Finest Servant

Chapter 78 Second Miss Xiao's Request

Sweat poured down his brow as Lin Wanrong realized the young girl already knew everything. "Since you already know, why are you asking me?" he replied.

"Lin San, you're terrible! How could you go to such a place?" The young girl looked at him, condemning him seriously.

He found himself unable to answer. Should he tell her it was to fulfill certain physiological needs? That would be corrupting the child.

"Hehe, well, you know Miss Qin Xian'er invited us. She admired Young Master's talent, so I had no choice but to accompany him," he explained.

"Hmph, I heard about it from my sister, who told our mother. You might fool my sister, but not me. That Miss Qin is definitely not admiring my cousin, but you! Don't think I don't know," Xiao Yushuang said through gritted teeth, clearly annoyed.

Sighing, Lin Wanrong felt a touch of regret. The person who understood him best in the Xiao mansion was this young girl. Besides Guo Wuchang, the one he interacted with the most was Xiao Yushuang. Although she was sometimes quite unruly, she had changed a lot under his guidance and had at least stopped being so willful in front of him.

"Lin San, is that Qin Xian'er really that beautiful?" Xiao Yushuang couldn't help but ask when Lin Wanrong remained silent.

"She is indeed beautiful," Lin Wanrong replied, nodding honestly.

"Is she more beautiful than me?" Xiao Yushuang asked, puffing out her chest with pride.

Xiao Yushuang was indeed a very beautiful woman who could surpass Qin Xian’er given time. However, she was still young and slightly naive. Considering Lin Wanrong's age and experience, she was still too young. She would need a few more years to grow.

"Am I not as good as her?" Xiao Yushuang asked anxiously, grabbing Lin Wanrong's arm.

"No, you're just younger now, so it's not a fair comparison. Give it a few years, and you'll certainly be more beautiful than her," Lin Wanrong reassured her.

A radiant smile blossomed on Xiao Yushuang's face. "Really?"

Seeing her adorable expression, Lin Wanrong felt a touch of joy and nodded, affirming, "Absolutely, certainly, and definitely."

Xiao Yushuang huffed, "I knew it. How could I be compared to a woman of the night?"

Lin Wanrong frowned, "Second Miss, everyone has their own experiences. Don't look down on others so easily. Even though Qin Xian'er has fallen into such a lifestyle, she's managed to maintain her purity. That alone makes her much stronger than most."

Xiao Yushuang, born into a wealthy family, had an inherent sense of superiority. Otherwise, she wouldn't tease the servants so much.

"I understand," Xiao Yushuang stuck out her tongue, "I'll listen to what you say."

"You listen to everything I say? Why?" Lin Wanrong asked curiously.

"Because you're kind to me," Xiao Yushuang replied matter-of-factly. "You're different from others. You don't just agree with me, you dare to contradict me, even hit me... over there—" Her face flushed slightly as she continued, "You can compose poetry, paint, sing, and tell stories. I like that very much."

‘God, if a stand-up comedian comes along, she'd probably like him even more.’ Lin Wanrong couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

"Lin San, you promised to paint my portrait yesterday. When can we start?" Xiao Yushuang asked with interest.

"Well, I need to gather the materials first," Lin Wanrong replied. In reality, there wasn't much to prepare; he just needed to retrieve the makeshift pencil he had left with Qiaoqiao.

Xiao Yushuang didn't know how he painted and assumed, like most painters, he needed a pile of pigments, so she simply nodded in understanding.

"Lin San, you're so talented. I wonder if you can help my family," Xiao Yushuang suddenly sighed.

"Help? What kind of help? You must be joking, Second Miss. What can a humble servant like me do?" Lin Wanrong laughed.

"I don't know why, Lin San, but I feel like you're capable. You're full of ideas, quick-witted, and knowledgeable—" Xiao Yushuang started.

"Alright, alright, you're going to make me blush," Lin Wanrong interrupted, laughing, "What's troubling our Second Miss so much?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. I've only heard my mother and sister talking about it. But they always treat me like a child, unwilling to involve me. I've overheard a bit, something about a partnership with our Xiao family—" Xiao Yushuang pouted, clearly dissatisfied with her mother and sister's disregard.

"A partnership?" Lin Wanrong was surprised. Did such a concept even exist in this era?

"Did you see that Young Master Tao last night? He proposed a partnership among three families, including ours and another family named He. I'm not too clear on the details; I only heard so much from my mother and sister."

