Chapter 38: Becoming famous
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Gu Youan and Uncle Du rushed to purchase medicinal materials.
Gu Youan was concerned about the Han family. Before going out to collect medicinal herbs, she specifically asked Zhang Shinan and his son who had returned to Songjiang City to pay more attention to them and to ask someone to tell her if there was anything.
Gu Youan went to the Hu family to collect medicinal herbs. This time, Hu Changpu's grandfather was at home. When Hu's grandfather saw her coming, he came over to talk to her for a rare moment and his attitude towards her became much more relaxed.
Gu Youan didn't know the reason, but Hu Changpu finally revealed it: "My grandfather said that with Old Man Han gone, the Han family is no longer the same."
Gu Youan pretended to be confused: "Where did you get this from?"
Hu Changpu rolled his eyes: "Are you still pretending with me?"
Gu Youan smiled innocently: "I'm not lying to you. I haven't been in Songjiang City recently. How would I know about the Han family's affairs?"
Hu Changpu sighed and said, "My grandfather said that the old lady of the Han family is too selfish and is not doing anything to build up the family."
In fact, what Grandpa Hu said was much more profound than what Hu Changpu said. He said that if Han Dalang had the ability of Grandpa Han, it would be fine, but he was just a good-looking guy. When the mother and son drove away the second son who was the most capable of taking on responsibilities, the Han family was almost ruined.
As for Shopkeeper Han, his stepmother and elder brother are so jealous of him that they will definitely make things difficult for him. Even if the family splits up and he starts a new business, it will probably take a lot of effort for him to run the pharmacy business as well as it was when Old Man Han was around.
Manager Han's situation is already difficult enough, but unfortunately, Gu Youan leads the Du family to rise up, and Gu Youan is also good at planning. Manager Han will not get any good results under Gu Youan.
Mr. Hu believed that, if nothing unexpected happened, the Gu family in Songjiang City three to five years from now would be the same Han family as when Mr. Han was still around.
Hu Changpu left her words unsaid. Gu Youan carefully observed Hu Changpu's expression but didn't notice anything different. However, when Hu Changpu took her to the warehouse to look at the medicinal materials, Gu Youan tasted something.
Hu Changpu became much more attentive to her, and his words and actions showed more respect. He no longer had that look of "I am doing business with you because I respect you" in his eyes.
Gu Youan: "Manager Han returned to Songjiang City the day before yesterday. Are you sure you want to give me all the medicinal herbs you have in stock?"
“I don’t know when the Han family will be divided clearly. If I don’t sell it to you, who will I sell it to?”
Gu Youan nodded. This was exactly what Hu Changpu really thought.
Seeing her nod, Hu Changpu sneered: "Although my grandfather is optimistic about you, you have just stepped into the medicine store. Don't be too proud. Be careful not to capsize and lose everything."
"You don't need to remind me of this, I naturally know it."
After buying the herbs, they stayed at the Hu family for one night. The next morning, the Hu family helped to deliver the herbs down the mountain to the Ping'an Escort Agency in Songjiang City.
Before leaving, Gu Youan, as a junior, went to say hello to Mr. Hu.
Mr. Hu smiled and said, "I'm old now, and the world will belong to you young people from now on. You should discuss matters concerning medicinal herbs with Changpu more often. More friends mean more paths, which is the same for you and for our Hu family."
"You are still strong and healthy. I think you can live another thirty to fifty years."
Mr. Hu laughed and said, "You are a lucky person. If you say so, I believe it."
"When you leave, our mountain will be covered in snow by the time you return. I'm telling you in advance that next spring, on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, my Chang Pu will be getting married. If you and your family are free, please come to the mountain for a drink at the wedding."
"Okay, we will definitely come."
Hu Changpu personally escorted Gu Youan and his group down the mountain. On the way, Gu Youan asked, "Which girl are you marrying?"
"You don't know the girl from the mountain family."
Hu Changpu didn't know what he was thinking about, and continued, "My wife's surname is Ying. She is from Lingnan. Her family also makes a living by collecting herbs. The reason we can be married is because my grandfather and her grandfather arranged the marriage."
"Her family is not actually short of money, but unfortunately her mother died early. As the saying goes, if there is a stepmother, there will be a stepfather. If it weren't for her grandfather who was able to protect her, I'm afraid she wouldn't know how she would have lived."
