Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

"Sister, where did your soldiers come from?" If it were said that building an ice cellar at home would be standard practice in Beijing.

But this is Lingnan, where you don't see snow even once a year, let alone ice. So how did he end up at such a critical juncture?

“You finally noticed,” Bai Suihe said cheerfully, though she had been reminded by herself, “Where do you think this ice came from?”

When Bai Jianbei was asked where he came from, he replied, "It's definitely not from the South."

"You store ice in winter?" As soon as the question was asked, I felt something was off. This is Lingnan; how could ice be stored so well?

Bai Suihe knew he wouldn't get the answer no matter how much he guessed, so she said in a low voice, "If I told you I had a way to make ice, do you think this deal would be possible?"

"How to make ice?" The words were murmured between my lips, and they felt so unreal.

"Sister, this is no joke." If you know how to make ice, you can make a fortune selling ice every summer.

Bai Suihe chuckled, "When have I ever joked with you, your sister?"

“Good sister,” Bai Jianbei said, putting his hands together in prayer, “you are the reincarnation of the God of Wealth. Let’s go back and talk things over slowly. This is not the place to discuss business.”

Bai Suihe glanced back and saw everyone still bent over picking up treasures. She was a little reluctant to leave. "We've only picked up so much. Since we're already here, we should leave with a full load. Otherwise, we'll be wasting our clothes."

The two siblings had specially dressed in neat short jackets today, but they were now covered in mud. They would have to wash themselves thoroughly when they got back, so it was better to maximize their profits first.

Bai Jianbei had no interest in going to the beach anymore, but since his older sister had said so, he resigned himself to following behind, though he became somewhat absent-minded afterward.

Bai Suihe had asked Gu Kaiyuan before, but Gu Kaiyuan was now focused on sailing and had no interest in managing this new industry, so he told Bai Suihe to handle it herself.

Bai Suihe had previously considered cooperating with several large families, but she also knew that someone as insignificant as her might be swallowed up by them, so she turned her attention to the Bai family instead.

Currently, the Bai family is still run by the two younger brothers, and the siblings have a good relationship, which is more reliable than dealing with outsiders.

Gu Xingyang isn't very interested in beachcombing these days, so she didn't come along today. Little did she know that her mother would create another way for her to make money just by not going along.

Quietly listening to her mother and uncle discussing in the study, Gu Xingyang's little eyes darted around. When they stopped to rest, she finally let out two "ahs".

Bai Suihe's gaze was finally drawn to her. "I thought you were asleep. What do you want? A drink of water?"

Gu Xingyang: "Mother, don't you feel any guilt about squandering your time on those around you?"

Bai Suihe chuckled, "I'm helping them make money. If they don't take advantage of their youth to earn more money to support their wives and children and support them in their old age, then they're wasting their lives."

You little ingrate, who am I doing all this for? I need to save up more money for you.

Gu Xingyang raised her chin slightly, "I will build my own empire in the future. Mother, you and Father can just wait to enjoy your retirement."

Bai Suihe stroked her soft hair, which was getting longer and longer, so she tied it into two little buns, making her look even cuter. "Mommy is waiting."

"But the Bai family is already very conspicuous, aren't you afraid, Mother?"

"What's there to be afraid of? The Bai family has split up, and their wealth isn't as substantial as before. If they don't take a gamble now, their reputation as wealthy merchants won't be well-deserved. Everyone understands." How exactly the Bai family split up? They won't go into details publicly. Dividing the entire family business into so many parts, by some twist of fate, has dispelled some people's plans.

"But what you've brought out is a bit too powerful. With the Bai family's strength and our current capabilities, we might not be able to protect it."

Bai Suihe asked abruptly, "Now that the struggle for the throne has begun in the capital, what do you think of the situation there?"

Gu Xingyang opened her mouth, "...Mother, are you saying that these people have no intention of caring about anything else?"

Bai Suihe: "That's not true. At this time of year, there's no shortage of people who want to speculate. The competition starts with a bloodbath, which means many people are willing to sacrifice themselves. Then they start choosing sides. Those wealthy businessmen who want to advance won't let this opportunity pass them by."

"Then why doesn't the Bai family do it?"

Bai Suihe glanced at Bai Jianbei, who was still writing and drawing. Sure enough, the Bai family was quite talented in business. With just a little guidance, Bai Jianbei had already started to formulate a plan and even considered the possible problems that might be encountered next.

“That’s because you know how to keep a low profile,” Bai Suihe laughed. “You have to remember this phrase. If you can’t make a fortune quietly, you can’t spread it around the world.”

"So Mother wanted to help her two uncles make a fortune quietly, but in doing so, her uncles would still be exposed to the eyes of some people."

"You're such a little manager," Bai Suihe laughed. "You're so small, don't worry about so much."

Don't worry, your uncle and I aren't planning to sell ice. That plan will be for at least a few years. What we want to do is figure out how to create a fresh seafood shop so that people in inland cities can enjoy fresh seafood without leaving their homes..."

"And now they're starting to put up advertising slogans..." Gu Xingyang murmured, then quickly composed herself when she saw her mother glaring at her. "Mother, please continue."

"That's possible, but there will definitely be people who are envious," Gu Xingyang continued to pour cold water on the idea.

She believed that her uncle and mother had already planned everything out. She just wanted to know what their intentions were.
"The Bai family has connections; they'll give the current emperor a ten percent of the profits..."

Gu Xingyang's eyes sparkled. "How come I didn't know before?"

"This is a secret matter that even the head of the family could not possibly know."

It's only because Jiannan is now the head of the family that he's revealed a little bit to me; otherwise, do you think I'd rather die?

Putting aside the chili peppers, the very method of making ice—once revealed—is out there, we can only wait to be devoured by others.

When Bai Suihe heard the news, she was so shocked that she couldn't come to her senses for a long time. In her previous life, when she and Gu Kaiyuan died, the Bai family was still active in the capital, although they were not happy for some reason.

There were clues to all of this, but at the time, Bai Jingwen was in charge, and these secrets might not even be known to Bai Jiannan and the others.

"Is the Bai family that powerful?" Gu Xingyang murmured. "Then what were they like back then..."

“They are just merchants; the emperor cannot change his orders for them.”

Gu Xingyang: "Is the Bai family's arrival in Lingnan also related to that person?"

Bai Suihe shrugged. "I don't know. Giving me this much information is already enough to show our sibling bond. One shouldn't push their luck." (End of Chapter)