71 Moved away
"Take me with you."
Two days later, without informing anyone, Shen Suqin directly asked Ju Tao to find several porters to help her move.
Just then, Xiao Pingchuan went out of the manor to inspect the city's defenses, and Zhao Chengchun went with him. Surprisingly, no one in the manor tried to stop her.
On the contrary, Aunt Jiang even went to stand at the main courtyard gate, watching the porters coming and going, for fear that they would secretly move the general's mansion's things out.
"Oh, we can't touch the things in the storeroom. We have to wait for the general to come back," said Aunt Jiang.
The porters were at a loss for what to do.
“These were all moved from the capital by our young lady. If you really want to count them, they are all part of our young lady’s dowry, not your general’s mansion’s property.”
"You say it's true, but who can prove it?"
"Do I need to prove it? Before my young lady came, you couldn't even find a single intact tile in your mansion. Besides, if it weren't for my young lady paying for it, you would still be drinking thin porridge with pickled vegetables every day. Now that you have vegetables and meat at every meal, you've become spoiled."
Aunt Jiang had been a freeloader for most of her life, and upon hearing this, she not only showed no shame but also argued vehemently, "Who begged her for money? She's willing to pay out of her own pocket. Anyway, you can move out if you want, but you're not allowed to touch anything in the General's Mansion."
"Who do you think you are? You're just a servant. Do you really think you're the general's mother-in-law?" Ju Tao was just as sharp-tongued. "We definitely won't leave anything behind. If you're so capable, let your general stop us."
As she spoke, Ju Tao instructed the porters to help her aside and opened the storeroom to begin taking inventory of Shen Suqin's belongings.
"You thief! You're a thief, you shameless little brat..."
"Gag her!" Ju Tao ordered.
Not long after, Xiao Pingchuan, having heard the news, rushed back on horseback. He found the main courtyard half empty and Su Yubai nowhere to be seen. His head buzzed, and he hurriedly went to find Shen Suqin.
Shen Suqin was organizing account books in front of the bookshelf in her study, with Liu Zimu helping her.
When Xiao Pingchuan arrived here, he was much calmer. He pushed open the door and asked in a deep voice, "Where are you going?"
“I found another courtyard,” Shen Suqin replied without looking up. “Your residence is not peaceful and it interferes with my work.”
"Who in the manor dares to interfere with you? You are the general's wife, and you have the final say in everything. Who would dare to hinder you from doing your work? Or are you bothered by Miss Zhou?"
Shen Suqin shook her head, "I'm not afraid of any Miss Zhou, Miss Zhao, or Miss Wang, but please remember, General, that our marriage is just a sham..."
Suddenly, Liu Zimu, who was standing next to him, accidentally knocked over a vase.
"I'm sorry."
Shen Suqin glanced at him and waved for him to leave first.
Liu Zimu nodded, squeezed past Xiao Pingchuan, and glanced at him as they passed each other.
Xiao Pingchuan thought he was about to be able to be with Shen Suqin, but things changed overnight.
"Why is that?" Xiao Pingchuan asked.
Shen Suqin glanced at him and said loudly to Ju Tao outside, "Go and invite Miss Yuanxiang here."
"What do you want with her?"
"The general will know when she arrives."
Xiao Pingchuan sighed deeply.
Before long, Yuanxiang entered with her head bowed and eyes lowered. "Madam, General."
“Miss Yuanxiang, tell me, why did you instigate Zhou Yuan to target me?” Shen Suqin asked bluntly.
Yuanxiang was dumbfounded.
Xiao Pingchuan was even more dumbfounded.
"What do you mean? Yuanxiang, what did you do?" Xiao Pingchuan asked.
Yuanxiang remained silent.
Shen Suqin continued, "If you hadn't instigated this, would Zhou Yuan, a girl of seventeen or eighteen, have said that I was taking advantage of her kindness? Yuanxiang, I didn't want to interfere with you, but since you personally strangled the bird I entrusted to you, I have no choice but to intervene."
She spoke each word clearly and logically, which sent a chill down Xiao Pingchuan's spine.
"And what about you, General? Your Aunt Jiang is a traitor to the family, and she won't even cook properly for me. How can I stay in the General's Mansion any longer?"
"To be honest, I have no patience for these petty squabbles within the inner quarters; my energy is far more valuable than that. Since the general insists on an answer, I'll give it to you. As for trying to stop me from moving out, let's not talk about it anymore."
Shen Suqin finished speaking in one breath and waved for the two of them to leave.
At this moment, Xiao Pingchuan felt not anger, but shame.
He kept saying he liked her and would treat her well, but after finally bringing her home, his family members kept sabotaging him.
