Chapter 103 [VIP]
The next morning, Strychnos nux-vomica rushed back excitedly. "Master, you're sure to like this shop!"
Hearing this, Wang Ying put down her pen, looked up, and asked, "Oh? Which shop is it?"
"I heard that the owner of the steamed bun shop across from Yang's Trading Company passed away due to illness, and his wife couldn't manage it alone, so she went back to her hometown."
The location was indeed excellent, right in the center of the commercial street, with restaurants, eateries, and inns on the left and major trading companies on the right.
Did you ask how much the rent was?
Ma Qianzi nodded, "I asked, and there are still eight months of rent left. We should be able to negotiate the 240 taels of silver. We can renew the lease with the landlord when it expires."
That works out to an average of thirty taels of silver a month. For such a good location, it's really not expensive. "Let's go take a look!"
Wang Ying quickly went back to her room to get the silver, and the two of them headed straight for Zhengyang Street.
When I arrived, the owner of the steamed bun shop was tidying up. She looked to be over fifty years old, slightly plump, and her hair was wrapped in a cloth.
"Weren't you the one who came here to inquire about renting a room?"
“Yes, Auntie still remembers me.” Ma Qianzi stepped forward to help her carry her things out.
"Thank you, young man." The old woman wiped her hands and walked over, saying, "Let's discuss it together when the landlord comes over later."
After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the landlord arrived. He was an elderly man, not tall and thin, with a slight limp in one leg. He wore a straw hat and had a mustache. Upon seeing the steamed bun shop owner, he first sighed, then said, "I never expected my brother to pass away so suddenly. My condolences, sister-in-law..."
"Life and death are predestined and there's nothing we can do about it. It's a pity that both of our sons passed away before us, otherwise this shop wouldn't have had to go out of business."
From their conversation, it was learned that the woman had two sons. Her eldest son died of illness at the age of seventeen, and her younger son also died of tuberculosis a few years ago, leaving behind his wife and children to be cared for by the elderly couple.
Now that her husband has passed away, she is too busy to manage everything herself, so she simply closed the shop and took her daughter-in-law and grandson back to her hometown to live.
"I just spoke with these two young men. The lease for the shop expires next June, leaving eight months remaining. I'll transfer it to them at a discounted price of 240 taels of silver. We'll discuss the rent with you again after the lease expires."
Wang Ying greeted the landlord, "Uncle, we'd like to rent this shop."
What kind of business do you run?
Wang Ying recited her prepared explanation: "We plan to sell fresh vegetables. My relative is a merchant who can bring fresh vegetables from other places in winter."
The landlord asked curiously, "What kind of vegetables do you have?"
"Cucumbers, green beans, leafy greens, eggplants... I can name them all."
“This is a good deal. The weather is getting cold now, and there are only cabbages and radishes left in the vegetable garden. It would be nice to have some fresh vegetables. Here’s what we’ll do: I won’t raise the rent for now. If you want to renew the lease when it expires, it will still be 350 taels a year.”
Wang Ying couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. Three hundred and fifty taels of silver was definitely not expensive. Many of the shops she had looked at before were not as good as this one, and the prices were over four hundred taels. The slightly better ones were over six hundred taels, and if you calculated it, the money she earned in a year might not even be enough to cover the rent.
"Thank you, Uncle."
The old man waved his hand, "Just give me a copy of the contract after you've discussed it."
Wang Ying negotiated the price with the old woman again. Because the two looked friendly and the old woman was in a hurry to sublet the apartment, the price was finally set at two hundred taels of silver.
Ma Qianzi brought over paper and pen, and Wang Ying picked up the pen to begin writing the lease agreement.
The old woman was illiterate, so she showed the document to the landlord. After confirming that there were no problems, she handed over the money, and both parties pressed their fingerprints on it.
There were three leases in total, one for each of the three people. The old woman took the money and prepared to leave. The tables, chairs, and benches in the house had already been sold to a nearby noodle stall in advance, and she would come to pick them up in the afternoon.
