CHAPTER 409: 394 TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ONE’S INTIMATE PARTNER

This is a great opportunity to kick Jia Wenxiu out. Success or failure depends on tomorrow.

When Jiang Jinghuai came back in the evening, Tian Sangsang deliberately asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"

Jiang Jinghuai, curious about her little scheme, nodded.

"Can you come to my shop for a bit tomorrow? You haven’t been there yet. Bring Yanyan along, and have lunch at my place tomorrow." She acted very casually.

Jiang Jinghuai agreed with a hum, then suddenly suggested, "Don’t you like that western restaurant? We could go there."

This was truly a good topic. Tian Sangsang slightly furrowed her brows and said regretfully, "I’d like to go, but Mom asked Wenxiu to help at my shop, so I have to familiarize her with the rules tomorrow. Once she learns, we can always go another time."

Jiang Jinghuai immediately understood and smirked at her, "You don’t like her, so you want to bring me and Yanyan?"

Tian Sangsang seized the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck and nodded vigorously, "I can’t refuse Mom’s suggestion, but having to watch Wenxiu all the time makes me think of Yao’er, who was so innocent. So having you and Yanyan there is better than facing her."

Jiang Jinghuai was silent for a moment, his dark eyes on her, "If you don’t like her, I can make her leave."

"Better not, Mom will be unhappy." Tian Sangsang said, "Wenxiu will return to school in half a month. There’s no need to act rashly."

"It’s a burden for you." He sighed.

"As long as you know it’s a burden for me." Tian Sangsang grinned, "Let’s not mention her and avoid the annoyance. By the way, I open the shop early every day. Can you buy some groceries before coming over? Otherwise, what will we eat for lunch? Yanyan can go with you because when I’m teaching Wenxiu, I can’t look after him."

Jiang Jinghuai didn’t really comment.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she mischievously asked, "You know how to buy groceries, right? You know how much a pound of pork costs, right? You should learn to haggle. Do you still have pocket money? Need me to give you some bills?"

Last month, Jiang Jinghuai had given one-third of his allowance to Ye Binyi and two-thirds to Tian Sangsang. He received bonuses when he had special tasks, so his allowance had been quite sufficient recently.

"I really don’t know," he pressed his lips together, conveniently leaning on her, his warm breath brushing her cheek, "Explain to me slowly, I’m listening attentively. As for the money, it’s already enough."

Having to buy groceries came with repercussions, but with the goal achieved, Tian Sangsang was at ease.

**

Early the next morning, Jia Wenxiu was already waiting in front of the courtyard.

"Let’s go." The dressed-up Tian Sangsang glanced at her indifferently.

That dismissive look ignited a fire of anger in Jia Wenxiu’s heart.

But she smiled sweetly, "Sister-in-law, what do I need to do today?"

"Stop pretending; it’s just the two of us here, and your act is starting to make me sick." Tian Sangsang said bluntly.

Jia Wenxiu secretly clenched her fists, forcing a smile, "What are you saying, Sister-in-law? Mom asked me to learn at your shop, not to put on a show. I sincerely want to learn skills from you to become an independent woman like you."

Tian Sangsang lazily acknowledged, casually raising an eyebrow, "Then you can start with odd jobs. Success never happens overnight. When customers come, you need to greet them; you must keep an eye on the store’s cleanliness to prevent too much dust; and you have to ensure there’s always tea on the table in case some VIP guests suddenly get thirsty. When I’m too busy, you’ll also need to help me with the money. Can you handle that?"

"Only by doing these small tasks well can I trust you enough to teach you how to sell essential oils, and teach you the properties and functions of each product. Learn slowly, don’t rush."

Jia Wenxiu replied with a forced smile, truly irritated. Raised as a pampered girl, she had never been ordered around like this. It’s not that she couldn’t pretend or lower herself. It’s just when it comes to humbling herself before Tian Sangsang, who had once insulted her, her heart felt unbearably blocked!

Tian Sangsang glanced at her forced restraint, feeling extremely pleased. It was on purpose to provoke her, to have her act quickly.

When they arrived at the shop, Tian Sangsang took out her key to open the door.

She waved her hand lightly in front of her nose, calmly directing Jia Wenxiu, "Since there are no customers yet, take a cloth and wipe down the products on the shelves. Hey, after just one night, their shiny surfaces are probably covered with an invisible layer of dust."

Jia Wenxiu thought to herself how good Tian Sangsang was at fooling people. Invisible dust? It’s the invisible dust mites! She wasn’t someone without patience, so she dutifully followed the instructions.

Dusting the products one by one, Jia Wenxiu was distracted.

Fortunately, customers started coming into the shop one after another, and Tian Sangsang’s attention wasn’t on her.

"Madam, welcome. Anything you’re looking for, feel free to browse!"

"Ms. Tian, I’ve heard so much about you." This lady smiled, "Li Aihua recommended me. I wanted to ask, how many kinds of essential oils do you have here? I want to use them for aromatherapy."

Tian Sangsang immediately made a gesture to follow, "We have them, we have them. Follow me. We have a variety of aromatherapy here: rose, lemon, neroli, agarwood, lavender, Citrus bergamia, rosemary... Which setting do you plan to use it in, and what for?"

"For the bedroom. I’ve been having insomnia and feeling mentally unwell recently."

"Then I recommend this lavender oil. It’s self-made, different from other places’ lavender, more capable of calming the mind and spirit, bringing peace and harmony, and is especially effective for insomnia and light sleepers."

Detailing for the lady, then attending to other customers, Tian Sangsang was parched from talking. When there were no customers left in the shop, she tiredly waved to Jia Wenxiu, "Wenxiu, could you make me a cup of tea? I’m thirsty. No tea leaves, just floral tea. The floral tea is in the small cabinet beside..." Her words were cut off as another customer walked in, prompting her to replace her tired look with a welcoming smile.

Jia Wenxiu happily observed her, remembering her arrogant attitude earlier, and darkly chuckled to herself. Last time, the plan failed to make her embarrassed publicly because Li Qiong’er bailed her out at the last minute. This time, with the street and customers around, let’s see how she can save face!

Jia Wenxiu put down the white cloth she was holding and turned into the back room. She took a small packet of floral tea from the small cabinet, rinsed it first, and then poured it along with hot water into a glass cup. Pulling out a packet from her pocket, she nervously peeked outside; Tian Sangsang and customers’ voices continued. She poured the entire powder into the tea—something she had acquired with difficulty from the black market, waiting just to use it on Tian Sangsang.

Placing a small lid on the cup, she gently shook it for a moment. The powder melded with the tea, leaving no trace.

She smirked, Aren’t you beautiful? Aren’t you flirty? Let everyone see for themselves!