Translated by Gumihou

"Duan Tingxuan, you've had enough of the Steamed Lion Head, Snow Cream, and Cake, is that it?" Su Nuan Nuan threw Zhao Cai angrily stood up, dropping Zhao Chai to the floor. It'd been a long time since he had seen this shrewish, violent side of her. However, like a Pavlovian dog, the little marquis leapt away , nearly flopping to the ground as he yelled. "Joking, Nuan Nuan, I was just joking. Actually, your potential is still not bad. Just a little inferior than mine… ah! Aiya! Please don't hit me anymore… the f**k, are you even a woman? Aren't you tired from making Cake all morning? Why are you so energetic now?"

As the husband and wife duo acted out their performance together, Hong Lian and Xiang Yun continued on as though nothing was wrong. In contrast, the three new maids, Cong'er, Hua'er, and Xing'er stared with their mouths wide opened. Their tough as nails madam quickly gain another awesome level in their hearts.

They were still in this lively chaos together when a loud crash interrupted them. The people in the courtyard all turned towards the entrance, and saw Second Young Master Duan standing there in in a daze. He looked as though he had caught sight of something unspeakably horrifying. There was a case next to his feet, presumably the source of the crash.

"Nuan Nuan, stop."

Duan Tingxuan yelled, then hurried over. He stopped in front of his brother, looked up at the sinking sun, then said, "Tingye? Why are you here at this time of the day? The sun has almost set, what's so important that can't wait till tomorrow?"

"Oh… ah… that is, I couldn't sit still at home, so I thought… I'd come talk to elder brother about the business." Duan Tingye said in a rush. When he saw Su Nuan Nuan walking over, a faint sense of fear crossed his face and he quickly took two steps back, "That is… the matter we talked about, has elder brother spoken to sister-in-law about it? What… what does she think?"

"Your sister-in-law has no problem with it." Duan Tingxuan was more interested in the fallen box. "What's this? It's nice that you're visiting us, surely there's no need to bring anything? Really. Just when did you learned false courtesies like this?"

Duan Tingye's lips quirked up a little, "That… is not something particularly precious. A little while ago someone sent me a few lengths of cloud brocade cloth. Since the embroidery is particularly delicate, I thought I'd let brother and sister-in-law have a look."

"Just a look?" Duan Tingxuan frowned.

"Oh… that is… certainly not only that, if brother takes a liking to it, please have them." Duan Tingye's mouth curled up again, not only that, even his eye lid started to twitch. This business venture was a good thing, right? Why was he feeling a suspicious niggling in his gut?

"Let's talk inside,"

Cloud brocade[1] was something that Su Nuan Nuan knew. In her past life, she had seen an actual specimen at some old teacher's house. The cloth was half a meter long and five meters wide. Since it was purportedly a Ming Dynasty cloud brocade, it was incredibly priceless. Thus, at the mention of 'cloud brocade', her face immediately beamed. Duan Tingxuan smiled, "Cloud brocade, ah. Every thread of is worth its weight in gold. For you to gift this to us is too generous, ah. What is it? Are you not satisfied with the 50-50 split?"

"Oh no, that's not it." Duan Tingye waved his hands repeatedly. "I am just… really grateful for elder brother and sister-in-law's support. If there are any similar ventures in the future… I do hope that brother will continue to advice." Suffocating. This was just too suffocating, ah. No wonder Yurou refused to speak to sister-in-law no matter what. This kind of feeling was just to oppressing.

"Since second brother is looking for you, you two go on ahead. I shall get Xiang Yun to send you two some snacks later." Su Nuan Nuan was all smiles as she grabbed the box off cloud brocade from Duan Tingxuan and ran ahead into the house.

The little marquis was feeling gloomy. Why did it felt like Nuan Nuan was a mistress of a host club, a greedy one at that, who pushed him out to receive customers the moment money reaches her hands? He thought that he could put off the business discussion for a few more days but… well, since Duan Tingye was here with good intentions, there was no point dragging it out any more. He resentfully stomped out of the courtyard, pretty much going nowhere before looking back: Well, that treacherous brother of his was still standing there like an idiot.

