"I will pay you the silver now."

Even though she was offering silver, Jiang Qingge was still a bit afraid that Lu Ye wouldn't agree, so she quickly pulled out a hundred taels from her person.

"I only have this much on me for now. Will you come with me, and I'll give you the rest later, is that okay?"

Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."

Five hundred taels of silver was not much at all to him now.

However, he was curious to see what Jiang Qingge was up to.

Seeing that Lu Ye, their son-in-law, was also accompanying them, Uncle Liu followed at a distance of about five meters.

This distance wouldn't disturb their conversation, and if something unexpected happened, he could respond in time.

Of course, if someone of the Innate Realm attacked, Uncle Liu thought there would be nothing he could do.

In the family, besides the Jiang Family Ancestor, who was an Innate Realm fighter, there wasn't a second person who could contend with such a figure.

Before long, the three of them arrived in front of a shop that hadn't yet closed.

Lu Ye glanced around; this was a place specifically selling silk and ready-made clothing.

Seeing the group arrive, the shopkeeper, who was about to close, immediately came out to greet them. "Eldest Miss..."

Nodding slightly, and glancing at Lu Ye beside her, Jiang Qingge took the initiative to introduce him: "This is... my husband, Lu Ye."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately cupped his hands, showing a hint of respect. "So you are the eldest son-in-law."

This respect stemmed from Jiang Qingge.

In recent years, Jiang Qingge had managed her businesses meticulously; the turnover of various shop branches was stronger than similar businesses of other families.

The shopkeepers and stewards also received dividends, not much, but managed well, they received considerable silver each year.

These benefits were all due to the Eldest Miss's management.

...

The shopkeeper led them to the inner room and brought out some account books and recent purchase orders, handing them to Jiang Qingge.

"Eldest Miss, these are our accounts for the last two months and some retained information on purchases, for your review."

Nodding slightly, entering work mode, Jiang Qingge emanated a faint air of seriousness. This was a different style compared to the hopefulness she showed when collecting silver from Lu Ye earlier.

A moment later, Jiang Qingge furrowed her delicate brows and tapped a spot on the purchase order with her slender finger. "Why has the price of Su Family's fabric increased by five percent?"

"Why is there still no restock of Water Ice Silk fabric? What will we do if the customers leave?"

Watching Jiang Qingge scrutinize each line of accounts closely, Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

He originally thought Jiang Qingge, unable to cultivate, would not be valued by the Jiang Family beyond being the Eldest Miss.

Unexpectedly, she still held significant management rights over Jiang family businesses, suggesting there was indeed some substance to her.

After all, for a family, as a family member, you could be useless, living idly and waiting for your share of dividends each year.

But if you wanted to manage family businesses properly, you couldn't do so without some ability.

The clan wouldn't entrust their livelihood to someone unskilled and unlearned.

Watching with interest on the side, almost half an hour passed this way.

Watching the shopkeeper sweat under Jiang Qingge's reprimands, Lu Ye noticed the stern look on Jiang Qingge's face, seeing a glimpse of her from nearly two years ago.

Back then, this woman wasn't like this; her mind was not yet troubled.

After another ten minutes or so, Jiang Qingge finally turned to the last page of the accounts.

"I don't want to see these problems again the next time I come."

Her face was cold, and despite having no Martial Arts Cultivation, the air of authority she exuded made the silk shopkeeper almost shiver.

"Yes, Eldest Miss, I promise to fully resolve these issues!" The shopkeeper dared not diminish the issues, knowing it was best not to nitpick words in front of the Eldest Miss.

Watching Jiang Qingge and Lu Ye leave, the silk shopkeeper finally dared to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

...

As they exited the silk shop, Jiang Qingge still exuded a chilling aura that deterred others.

Glancing sideways at Lu Ye, noticing his somewhat peculiar gaze, Jiang Qingge asked, "What are you looking at?"

Lu Ye shook his head. "Nothing, just didn't expect you have such a stern side."

Sighing, the cold aura around Jiang Qingge gradually dissipated, her expression softening considerably, she said.

"This is a forced move. I... without Martial Arts Cultivation, if I were also kind and gentle to my subordinates, I'm not confident I could completely manage the tasks assigned to me by the family."

Hearing this, Lu Ye understood.

If one had cultivation, one could be congenial normally, and in critical moments, show power.

But she was different; she had no strength at all, and once authority collapsed, it was hard to re-establish.

"Then you should keep this demeanor in the future." Lu Ye casually said, "You actually look more pleasing to the eye like this than before."

Jiang Qingge: "..."

Was he implying she looked unpleasant when she smiled?

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Jiang Lingyue, half-asleep, suddenly felt an urgent need and hurriedly got up in a drowsy state.

After finishing, she yawned, looked up at the night sky, and suddenly missed Lu Ye.

Thinking about it, Jiang Lingyue put on a coat, exited her courtyard, and quickly went to the outer courtyard, sneaking into the small courtyard where Lu Ye used to live.

Upon pushing open Lu Ye's room door, just as Jiang Lingyue was about to hop onto the bed.

She noticed something seemed different about the wooden bed.

"Huh... The last time I left, I remember barely tidying the blankets—were they this neat?"

Jiang Lingyue thought hazily, unable to remember clearly, as back then, who would pay attention to how blankets were folded?

Not thinking about such trivial matters anymore, Jiang Lingyue removed her coat and quickly snuggled into the bedcovers.

She sniffed the blankets, which seemed to still carry a faint lingering scent, and her eyes turned crescent-shaped with a smile. "Stinky Lu Ye! I've slept in your room again!"

"Stinky Lu Ye, when will you come back... Lingyue misses you a lot."

Sleepiness overcame her, and Jiang Lingyue mumbled softly as she lay in bed, falling into a very peaceful sleep.

...

On the street.

After walking a short distance, Jiang Qingge suddenly said, "Your room is always cleaned... It's too late tonight, but if you don't like it there, I'll arrange for them to clean a new courtyard for you tomorrow."

"Don't rush to refuse; don't I still owe you four hundred taels of silver? I'm just trying to give you the silver... "

Lu Ye pondered for a moment; two years ago, he didn't care about where he lived, and now at his current realm, even less so.

Tomorrow he might as well visit the Jiang family and check on that little girl Jiang Lingyue, lest they say he didn't see her upon returning.

"No need for a new courtyard... let's go."

Hearing this, Jiang Qingge felt a slight joy in her heart. Did this mean... he agreed?

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