In ancient times, she gave birth to seven daughters and was divorced by her husband's family.

She also harbored some resentment towards her mother.

"But... what can we do? I've lost all my money..."

"You don't need to worry about the money!" A glint of light flashed in Ru Zhu's eyes.

"I still have 20,000 taels of silver."

"Let's do some other business. I'll come in person this time!"

He leaned close to Ru Bao's ear and said mysteriously.

“I recently got in touch with a way to get a batch of top-quality spices.”

"That kind of spice, just a little bit, can make the whole room smell wonderful for three days and three nights... It's a priceless treasure among the nobles of the Western Regions!"

"If we resell this batch of goods, we can at least double our money!"

"If we could sell them to the Great Wu via trade routes... we'd make even more money!"

However, Ru Bao hesitated.

She had been scammed once and was traumatized by it.

"Second brother, is this... reliable?"

"Absolutely reliable!" Ru Zhu patted his chest and guaranteed.

"I personally inspected the goods this time, smelled each one individually, and they are absolutely genuine! Absolutely foolproof!"

After Zhu's repeated assurances, Ru Bao was moved once again.

She desperately wanted to prove herself and impress her mother.

This time, Zhu was indeed much more cautious than Bao.

He didn't easily trust the other party, but instead took a few knowledgeable old colleagues and went to the other party's warehouse in person.

It was a batch of rare spices transported by sea, passing through several countries before finally reaching the Western Regions.

The owner of the goods was a dark-skinned businessman with deep-set eyes. He didn't talk much, but his eyes were sharp.

Zhu, mimicking her mother's usual manner, strolled leisurely among the mountains of shipping containers, hands behind her back.

He gestured to the waiter to open a box, and an intensely fragrant aroma instantly filled the air.

It was a complex scent that blended wood, flowers, and some kind of mysterious resin... just one whiff was enough to invigorate the spirit.

"This is ambergris, the highest grade!" the southern merchant introduced succinctly.

Ru Zhu picked up a small piece, smelled it lightly, and then handed it to his old friend beside him.

After carefully examining it, the old man nodded to him, indicating that it was genuine.

He opened several more boxes, one containing agarwood more valuable than gold, sandalwood with a fragrant and refreshing aroma, and some spices whose names he didn't know but whose fragrances were equally unique.

He personally inspected each box with his colleagues to ensure it was correct.

"The goods are good."

Ru Zhu put down a piece of sandalwood in his hand and looked at the merchant.

"What about the price?"

"Twenty thousand taels of silver, and this entire warehouse of goods is yours." The merchant held up two fingers.

As expected, that's the price.

Zhu's heart stirred.

This batch of goods is extremely large. If the quality is the same as what we just opened, it would be worth at least 40,000 taels, let alone 20,000.

There must be something fishy here.

“The price is too high.”

"Besides, how do I know if the contents at the bottom of your box are the same as those on top?"

He looked at the other person with a scrutinizing gaze, trying to find a flaw in their expression.

This is a negotiation skill he learned from his mother.

The southern businessman had no expression on his face, and simply said, "You can inspect any box you want."

"However, it must be 20,000 taels, not a penny less."

This candid attitude, however, made Ru Zhu somewhat unsure.

He then designated several boxes piled in the most inconspicuous corner.

The men struggled to drag the box out and open it; the spices inside were still impeccably top-quality.

For an entire afternoon, Zhu and his men inspected nearly thirty boxes of goods, and without exception, they were all genuine.

His doubts gradually dissipated, replaced by a surge of ecstasy.

He felt like he had struck gold.

This merchant may not be familiar with the market prices in the Western Regions, or he may be eager to sell, which is why he offered such a low price...

"Good! Twenty thousand taels, I'll take the whole batch!"

Zhu made the decision on the spot, fearing that the other party might change their mind.

He quickly signed the contract, paid the money, and happily arranged for people to transport the dozens of boxes of treasures back home.

The day the spices were brought back, the entire mansion was enveloped in a strange fragrance.

As Ru Bao watched the boxes of precious items being carried into the warehouse, the gloom in her heart vanished.

