Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

When she entered the main room, her cousin was sitting upright at his desk, the teacup in his hand still steaming.

Gu Jinyan bowed slightly, placed the account book on the table, and smiled, "Cousin, I've brought some new accounts today. Herbs have recently gone up in price."

This might have some impact on market profits. I wonder what you think, cousin?

Gu Shiquan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Xiao Jin, you're very thoughtful. Being able to think about the cost issue shows that you've really put in a lot of effort these past few days."

Gu Jinyan smiled and nodded, as if it were just a casual remark, and then said, "Although the market fluctuates constantly, if we can find a stable supplier of medicinal materials at the source, we can not only reduce costs, but also lock in prices in advance."

She paused, her tone tentative, "I've heard that 'Jiyuantang' has recently acquired a lot of rare medicinal herbs in Biwu City. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to make some contact with them."

Gu Shiquan listened and nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing his cousin's approving expression, Gu Jinyan calmly added, "Of course, we also need to avoid attracting too much attention, after all, Uncle Shichang has some connections behind this 'Jiyuantang'."

Acting rashly might easily attract unnecessary attention.

At this point, a thoughtful look appeared in Gu Shiquan's eyes.

Gu Jinyan noticed this subtle change and was secretly pleased. He then took the opportunity to add a few suggestions to reassure his cousin.

Through these subtle probing questions and suggestions, Gu Shiquan's attitude gradually softened, and his trust in her deepened day by day.

Meanwhile, she dared not relax her vigilance regarding Gu Shichang's movements.

As her confidante, Hongyin often traveled between the various courtyards, appearing both natural and astute in her ability to detect what was happening within the mansion.

Every time Hongyin returned from gathering information at Gu Shichang's residence...

They would casually report some trivial news to her, sometimes about changes in accounts, and sometimes about guests that Gu Shichang occasionally summoned.

That night, Hongyin quietly closed the door after entering the room and whispered, "Miss, Master Shichang has been much more restrained lately. He even hired a well-known accountant to manage the business, supposedly to thoroughly reorganize the accounts."

After saying that, she looked somewhat worried, "Miss, the Second Master's plans for this reorganization seem to be quite ambitious."

After listening, Gu Jinyan remained silent for a while, pondering Gu Shichang's plans.

Gu Shichang's actions are likely aimed at regaining control of the family's economic network, which is by no means a good thing for her plans.

She nodded slightly, indicating that Hongyin didn't need to say anything more, "Just proceed as usual."

However, it was this rectification that gradually triggered a more complex chain reaction.

As Gu Jinyan walked through the market, he noticed a subtle change in the atmosphere around him.

She seemed to hear the vendors around her whispering; several herbal medicine merchants were quietly discussing their intention to raise prices.

Her gaze sharpened slightly, her face remaining impassive, but her heart was already in turmoil—this group of people had always considered themselves superior, yet now they had joined forces to try and take advantage of her misfortune.

The family's procurement of medicinal herbs involves many aspects, and we must not allow a few merchants to control the prices.

Therefore, she made a decisive decision to take action.

Back at his residence, Gu Jinyan summoned his cousin Gu Shiquan, and the two discussed their strategy in hushed tones in the dimly lit hall.

“Brother Shiquan, these medicinal herb merchants are trying to raise prices, clearly testing our family’s bottom line.”

Gu Jinyan's gaze was sharp, and his voice carried a hint of calm analysis.

"If we back down now, the purchase price will only get higher and higher in the future."

Gu Shiquan nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. He had heard rumors of the merchants' restlessness, but he never expected them to join forces so openly.

"Jinyan, in your opinion, how should we break this deadlock?"

Gu Jinyan remained silent for a moment, then smiled gently.

“Instead of letting them collude to raise prices, we might as well look for another way. Cousin, this time we can try to expand into new supply chains.”

Gu Shiquan frowned slightly, pondering her suggestion. "You mean, contacting businesses we've never worked with before?"

“That’s right,” Gu Jinyan said in a deep voice. “Those medicinal herb merchants who haven’t cooperated with us may not be unable to play a role in balancing the market, even if they are not large in scale.”

Furthermore, if they hear that we are interested in cooperating, they might offer a more competitive price.

Gu Shiquan pondered for a moment, a look of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Brilliant plan. As long as we find the right people, we can weaken the control of those merchants and prevent them from making any rash moves."

Once the agreement was reached, Gu Jinyan ordered Hongyin to quietly set off for the West Market to visit several medicinal herb merchants he had never been to before.