Chapter 456 - 396: Refusing to Give Up
Chapter 456: Chapter 396: Refusing to Give Up
The money-making idea that Gu Shaozheng had come up with in a stroke of genius was simple. His family now had an abundance of jade, so when Xiao Man had free time, she could create some low-level peace charms and Amulets, and Gu Shaozheng would be in charge of selling them.
In the past two years, so-called consecrated peace charms from Hong Kong and Macau had become a trend. A mix of real and fake, they were deliberately shrouded in mystery and priced exorbitantly. The wealthy were falling over themselves to buy them, though many reported that wearing one did nothing; they felt no effect. If people knew that Xiao Man’s Jade Talismans not only attracted good fortune and warded off evil, but could also gradually eliminate latent diseases and restore health, they wouldn’t just sell for one hundred thousand yuan each—people would pay a million, or even ten million!
Gu Shaozheng planned to run this business under the guise that the talismans were consecrated by an enlightened monk.
The two discussed it and decided on a starting price of 300,000 yuan for the peace charms and 500,000 for the Amulets. The price would then increase based on the quality of the jade. After all, it was common for people to think that prettier things should be more valuable.
As for the profit split, Xiao Man wanted to go fifty-fifty with Shaozheng, but Zheng Shaolian, who was standing nearby, objected. He argued that without the runes Xiao Man drew on them, the pieces of jade were just lifeless objects worth very little. The split should be 80/20, with Gu Shaozheng being lucky to get even twenty percent. Xiao Man didn’t feel right about that either, so they made a final decision: she would act as the wholesaler and just take the base price of 300,000 or 500,000. The products would be handed over to Gu Shaozheng for marketing. From there, it was up to him; how much he earned would depend on his own ability.
Before Zheng Shaolian could object, Gu Shaozheng shot both hands up in agreement, grinning with smug delight. It was a no-brainer. ’My future sister-in-law is giving me a massive discount! Once I sell a few of these peace charms and Amulets, I’m bound to get tons of repeat customers. That’s when I’ll really start raking it in. I could jack up the price several times over, no problem!’
Because Zheng Shaolian had let it slip that the Gu family had planted someone at the Medical College to constantly monitor Xiao Man’s daily activities, Xiao Man found out. Although she didn’t say anything, Mr. Gu and Gu Qiming lost a great deal of face. They gave Zheng Shaolian a harsh scolding, and Gu Qiming and Zhou Hui Lan personally went to the school to see Xiao Man, offering her a lengthy apology and explanation.
Xiao Man felt rather helpless. ’If I don’t want to be found, no one can track my movements. But I don’t need to hide when I’m in a public place. As for being practically inseparable from Sun Yiming on campus and making the Gu family worry, there’s nothing I can do about it. Gu Shaojun and I promised each other that mutual trust is all that matters.’
「A week later.」
Sun Jingzu, his wife, and several of his sons and nephews returned to Beijing from the South. On a prearranged date, the entire family paid a visit to the Tang Mansion. Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang specially summoned Mr. Tang and Mrs. Ai back to grandly receive their honored guests. They held a lavish banquet and invited many prominent figures to meet the Sun family. Mr. Gu and Sun Jingzu had a very pleasant conversation. Mr. Gu began by establishing his family’s status as Xiao Man’s future in-laws, then sincerely thanked Old Imperial Doctor Sun for passing his unparalleled medical skills to their future granddaughter-in-law. He repeatedly invited Mr. Sun and his entire family to visit the Gu residence, declaring that if the Sun family ever ran into trouble in Beijing, they only had to say the word, and the Gu and Tang families would do everything in their power to help!
After the banquet ended, Mr. Gu and Old Mrs. Gu saw the guests off alongside the two Tang elders. They then returned home in their car and began discussing the Sun Family on the way.
Old Mrs. Gu sighed. "You have to admit, the Sun family’s sons are all quite impressive. The eldest one is Manman’s classmate, isn’t he? At first glance, he can’t compare to our grandson, but the closer you look... how did they raise their boy to be so refined and handsome? It’s no wonder Manman is willing to spend time with him. Young girls just love that type!"
