When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 2

“I really should die!”

“I see, you may leave now.” Jiang Nan tossed her two copper coins. “A reward for you.”

A’Tuo thought her flattery had paid off and retreated with a smile, clutching the money.

Jiang Nan got up and began taking stock of the wealth she had brought with her. She remembered there was an inventory list in the cabinet.

Following her memory, she found the key and the locked cabinet.

Opening it, she pulled out the list and gave it a flick. The other end cascaded down, rolling far across the floor at her feet.

Jiang Nan clicked her tongue in amazement.

She was really rich!

The massive list took her a long time to read through as she lifted and scanned it.

As a businesswoman, her fingers itched, and so did her heart.

The system had told her that the Xiao family’s catastrophic downfall was still ten years away. Ten years was more than enough time for her to do something. She wouldn’t stay in this world forever, but life was always lived for oneself.

What delighted her most was the last column on the list. Dozens of shadow guards.

Her parents had left her several shadow guards, trained over the past ten years, forged with sheer wealth.

She decided to go into business, not just for herself. These shadow guards required vast sums of money to sustain. If she only spent what she had on hand, she’d eventually drain her resources dry.

________________________________________

Jiang Nan took to the streets, where a dazzling array of sights greeted her. The street vendors here weren’t much different from modern ones. Selling flatbreads, pets, books. Even random passersby were decked out in gold and silver.

And then there were the gambling dens.

Jiang Nan stopped in front of one bustling with activity, its signboard emblazoned with golden characters: “Fortune Hall.” Curious, she peered inside.

Faintly, she could make out figures inside. Every couple of minutes, either ecstatic screams erupted or heated arguments broke out.

Before long, two men emerged from inside.

“Hey, heard Wang Qing lost another hundred strings of cash. How’s he gonna pay that back? His wife already ran off with the kids.”

“What’s the big deal? His sworn brother will definitely bail him out.”

“True… his brother’s got his back. Always steps in when trouble hits.”

“Loyalty? More like stupidity. For the sake of brotherhood, he’d even neglect his own wife…”

The two chatted as they walked past Jiang Nan and disappeared into the distance.

After lingering for a moment, she hurried off again to scout for rentable shops.

In the modern world, Jiang Nan had run a tea business, so naturally, she planned to continue in the same trade here in ancient times. With money, everything was easier to start.

And luckily, she had money.

Jiang Nan intended to acquire a few shops, hire reliable people, ensure quality control, and launch advertisements to build brand recognition. Ideally, she’d create a chain brand, expand nationwide, and eventually go global then sit back and rake in the profits.

After selecting several shops, she negotiated prices. With her financial clout, deals were quickly sealed.

The shops she took over had originally been tea merchants, so all that was needed was a handover and a signboard change. As for standout merchandise… she had already dispatched shadow guards to retrieve “Ban Tian Yao”, a rare tea from a perilous cliff thirty miles northwest. Only the tender buds were picked, dried, and mass-produced.

She had learned that although this era was prosperous, the tea varieties consumed numbered only seven or eight, and Ban Tian Yao wasn’t among them. Perhaps its growth in such remote, dangerous terrain meant few ventured there to harvest it.

Ban Tian Yao one of the modern “Four Great Famous Teas.” Its liquor was golden, carrying hints of fruit and nutty aromas. A single sip delivered a rich, lingering fragrance with a subtle sweetness and an endless aftertaste.

Both beautiful and delicious, it could elevate the audience.

The last place Jiang Nan found was originally a textile shop, but it was located by the lake, which she particularly liked because of the green willows and serene waters perfect for leisurely tea and conversation.

Jiang Nan went there in person.

She acted swiftly and offered a reasonable price. The textile shop owner, struggling with poor business and barely making ends meet, was overjoyed to find someone willing to pay above market value to take over.

Jiang Nan moved quickly. The very next day, she hung up the signboard she had designed for “Hidden Fragrance Pavilion.”

With the power of money, the renovation progressed rapidly, and within a few days, it was ready to open.

On opening day, firecrackers and flower bouquets were all in place.

She also hired a young woman to work in the shop.

The girl, named Fang Rui, was seventeen years old, with lively, sparkling eyes and an ever-present youthful vigor. When Jiang Nan first met her, Fang Rui was passionately arguing with a man over the price of meat, her face flushed with determination. When the man started cursing, she seized the moment to kick him. As he raised his fist, she darted away like a rabbit, not forgetting to snatch the money from the counter before fleeing.

Watching the entire scene unfold, Jiang Nan immediately decided that this was the head shopkeeper she wanted. She tracked Fang Rui down and explained her intentions, to which Fang Rui readily agreed.

On opening day, Fang Rui came to help.

She had initially thought her boss only owned one small shop, but upon arrival, she discovered several stores with identical signboards.

Her boss was truly wealthy!

Though the shop was fully stocked, Jiang Nan still felt something was missing.

Resting her chin on her hand, she pondered until her eyes lit up. “Boss, I think we should add a few more things. The shop feels a bit cold. How about buying a couple of money trees? They’d look nice and have good symbolism too.”

Fang Rui always called Jiang Nan “Boss,” making the respectable tea shop sound like a gangster’s den. Jiang Nan had corrected her several times to no avail, so she eventually let it slide.

