Rain
That night, the stars and the moon were dim, and the night sky seemed to be stained with ink, dark and gloomy.
Only one or two stars were trying to flicker faintly through the thick clouds, like eyes hidden in the dark, peeking at the new house hung with red lanterns.
The room was dark and quiet. The faint starlight could not penetrate the thick window paper. The sound of the wind was also isolated outside the door. Only two shallow breathing sounds were heard, so faint that they were almost inaudible.
Tan Linshuang pricked up her ears, guessing that Zhao Mingyan might not have really fallen asleep yet.
What happened during the day created a rift between the two of them. Although Ayun caught up in time and stopped Xiaozhu from adding fuel to the fire, judging from Zhao Mingyan's reaction tonight, she must be unhappy.
Because she didn't have any midnight snack.
"Madam." Tan Linshuang tried to call out.
Zhao Mingyan did not respond.
Tan Linshuang used the same trick again and stretched out his foot to tickle her calf.
Zhao Mingyan remained unmoved, like a sleeping Buddha.
Tan Linshuang moved her toes and thought to herself: Could it be that after cutting her toenails, it no longer itches when I scratch it?
After thinking for a while, he simply sat up, hugged his pillow and slept at the end of the bed.
After tucking the quilt in, he leaned in close to Zhao Mingyan and whispered into her exposed left ear, "I heard that you followed your grandmother to the trading company today. I wonder how different the business here is from the lamp shop?"
What a world of difference!
Zhao Mingyan answered in her heart.
Can a business and a shop be compared?
The Zhao family opened a shop to sell lanterns, and no matter how many they sold or where they sold them, it was just a one-family business; while the Tan family opened a trading company to do bamboo business, and they won over all the local businesses and shops related to "bamboo", and even took charge of transportation, making them the leader of the industry.
At first, Zhao Mingyan thought that the Tan family could call themselves a "commercial company" instead of a bamboo shop simply because of the right time, place and people. They owned the largest bamboo forest in Fushun County, were a wealthy local family, and had a close relationship with the prefect.
Today I realized that it was because of my lack of knowledge that I mistook pearls for fish eyes.
It is true that the Tan family has the right time, place and people, which is the basis for their prosperity, but if they want to continue to thrive, they need to play the long game and catch the big fish.
Therefore, they not only sell bamboo, but also gather small merchants who buy their bamboo for different businesses, rent and sell their own shops at low prices, and make their cooperation relationship closer.
Not only that, they also transported the bamboo themselves. They had a fleet on the water and a car fleet on land. In addition to their own bamboo, they also transported other goods. During the peak salt production season, as long as the government made a request, they would even transport official salt.
The Tan family has already formed a relatively complete industry scale, and no one can shake it from the outside.
As for the interior...
Thinking back on what he saw today, Zhao Mingyan truly felt Fan Wenlan's shrewdness, ability and foresight.
In fact, the Tan family has no fewer branches than the Zhao family, perhaps even more.
According to Fan Wenlan, in addition to Yongnian Town, there are also bamboo trading companies of the Tan family in Fushun County and even the entire Xuzhou Prefecture, and the shopkeepers of these companies are all from the Tan family's side branches, that is, Tan Linshuang's uncles and cousins.
It can be seen that there are quite a few of them.
When Zhao Mingyan heard this, she couldn't help but ask directly: Aren't you afraid that they will become independent households?
Fan Wenlan smiled with confidence, and her original words were: Without bamboo, Zhulin Trading Company would be an empty shell.
Zhao Mingyan immediately understood that the entire bamboo forest belonged to the main clan.
Fan Wenlan also told her that as early as when Tan Linshuang's great-great-great-grandfather planned to set up a trading company, he bought up all the bamboo forests in Yongnian Town at a high price, including those in the hands of side branches, in order to become a monopoly merchant.
This was imitating the imperial court's monopoly system, which prohibited other families from doing so, but only the Wang family was allowed to do so.
Of course, there were also some side branches who were unwilling to leave Yongnian Town. They were arranged to be shopkeepers in various shops of the trading company. Although they were shopkeepers, they were not in charge of the business. The account books and warehouse keys were all kept by the "Second Chaofeng".
