So, just like last time, the two of them drew up a contract, signed it, and that was it!
Afterwards, Qin San Niang handed over the recipe she had written to Manager Si, and then she instructed the pastry chefs of Si Ji to make the hawthorn shortbread on the spot, so that it could be launched the next day or the day after.
Si Ji had some hawthorns in the warehouse. Business had been slow before, so he thought he could make some money by making candied hawthorns during the Chinese New Year! This time, they came in handy.
Qin San Niang wasn't stingy either; she had quite a few hawthorns on hand, which she would send over later.
After Qin San Niang returned to the front hall, she selected a few pastries and then leisurely went out. She walked around the market a few times to make sure no one was following her before she felt relieved enough to leave the city and meet up with Gu Qingshan.
As for Chen's side, she wasn't too worried. Since they couldn't find her, they wouldn't put too much effort into this line of work.
Chen Ji, Chen Yushan listened to his subordinate's report with a sullen face. He had not seen the woman for the past ten days or so, and wondered if there was a mistake.
Seeing his master's displeasure, the steward Wang Laishun quickly stepped forward and said, "Master, should we continue to keep an eye on things? Constable Zhang at the yamen is getting anxious, saying it's difficult to transfer people, and it would be hard to explain if his superiors found out! Moreover, there hasn't been any movement from the clerk's side all day. Could it be that we've really made a mistake?"
"Whether there's a mistake or not, I need to keep a close eye on Si Ji. Let's put Zhang Tao on hold for now and give him some silver as a thank you," Chen Yushan said calmly.
Who is Zhang Tao? He is the head constable of He County, in charge of all cases and the defense of the city gates. That fellow is greedy for money and women, and is very easy to bribe. In the past two years, thanks to this connection, Chen Yushan has had a smooth and successful career.
"The Si family's residence?" Their main target was the Si family's residence; otherwise, they wouldn't have opened a shop in this small county town. Wouldn't it have been better to go to the prefectural city?
"Please be patient and let me consult with my superiors before we proceed," Chen Yushan said in a deep voice.
He was originally a retainer of the King of Qi in Jingzhou. Two years ago, he was ordered by the King of Qi to come here from Jingzhou with the purpose of secretly buying the old house of the former richest man in Jiangzhou. He thought this task would be a piece of cake, but he did not expect that they were a step too late. The house had already been sold to Si Liren, the manager of Si Ji, by the descendants of the richest man.
He had considered taking drastic measures to reclaim the house. However, news came from the Prince of Qi that he was to set up camp there, find a way to defeat Sili Ren, and then openly take over the shop.
Considering the current chaos in the world, and that He County was still a relatively stable place, Chen Yushan settled down here and opened a pastry shop, intending to rival Si Ji.
Si Liren, the illegitimate son of the Si family, is quite a capable man. The people of He County call him a righteous merchant, and even the county magistrate treats him with great respect. Presumably, he has some close connection with the main branch of the Si family.
The King of Qi is the uncle of the current king. According to the previous dynasty's decree, local vassal kings are not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without permission!
Therefore, Chen Yushan must not let anyone discover his true origins. Although he may act eccentrically at times, he mostly lives a secluded life.
As for why the King of Qi wanted to take the Si family's house, that was something Chen Yushan dared not investigate.
In short, he only needed to do what his master ordered. Starting a year ago, Chen's shop began to grow stronger and bigger. In conjunction with Zhang, the head constable of the yamen, they supervised the pastry shops in various places. In addition, Chen Yushan also found a lot of scoundrels to specifically frame other pastry shops for food problems. Gradually, many pastry shops closed down or were transferred, leaving only Siji able to compete with them.
I thought that Si Ji was already at his limit. I heard that Si Li Ren went to search for ancient prescriptions before the New Year, but he didn't find anything. Moreover, his family couldn't provide much support. Given how much he valued Si Ji, he would definitely try to find a way to raise money to tide him over. If there was really no other way, he would definitely sell his house in the south of the city!
In this way, he could effortlessly pocket all the silver and the house. In addition to gaining merit from the Prince of Qi, he could also get the shop and silver from the clerk. Just thinking about it made him feel amazing!
However, to his surprise, the winds shifted overnight!
Si Ji has launched three new pastry recipes! And they're selling extremely well, even attracting many of their own customers. You have to understand, they were basically losing money before, just trying to gain publicity.
He intended to drive Si Ji to his death, but now he has broken through the encirclement and survived by being put in a life-or-death situation! How could he not be angry?! According to his intelligence, Si Liren did not find the prescription outside, so there must have been a mistake on the part of He County.
In other words, this problem occurred right under his nose! This is simply intolerable!
Sitting in the swaying carriage, Qin Sanniang guessed what Chen Ji wanted to get from Manager Si, which was why they were playing the long game. The reason they hadn't dared to use force was either because they couldn't easily offend the Si family, or they didn't want people to know their true intentions. This showed that He County wasn't yet a completely corrupt place, and Chen Ji's manager was definitely afraid, which was why he wasn't acting freely.
The affairs of the world are ever-changing. If one day the Si family or the magistrate of He County were to run into trouble, Si Ji would likely be in danger as well.
Regardless, Qin San Niang was already tied to Manager Si. She figured she was doing a good deed, keeping an eye on things for him. After all, she couldn't stay home and not earn money, could she? Her whole family was starving. Besides, what business wasn't risky? Well, if they really clashed, who knew who would come out on top! Qin San Niang wanted to survive, but survival was incredibly difficult!
"Madam Qin, is something troubling you?" Hearing her sighs one after another in the carriage, Gu Qingshan couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, nothing much. Qingshan, how was your business today? Did you sell all your game?" If she remembered correctly, Gu Qingshan had brought six or seven rabbits and pheasants this morning.
"Great, all sold! He County is a prosperous place, much better than our hometown. Rich people in the city like to eat wild game, and my prey always sells well!" Gu Qingshan's voice was clearly tinged with pleasure as he said this.
Earning money means that he and Azhi can live well here and wait for an opportunity. When that day comes, he will go to find the person he should be looking for.
Qin San Niang was relieved; after all, Gu Qingshan was generally a capable man. Unlike the average brute, he possessed a more cautious nature.
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