With a grand wave of her hand, Jiang Nan agreed, “Sure, and while you’re at it, buy something for me too.”

Fang Rui asked, “What is it?”

Jiang Nan momentarily forgot the modern term for the trendy walnut-handling hobby. After a brief pause, she stretched out her slender left hand and waved it. “My hands are itching.”

Fang Rui looked puzzled for a moment before suddenly understanding. She thought, As expected of our boss!

With great enthusiasm, she asked Jiang Nan, “Boss, tell me, whose shop are we taking over today?”

A few nearby customers turned to stare at them silently.

Jiang Nan: “…Shut up.”

After some explanation, Fang Rui finally realized she meant ornamental walnuts.

“Don’t worry, Boss! I’ll bring you back the biggest and shiniest ones!” Fang Rui laughed and ran off with a wave.

________________________________________

Four more days passed, and Xiao Ran had not returned during that time.

But Jiang Nan remained vigilant. Jiang Huai was about to return to the estate, and Xiao Ran, upon hearing the news, would surely come rushing back.

While Jiang Nan was reviewing the accounts, A’Tuo hurried in.

In a hushed, urgent voice, she said, “That young lady from the Xiao family is here again today.”

Jiang Nan immediately set down the ledger and stepped out.

She had to do everything possible to prevent the two from meeting, playing her role as the villainess to the fullest.

Xiao Ran was being led around the garden, her mind wandering as she absentmindedly admired the scenery.

The white and purple magnolias competed in full bloom, their delicate petals scattered by the breeze, leaving a fragrant carpet of fallen blossoms on the ground. Xiao Ran couldn’t bear to tread on them and chose to take a detour.

Jiang Nan, however, stepped right over the petals, blocking her path.

With a raised eyebrow, she demanded, “What are you doing at the Jiang residence again?”

Xiao Ran hadn’t expected to run into Jiang Nan in such a secluded spot. She clenched her fist, hiding it in her sleeve, and lowered her gaze submissively. “Sister Jiang Nan, I came to…”

Jiang Nan’s sharp eyes caught the movement. She stretched out her hand, a malicious smirk playing on her lips. “Hand it over!”

A flush of either anger or humiliation rose to Xiao Ran’s cheeks. She shook her head lightly and took two steps back.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Jiang Nan snapped impatiently.

A’Tuo chimed in, “Did you steal something? Otherwise, why wouldn’t you—”

Jiang Nan frowned slightly, displeased. “Who asked for your opinion?”

A’Tuo lowered her head. “Yes, miss.”

Xiao Ran trembled slightly, her delicate eyes closing briefly. As if accustomed to such humiliation, she resignedly opened her palm, forcing a strained smile. “Fine.”

In her hand lay an exquisitely embroidered pouch.

A’Tuo snatched it and handed it to Jiang Nan.

The pouch was adorned with a lotus flower, emerald leaves and golden stamens, its petals so lifelike that even the finest embroiderer in the city couldn’t have done better.

After a glance, Jiang Nan tossed it back to Xiao Ran. “Don’t waste your effort. Jiang Huai will never like you. Now leave!”

Xiao Ran bowed her head. The moment she encountered Jiang Nan, she knew today’s trip had been in vain. After a polite curtsy, she turned to leave.

A jade pendant slipped from her robes, tumbling across the ground in a few graceful arcs.

The lustrous, milky-white jade gleamed against the green grass, impossible to miss.

A’Tuo, having seen fine things in the mistress’s chambers, gasped. “This is top-quality mutton-fat jade!”

She moved to pick it up, but someone else was quicker.

Jiang Nan lifted the pendant, feeling its smooth warmth in her palm. A carefully braided red cord was tied to it. Had A’Tuo taken it, the pendant would never have found its way back to Xiao Ran.

She called out to Xiao Ran.

Thinking she was about to face more trouble, Xiao Ran turned wearily only for a white object to land squarely in her arms.

She looked down. It was the jade pendant she wore every day.

Jiang Nan’s voice was harsh. “Take your things with you. They don’t belong in the Jiang residence.”

Xiao Ran clutched the still-warm jade, then bowed deeply with genuine solemnity. “Sister is absolutely right. I thank you for returning it. This was the last birthday gift my mother gave me before she passed. If I lost it, I would have no face to meet her in the afterlife.”

Jiang Nan, unsettled by her sincere gratitude, turned her head away. “That’s none of my concern. Just leave quickly.”

With that, Jiang Nan strode off, her departure far swifter than Xiao Ran’s.

________________________________________

That evening, after tallying the daily earnings from several shops, Jiang Nan frowned.

The numbers fell far short of her expectations.

Her tea shop was still no different from any other ordinary tea shop.

She needed to set her store apart from the competition and fast. The “Half-Day Demon” blend wouldn’t be ready for another two months. After some thought, she decided to create advertisements to distribute to the public, preferably engraved on practical items, umbrellas, fans, or something similar.

After thinking through these things, she grew tired, lay down on the bed, and peacefully fell asleep hugging a long pillow.

The silent night stretched endlessly, like spilled ink across the sky, with not a single light from the countless homes.

Jiang Nan hugged her pillow, unable to shake off thoughts of Xiao Ran from earlier that day. Dark circles under her eyes, she suddenly sat up.

“I really should just die!”