Chapter 4: Xu Mu, How Rude You Are!

“Who dares to obstruct Jinhuaxuan’s business?”

The shopkeeper, Li Baofu, stepped out, his once jovial, plump face now darkened with murderous intent.

Though the Xu family was not based in Liangzhou, their enterprises there were exceptionally significant.

From petty thieves to government officials, no one dared cause trouble for Jinhuaxuan.

Li Baofu glanced at Xu Mu and immediately recognized him.

“Isn’t this Young Master Xu, the son-in-law of the prefect of Liangzhou? Even if your grandfather came, he wouldn’t be able to tolerate this. Do you understand?”

Li Baofu then fixed his gaze on Xu Shuangyi, lingering on her signature long, graceful legs.

This woman was breathtakingly beautiful, her slender legs almost tantalizingly perfect.

“Take your eyes away,” Xu Shuangyi snapped impatiently, feeling insulted.

“Miss, I was only—”

Like a gust of wind, Xu Shuangyi stepped forward and kicked Li Baofu to the ground.

Her legs were not only elegant but remarkably effective.

“How dare you strike me?”

“I, Miss Xu Shuangyi, have been ordered by my father to take over Jinhuaxuan.”

Without turning back, Xu Shuangyi ascended to the second floor.

Xu Shuangyi and Xu Mu entered the upper chamber in succession, with Li Baofu clutching his face and following behind.

He had already heard rumors that a prominent figure from the Xu family would arrive soon.

Yet he never expected it to be Xu Shuangyi.

“May I know the honor of the lady’s visit...”

“Enough nonsense. Bring all the ledgers from this year immediately. I want to inspect them personally,” Xu Shuangyi interrupted coldly.

“Please wait a moment, Miss.”

Xu Mu sat nearby with his eyes closed, quietly pondering.

The amount of silver Jinhuaxuan had sent back over the past two years was pitifully small—there must be serious discrepancies in the accounts.

Xu Shuangyi was always assertive; demanding to see the books outright rather than questioning Li Baofu directly about where the money went wasn’t exactly foolish, but not very clever either.

Xu Mu was certain Li Baofu had prepared a way to respond, one that would prevent Xu Shuangyi from finding any faults in the records.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dared so brazenly to embezzle the man’s fortune.

Li Baofu returned with several men, carrying seven or eight boxes of ledgers, placing them one by one before Xu Shuangyi.

He bowed his head slightly, but his smile was dark and sinister.

“Xu Shuangyi, you’re just an adopted daughter, yet you dare to kick me? Let’s see if you can make sense of Jinhuaxuan’s accounts!”

“Miss, all the ledgers for this year are here for your inspection. I’ll take my leave now. If you need anything, just say the word.”

Xu Shuangyi had the ledgers arranged on the table and began flipping through them.

At first, she was confident; with her skills, uncovering the truth behind the accounts should not have been difficult.

If she wanted to take over Jinhuaxuan, she had to know the books inside out.

But after half an hour, the more she examined, the more chaotic the ledgers seemed.

A simple transaction twisted and tangled, inconclusive and without clear direction.

The expenditures were untraceable, and the income was impossible to tally accurately.

At this moment, Xu Mu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, spoke.

“If you continue like this, it might take you three months to sort through these boxes. But by the time you find any discrepancies, Li Baofu will have already covered his tracks,” Xu Mu mocked.

“Enough with your sarcasm,” Xu Shuangyi said, frustrated. “If necessary, I’ll hold a knife to Li Baofu’s throat to force the truth out.”

“That might scare Li Baofu, but it won’t unearth the mastermind.”

Xu Mu lifted his gaze to the cold and aloof Xu Shuangyi.

“If you ask me for help, I can have the accounts fully sorted within an hour, leaving Li Baofu no time to react.”

Xu Shuangyi had spent half an hour herself and only managed to trace a couple of minor transactions.

Now Xu Mu claimed he could clarify all seven or eight boxes within an hour?

This person was neither talented nor strong, known in the Xu household as a good-for-nothing; even his foster father refused to acknowledge him as his biological son.

She didn’t believe Xu Mu possessed such capability.

Yet the depth of his gaze made her hesitate, unable to immediately discern his true nature.

“Then do it yourself,” Xu Shuangyi said coldly.

“Know your place. Are you speaking to me like that?” Xu Mu’s tone suddenly sharpened.

Their relative status within the Xu household had to be clear.

She looked at Xu Mu and suddenly saw in him a faint aura reminiscent of her foster father’s—firm and confident.

This was the demeanor a member of the Xu family should have.

Xu Shuangyi stood, offering a slight bow, and said, “Very well, please assist with the accounts.”

But she added, “I hope you’re not bluffing.”

Xu Mu rose and took a seat behind the table.

“From now on, I speak and you follow. Keep up with my pace, and don’t disappoint me.”

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Xu Mu began directing Xu Shuangyi through the ledgers.

Throughout the entire Xu household, only her foster father had ever ordered her around.

Now, she was being bossed by the family’s most useless son.

Xu Mu lectured her constantly, which only increased her irritation.

She focused intently, barely keeping up with his rhythm.

After an hour, Xu Mu handed Xu Shuangyi the newly compiled ledger.

“You can’t even tally simple accounts clearly, yet you shamelessly want to take over the Liangzhou enterprises?”

Flipping through the new ledger, Xu Shuangyi’s heart surged with overwhelming emotion.

The accounts spanning seven or eight boxes were now perfectly clear!

Reflecting on Xu Mu’s unique method, she realized his approach was extraordinary.

This once timid, unheard-of nobody in the household possessed such skill?

Why had he never revealed this before? Was he deliberately hiding his talents?

If so, his depth of strategy was truly unfathomable.

“This year, Jinhuaxuan’s total revenue was thirteen thousand three hundred and twenty taels, with a profit of three thousand one hundred taels exactly. Not a single coin was sent to the capital. The shopkeeper embezzled everything under various pretexts,” Xu Mu said calmly.

Xu Shuangyi was shocked, then furious—Li Baofu, as Jinhuaxuan’s shopkeeper, was betraying them despite being on their payroll!

“I want to see just how bold this scoundrel dares to be!”

Xu Mu shot a disdainful glance at Xu Shuangyi, his tone rude.

“The renowned prodigy of the capital, Xu Shuangyi, is actually all flash and no substance.”

“What nonsense?”

Xu Mu glanced sideways at Xu Shuangyi, who instantly blushed.

“Xu Mu, you’re so rude!” she glared fiercely.

“I’m complimenting you,” Xu Mu smiled faintly. “With a little effort, I can recover all losses from Jinhuaxuan in recent years, principal and interest included. That will be our starting capital in Liangzhou.”

“You really have a plan?”

After reviewing the accounts, Xu Shuangyi felt the situation in Liangzhou was far from simple.

Yet Xu Mu spoke with such ease and confidence, as if he were an unshakable anchor.

“Calling you all flash and no brains is quite accurate. Recovering losses is hardly difficult.”

“Send Li Baofu up here,” Xu Mu ordered.