In order to prevent them from colluding with the "second court officials" of various stores and enriching themselves, all shop owners and "second court officials" must be replaced and reallocated to new shops every year.
Although this move is labor-intensive and time-consuming, it can prevent side branches from destroying their own interests.
After listening to what Fan Wenlan said, Zhao Mingyan was greatly enlightened.
Although both are the mistress of the household, there is a world of difference between my mother and my grandmother.
However, lanterns are not like bamboos. They rely on craftsmanship. Whoever has the best craftsmanship will become the master, and the competition is all about painstaking effort.
The main clan she belongs to has never slacked off, which is why she has always been a master.
But now, her father is dead, and as a woman, she will naturally not be respected as a master by her uncles. What they are after is not the lantern making skills in her hands, but Mingyue Zhai.
Mingyuezhai is a golden signboard. The blessings it received from offering lanterns to the palace in the past continue to this day. It is not only the lantern shop with the most customers in Zhaohua Town, but also the only lantern shop designated by the government.
During the holidays, the money that flows into Mingyue Zhai is more than the annual income of other lantern shops combined. How can it not make the side branches jealous?
If our family has no male heir to carry on the family line, I'm afraid we will be wiped out sooner or later!
After much thought, the problem still lies with offspring.
If this is the case with the Zhao family, the huge family business of the Tan family needs to be passed on from generation to generation.
Maybe the two girls today just had a misunderstanding, but since I haven't been pregnant for a long time, my grandmother will still take a concubine for Tan Linshuang. She won't think that it's Tan Linshuang's health that's not good, but will only blame me.
Just like my mother, even though she had a deep relationship with my father and didn't give birth to a son, she still couldn't withstand the pressure from the family and took a concubine for my father.
It's a pity that my aunt was unable to give birth to a son or daughter for our Zhao family. After my father died, she took the initiative to move to another village...
Putting away the melancholy memories, Zhao Mingyan thought to himself: My aunt is my mother's distant cousin, and she was considered a concubine arranged by my family.
And today, those two orphans from the orphanage...
Thinking back to the two girls I had seen in a hurry, they were both in their prime, with slender waists and timid expressions that were endearing... They were definitely not the candidates for concubines to continue the family line in my grandmother's eyes.
It must be Tan Linshuang who is doing it openly and secretly!
Zhao Mingyan suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing.
Oh! What a Tan Linshuang, lying in bed and becoming a Buddha in front of me, but secretly choosing a partner to warm my bed.
Zhao Mingyan was so angry that her back teeth clenched and she said angrily, "Husband, do you think I'm fat?"
Well!
How could I say such jealous words?
Tan Linshuang was also stunned.
Is she...jealous?
"cough!"
Tan Linshuang moved closer and stretched out an arm to put it around Zhao Mingyan's waist.
So soft...
"They are really skinny."
Tan Linshuang couldn't help but pat Zhao Mingyan's soft and plump belly. "They are not like you, my wife, who have a wealthy family and no worries about food and drink. Although the country is peaceful and the people are safe now, there are still many orphans living on the streets."
"Even if orphans like them were adopted by a poorhouse, it would be difficult for them to have two meals a day and avoid the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter."
"When we open a business and want to make money from others, we must first accumulate merit."
"In addition to donating money and supplies to the orphanage in Xuzhou every year, we also take in some older orphans to work in the prefecture or send them to businesses to make a living."
"Ayun and his sister were brought back from the orphanage when my grandfather was still alive. One became my personal servant, and the other my concubine. However, I took Atao into my room. We grew up together and are as close as brothers."
"Besides, my body is not strong enough to have too many women around me, so there are fewer maids in the North Courtyard."
"But now that you've married in, you only have Xiaozhu with you. I'm worried that she'll be too busy running around to take good care of you. If you get pregnant in the future, it will be a mess."
"Therefore, I thought of training two new maids for your service."
"What kind of maid is this? She needs the master to personally train her?"