"She's a quiet woman, but very intelligent. You'll see when you meet her. My grandfather said she'd be a good housewife, and I think she'd be an excellent marriage partner."
Hu Changpu only talked about the good things about the young lady of the Ying family and didn't mention anything about love. However, Gu Youan still felt that Hu Changpu cared about him.
Apart from talking about business matters, Hu Changpu seldom talked to her so much. Gu Youan thought that Hu Changpu must value his wife-to-be very much.
Uncle Du, who had been silent the whole time, asked, "Is the current head of the Lingnan Ying family Ying Shihu?"
"Ying Shihu is the father of my fiancée."
Gu Youan couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Do you herbalists have to have a medicinal ingredient in your name?"
"We come into contact with medicinal herbs every day, so when we name our children, we naturally think of medicinal herbs. Is there anything strange about that?"
"So what medicinal herbs are you going to name your future children after?"
Hu Changpu suddenly became excited: "If I give birth to a daughter, I will name her Hu Jiegeng, and if it is a son, I will name him Hu Xianteng."
"Immortal Vine? Heavenly Immortal Vine? I remember this medicinal herb is a vine? Vine is not suitable as a name for the young master, it has a bad meaning."
"I think it's a perfect match. The vines are tied together, just right to tie me and my future wife together."
Uncle Du smiled and said, "Tianxianteng is diuretic, reduces swelling, and promotes qi and blood circulation. It's a good medicinal herb."
Uncle Du was very considerate in answering, and Hu Changpu became even more arrogant: "Yes, that's what I think. You understand me."
Hu Changpu started talking nonsense again, and Gu Youan rolled his eyes at him.
They chatted and laughed until they arrived at Songjiang City. They still had to pass through South Street to go to Ping'an Escort Agency. When they passed by Han's Pharmacy on South Street, they found that the door of Han's Pharmacy, which was usually open all year round, was closed.
When they arrived at the Ping'an Escort Agency, Guo Su came to greet Gu Youan. Gu Youan was talking to Guo Su when Zhang Yinshan arrived.
Zhang Yinshan: "I wanted to go home to find you this afternoon, but I saw you guys passing by my pharmacy on your way into town, so I came here to look for you."
Gu Youan said, "Let's go in and talk."
Master Guo is at home. Since they have come to Ping'an Escort Agency, Gu Youan and Zhang Yinshan must pay a visit to Master Guo first.
"You tell me, Master Guo is one of us. He might know more about the Han family's affairs than we do. Let's listen to what Master Guo has to say."
Master Guo picked up the teacup and put it down again, then said to Gu Youan, "Are you targeting the Han family?"
"I can't say I'm targeting you, I just want to find out something."
Zhang Yinshan said, "The other day you asked me to find out more about the Han family. Yesterday, when my father and I returned to the city, we heard from a familiar drugstore owner that the Han family's drugstore has been closed since yesterday. I heard they're taking inventory and will reopen after that."
The Han family pharmacy has the most complete range of medicinal materials, and the prices it sells to local pharmacies in Songjiang City are also fair. Therefore, almost all pharmacies in Songjiang City often go to the Han family pharmacy to buy medicinal materials, even the Zhang family is no exception.
Gu Youan asked, "So, the Han family pharmacy has been closed for two days?"
Zhang Yinshan hummed, "But it's not surprising. The news that the Han family is going to split up can't be hidden."
"Manager Han has only been back for three or four days, and everyone in the city knows that the Han family is going to split up?"
When Manager Han led the caravan to Luoyang, everyone said that the Han family would not split up. Why did they change their tune now?
Master Guo said, "Such a big thing happened to the Han family caravan in Luoyang. Everyone in the caravans going to and from Songjiang City brought back the news and knew about it. Furthermore, Han Dalang and his mother were secretly dividing up the Han family's treasury. Putting these two pieces of information together, it's obvious."
Gu Youan: "The news spreads quite fast."
Zhang Yinshan laughed and said, "If it were something else, it might not spread, but a lot of people are still interested in something as exciting as the split."
In addition, the Han family is one of the top three merchants in Songjiang City. If they divide their property, it will leave opportunities for other families to grow stronger. Who wouldn't pay attention to it?