She could almost see herself and her second brother making a fortune, and her mother's regretful expression.

"Second brother, you're amazing!" she exclaimed sincerely.

"Much better than me!"

Zhu was somewhat flattered by his sister's adoration, and he waved his hand smugly.

"Of course! You need your brain to do business! You were too impulsive last time."

"Just you wait and see, this time, I'll make Mother take back everything she said before!"

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, both seeing a sense of vengeful satisfaction in each other's eyes.

In order to sell the spices as soon as possible and make a successful comeback, Ru Zhu began to contact buyers everywhere.

He sent the samples to the mansions of various noble families.

For a time, the entire upper class of the Western Regions was in an uproar over this batch of mysterious spices from the south!

"These spices are indeed excellent!"

"It seems to be burning a little too fast..."

"It must be because our fire is too strong..."

Zhu then realized that some spices burned extremely quickly.

The downside of this batch of spices is that they are not durable.

But it's not a big problem, because this shortcoming won't affect them personally; it's the buyers who suffer.

Zhu, on the contrary, was smug, thinking that this way... he could sell even faster.

Orders came in like snowflakes.

Prices have also risen steadily.

Everything went exceptionally smoothly.

That day, Ru Bao had nothing to do and decided to go to the storeroom to take a look at the treasures.

She wanted to see these things turn into piles of silver with her own eyes, and slap her mother in the face.

She pushed open the warehouse door, and a rich aroma wafted out.

The warehouse was dimly lit, and fine dust particles floated in the air.

She walked to an open crate and saw that the dark-colored spices were covered with a thin layer of dust from being moved and opened.

Ru Bao has always been clean and cannot stand these things.

In her view, these treasures that are about to sell for astronomical prices should be spotless and flawless.

"How can such a valuable item be allowed to get dusty?"

She frowned her pretty brows, thinking to herself.

"If those wealthy ladies come to choose and see that there is dust on it, wouldn't it make us seem careless? If the appearance is not good, the price will also be affected."

She felt she should do something for this business deal.

Her second brother took charge of everything, so she should also contribute, instead of just reaping the benefits.

Yes, clean all these spices!

She immediately perked up, feeling that her idea was absolutely brilliant.

This would not only improve the appearance of the goods, but also prove to her second brother that she wasn't completely ignorant.

She immediately ordered her servants, "Go and fetch several buckets of clean water!"

Upon hearing this, an old servant who was in charge of the storeroom hesitated.

"Miss, these... these spices are mostly made of wood and resin, they're afraid of water..."

Ru Bao glanced at him impatiently.

"What do you know? I'm just washing off the surface dust, not soaking it in water."

"Isn't it natural to wash things with water when they're dirty? Hurry up! Stop talking nonsense!"

Faced with her spoiled and pampered temper, the servants dared not say anything more and could only bring over a few buckets of water.

"Be careful, everyone!" Ru Bao said, hands on her hips, directing like a supervisor.

"Wash all these spices carefully, make sure they're so clean you can see your reflection in them!"

The servants looked at each other, but seeing the young lady's determined eyes, they dared not disobey.

They had no choice but to pick up a cloth, dampen it with water, and begin carefully wiping the spices.

Ru Bao was very satisfied to see that after the spices were washed, the dust on their surface was washed away, and they looked brighter and more lustrous.

She even picked up a cloth herself and personally wiped the largest piece of agarwood.

“Look, isn’t this wonderful?” she said proudly to the servant beside her.

"It's all clean now, isn't it beautiful!"

Dozens of boxes of spices were quickly cleaned and refreshed thanks to the efforts of more than a dozen servants.

The entire warehouse was filled with a peculiar aroma of dampness and spices.

Ru Bao looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction and clapped her hands.

"Alright, close all the boxes properly so they don't get dusty anymore."

"I want to give my second brother a surprise when he comes back!"

She left the storeroom in high spirits, eagerly anticipating her second brother's praise.

What she didn't know was that she had single-handedly ruined the business, and her and Ru Zhu's last hope.

These top-quality spices, produced in arid and hot regions, are most susceptible to dampness.

