Chapter 7103 Sigh, cognition!

Chapter 7103 Sigh, cognition!

For the next two days, Chen Xi had no intention of doing any work at all; he was just wasting his time. One day he would take Chen Yu to wander the streets and alleys, and the next day he would take Cai Chen to the outskirts of the city to get a goose. Then he would lie to Cai Yan and say that he had found it, so that she would cook the goose in an iron pot.

In short, we had two peaceful days.

Then Chen Xi encountered the trio of Chen Qun, Xun You, and Zhong Yao on the road, who seemed quite carefree and had forgotten about the incident. To be honest, Chen Xi, who was taking care of the child, felt very awkward when she saw these three people, and similarly, the three people felt very awkward when they saw Chen Xi.

After all, any normal person would know why Chen Qun and Xun You came to Chang'an, but those two bastards still haven't gone to visit Chen Xi.

Although everyone with eyes could see that Chen Xi didn't want to pay any attention to the guys who didn't come, and even if Chen Qun and Xun You went, they would at most have some tea, and talking about business was basically a pipe dream, logically speaking, even if they were just pretending, they should still go over and kowtow to Chen Xi, just like kowtowing to their grandfather during the New Year. Not giving him New Year's money is the grandfather's business, but not kowtowing to the grandfather is your business!
However, since Chen Qun and Xun You arrived, they have been fooling around in Chang'an. They also have a place to stay in Chang'an. No matter how poor the Chen and Xun families are, they should still have a separate courtyard in the capital. Moreover, these two families are not poor yet.
Even disregarding foreign influence, the Chen family still has Chen Xi in the imperial court, and the Xun family now has at least two tough guys at the rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure). Who do they look down on, right?

What was unexpected was that Chen Xi, Chen Qun, Xun You, and the others were supposed to pretend they didn't know the other party was coming, and just let things slide, finish the act, pretend to be dead during the grand court assembly, and then give a brief reply to the Cao family, and that would be the end of it.

After all, Chen Xi didn't give the Cao family an iron fist, right? As for the reward or anything like that, it's just hearsay. Even if it were true, so what? Is it confirmed? Even if it is confirmed, it's already a fait accompli. Why struggle? Everyone should live their own lives and rely on their own abilities. Not getting in Chen Xi's way is also a consideration!
Unfortunately, as fate would have it, the group, who had been having so much fun, found themselves somewhat awkward when they met again. Even Zhong Yao was at a loss for words. Was Chang'an such a strange place? It was such a big city, and the three of them had deliberately gone to such a remote place, yet they still managed to run into each other.

"Ahem, Changwen, Gongda, long time no see." Chen Xi coughed lightly twice. He was satisfied that the two of them hadn't bothered him, so he didn't want to be rude when he saw them. But as for what to say, damn it, he had no words.

"Uh, it's alright." Chen Qun awkwardly continued the conversation, then waved to Chen Tai who was standing to the side. Chen Tai looked at his uncle, then at his brothers, and walked over somewhat reluctantly, since Chen Qun hadn't appeared in front of him for the past few years.

"Lord Chen, we are too embarrassed to disturb your enjoyment. Please pretend you didn't see us, okay?" Xun You bowed slightly to Chen Xi, then activated his spiritual talent. In the senses of those around him, Xun You and his two companions were naturally ignored. It was like seeing a pebble on the roadside; you could see it, but you didn't pay much attention to it.

Chen Xi gave an awkward smile and pretended not to notice, letting Zhong Yao and the other two slip away. Could he really say that Xun You's spiritual talent had no effect on him at all?
Well, it's not entirely ineffective. In the past, the effect was quite strong, but now Chen Xi's spirit covers the entire Central Plains, and the imperial will is in his arms. How could someone like Xun You, who has an extremely strong presence but only reduces it through special means, be ignored when Chen Xi sees him? That simply doesn't fit Chen Xi's understanding.

