Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 674 - 676: The Cunning Tactics of the Old Fox

Chapter 674: Chapter 676: The Cunning Tactics of the Old Fox

Jiang Yichun was instantly cheered by her shifting gaze. He adored how she could always say just what he needed to hear, implying that he should not worry about small matters, and only use his influence for great causes. This made him even more relaxed and pleased.

Early the next morning, Bai Ruozhu went alone to the Meng Residence. On one hand, she needed to fill a tooth for the old lady. On the other hand, she had to tell her about her decision to reject the business partnership with the Du Family and Wang Miaoshuang.

The old lady was delighted to see her and said, "Make me a few delicious treats today. I haven’t tasted your dim sum for a while."

"I’m afraid I will have to disappoint you today." She took out a bronze box and said, "I have the materials ready, so I will be filling your tooth today. You shouldn’t eat any dim sum before the procedure. After the filling, you need to be careful not to bite on hard food for five or six days. After this period, you can eat comfortably again."

The old lady was delighted to hear this. Even though her tooth no longer ached daily due to the medication, the hollow cavity made eating uncomfortable. Sometimes food residue would get stuck in it. She would even bite it unknowingly, causing pain if the food poked it.

"Good, I’ll heed your advice. I can bear with it for a few days, right?" The old lady joyfully replied.

Bai Ruozhu washed her hands and started to clean and disinfect the old lady’s mouth. The tooth-filling process was smooth thanks to the well-maintained tooth root. The old lady didn’t have any discomfort.

"Try and bite down." Bai Ruozhu placed a small piece of paper between her teeth to observe whether the filling was done appropriately.

The old lady followed Ruozhu’s instruction with interest, "Why does it feel a bit sticky? It is not very comfortable." She asked.

"The materials haven’t completely solidified yet. So, for the next few days, avoid eating anything with this tooth. After six days, you can. However, try not to eat hard food in the future. Also, remember to take good care of your teeth. Brush your teeth, morning and night." Bai Ruozhu winked at her.

"Yes, yes, I’ll remember to do it," the old lady said with a broad grin.

Bai Ruozhu packed up her equipment before saying, "Old Lady, I am going to break away from the Du Family and our partnership. We might end up in court."

The old lady was stunned before sighing, "I initially hoped you could maintain a peaceful business relationship, but it seems it’s not possible."

"I have no choice. They have become increasingly insatiable. When I opened the Hot Spring Beauty Salon, Master Du came to me the very next day. He threatened me to cooperate with him again, using the name of the City Lord’s wife. He wants the Du Family to sell my beauty products." Bai Ruozhu didn’t directly mention that Wang Miaoshuang collaborated with the Du Family or she was the one behind its proposition. She wants to spare the Meng Residence’s reputation.

The old lady raised her brows, a cold glint in her eyes. "The Du Family is crossing the limit. I’d split with them too. You don’t need to worry about it. I’ll talk to the head lady. That way, any small fry can’t swindle others using her name."

Bai Ruozhu got up and gave the old lady a respectful bow, "Thank you, old lady."

She then explained the situation between the Ronglang Pastry Shop and Zhou Family. The old lady listened, a cold glint flickered in her eyes. "Good, this time we won’t give the Zhou family a chance to recover. Let me know if you need any help. I am too old to aid you directly. You can go to Nanny Lu."

"Thank you, old lady."

"For what? If I don’t teach her a lesson for harming Hong Xiu under my watch, I would’ve lived in vain," said the old lady darkly.

After sorting out their affairs, Bai Ruozhu reminded the old lady to be careful before leaving the Meng Residence.

After returning home, she delegated duties to Cui Fan. She doesn’t need to present herself in front of others; Cui Fan can take care of it all. If Cui Fan needed help, he could go to the Meng Residence to seek assistance from Nanny Lu.

Cui Fan took Bai Ruozhu’s orders, had a brief conversation with Wang, and then advised them to go to the Public Hall. He advised them to testify against Zhou Houshang, stating that Zhou Houshang was hiding within the Zhou Family. He asked Officer Lu to send someone to arrest Zhou Houshang and conduct an investigation.

The Wang couple did as instructed by Cui Fan, while Cui Fan covertly planted some evidence in the Zhou Family’s home.

At a time when everything was going smoothly, a messenger came from the Commerce Association, informing them that the Du family disagreed with the termination of the contract. They had to settle the dispute in court and both parties were required to testify at the Public Hall early the next day.

Jiang Yichun found it unbearable that Bai Ruozhu had to go through all these troubles. He grumbled, "That ungrateful Du Family deserves some retribution. Don’t worry about it. Once I expose all their dark deeds, they’ll have their hands full."

"What dark deeds?" Bai Ruozhu curiously asked.

Jiang Yichun glanced at her, lowering his voice, "For instance, cutting corners in toothpaste production, substituting high-quality medicinal materials with inferior ones, and selling counterfeit medicine, including fake ginseng and bird nests."

"What!" Bai Ruozhu was shocked, "Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Collaborating with them makes me complicit, right? They sell fake medicines and lower the quality of toothpaste. It’s utterly unscrupulous. Aren’t they afraid of ruining their own reputation?"

Jiang Yichun put his arm around her shoulder, indicating her to lower her voice before explaining calmly, "I would have warned you if I knew sooner. I started the investigation because you wanted to terminate the deal with them, and I was afraid of possible complications. I originally planned to save the proof for later. I didn’t expect to find so much."

Bai Ruozhu gently pulled at his hand, "Thank you."

He wasn’t keeping secrets from her; he cared for her and helped her silently. She felt warmth radiating through her heart. It was amazing to have a husband. She no longer stood alone in the front line. She had a man who could shelter her from wind and rain.

"Don’t act hastily on your side. Remember, we are still under Officer Tong’s scrutiny. We don’t want him to accuse you of abusing your power." Ever practical, Bai Ruozhu returned to her senses. She was determined to suppress the Du family but was more concerned about Jiang Yichun’s safety.

Jiang Yichun considered it and gave up his insistence, "As long as you’re certain, it’s all right. If things get out of hand, expose the evidence. I cannot permit anyone to bully you."

She chuckled, her smile reflected in his shining eyes. They stared into each other’s eyes, losing themselves in the moment that they forgot about the servants and guards around them.

In the blink of an eye, it was the next day. Bai Ruozhu went alone to the Government Office. Seeing her, Kuai Minglang shook his head, "Is the Bai family cursed with bad luck? In mere moons, she had been to the Government Office several times."

Bai Ruozhu bowed to Kuai Minglang, "Officer, there is an old saying - ’one can still be friends after a failed deal.’ I wish the same with the Du Family. I hope we part on good terms by terminating the contract. I ask for your approval."

"Exactly as you said, ’one can still be friends after a failed deal.’ Du Songbai, can’t you both make a compromise?" Officer Lu asked.

Master Du moved a step forward, saying, "In response to Officer Lu, it’s not that I’m unwilling to compromise. Terminating the contract is not an issue, but we should follow the punishment stated in the contract."

Bai Ruozhu narrowed her eyes. When she signed the contract with Du Zhongshu, they didn’t include any penalty clauses for her if she decided to terminate the contract. But Master Du wouldn’t make flippant comments; what did the old fox do?