Reborn and married in a swapped marriage, my aloof husband is too ruthless.

Chapter 118 Passing on the Torch of Commerce, Xin Anze for Future Generations

Su Jinxin was ordered to enter the palace late at night to cook delicacies for the emperor, and she was not allowed to return home until dawn.

She rubbed her aching shoulders and yawned wearily.

That night really exhausted her, but fortunately the emperor was in a good mood and rewarded her with a lot of gold and silver jewelry.

Su Jinxin couldn't help but sigh, "Serving a ruler is indeed like serving a tiger; cooking is more tiring than fighting a war."

Back at the manor, before he could even catch his breath, the steward informed him that a family meeting was about to be held.

Su Jinxin had a vague sense of foreboding; the meeting was starting so suddenly, it probably wasn't a good thing.

Sure enough, as soon as the meeting started, several young clansmen jumped out and pointed at Su Jinxin's nose, questioning, "How dare you, a woman, control the family business? We are not convinced!" These young men were Su Jinxin's cousins ​​and nephews. They were usually idle and good-for-nothing. Now that they saw Su Jinxin's business was thriving, they became envious and coveted it.

“That’s right, what do you know about business? You’re just a woman. You’re only doing this because of the Yan family’s influence!” another clansman chimed in.

This statement immediately garnered support from many of the family elders.

They already had reservations about Su Jinxin, a woman, running the family business, and now that someone was taking the lead in making things difficult, they were naturally happy to add fuel to the fire.

Su Jinxin looked at these clowns and sneered inwardly; she had long expected this day to come.

She calmly took a sip of tea and slowly began, "Since you all think I'm not worthy, then how about this..." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, "How about we have a contest?"

"A contest? What kind of contest?" one of the tribesmen asked.

Su Jinxin put down her teacup, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes: "Let's have a competition of business acumen." She looked around at everyone, her tone firm, "Whoever wins will take over the family business."

The crowd looked at each other, and for a moment no one dared to accept the challenge.

They had witnessed Su Jinxin's business acumen firsthand; who could be confident of defeating her?

Just then, a voice broke the silence: "I accept your challenge!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man standing proudly. It was Su Jinwen, Su Jinxin's cousin.

Su Jinwen walked up to Su Jinxin, looking at her provocatively: "Su Jinxin, do you dare to compete with me?" Su Jinxin's lips curled up slightly, a sly glint in her eyes: "Why wouldn't I dare?"

"Alright! It's a deal then!" Su Jinwen said with a smug smile, as if he could already see the day when he would take control of the family business.

Su Jinxin looked at him, but a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.

She slowly rose, walked to the window, gazed at the rising sun outside, and murmured softly, "The game has only just begun..." She turned to the butler and said, "Go, invite Young Master Yan here..."

The butler accepted the order and left. A short while later, Yan Cheng'an arrived at the conference hall.

He was dressed in white, with an elegant demeanor, like a banished immortal.

Upon seeing Yan Chengan, Su Jinxin smiled gently and said, "Husband, you've come."

Yan Cheng'an nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Su Jinxin. He said softly, "I heard that Xin'er is going to compete with the clan's disciples in the art of business, so I've come to lend my support." His tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority, instantly silencing the previously arrogant clansmen.

Su Jinxin explained the competition with a smile: "I plan to give them a chance to complete a business project independently. Whoever can turn one hundred taels of silver into one thousand taels within a month will win." Turning one hundred taels into one thousand taels is no easy task.

This is no small matter; it's a tenfold return!

Upon hearing this, the tribesmen immediately perked up, rubbing their hands together, eager to try their hand at it.

They felt that Su Jinxin was being lenient, since one hundred taels of silver was nothing to them.

Su Jinxin looked at their confident demeanor and a playful smile appeared on her lips.

She added, "However, this project is not that simple. I will set up some obstacles, and if anyone cheats or uses improper means, they will be disqualified immediately."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the faces of those clansmen immediately froze.

They then realized that Su Jinxin was not as easy to deal with as they had imagined.

However, once the words were spoken, they couldn't go back on their word and could only grit their teeth and accept it.

A month goes by in a blink of an eye.

When the day came to assess the results, the clansmen returned one by one, looking dejected and disheveled.

Some lost everything, some barely broke even, and only Su Jinwen made three hundred taels, making him the best performer.

Su Jinwen triumphantly placed three hundred taels of silver in front of Su Jinxin, looking at her provocatively: "Well, Su Jinxin, I won!" Su Jinxin just smiled faintly: "Three hundred taels? Su Jinwen, are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?" She clapped her hands, and the steward immediately brought up several large boxes.

The box was opened, and it was filled with gleaming silver.

“Here is ten thousand taels, what I earned this month.” Su Jinxin looked at the stunned crowd and said slowly, “Su Jinwen, you lost.”

Su Jinwen's face turned deathly pale. He knew he had lost completely, utterly and utterly.