What sins did he commit in his past life?
He pulled Yuanxiang out of the main courtyard, suppressing his anger as he asked her, "Why are you targeting Madam?"
With tears in her eyes, Yuanxiang said timidly, "I'm afraid that if there's another woman in the house, you won't treat me well."
Xiao Pingchuan sighed: "I know you've always treated me like an older brother, but she's someone I've liked for a long time, and she's a very good person. I won't neglect you because of her; you'll always be my sister."
Yuanxiang lowered her head and remained silent.
Xiao Pingchuan said helplessly, "Please tell my aunt that she doesn't need to take care of anything at home anymore. She can just relax and enjoy her retirement."
Yuanxiang suddenly looked up: "Brother Chuan, my mother and I have been in the Xiao family for more than ten years. All these years, we have been helping you look after Ningyuan's home. Are you really going to hurt us for a woman you've only known for a short time?"
Xiao Pingchuan: "Yuanxiang, do you know why she took the initiative to move out?"
Yuanxiang shook her head.
“Because she knows I consider you all family and doesn’t want me to be caught in the middle. She’s a capable person; her mind isn’t on the household, or even on me. You and your mother are targeting her at every turn, which is a slap in my face, do you know that?” Xiao Pingchuan said.
Yuanxiang nodded with tears in her eyes, as if she had taken his words to heart.
"Then, will Madam move out again?" she asked.
Xiao Pingchuan glanced in the direction of the main courtyard. "Yes, no one can change her decision."
Yuanxiang lowered her head and said timidly, "I'm sorry, Brother Chuan."
Xiao Pingchuan patted her shoulder and sighed, "Go downstairs, I'll go apologize to her for you."
Yuanxiang: "Mm."
Xiao Pingchuan left, and Yuan Xiang stood there. Only after he had gone far away did she look up, her eyes cold, but a smile playing on her lips. She whispered, "So what if you complain? As long as you move out, I've won. Brother Chuan will always be mine."
“I want to move with you,” Xiao Pingchuan said to Shen Suqin in the study.
Shen Suqin, who was tidying up her books with her head down, said without looking up, "I refuse."
"Why?"
“Because I don’t necessarily need to find a man.” Shen Suqin said calmly while fiddling with a book. “I find it too troublesome to stay by your side. I have many important things to do and don’t want to waste time on this. As for feelings, I don’t rely on them for a living. What I give, I can take back. General, you should be more carefree.”
Xiao Pingchuan was going crazy.
He thought it was just a matter of him trying to add some points, but he didn't expect them to reset his score to zero.
“I disagree,” he said firmly. “Why should I be held responsible for their mistakes? Even prisons don’t easily impose the rule of collective punishment, yet you convicted me so easily.”
Shen Suqin didn't want to talk to him.
Xiao Pingchuan continued to act shamelessly: "I don't care, you have to take me with you when you move."
"On what grounds?"
"Because I am your husband."
"Fake."
Because I like you.
"unnecessary."
Xiao Pingchuan was about to lose his temper. He grabbed Shen Suqin by the shoulders and pulled her close, saying earnestly, "Take me with you. I'm strong. I can fix anything that needs fixing in the new house."
His palms were wide and thick, and warm, making Shen Suqin's cheeks flush red.
She brushed his hand away, saying somewhat awkwardly, "I'll hire servants; I don't need you."
Xiao Pingchuan, however, suddenly found a breakthrough. He softened his voice, "Madam, think about it carefully. Aren't I just short of kneeling down and begging you to take me away?" His voice was hoarse and deep, his eyes moist, carrying a strong seductive meaning, "I offer myself as your bedmate, Madam, why don't you give it a try, hmm?"
Upon hearing the last few words, Shen Suqin forgot to breathe. This man was too deadly; he was tall and burly, and killed people cleanly and efficiently.
But he told her, "I'll offer myself as your bedmate," and Shen Suqin was completely smitten.
She swallowed hard, lowered her eyes, and said, "I...I don't want to."
Xiao Pingchuan used his thumb to press against her chin, lifting her face, and whispered, "Go ahead, I'll let you do as you please, Madam."
His eyes were pitch black, as if the night of the North had been crushed and placed inside them, deep and vast, three parts alluring, three parts oppressive, wrapped in thick affection, rushing towards Shen Suqin with an impenetrable force.
Suddenly, she raised her hand to cover his eyes, paused for a moment, and said, "General Xiao, I'm not buying this."
Xiao Pingchuan chuckled: "So, what does Madam think?"
"lady?"
Shen Suqin snorted, "I don't care what you say, General, you might as well figure it out for yourself."
"So you're agreeing to take me with you?"