So, even this treacherous snake was dominated by Su Nuan Nuan, huh? Though he really didn't want to admit it, it looked like… this was surely the case.

This knowledge made the little marquis even more annoyed: After 20 years I still haven't manage to control this guy, but my shrewish wife had pecked this guy down so thoroughly that he's now even more cowardly than a chicken. He's a quail, a frighten quail… tsk, what is this sense of disappointment?

"Let's go, what are you standing there like an idiot for?" Duan Tingxuan snapped unhappily. Duan Tingye shook himself and hurried over, trailing after the lord heir like a beaten dog to the study.

Since this was a serious matter, the brothers talked business for a good part of an hour, managing to hammer out most of the crucial details. Finally, Second Young Master Duan could feel a bit more at ease. Exhausted by the nerve wrecking day, he hurried back to Spring Rain Court, and managed to catch Shi'shi reprimanding one of her younger maids. At the sight of him, she left the girl to whisper, "Well? Did brother and sister-in-law really agree to it? A 50-50 split? No take backs or regrets?"

Duan Tingye nodded. In truth, he still felt like he was dreaming. Before him, his wife's lips slowly curved up into the happiest smile he had ever seen. Suddenly, the memory of Su Nuan Nuan mercilessly chasing his brother around the courtyard struck him, and he immediately said. "That's right, in the future… do your best to provoke sister-in-law as little as possible."

"Yo~ whatever for? The shops haven't even been set up and you're all set to become her lackey?" Su Nuan Nuan was the thorn in Shi Yurou's heart. Therefore, she was naturally unhappy to hear her husband speak like this. A sinister laugh escaped her, "Moreover, so what if the shops are set up? Her only contributions are the recipes, we still have to provide ingredients, workers, carpenters, source suppliers and entertain guests… aren't we taking all the risk here? Is a 50-50 split a lot to you? So much so that you've become a scaredy mouse?"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Duan Tingye was getting annoyed. "Do you still remember how you had her cat beaten? How she just turned up at our door? If she really forced the issue, I'm afraid you might still be recovering in bed until who knows when. You haven't seen what I've seen. Today, I saw elder brother running away from her like a wretched creature, like, like a mouse being played around by a cat. I only caught a glimpse as I entered the courtyard and my legs practically weakened at the sight. Heavens, could that thing even still be considered a woman? Even lioness and tigress aren't as fierce as her."

Duan Tingxuan's martial skills was something that Shi Yurou was familiar with, and her face whitened drastically at this news. In a shrill voice she cried, "You're saying… first master was chased by her to a corner? How… how could this be? The first master might be a bit of a skirt chaser, but, but, there are rules that the main house must obey. That woman had always been violent, but, never to this point. Are you certain? You're sure you're not mistaken?"

"How can I mistake it for anything else? Anyway… just… try to refrain from provoking the first madam. To be honest, I must admit I kind of enjoyed seeing elder brother's miserable face… Whatever, just stop whatever you might be planning, for me if nothing else. Let sister-in-law take out her violence against elder brother. As long as those two go at each other's throats, we, as spectators, can ready our nets to catch whatever opportunities that flies up. Isn't this better?"

Shi Yurou pondered upon the image of Duan Tingxuan as a miserable rat being chased around by a fierce tigress Nuan Nuan. A loud explosive 'pu chi' was heard, soon she was holding her waist and laughing until tears rolled down her face. Duan Tingye, too, began to laugh. Together, the couple laughed like a pair of crazy people as all the resentment, hurt and bitter feelings of being blocked and stepped on by this brother of theirs was replaced by this splendid delusion. Who cares whether it was true or not? This imagery was worth more than anything gold could buy.

If Su Nuan Nuan knew what the branch house had been thinking, she would definitely have scolded Duan Tingxuan while jabbing a finger at his forehead: Look what a great big bully you are. See how terrible you made these people's lives?

Note from the Author, White Pear Flower.

PS: Second Young Master Duan certainly is a little pitiful, ah. Though he kind of deserved it, hahaha!

^_^

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