Chapter 239 Rather than waiting passively for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, it's better to lure the snake out of its hole.
"Someone, bring paper and pen, let's draw up a new contract!"
He Ran leaned close to her ear, his voice filled with undisguised admiration.
"Yao'er, this is hardly an audit."
"You're attacking my spirit."
Meng Shilan chuckled. "Is this what you call attacking someone's heart?"
"Shuang'er will be settling the accounts later. Do you want to come along and take a look?"
He Ran turned and left, saying, "I haven't fed the horse I just bought yet. I'll go check on it first."
Before she could finish speaking, she ran off in a flash.
Meng Shilan watched her retreating figure and shook her head with a smile.
The sound of carriages and horses came from the entrance of the village.
A simple, unadorned blue-roofed carriage came to a stop, and a figure in light blue jumped down.
Shuang'er quickly walked up to Meng Shilan and said, "Sister, everything is ready."
She was followed by four or five assistants, each carrying an abacus and ledgers.
Meng Shilan nodded. "The grain in the barn should all be counted and recorded."
Since Shuang'er took over the shops of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, all the shop assistants have been carefully selected from among the best.
Opening the warehouse, inspecting the grain, weighing it, and recording the transactions were all done in one go.
The abacus beads clicked and clattered as they were moved.
Meng Shilan stood on high ground, quietly watching all of this.
She wanted more than just to expose a village head.
What she wanted was to dig out the rotten roots of the entire Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, inch by inch.
Compared to the grain Shuang'er handled in Ding County, the amount of grain in the farm was not much.
"Sister, I have already rented a shop, and it will be open for business in a few days."
Shuang'er poured herself a cup of tea and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Now that the jewelry shop is running smoothly, I plan to go to Jinzhou to take a look after I'm done here."
"Jinzhou has abundant grain, and the price is also lower."
Meng Shilan said, "Jinzhou isn't far away. We'll see if we can build a granary there."
The two were talking.
Chunxing came in and reported, "Miss, a grain shop manager says he wants to see the estate manager."
The two looked at each other.
"Let him in."
"Wang Zhuangtou! Brother Wang..."
Before you see him, you hear his voice.
Manager Liu of Fengde Grain Store hurried along. In previous years, his servants would come to collect the grain; there was no need for him to personally visit the store.
He collected nearly half of the grain for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and the grain purchase contracts were signed annually.
He overheard at his brother-in-law's residence that His Majesty had ordered an increase in grain reserves.
His intuition told him that he needed to increase the dosage as well.
I'm here today because I want to sign a two-year extension.
But as soon as Manager Liu entered, he felt something was off.
Upon entering, he did not see the head of the village, but instead saw two young women.
"Wang Zhuangtou, I'm afraid he won't be able to come." Shuang'er gave him a cold look.
Manager Liu glanced at Shuang'er with an impatient look on his face.
"What are you?"
"How dare you, a mere maid, interrupt when your master is speaking?"
"Go and fetch Wang Zhuangtou!"
Shuang'er's eyes turned cold.
“The head of the estate embezzled the master’s money, and the manager had close ties with the head of the estate. Could they be accomplices?”
Manager Liu's expression changed slightly. He knew that all the managers he worked with would take a cut of his profits.
However, no other village head is as well-off as Wang Zhuangtou.
But what does the village head's embezzlement have to do with him?
They signed a contract specifying how much grain he would take with him.
He looked Shuang'er up and down as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"Little girl, what a big mouth you have! My Fengde Grain Store is open for business, how dare you slander me like this!"
He took out a contract from his pocket. "This is the contract that the estate manager and I signed last year. Now it's time to fulfill the agreement."
Shuang'er crossed her arms, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"This contract is invalid, and the grain will not be sold."
Manager Liu's face changed instantly. "What did you say?!"
“I said, we’re not selling the grain.”
Shuang'er spoke each word clearly and deliberately.
"Not only will I not sell, I'm also going to open my own grain store."
"You should find another place for your shady business."
Manager Liu's face turned a deep purplish-red, and his fingers trembled as he pointed at Shuang'er.
"see a visitor out!"
Shuang'er ignored him and then asked him to leave.
She turned her head and clapped her hands, looking relaxed and smug.
"Sister, send her away."
Meng Shilan handed her a glass of warm water, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."
Shuang'er gulped it down and wiped her mouth.
"It's not hard work; dealing with these kinds of people is exhilarating."
As soon as she finished speaking, a clear male voice rang out from behind her.
"Oh? How did you enjoy it?"
Shuang'er was startled, but Meng Shilan simply turned her head indifferently.
Zhou Congxian appeared silently at the door without anyone noticing.
He was dressed in a black outfit, his posture upright like a pine tree.
Shuang'er bowed, "Young Master."
Zhou Congxian waved his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on Meng Shilan.
"As soon as I arrived, I saw Shuang'er showing off."
"It seems you're going to completely turn this Zhenguo Duke's Mansion upside down."
Meng Shilan glanced at him. "Did the young master come here specifically to watch me act up?"
Zhou Congxian chuckled softly, "You can do whatever you want."
He took out a few thin sheets of paper from his pocket and handed them to her.
The vermilion seal stamped on it was particularly glaring.
It is the deed for the estate.
Moreover, there was more than one.
Meng Shilan's eyes flickered slightly.
"What are you doing...?"
Zhou Congxian spoke casually, as if he were giving away not a few estates that could bring in a fortune every day, but a few pieces of waste paper.
"I heard you're going into the grain trade. I own several estates, and the grain production is quite good."
"Here you go, I'll take care of it all."
Meng Shilan reached out and took it. She looked up and a half-smile appeared on her lips.
"Young Master, what a generous gesture!"
"Aren't you afraid that if Old Madam Zhou finds out, she'll skin you alive?"
Zhou Congxian laughed nonchalantly.
"It will be yours sooner or later."
"Anyway, once you're married into the family, the management of the Duke of England's mansion will be handed over to you."
"What difference does it make whether you give it to me sooner or later?"
Meng Shilan's smile deepened. "Is that so?"
"Young Master, don't forget that Madam Zhou favors Song Jiyun. I don't dare to compete with her."
When Song Jiyun was mentioned, Zhou Congxian's smile faded.
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and lowered his voice.
"Let's get down to business."
"Your reminder is correct; there is something wrong with the maid that Song Jiyun brought back."
Meng Shilan's smile vanished instantly.
"What did you find?"
Zhou Congxian's gaze darkened, becoming somewhat grave.
“My men were watching her and found her movements to be secretive but extremely cautious.”
"We still haven't figured out how they contacted Bucha."
Meng Shilan frowned and pursed her lips.
"It's better to lure the snake out than to wait for it to run into a tree stump."
Zhou Congxian looked at her, a glint of light flashing in his dark eyes.
Zhou Congxian's dark eyes, like the deep night, reflected only her shadow.
The unspoken understanding between the two was so strong that words were no longer needed.
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