"If you want to come, then come. Do you think I can tie your legs?"
Xiao Pingchuan finally cheered up and couldn't help but hug her and spin her around, saying, "I'll go back and pack my things now, wait for me."
The new courtyard that Shen Suqin found was much smaller and more exquisite than the General's Mansion. It had also been renovated and was fully equipped with a heated wall and a kang (heated brick bed). The house was very warm.
Xiao Pingchuan consciously occupied the side room in the main courtyard, and could see Shen Suqin's master bedroom as soon as he opened the window.
The room opposite his is Su Yubai's, and Su Yubai is currently still bedridden.
After a whole day of fussing and commotion, it's finally all sorted out.
Su Yubai pushed open the window, leaned against the bed, and said to Xiao Pingchuan through the window, "General, you really have no shame in living off your wife."
Xiao Pingchuan opened the window: "Thank you for the compliment."
"It's easy, it's easy. But General, you can't rely on your looks to please others for long. You should think of other options."
"for example?"
"For example, like me, she can sell herself to Master Shen, so that she can't get rid of her even if she wants to."
The master bedroom window was suddenly pushed open, and Shen Suqin stood behind it, saying, "How come I didn't know I bought you?"
Su Yubai: "You want me to manage your business in the western suburbs? Does that count as buying it? Besides, we haven't even discussed the price yet."
"All the profits are yours."
Su Yubai raised an eyebrow: "Such a good thing? Really?"
“Of course it’s true. By the way, since the weather is nice today, why don’t you come with me for a stroll in the western suburbs?” After saying that, Shen Suqin turned to Xiao Pingchuan and said, “General, could you please carry him over for me?”
Now, more than ten greenhouses stand outside the West Gate. After two-thirds were harvested last time, the remaining one-third is still in the greenhouses and has grown quite large.
“Xingyuan Restaurant won’t supply it indefinitely. After all, this is a hot commodity, and if it’s made too common, it won’t fetch a good price,” Shen Suqin said. “Last time, the managers from various places brought back a batch, which has been gradually put on the market and the response has been very good. There should be two more batches before the holiday, and you can handle the rest.”
Su Yubai certainly wouldn't let Xiao Pingchuan carry him; he still had military duties to complete and didn't dare delay him. Su Yubai rode in a carriage, with servants helping him get in and out.
As they were talking, Zhou Baihu led them into the shed. "These are the ones that haven't been picked yet. The ones that were picked before have been replanted in the field and will be available for sale soon."
Su Yubai nodded, "Then help me prepare a batch, lined with silk in wooden boxes, the more expensive the better."
How big should the box be?
Su Yubai gestured: "It doesn't have to be very big, but it has to be gorgeous enough."
Zhou Baihu: "I understand."
“We don’t need too many for the first batch, about five hundred boxes will be enough,” Su Yubai said. “Print them with… Chen Ji’s badge.”
“The badges aren’t there yet,” Shen Suqin said.
"Then have someone draw it. Anyone who wants to grow big does so under the banner of their family. Do you expect to be like Xingyuan, doing small-scale operations?"
Zhou Baihu gasped in shock. How could he not know that Xingyuan Restaurant, which was ubiquitous in Daliang, was just a small-time operation?
"In addition, we need to find someone with enough authority for the first batch, such as the one in the palace. As long as he uses him, the subordinates will definitely follow suit."
"So, you want that person to help you deliver the goods to the palace."
Su Yubai laughed: "Not only that, I also need him to help me deliver it to the aristocratic families. Since we've been in the same boat for a long time, Your Highness can't just hide behind us and do nothing when my Su family is in trouble."
"You really dare to think that way."
"I call this making the most of resources."
"Alright, His Highness will be back in a few days, so it's time to introduce you two. You can tell him yourself then."
"Can."
Zhou Baihu stood quietly to the side, then suddenly remembered something, "Does Madam know about Black Gold?"
Shen Suqin's expression shifted; black gold was a valuable item.
She remembered that black gold was iron ore, and iron was a major source of national tax revenue.
"Do you know where I can find it?" she asked.
Zhou Baihu pointed to Laomaoling not far away and said, "It's over there. Underneath the thin layer of soil on Laomaoling, it's all there."
Shen Suqin and Su Yubai exchanged a glance, both seeing caution in each other's eyes.
Daliang has iron mines and also smelts iron, but the scale is very small.
Because coal had not yet been discovered in this era, iron could only be smelted using charcoal. The temperature was insufficient, the iron purity was low, and the forged iron was soft and brittle.
Although there are now methods to harden iron, the technology is said to be very complex and the output is very low, so iron has always been very scarce and expensive.
"Is there a chance?" Su Yubai asked Shen Suqin in a low voice.
