Chapter 83

With Xie Lingyun's intelligence, she naturally understood the intention behind her cousin-in-law Hong Feiyun's words. She raised her head and said with a somewhat forced smile, "Cousin, what you said is true. The Xie family still needs me to carry on, so I can't possibly get married. In the future, I will definitely take in a son-in-law. In comparison, my cousin is very suitable for Mr. Zhou!"

"That... that won't do. I heard that Zhou Chong has already been engaged to someone. If his father Zhou Hai hadn't passed away, he would have been married long ago. How could I possibly marry him?" Zheng Youyi's eyes wandered as she spoke. In fact, she also wanted to get married, and from all aspects, Zhou Chong met her standards for a husband. He was very talented and had revitalized the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce in just a few days. For such an excellent person, it would be a lie to say that Zheng Youyi wasn't moved.

"What's the problem with being engaged? After all, they haven't gotten married yet. I've also heard that although the Wang family, to whom Zhou Chong is engaged, has some influence, Wang Lun has already been stripped of his position and his power is far less than it used to be. If Zhou Chong marries Youyi, it will certainly form a close alliance between our two families, which would be a great benefit to the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce. I believe that as long as Zhou Chong isn't a fool, he won't refuse!" Hong Feiyun said with great confidence.

When Zhou Chong first arrived in Shuangyu Port, he won over the old members of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce like Sun Tong, San Niang, and Tu Shu. Then he destroyed the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce and the Utsunomiya Chamber of Commerce to win the hearts of the people. This time, he reformed the Beigang Teahouse, making Beigang even more prosperous. Hong Feiyun had seen all of this and believed that Zhou Chong was not a person content with mediocrity. He had his own ambitions and was very good at making decisions. If Zhou Chong married Zheng Youyi, it would be equivalent to an alliance with the Xie and Hong families, which would be a great help to Zhou Chong. Therefore, Hong Feiyun was very confident.

When Xie Lingyun heard her cousin-in-law's words, although she believed that Zhou Chong wouldn't break off his engagement for the benefit of the chamber of commerce, she was in a very delicate relationship with him and was worried that Hong Feiyun might misunderstand her, so she could only smile without saying anything.

However, when Zheng Youyi heard that her cousin-in-law wanted Zhou Chong to break off his engagement and marry her, she said somewhat unhappily, "That won't do. If Zhou Chong breaks off his engagement for his own benefit today, he would be no different from Chen Shimin. If he can break off his engagement with the Wang family to marry me today, he could also divorce me tomorrow for a greater benefit and marry someone else. So if he really breaks off his engagement, I wouldn't want such a man!"

Hearing her cousin's principled stance, Xie Lingyun couldn't help but feel secretly happy and a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart. At this moment, Hong Feiyun wanted to say more, but she saw Zheng Youyi stand up and say, "Cousin, it's not easy for you to come here. I know you have a lot to say to my cousin. Since I don't understand what you're talking about, I'll go find my brother. You two can chat!"

After saying this, Zheng Youyi turned and ran out, leaving Hong Feiyun no time to stop her. She could only sit back down in frustration and turn to Xie Lingyun, complaining, "Look at your cousin. She's so impulsive, just like her brother. How can she possibly get married like this?"

Xie Lingyun could only comfort her, "Cousin, don't take it to heart. She's just a straightforward person. In fact, she learned this from you. But didn't you also find a good man like my brother? So I think my cousin is fine as she is. She just hasn't found the right person yet. When the right person comes along, you and my brother might not be able to stop her."

Hearing that Zheng Youyi's personality was like hers and using her as an example, Hong Feiyun had no words to say, because it was indeed true. They were very similar, both straightforward and unconcerned with trivial matters, and their behavior was very much like that of a man. Moreover, Zheng Youyi had been close to her for many years, so much of her personality was influenced by her.

"Ah, well, everyone has their own destiny. It's no use for us to worry unnecessarily. Everything depends on Youyi's own destiny," Hong Feiyun sighed. Xie Lingyun, hearing these words, couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic: her cousin's destiny hadn't arrived yet, and she wondered when her own destiny would come.

