When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 4

Jiang Nan met her bright gaze and suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, recalling how she had indulged in the snowflake pastries and even had her maid pack some to take back to her own courtyard. With a cold and haughty tone, she said, “That stack of pastries? Why would you think I’d eat them? I wouldn’t touch pastries made from who-knows-what!”

Xiao Ran glanced at the faint yellow crumbs clinging to the corner of Jiang Nan’s lips, then obediently lowered her head. “Oh.”

After a moment’s thought, Xiao Ran softened her voice and explained in a gentle Wu dialect, “They’re made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, oil, and osmanthus flowers. I bought them from Wang’s shop at the north alley entrance.”

Jiang Nan: “…” Wait, who actually asked you?

On her way back to her courtyard, Jiang Nan replayed the events of the day in her mind.

After much deliberation, she concluded that her performance had been flawless.

If she ever returned to the modern era, she might as well try her luck in the entertainment industry perhaps as a serious actress or something.

This thought came to an abrupt halt when she looked in the bronze mirror and spotted the pastry crumbs still clinging to her lips.

________________________________________

That afternoon.

Jiang Nan stretched lazily.

Her plan for the day was to check on the state of her shop.

The expensive advertisements she had invested in had begun to pay off, drawing in more customers than when she first started. Her teahouse catered to both refined and common tastes, and seating arrangements were carefully considered. Those ordering cheaper tea sat in the main hall, where storytellers occasionally performed, creating a lively atmosphere.

For those seeking a quieter experience, pricier tea granted access to the second floor, where screens provided privacy. From time to time, Jiang Nan would invite renowned poets from Yangcheng to host literary games composing verses, crafting couplets, or playing a round or two of “Feihualing.” The third floor was reserved for VIP private rooms, fully enclosed except for the inner windows, which offered a sweeping view of the lake. Perfect for small gatherings discussing important matters.

Su Rui was bustling about, alternating between tallying accounts and greeting customers, barely able to catch her breath.

The moment Jiang Nan arrived, Su Rui stealthily pulled her aside to vent.

“I found out. The female owner of the rival Wei’s Teahouse is surnamed Wei,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“Great detective work. Don’t bother next time,” Jiang Nan replied.

Su Rui shot her a reproachful look. “Hey! I wasn’t finished! Her full name is Wei Su, the sole heir of the Wei family. Their business has always relied on word-of-mouth as a long-established brand. No wonder she was so arrogant before! And get this, those loyal customers of Wei’s Teahouse are unshakable. No matter how hard I tried to lure them over, they wouldn’t budge. Wei Su just leaned against the wall, watching me waste my breath, and laughed for ages. It was infuriating!”

Jiang Nan pondered for a moment. “No need to poach them. Our target isn’t the locals.”

“Eh?” Fang Rui was stunned. This was the first time she’d heard such a strategy. “How are we supposed to stay in business if we don’t attract nearby customers?”

“Our goal is to draw people from all over Yangcheng to this street. With the right promotion and marketing, they’ll come no matter the distance,” Jiang Nan explained.

Fang Rui blinked. “Which people? And what’s marketing?”

________________________________________

As the number of visitors to Cangfang Tower increased that day, Wei Su stood on the second floor, grinding her teeth as she watched the steady stream of customers across the street. The usually quiet street now buzzed with activity.

The young woman seated beside her, clicking away on an abacus, sighed in admiration. “They really do have some skill.”

“If you’ve got the skills, go open your shop somewhere else. At the very least, you could have set up at the other end of the street. Ours is the only tea shop here, yet she deliberately opened right across from our Wei Family Teahouse. They’re doing this on purpose!! Maybe they’re my father’s rivals, here for revenge. No, we can’t lose. Find out what they’re doing to attract so many customers to their teahouse.”

Wei Su couldn’t sit still.

She couldn’t afford to lose, no matter what it took!

Otherwise… she had a sinking feeling that over time, their teahouse would decline, and even their regular patrons would be lured away.

Customers came in waves and left in waves. Fang Rui, now free, walked to the shop entrance and looked up, only to meet Wei Su’s dark, resentful eyes. Startled, she hurried back to the kitchen and said to Jiang Nan, who was sampling new tea, “I think that woman Wei Su is brewing trouble!! Shouldn’t we take precautions?”

In the modern era, Jiang Nan had helped her father manage the business. She’d seen it all. People hired to cause trouble, good products falsely accused of making customers sick, cockroaches or flies planted to frame them, fake online reviews, or spies posing as employees to steal recipes.

She’d seen it all and dealt with it. Often, a few strategically placed cameras solved most problems.

But modern surveillance didn’t exist in ancient times.

“Hire four more hands. They don’t need to do anything except keep an eye on the shop,” Jiang Nan took a sip of tea, savoring its fragrant aroma, and nodded in satisfaction. Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Make them big, tall, and preferably dressed a little shabbily show off their muscles. Money isn’t an issue.”

Fang Rui immediately understood. “Got it!”

“Oh, and do you like raising animals?”

“Animals? Back home, I took care of chickens, ducks, and geese. Does that count?”

“Good. Then go raise some pigeons by the lake. If it’s too much, hire help. Charge it to the account.”

“Understood!”

On her way to handle the task, Fang Rui passed a flower shop. Seeing the lush greenery and towering money trees inside, her heart swelled with joy.