However, given the current situation, it's not a good time to talk to Xun You here. After all, even if Chen Xi meets with Cao's strategist in a low-key manner, people will still notice, and other rumors will spread. For Chen Xi, it's better to let this go.

"Father, why did those people leave after seeing you?" Chen Yu asked Chen Xi with a puzzled look.

"Because our presence together is not a good thing for either of us," Chen Xi said to Chen Yu with a smile.

"What does this mean?" Chen Yu tilted his head and asked, puzzled.

"Silly brother, think about it, why have my mother and your mother never appeared together?" Chen Xi was still thinking about how to explain this relatively complicated question to Chen Yu when Cai Chen, who was standing to the side, had already conveyed the most correct logic to Chen Yu in very simple terms.

“Oh right, it seems my mother and your mother were never together. Even when they met a few times, they only nodded to each other.” Chen Yu thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi turned his head to the side. Well, only Chen Xi was capable enough. Otherwise, Fan Jian would probably be worried about Chen Yu's position as the eldest son, and that he might be eliminated one day, or even lose his life.

The power struggles within wealthy families can sometimes be deadly, but in recent years, Fan Jian has had little to worry about in this regard, since Chen Yu and Cai Chen get along very well, and Cai Chen is destined to inherit the Cai family business.

Even so, Fan Jian didn't really want to see Cai Yan. To be honest, of all the women, Cai Yan was the biggest threat to Fan Jian. As for the others, Fan Jian wasn't worried that they could take away her position as the mistress of the house if they entered the house. But if Cai Yan entered the house, Fan Jian felt that she would have to think carefully about how to gracefully hand over the position of mistress of the house.

So it's best not to meet him; that guy is far too dangerous.

“Alright, I brought you out to buy some gifts. You two should each bring a gift to the wedding, especially you.” Chen Xi nodded to Cai Chen, then worried about neglecting Chen Tai, and said to Chen Tai, “And you, you have to go too.”

Kou Feng's wedding is tomorrow, and the Huangfu family and the Kou family have already started to hold banquets to entertain their relatives and friends. Of course, Chen Xi complained in private that this behavior was just to collect money twice. After all, the circles of the two families basically overlap, and now that all the major families are in Chang'an, it is unlikely that they would not go and get some drinks or something at this time.

After all, it was a marriage between the Grand General and the Marquis of Shangxiang. Although it wasn't as prestigious as the marriage between Chen Xi and Liu Bei, it was still one of the most elite circles in the Han Dynasty. All the major aristocratic families who could attend would definitely participate.

As for whether to give one gift or two gifts, it's not a big deal for the major families, and they don't lack that kind of money. Besides, it's just about wishing for good luck. These days, it's not fashionable to give very expensive gifts; most people just want to share in the joy.

"So why do you only need to buy dried fruit and the like, while I need to buy a piece of bloodstone with chalcedony to give to the general's granddaughter?" Cai Chen asked Chen Xi, puzzled. He felt this was a form of exclusion against him. Why should I buy such an expensive thing? "My mother gave me a living allowance, and this thing is all I have."

"This is only because your mother ordered it for you in advance, and you only need to pay the final payment. Otherwise, how could you possibly have enough for your living expenses?" Chen Xi said, patting Cai Chen's head.

Cai Chen pulled open his sleeve and looked inside, finding only four silver coins left in his pocket. He felt a pang of heartache; these were his hard-earned pocket money, and now he had to give them away as gifts.

“There’s no other way. The two of them don’t represent the Chen family, they only represent themselves. But you represent the Cai family. Moreover, compared to the Chen family and the Huangfu family, which have had little interaction before, the Cai family and the Huangfu family have a deep relationship and are considered family friends. So you need to give a gift like gold and jade to send them off.” Chen Xi said with a smile. This was not a gift that Cai Chen wanted to give, but a gift that the Cai family wanted to give to the eldest daughter of the Huangfu family.

