Chapter 19 The Traveling Merchant
In her previous life, after getting married, Meng Yutong went to inspect a manor owned by the Ji family in the suburbs. On the way, she encountered a group of disheveled merchants.
They were all from Qin Prefecture, and they were walking dejectedly along the official road to the northwest, clearly having run out of money and returning home in disappointment.
She sent Bai Zhi forward to inquire, and learned that the group of people had come to Lin'an City to sell gold and jade jewelry unique to Qin Prefecture. They had signed a contract with Bazhenfang, stipulating that they would rent the shop for one month, with 30% of the profits going to the manager of Bazhenfang as rent.
Unexpectedly, the shop assistants at Bazhenfang took advantage of their unfamiliarity with the area, falsely claiming that the original contract was lost and a new one needed to be drawn up. Taking advantage of this opportunity, they secretly changed the profit margin from 30% to 90% in the new contract.
The leader of the merchants, Liu Sijun, was a naive young man from Qinzhou, inexperienced in the ways of the world, and was easily tricked into signing his name. Only after they had sold all the gold and jade jewelry they brought and went to divide the profits did they realize they had been tricked, losing everything, including their travel expenses to return home.
Seeing their pitiful state, Meng Yutong felt compassion and decided to temporarily settle them at the manor she was inspecting.
These merchants from Qinzhou were grateful and helped dry and sort the medicinal herbs, earning a meager amount of money to return home.
It was during this time that Meng Yutong became acquainted with the young leader, Liu Sijun. Although Liu Sijun sometimes acted erratically and was somewhat unreliable, he possessed considerable talent and family background in the study of herbs.
The two often discussed the properties, flavors, meridians, and processing methods of various herbs in the fields or under the eaves of the estate. Over time, they became friends.
Before parting, to repay the kindness of being taken in, Liu Sijun told Meng Yutong the whole story of the precious medicinal vein that the group had accidentally discovered in the mountains outside Lin'an City on their way into the city.
Before her death, Meng Yutong wrote these things down on a piece of paper and had Bai Zhi give it to her grandmother...
"Greetings, young lady. Would you like to pick out some trendy jewelry?" Two shop assistants flanked her, their greetings louder and more enthusiastic than the last, instantly pulling Meng Yutong back from her reverie.
She composed herself, her eyes clear, and turned to the shop assistant on her left, who had a dark complexion, a broad forehead, and long eyebrows, and seemed quite honest and enthusiastic. She asked, "I've heard that your shop has excellent Qin Zhou jade ornaments?"
Upon hearing this, the waiter raised his thick eyebrows, and a warm smile immediately spread across his face. He hurriedly led her to the counter on the left.
He deftly and carefully took out pieces of gold and jade jewelry from the rosewood display case, introducing them one by one: "Miss, look, these are all good stuff from Qinzhou! Look at this magnolia hairpin, it's made of top-quality Hetian jade, it will definitely look beautiful on you!"
Cui Dacheng speaks quickly and simply, with a genuine and down-to-earth quality.
Seeing this, Ah Chang, the shop assistant on the other side, curled his lip, a hint of undisguised sourness flashing in his eyes. He sullenly retreated to his original position, leaning against the cold counter, his gaze fixed on the bustling scene opposite him. He muttered to himself: Ever since those barbarians from Qinzhou brought over this junk, they've stolen all the limelight from the shop! This month's pay is probably going to be pitifully low again!
As he was grumbling and showing his teeth in self-pity, Zheng Hui, the manager of Bazhenfang, strolled in with his hands behind his back.
His shrewd triangular eyes swept across the room. On the left, the counter was bustling with laughter and people; on the right, his own counter was deserted, and Ah Chang looked dejected.
Zheng Hui's face immediately darkened, as if covered with frost. He strode over to Achang, bent his knuckles, and angrily pounded twice on the gleaming rosewood counter. His voice was low, yet carried a chilling coldness: "Standing here like a doorman? Watching the business all fall into the hands of the neighbor across the street! What kind of job are you doing? What am I supposed to tell you when the young master asks about this month's revenue?!"
Achang shuddered in fright, instinctively shrinking his neck. His face fell, and his voice, barely audible, was filled with grievance: "Manager... this is really not my fault!"