Why not buy a few more money trees?

Fang Rui loved tending to plants, but back home, farm work and chores left little time or money for hobbies.

At the Hidden Fragrance Teahouse, she finally got to indulge her passion.

Delighted, she placed two potted plants on the second-floor shelf, watered them, and added fertilizer.

Leaving Hidden Fragrance, Jiang Nan visited the other three teahouses in the east, west, and south of the city all running smoothly.

Four teahouses, one more than she’d managed in the modern era. Yet, she wasn’t satisfied.

Jiang Nan still had plenty of money, more than women of this era could spend in several lifetimes.

Today, she wasn’t just out to inspect the shops.

Using the excuse of forgetting to buy a gift for Aunt Jiang, she shook off A’Tuo and headed alone into a dark alley.

In her memory, there was a fledgling trade caravan. One that would later become a royal merchant group, the only one dominated by women. But now, they were still weak. Robberies had left them in financial ruin, on the verge of disbanding. Later, their leader, Qin Wan, risked her life to recover the stolen goods, reviving the Qin Xin Trading Company.

In the original plot, Jiang Huai had also noticed this merchant caravan, but he didn’t trust a group led by women, believing their current plight was self-inflicted. Had her brother been in charge, such problems wouldn’t have arisen. So, he chose to fund Qin Wan’s brother instead, inadvertently adding more pressure to Qin Wan’s caravan.

Yet, through sheer effort, Qin Wan eventually became a royal merchant. In the final outcome, she narrowly lost to her brother and was forced into seclusion.

Many considered this ending inevitable.

Jiang Nan decided to offer help in their time of need. Money was the one thing she had in abundance.

This had been her plan from the moment she transmigrated on the surface, she owned four shops, while secretly investing in merchant caravans.

Following her memories, Jiang Nan entered a secluded hidden door. The moment she stepped inside, a glint of reflected sunlight flashed across her cheek like the edge of a blade.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and continued forward. The tense, dangerous atmosphere vanished without a trace.

In that instant, the caravan members hidden throughout the room were subdued by the covert guards her parents had trained.

Inside, the room was sparsely furnished with only a few makeshift beds, looking rather shabby. On the main bed lay a young girl with disheveled hair and a grimy face, her bronze skin unable to mask her delicate features.

Sensing Jiang Nan’s presence, she lifted her eyelids, revealing dark circles under her eyes, and glanced at the ethereal figure before her. “What has the Qin Xin Caravan done to deserve such relentless targeting from someone of your stature?” she asked.

She had misunderstood.

A caravan’s survival depended on skilled members. The fact that Jiang Nan had effortlessly taken control and walked in unharmed led her to assume this was the powerful figure who had been opposing them.

“I’m not who you think I am. Just an ordinary wealthy woman,” Jiang Nan said, signaling her guards to release them with a hand gesture. She smiled. “Qin Wan, I’m here to help you.”

Qin Wan sat up, studying the impeccably dressed woman. “Help me? How? Why? Who are you?” she fired off questions.

“I’m Jiang Nan. And of course, I’ll help with money. “Unbothered by the shabby surroundings, Jiang Nan found a spot to sit.” “Your goods were robbed, and now you need funds to cover the losses.”

Qin Wan watched her silently, her expression complex.

If this woman even knew about the robbery, how could she claim to be ordinary?

“Why should I trust you?” Qin Wan asked.

“Tomorrow, I’ll send you two chests of silver to tide you over, along with some of my guards to help retrieve your stolen goods. You’ll believe me then.” Jiang Nan pulled a map from her sleeve, marked with circles in ink. “These are the bandits’ hideouts. Take it.”

This was actually information Qin Wan had painstakingly uncovered in her past life. At great personal cost, leaving her with lasting ailments that became her Achilles’ heel.

Qin Wan took the map, studying it intently before looking up, her eyes gleaming. “What do you want in return?”

“I want your caravan to thrive. I’ll invest in you yearly, expecting manifold returns.” Jiang Nan met her gaze. “And I’d like you to bring back southern tea on your return journey.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“If the trade succeeds, making ten times the profit wouldn’t be difficult at all, but do you really trust me that much?”

“Of course, I believe in your capabilities. Pleasure doing business with you.”

Qin Wan still couldn’t believe that the problem she had spent sleepless nights agonizing over had been resolved so effortlessly.

After Jiang Nan finished discussing with her, she didn’t linger. On her way back to the estate, she encountered A’Tuo, who had been anxiously waiting for her after buying a pile of goods.

Seeing Jiang Nan, A’Tuo asked urgently, “Where did you go, Miss?”

“I suddenly needed to relieve myself and stopped by a nearby household,” Jiang Nan explained.

A’Tuo nodded. In such a short time, Jiang Nan couldn’t have gone far.

By the time they returned to the estate, the sun had set, and the evening clouds painted a beautiful scene across the sky, casting a red glow over the land.

Vendors who lived farther away were packing up their stalls to head home, while those who lived nearby were still trying to sell off their remaining goods at a discount.

The journey back was smooth, but they found their path blocked right at their own doorstep.

Seeing a crowd gathered, A’Tuo eagerly volunteered to check the situation.

Before long, she returned with a grin that suggested she was relishing the chaos.

“Miss, it’s Lady Xiao and Lady Wang they’re arguing, and it looks like they’re about to come to blows!”