Chapter 19: The Mole
Third Young Miss pulled my arm, “Second Sister-in-law, this person is a scoundrel, let’s report him to the authorities.”
I smiled and waved my hand.
This person is a bit stubborn, but it’s not like we need to go to court over such a small matter.
Seeing that his clothes and shoes were washed until they were faded, it was clear he was in financial straits.
He refused money, which showed he wasn’t after wealth.
I recalled the words from the “Twelve Rules of Financial Management by Tao Zhu Gong” that I had read some days ago: “To know people, to discern their good and evil, and to judge them wisely; to employ people, to utilize their talents and resources, and to entrust them with tasks.”
This impoverished man, with intelligence shining in his eyes, might be a useful talent.
The accountant at the counter had retired at the end of the year due to his age. Currently, many tasks were falling on Wu Bi alone. It was precisely a time when people were needed.
I said to him, “Young Master, my husband’s sister cannot possibly sew your shoes for you. However, I can offer you a way to make a living. How about working as an accountant at my counter?”
He cleared his throat twice, knowing I had perceived his predicament.
He looked at me, then at Third Young Miss, and nodded.
I said, “Why doesn’t Young Master ask how much the monthly salary is?”
He cupped his hands and said, “Since Madam has invited me, she will not shortchange me.”
I laughed and said, “That’s clear. After the festival, go to the Cheng Family’s Tea House on East Street and find Shopkeeper Wu. Just say that the Second Young Mistress arranged it.”
He bowed to me and Third Young Miss and walked away in his broken shoes, disappearing into the bustling crowd.
Third Young Miss pouted, “Why did Second Sister-in-law invite him back?”
I patted her hand and said, “Qing Shi, I see that this young master has a dignified aura and doesn’t seem like a bad person. Today is the Lantern Festival, and you encountered him in the bustling crowd. Who knows if it wasn’t a form of destiny? Don’t be angry anymore.”
She tilted her head, looking melancholic.
I knew she was thinking of Qin Mingxu again, but she was too proud to mention it.
Ever since Qin Mingxu refused her proposal at the Qin Manor, Third Young Miss had never mentioned him again.
Though she didn’t mention him, she couldn’t forget him.
Occasionally, when the atmosphere was particularly lively, a word or a phrase, a flower or a tree, could make her lose herself in thought for a long time.
I pointed to the beautiful rabbit lantern to distract her from her worries.
It was already the second watch, but the people on the street showed no signs of fatigue. Fireworks were being set off with enthusiasm, and colorful lanterns flowed with excitement.
However, after what had just happened, Third Young Miss seemed tired. She held my arm as we returned home.
As we walked to the Jiangdu Bridge, I vaguely saw a familiar face.
It was Bai Zhou, an old employee from the Cheng Family’s counter. According to Wu Bi, he had been there longer than Wu Bi.
Bai Zhou was talking to a tea merchant named Lu Yu from the Chamber of Commerce, glancing around from time to time, looking very cautious.
I said to Third Young Miss, “Qing Shi, you go home first. Second Sister-in-law has something to figure out before she goes back.”
“Second Sister-in-law, what is it?”
I looked at Bai Zhou and said, “Business matters.”
She didn’t ask further, just said, “Then Second Sister-in-law, please be careful on your own,” and left.
I crouched down and quietly crept behind a large willow tree, continuing to watch the two of them.
Lu Yu said something and hurriedly handed a package to Bai Zhou. Bai Zhou took it and tucked it into his chest. They nodded at each other and parted ways. Bai Zhou went east, and Lu Yu went west.
I followed Bai Zhou for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea and saw him enter a small alley.
Just as I was about to go in, someone behind me suddenly grabbed me.
I turned my head and saw it was Qin Mingxu.
I whispered, “Why are you following me!”
Qin Mingxu pulled me to the main road before letting go.
“I wasn’t following you. It’s just that I saw you acting furtively at the bridge earlier, and I was curious. I was also worried you might have fallen into some trap. I couldn’t rest easy, so I came to see,” Qin Mingxu said unhurriedly.
I cursed, “It’s all your fault for interrupting! I lost him!”
He shook his head, “People who do bad things fear being caught red-handed the most. Aren’t you afraid that if you pursue him so relentlessly, he might become enraged and attack you?”
He thought for a moment, “Besides, even if you apprehend Bai Zhou now, what good would it do? You don’t even know what they are trying to do. They can easily deny everything. If Bai Zhou is gone, there are other employees. It’s hard to guarantee that another person won’t be bought off by them.”
I pondered for a moment and calmed down, “We have to wait until the matter is exposed and catch Lu Yu at his weakest point. Only then will they not dare to cause trouble again. Then we can punish Bai Zhou, making an example of him, so that all employees will not dare to betray us.”
Qin Mingxu clapped his hands, “Well said!”
At the end of the year, Lord Liang designated Cheng Family’s tea as tribute tea. The other tea merchants in the Chamber of Commerce, who had spent a lot of effort in vain, were all overshadowed. They were not reconciled.
The business world is like a battlefield.
They wanted to play dirty with me.
