When He Yunce left the yamen in the evening and saw him return to the Marquis's residence, Song Ruoan hurriedly told him about it.
When He Yunze heard the shopkeeper ask for an exorbitant price of three thousand taels, he was completely shocked.
"The rent is so expensive? Do you think I can't live without him? Aren't there still many shops on Yong'an Street that haven't opened yet?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan took another deep breath: "It really has to be him. All the shops that haven't opened on Yong'an Street belong to the same owner."
He Yunze gritted his teeth as he listened, feeling both jealous and envious of the boss.
I am clearly the chosen one, reborn from the ashes!
Why didn't she seize the opportunity when she was first reborn, instead spending all her time on matters of the inner quarters, allowing others to take advantage of the situation!
First it was Song Xizhi, and then this boss. How much wealth has he missed out on?
After much thought, He Yunze concluded that it was all because of Song Xizhi. It was she who had stirred up trouble in the Marquis of Anding's mansion, causing him to miss this opportunity.
Seeing He Yunze's ever-changing expression and his hesitant look, Song Ruoan licked her lips and relayed the information revealed by the person in charge.
“But my husband, Pinxianglou can earn a thousand taels of silver a day. Compared to that, three thousand taels of silver in half a year is acceptable.”
He Yunze paused for a moment upon hearing this.
When he finally understood what Song Ruoan meant, his pupils dilated and his breath caught in his throat: "You mean Song Xizhi used those plagiarized recipes to open a brothel and can earn a thousand taels of silver a day?"
Song Ruoan nodded reluctantly, while He Yunce was trembling with anger.
"Such a thing exists in the world! You know how to make incense, so this money should rightfully be yours, Ruo'an!"
As He Yunze spoke, he stopped dwelling on the rent issue. He gritted his teeth and said, "Letting me know that Song Xizhi is the owner behind Pinxianglou, and then having shops vacant on Yong'an Street where land is incredibly valuable, is God giving me an opportunity!"
Having been reborn, Heaven has been kind to him. The moment he opened his eyes, it sent Ruo'an to his side, and now it is going to give him a helping hand.
“It has to be done, Ruo’an. We must rent this shop. You sell all your dowry, and I will pawn all my antiques and collectibles. I still have some savings. Let’s see if we can scrape together three thousand taels.”
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan hesitated, recalling the way he had been in charge during the day.
He Yunze originally thought she was scared and wanted to persuade her again, but to his surprise, Song Ruoan said, "Husband, shall we only rent for six months?"
"If we expose Song Xizhi's true colors and our business thrives, won't the boss get jealous of our business and try to take the shop away?"
"They won't rent to us after six months, and then we'll have nothing to show for it."
Upon hearing this, He Yunze fell silent in thought. Song Ruo'an's voice still held a hint of grievance: "Husband, you don't know, that person in charge today didn't seem like a good person. He kept looking me up and down while he was talking to me, acting all sleazy..."
Hearing Song Ruoan say this, He Yunze hurriedly looked at her, his eyes full of heartache: "If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have let you go alone."
"The servants are so sleazy, yet the boss has bought seven or eight shops on Yong'an Street and doesn't do any business at all. I'm afraid the boss behind them is some kind of spoiled brat."
He Yunze thought about it and it made more and more sense: "If we only sign a six-month contract, there is no guarantee at all. Once the six-month period is over, we will be like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others. In my opinion, we should sign a one-year contract at least, so that our brand can be well-known and firmly engraved in everyone's hearts."
Song Ruoan sighed: "If we had silver, the longer the better, but six thousand taels is such a large number, we simply don't have that much silver."
Hearing this, He Yunze closed his eyes and said, "It's a pity that Ruo'an lost the money that the Divine Physician Qihuang swindled from you before."
Song Ruoan opened her mouth, but before she could speak, He Yunze said directly, "Go and borrow money from your parents this time. Try to get as much as possible, at least three thousand taels. Consider it as them investing in the business, and we'll split the profits together."
“I also went to my mother to borrow money. She probably has some savings, but she doesn’t trust you, so I had to find an excuse to ask for it.”
The current state of the Marquis's mansion is common knowledge. There is no money left in the public accounts, and even the grandmother's own dowry has been used up. The only person in the Marquis's mansion who still has money is his mother.
Upon hearing that they needed to borrow three thousand taels from the Song family, Song Ruo'an's heart clenched: "This is no small amount. After the previous dowry expenses, my sister has ruined the Song family. If we have to raise this money, it will probably empty half of the Song family's coffers!"
If this business fails and her family has no money left, where will she find support?
She's probably destined to become the eternal sinner of the Song family.
Song Ruoan's heart was heavy: "Husband, tell me, is this business deal really feasible?"
He Yunze solemnly grasped her hand: "Ruo'an, it is precisely because I trust you that you must also trust me."
"Because your skills are genuine, I can guarantee that this business will definitely succeed! Didn't you always promise me that we would trust each other and have nothing to hide from each other?"
Two lifetimes, decades of affection, thousands of days and nights of mutual support—how could it be fake?
Feeling He Yunce's affectionate gaze upon her, and feeling the intense heat emanating from his palms, Song Ruoan felt as if she were being roasted alive.
She stared into He Yunce's eyes, unable to say no, and could only agree.
"...It's true, my skills are definitely real, my husband, I believe you."
If she were to tell He Yunze the truth now, they would probably have no feelings left for each other.
Sometimes a white lie can salvage a relationship. Besides, the original recipe is in her hands. As long as she invites someone from outside to teach her how to make incense, then she will know how to make incense, which cannot be considered deception at all.
Feeling Song Ruoan's resolute answer, He Yunze nodded heavily and hugged her tightly.
It almost felt like it was going to melt his soft body into his very bones.
Because of trust, he was willing to risk his trust, dignity, image, and all his wealth to fight a desperate battle for their shared future.
He and Ruo'an were always connected heart to heart.
He Yunze thought for a moment, then lowered his eyes and looked at Song Ruoan's face with gentle eyes. He then said, "Ruoan, I'll go out and pawn the goods to raise money right now. Don't worry, these days will pass soon."
"At that time, you will be both a merchant with wealth comparable to that of a nation and a first-rank imperial consort. This is my promise to you."
He placed a deep kiss on Song Ruoan's forehead.
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