Chapter 50 Strange and Wonderful
Seeing that he was getting increasingly absurd, Zhou Jichen interrupted him sharply: "Xue Tianlu! I was the one who introduced Zimin to Seventh Master. Are you going to slander me as well?"
Xue Tianlu stopped abruptly, a stiff smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He said awkwardly, "Brother Zhou, you flatter me. How could I dare to be disrespectful to you? I was just speaking the truth."
Zhao Jinglun quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Brother Zhou, why bother arguing with him? You know his temper; he just didn't mean it."
Zhou Jichen, however, showed no appreciation whatsoever. His gaze swept coldly over Xue Tianlu, and he snorted, "What truth? If I remember correctly, last month you were begging Zimin to help you negotiate that gem deal with the Arabs. So many people were eyeing it with envy. If it weren't for Zimin's mediation, would you have won? That deal must have made you quite a bit of money, right? Now that your pockets are bulging, you're turning on us and slandering Zimin behind our backs. How are we supposed to work with you in the future if you act like this?"
Xue Tianlu was struck where it hurt by these words, and his face turned ashen. If he had only felt sourness before, he was now truly enraged. He gulped down a glass of wine, slammed the glass down on the table, and said angrily, "You talk as if I owe Jin Yunnian a huge favor! You don't know, that kid is ruthless and cunning. When has he ever suffered a loss? He takes five percent of my profits. The tax is only one-tenth now. He doesn't have to lift a finger. He just talks to the Arabs a few words and gets half the tax paid just by passing through the middle. We're a cashier, I don't owe Jin Yunnian a single penny."
Zhou Jichen couldn't help but sneer inwardly, thinking to himself: Xue Tianlu is so righteous at this moment, talking about integrity! If Jin Yunnian didn't rely on the power of the Cen family chieftain of Zhaoqing Prefecture, would the Xue family, with their consistent moral character, be so honest in fulfilling their promise?
Zhao Jinglun's slightly tipsy eyes cleared instantly. He slammed his chopsticks on the table, dumbfounded, and said indignantly, "You still think half a percent is too much? The previous dynasty's Maritime Trade Office levied a 20% tax, and your Xue family accepted it without a word. When did we ever see your Xue family show the slightest resentment? Now, the governor is showing compassion to merchants and people, and the customs duty is only 10%. You've negotiated a deal for top-grade gemstones, and the profit from reselling isn't fixed. Who knows how much higher the profit might be than estimated, more than double? Zimin only wants you to pay the fixed profit plus a half-percent commission, and you still can't bear to part with that?"
"I only regret that I wasn't in Guangzhou at the time. If it were me, I would be willing to take even a 10% commission, let alone half a percent!" Zhao Jinglun looked incredulous. He rubbed his chin, looked at Xue Tianlun's expression, smacked his lips, and chuckled, "I bet you would never dare to say these words to Jin Yunnian's face."
Xue Tianlu originally intended to put Jin Yunnian down and gain face in front of Chen Junyan, but unexpectedly, Zhou Jichen and Zhao Jinglun revealed all his secrets in front of everyone.
His face was gloomy, but he remained stubborn and refused to back down: "He's just a son-in-law who married into the family. If it weren't for the Cen family backing him, who would give him this face?"
He had once met Miss Cen by chance and was immediately captivated by her beauty. He hurriedly asked his mother to arrange a marriage, but Miss Cen refused, saying that "he would divorce his wife and marry someone else, and no matter what, he would not be a good match." Unexpectedly, Miss Cen turned around and allowed some young man who appeared out of nowhere to marry into the family. Wasn't this a blatant slap in the face to Xue Tianlu? Was he, the third young master of the Xue family, not as good as a young man?
At this moment, someone laughed loudly and said, not wanting to miss out on the fun, "Don't pay any attention to him. He's just upset because he couldn't win the heart of his beloved, that's why he's holding a grudge against Zimin."
Zhou Jichen seemed to recall Xue Tianlu's marriage proposal to the Cen family and shook his head, saying, "Don't even mention wanting to marry into the Cen family; even if you were to become a live-in son-in-law, the Cen family's eldest daughter wouldn't look at you."
Despite his resentment, Xue Tianlu dared not act presumptuously in front of Zhou Jichen, and could only say aggrievedly, "Brother Zhou, you have no right to humiliate your brother like this."
