Ping'an Tavern has only one or two storefronts facing the street, a counter, and five or six tables. It doesn't look like it can seat many people, but it's a different world once you go in.
"There's a big yard in the back," Yu Yuan said excitedly, "there are bamboos planted in clusters, like umbrellas, with more than a dozen tables. When it's not raining or snowing, everyone likes to sit in the yard. If the weather is bad, they sit inside - there are open rooms on three sides of the yard. I looked carefully and found that each open room can accommodate more than a dozen tables. There is also a second floor, but it is all private rooms. This is the first time I've seen such a tavern. No wonder everyone goes to Suzhou. Suzhou really looks more lively than Hangzhou." At this point, he chuckled and said, "But it may also be that I have been to too few places and have limited knowledge. I haven't had the opportunity to see any better places in Hangzhou than this."
Yu Tang and Xiang Shi both smiled.
Yu Yuan continued, "I gave the waiter a small amount of silver and found out about the Jiang family."
This is getting to the point.
Yutang and Xiangshi sat up straight.
Yu Yuan also looked gloomy, and said: "Jiang Chao, the head of the Jiang family, has never done maritime business before, and everyone is still a little worried about him. He has been raising funds everywhere these days, either money or goods, but this time he only wants tea and porcelain, and the other goods are said to be ready. I feel uneasy, so I saw an opportunity, and Pinggui and I invited the guy to have a meal outside. From the guy's tone, Jiang Chao may not be the leader yet, and he probably only has a share in this sea business. He can't eat this share alone, so he is looking for someone to invest in Suzhou City. I think this matter is a bit suspenseful, and I plan to go and ask around tomorrow."
Yu Tang nodded repeatedly and said, "Then let's do both. I found out where Aunt Jiang lives. I'll go look for her tomorrow and you go meet Jiang Chao."
Yu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "How about I go to see Jiang Chao with your sister-in-law? I feel a little unsure."
Xiang was very pleased to hear this.
Not only was her husband good-looking and respectful to her, but he also had an organized way of doing things.
All that is lacking is some experience.
Even if you lose some money, just think of it as buying experience and lessons.
Who doesn’t do business this way?
Not to mention Yu Tang, he is even more capable than Yu Yuan.
When brothers and sisters are of one mind, they can cut through metal.
Their future will only get better and better.
"Sister, what do you think?" Xiang asked Yutang.
It just so happened that Yu Tang wanted to go see Jiang Ling alone to test her character. It would be more convenient for her to talk if she went alone.
"Then, sister-in-law, you can accompany my brother!" She said with a smile, "The Jiang family's aunt is a female member, and we can talk without any scruples. Jiang Chao is a tyrant, and if my brother doesn't have a good conversation with him, sister-in-law can still give him some words of advice."
Xiang nodded.
Yu Yuan asked, "You said Jiang Chao was a tyrant. What did you hear?"
Yu Tang was shocked to realize that she had said something wrong, and hurried to make amends, "He was able to sell the boat left by his father and follow his uncle to run a ship, and he was able to start a business on the sea in just two years. This shows that this person is not a simple person. What else can he be but a hero?" Then she reminded Yu Yuan, "Even if you can't cooperate with such a person, you can't offend him."
"Don't worry, I will consider it." Yu Yuan agreed.
My brother will be able to support the family business in the future.
Yu Tang had nothing to worry about.
Early the next morning, she and her brother and sister-in-law had breakfast, returned to the guest room, re-dressed, and went to Yu's house.
The Yu family's home was only a stone's throw away from the Jiang family's. It had white walls, gray tiles, a black-painted Ruyi door, and a box-shaped doorpost on each side that looked like a half-person-high bookcase.
It seems that there was someone in the Yu family who was an official in the past, and his official rank was not low, at least a fourth-rank official.
When the Yu family's doorman heard that someone came to visit the eldest lady of the family, and that the person came from Lin'an, he was shocked and hurried to report to Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling was helping her husband take medicine. After hearing what happened, she inquired carefully for a long time but could not find out anything. She had no choice but to ask the doorman to invite the guest to the living room. She explained what happened in the room, changed her clothes and went to meet the guest.
From a distance, she saw a woman wearing a blue-green plain silk jacket and double spiral buns standing upright in the hall, looking at the painting of five women paying homage to their birthday hanging in the middle hall.
The warm morning light shone on her, like a green bamboo that had just sprouted, which was very impressive.
Her face turned red, and she explained as soon as she entered the door: "My mother-in-law celebrated her birthday a few days ago, and I didn't have time to take it off."
The paintings hanging in the central hall should be changed according to the different seasons. At this time of year, they should hang some flowers, birds, fruits and the like, but Young Master Yu's health is getting worse day by day, and no one in the family is in the mood to care about these things.
Yu Tang didn't know exactly when Young Master Yu passed away, but he thought it was this year, and he couldn't help but sigh when he heard it.
"You are too kind, Madam." She smiled politely and turned around and said, "No one has stipulated what kind of paintings to hang. What matters most is that you like them."
Jiang Ling saw Yu Tang's face clearly, and her eyes suddenly brightened.