Of course, the most important thing is that the Cai family did not give gifts when the Huangfu family got married in the past for a series of reasons. Now they can make up for it all at once. After all, it is understandable that they did not give gifts in the past. Only Cai Yan is left, which is almost the end of the family line. Such welcoming and sending-off matters can be handled by the family steward. But now that there is a legitimate son, the connections built by the previous generation still need to be maintained by the legitimate son. From a certain perspective, Cai Chen needs to shoulder the responsibility of the Cai family from now on.

After all, it's not really appropriate to always let Cai Yan handle these things these days.

“Hmm…” Cai Chen reluctantly took out his silver coins and handed them to the Mi family’s manager. The manager then handed the already carved chicken-blood stone to Cai Chen and bowed slightly to Chen Xi.

"Father, does that mean I'm the pillar of the family? Shouldn't I get more living expenses?" Cai Chen, who had been feeling down for a while, suddenly turned to Chen Xi and asked, holding the not-so-large piece of bloodstone.

"Haha, you should ask your mother about that. Your mother is the head of the Cai family, not me. How the Cai family should be managed is your mother's business. The future is your business. If you think you can really manage the family, you can discuss it with your mother." Chen Xi started stirring things up. Chen Xi actually liked stirring things up.

Incidentally, despite being quite intelligent, Cai Chen often gets instigated by Chen Xi to ask his mother absurd questions, only to get himself beaten up for it.

"Okay, I'll go back to find Mother right now!" Cai Chen said excitedly, then turned to Chen Yu and said, "Brother, once I get the money, let's go have some fun together!"

"Great!" Chen Yu replied happily. His allowance was limited, and it was only thanks to his strong martial arts skills that he was able to extract five-zhu coins from Lu Shao, Zhang Bao, Zhao Tong, and others. Otherwise, Chen Yu's living expenses would have been somewhat tight.

To be fair, it wasn't that Chen Xi was unwilling to give these unruly kids pocket money. On the contrary, two years ago, Chen Xi specifically asked their mothers to give them more pocket money so that they could learn to manage their own pocket money. Then, not two months later, Chen Qian came with professionals to commit fraud.

Chen Xi was impressed by the sophistication of their fraudulent methods, and even had someone specifically look into related fraudulent methods on the market to crack down on them.

Incidentally, because of that investment, the very clever Cai Chen and the very brave Chen Yu now have to pay off their debts every month. In addition, there is interest on these debts. According to Chen Xi's calculations, it will probably take until next year for these two unlucky kids to pay off their debts.

Chen Xi was speechless at this; Chen Qian was indeed incredibly shrewd at times.

At the time, Chen Xi thought Chen Qian had gone astray, so he specifically talked to Chen Qian. As a result, Chen Qian said that she did not receive the money. On the one hand, she wanted to let her younger brother experience what it means to be wicked, and on the other hand, she wanted to raise money to start her own business.

Chen Xi said, "Okay, let me see what my daughter's businesses are!"
Then Chen Xi discovered that her daughter was involved in the business of incense and perfume products, and in order to make money, she had rented Sun Min's shop and brand from Sun Min. In short, she was just rebranding. Chen Xi was speechless. This was really a chain of events, and you had no idea who was making money off whom.

Then the visible force appeared. Chen Xi slightly created some commodity fluctuations, causing the prices of certain spices to rise sharply in the short term. Then, due to issues with replenishment and price fluctuations, Chen Qian lost even more than her two stinky younger brothers.

However, perhaps because Chen Lan doted on her child more, after Chen Qian lost so much money, Fan Jian stepped in to help clear all the debts.

To reiterate, Chen Lan has been following Chen Xi's lead all these years. Whenever Chen Xi says something can make money, Chen Lan invests a little, but not too much. However, Chen Xi's situation is no longer just about access to information; he's practically cheating. So, Chen Lan is actually quite wealthy.

Although once Chen Lan's earnings reach a scale of hundreds of millions, she will distribute them to things like education and roads, but it shouldn't be a problem for her to cover Chen Qian's losses. However, Chen Lan will come looking for Chen Xi later.

