Chapter 15 The Ancient Scholar Used as Cannon Fodder (XV) The Next Day...

The next day, the young master of the Qian family indeed came to the door, still dressed in his golden, very wealthy attire. He bowed and clasped his hands, giving Chu Nanfeng a respectful salute, his posture very humble.

"Mr. Qian, you're too kind. Please have a seat." Chu Nanfeng returned the greeting with a cupped hand, then invited the man to sit down and personally poured him a cup of tea.

"You're too kind, Mr. Chu. I'll do it myself." Mr. Qian accepted the teacup with both hands, speaking words of flattery and gratitude with a beaming smile.

His words contained some everyday family matters and anecdotes about business; it sounded like ordinary conversation, but Lin You couldn't figure out what he was trying to say.

However, this nouveau riche-like Mr. Qian is really good at talking. "Wow, he's amazing. He said so many nice things about you, and he didn't repeat a single one of them."

No wonder he's in business; if this were modern times, he could put on a stand-up comedy show.

Chu Nanfeng paused, his hand holding the teacup still. His older sister's attention seemed to be drawn to some strange things, so he had to explain in detail:

"Sister, what Boss Qian is trying to say is that he wants to win me over and guarantee the Qian family's business so that he can be exempted from some commercial taxes."

Lin You listened attentively to their back-and-forth banter, but still felt dizzy and confused, and finally gave up in frustration.

When Young Master Qian had a box brought up, Chu Nanfeng hurriedly refused, saying, "It was just a small favor; how can I accept such a generous gift from Boss Qian?"

Mr. Qian thought it was just a routine polite remark and was about to offer further advice when Chu Nanfeng asked, "I wonder if the Qian family has any merchant caravans that need to enter the capital recently?"

Mr. Qian's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes, of course! I was just about to send a batch of top-quality festive silk to the capital. It will arrive just in time for the New Year. Is Prime Minister Chu going to the capital to take the imperial examination? We can travel together and look out for each other."

Even if he hadn't originally planned to deliver goods to Beijing, he still had to set aside a batch of goods for delivery.

With Prime Minister Chu accompanying them, the caravan could not only travel on the official road, but also reduce the cost of entering the city by half. They could also establish a relationship with such a young scholar, which was truly a win-win situation.

Chu Nanfeng understood the reason and nodded his thanks: "Thank you for your trouble. I need to take my mother and younger sister to the capital. There is no rush. If you plan to leave within half a month, please let me know."

"Then I will come to pick up Prime Minister Chu in twelve days!" Boss Qian's smile was much more sincere than before.

Chu Nanfeng got up to see him off. He walked to the small table in the courtyard and accidentally kicked over a wine jar. The wine jar rolled around several times.

The orange-red wine spilled out, splashing onto the two of them, and the rich fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the air.

Mr. Qian was drawn in by the sweet aroma and couldn't help but sniff. "Oh, what a fine wine! What a pity."

"People's hearts are fickle. I no longer like this osmanthus wine. It's no big deal if it spills. Take care, Mr. Qian. My clothes are stained, so I won't see you out." Chu Nanfeng stopped and bowed as he saw him off.

"No need for trouble, Mr. Chu, please wait." Boss Qian left the Chu family gate in great joy. Even though he was almost bumped into on his way back, he just waved his hand in a good-natured manner.

Han Qige smelled the familiar aroma of wine on Boss Qian and had an idea. She went home, brought her own jar of wine, and went to the inn where the Qian family was staying.

Boss Qian was having his men pack their luggage, preparing to hurry back to organize the goods, when the kid who had just bumped into him showed up at his door.

Seeing the scholar's robes the young man was wearing, and adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, Boss Qian immediately had someone take out two taels of silver.

"Young master, I accidentally bumped into you while I was walking. Please don't be offended. Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Here's some money for you to buy some meat to nourish yourself."

Han Qige was speechless. Was he being treated like a con artist trying to scam someone?

But being a merchant can really make money. Someone bumped into him and tried to extort money from him, but without even arguing, he just gave him two taels of silver. This guy surnamed Qian is quite spineless.

Still not used to the differences in social status in ancient times, Han Qige didn't think about the difference between his status as a scholar and a merchant. He thought the other party was incompetent, but this kind of person was perfect as a business partner.