Before leaving, the landlord gave them a few words of advice, warning them not to damage the house or do anything illegal.
The two nodded in agreement and finally rented a suitable shop. Wang Ying was overjoyed and quickly sent Ma Qianzi back to get people to help tidy up the shop so that they could open for business as soon as possible!
*
Meanwhile, Chen Qingyan and his group finally arrived in Yangzhou by boat.
Originally, the plan was to set off south at the end of August, but plans can't keep up with changes. Recently, Japanese pirates have been rampant in Laizhou, and ships have been hijacked one after another, causing panic among the people and making merchant ships afraid to go to sea.
The newly appointed governor of Laizhou was Xu Dabing, who was previously the naval commander of Chengzhou. He was most skilled in naval warfare and led his sailors to clear the seas for a month, severely damaging the Japanese pirates and bringing peace to the seas.
In late September, Liang Boqing and three others boarded a boat heading south. They traveled to the Suzhou ferry and then transferred to a carriage, finally arriving in Yangzhou on the ninth day of the tenth month.
Sitting in the carriage, Old Liang began to introduce himself to them.
"An ancient poem says: 'With ten thousand strings of cash around one's waist, one can ride a crane to Yangzhou,' revealing the prosperity of Yangzhou. Another saying goes: 'The spring breeze blows for ten miles along the Yangzhou road, but nothing can compare to the beauty behind the rolled-up beaded curtain.' The beauties of Yangzhou are also world-renowned."
"Yangzhou's 'slender horses' were extremely famous. Wealthy merchants would adopt young children and teach them music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age. When they were twelve or thirteen, the most outstanding in appearance and figure would be selected and sent to high-ranking officials for their enjoyment."
Because of the fame of Yangzhou's beauties, Yangzhou also had many brothels and pleasure boats on the river. Its sex industry was famous throughout the country, and many talented scholars came here specifically to see the beauties and left behind many famous lines.
After hearing this, Chen Qingyan felt no longing; instead, he felt a strong sense of rejection. He thought of his younger sister when she was twelve, a little kid who knew nothing. These young girls had to be entertained by men, which was truly disgusting.
Qinghuai and Qingsong were quite curious. Since they were not yet married, their thoughts were rather simple: they just wanted to see how beautiful the "slender horses" of Yangzhou were.
When Liang An entered the city, he showed his token, and the clerk didn't check it carefully before letting the group into the city.
The Liang family was a prominent family in Yangzhou. Although they had declined somewhat, Liang Boqing still had three brothers who held official positions in the area, and his nephews also held official posts. It could be said that even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse.
Liang Boqing had not returned to his hometown for more than ten years, and the ancestral home had been managed by his third younger brother.
The carriage entered an alley and traveled for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Liang An said, "We've arrived just ahead. This alley is the master's house."
"Huh?" The three of them were astonished. They only knew that their master's family was well-off, but they never expected that they were so wealthy!
It's no wonder, as it's rare for someone from a poor family to become a successful person. Mr. Liang was born into a scholarly family. His grandfather, Liang Qiushi, served as the Prefect of Yangzhou, and his father served as the Prefect of Yangzhou. However, no one held an official position in his generation.
The wealth accumulated over generations is naturally incomparable to that of ordinary families.
The carriage passed through the alleyway and arrived at the main street, finally reaching the gate. From a distance, two stone lions could be seen, and a huge plaque hung above the gate, with the two large characters "Liang Residence" engraved on it.
Liang An stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a short while, the doorman came out and asked him who he was looking for.
Holding Liang Boqing's private order, Liang An said, "The master is back."
The gatekeeper was startled upon hearing this, and quickly bowed to greet him. He then ordered someone to respectfully open the gate and lift the threshold to welcome Liang Boqing into the courtyard.
A servant boy ran in from the main room to announce, "The master is back!"
Liang Bozhan was taken aback when he heard the voice, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Why is he back?" he said, and then got up to go out and greet him.
"Brother is back. Why didn't you send a letter beforehand so we could prepare for you?"
