Deal Done
"Look at how a 'money-grubbing businessman' like me exploits the poor people?" Pei Miaoyin raised her eyebrows.
Pei Miaoyin took Shen Qianyue's arm and walked towards the pavilion, her mouth non-stop: "You, your face is still so pale, have you eaten the blood swallows sent by Dingwu Palace? I tell you, that thing is the best for replenishing qi and blood! And that old ginseng, don't be reluctant to use it, use it when you need it! Health is the capital of revolution... uh, I mean, health is the most important thing!"
Occasionally, a few strange words would pop out of her mouth, but they were passed over in her natural manner and did not seem abrupt.
Only then did Pei Miaoyin seem to notice the hooded figure of Xie Shangjia, still standing like a wooden block beside Shen Qianyue. She stopped and looked him up and down. Her gaze was filled with undisguised scrutiny and... a kind of criticalness that made Xie Shangjia extremely uncomfortable, as if he were evaluating a piece of inferior goods.
"This is..." Pei Miaoyin dragged out the tone. Shen Qianyue was silent for a moment and did not answer immediately.
The atmosphere in the pavilion was a little stagnant.
Xie Shangjia's heart was in his throat.
He didn't know how Shen Qianyue would introduce him. Just when he was feeling extremely embarrassed, Pei Miaoyin seemed to suddenly remember something. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes suddenly widened, and then a very sharp light flashed across them, even with a hint of disgust!
Pei Miaoyin pulled down his hood, her eyes shrewd and mean: "I knew it was you. Didn't you say that we would never see each other again in this life? Why did you come here with Sister Yue?"
The shock of the huge disparity in these words made Xie Shangjia unable to think for a moment. He felt like he had been slapped hard, his face burning, and his heart was filled with an indescribable disgust.
"roll."
When the words came out of his mouth, he was stunned.
"I……"
Just as she was about to say something to make amends, the other party had already sat down next to Shen Qianyue without caring.
"Sister Yue, why did you bring such a depressing thing when you came to see me?"
Shen Qianyue pursed her lips: "He wanted to come and see you."
Pei Miaoyin raised her eyes: "Oh, the sun is rising from the west today, or I am still not awake."
Chen Qianyue held her hand and said, "Miaoyin, Shang Jia fell into the icy lake a few days ago. The imperial physician diagnosed that blood clots blocked his brain and he forgot a lot of things."
Pei Miaoyin was shocked, then stood up and looked at Xie Shangjia again and again, the pearls and gold bells on her body jingling as she walked.
"Strange, strange."
Shen Qianyue: "His memory is now stuck at the age of eighteen, so he wants to come and see you."
Pei Miaoyin made a ping-pong sound as she dialed the abacus in her hand. "Oh, that number! I'll take you to see my master."
Shen Qianyue smiled. Pei Miaoyin was indeed a businessman. She could figure out what she wanted to do after a little thought.
When Pei Miaoyin was 23 years old, she fell seriously ill and was abandoned by the Pei family, leaving her to die. It was King Dingwu who saved her and sent her to the Valley of Divine Doctors. After she recovered from her illness, she became obsessed with herbal medicine, talking nonsense all the time, and no longer had the mood to love.
She also became the youngest disciple of Shen Yanhui, the master of the Divine Doctor Valley. Now the pharmacy he opened in the capital is famous all over the world. It is said that there is no medicine that Hengchang does not have, as long as you can't afford it.
Now that the master of the Divine Doctor Valley has been in seclusion for many years, Shen Qianyue still wants to give it a try, just in case Xie Shangjia has recovered his memory.
"make a deal."
Pei Miaoyin's eyes almost popped out, and she thrust the abacus at Shen Qianyue's face: "Sister, look carefully, this is Duo Shao, twenty thousand taels."
The total assets of the Shangshu Mansion were only 70,000 taels, and the assets of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Chen Qianyue's mother's family, were only 50,000 taels.
Pei Miaoyin didn’t understand. If he lost his memory, he lost it. How could a person’s memory be worth 20,000 taels?
"I'm defeated by you, but before that, I want to have a private talk with this amnesiac Minister Xie."
Shen Qianyue tilted her head slightly, her gaze lingering for a moment on Pei Miaoyin's face which was full of "I'm going to make trouble", and then glanced lightly at Xie Shangjia who was standing beside her like a piece of wood.
There was no inquiry or worry in her eyes, only a calmness that seemed to be fully aware of everything, as if everything before her was just a move she had expected in her chess game.
"Okay." Shen Qianyue's voice was flat and clear, as if she was responding to a very ordinary request. She didn't even look at Xie Shangjia, but just gently pulled her hand back from Pei Miaoyin's arm.
"I'll wait for you at Mingxiangju. It'll take a cup of tea." She gave a clear time limit, which not only gave it to Pei Miaoyin, but also set the boundaries for this "settlement."
After saying this, she did not stop, her steps were steady and calm, as if that was not her husband or the person he loved in his youth, but just a scenery that had nothing to do with her.
"What are you looking at? You can't bear to leave." Pei Miaoyin crossed her arms and walked in front of Xie Shangjia, blocking his view of Shen Qianyue.
Xie Shangjia stiffened his neck: "What's it to you?"
Pei Miaoyin's voice suddenly changed, with a deliberate businessman's tone, as if she was chatting casually, but her eyes were as sharp as a hawk, tightly locking onto every subtle change on Xie Shangjia's face.
"Thank you, Minister, for the wolfhound jade pendant you secretly gave me a month ago. The carving is quite good, but it's a pity you've lost your memory. It seems I don't have to fulfill my promise anymore."
