Chapter 568 - 570: Mentioning Guo Yurong Again

Chapter 568: Chapter 570: Mentioning Guo Yurong Again

Ouyang Bing grew anxious. "But we were getting along so well! You haven’t even agreed to my proposal yet."

Jin Qianqian scoffed. "It seems Young Master Ouyang has been living quite comfortably lately, so much so that you’ve forgotten some of life’s basic rules."

"We may be acquainted, but at most, we are what you might call business associates."

"What makes you think I have to agree to every request you make?"

Ouyang Bing fell silent. Standing behind him, Mudou rolled his eyes in exasperation. ’This young master of mine is truly living in a daze,’ he thought. ’He’s completely forgotten that when you ask for a favor, you need to show some humility.’

As a proper guard, all he could do was subtly poke his master in the back, fulfilling his duty.

"...I know you don’t lack for anything, Mrs. Gu. So how about this? When I return, I’ll give you ten percent of the goods I trade for."

Jin Qianqian replied, "Well, thank you ever so much. Why would I go around in circles with you and end up in your debt for something I can very well do myself?"

"Young Master Ouyang, I’m starting to wonder how you managed to build up Tianfu Restaurant all by yourself."

Ouyang Bing’s face flushed red. He knew his offer had been rather disingenuous, but he felt he had put forth his most sincere proposal.

Feeling Mudou’s constant prodding from behind, Ouyang Bing acted on a sudden impulse. He spun around, yanked Mudou forward, and said, "...Look at Mudou here! He’s tall, strong, and highly skilled in martial arts. Having him on the voyage would be a huge asset to you, not a loss."

Jin Qianqian glanced at Mudou sympathetically. "I wouldn’t be at a loss with him on the voyage, no. But you... you’re another matter entirely."

Ouyang Bing felt he had done nothing but make a fool of himself from the moment he arrived.

He collected himself. "Why don’t you tell me, Madam. What will it take for you to let Mudou and me join the voyage?"

Jin Qianqian gave him a disdainful look. "You know I’m a businesswoman. I don’t make deals where I lose money. With a proposal like yours, even if you offered me a cut, I’d still consider it a bad deal."

"Besides, I have a full crew right now and have no plans to hire anyone else. Young Master Ouyang, the door is that way."

As Lichun moved to show him out, Ouyang Bing blurted out, "Madam, do you remember Guo Yurong?"

Jin Qianqian said nothing. ’So now he’s trying to bring someone else into this...’ she thought.

Ouyang Bing said quickly, "I’ve already sent a letter to Guo Yurong. I’m sure he’d be interested in a sea voyage. With a doctor of his caliber on board, surely you wouldn’t refuse, Madam?"

Jin Qianqian scoffed. "Hmph, don’t make me empty promises. As the head doctor of a clinic, he’s not someone you can just drag along to do you a personal favor."

"But don’t say I’m being unreasonable. If you can convince Doctor Guo to join us, I’ll allow both of you on board."

Jin Qianqian didn’t shut him down completely. She knew that having a skilled doctor on board would provide an extra layer of security for the crew.

She could certainly hire a doctor at a high price, but most truly skilled physicians wouldn’t be willing to take such a risk.

The last time Vice General Zhou and his men sailed, they had a military doctor with them.

Meanwhile, the doctors she had been trying to recruit were still in negotiations; despite her generous offers, they remained hesitant.

Ouyang Bing, however, was brimming with confidence. ’We grew up together. How could I not know what he’s thinking? He probably set off the moment he received my letter.’

"Then it’s a deal." Ouyang Bing felt he had accomplished his goal for the visit and stood up to leave.

Just as he was about to leave, Jin Qianqian added coldly, "But this is all on one condition: you have to resolve your current troubles and be able to walk the streets openly."

"Otherwise, I won’t agree even if you bring me ten doctors from the clinic."

Ouyang Bing was speechless. ’That remark didn’t sit right with him at all,’ he thought. ’What does she mean, I can’t walk the streets openly?’

’He might be lying low, but it wasn’t as if he couldn’t be seen in public.’

But Jin Qianqian had already lifted her teacup, a clear gesture of dismissal. He couldn’t argue any further, so he simply cupped his hands in farewell and strode out.

That night, when Gu Wenheng returned from the government office, Jin Qianqian told him about Ouyang Bing’s visit.

"You know, Ouyang Bing always seemed like such a dashing young master, but I never realized he handled his affairs so poorly."

"He strung Miss Zhong along for so many years. If he wasn’t interested, he should have just been clear with her from the start."

"Now that she’s come demanding an explanation, he’s actually hiding from her. Don’t you think there’s something wrong with the way his mind works?"

Gu Wenheng said, "That’s none of our business. Who knows what the real conflict is between them."

"Since we’re not involved, we shouldn’t be so quick to judge."

Jin Qianqian said, "I’m just venting. Still, she wasted years of her youth on him. Even if they had their conflicts, they could have just sat down and cleared the air."

"This whole cat-and-mouse chase... could it be some kind of sick game to him?"

Gu Wenheng put down his brush and looked at her. "You haven’t vented like this in a long time. What brought this on today?"

Jin Qianqian then explained the purpose of Ouyang Bing’s visit. "Do you think he can really get Guo Yurong to come over?"

Gu Wenheng replied, "It’s hard to say."

"He’s always been Guo Yurong’s public liaison. The success of his restaurant was likely due in large part to that connection."

Jin Qianqian had to agree. After all, no one wanted to get on the wrong side of a skilled physician.

"I do hope he can actually convince him to come."

"Do you think I should postpone the ship’s departure?"

A skilled doctor would provide some peace of mind for everyone going out to sea.

Gu Wenheng advised, "We should stick to the scheduled departure date. A lot of people are watching us right now. If we make any changes, they’ll start inventing all sorts of stories."

Jin Qianqian sighed. "...Let’s just hope Ouyang Bing hurries up, then."

"The people Housekeeper Fu brought back have already started working on the ship."

"But regarding what he said about the situation in Sea City, do you think we should send a letter to your family?"

Gu Wenheng hadn’t expected that even after all this time away from Sea City, Song Xiuyang’s family could still stir up so much trouble.

The fact that they’d managed to find Housekeeper Fu and cause a scene meant they’d been keeping a close watch on the property there.

"I’ll write a letter to him about it shortly. After all, they’re our older brother’s in-laws. He should be the one to handle it. We shouldn’t get involved again."

Jin Qianqian replied, "It’s so far away. Older Brother probably won’t want to get involved."

"It’s not a question of whether he wants to or not. They are his in-laws, plain and simple, and they have no right to cause trouble at our estate."

"If Older Brother is truly unwilling to deal with it, I’ll write a letter to the Lord Prefect in Sea City and ask him to handle the matter impartially."

"At that point, what happens to the Song family will be out of our hands."

Gu Wenheng didn’t think it was a major issue. He figured that as a responsible older brother, Gu Yuanjin would quickly figure out the most sensible way to handle it.

As for the Song family, if they behaved, they could continue to live peacefully on account of their familial connection.