Qin Yuan smiled and remained silent.
So, the reason why Lord Gu was able to catch Sixth Master Gu was probably not because he was coaxing Aunt Zheng to stop them from going boating on the lake, but because his face hadn't fully recovered yet.
Cui Ming smacked his lips.
They had never seen these things in the Qin residence.
Qin Jijiu was a government official in the capital and had few ways to earn money from outside the capital. Apart from the ice and charcoal tributes sent twice a year by local officials, he relied on the gifts sent back to the capital by students who had been sent to other places to make up for the deficit.
Qin Jijiu often brought promising students home, occasionally sending them books and paper, and sometimes even providing them with financial assistance. Members of the clan also frequently came to seek refuge with him.
Therefore, Cui kept extremely meticulous accounts, and no one could squeeze an extra penny out of her.
Having grown up in the Qin family mansion, Cuiming and Hongye inevitably found everything astonishing.
In her previous life, Qin Yuan had dealt with all sorts of officials' wives since she was the wife of a minor county magistrate; she had seen all kinds of inner quarters.
These were all unremarkable to her.
After listening to Cuiming and Hongye chattering for a while, Qin Yuan felt a little sleepy, so she told them not to stay in the room, leaving only a few maids in the corridor. She also instructed them to wake her up if anyone brought her an account book.
Cuiming and Hongye then left the main room to attend to their own affairs.
After her afternoon nap, Qin Yuan got up, brewed a strong cup of tea to refresh herself, and was slowly rocking back and forth in a wicker chair, lost in thought, when a maidservant said that a servant had come to report that two middle-aged men had arrived, requesting an audience with the Lady of the Marquis, claiming that they had come to deliver account books.
"Please invite them in and have a seat in the flower hall."
It's finally here.
Qin Yuan asked, "What about Hongye and Cuiming?"
The maidservant said, "Sister Hongye grabbed a handful of candy and went out for a stroll, saying she'll be back soon. Sister Cuiming is in the small kitchen, I wonder what she's doing."
Qin Yuan said, "Go and call Cui Ming to serve you. If Hong Ye returns, have her go to the flower hall as well. If she doesn't make it, then forget it."
The maidservant hurriedly went to the small kitchen to call Cuiming to help her change clothes and comb her hair.
Cuiming was making cold noodles. Qin Yuan loved eating this when they were at the Qin residence. She had been eating a lot at the Marquis's residence these past few days, and Cuiming suddenly remembered it and decided to make some during Qin Yuan's afternoon nap.
"The two managers have arrived? Miss has been waiting for them for a long time."
Cui Ming stopped what she was doing, said a few more words to the cook, and then changed her clothes to serve Qin Yuan as she combed her hair.
By the time Qin Yuan finished getting ready and took Cui Ming to the flower hall, Manager Lin and Manager Wu had already been sitting there for nearly half an hour.
As soon as Qin Yuan entered, the two men immediately stood up to greet her.
He seemed much more respectful than the last time we met.
After exchanging greetings with them, Qin Yuan said, "Please have a seat, gentlemen. Have you finished tidying up the account books?"
Shopkeeper Wu chuckled dryly, opened the box he carried with him, and took out several thick ledgers, saying, "The ledgers of all the shops are here. Please take a look, Madam."
Qin Yuan nodded, and Cui Ming came over, took the account book, and handed it to her.
Seeing that she casually flipped through a few books and put them to her side, Manager Lin hurriedly said, "Madam, I have been looking for that Persian merchant for the past few days. Because he is in a hurry to return to his hometown to visit his sick family, I have been unable to run into him. Today I heard some news, so I came to report it to you."
Qin Yuan nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
Manager Lin continued, "The Persian merchant has about four bushels of pepper, with a starting price of fifty-five taels per catty. He said that recently many people have been asking about the price, and they all say that as long as the quality is good, they will buy it all. He also said that he will be leaving the capital within the next half month, and he will make a purchase if the price is close to the market price."
Manager Wu stood to the side, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
Qin Yuan frowned and said, "That's strange. Have there been more people buying pepper lately?"
Manager Lin said, "The original market price should be fifty taels of silver per catty. I thought the Persian merchant's family was in dire need of medical treatment, so he should be eager to sell and lower the price. I didn't expect him to ask for fifty-five taels per catty. It seems that too many people have asked about it."
Manager Wu couldn't help but interject, "The merchants' ships will be back in a few months, and the price of pepper will probably drop. Persian merchants are asking for prices arbitrarily, so Madam should be cautious. If you want to hoard pepper, you might as well wait until their ships return and buy in large quantities."
Even if we lose money, we can at least reduce the amount of money we lose.
Manager Wu's words show his loyalty; not everyone would speak frankly and displease their employer.
Qin Yuan said softly, "Thank you for reminding me, Manager Wu. However, I have my reasons. It is quite strange that the Persian merchant is asking for such a high price. Manager Lin, why don't you inquire further and find out who else is asking about the price? Once you have the information, please let me know as soon as possible. If it is inconvenient, you can have your servant deliver the message."
Manager Lin nodded.
Qin Yuan waited a while longer, and seeing that they had nothing more to say, she saw them off.
Manager Lin and Manager Wu left Wutong Garden with trepidation, proceeding cautiously and daring not to utter a sound. Only after exiting the mansion did they say, "The gates of a noble family are indeed vast; it's true. We entered and exited through the side gate, and it took us almost half an hour to walk. The Dingbei Marquis's mansion is truly enormous."
Shopkeeper Wu stroked his beard and said, "Madam is a blessed woman. I see that she is calm and composed, and she does everything in a calm and unhurried manner. She seems to be able to handle this immense wealth. We must serve her wholeheartedly from now on."
For a girl who is only a teenager to have such composure and willpower is not to be underestimated.
Shopkeeper Lin nodded, "I used to think that the mistress of the main family had just gotten lucky by chance and climbed into the Marquis's mansion. Now it seems that she has some luck and ability."
Not to mention her amazing methods when she checked the accounts that day, just today at the Marquis's residence, seeing that the servants were all respectful and showed no disrespect to them, it's clear that she has won the Marquis's favor and respect, and good days are yet to come.
Manager Wu nodded, then asked with a troubled expression, "But why does Madam insist on doing this pepper business?"
Manager Lin laughed and said, "How would I know? I'll do whatever she asks me to do. Perhaps Madam has other methods. Haven't you heard that a secret should not be passed on to six ears?"
Manager Wu smiled too.
...
Qin Yuan sat in the flower hall in a daze for a while. She really didn't understand why, even though the news that the big merchants were going to go out to sea to find pepper was known to Manager Wu and Manager Lin, there were still people like her who were rushing to buy a lot of pepper and driving up the prices.
Could it be that someone else also gained the upper hand?
A maid called to Cuiming outside the flower hall. Cuiming went out for a while, then turned back and hurriedly said to her, "The Marquis is back. I don't know where he drank, but he's insisting on seeing the Madam. He can't wait a moment longer."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan's beautiful eyebrows furrowed. She stood up, looked at the sun outside the window, and asked curiously, "It's early and late, why is he in such a hurry to find me instead of resting in the side room after drinking?"
Cuiming said, "This servant does not know. Perhaps the Marquis wants to tell Miss about the Seventh Miss?"
Qin Yuan had no choice but to say, "Then let's go take a look."
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