Lin Wanrong's brow furrowed. He knew that the Xiao family's main business was selling cloth and silk. Although it was profitable, it was a common business that anyone with money could engage in, leading to fierce competition. The Xiao family used to lead this industry, but in recent years, more and more businesses had emerged. Even within Jinling City, several businesses were on par with the Xiao family. Business was getting tougher.

"What's the story with that Young Master Tao? And the He family?" Lin Wanrong asked, his brow furrowed. He had seen plenty of partnerships in his previous life. Strong alliances seizing the market together was a very beneficial business strategy. However, such partnerships also presented numerous issues, such as profit distribution and resource allocation. To put it bluntly, it was a double-edged sword. If done well, everyone could profit; if not, it became a game of acquisition.

"Young Master Tao's family is in the same business as ours. Over the past few years, their scale has constantly expanded, and now they've even surpassed our family. The He family is also only slightly smaller than ours. Our three families - Xiao, Tao, and He - are the biggest cloth dealers in Jinling City, if not in all of Jiangsu or even the entire country."

What was the deal with this Tao Dongcheng? He was so young, and in a few years, his business had grown larger than the Xiao family. Lin Wanrong was puzzled and asked, "This Young Master Tao, does his family have any significant background?"

Despite her youth, Xiao Yushuang was born into a noble family and understood many things. She nodded, "Young Master Tao's uncle is the current Vice Minister of Personnel. He was once a student of my grandfather. His father, on the other hand, is a silk manufacturer in Suzhou."

A silk manufacturer in Suzhou? No wonder, Lin Wanrong understood. With such power behind him, it would be strange if Tao Dongcheng's business hadn't taken off.

Jiangnan was the richest region in China, and there was a saying, "The prosperity of Jiangnan feeds the whole country." Besides agriculture, the most famous industries in Jiangnan were the Yangzhou salt trade, the Jinling tea trade, and the Suzhou silk industry. These were the most profitable businesses in Jiangnan. Young Master Tao's father controlled the Suzhou silk industry, which was the source of all cloth supply, it was no surprise that he could expand his business so rapidly.

Understanding these circumstances, Lin Wanrong grasped the meaning of Tao Dongcheng's words the previous night about becoming one entity soon. With the backing of the Suzhou silk industry, a partnership was inevitable.

As for the pros and cons of this, it wasn't appropriate for Lin Wanrong to explain to Xiao Yushuang. He said, "Let your elder sister and your mother worry about these things. It's no use worrying yourself."

"But I see mother and sister are both worried, and they seem undecided about whether or not to form a partnership," Xiao Yushuang frowned. "I am their family, of course I want to share their worries. But I can't help at all. Am I useless?"

Listening to this young girl share her concerns, Lin Wanrong felt touched and quickly comforted her with a smile, "Second Miss, I understand how you feel. But you're still young and not yet capable of helping them. What you should do now is make yourself happy, so they don't have to worry about you."

Xiao Yushuang gave a small nod and pouted, "But I'm not entirely useless. At the very least, I can introduce talent. Lin San, you're so capable, can't you help my mother and sister?"

Lin Wanrong gave a wry smile, "Second Miss, you're overestimating me. I'm just a servant. I can't have a say in such important matters."

Xiao Yushuang shook her head, "Lin San, in my eyes, you're the most capable person. Even my sister praised you last night."

"Your elder sister praised me?" Lin Wanrong was surprised. ‘I'm lucky she didn't beat me to death.’

Xiao Yushuang bashfully said, "Last night, my sister came to my room for a chat and saw that little booklet. She looked at the portrait you drew for her and was lost in thought for quite some time. She even said she had never seen such a drawing technique before and that you have the talent of a grandmaster."

"Really?" Lin Wanrong said, "Didn't you promise to keep it a secret?"

Xiao Yushuang quickly explained, "Don't worry, I remember everything you've told me. I just said that I found the booklet and didn't know who drew the pictures. Then my sister took the booklet away."

Seeing Xiao Yushuang looking guilty, Lin Wanrong knew it was difficult for her to lie to her sister. He didn't have the heart to blame her, "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you." He wondered what kind of ripples would arise now that the booklet had fallen into the Eldest Miss Xiao's hands.

"Lin San, will you help my sister? Please?" Xiao Yushuang grabbed Lin Wanrong's arm and pleaded with him in a soft voice.

She had said it so many times, Lin Wanrong could only reply helplessly, "Alright, I'll think about it. I'll tell you when I come up with a solution."

Xiao Yushuang's tears turned into laughter, "Lin San, I knew you were the best. Come to my room tonight!"

"What?" Lin Wanrong was shocked, almost dropping his jaw in surprise.