Chen Junyan became interested and urged, "Oh? What do you mean? Don't keep me in suspense, tell me quickly."
Zhou Jichen then said, "Do you think the Cen family could send a woman like her to Guangzhou to establish herself as the head of the family? The eldest daughter of the Cen family is not some ordinary young lady who only knows how to embroider. She can squeeze money out of her. Two years ago, she broke the Duan inkstone's dominant position in Zhaoqing Prefecture in just three months."
Xue Tianlu shook his head and said, "That's impossible. I've already inquired. If she had the abilities you described, why would she need to come to Guangzhou?"
Zhou Jichen snorted: "My uncle's family is related to them, how could that be wrong? Everyone knows that Tencel cotton has only been around for the past few years, right?"
Zhao Jinglun immediately replied, "Who among the merchants in Guangzhou doesn't know that silk floss is not only a hot commodity in the Zhaode court, but also a treasure for foreign merchants? It's already in short supply in the market, with prices far exceeding supply."
Zhou Jichen fell silent at the opportune moment, only giving the crowd a meaningful glance, leaving them to ponder the implications. Countless thoughts raced through the minds of those present, ultimately concluding: The unique craftsmanship of that silk floss was actually the work of the eldest daughter of the Cen family? How could that be?
Seeing the astonishment and disbelief on everyone's faces, he continued unhurriedly, "How could the Cen family allow Miss Cen to marry into another family? How could they possibly choose a woman like her based solely on her youthful appearance?"
He turned his gaze to Xue Tianlu, a hint of disdain in his eyes: "You only focus on the half-percent of profit Jin Yunnian takes from you, but don't you think about how many other deals he's handled? Miss Cen isn't looking for a son-in-law; she's clearly bringing home a golden goose that lays golden eggs for her family."
These words were like a wake-up call. If you all think back carefully, it seems that every single one of those large-scale transactions with foreign countries at the docks over the past year was handled by Jin Yunnian.
Considering his knowledge and eloquence, coupled with Miss Cen's Tencel cotton, he had the foreign merchants' lifeline firmly in his grasp.
The Cen couple kept a low profile, engaging in only sure-fire, risk-free businesses, quietly amassing a fortune. In this respect, they were truly the ones who made a killing.
It's laughable that Xue Tianlu even looks down on Jin Yunnian, considering her lowly. In Guangzhou Prefecture, which lowly interpreter would dare to ask for half a percent of the profits?
Chen Junyan was completely engrossed in listening. He pictured Jin Yunnian's gentle, reserved, and even somewhat shy demeanor, which was hard to reconcile with the shrewd and sharp image that Zhou Jichen had described as eloquent and eloquent in the business world.
A strong sense of separation welled up within him. One was a man whose face flushed after just a few drinks, eager to return home for fear of displeasing his wife; the other could extract huge profits with his words. This stark contrast gave him a strange sense of unreality. He thought to himself: This young couple is truly fascinating.
Master Chen naturally knew about Tencel Cotton. The Cen family's rise to the position of Tusi (chieftain) was closely related to the governor. As far as he knew, two years ago, the head of the Cen family had personally gone to Minzhou to pay his respects to the family head, but he didn't know what the matter was about.
However, when the Cen family presented the Tencel cotton to the governor, they never mentioned that the Tencel cotton was produced by the eldest daughter of the Cen family. This trip seemed to be much more interesting than he had expected.
Hearing Zhou Jichen's words, which were so eloquent and well-founded, Xue Tianlu knew that the matter was true. With everyone watching, Zhou Jichen would certainly not fabricate such a story just to elevate Jin Yunnian, a mere son-in-law.
He felt terrible, a sour feeling rising in his throat. He thought to himself, the third young master of the Xue family, was being disliked to this extent!
On the one hand, Xue Tianlu couldn't help but feel a secret sense of pride in his own judgment back then. He secretly admired his own foresight; Miss Cen was indeed no ordinary woman, worthy of being the one he had chosen at first glance.
On the one hand, he was overwhelmed with disappointment and resentment, regretting that he was ultimately not fortunate enough to have such a blessing.
It should be noted that silk and cotton had become the Cen family's greatest asset, even praised by the governor, and included in military supplies. The Cen family's power was now vastly different from what it used to be. No wonder Jin Yunnian could move freely in Xiaohai and even Haojing'ao (now Macau).