She had seen many girls with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, but it was very rare to find a girl like Yu Tang who not only had beautiful eyebrows and eyes, but also had a temperament as gentle as jade and as bright as a flower.
She couldn't help but ask, "Miss, who is it?"
Jiang Ling was afraid that Yu Tang was an old friend of the Yu family.
Yu Tang was very surprised when he saw Jiang Ling.
In her mind, a woman who could do something as good as a man like Jiang Ling should be a dignified, smart and serious woman, even if she is not tall and straight with thick eyebrows and big eyes. However, Jiang Ling looked about the same height as her, with a thin figure. On her palm-sized face, only a pair of big peach blossom eyes with distinct black and white could be seen. Her long eyelashes were like a small fan, her face was childish, and her smile was shy. She didn't look like a young lady who was in charge of the family at all. She was clearly a little girl who had not grown up yet.
Yu Tang even wondered at that moment whether he had found the wrong person.
"You, you are the aunt of the Jiang family." She said hesitantly, "You are the sister of Master Jiang Chao?"
Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
Since she asked about her brother, it shows that he is a relative or old acquaintance of the Jiang family. Even if she doesn't know him, her brother should know him.
"Who are you?" she asked Yu Tang cautiously.
Yu Tang smiled and explained his purpose: "I'm from Lin'an, my last name is Yu. You may not have heard of me. My family makes lacquerware. My brother and I came here to buy paint these days. I heard that Mr. Jiang is going to do business overseas and is raising funds to invest. There is a difference between men and women, I am embarrassed to go to Mr. Jiang, so I had to come to you to test the waters and see if there is any possibility of cooperation between us."
Jiang Ling still didn't know her, but she had a liking for her and admired her for daring to meet her even though they didn't know each other at all.
She warmly invited Yu Tang to drink tea and talked about her brother's business: "It's rare that Miss Yu is interested. But I never care about my brother's business. However, I know about his stock raising. My brother is a real person. If you can participate in the stock raising, he will definitely not let you suffer a loss. Moreover, my brother has always done things properly. If the female family members participate in the stock raising, there will be a special female manager to take care of it. I will ask someone to find the female manager of our family. You can ask her if you have any questions, or let her pass a message to my brother."
There is a special female manager. Are there many women investing in Jiang Chao's business?
Yu Tang was thinking in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He smiled and said to Jiang Ling: "Then there is Madam Lao."
"Where!" Jiang Ling was very polite and immediately asked someone to invite the female manager of the Jiang family over. She didn't ask Yu Tang how she knew that their family was raising shares, nor did she ask her how she came to them.
Yu Tang frowned secretly.
This Jiang Ling is not as smart as the legend says!
She was confused, and continued to chat with Jiang Lingxian while waiting for the Jiang family's housekeeper: "I wonder how much shares the eldest young lady has invested in Mr. Jiang's business this time?"
Jiang Ling looked embarrassed when he heard this, and hesitated for a long time without being able to explain clearly.
Don’t you have any shares?
Yu Tang was greatly shocked.
Jiang Ling then realized that she had done something wrong.
No one in Suzhou city believed that her brother could do business at sea. As a younger sister, she should be the first to stand up and support her brother. If others knew that she didn't even have an investment in her brother's business, others would distrust her brother even more.
She explained eagerly, "I will definitely buy shares. But as you can see, I am now the daughter-in-law of the Yu family. I have to consult my husband before doing business. Unfortunately, my husband has been very ill these days, and I have never found a chance to talk about this..."
Yu Tang already felt exhausted, so she forced a smile and said "It's okay" in response.
Jiang Ling was about to explain when the Jiang family's housekeeper arrived.
The housekeeper was of ordinary appearance, about thirty years old, with fair skin and a black mole the size of a rice grain at the corner of her mouth.
When she saw Yu Tang, she was slightly stunned, bowed to Jiang Ling, and before Jiang Ling could say anything, she said, "Madam, what can I do for you?" After saying that, she glanced at Yu Tang warily.
Jiang Ling told the housekeeper the purpose of Yu Tang's visit with a smile, and introduced to Yu Tang that the housekeeper's husband's surname was also Jiang, and asked Yu Tang to just call her "Mrs. Jiang".
Yu Tang greeted Madam Jiang, who returned the greeting and began to ask about Yu Tang's background: "Miss Yu, are you from Lin'an? I wonder who else is in your family? Why did you come to Suzhou alone to buy paint? And why did you think of investing in our Jiang family's business? Are you going to invest by yourself, or with your family?"
Some women take the opportunity to make some pocket money.
Yu Tang was going to answer these questions from Jiang Ling, but Jiang Ling didn't ask a single question. Instead, Madam Jiang asked the questions.
"I am the only daughter in my family and I have only one cousin. This time I am traveling with my cousin and his wife..." Yu Tang was a little disappointed with Jiang Ling at this moment, and told Madam Jiang the purpose of his visit calmly.
Madam Jiang was skeptical, but still welcomed him and said, "This is a big deal. Miss, you should go back and discuss it with your brother before making any plans!"