"I hope so." The prerequisite is that she can find someone who knows how to smelt iron, "to take us to see it."
On the way, Shen Suqin asked him, "Ning Yuan is right next to us, how come no one noticed before?"
"Of course, some people have discovered it, and some even want to mine it, but with all the fighting, people have gradually stopped asking about it. We even reported it to the court through the official gazette, but it seems we haven't received any response."
Shen Suqin remembered that Xiao Pingchuan had said that the imperial court would deliberately intercept reports from the northern border.
Unexpectedly, this incredible stroke of luck fell into her lap.
The group slowly walked towards Laomao Ridge. As they got closer, they realized that the mountain was actually not short; it just appeared short because of its relatively gentle slope.
“Behind the mountain is a fairly spacious open space,” Zhou Baihu said. “By sealing off the road down the mountain, it can be considered a secluded place.”
Shen Suqin looked up and asked, "Where was the black gold found?"
"This way."
After walking along the foot of the mountain for a while, we turned to a sheltered spot.
Zhou Baihu bent down, picked up a dark stone, and handed it to her, saying, "This is it."
Shen Suqin stared at the sun for a long time, then handed it to Su Yubai and said, "No wonder no one is interested in the iron ore here. The purity is too low, and I'm afraid they can't refine anything worthwhile."
This iron ore has many visible impurities and is light in weight. If it were high-purity iron ore, such a large piece would be very heavy.
Su Yubai looked up at the mountain and the ancient Zong River in the distance and said, "I think we can dig deeper."
“That’s true, something is better than nothing.” Shen Suqin turned to look at Commander Zhou, “Brother Zhou, do you have any more manpower on your side?”
"Yes, after the tents were set up, a group of people took a break. Since everyone felt bad about eating for free all day with nothing to do."
"That's perfect. Brother Zhou, organize some people to help investigate. It would be best to find two experienced ones."
"OK."
"By the way, let's keep it a secret for now. If we really find some treasure, we need to be careful that others don't steal it from us."
Commander Zhou nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, Madam."
"Also, the New Year is just around the corner. Boss Su's idea is to set aside a portion of the profits from selling vegetables to share with everyone so they can have a good New Year. Boss Su is the head of the Su family in Jiaozhou, and he's very good at doing business. From now on, I'll officially hand over the affairs of the western suburbs to him, and I hope Brother Zhou will provide plenty of assistance," Shen Suqin said earnestly.
“As Miss Ju Tao has already explained, the Su family is very famous. With the head of the Su family around, I believe all the brothers can find a good way out. I would like to thank the head of the Su family on behalf of the brothers. We will definitely do our best to assist him.”
Su Yubai clasped his hands in a fist salute; “I’ll treat the brothers to drinks in a couple of days. Commander Zhou, remember to invite everyone.”
"Haha, definitely."
After settling into the new courtyard, Shen Suqin rarely went out. Apart from seeing Xiao Pingchuan, who came to deliver medicine every day, she spent the rest of her time in the backyard without leaving the house.
Nobody knows what she's doing.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, the festive atmosphere in Ningyuan is growing stronger.
Xingyuan Restaurant's "Reunion Pot" has been officially launched, attracting a large number of customers eager to try it.
Especially in the dead of winter, to see crisp, green vegetables is like a miracle. Many people come here because they think that even if they can't eat them, just seeing them is enough.
The situation was similar at Xingyuan Restaurant in other counties; as soon as the reunion hot pot was introduced, the restaurant was packed with customers.
It was at this time that Su Yubai seized the opportunity to obtain an imperial edict from Shi Ye, and ordered someone to use his name to send the beautifully packaged vegetables to the palace by fast horse.
It happened to be a palace banquet, and as soon as the green vegetables were served, they attracted everyone's attention.
From then on, green vegetables became a coveted treasure among aristocratic families, with a single box fetching a price of over a thousand taels of silver.
Immediately afterwards, everyone discovered that a store called "Shenji Zhenhuo" had quietly opened in the capital. Vegetables that were priceless in the city were not only openly sold at Shenji Department Store, but were also openly priced at a very unreasonable price.
One box costs 1,888 taels of silver.
An ordinary family might never see this much money in their entire life.
Even so, people still flocked to it, as if those crisp green vegetables were made of gold.
In less than half a month, Su Yubai earned back more than 100,000 taels of silver.
He truly deserves to be the head of a century-old family.
That day, Su Yubai took the first batch of silver he had received to Shen Suqin and went to confirm the profit sharing with her.
“Sister Qin is in the backyard,” Ju Tao said.
"What is she always doing in the backyard?"
"You'll see when we go in."
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