Master Guo said, "People leave traces behind, just as wild geese leave their voices behind. Everyone knows that the Han family has fallen on hard times in Luoyang City, and everyone else is also aware of your assistance to Shopkeeper Han."
"People in this world, even if they are heartless and ungrateful, still hope that others will be righteous. Although you are a woman, after this incident, you have gained some reputation in the Songjiang City Commercial Bank."
Gu Youan smiled and said, "It was just an accident, but it's also good, it's a good thing."
After talking about the Han family, Gu Youan asked about the escort mission: "Going south is not so bad, but when I come back, without the help of the Du family, I will be short of manpower. Master Guo, can you help me find a dozen reliable escorts to fill the gap?"
Gu Youan was actually hoping that Guo Biaotou and his men would return soon so they could escort her south. But then she felt that Guo Biaotou had been away for so long, and it must have been too much for him to go south again right after returning, so she asked if she could find someone else to fill in.
Master Guo had already thought about it for her and said, "The Han family caravan won't be leaving this year. Some of the people who rely on the Han family can't rest for so long. After all, they rely on guarding the caravan to support their families. If you need help, just go find them."
"Aren't all the guards in the Han family caravan personally employed by the Han family?"
"Most of them are, and some are just dependent on the Han family. When they are busy, they go out with the Han family to do business to earn some money, and when they are free, they stay at home to farm."
Master Guo said, "Don't underestimate the farmers outside Songjiang City. Many of them are exiled military officers with great skills. And then there are the ordinary people who have the courage to make a living outside the Great Wall. They all have some skills."
Master Guo's words reminded Gu Youan that exiled military officers were also a way to recruit talents.
Prince Qi has no shortage of loyal military officers under his command. Most of those officers were handed over to Prince Qi by his grandfather Meng Kai. They are all trustworthy people and cannot be compared with those exiled military officers.
In Songjiang City, military officers have far fewer opportunities to succeed than civil servants like her father.
Zhang Yinshan said, "Add me in. My father told me to go with you to the interior of the country."
"Going to Zhang's?"
"No, my father said that since we need to open up wasteland and buy land, we can't be short of manpower, so he asked me to do it."
Zhang Shinan asked his son Zhang Yinshan to go inside the pass to find some slaves.
"Since you've made up your mind, let's go together."
After the discussion, Gu Youan still had one more thing to ask of Master Guo: "You have a wide network of contacts in the city. Could you please help me find out where there is a large yard for sale? I want to buy it and turn it into a warehouse."
Master Guo agreed: "I will take your matter to heart."
Master Guo stood on the steps and watched them go. He said casually, "Your brother and Tian Jilang have been back and rested for a few days. Go back and tell them to come see me tomorrow."
"yes."
Gu Youan brought Master Guo's words to her brother and Tian Erlang, who immediately shouted, "Oh my God, the good times are over."
Although he had to sleep in the open air when he was away from home, he felt really comfortable. Tomorrow he would go back to his previous life of learning martial arts and practicing hard, but Boss Tian Erlang was unwilling to do so.
Gu Wenqing touched his arm and felt that it was not as strong as before. Master Guo saw that he was slacking off. Needless to say, he could imagine how difficult the days ahead would be.
Tian Erlang had no idea what Gu Wenqing was thinking. He sighed, "My family has money now, and I don't really want to be an official. I think I'll be fine as a businessman."
"Just the one thousand taels of silver you brought back from Luoyang? Your family wants to build a house, buy a shop, and you and your brother want to get married and have children. After spending all this money, do you still have money left to go into business?"
Tian Erlang had already arranged the one thousand taels of silver, and Gu Wenqing's ears were sore from listening to him on the way back.
Gu Youan immediately smiled and said, "Come on, you should just go and practice martial arts."
Tian Erlang was unable to resist and was driven to Master Guo's place by his father in the afternoon before the next day. Gu Wenqing naturally went with Tian Erlang.
Gu Youan played with little Axuan at home for half a day, and the next day he went to buy medicinal herbs with Uncle Du and others. It took them more than ten days to finish the task.
On the other side, the ten bodyguards that Master Guo found for Gu Youan also arrived.
On the first day of September, the caravans of the Gu and Du families set out again.
Han family.
The descendants of the four branches of the Han family were arguing over the division of the family property. When Manager Han learned that Gu Youan had left again, he could only sigh.
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