"What are you preparing? I'll stay here with them for a while and then leave. I have to go back to Jizhou before the New Year."
Upon hearing this, Liang Bozhan breathed a slight sigh of relief. "You must be tired from your journey. Please come inside and rest, brother. I'll have someone prepare a feast to welcome you back and cleanse your home."
Liang Boqing waved his hand impatiently, "No need to make things too complicated. Just have a simple meal. I'm exhausted from the journey and don't have time for socializing."
"yes……"
Liang Boqing led the three to his courtyard and chose three rooms for them to settle down.
Chen Qingyan asked in a low voice, "Why does it seem like Master's younger brother is a little afraid of you?"
Liang Boqing said, "We are not born of the same mother. His mother was my father's concubine, and he is my half-brother, so we are not close."
In large families, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is highly valued, and Liang Boqing was groomed as the family's heir from a young age.
As a son born out of wedlock, Liang Bozhan had no right to inherit. Although he was managing the ancestral property, the owner was still Liang Boqing.
Even if Mr. Liang passes away, the house will not be inherited by him, but by Mr. Liang's eldest son, Liang Shuo.
In addition, Liang Boqing's father always valued his eldest son the most since he was a child, and Liang Boqing lived up to expectations, surpassing his younger brothers in every way.
His half-brothers admired him, but also resented him. They were respectful to him on the surface, but who knows what their true colors were behind his back.
If even the Chen family's own uncles can turn against each other over the inheritance, then the intricacies within a powerful and influential family like this are even more numerous.
So since his parents passed away, Liang Boqing has stopped returning home and travels around instead, actually because he's too lazy to deal with the infighting among the people in this household.
"You all need to rest well during this time. In a few days, I'll take you sightseeing and then visit my old friends."
"Yes." Everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
Upon entering the house, they were all stunned into silence. The furnishings inside were exceptionally exquisite. Even those who had seen the world in Jizhou and Laizhou were still amazed by the extravagance of the Liang family.
The house was filled with mahogany furniture; the tables, chairs, and beds alone were enough to buy a house in town, yet every room in the Liang family's house had some.
The bed was covered with silk quilts, each costing several tens of strings of cash. The decorative screen on the cabinet was made of precious Ru ware porcelain, with just one vase worth over a hundred strings of cash. The screen itself was a Suzhou embroidery of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, and paintings by Wu Daozi hung on the walls... I've truly broadened my horizons today.
The Liang family was so wealthy because Liang Boqing's grandmother was the daughter of a salt merchant, with a fortune of tens of millions of taels of silver, which enabled her to support such a large family.
Lying on the soft couch, Chen Qingyan couldn't help but sigh. It must have been so hard for the teacher to give up such a comfortable life and go to their poor, remote village to teach three people. He himself might not have been able to make such a choice.
I took some time to visit the experimental field and left a note for Wang Ying.
I've been too busy traveling these past few days to go into the experimental field, but today I found several notes left inside.
Chen Qingyan unfolded it and looked at it. The first one was left a few days ago.
"It has rained twice in Jizhou these past few days. The autumn rain has made the weather suddenly cold. I wonder where you are and if you are cold? We have received replies to the letters we wrote to our eldest uncle and fourth uncle in August. Fourth uncle was very happy to learn that we moved to the prefectural city. He even wrote to some of our colleagues in Jizhou, hoping to get their protection."
My uncle replied that Tianyang County had also been affected by the disaster, though it was better than Qingshui Town. Afterwards, he brought my eldest cousin to look for us, but they couldn't find us in Qingshui Town, and he fell ill after returning home. Luckily, we wrote in time, otherwise my uncle would have thought we had all drowned.
Chen Qingyan sighed and unfolded the second note.
“I rented a shop in the city and plan to continue selling fresh vegetables in winter and popsicles in summer. It’s not easy to live in the city; it would be really difficult to make a living without doing some business.”
The third note contained only a few words, yet it brought tears to Chen Qingyan's eyes.
"Qingyan, I've missed you terribly these past few days. I wonder when you'll be able to come back."
A note from the author:
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