Chapter 25: Taking the Hook

Shen Qingtan frowned, his eyes filled with doubt: "The person I married is not you, why can't Boss Qin cooperate with you?"

Then, she thought of something and asked, "Is it true that you are collaborating with the Marquis' Mansion to exchange brides?"

"No, that's a rumor. How can I just give up the friendship we've had for more than ten years?" Zhao Jue denied it flatly, looking into her clear eyes, as if he could see through the filth in his heart at a glance.

He didn't dare look directly at me for a moment and lowered his voice: "I'm afraid you'll believe these rumors and resent me... Aunt and Uncle don't get along with our second branch. You're from the first branch now. If you don't have me in your heart, you will definitely not allow Boss Qin to cooperate with me."

"Is that so..." Shen Qingtan nodded, as if believing his words: "Why don't we just divorce and put things right?"

Zhao Jue's expression changed, as if he had something to hide. His voice was filled with pain, "Tan'er, Mingzhu and I are already husband and wife. If I divorce her for my own selfish reasons, I will be pushing her into a dead end."

"You've been carrying our friendship for over a decade in your heart, yet on your wedding night you discovered the bride wasn't me, yet you happily spent the bridal chamber with your second sister." Shen Qingtan sneered, "Zhao Jue, you're truly disgusting."

Zhao Jue's face turned pale and veins on his forehead twitched. He couldn't stand Shen Qingtan's disgusted look, especially her harsh words, which made him furious.

He patiently explained, "You know that Grandfather and Grandmother make the decisions in the mansion. Before the veil was lifted, Grandmother designated you as Second Brother's wife, and I have no power to change it. Mingzhu is your second sister, and you love her the most. If I neglect her, you will never forgive me."

Shen Qingtan followed his words and said, "You are right. Treat my second sister well and return all the things I gave you to me, so that my second sister won't feel bad if she sees them."

Zhao Jue didn't want to return it. He used sisterly love as an excuse, but was outmaneuvered by Shen Qingtan.

Shen Qingtan didn't need his consent and said directly: "I will ask Liu Yue to get it later. If there are one or two items missing, I will tell my second sister in public when I give them to Grandmother tomorrow, and let Grandmother be a witness. This will prevent my second sister from digging it out from somewhere in the future and misunderstanding that we are involved, which would hurt the harmony of the family."

Zhao Jue's face turned dark blue.

"Boss Qin is a businessman, and businessmen value profit. He won't refuse to cooperate with you just because of the grudges between you and me." Shen Qingtan said in a cold and distant tone, "I am your second sister-in-law now. You don't need to send messages to me privately in the future. I don't want your second brother to misunderstand."

Zhao Jue opened his mouth to explain, but saw Shen Qingtan leave without any reluctance and walk towards Zhao Yi in the pavilion.

At this moment, he understood why Shen Qingtan came to the appointment with Zhao Yi. She was afraid that rumors would spread and hurt the relationship between them.

When he thought that Shen Qingtan had really let him go, he couldn't help but burst out with anger in his heart.

Zhao Jue looked towards the pavilion with a cold gaze. Shen Qingtan spoke to Zhao Yi with gentle eyes. It was unknown what Zhao Yi said, but a smile broke out on her face, making her look even more charming.

He returned to the second room with a sullen look on his face. The servant came forward and said, "Third Master, Boss Qin is waiting for you in the back room."

Zhao Jue hurried to the back room and saw Boss Qin pacing back and forth in the room.

He greeted, "Boss Qin, sorry to have kept you waiting."

"I just arrived a moment ago." Boss Qin said with a smile on his face: "Young General, I checked the account book and found that the granary still has 50,000 dan of grain. Then I contacted a grain merchant who I cooperated with and he can spare 50,000 dan for me."

Zhao Jue's frustrations faded considerably. This was the first good news he had heard that day. "Boss Qin, thank you for your help. After this is done, you'll naturally receive a reward."

"Young General, I have something to explain to you..." Boss Qin's smile faded a little, and he frowned and said, "You know that food is scarce these days. My old friend bought his food at a high price. You wanted it all, and you needed it urgently, so he raised the price a little."

Zhao Jue didn't care: "As long as we can raise enough food for the army, I will take any amount of silver."

He had already explained that it was military rations, and he was sure that the merchants would not ask for an exorbitant price.

"The young general is a straightforward man." Boss Qin counted on his fingers: "His grain sells for one ounce and two cents per stone."

Zhao Jue's eyes darkened. "One hundred thousand dan of grain, all for this amount?"

"No, no, no." Boss Qin waved his hand. "My grain sells for eight cents a dan."

Zhao Jue's face was gloomy. The 50,000 shi in Boss Qin's hand required 40,000 taels of silver, and the other 50,000 shi required 60,000 taels of silver, a total of 100,000 taels.

But the old Duke only gave him 50,000 taels, and he had to pay another 50,000 taels.

My mother's dowry was meager, and after selling it all she could only come up with 10,000 taels.

It turned out that he planned to use Shen Qingtan's dowry to fill this gap.

Now the dowry was returned to Shen Qingtan. Shen Mingzhu went back to ask Madam Shen for help, but she still couldn't get the dowry back.

Boss Qin noticed Zhao Jue's gloomy expression and asked cautiously, "Do you... need more food?"

Zhao Jue said coldly, "Boss Qin, please introduce him to me and I will go talk to him in person."

Boss Qin said in embarrassment: "Young General, I promised him that I would not reveal him. If I break my promise, I am afraid that I will not be able to make a living in the business world in the future and no one will dare to cooperate with me."

He bowed deeply and said, "I hope the young general will understand."

Zhao Jue saw that he couldn't get anything out of the Boss Qin, and he didn't dare to use force, for he was afraid that if he pushed too hard, Boss Qin would come to Zhao Yi for help, and he would sell all the grain to Zhao Yi, which would be a waste of time.

"I will gather the money as soon as possible and then go to your place to transport the grain."

After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Jue compromised. Although he didn't seem to care, he secretly remembered Boss Qin.

When he finished his job, Boss Qin would have to return everything he had taken.

"Okay, I'll go get the food right away." Boss Qin said goodbye and left.

Zhao Jue solved the problem of food, but was worried about money. He went to Mingde Hall of the second house to discuss with the second master and the second mistress.

The Second Master and Second Madam were having dinner. Upon hearing Zhao Jue's words, the Second Madam raised her voice and asked, "Fifty thousand taels?"

Zhao Jue's face was stern, and his tone was impatient: "Grandfather intends to ask for the title of Grandson because he is dissatisfied with my marriage. If I mess up this task again, I am afraid that the title will not be mine."

The second wife's lifeblood was instantly grasped.

"There are only seven days left until the ten-day appointment. The issue of military rations is of great importance. Although my grandfather gave it to me, he also asked Zhao Yi to collect the military rations." Zhao Jue stopped talking at that point and did not say everything, which made the second lady even more anxious and imaginative.

The Second Madam gritted her teeth and said, "I have a dowry here. If you pawn it, you should be able to scrape together the money."