Chapter 108 – Arrested

Although the house had been burned, the Huai Shan Academy in the village still stood.

If Zhou Qing wanted to grow the academy’s reputation, she couldn’t do it without the clan leader’s support.

She couldn’t afford to cut ties with Qingyang Village.

First, Zhou Huaihai was pulled out of prison. Then came the arson in the village.

Even someone as easygoing as Zhou Huaishan was deeply shaken this time.

Without Zhou Qing needing to push him, he started studying hard every day on his own.

Because what he was studying now wasn’t just books, it was for his life.

For Zhou Qing, it was a blessing in disguise.

She no longer had to spend most of her energy nagging her dad to study.

Now free to do other things, she made a few pots of silk flowers to give as New Year’s gifts to Xu Feng and the abbot of Qingquan Temple.

After delivering the gifts, she put her former sales manager skills to work and closed a business deal.

She brought the decorative character samples—福 (fortune), 喜 (happiness), etc.—that Zhou Huaishan had written in various styles and pitched them to the largest embroidery shop in the county.

Now that she had a connection to the current prefect, and with Zhou Huaishan being a licentiate, Zhou Qing felt more confident in doing business.

The embroidery shop had originally wanted to buy out the samples at a high price, but Zhou Qing insisted on a technical partnership.

The shop owner was worried she’d take the designs elsewhere, especially since even he had never seen such festive, beautiful character styles before.

They were eye-catching and unique. If launched before the New Year, they would definitely sell out.

With profits in plain sight, he didn’t dare play tricks or shortchange her especially not with the prefect in the picture.

After some back-and-forth negotiation, both sides agreed to meet at Fushun Restaurant to sign the deal.

At Fushun Restaurant, private room upstairs

When Zhou Qing arrived, the shop owner was already sipping tea inside.

"Miss Zhou, the contract is ready. Please take a look."

Straight to the point, no small talk. Once she sat down, the owner immediately opened the discussion.

Zhou Qing skimmed the contract term length, profit share and smiled.

"Three-year partnership, twenty percent profit share?"

The shop owner watched her closely, slightly raising his brow. "Too little for you? Twenty percent is already generous. All you’re providing is the designs. I’m covering labor, materials… all the actual costs."

Zhou Qing interrupted him with a calm smile.

"Let’s sign for six months instead. I want fifty percent of the profits. After six months, all rights to the designs will belong to you."

The shop owner’s eye twitched. "Fifty percent?"

"I’m only taking profits for the New Year season. After that, it’s all yours."

He stared at her, suspicious.

Zhou Qing met his gaze openly.

"Fifty percent is a lot, yes—but you’re not losing out."

Shop owner: Not losing out?

If he had to give her half the profits and still cover six months of costs, he’d be running on razor-thin margins unless sales exploded.

Plus, if he wanted to avoid paying out of pocket, he’d have to push for high sales during that period.

He couldn’t just wait for the six months to end and then go all-in—that would mean paying her from his own wallet.

Worse, once the designs hit the market, copycat shops would flood in. If he didn’t move quickly, others would seize the opportunity.

And this young girl, did she really have the insight and cunning to think this through?

Rubbing his teacup, he studied Zhou Qing.

"Miss Zhou, I didn’t expect someone so young to have such sharp business sense."

Zhou Qing gave a modest smile. "You flatter me. My father handles the decisions. He said six months, fifty percent, so that’s what we’re doing. I’m just running the errand."

She knew it was odd for a teenage girl to negotiate like this, so she pushed the credit to her dad.

The shop owner raised a brow.

He didn’t buy it.

A simple farmer even one who passed the licentiate exam, wouldn’t have this kind of business mind.

And those design samples? No way they came from a peasant.

But since Zhou Qing clearly wasn’t going to reveal more, he let it go.

With a clap of the table, he said, "Fine. I’ll make your father a friend. But out of the fifteen sample designs you brought, I’ll only release five now. The remaining ten, I decide when to use them. You’ve got to leave me some room to make a profit."

Zhou Qing grinned. "Deal. You’re a generous man. If we get another chance, we’ll work together again."

The shop owner redrafted the contract. Zhou Qing reviewed it carefully, and they both signed and stamped it.

With the contract sealed, the owner took the samples and left eagerly.

Zhou Qing sipped a cup of tea leisurely.

As long as he pushed the product, her fifty percent share could easily be worth ten thousand taels.

She could use that money to pave a path for Zhou Huaishan and expand the Huai Shan Academy.

Thinking about the incoming silver notes, she happily headed to a nearby cosmetics shop.

She’d never figured out how to use all the creams Uncle Zhong had sent—now she finally had time to ask.

Just as she entered, a clerk was handing a box of cream to a girl.

"Miss, here’s the jade foot balm you asked for."

Zhou Qing: Jade… foot?

Foot? As in… feet?

Wasn’t this the same one she and Zhou Yao had chosen to use on their faces?

Her eye twitched. She stepped forward. "What does this balm do?"

Seeing a new customer, the clerk eagerly explained, "This is our signature jade foot balm. After using three jars, your feet will be soft, white, and smooth. Want a box, miss?"

Zhou Qing blinked, touched her own face.

It did feel smoother… maybe?

Just then, a commotion broke out on the street.

"Someone just beat the drum at the yamen to report a teacher!"

"Word is, that teacher molested some students! Absolute scum!"

"Come on, let’s go curse that bastard out!"

The buzz reached Zhou Qing’s ears. She left the cosmetics shop and followed the crowd toward the county yamen.

A teacher molested students?

That’s seriously messed up. She wanted to see which academy had such trash—and warn her dad to stay far away.

In front of the yamen, the crowd was massive.

As she squeezed to the front, Zhou Qing’s eyes landed on a familiar face.

Her dad!

He was being dragged onto the courtroom floor by two constables, face red and neck strained from struggling.

Zhou Qing: What the hell?!

Was she watching her own family’s scandal unfold?!

Why was her dad being dragged in?

Wait… was he the victim of molestation?

When did this happen?! Why didn’t she know?!

Seeing him hauled up, Zhou Qing rushed forward. One of the constables reached out to block her.

"That’s my dad! Why is he being taken in?!" she demanded.

The constable gave her a pitying, slightly disgusted look but still didn’t let her through.

BANG!

A heavy slap of the judge’s gavel silenced the crowd.

The county magistrate sat high under the "Justice" plaque, looking sternly at Zhou Huaishan.

"Zhou Huaishan, do you know your crime?!"