Chapter 010 Bargaining
"Miss Xu, what are you talking about? My Zheng family is upright and honest. Since we have signed the marriage certificate, we will naturally keep our promise. But with your current status..."
Okay, you still want to fool her?
Xu Zhenying interrupted him directly, "Okay, then I agree to be your concubine. When will someone from the Zheng family come to pick me up?"
Manager Niu was stunned for a moment, then thought to himself that something was wrong. He was not sure what Xu Zhenying was thinking.
Isn’t it said that the Xu family is stubborn and will never agree to take someone as a concubine?
He also thought that if this was the case, he could force the Xu family to write a letter of withdrawal of the engagement themselves.
What is this damn girl doing?
"Either I become your concubine, and your Zheng family will be implicated by my Xu family for the rest of their lives. I'll inevitably have to promote my family, and I'll definitely do a lot of sneaky things in the future. Or I can just give you money and break off the engagement. The Xu and Zheng families will have no more ties, and I'll also protect your Zheng family's good name. You choose one." Xu Zhenying stared at Niu Zhangshi with a calm expression. She spoke slowly, but her bright eyes gave people an inexplicable sense of intimidation. "Five... four... three... two..."
"I'll pay! I'll pay!!" Manager Niu shouted almost impatiently.
As soon as he finished speaking, the little girl in front of him smiled sweetly.
It’s bad, I feel like I’ve been cheated.
Manager Niu wiped the sweat from his forehead and was shocked to find that he was being toyed with by a thirteen-year-old girl.
How come I blurted it out just now?
Should think about it a little longer.
This damn girl... such a thief...
Xu Zhenying patted Niu Zhangshi's shoulder across the fence, acting familiar and pleased, saying, "That's right. Business people, when faced with a sincere deal like mine, have to cut the Gordian knot. Isn't that right?"
Stop talking now.
Niu's smile was forced, but he didn't forget to confirm, "Miss Xu Liu, is the marriage certificate here? Can I take a look?"
This old guy is quite cautious.
Xu Zhenying pointed at his aunt, smiling sincerely and shyly, as if blushing with shame. "I was in a hurry to leave, so I took the marriage certificate with me. My aunt was afraid of losing such an important thing, so she kept it close to her chest day and night. Manager Niu, you... can't ask my aunt to undress for a body examination, right?"
Manager Niu subconsciously looked over and the aunt immediately glared at him fiercely.
Xu Zhenying seized the opportunity and immediately winked at his aunt. His aunt was stunned for a moment, then she understood what he meant and immediately covered her chest with her hands, angrily scolding, "You shameless old scoundrel, what are you looking at? I said the marriage certificate is with me, do you really want to take off my clothes to check it?"
Niu's face flushed red, and he took a half step back in fear, waving his hands repeatedly in grievance, "No, no, no... You misunderstood... If I had such thoughts, I would be struck by lightning and die miserably."
"You're still looking? Believe it or not, I'll let my man dig out your eyeballs! I'm dying, I'm dying. I'm so old and still want to be looked at by this old rogue——"
Manager Niu wished he could bury his head in the ground. His face instantly turned red and he never dared to mention the matter of checking the marriage certificate again.
Xu Zhenying said helplessly, "Master Niu is really something. Why doesn't he trust me? Well, wait until I show you the marriage certificate tomorrow and you'll know whether it's true or not."
Niu Zhangshi was still frightened and no longer had the arrogance he had just now. He didn't even know why he kept smiling apologetically. "Miss Xu is joking."
Xu Zhenying asked directly, "Never mind. Putting that aside, how much compensation do you think the Xu family should receive?"
"Compensation?" Manager Niu was stunned.
"Yes. Mr. Zheng San is a talented young man. He was a scholar at the age of fifteen. His future is limitless. I have missed out on such a good marriage. I will never be able to find such a good one again. I have lost my whole life. I should at least give him a few thousand taels as compensation, right?"
Niu Zhangshi was stunned again, "Thousands of taels? Why don't you just go and rob?"
"Don't be so impatient. Business has to be negotiated." Xu Zhenying pulled Niu back and said, "Forget it. I don't think the Zheng family is particularly wealthy, otherwise they wouldn't always claim to be noble and honorable. I'll give you a discount. Six hundred and sixty-six taels. That's an auspicious number."
Manager Niu wanted to walk away, but was grabbed back. He was now faced with the smiling face. "Manager Niu, my marriage isn't worth much, but the reputation of the Zheng family is certainly worth something, right? Don't worry, as long as you pay me, I will not only cancel the engagement, but if anyone asks me about it, I will say that I tearfully proposed to cancel the engagement because I felt ashamed of myself and unworthy of the Third Young Master Zheng. I guarantee that everyone who hears this will praise the Zheng family for their honesty."
Niu, the head of the household, thought he was crazy for actually daring to bargain with his master's marriage. But he couldn't help himself and said, "Miss, our Zheng family is not well-off. The Third Young Master has the eldest and second young masters above him. How can I explain to you that you are asking for a hundred taels?"
There's hope.
"Five hundred taels, then. No less." Xu Zhenying said, his tone becoming somewhat creepy. "Any less, and I'll have to have a serious talk with Miss Bai."
Niu's face changed, and his heart skipped a beat. "What nonsense is Miss Xu saying? How did a Miss Bai suddenly appear?"
"Look at you, you're not being honest again." Xu Zhenying said with a disappointed expression, "Boss Niu, I'm really sad that you deceived an underage girl like this."
I don't think you're sad at all.
"Haha...Miss Xu really loves to joke."
"Boss Niu, I still say the same thing. Let's not mince words. Five hundred taels, okay? I'll keep the Bai family's affairs to myself."
Manager Niu was speechless and choked up, looking up at the sky, thinking, you damn girl, you have already mentioned the Bai family to threaten me, how dare I disobey?
The Zheng family now intends to break off the engagement with the Xu family and then marry into the Bai family.
If the Bai family knew that the Zheng family proposed to cancel the engagement as soon as the Xu family fell into decline, why would they still consider marrying into the Zheng family?
But how did this damn girl know?
Could it be that it has become a spirit?
Niu Zhangshi gritted his teeth and said, "Five hundred taels, no more."
"Ah," Xu Zhenying replied sweetly, making a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry, I'm honest in business. Five hundred taels, and I'll have to trouble you to exchange it for something."
Xu Zhenying thought for a moment and then recited a list, "Fifty taels of silver. The remaining four hundred and fifty taels should be exchanged for medicine for common ailments such as injuries, headaches, fever, diarrhea, etc., preferably pill-shaped ones. Pack four bundles for me, with a change of clothes, dried meat, cold food, and a water bottle. Also, some salt and a straw raincoat... Twenty pieces to start with—"
Xu Zhenying thought about it again and again, then turned around and looked at the Xu family members whose mouths were shaped like duck eggs. "Anything else we need on the way?"
Seeing everyone's stunned faces, all looking as if they had been struck by lightning, Xu Zhenying frowned and said, "Why are you all looking at me? Tell me what you need!"
Fourth Aunt was the first to react, and before she even had time to think, she said, "Qianzhou has a lot of miasma. They need medicine to repel mosquitoes and snakes!"
Grandma was also panicking, "Shoes! They have to travel two thousand miles!"
"Iron pot, I have to cook!!"
"Where are the beddings? It's already October. We'll be freezing cold if we travel in this cold winter."
"Can we bring a carriage?"
"So many things, what a donkey!"
Niu Zhangshi's old face trembled. "Are you going into exile... or going on an outing?"
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