succeeded in her plot. Looking at Han Yu, she thought how futile it was to reason with him; she had to strong-arm him. If he had agreed earlier, all would be settled. However, Su Wenyue wasn’t someone who would take advantage of others’ generosity without giving back. She walked forward with a smile and wrapped her arms around Han Yu’s neck.

“Husband, you are so good. I knew you would agree. Don’t worry, even if I open a store, I will still take good care of our home. With the big shopkeeper my father assigned to help me out, I’ve been spared a lot of worry,” Su Wenyue sweet-talked him, offering Han Yu lots of assurances. After all, even though Han Yu had agreed, if he really opposed it, there were ways to hinder her, and she had experienced her husband’s cunning and sinister side.

Hearing Su Wenyue’s words, Han Yu raised an eyebrow. It seemed she had premeditated this, and only now was telling him, which wasn’t much different from a notification. However, since it involved a person sent by his father-in-law, he felt much more assured.

“You returned to your mother’s family today just for this, didn’t you?” Han Yu immediately guessed the purpose of Su Wenyue’s visit to her mother’s family that day.

“It’s not only for this, but yes, this was indeed one of the reasons for my visit. After all, I’ve never been in business before and don’t understand these matters. That’s why I thought of seeking help from my father and elder brother. With their assistance, it’s definitely twice the result with half the effort. However, I didn’t expect that my father would also give me an unexpected surprise.”

“Oh? What did your father-in-law do?” Han Yu knew how much his father-in-law doted on his daughter, but he wanted to know what he had done this time.

“Daddy gave me Big Shopkeeper Fu Lu, who has been by his side for many years. You should know him; Uncle Fu is very capable. Many of my father’s affairs are handled by Uncle Fu. In the past, elder brother and second brother both tried to borrow staff from father, but he never agreed. This time, he actually gave Uncle Fu to me, not just to borrow, but to stay with me from now on.”

Han Yu had assumed that his father-in-law had gathered some fancy gift for his daughter-in-law, but it turned out he had given her Fu Lu. That really showed how much he adored his daughter!

Han Yu had to admire this, gaining a deeper understanding of his father-in-law’s love for his daughter. Usually, even if a parent dotes on their daughter, there is a limit. Most of the affection is superficial, as, after all, a son is the one expected to inherit and carry on the family legacy. The truly valuable treasures are naturally reserved for the son. Yet, a talent like Fu Lu, who would be a massive asset anywhere, was given to his daughter-in-law just like that by her father.

“My daughter-in-law, your father-in-law really cherishes you. Fu Lu is no ordinary big shopkeeper. If not for the kindness your father-in-law showed him, such a capable person would not be willing to be subordinate and would have already set out to establish his own business. You really lucked out with such talent,” remarked Han Yu, feeling somewhat envious himself. He had interacted with Fu Lu a few times and genuinely admired his abilities.

Speaking of Fu Lu, Su Wenyue couldn’t help but give Han Yu a few reminders, “Husband, although Uncle Fu has voluntarily served a servant’s role by my side for years out of gratitude, my father has always treated Uncle Fu as a brother and friend, and I definitely cannot treat Uncle Fu as a mere servant. Moreover, I promised Daddy that I would take care of Uncle Fu for the rest of his life.”

“That’s only proper. Uncle Fu will be one of our elders from now on. In all matters, we will still need to rely on Uncle Fu for guidance. However, with Uncle Fu’s abilities, it really is a waste for him to manage just a store by your side. Why don’t you lend Uncle Fu to me, and I can send another experienced steward to help you instead?”

Han Yu had a sudden idea and spoke up. It wasn’t that he coveted his daughter-in-law’s belongings; he truly felt that it was beneath Fu Lu’s talent to be managing a store with Su Wenyue, knowing Uncle Fu’s worth. After all, it wasn’t necessary to use a cleaver to kill a chicken. Ultimately, Han Yu wasn’t seriously considering Su Wenyue’s desire to open a store, believing his daughter-in-law’s intent was more of a whimsical indulgence for amusement.

“No way, Uncle Fu is a treasure my father gave to me. Keep your hands off him. I will not let you have Uncle Fu,” Su Wenyue shook her head firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. If it were anything else, she would have agreed, but not this time. Her talk of opening a store was only the surface of her intentions; her real plans were not so simple. If it weren’t for this, her father wouldn’t have given her Uncle Fu.

Han Yu was just making a casual suggestion, and since Su Wenyue disagreed, he let it go. But seeing how serious Su Wenyue looked, he couldn’t help but tease her, pinching her puffed-out cheeks, “You little thing, look at how stingy you are, not even willing to lend him. You couldn’t get any stingier.”

Su Wenyue turned her head away, acting haughty, “Hmph, so what if I’m stingy? I won’t lend him, no matter what. Lucky for me that I have such a good daddy. You’re just jealous!”

“Oh, you’re getting spirited now. But your father-in-law really does spoil you. He’s even willing to let a talent like Uncle Fu be buried and wasted like this. There are few fathers in the world like yours. Go ahead and gloat,” Han Yu said with a smile. Now that Lady Yue was his wife, her father’s kindness towards her was a kindness towards him as well. He would remember this favor.

Although Han Yu had agreed to the store idea, he hadn’t put it on the agenda right away because things were too chaotic outside. Once Han Yu had cleared out the troublemakers, he finally allowed Su Wenyue to go out. Apart from Qi Luo, Han Yu assigned an additional bodyguard to ensure Su Wenyue’s safety. Another reason was to keep men with dubious intentions away from his wife and prevent them from leading her astray.

With much more peace outside, they could bring their three children back. Having not seen them for some days, not only Su Wenyue but also Han Yu missed their three children dearly. The couple went together to Zhuangzi to bring the children home. The family reunited in joy, and the atmosphere in the mansion was exceptionally harmonious.

While some rejoiced, others were distressed. In a newly decorated store, a woman dressed as a man was scolding the shopkeeper and workers furiously.

“What is going on? How did this month’s performance go so downhill? I’ve invested so much effort and nearly all my savings. The business started improving before, and now it’s a complete mess!” Chen Li said angrily as she looked through the ledger, then cast a suspicious glance at the shopkeeper.

“The business was picking up, and there’s no reason for it to turn out like this. Has someone been playing tricks behind the scenes, or not been doing their job properly, or has someone been lining their own pockets?” Although Chen Li didn’t name anyone, it was clear who she was suggesting; she knew that all the affairs of the store were managed by the shopkeeper, and aside from the shopkeeper, no one else had that capacity.