However, Hong Feiyun soon remembered the main reason for her visit to Xie Lingyun. She said with a serious face, "Lingyun, the Beigang Teahouse has completely changed. With the posting of the sales and purchase lists, the transaction volume has skyrocketed. Even some of our old customers from the two ports have gone to Beigang to sell their goods early. What should we do?"

Xie Lingyun smiled and picked up her teacup to take a sip before saying, "Cousin, what's the problem? The reform of the Beigang Teahouse isn't a secret. Now we should send people to the Beigang Teahouse to understand all their new methods and then copy them in our teahouse!"

Hearing Xie Lingyun's words, Hong Feiyun didn't look relieved but still worried, "Lingyun, the teahouse issue is easy to solve, but have you thought about this: Zhou Chong is about your age and has just taken over the chamber of commerce. He has already shown extraordinary talent. If he becomes familiar with the operations of the chamber of commerce, he will shine even more. How will our two families deal with this situation?"

Xie Lingyun sighed inwardly. What Hong Feiyun could think of, she could also think of. Zhou Chong's series of actions in taking over the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce had already exceeded her expectations. She never thought that as a scholar, Zhou Chong would have such outstanding business acumen. In just a few days, he not only united the remaining forces of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce but also reformed the port teahouse, which had been in operation for many years, significantly increasing the transaction volume in Beigang. Although the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce had not yet fully recovered its strength, its reputation was gradually rising. Many people were full of confidence in Zhou Chong, the young master of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, believing that he would become an even more outstanding "Zhou Nanyang" than his father.

"Cousin, it's too early to worry about these things. Although Zhou Chong has reformed the Beigang Teahouse, it hasn't increased revenue much. For the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce to fully recover its strength is not easy. Moreover, Beigang is a complex area with many Japanese and Korean people. If the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce really becomes powerful, it will inevitably conflict with them. So we don't need to worry yet!" Xie Lingyun said after thinking for a long time, with a light tone.

"Lingyun, how can we not worry? Zhou Chong has just arrived in Shuangyu Port and has already shown such a sharp side. The destruction of the Jeolla Chamber of Commerce and the Utsunomiya Chamber of Commerce has added to his reputation. If we don't think of a way, he might unify Beigang. Beigang is the largest port area in Shuangyu Port. At that time, even if our two families join forces, it will be difficult to compete with the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce!" Although Hong Feiyun appeared straightforward and had a fiery temper, she was the leader of a chamber of commerce and had a long-term perspective.

Xie Lingyun, however, still showed a dismissive expression, "Cousin, you're overthinking it. With the current situation of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, it's not easy for it to recover. Even if Zhou Chong can stabilize the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce for now, isn't there still the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce in Beigang? That's the last bit of power of the Ashikaga family, the shogunate. We've all suffered at the hands of the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce before, let alone the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, which has suffered significant losses."

At this point, Xie Lingyun suddenly smiled and continued, "Moreover, we have already started to infiltrate Beigang and have a spy there. According to the spy's report, Zhou Chong's series of actions in Beigang have attracted the attention of the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce. Ashikaga Ichihiko, the president of the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce, is a cunning old fox. With his shrewdness, he won't let the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce recover. So we just need to wait and see the show."

Hearing that Xie Lingyun didn't seem to be optimistic about Zhou Chong, Hong Feiyun looked at her with some surprise and felt puzzled: Xie Lingyun was always very sensitive to business matters, especially to potential threats, and always liked to eliminate them in their infancy. Now that Zhou Chong's performance had become a threat to their two chambers of commerce, according to Xie Lingyun's usual nature, even if she didn't act openly, she would definitely try to sabotage the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce in secret and wouldn't be so slow to react!

Xie Lingyun noticed the suspicion in Hong Feiyun's eyes but pretended not to see it, maintaining her calm expression and not giving any explanation.

Hong Feiyun stayed at the Xie family's residence for the whole afternoon and quietly returned to the Hong family's chamber of commerce in Xigang with her children in the evening. After seeing Hong Feiyun off, Xie Lingyun returned to her room and sat by the window, lost in thought. After a long time, she sighed, "Zhou Chong, your performance has completely exceeded my expectations. I thought I could control the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce through you, but I didn't expect to help a dragon into the sea. Now that your wings are fully grown, what should I do with you?"