Moisture will quickly destroy their internal structure, causing them to ferment and rot!

The next day, Zhu Xing excitedly brought several major buyers who had already paid deposits to inspect the goods.

He's about to complete his biggest deal today.

This one transaction will allow him to recoup his costs and make a huge profit.

"Distinguished guests, please come in!"

He pushed open the warehouse door with a beaming smile.

However, the door opened.

A pungent musty smell, mixed with the sour, rancid odor of spoiled spices, wafted over.

Ru Zhu's smile froze instantly.

He looked inside in disbelief.

The warehouse, which should have been filled with top-quality spices, now looked like a huge garbage dump.

All the spices had lost their original color and were covered with a layer of white, green and black mold.

Many spices had rotted, turning into puddles of sticky mud that emitted a nauseating stench.

The air is no longer filled with the fragrance of wealth.

It was a foul stench.

“What…what’s going on?!”

One of the buyers following behind immediately changed his expression, pinched his nose, and took a step back in disgust.

"Young Master Zhu, are you trying to fool us with these moldy things?" another buyer angrily questioned.

What about our deposit?

"No...no...it was fine yesterday! It was fine yesterday!"

Zhu rushed in like a madman, grabbing a handful of moldy, rotten things that had once been ambergris.

The object shattered instantly in his hand, releasing an even stronger stench.

He stumbled and lunged toward another box, inside which once priceless agarwood... was now damp, soft, rotten, and covered with long mold.

It’s over.

It's all over.

Ru Zhu's mind went blank with a "buzz".

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees amidst the chaos, his eyes glazed over as he muttered to himself.

"How could this happen... how could this happen..."

Just then, Ru Bao, who had heard the commotion, also rushed over.

She was unaware of what had happened, and wore an expectant smile.

"Second brother, how is it? I've washed all the spices clean, isn't it...?"

Her words stopped abruptly.

When she saw the scene inside the warehouse and smelled the stench, the smile on her face vanished instantly.

Instead, there was fear and bewilderment.

Ru Zhu slowly turned his head, his bloodshot eyes staring intently at Ru Bao, his gaze as if he wanted to devour her.

"What...did you say?" His voice was hoarse.

"You...washed them?"

"I...I just saw they were dirty..." Ru Bao took a step back, her voice trembling, frightened by his gaze.

"I...I just wanted to clean them up a bit..."

"Clean it up?"

Ru Zhu suddenly stood up from the ground and approached her step by step.

"Do you know what you've done?!" He grabbed Ru Bao's shoulders and shook her violently.

"These are spices! They must not come into contact with water!"

"You idiot!"

"You good-for-nothing idiot!!"

He pointed at the rotting mess in the room and roared at her.

"Twenty thousand taels! This is all my wealth!"

"You've ruined everything, you idiot! You've destroyed everything we had!!"

Ru Bao was shaken until she was dizzy, and all she could hear was her second brother's angry roar and the angry voices of the buyers.

Looking at the mess on the ground, she finally understood what she had done.

She wasn't helping...

Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground.

Twenty thousand taels of silver went down the drain once again.

This time, the defeat was even more devastating than the last.

More thorough, more foolish.

Zhu was furious and started yelling and screaming.

“Mother is right, you are indeed inferior to Bailu! If it were Bailu, how could she have done something so foolish! Bailu would never have washed all these spices!”

"And you wouldn't just wash it without my permission. Couldn't you have simply asked me if I could wash it? If you had asked me, I would have told you. What on earth are you doing?!"

"Did you do this on purpose? You? Did you deliberately try to break me down?!"

"You're deliberately trying to make things difficult for your brother, aren't you? Just like how you dislike Bailu, you want to harm her... Don't you like me either?"

"You want to monopolize your mother's love, don't you? How can you be so malicious?!"

Ru Bao felt her heart shattered as Ru Zhu stabbed her.

Her hatred for Bailu intensified, and she even began to hate Ruzhu because of it. She cried and said, "How could this be? Second brother, how could I harm you?"

"Why are you so unreasonable, just like Mother, comparing me to Bailu..."