Grandpa Gao's face stiffened, thinking that Shen Qing was going to take the opportunity to extort money from him, and he asked warily, "What are the conditions?"
Shen Qing said, "I'll help you make this happen, and you can invest another 10,000 taels in my business."
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Gao's expression relaxed: "That's it?"
Shen Qing nodded: "Yes, you invested in the rayon business before, and now I have new materials, so you can invest again. If you make money in the future, I will definitely give you a share of the profits!"
Grandpa Gao doesn't care about receiving dividends.
Shen Qing's small business of tens of thousands of taels of silver is nothing compared to the horse feed business of millions of taels of silver a year.
If Shen Qing can help him get through this crisis, it would be worth giving her ten thousand taels of silver!
Thinking of this, Grandpa Gao said generously, "No problem! As long as I can secure my horse feed business this year, I'll invest even more than ten thousand taels, let alone fifty thousand!"
Upon hearing his words, Shen Qing immediately went out to find Cheng Zhiwen.
Once on the carriage, he realized he had no idea where Cheng Zhiwen was.
I haven't seen him for several days.
She asked Old Xu, "Do you know where Boss Cheng is right now? Is he still staying at Lord Qi's place?"
Old Xu smiled and drove the carriage: "Boss Cheng has gone to stay at an inn. He hasn't been staying at the prefectural government office for quite some time now."
"Why aren't you staying at the prefectural government office? Didn't you stay there for quite a while?"
"I don't know either."
Shen Qing nodded: "Then let's go to the inn and find Boss Cheng."
When they arrived at the inn, Cheng Zhiwen was not in her room.
Shen Qing guessed that he had gone out to discuss business, so she sat on the first floor of the inn drinking tea and waiting for him to return.
They waited until nightfall.
Upon seeing that familiar black cashmere hat, Shen Qing happily got up and jogged towards the inn's entrance.
"You're back? I've been waiting for you for ages."
Cheng Zhiwen looked at her coldly: "What is it?"
Shen Qing was taken aback by his cold attitude. She followed him up to the second floor of the inn and said as they walked, "I have something I want to ask you."
He didn't say anything and strode into the room.
Shen Qing followed, and as soon as the door closed, he immediately smelled the alcohol.
She carefully observed Cheng Zhiwen's face.
Her cheeks were flushed; she had drunk quite a bit of alcohol.
She walked to the round table and poured tea: "Where did you go drinking?"
He walked silently to the bedside and sat down, supporting himself with his hands on either side of him, his eyes fixed on her.
"Lechun Pavilion, isn't that the place you're most familiar with?"
Shen Qing realized he was mocking her for disguising herself as a geisha from Lechun Pavilion to sneak into a private room in order to ask him for a favor, and paused in pouring tea.
He was angry, but remembering that he had come to ask him for a favor, he had no choice but to suppress his anger.
She brought the tea to him and said, "I have something I'd like to ask you for help with."
He didn't take her tea: "Tell me."
"Did you know that the Directorate of Imperial Carriages and Cavalry has a new head this year?"
"Know."
Shen Qing said in a low voice, "The eldest branch of the Gao family has been in the business of supplying horse feed for the military for many years, but this year the newly appointed official in charge of the imperial carriage took away his share, even though he has already spent all his money to stockpile horse feed for a whole year."
He listened quietly, then sneered, "How much silver did the eldest branch of the Gao family promise you?"
"He promised to invest another ten thousand taels in me."
"If I can buy you to come to my door and beg me for a favor for ten thousand taels of silver, who is cheaper, you or me?"
These words were not only sarcastic but also full of contempt. Shen Qing could hear it and felt increasingly uncomfortable. He suppressed his anger and said, "Let me finish what I have to say first."
"Go on, let's see what other fancy things you can come up with."
Shen Qing: "..."
How could she not see that Cheng Zhiwen's attitude towards her had changed drastically?
What happened to him after not seeing him for several days?
Shen Qing decided to put her personal emotions aside for the time being.
The Imperial Carriage Office is in the capital, while Cheng Zhiwen's father is in Yongzhou. Even if the Cheng family were willing to act as intermediaries, it would take half a day to travel from Jiangzhou to Yongzhou by fast horse, and another three to five days to travel from Yongzhou to the capital.
She had to go to Huai County to pay for the duck feathers within five days at the latest. If she failed to do so, not only would the duck feathers be sold to someone else, but she would also lose her deposit of one hundred taels.
She was out of time; she had to settle the matter of the horse feed tonight.
However, once the other party senses the urgency, such a thing becomes even more tinged with self-interest.
Shen Qing knew this, so he tried to keep his tone even: "He is willing to give up 10% of his profits to your father and the Imperial Censor."
Cheng Zhiwen laughed loudly: "Hahahaha."
Shen Qing didn't know what he was laughing at, but she could sense that he looked down on her at that moment.
"Do you think my father and the Imperial Censor are like you, willing to sell themselves for ten thousand taels of silver?"
Even Shen Qing, who is not very perceptive, could hear the contempt in the word "sold."
How is this any different from saying she sold herself?
She was so agitated that all the blood rushed to her head, and she slammed the teacup in her hand to the ground.
In an instant, shards of porcelain flew everywhere, some of them hitting Cheng Zhiwen. He closed his eyes briefly.
"You're the one who sold yourself!" Shen Qing said sharply, her eyes red with anger. "I was just acting as a go-between for the eldest son's family, passing on the message and making this happen! He promised to invest ten thousand taels of silver in me, not for free, but because I'm supposed to give him a share of the profits! Do you call that 'selling yourself'?"
She spoke only a few short words, yet they left her breathless and her chest heaving.
He leaned on the round table with his palms and sat down weakly.
Cheng Zhiwen remained seated on the bed, legs crossed, squinting at her.
After a brief standoff, he chuckled and said, "The eldest branch of the Gao family is truly naive. Military supplies and fodder are the Ministry of War's business. Don't you think a widow like you has any leverage to climb up the ranks with the Ministry of War? Matters of interest are always about exchanging resources. What resources do you have to exchange for that connection?"
Shen Qing opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Cheng Zhiwen interrupted her.
He pointed to himself and said, "Relying on me, is that it? Then let me ask you, why should I help you make this profitable deal happen?"
Shen Qing was speechless.
Yes, what is Cheng Zhi's diploma?
Where did she get the confidence to believe that he would be willing to cultivate a relationship with the Ministry of War for her sake?
Based on his previous help? Based on a whim of flirting?
As long as it doesn't involve personal gain, anything goes.
When interests are involved, the boundaries are clearly defined.
Cheng Zhiwen is a true businessman!
Shen Qing suddenly regained consciousness.
I was just overestimating myself.
She actually fantasized that Cheng Zhiwen would go to the Ministry of War to mediate for her sake, and even drag his father into it.
Even if she were Cheng Zhiwen's first wife, she might not be able to get him to do such a thing, let alone the fact that she meant nothing to Cheng Zhiwen!
Shen Qing stood up in despair: "Sorry to bother you."
She turned to leave, when she suddenly heard Cheng Zhiwen laugh behind her: "It's not that there's nothing to talk about."
She paused.
He asked, "Speaking of which, what benefits will I get for helping you make this happen?"
Shen Qing turned around and looked at him.
He patted the bed beside him, his smile vanished, his eyes devoid of warmth, filled only with calculation: "Sleep with me for one night, and I'll guarantee the Gao family's eldest branch will secure this year's share of horse feed."
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