After the mule cart entered the city, Lin Niu got off at the West Market. She was puzzled when she saw that Yang Cui did not intend to get off.
Zhou Daniu drove off in his mule cart. Because there were people coming and going on both sides of the street, the mule cart didn't go very fast in the city. Lin Niu Shi quietly followed him, wanting to see what was going on...
The mule cart stopped at the back kitchen of the observatory, and Yang Cui went up and knocked on the door.
A middle-aged man opened the door.
"Hello, I am Yang Cui."
"You must be Miss Yang, here to deliver peaches and ginger. Please come in."
Yang Cui turned to Zhou Daniu and said, "Uncle Daniu, bring the mule cart in."
Zhou Daniu was surprised that Yang Cui really had a partnership with the big restaurant. He was excited. It seemed that this business could be done for a long time. He earned a maximum of eighteen coins a day by driving people into the city and back to the village, and sometimes even less.
"Manager Yu, I've brought the goods. Please count them."
Manager Yu immediately arranged for the jars to be weighed. Soon after, the weigher told Manager Yu, "Even including the jars, each jar weighs five jin and two liang, and some weigh five and a half jin."
The shopkeeper knew perfectly well that a jar couldn't possibly weigh two pounds.
"Alright, Miss Yang, please follow me to the accounting office to settle your bill."
Yang Cui followed Manager Yu to the accounting office to collect the remaining payment of four taels and four hundred and eighty coins. According to the agreement with Manager Yu, Yang Cui had to give him a kickback of three hundred and twenty-four coins for these thirty jars of perilla, peach and ginger, which weighed a total of ninety catties.
In a secluded corner, Yang Cui stuffed the money into his hand. It had been agreed beforehand that he had to give it to her, and that it had to be given to her promptly!
Yang Cui did the math in her head. She had basically recovered her costs. She still had thirteen jars of dried perilla and plums, eleven jars of peach and ginger, sugar, salt, rice vinegar, and peaches. The ingredients could make about twenty more jars. If she could sell all of this stock, it would be almost pure profit.
After leaving the Star Gazing Tower, Yang Cui and Zhou Daniu parted ways. Yang Cui took the remaining jar of peach and ginger to the Fragrant Restaurant next door, hoping to gain another customer.
As soon as they heard she was there to sell something, they wouldn't even let her in the door!
Undeterred, Yang Cui went to other restaurants instead.
Yang Cui went to three or four restaurants in a row, but to no avail. She thought that since Guanxinglou was selling it, other restaurants would probably consider buying it and selling it too! But the restaurants didn't believe that Guanxinglou was selling this stuff at all. They all said they had never seen this thing before and were unwilling to even try it!
Yang Cui thought to herself: No wonder the Star Gazing Tower can grow so big and strong. Just the willingness to try new things makes them much better than us.
Given the current situation, we can only pin our hopes on the Star Gazing Tower. Hopefully, the peach ginger will sell very well there.
Before she knew it, it was noon again. Yang Cui went to Washi and bought a fish and six pieces of dried tofu. When she passed by the blacksmith's shop, she bought a small dagger to keep for self-defense.
Zhou Daniu's oxcart was parked under a big tree opposite Washi. Yang Cui went over after buying her things and saw Lin Niu and Zhou Daniu chatting. When they saw Yang Cui, they immediately fell silent.
Yang Cui knew without a doubt that Lin Niu was asking Zhou Daniu about her.
The business dealings couldn't be kept secret for long; the villagers would find out sooner or later. However, with the An family acting as a front, everyone would just think that the An family was helping Yang Cui make money. Also, the Zhou family would still be helping her for now, so Yang Cui wasn't too worried.
Although Lin Niu was a member of the clan chief's family, her family was large and she had to support two children's education, so they were not well-off. At this moment, she was extremely envious when she saw Yang Cui carrying a grass carp weighing four or five pounds.