Zhao Mingyan was not easy to fool. She turned her head and looked at Tan Linshuang who was speaking harshly, with sharp eyes and a mocking smile on the corner of her mouth.
Tan Linshuang was still sincere and frank, "She is the personal maid who will serve you in the future, so I need to train her myself."
"They are new here and don't know the rules of the mansion. I'm worried they won't be able to serve you well."
"I'm a little curious. What kind of rules are they that others can't teach, but you, my husband, have to teach them?" The sarcasm on Zhao Mingyan's face was gradually growing.
Tan Linshuang remained calm, "It's not the rule of the room anyway."
"I still need you to teach me the rules of the room, my lady!"
He placed his hand on Zhao Mingyan's waist, slowly moving it over her lower abdomen. His gaze on her became deeper. His expression remained calm, but when he spoke again, his words were lazy and seductive. "Mortals have five desires, five injuries, and ten agitations. If they are handled appropriately, their desires will be satisfied."
Su Nu’s wonderful theory?
Zhao Mingyan heard it immediately.
"Those with flushed faces are thinking about something." Tan Linshuang's voice was cold, as if he was reciting a poem.
Zhao Mingyan blushed suddenly when she thought of the second half of the sentence.
However, Tan Linshuang did not recite the second half of the sentence, but used his hands instead of his mouth, moving silently.
Zhao Mingyan immediately panicked and grabbed Tan Linshuang's hand which was moving downwards.
"If you exhale through your nostrils, your □□ will move slightly." Tan Linshuang's voice remained unchanged, but his movements became larger. After pulling out the hand that was grabbed, he continued to probe deeper.
Zhao Mingyan was breathing rapidly and clenching her hands tightly.
"Those with dry throats are passionate and passionate." Tan Linshuang lowered his head, breathing in and out beside her ears.
Zhao Mingyan closed his eyes and tensed his whole body, fearing that if he relaxed even a little, the string would break and he would fall.
"My lady, this is the correct way to use the 'Miraculous Theory of the Su Nu'." Looking at Zhao Mingyan's flushed cheeks, Tan Linshuang played with her bloody earlobe with his lips and teeth.
Then, Tan Linshuang drew inferences from one example and vividly demonstrated the essence of "The Wonderful Theory of Su Nu".
The water gurgled deep in the peach blossoms. Zhao Mingyan's tight strings finally broke, and she fell completely...
The thick clouds dissipated, and the stars and the moon became bright again.
Xiaozhu seemed to hear a subtle moan and gasp. She turned over and murmured, "Miss, you didn't have a midnight snack tonight. You must be too hungry to sleep."
Little did she know that Zhao Mingyan was well fed by Tan Linshuang and had a good sleep all night.
When she got up and looked at Tan Linshuang again, she felt a little more favorable towards her.
Seeing that she had been comforted, Tan Linshuang smiled and embraced her, saying softly, "My wife is so smart. I believe you learned a lot from following your grandmother yesterday."
I thought you were going to ask me if I was satisfied last night!
The remaining glint of spring in Zhao Mingyan's eyes flickered for a moment, then quickly vanished. She set her face in a serious tone, "Grandmother holds the family business very tightly, and there's no way any of the other branches can take advantage of it."
"but……"
After a pause, she frowned slightly.
"Madam, please feel free to speak." Tan Linshuang encouraged.
Zhao Mingyan stretched out both hands at the same time and placed them flat in the air. "If the left hand is the side branch and the right hand is the confidant, then the current business is like this..."
As she spoke, she lowered her left hand and raised her right hand.
Tan Linshuang understood immediately and stretched out his hands from behind her, shaking hands with her outstretched hands.
"My dear, my hands are so soft and boneless that I can't do any calculations well. I can only help you relieve your fatigue at night so that you can have a good sleep."
"And your hands are strong and powerful. Sooner or later, you will be able to help me become my grandmother's right-hand man in the business."
Hearing this, Zhao Mingyan clasped her ten fingers together, making the grip between the two of them seamless.
"A husband sings and a wife follows. I obey my husband in everything."
She turned around and smiled at Tan Linshuang.
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