"Shopkeeper, this business is not worth it. Even if he gives you fifty taels, what good will it do? Selling the house will only earn you thirty or forty taels at most. It's a thankless task."
The waiter standing nearby was very puzzled; their gambling den could make a net profit of a hundred taels a day.
Why bother earning those thirty or forty taels of silver?
When it's time to take back the house, we'll have to send thugs from the gambling den.
There's not enough trouble to go through.
"That's why I'm the manager and you're the employee."
Shen Jiading took a sip of tea.
He said coldly.
What he wanted was not fifty taels.
How could someone who has to mortgage their house to get 200 taels of silver suddenly come up with 50 taels?
What he wanted was an increase of 10 taels of profit per month.
If the man had sisters, they would simply trick him into selling them, since his master ran a brothel.
Judging from the man's handsome appearance, the sister must be of above-average looks.
Once you enter his gambling den, there's no way you can leave.
He wanted to squeeze every last drop out of the man.
Even if you pay it back, so what?
He had already tampered with the paper contract.
Add 5 taels for each day later.
The man signed it without even looking at it.
He's really brainless; he wants to make money, and he also wants the house and the people!
Shen Jiading's eyes narrowed slightly, like those of an eagle, making him look frightening.
The waiter dared not say anything more and silently poured him more tea.
At that time, He Tian had already arrived at Wang Gui's house with the silver notes.
"Brother Wang, I've got the silver, two hundred taels, here you go."
"Wow, Brother He, you're so generous! Impressive! Don't worry, I'll give you a thousand taels in three months. We're brothers, we should share the good fortune, haha." Wang Gui took the silver note and patted He Tian on the back with a grin.
That evening, He Tian stayed at the Wang family's house for dinner.
It was getting dark when I returned home, and I passed by Yan's Restaurant.
I found that the place was still constantly filled with guests.
The first floor was completely full, and the second floor was noisy as well.
The pastry shops that used to close early are still open.
I'm so envious! If this were his shop, I could definitely earn tens or even hundreds of taels a day.
He Tian's voice carried a hint of sourness.
What's the use of studying? After all these years, I'm still not as successful as a merchant.
If his mother had used the money meant for his education to buy him a small shop, he might have earned several thousand taels by now.
Why......
He Tian was lost in thought about how he would spend the thousand taels he had received, and before he knew it, he was at his doorstep.
"Son, where have you been? Why are you so late?"
As soon as he entered the door, he was grabbed by Song, who was waiting in the courtyard.
Her eyes were filled with anxiety, as if He Tian had gone to do something bad.
This made He Tian feel uneasy, fearing that his mother would find out that he had stolen the house deed.
"No, no, my son encountered some difficulties in the book, so he went to a friend's house to discuss it. He invited my son to stay for dinner, so he came back a little late."
His voice stammered slightly.
If it were daytime, you would definitely notice the tension on his face.
Unfortunately, it was already quite dark, and the He family courtyard had no candles lit.
Therefore, the Song family did not see it.
She breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her hand.
"Son, come home earlier next time, or tell your mother before you go out so she won't worry. Go wash up and go to bed early. Xiaoxue has already prepared your bath. Don't study tonight. Just put in the effort, and Xiaoxue's pregnancy will depend on you. Once she's pregnant, you'll have her wrapped around your finger. Then you can make her go back to her parents' house and ask for the money for the imperial examinations..."
Song talked on and on for a long time.
He Tian's face darkened. He wanted to refuse, but since he had taken the house deed, he felt guilty and eventually nodded.
That evening, Bai Ruixue's voice was unusually loud, unlike usual.
It was as if it was being deliberately called out to someone.
Before dawn, Jiao'er, with dark circles under her eyes, was outside He Tian's house wiping the windows, deliberately making a clattering sound to wake the two of them.
"Are you crazy? The sun hasn't even risen yet, and you're already up working. Are you doing this on purpose? I've never seen you so diligent before."
Bai Ruixue finished dressing, walked to the door, and pointed at Jiao'er's nose while scolding her.
She took out all the anger she had suffered yesterday on her own last night.
I felt incredibly happy.
"Alright, Jiao'er is pregnant. Go wash the clothes and make breakfast. Jiao'er, stop wiping. Didn't you sleep well last night? Go back to your room and rest."
He Tian, wearing an overcoat, went outside and stopped the impending battle.
The two glared at each other and then left.
He Tian shook his head helplessly and went back to sleep.
At the same time, in the Yan residence, Yan Xia had just gotten up. With Xiao Ji's help, she washed up and then ate breakfast in the courtyard.
Today she is going back to Hundred Flowers Village to plant rose seeds.
Because the restaurant was too busy and short-staffed, Yan Xia had to go back alone.
So it may take three or four days to plant all the seeds.
She's been incredibly busy lately, with no free time at all. Her daughter-in-law is due to give birth in about two weeks, which will make it even harder for her to get away. So, she's treating these three or four days as a short break.
Before leaving, Yan Xia called Jin Yu Xiaoji, her son and daughter-in-law, and her two daughters over.
After giving them all his instructions, he drove away with peace of mind.
As the carriage drove away from the city gate, Xiaoqing, who was staying at the inn at the end of the city, also came downstairs.
Worried about missing her, she woke up at dawn, ate a bowl of thin porridge and some side dishes at the inn, and hurried out to head towards Matchmaker Zhen's house.
She was also carrying a bag of pastries, which she had bought last night.
"Knock knock knock—"
Xiao Qing knocks on the door of the matchmaker Zhen's house.
Not long after, the door opened from the inside.
"Who are you looking for, young lady?"
The man who opened the door looked to be around thirty years old.
"Brother, is this the home of Matchmaker Zhen? I need to speak with her."
Xiao Qing raised her bright smile, revealing a set of big, white teeth.
She was actually prettier than Xiao Su. Xiao Su had a round face, round eyes, a small mouth, and was short, looking like a junior high school student. She was cute, but not pretty.
Xiaoqing, on the other hand, was much more delicate. She was half a head taller than Xiaosu, with a slender figure, a small face, a hooked nose, and a pair of peach blossom eyes. She looked fine when she wasn't smiling, but she was exceptionally beautiful when she did.
Even Zhen the matchmaker's son, Dazhuang, was captivated.
"Dazhuang, who is it?"
An old yet bright voice came from the courtyard, pulling the dazed Dazhuang back to his senses.
"Ahem, my mother is home, please come in, young lady." Da Zhuang knew he had been impolite, so he coughed awkwardly twice, stepped aside, and let Xiao Qing in.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you."
A glint of light flashed in Xiaoqing's eyes. She slightly curled the corners of her mouth and brushed past Dazhuang. The fragrance emanating from her body almost made Dazhuang lose his senses again.
"Dazhuang, I'm asking you a question! Who's here? You little rascal, why aren't you answering us..." Matchmaker Zhen's voice came from afar and grew closer until she stepped out of the room and saw Xiaoqing.
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