She was testing whether the other person really had lost his memory.
This jade pendant was carefully selected by Pei Miaoyin. It was indeed a beloved item that Xie Shangjia had worn when he was young, and it was indeed in her hand. However, it was not a gift to her, but a bargaining chip.
She stared closely at Xie Shangjia's eyes and expression. The deal he wanted to make was related to Li'er's life. If he was pretending to have amnesia, his eyes would definitely reveal anger or even murderous intent.
Xie Shangjia looked up blankly, his brows furrowed. "I secretly gave you the Wolfhound Jade Jue? How is that possible? You...you're talking nonsense!"
He had the example of his father having many wives and concubines, so he swore when he was young that they would be together for the rest of their lives. Even if he didn't like Chen Qianyue after waking up, he would never do anything out of line during his marriage.
Could it be that many years later, I have really become the same person as my father, fickle and always looking at what is in the bowl and what is in the pot...
The glimmer of doubt in Pei Miaoyin's heart was completely extinguished after seeing Xie Shangjia's completely confused reaction. It seemed that he was really stupid after falling.
Pei Miaoyin changed the subject, as if she had just mentioned it casually, "Okay, it's almost time, and we don't have anything to talk about. Come with me."
Inside the elegant window lattice of Mingxiangju, Shen Qianyue sat upright, holding a cup of brewed fragrant tea in her bare hands. The misty hot steam blurred her calm brows.
She took a sip of tea, her movements smooth and flowing, with the elegance and composure of someone in control of everything. The slightly astringent tea aroma melted on her tongue, and then turned sweet.
Time flows silently in the fragrance of tea, and every step is under her silent planning.
The wind chimes hanging at the door of Mingxiangju made a crisp clash of sounds, and with a lingering chill, the heavy cotton curtain was pulled open, and Pei Miaoyin walked in, wrapped in the breath of wind and snow outside.
Xie Shangjia followed closely behind but was stopped by the person waiting at the door.
Shen Qianyue put down the teacup. There was no questioning or worry on her face, only a calmness that seemed to understand everything. She raised her hand slightly, indicating the empty seat opposite and the reserved cup of fragrant tea on the table.
"The tea is just right." Shen Qianyue's voice was clear and calm.
Pei Miaoyin walked quickly and went straight to sit opposite Shen Qianyue. Without even glancing at the cup of tea on the table, which was at just the right temperature, she said directly: "I have accepted my master's request. I won't charge you any money, but..."
Shen Qianyue put down the teacup and looked up at her. Her voice was as clear as usual, and there was no surprise or joy on her face, only a calmness that seemed to have settled.
"Thank you. What do you want? Just tell me."
Pei Miaoyin waved her hand and said, "No need to thank me. I want 50% priority purchase rights for the new batch of top-grade raw silk from Jiangnan. The price is the same as before."
"Seven days later, come to the Shangshu Mansion warehouse to pick up the delivery note." Shen Qianyue did not hesitate at all, and did not even bargain, as if Pei Miaoyin only wanted a handful of vegetables.
A glint of businessman's shrewdness flashed across Pei Miaoyin's eyes.
"My master will help me as soon as possible. Give me half a month, but I can't guarantee whether it can be cured or to what extent."
"It's okay." Shen Qianyue's tone was calm.
"Just do your best. Three months will be a dead end or a lifeline. It all depends on his luck."
There was no expectation in her words, only a calm assessment. She stood up calmly, gathered her cloak, and nodded slightly to Pei Miaoyin: "Now that we have reached an agreement, I will take my leave."
"Goodbye." Pei Miaoyin did not stand up to see her off, but savored the tea on the table.
Shen Qianyue walked out calmly, and Xie Shangjia immediately followed like a dog being led by its master, fearing that he would be left behind.
The carriage was parked at the entrance of the alley. Shen Qianyue walked straight towards the carriage, and the driver had already put down the footstool.
Xie Shangjia followed behind, looking at Shen Qianyue's cold and straight back, and then recalling Pei Miaoyin's mercenary face and harsh words just now, he couldn't suppress his complaints.
"Miss Shen, how could she have changed so much? She was clearly not like this when she was still a boudoir girl. Back then, you didn't like wearing red clothes but loved wearing military uniforms. You stayed at home all day. You don't know how elegant and noble she was back then, and how soft and gentle she spoke."
Shen Qianyue didn't even pause, let alone look back at him. She stepped calmly onto the footstool. The driver respectfully opened the curtain for her and bent down to enter the warm carriage.
Xie Shangjia was left there, his desire to talk and his expectation of seeking recognition deflated instantly like a popped balloon.
Chen Qianyue closed her eyes, and only the slightly rising and falling of her chest showed that she was not asleep. Her hands, placed on her knees, had symmetrical knuckles and were motionless, like jade carvings.
The carriage fell into silence.
Just when Xie Shangjia thought Shen Qianyue would remain silent, her cold voice suddenly rang out, like an icy spring dripping into a cold pond.
"The past is the past, and the past cannot be recalled."
"As a woman, do you think it's easy to support Hengchang on your own? Someone who is elegant, noble and gentle will be eaten to the bone by the world. Calculating and haggling over every penny is the mercenary means she relies on to survive. She is so smart that she can earn a living on her own."
Xie Shangjia only has a thirty-year-old body, and his soul is just eighteen. Shen Qianyue can tolerate all his unrealistic ideas.
"Perhaps one day in the future, when you are truly 31 years old and looking back at this moment, you will also feel that you were too fanciful. No one remains unchanged."
Xie Shangjia looked up at her: "What about you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
