Chapter 136: Relentless Pursuit

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Rou pressed herself against Shao Siming and whispered in a soft, gentle tone, "Husband, do you think that little girl, Xie Qingtang, has already made a name for herself? If she truly has the backing of the Dong family, it will be difficult for us to make a move against her."

"Hmph, don't even think about it. What is the Dong family, anyway? Xie Qingtang is my daughter, and that is a fact that will never change until the day I die. I am her father, and I will manipulate her however I please. It won't be as simple as she thinks to slip out of my grasp." Always a staunch chauvinist, Shao Siming could not tolerate his authority being challenged and retorted immediately.

Seeing this, a cunning smile tugged at the corners of Xiao Rou's mouth. She chimed in, "Husband, you are right. Xie Qingtang has only just returned to Su City; what kind of waves could she possibly make? I suspect Mr. Dong is only interested in her because her medical skills might help his daughter. If we were to recommend a superior doctor to Mr. Dong, Xie Qingtang would lose her leverage."

Hearing this, Shao Siming's eyes lit up. He turned, wrapped his arm around Xiao Rou’s waist, and said with satisfaction, "You are the only one who truly understands my heart. You're right. No matter how talented Xie Qingtang is, there will always be someone to replace her eventually."

"Dad, let me handle it. I’ll go find someone to replace Xie Qingtang right now. I refuse to believe that in a country this vast, there isn't a doctor with skills superior to hers." Shao Bin added with a cold sneer. They would never allow someone they had once trampled underfoot to climb above them.

Shao Siming nodded and looked at him, saying, "I'll give you this chance. Don't let me down this time."

"Don't worry, Dad. I certainly won't disappoint you." A look of joy spread across Shao Bin's face. If he handled this well, he might even get a chance to involve himself in the family business—that would be even better.

Back in the courtyard of Cunshan Hall, Xie Qingtang sneezed violently several times. Her grandfather asked with concern, "Tangtang, what's wrong? Did you catch a cold because of the sudden weather change?"

"No, Grandpa, it's nothing. My nose was just itchy, that's all. Don't worry, I'm a doctor; I know whether my own body is sick or not." Xie Qingtang quickly reassured him and turned back to organize the sun-dried medicinal herbs. A small bird hopped back and forth on her shoulder, occasionally pecking at the herbs and eating them with satisfaction; she did not stop it.

The next day, Dong Weiyi appeared at Cunshan Hall again. This time, he brought a bouquet of vibrant flowers and, amidst the surprised and well-wishing gazes of the onlookers, placed them directly in front of Xie Qingtang.

Seeing the flowers, Xie Qingtang froze. She felt uncomfortable and pushed them back, saying to Dong Weiyi, "Mr. Dong, I don't like flowers."

"Then tell me what you do like. Next time, I can bring you something you prefer so you won't have to guess," Dong Weiyi said with a faint smile, his expression unchanged by her rejection.

When asked what she truly liked, Xie Qingtang was taken aback. Before her master took her in, the things she loved most were all kinds of food, as she had been bullied in the mountain village and often went hungry. However, after she was adopted, she never lacked food, and she developed a deep affection for traditional Chinese medicine. Even now, it remained her greatest passion. Without hesitation, she replied, "What I like most is traditional Chinese medicine."

As soon as she spoke, the onlookers watching the scene were stunned into silence. Zhou Jinfan barely managed to pick himself up from his shock, gave Xie Qingtang a thumbs-up, and muttered, "The boss is truly the boss; she never plays by the rules."

"I see. In that case, why don't I become the supplier for all the medicinal herbs at Cunshan Hall? I can offer you a price ten percent lower than the market rate. How about that?" To everyone's surprise, Dong Weiyi accepted her interest as a matter of course and immediately proposed becoming her supplier.

This left Xie Qingtang astonished. The quality of the herbs under the Dong family was indeed excellent, but their prices were usually ten to twenty percent higher than the market rate—after all, you get what you pay for. Yet, here was Dong Weiyi proactively lowering the price. She hesitated. Although she had no experience in romantic affairs, she understood why he was doing this. If she accepted, she would be indebted to the Dong family, making it impossible to refuse him in the future.

While she stood there wavering, Zhou Jinfan rushed to her side and said excitedly, "Boss, what are you hesitating for? The Dong family’s herbs are famous for their quality. Why would you turn down such a good deal?"

His voice was loud enough for Dong Weiyi to hear, who responded with a faint smile. Xie Qingtang glared at him fiercely before turning back to Dong Weiyi. "Mr. Dong, I actually intended to source herbs from your family from the very beginning, but I hadn't finished my current stock yet. Since you've brought it up, I am happy to accept. However, there is no need to lower the price; I will pay your standard rates."

Zhou Jinfan was stunned, and Dong Weiyi’s expression flickered for a moment before returning to normal. He understood that Xie Qingtang wanted to avoid any favors to keep their relationship uncomplicated.

With that realization, Dong Weiyi maintained his calm, faint smile and nodded. "I understand your concerns, Ms. Xie. How about this: if you purchase in large quantities, I will apply our standard bulk discount. Surely you won't refuse that?"

"That would be perfect. Thank you, Mr. Dong." Xie Qingtang nodded, no longer refusing.

Once the agreement was reached, Xie Qingtang placed an order for a batch of herbs, as if her earlier hesitation had vanished completely, leaving Dong Weiyi smiling for a long time.