"Nonsense!" Mr. Gu clicked his tongue. "I’m telling you, old woman, is there something wrong with your eyes? How can you not tell the difference? You call someone who looks like Sun Yiming refined and handsome? He’s nothing but a skinny beanpole, a weak little chick! Not an ounce of muscle on him and no strength to speak of. How can he possibly compare to my grandson, who is strong, sturdy, tall, and imposing? When it comes to bearing or looks, my grandson won’t lose! Manman is willing to spend time with Sun Yiming for a reason: she has to pass Old Imperial Doctor Sun’s unique medical knowledge back to his direct descendant! Once Sun Yiming has learned enough, they won’t be as inseparable as they are now."
"If you know it’s for learning Chinese medicine, then what are you all so worried about?" Old Mrs. Gu rambled on. "I told you before, they’re classmates. It’s unavoidable for them to chat, laugh, and walk together. But you two, father and son, just had to worry yourselves sick for no reason. Fang Qinglan was right to scold you! It’s a good thing Manman takes after Qingshan—she’s calm, patient, and easy to talk to. If she were like Wu Xiaowen, you’d really have your hands full!"
Mr. Gu chuckled. Seeing that Xiao Man’s attitude toward the Sun family wasn’t as warm and easygoing as it was with them, but rather a gentle and formal courtesy appropriate for the occasion, he felt relieved. He was happy to go along with his wife’s point. "Yes, yes, it’s wonderful how Manman takes after Qingshan in both looks and temperament! She and Shaojun are such a perfect match! That’s exactly why we need to keep a closer eye on things. We can’t have a repeat of what happened with Yueyue back then. She was young and impressionable, got swept away by some smooth-talker’s sweet words, and just ran off with him. What would our grandson do if that happened when he comes back?"
Old Mrs. Gu: "..."
’Her heart ached. Her beloved daughter had never done anything truly terrible; she had just been spoiled and willful since she was a child. Her reputation had been tarnished because she’d eloped, and it was bad enough having to endure Fang Qinglan’s sarcastic comments about it. But why was this stubborn old man acting like this too? It was as if their daughter wasn’t his own flesh and blood.’
In the car right behind them were Gu Qiming and Zhou Hui Lan. Like father, like son, Gu Qiming was just as confident in his son as Mr. Gu was. Zhou Hui Lan, however, was still a little worried. ’My eldest son is thousands of miles away,’ she thought. ’It’s one thing that the Sun family’s boy has the advantage of proximity, but he’s also gentle, refined, and handsome. He looks like the type who’s very good at making young girls happy.’ She reminded herself not to let her guard down. ’From now on, I need to visit Manman at school more often and show more concern for my future daughter-in-law.’
And so, Xiao Man’s campus life lost its former peace and quiet. Not only did Wu Xiaowen show up at school every few days to cause trouble, but Old Mrs. Gu and Zhou Hui Lan also brought her food and other necessities almost every day. Previously, Xiao Man could simply "block" the members of the Wu Family to prevent them from finding her, but she couldn’t do the same to Zhou Hui Lan. After successfully finding Xiao Man twice by tagging along with Zhou Hui Lan, Wu Xiaowen had a revelation. From then on, she always arranged to visit Xiao Man with Zhou Hui Lan. Of course, her goal wasn’t to see how Xiao Man was doing, but to get Xiao Man to prescribe more medicine for her!
Even after being sternly rejected several times, Wu Xiaowen refused to give up. This puzzled Xiao Man. ’Wu Xiaowen has a stubborn and proud side to her. Because of her past mistakes, she lost her standing in the Tang family, so I can only imagine her resentment. If it weren’t for Wu Yu Xuan and Lin Aizhen, she probably wouldn’t even deign to look at me. So why is she trying so much harder to get close to me now that Lin Aizhen isn’t here to force her?’