"My name is Han Qige. Chu Nanfeng is my best friend. I'm here to discuss a business deal with you, Mr. Qian."

Han Qige placed the wine jar on the table and opened it. The sweet aroma of osmanthus wine wafted out, just like the wine scent that had clung to Boss Qian.

"This is osmanthus wine that Brother Chu brewed for me himself. He only makes two jars a year. Was the one that Boss Qian drank only half a jar before?" Han Qige took a teacup from the side, poured out a cup of wine, and handed it to Boss Qian.

He then took out two skincare product recipes that he had written down in modern times and directly stated his purpose.

This recipe is said to have been passed down from the imperial court, and all the ingredients used are all natural, requiring no added chemicals. However, it does require some rather trivial items.

Han Qige used it for a while and it was indeed effective, but it was quite laborious to do and time-consuming to use.

Having been in business for so long, this was the first time Mr. Qian had ever seen business discussed like this. Smelling the aroma of the wine, he suddenly recalled Chu Nanfeng's cryptic words.

Are people's hearts fickle?

His mind was racing, but he showed no sign of it on his face. Even Han Qige, with her superb acting skills, didn't notice anything amiss.

"Mr. Han, I'm in the cloth business, and I've never dealt with cosmetics before. It's like crossing a mountain to know a trade like this." Boss Qian smiled and invited Han Qige to sit down, but pushed the prescription back to him.

"Master Han, you've already passed the imperial examination at such a young age. You're so talented at such a young age. You're truly remarkable!" Boss Qian's skill in praising people was superb, but Han Qige remained unmoved.

"For the sake of my brother Chu, Boss Qian, why don't you have someone verify the prescription?" Han Qige tapped the wine jar with his hand, his calm tone revealing a hint of threat.

Seeing this, Boss Qian smiled apologetically and pretended to think for a while before saying:

“If you are interested in getting involved in this business, I do have a deal. I have a batch of high-quality silk that I need to send to Yunzhou. The toll and taxes are too high. If you are willing to come along, I will give you this share.”

Han Qige's expression shifted as she looked at Boss Qian holding up two fingers. "Twenty taels of silver?"

Boss Qian slapped his thigh and said, “How can you trouble a scholar with only twenty taels? After the matter is done, not only will you receive two hundred taels of silver, but you will also receive a bolt of silk. It is too much of a disgrace for someone of your status to wear plain clothes.”

Han Qige put the prescription away. Once he had two hundred taels, he could open his own shop and wouldn't need to partner with others for a share.

"Mr. Qian, are you just trying to fool me because I'm young and vulnerable? You're just talking nonsense without even a contract. How can I believe you?"

Mr. Qian was taken aback for a moment before clapping his hands and saying, "Of course there is a contract. I'll go prepare it right away. Please wait a moment, Mr. Han."

At the Chu family home, Lin You watched Chu Nanfeng clean up the spilled wine and couldn't help but ask, "Little one, will Han Qige really go to see Boss Qian? Why was he stripped of his scholar title after signing the contract?"

"The Qian family rose to prominence because they could weave a superior type of brocade, which was worth its weight in gold. However, there were regulations that only nobles and dukes could wear it."

Chu Nanfeng washed the wine jar clean and put it in a corner. He continued, "The Qian family has always been involved in the smuggling of Nanjing brocade. Because they have good connections and the quantities are not large, they have never had any problems."

Han Qige seemed to carry over a habit from his past life, preferring to put everything in written contracts. If he were to speak up, Boss Qian would definitely not let go of a scapegoat delivered to his doorstep. If he were reported, he would certainly lose his official position.

"What if no one reports it?" Lin You suddenly thought of a question. "Should we report it? Wouldn't that damage your reputation?"

Chu Nanfeng picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and shook his head, saying, "We don't need to do anything more. The Qian family must offer a lot of benefits to entice Han Qige, but these benefits are not so easy to obtain. We just need to wait for news."

Han Qige has a somewhat eccentric personality, acting on a whim and doing things impulsively without a plan. She also studies sporadically.

Fortunately, he listened to Chu Nanfeng's advice; otherwise, he would never have been able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.