"A few days ago, the young master of the Ji family bought a top-quality Qinzhou jade piece from across the street to celebrate Madam Ji's birthday. The reputation of Qinzhou gold and jade spread immediately."
"Nowadays, every lady and young lady who enters the store goes straight to that end, without even glancing in our direction."
"I may have a mouth all over my body, but I still can't attract any customers..." He spoke in a lower and lower voice, his head drooping lower and lower, as if he wanted to crawl under the counter.
As Zheng Hui listened, his jaw clenched tightly, and his fists clenched so hard they cracked, a deep sense of regret welling up inside him.
Back then, they were greedy for a small profit and allowed those outsiders to consign their goods here. Who would have thought that they would be inviting wolves into their house! Now, their own business has been squeezed out of business, and this month's accounts are bound to be extremely bad.
Thinking of the wrath of the temperamental and arrogant young master of the house after seeing the account books, Zheng Hui felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
No! We can't just sit here and wait to die! We have to think of a way to turn this situation around...
He paced anxiously for a couple of steps, his shoes scraping against the smooth blue brick floor, making a faint but grating sound. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes gleamed, clearly indicating that he was rapidly calculating various methods.
"Shopkeeper, isn't that young master Liu who's always here watching over us? Why isn't he here today?"
Seeing that Zheng Hui was anxious and agitated, Achang quickly brewed a cup of cool tea and offered it to him, saying cautiously, "Shopkeeper, please calm down."
Zheng Hui took the tea and drank it all in one gulp, then casually remarked, "That person is celebrating their birthday today; they're probably at the Helelou Restaurant for a celebratory drink."
"A birthday party?" Achang clicked his tongue, his tone tinged with envy and sourness. "Look at those rough and boisterous men, they probably won't come home until they're completely drunk."
Those outsiders actually managed to host a banquet at Helelou Restaurant; they must have really made a profit!
Zheng Hui slammed the empty teacup heavily onto the rosewood counter, making a crisp "clang" sound.
A-Chang shuddered in fright: "Shopkeeper?"
A glint flashed in Zheng Hui's eyes, and he raised his hand to give Achang a sharp rap on the head: "You've finally woken me up!"
He grabbed Achang, leaned down and whispered a few words in his ear, then straightened up as if nothing had happened and urged in a cold voice, "Get it done quickly!"
"This...this might not be appropriate, right? What if the young master finds out..." A-Chang shrank his neck, his voice trembling uncontrollably. Why do they always make him do these wicked things!
"Stop babbling! Go when I tell you to!" Zheng Hui's face darkened, and he twisted Achang's ear. Achang winced in pain, begging for mercy, "Ouch! Boss, spare me! I'll go right now! I'll go right now!"
Attracted by the commotion, Meng Yutong and Cui Dacheng on the opposite side turned to look at it.
Zheng Hui immediately let go and forced an awkward smile at Meng Yutong: "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Miss. I'm just disciplining an ignorant servant. Please make yourselves at home and take your time choosing."
Meng Yutong withdrew her gaze and casually pointed to the jade hairpin that Cui Dacheng had just introduced: "Please wrap it up."
"Is that the shopkeeper?" Meng Yutong asked casually as she took the brocade box.
Cui Dacheng quickly wrapped the hairpin, grinned, and his dark face made his teeth look exceptionally white: "It's Manager Zheng! The manager is a good person, willing to let us outsiders consign our items at Bazhenfang, so generous!"
Meng Yutong was slightly taken aback by the sight of those white teeth, and sighed inwardly: "So honest and straightforward, no wonder he was schemed against so miserably in his past life."
She pressed on, "Why don't I see any of you in charge? I have a few pieces of Qinzhou jade that I've acquired, and I'd like to ask an expert to take a look and determine their authenticity."
"My young master is celebrating his birthday today and is having a drink with everyone at Helelou Restaurant!" Cui Dacheng said enthusiastically. "If you're not in a hurry, young lady, how about bringing him over tomorrow?"
Helelou? Drinking? Meng Yutong's heart skipped a beat. She remembered clearly that Liu Sijun had a low alcohol tolerance. At the thank-you banquet on the day he left Lin'an, he had only drunk three or four cups before he started talking nonsense and walking unsteadily.
Recalling the scene of Zheng Hui and Achang whispering furtively and physically threatening each other just now... Could it be that the trickery in his past life to sign the Yin-Yang contract was tonight?!
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