Chapter 594: Chapter 588_1 Chapter 594: Chapter 588_1 After lunch, Zhao Erhu hurried to the city. He did not return until dusk, looking quite upset—likely he had discovered some troubling news, or perhaps the fruit merchant had deceived him in some way. A faint anger still lingered on Zhao Erhu’s face, which eased a bit only after he caught sight of Lin Yue.
“What happened? From the look of you, I gather the news isn’t good. Did that fruit merchant play some tricks?” Lin Yue asked with a smile, setting aside her embroidery work.
“It’s outrageous! That fruit merchant is utterly unscrupulous. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t inquired. There’s something wrong with those fruit trees. The buyer mainly wanted orange trees, and the other fruit trees were just an afterthought. We sought them because our local orange trees don’t thrive well, yielding fruits that lack moisture and aren’t sweet enough. That’s why we had the fruit merchant ship them from afar.
Who would have thought that, aside from a few genuine honey orange trees, the rest he shipped were some other type feigning as such. Though they look similar, they’re definitely not real honey orange trees.
The buyer also happened to have an experienced old orchard worker with him who noticed the issue. Naturally, he was unwilling to complete the purchase as agreed. Had it been someone else, they might not have recognized the deception. If I hadn’t investigated thoroughly, I would’ve been swindled by that thief!”
In his outrage, Zhao Erhu slammed his hand on the table, causing Lin Yue to shake her head and guide him to take a seat. “You shouldn’t use so much force. Does your hand hurt? I suspected that fruit merchant might be problematic, and now that we’ve found issues, it’s actually a good thing. Why get so angry and smack the table so hard? The table may be sturdy enough not to break, but what about your hand? I thought you were used to dealing with things calmly after all your time traveling for business. Why can’t you keep your composure now?”
Lin Yue was actually puzzled by Zhao Erhu’s temper. He was always good at hiding his emotions, even after dealing with business affairs. Unless he chose to show it, sometimes she couldn’t even tell what he was thinking. What was making him so agitated today?
Zhao Erhu wasn’t usually the type to lose his cool. He pulled his little wife onto his lap. “You don’t know, that scoundrel didn’t know about it himself; it was the Wei Family’s doing. They passed the word about our need for fruit trees. I suppose that the old Wei patriarch still holds a grudge for past grievances and has been looking for a chance to make us suffer a loss.
That old Wei patriarch is truly a narrow-minded and petty person! It started with his plot against us, and we didn’t retaliate. Yet, he’s still biting down hard. I’m fine when I’m at home, but if I’m away, and you’re in charge, and the old Wei patriarch starts scheming again, using his dirty tactics in secret, how can I be at ease?”
In the end, Zhao Erhu was worried about Lin Yue. With the current chaotic state of Xin’an City, he thought that the old Wei patriarch’s apology last time meant they were even and would not bother each other again. However, after this incident, he realized that the scoundrel’s malicious intentions were still very much alive. This could be seen as revenge, but who knew what else the old Wei patriarch had in mind, likely still coveting their family’s secrets to wealth and keeping a watchful eye.
Zhao Erhu was already uneasy about being away from home for such a long duration, and this incident only added to his worries. His little wife might be clever, but she was young and relatively inexperienced. Besides, there is a saying: “There are no thieves for a thousand days, and no one can guard against them for a thousand days.” The old Wei patriarch had been in the marketplace for decades. Without boasting of his abilities, his behind-the-scenes foul and dirty dealings were certainly numerous, and Zhao Erhu feared his wife might carelessly fall into one of the old Wei patriarch’s traps. Far away and unable to know what was happening at home, let alone return to help in time, financial losses could be recovered, but if anything happened to his little wife, regret would be useless.
Lin Yue was pleased to see Zhao Erhu’s concern for her, but she didn’t want him to worry incessantly.
“You know the old Wei patriarch’s nature. It’s normal for him to do this. There’s no reason to be so angry on his account that you make yourself sick. As for me, rest assured. You know my capabilities. Moreover, we have a whole family at home, which is no less than the Wei Residence. Whether it’s overt or covert, the old Wei patriarch won’t be able to take advantage of us, especially with the Jiang family around. If there’s any trouble, I can seek help from the Jiang family in your absence, so you really don’t need to worry too much.”
“Even so, we should still be cautious. Ideally, we should seize the opportunity to eliminate the threat of the old Wei patriarch as soon as possible. It’s always a concern to be watched by a viper like that, afraid that it might jump out and bite you at any moment. Even without trouble, it’s impossible to feel at ease,” Zhao Erhu replied, his words laced with a ruthless intent. He truly harbored such thoughts and plans. With Jiang Ziqi about to arrive, he believed Jiang Ziqi would be willing to cooperate with him, increasing their chances of success. Yet, he reflected that the old Wei patriarch had built a strong foundation through his many years in commerce; they couldn’t afford to be careless or act rashly. They had to wait for the right moment to strike decisively so that the old Wei patriarch would never rise again.
Lin Yue felt somewhat estranged seeing Zhao Erhu like this. After being out and about for so long and encountering so many things, he had developed a decisive and ruthless streak. Zhao Erhu, who had patiently endured much from relatives like the Wei family mother and son and the big sister-in-law, was now willing to take the initiative against anyone who might threaten his family.
Lin Yue realized that Zhao Erhu’s words carried no false pretense. If the old Wei patriarch showed any weakness before Zhao Erhu set sail and Zhao Erhu found an opportunity to get an advantage, he would certainly strike.
There were things Zhao Erhu hadn’t told Lin Yue, fearing it would frighten and worry her. At sea, the risks involved more than just potential severe weather; man-made disasters were a real concern, too!
Although most pirates had been bribed and wouldn’t attack their trade fleets, there were still small, unaffiliated groups of pirates who liked to take advantage of opportunities, especially targeting trade fleets like theirs. He had encountered them more than once, each time fighting desperately and shedding blood with his men. He had seen much bloodshed, the real blood of men, not the blood of animals hunted in the mountains. Having gone through a baptism of blood, how could he not have cultivated an air of cruelty and ruthless tactics?
In Lin Yue’s presence, Zhao Erhu did not conceal himself deliberately, but he did rein in his aggression a great deal. His disposition was naturally much calmer and more relaxed around his wife and child, dissipating much of his inner violence, which only now became noticeable to Lin Yue.
“What’s wrong, did I scare you?” Zhao Erhu noticed his little wife staring at him somewhat dazedly.