Those family elders who had previously supported him now fell silent.

Su Jinxin looked around at everyone, her tone firm: "From today onwards, I will continue to manage the family business. As for you..." She paused, her gaze falling on an inconspicuous young man in a corner, "You, come here."

The young man walked out timidly.

Su Jinxin looked at him, a meaningful smile playing on her lips: "What's your name?"

“I…I am called Afu.”

“Afu…” Su Jinxin repeated the name, then said, “From today onwards, you will be my assistant.”

"Huh?" Afu was completely dumbfounded and didn't react at all.

Su Jinxin didn't explain, but just looked at him, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes: "Afu, do you know? I have high hopes for you..."

Afu followed Su Jinxin closely, trembling with fear, like a frightened little rabbit.

The other tribesmen were in an uproar, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes filled with jealousy and incomprehension.

Su Jinwen was so angry that she jumped up and down, pointing at Afu's nose and cursing, "Him? Some wild kid who appeared out of nowhere, what makes him so great?!"

Su Jinxin smiled slightly, ignoring Su Jinwen's clamor, and led Afu to a separate study.

"Afu, do you know why I chose you?" Her tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Ah Fu lowered his head, nervously twisting his fingers, and whispered, "I...I don't know."

“Because you are smart and ruthless enough.” Su Jinxin’s eyes were sharp as knives. “You dared to steal chips from the casino after losing all your capital. Although you were caught in the end, your courage and boldness are something that others do not have.”

Afu suddenly raised his head, a look of shock flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Su Jinxin to even know this.

Su Jinxin continued, "I know you grew up without parents and did everything to survive. This kind of experience, gained through hardship at the bottom, is something those pampered young masters will never understand."

"I'm giving you a chance, a chance to change your destiny." Su Jinxin's voice was firm and powerful. "As long as you follow me and learn diligently, I will impart all my knowledge and skills to you, making you a true business prodigy!"

Just then, Yan Chengan pushed open the door and entered. He walked to Su Jinxin's side, gently put his arm around her shoulder, and looked at her tenderly: "Xin'er, I trust your judgment."

Su Jinxin turned to look at Yan Chengan, her eyes filled with gratitude and love.

She knew that no matter what happened, he would stand firmly by her side.

"My mind is made up." Su Jinxin looked around at everyone, her tone firm. "Afu will be my successor."

"This..." The elders of the clan looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.

Suddenly, an aged voice rang out: "Patriarch, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the Su family elder, Old Master Su, walking out with a cane, his old face full of disapproval.

He slammed his cane down heavily, his cloudy eyes glaring at Su Jinxin: "Patriarch, Afu's origins are unknown, and his character is uncertain. How can he shoulder such a great responsibility? You're playing with the Su family's century-old foundation!"

“Grandpa, you are mistaken,” Su Jinxin replied calmly. “Although Afu comes from a humble background, he has a pure heart. Moreover, he is quick-witted, bold yet meticulous. Given time, he will surely achieve great things.”

"Hmph, all talk and no action!" Su Jinwen said sarcastically from the side. "I think he's just a smooth-talking scoundrel, and he's probably already been bribed by you!"

Su Jinxin sneered: "Bribe? Who do I, Su Jinxin, need to bribe? I chose Afu because he has qualities that none of you have!"

"What kind of quality? The quality of petty thieves?" Su Jinwen continued to mock.

Afu's face flushed red, his fists clenched, but he dared not utter a word in rebuttal.

Su Jinxin patted Afu on the shoulder, signaling him to calm down, then turned to look at Old Master Su, her tone firm: "Old Master, I know you're worried about the future of the family, but times have changed. Sticking to the old ways will only lead the Su family into a dead end. We need fresh blood, we need people who dare to think and act!"

Old Master Su was silent for a moment, then sighed: "Patriarch, you are too young and do not understand the wickedness of people's hearts! This Afu may not be truly for the good of the Su family."

"Human hearts are treacherous?" Su Jinxin's lips curled into a cold smile. "I've seen far more treacherous things than you can imagine! I can guarantee that Afu is much more reliable than some of the people here!"

She deliberately emphasized the words "certain people," and her gaze swept over Su Jinwen and the others, making them feel uneasy.

"Since the patriarch insists on this..." Old Master Su shook his head helplessly, "then I have nothing more to say, but I hope the patriarch will not regret it in the future!"

Su Jinxin smiled slightly: "Regret? The word 'regret' doesn't exist in my dictionary!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Old Master Su said "good" three times, but his tone was full of disappointment and helplessness. "Then let time prove everything!"

Yan Chengan squeezed Su Jinxin's hand and gave her an encouraging look.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door, and a servant rushed in in a panic: "Master, something terrible has happened!"

"What's the matter that you're so panicked?" Su Jinxin frowned slightly.

The servant gasped, "The docks... the cargo at the docks... the cargo has been robbed!"