The “Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of the Merchants” states that clever strategies win battles, and ingenious plans generate wealth.
If I didn’t have some means, how could I establish myself in Yangzhou Prefecture?
In the midst of deceitful merchants, how could I continue to operate the Cheng Family Tea House?
I pondered.
Qin Mingxu said, “Use them, observe them, control them, feign ignorance, let them go—”
He clenched his fist, “Destroy them.”
I nodded and bowed, “Thank you.”
After speaking, I turned to leave.
He called out to me, “Zhu Sangyu—”
I turned my head and was stunned.
“Why are you calling me like that?”
He spread his hands, “You don’t let me call you Miss, so I’ll call you by your name. What’s wrong with that? I really dislike calling a woman ‘Madam So-and-so,’ as if taking a husband’s surname means losing oneself. Can’t a married woman still be herself?”
“Call me whatever you want,” I said, not wanting to argue with him.
He said, “Five days ago, I went to Dongchang Prefecture to handle some affairs at a branch store and saw Master Zhu…”
Hearing him mention my maiden family, my heart fluttered. After a moment, I couldn’t help but ask, “How is my father?”
He said, “Master Zhu’s health doesn’t seem very good. He said he caught a cough during the New Year and took more than ten doses of medicine, but it didn’t get better.”
I was silent.
Father loved drinking, so it was likely his body was depleted.
He said, “Master Zhu still thinks of you. He knew I was coming from Yangzhou Prefecture, so he asked if I had seen you and if you were doing well in your husband’s family.”
I sneered, “I’m afraid he wasn’t concerned about whether I was doing well, but rather about getting money from me.”
Qin Mingxu sighed, and after a long pause, said, “Why do you have to say such harsh words? You can’t truly be heartless.”
I tried my best to suppress the sourness that threatened to bring tears to my eyes.
That sentence seemed to have passed through my very soul.
Every word was sincere.
No matter how much resentment or heartache there was, I couldn’t let go.
“Taking good care of yourself is the greatest consideration,” Qin Mingxu said.
A large firework suddenly exploded in the sky.
I returned to the manor amidst the clamor of the lights.
Not long after, I received a letter from my father. He said that Qin Mingxu had bought ten carts of flower wine from the Zhu family and had also introduced him to many clients. Knowing about his cough, he sent him the finest donkey-hide gelatin to condition his body. Father thought it was due to Qin Mingxu’s friendship with the Cheng family and thanked his in-laws and son-in-law profusely.
I held the letter and drank half a cup of Autumn Wild Tea.
Qin Mingxu had once explained his kindness to me as “repaying a debt of gratitude.” This debt had been repaid too much, only disturbing my peace of mind.
When would I be able to return this great favor to him?
The new accountant handled matters very reliably.
Wu Bi was overjoyed.
“Second Young Mistress, where did you find someone like Lu Gui? Although he is young, he is more diligent than many older gentlemen. In less than seven days, he has re-sorted and copied all the account books from previous years, organizing them perfectly. Not only that, but he has also marked the transactions and amounts for major clients, summarized them, and offered many useful suggestions.”
Before Lu Gui arrived, Wu Bi was busy beyond measure.
After Lu Gui arrived, Wu Bi had more leisure time to better maintain client relationships.
He was very fond of this young man.
I smiled, “Oh, I picked him up from the street during the Lantern Festival. His name is quite interesting. Lu Gui. Lu Buwei and Bai Gui were both giants of the business world!”
Lu Gui didn’t say much, but his eyes were sharp. He observed everything around him. I carefully observed him; he was a good prospect for business.
Only when Third Young Miss occasionally appeared at the counter would he become stubborn, like a prickly head, always picking fights with her.
Each time, Third Young Miss would be furious, and then slowly think of many sharp retorts to deal with him.
The two of them seemed to be competing.
I did not dissuade them, nor did I allow Wu Bi to dissuade them. I let them be.
With such a sparring partner, perhaps Third Young Miss would feel less burdened.
I never relaxed my vigilance towards Bai Zhou.
I secretly sent people to monitor his every move.
After a month or two, he showed no abnormalities for the time being.
I was on high alert day and night.
Soon, it was March.
The tall willows sang with early orioles, and spring rain echoed in the long corridors.
A spring rain fell.
It was time to harvest the spring tea.
Orders poured in from all directions, east, west, south, and north.
New tea from the Huizhou tea gardens was transported in carts, and the counter was filled with a fragrant, fresh, and moist aroma all day long.
Spring was full of life. New tea was also full of life.
At the dock, Wu Bi supervised the workers loading the goods, working from dawn till dusk.
In the manor, I was reading “Journey to the West,” and the courtyard was a riot of colors.
I read up to the seventeenth chapter: Sun Wukong wreaks havoc on Black Wind Mountain, and Guanyin subdues the Bear Monster.
He Hua walked in from outside and said in a low voice, “Second Young Mistress, Bai Zhou has made his move.”
I put down my book and smiled, “Good. This time, let’s see how Guanyin subdues the Bear Monster. Tell Wu Bi to act tonight.”
