Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Wei Yucai quickly brought over a white jade porcelain basin, a white cloth, and a jar of white vinegar.

In front of him, Yu Wanran soaked the straw mat fragments and white cloth in a white porcelain basin, adding white vinegar.

She adds ingredients by feel; achieving the optimal ratio will require Wei Yucai to figure it out himself. Who knows, maybe other things can be added to this red velvet grass to create even more beautiful colors?

After quickly finishing the task, Yu Wanran packed her things and prepared to leave with her family.

"Let's see how it goes tomorrow. Mr. Wei, let's come back tomorrow morning and see if we can reach an agreement?"

"it is good."

Wei Yucai readily saw them off from Ruicaifang.

Yu Man hadn't expected that this wouldn't be enough to close the deal. Nervously, she asked as soon as she stepped outside, "Ranran, if you leave the stuff with him, we won't be able to tell whether it's dyed or not. What if he refuses to acknowledge it tomorrow morning?"

Yu Wanran said nonchalantly, "We've already tested it, and this herb can indeed be used for dyeing. There are hundreds of shops in the capital; if we go to each one, we're sure to find someone who wants to buy rare dyes."

They were narrow-minded before, only looking for big shops, but the shops didn't even look up to them.

Hmph, they'll regret this someday!

Back at the escort agency, they found Wu Jian waiting in the room with a short, stocky old man.

Upon seeing them enter, he immediately stepped forward to introduce them: "Old Master Yu, Miss Yu, you're back—this is Li Tonghai, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of our Zhenyuan镖局 (escort agency)!"

The host family who had been staying there had arrived.

The Yu father and son quickly bowed to thank Chief Escort Li for his hospitality. Yu Wanran followed behind her father and brother, politely greeting them with a fist and palm salute in the traditional martial arts style.

Li Tonghai, though over fifty, was full of energy. His temples were bulging, and his eyes were bright. He glanced at the Yu family father and daughter, then politely invited the three of them to sit down.

"The caravan was attacked, and I have been busy dealing with the aftermath. I have truly felt aggrieved and neglected you three distinguished guests these past three days. Please forgive me."

"Not at all. Chief镖头 Wu arranged for us to stay here, and everything we eat, wear, and use is of the highest quality. He has taken extremely good care of us."

Having been away from home for so long, Yu Man could still manage a few polite words: "It's just that we can't help at all, and we feel really bad about staying here and eating and drinking for free."

"Hahaha!"

Li Tonghai laughed heartily: "Brother Yu, you're too kind! You've done the escort agency such a great favor, I don't know how to thank you enough."

He looked at Yu Wanran and sincerely praised, "You have truly raised an outstanding daughter, Brother Yu!"

He had, of course, learned about Yu Wanran's background from Wu Jian. But he certainly wouldn't reveal it to Yu Manzi.

Yu Man was both happy and embarrassed: "It's the child's own ability..."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Tonghai got down to business and inquired about the details of the attack on the escort team.

Although the Yu family members, as eyewitnesses, do not need to be questioned at the yamen, Li Tonghai, as the head of Zhenyuan Escort Agency, needs to find out the whole story to prevent his subordinates from becoming disloyal and colluding with bandits.

Yu Man was unaware of these things.

Anyway, he answers honestly whenever people ask him politely. His children will fill in any forgotten details for him.

Li Tonghai left satisfied and said to the three members of the Yu family, "Chief镖师 Wu plans to return to the Tongcheng branch in two days. If the three of you want to go home, you can go with him. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the southbound镖车 (escort vehicle) in half a month."

He cupped his hands in greeting, said some polite words welcoming him to visit the capital again, and then left with Wu Jian.

"Two days later..."

Yu Man was both happy and worried, looking at Yu Wanran: "Ranran, will we be able to go back with Chief Escort Wu in two days?"

The journey here was fraught with peril, like waking from a long, dark nightmare. Now, I desperately want to go home. But the matter of selling the red velvet grass is still unresolved…

"Let's see what Ruicaifang says tomorrow."

Yu Wanran remained noncommittal: "Let's go back to our rooms and rest now."

She had no qualms about ordering around the maids sent by the escort agency. She had them heat up the water and clean the bathtub. She then enjoyed a comfortable bath before drying her hair, eating, and going to bed.

The next day, Yu Wanran deliberately waited until almost noon before leaving the house, even though Yu Man and his son were extremely anxious and urged her several times.

"You can't rush things," Yu Wanran deliberately lingered. She even took her father and older brother out for lunch, eating dumplings from a roadside stall before wiping her mouth and heading towards Ruicaifang.

From afar, as we entered the alley, we saw Wei Yucai pacing around the entrance like an ant on a hot pan, tiptoeing and peering into the alley.

Upon seeing the three finally appear, he immediately greeted them with a beaming smile, fearing that if he hesitated even a moment longer, the three would be kidnapped by another dye shop owner.

His eagerness reassured Yu Wanran.

Yu Man and his son exchanged a glance, both secretly delighted. No matter how much the red grass sold for, as long as someone bought it, they could finally go home!

Wei Yucai, a far cry from his calm demeanor yesterday, hurriedly ushered the three into the main room: "Why are you only arriving now? Didn't we agree to come early this morning to check on the dyeing results?"

I almost turned him into a statue waiting for her husband!

With their own family's prosperity at stake, they had no time to feign composure. Their resentful gazes could pierce through the Yu family members.

"I apologize, Mr. Wei. There were many dye shops and cloth shops along the way, and I stopped by another shop to inquire about the purchase price of red velvet grass, which took up some time."

Wei Yucai and the Yu family father and son stared wide-eyed.

"Oh dear, why are you in such a hurry, girl!"

Wei Yucai broke down in an instant, his barely maintained composure crumbling: "My Ruicaifang never said we didn't want it, so why are you asking the suppliers and customers?"

"Compare prices from three different vendors. We were wrong before, only looking for big cloth merchants. No wonder they were so reserved."

Yu Wanran said sincerely, "Fortunately, Boss Wei reminded us that there are many places like Ruicaifang in the capital. With a little inquiry, we found that many owners are interested in red velvet grass."

Wei Yucai couldn't keep his composure. When had he ever given him a warning?

Thinking about it, it seems that makes sense. Yesterday, my distrust was mostly evident in my facial expressions, which the Yu family noticed. No wonder they didn't take my appointment seriously.

He hurriedly took the tea that the servant had brought in and personally served it to the three members of the Yu family, one cup at a time, with a broad smile on his face.

"Why bother the three of you with all this trouble, running around looking for clients? My Ruicaifang has decided to buy all of this red velvet grass. As much as you have, we'll take it all!"

He looked at the Yu father and son, who were trying their best to hide their surprise, and at Yu Wanran, who remained unmoved, trying to discern their true intentions. If the partners were the Yu father and son, it would be easy to handle them at a glance. But Yu Wanran…

He had a feeling that he couldn't figure out the other person, while the other person could see through his thoughts and subtly lead him into a pre-arranged trap.

It's a little scary, but he did it willingly.

"Is the fabric dyed?"

Yu Wanran did not directly discuss the transaction, but wanted to see the dyeing effect first.

Our family's resources were limited; the materials we used were old mats, yellowish white linen of an impure color, and the lowest quality white vinegar. Wei Yucai's supplies were all top-quality, so the effect should be different.