Back then, Chu Nanfeng urged him to practice calligraphy every day, gave him questions and lectures, and helped him correct his writing style. The day before he entered the examination hall, he was still pulling Han Qige to cram for the exam.

On the day of the provincial examination, Han Qige gave him a cloak, but it was a harbinger of disaster. Now, he has returned the favor with a jar of osmanthus wine, which is also a form of misfortune. From now on, they are even.

Chu Nanfeng didn't intend to dwell on what happened afterward. Whether Han Qige lived or died was no longer his concern.

With these thoughts in mind, Chu Nanfeng sat alone in the courtyard until late at night, staring blankly at the moon in the sky for a long time.

Inside the inn, the contract that Boss Qian took out was not about shipping, but rather about Han Qige acting as the owner and taking the goods over to sell.

It clearly stated that a deposit of 500 taels of silver had been paid, and the remaining 200 taels would be paid upon delivery of the goods. They even made him sign a receipt.

Han Qige frowned immediately upon seeing this; could this be a honey trap?

However, Boss Qian produced another contract, which stated that Han Qige had purchased eighteen bolts of high-quality silk from him, had already paid five hundred taels of silver, and would deliver the goods in five days.

He even wrote a receipt in front of Han Qige, signing his name and pressing his fingerprint on it.

This is equivalent to Han Qige buying goods from Boss Qian for 500 taels of silver, then transporting them to another place and selling them for 700 taels. It's similar to someone registering land under Chu Nanfeng's name to get tax exemption.

Han Qige had looked into this matter a few days ago. Although she still didn't understand why those people were so carefree, she knew it was a very common practice.

Of course, the price of these eighteen bolts of silk was definitely more than six hundred taels, otherwise they wouldn't have given him two hundred taels for shipping.

"I will arrange the delivery crew, so Mr. Han can rest assured now. However, these mere eighteen bolts of silk are nothing to my Qian family. But if anyone tries to take advantage of us, don't blame the Qian family for being impolite."

Seeing that Han Qige was pursing his lips and remaining silent, Boss Qian reassured him, "Of course, not many scholars are willing to take this path, and the Qian family will not lose sight of the bigger picture for a small gain. If Mr. Han is interested in the future, we can continue to cooperate. There's plenty of time."

Seeing his attitude of giving a stick and then a sweet treat, Han Qige finally abandoned her contempt and no longer had any doubts about this cooperation.

Two hundred taels of silver, enough to buy a shop facing the street for only a hundred or so taels. His family's assets, including houses and land, were estimated to be only five or six hundred taels. Han Qige hesitated for only a moment before signing and affixing his seal on the contract.

The contract was made in triplicate. Han Qige kept one copy, Boss Qian kept one copy, and the last copy was submitted by the two of them to the yamen for filing.

Seeing this, Han Qige felt even more at ease. Boss Qian even gave him an extra twenty taels of silver, saying it was for food and lodging expenses on the road, not included in the original two hundred taels.

Leaving aside Han Qige, who was tricked into joining the thief's ship, the Chu Nanfeng family has been extremely busy lately.

Ever since Chu's mother learned that her family was going to go to the capital with the Qian family's merchant caravan, she had been planning how much stuff to bring.

Seeing that Chu's mother only planned to bring some light clothing, but her eyes were filled with hesitation, Lin You couldn't help but ask Chu Nanfeng, "How much would it cost if we bought a carriage?"

They're going to be traveling with the caravan for months, and the three of them are carrying so much stuff. It would definitely be more convenient to have their own carriage.

Besides, prices in the capital are high. If they run out of money later, they can sell the carriage there and probably won't lose much money.

“A horse that can pull a carriage now costs about fifty taels of silver, and a carriage with a sidecar costs more than twenty taels.” Chu Nanfeng was quite familiar with the market prices. He said he wanted it, but then reminded Lin You, “A carriage isn’t absolutely necessary, so don’t touch your points, sister!”

"Am I that unreliable? I was just thinking, should we sell all your paintings?" He had almost twenty paintings saved up. If he sold them for five taels of silver each, it would be enough to buy a carriage.

Chu Nanfeng shook his head. "Things are valued for their rarity. Besides, our place is small, and there aren't many people who like calligraphy and painting. Why would a study like ours collect so many paintings at once? We're not stupid."

A note from the author:

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