After all, she's someone close to Chen Xi and has been with him for twenty years. Even if she hasn't really studied properly, just being influenced by what she sees and hears, she at least knows that with Chen Qian's method, it's impossible to lose money. Even if Chen Qian hides herself very well, this golden channel is under Sun Min's name. Sun Min is Sun Qian's daughter and Man Chong's daughter-in-law. How could someone who's using underhanded tactics go to such lengths as to touch Sun Min!
At this level, their obedient adherence to the rules is something that deserves praise. Would anyone dare to bully them?

Last time, Sun Qian sent his daughter back to her room to reflect on her mistakes. That was because Sun Min herself was indeed wrong and needed to admit her guilt and accept punishment. But when someone bullies his daughter when she is following the rules and not acting recklessly, how can he say that Sun Qian really just abandons her after marrying her off?

Are you kidding me? Sun Qian only has one daughter!
Moreover, Chen Lan was well aware that all the cover-ups her daughter Chen Qian had made were just a joke, and only Chen Qian herself thought she was pretending very well.

Everyone who works in Chang'an is shrewd and calculating. This is the political center. In essence, most of the respectable people are just playing house with Chen Qian because of Chen Xi's influence. Putting everything else aside, without Chen Xi's daughter's identity, no matter how much Chen Qian pleads, she would never be able to use Sun Min's connections and shops, let alone use Sun Min's name!
Even for Sun Min, it didn't matter whether she had one more or one less shop in Chang'an. After all, incense and perfume were just extras for her at the moment. The real money was actually from the sugarcane plantation she ran in southern Yangzhou, which was Sun Min's cash cow!

One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Zhen family's downfall was Sun Min. Of course, this benefit wasn't from directly acquiring any property, but rather from gaining relevant knowledge in a more tangible way.

From the moment she started building shops along the route planned by her father, Sun Min realized that the most profitable thing in the world was not any industry, but the power to access information.

However, despite having such access to information, Sun Min couldn't compete with the Zhen family in the sugar industry. Initially, Sun Min thought the Zhen family relied on Chen Xi, but later…

As I said before, although Zhen Yan is AFK, his industrial chain is real. Not to mention that Sun Min's plantation is slightly smaller than Zhen's, even if it were larger, it wouldn't matter!

It wasn't until the Zhen family fell from grace that Sun Min, along with a team organized by her father-in-law, personally took stock of the Zhen family's assets and realized why she couldn't outmaneuver them.

Playing with information is a financial-oriented approach, and its potential is indeed very high. However, given the limited amount of real industry, the financial resources that can be supported are also limited. Moreover, once the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain are closed off, money becomes, to a certain extent, just paper!
Especially for commodities like these, once you can control everything from upstream to downstream, profit margins really don't matter. Whether they're positive or negative, it's meaningless for the entire industry.

With this understanding, Sun Min quickly began a new plan, and she was even less concerned about the incense and perfume industry in Chang'an. But no matter how indifferent she was, without Chen Xi's background, could Sun Min really find time to make arrangements for Chen Qian?
What a joke! This matter doesn't even warrant Sun Min's level of management. Putting aside everything else, the time Sun Min wasted was enough to offset the wealth Chen Qian handed over from her shop. The reason she made a special arrangement was purely because of Chen Xi, and of course, there were a few words about her sister.

However, on the other hand, Sun Min would never know anything about information acquisition or industrial chain layout in her lifetime, because of her unconventional style in Sun Qian's eyes. Essentially, all of Sun Qian's arrangements for her were not intended for her to inherit.

The simplest point is that Sun Min, as an only child, is still unaware of the existence of documents related to elders. Moreover, due to some complicated reasons, it is virtually impossible for Sun Min to inherit her father's extravagant estate from Sun Qian.

Either of these things is beyond Sun Min's comprehension. Alas, comprehension!

People are truly confined by their preconceived notions, alas.