Upon returning to the village, Lin Niu hurriedly told her parents-in-law what she had seen.
"Are you serious?" Chief Lin asked, his face filled with shock.
"Father, would I lie to you? Zhou Daniu must have received some benefits from that slut. He won't say anything, but I saw them go into the kitchen of the Star Gazing Pavilion with my own eyes. When they came out, the mule cart was empty. They must have sold the goods to the restaurant. The Star Gazing Pavilion is the biggest restaurant in Wan'an County. That slut probably made a lot of money." Lin Niu's wife was both jealous and envious. "Today they even bought a big grass carp and some dried tofu. If they didn't have some money, would they be willing to eat that?"
The Lin clan chief was in turmoil. If there was anyone who least wanted Yang Cui to succeed, besides the Fan family, it would be the Lin clan chief. He still remembered how Yang Cui had made him lose face on the day of the divorce!
After a moment's thought, the clan chief Lin said, "Go and call Madam Fan here."
Soon, Lin Niu summoned Fan.
Upon hearing this, Madam Fan slapped her thigh and suddenly realized, "Yesterday, Da Ya told me that that bitch had found a way to make money with the An family, but I was distracted and forgot about it."
Chief Lin was startled again: "Da Ya knows about this?"
So, Fan told Chief Lin and the others about what happened yesterday.
Chief Lin was so angry he almost jumped up: "She still dares to covet Shikang? Keep dreaming!"
Chief Lin was also one of the people who most wanted Lin Shikang to marry Wang Mengyun, because only if Lin Shikang rose to prominence could his family also rise to prominence.
In the original novel, after Lin Shikang married Wang Mengyun, or more precisely, after Lin Shikang became a son-in-law of the Wang family, he did help the Lin clan and promoted the descendants of the Lin family, especially the grandchildren of the Lin clan chief, who received the most preferential treatment.
"Now that we've severed ties, she can forget about ever setting foot in the Lin family again!" Madam Fan said through gritted teeth.
Chief Lin was more composed. After a moment of silence, he said, "Fan, don't get into any conflicts with Yang Cui recently. Try to get information out of Er Ya and San Ya, and have Da Ya go out and see what's going on."
If it's really profitable, they absolutely have to snatch this business!
Yang Cui, an abandoned woman, has no right to a good life. She deserves to be poor and destitute, and everyone can bully her!
——
After Yang Cui returned, she paid the remaining fare. Zhou Daniu wanted to curry favor with Yang Cui, so he whispered to her, "Xiaocui, Lin Niu has been asking me what's in that jar of yours. Did you sell it to the Star Gazing Tower? Don't worry, I haven't said anything. I'm keeping my mouth shut."
"Thank you for keeping it a secret for me, Uncle. I'll tell my uncle that I'll use you again next time I need to deliver goods."
That was exactly what Zhou Daniu wanted to hear, so he chuckled and said, "Then I thank you two, uncle and nephew, for supporting my business."
Zhou Daniu wouldn't tell Lin Niu Shi, but what about his wife? His wife, Zhou Qin Shi, wasn't one to keep secrets.
Yang Cui's guess was correct. As soon as Zhou Daniu returned, Zhou Qinshi asked about Yang Cui, and Zhou Daniu told her about Yang Cui's cooperation with the Star Gazing Tower.
Hearing this, Madam Zhou was extremely envious. She said with a look of envy, "How is she so capable? How did she get involved with the Star Gazing Tower? She's going to be rich!"
"The business must be with her uncle's side, otherwise how could a woman be so capable?"
"Do you know how much money she made?"
"What are you thinking? No one would tell anyone about something like this. I'm telling you, don't go around telling anyone."
"Alright, alright, I know."
Zhou Qinshi verbally agreed, but as soon as she turned around, she told the neighbors about it. Soon, the news that Yang Cui and An Jia were doing business with the Star Gazing Tower and making a lot of money spread like wildfire.
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