At this moment, Zhao Jinglun and the others looked at Xue Tianlu with an "I see" expression, as if they now understood why he had suddenly divorced his wife two years ago. At that time, his ex-wife had even attempted suicide, which was widely known and quite embarrassing.
Xue Tianlu pretended not to know and touched his nose to the side, avoiding everyone's gaze.
Before long, someone noticed that Master Chen seemed quite interested in Jin Yunnian's affairs. Knowing that Master Chen liked to seek out the unusual, they said, "To be honest, interpreters are either of humble origins, having struggled among foreigners and traveled all over the country with them, only knowing a few words of foreign languages; or they are poor, bookish idiots who have repeatedly failed the imperial examinations but have some talent. On the contrary, Jin Yunnian stands out from the crowd. He comes from a small family in Zhaoqing Prefecture, but he is not only fluent in several foreign languages, but he can also read and write Arabic and Japanese. By all accounts, such a person must be a bookish idiot, but he is not even a student of the lowest rank, yet he is more capable than the officials from the Ministry of Rites in the Maritime Trade Office."
Zhao Jinglun understood the man's approach and pondered Chen Qiye's thoughts. He then smiled and began to recount Jin Yunnian's romantic affairs: "Zi Min is exceptionally talented. Even the officials from the Ministry of Rites praised him. Everyone knows this, so there's nothing surprising about it. If we're talking about something unusual, we should say that he's afraid of his wife."
Zhou Jichen also laughed and said, "This is nothing new."
Zhao Jinglun, feigning ignorance, swept his gaze over everyone, whetting their appetites, before saying, "They say Zimin is henpecked, afraid of his wife's scolding if he drinks a couple more cups, leaving us behind and fleeing back as if his life depended on it. But if he were truly so henpecked, why would he consider Hongxiao his confidante? Everyone knows Hongxiao's dances are hard to come by, you probably don't know that! He's an exception with Jin Yunnian. He often buys Hongxiao's invitations, and the girls in the brothel all praise him as refined and elegant, a reincarnation of Bo Ya, a charming and romantic figure. He's so promiscuous, yet his wife doesn't seem angry. How can a husband who married into the family not be jealous? Isn't that strange?"
Zhou Jichen had never thought of it this way before, and couldn't help but find it a bit strange: "Why are you staring at that young couple? But what you said does have some twisted logic."
At this moment, someone exclaimed, "You know what? Once, his wife met Hongxiao at my jewelry shop. I thought Madam Cen was going to start a fight, but the two not only chatted happily and looked at jewelry together, but Madam Cen even paid for Hongxiao's purchase and gave her a valuable piece of jewelry." The person added meaningfully, "Just you wait and see, Hongxiao will definitely go back with her."
Chen Junyan lowered his eyes, took a sip of wine, and smiled slightly. If he was only a little curious before, he was now very curious.
Meanwhile, Hongxiao helped the slightly tipsy Jin Yunnian to his feet and left. As the two walked downstairs together, Hongxiao's hand, resting on Jin Yunnian's arm, trembled slightly.
Hongxiao clenched her teeth tightly to keep from speaking. She was just a courtesan, born as lowly as an ant, her life as insignificant as grass. She had overheard such a secret by chance, and felt a chill run down her spine. She was afraid that she would be silenced and lose her life without knowing why.
Meng Qingci sensed it, and she patted Hongxiao's hand to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, it's alright."
Hongxiao bit her red lips, her heart as steady as gold, and nodded gently: "Young master has just drunk quite a bit, let me take you back!"
Meng Qingci chuckled softly, then playfully lifted Hongxiao's chin. "You're so considerate, always thinking of me. But it's getting late, and your precious child is too much for me. I can't bear to see you suffer like this." He then leaned close to Hongxiao's ear and teased her, "I'll take you home myself, so your mother won't gossip and scold you if you leave early."
Upon hearing this, Hongxiao turned her blushing cheek and spat softly, "You're so frivolous! If your wife finds out, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"
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Author's Note: Fu Heng: I've almost forgotten I'm the male lead.
Meng Qingci: I don't remember you anymore.
Author's note: Tencel cotton is made from extracted plant fibers, such as bamboo and wood. It's not entirely impossible for it to be made this way. If someone claims that this technology couldn't be achieved in ancient times, that's just a fabrication and shouldn't be taken seriously.
Sorry for the few less updates these past couple of days, I'll try my best. [Cat paw]
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