Chapter 105: Reaching a Consensus
The next day, as soon as Li Jinzhu and Li Yuzhu left, Mei Jie quickly fried over a dozen glutinous rice cakes. Li Xiaonan, with the glutinous rice cakes, inkstone box, and folded coarse Xuan paper on her back, went out to the tea house to call A Wu and Wang Yuting.
The tea house shop assistant was sweeping and pointed Li Xiaonan to go around to the corner gate.
Inside the corner gate was a row of back auxiliary rooms. Facing the corner gate, the innermost two rooms had a brand-new bamboo fence wall at the entrance. Li Xiaonan headed straight for the bamboo fence and pushed the door open to peek inside.
A Wu and Wang Yuting were sitting in the courtyard, about ten feet wide, eating.
“You’re eating now? The sun is already overhead,” Li Xiaonan said as she entered the small courtyard.
“Where’s the sun overhead?” A Wu poked upwards with his chopsticks, retorted at Li Xiaonan, and then continued to wolf down the vegetable congee.
“Want some more? These dishes were made in the main kitchen out front, they taste very good,” Wang Yuting said with a smile, inviting Li Xiaonan.
“I’ve eaten. You two eat quickly. Guo Lane has an early market, and if we’re late, it’ll be too late,” Li Xiaonan stood by, urging them to eat.
“Who rushes people to eat like that? Even the emperor doesn’t mistreat his hungry soldiers,” A Wu gave Li Xiaonan a look.
Li Xiaonan ignored him.
A Wu and Wang Yuting still ate quite quickly. After finishing their meal, A Wu took the bowls and chopsticks to the front, and Wang Yuting filled a leather bag with water and locked the door before coming out.
Exiting the corner gate, Li Xiaonan saw A Wu and Wang Yuting following her, one on each side, looking ready to set off. She stopped and asked, “Where are the horses?”
“The two of us are enough, we don’t need horses,” A Wu said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Li Xiaonan.
“How can you ride horses to a market? Those horses are very expensive,” Wang Yuting said with a smile.
“You two and your two horses, how do you calculate the cost of food, lodging, and wages?” Li Xiaonan also crossed her arms over her chest, looking at the two of them.
“Food and lodging are at the tea house, for both people and horses. We haven’t discussed wages yet,” A Wu answered crisply and readily.
“The copper coins for your food and lodging at the tea house were all paid by me, for both people and horses! If you’re unwilling to use the horses, then I won’t pay for keeping the horses anymore. You figure out how to keep your horses yourselves,” Li Xiaonan said, tilting her chin at Wang Yuting and A Wu.
A Wu glared at Li Xiaonan. Wang Yuting looked at A Wu, then at Li Xiaonan, and just as he was about to speak, A Wu stomped his foot, “I’ll go ask!”
After a moment, A Wu returned dejectedly. He didn’t look at Li Xiaonan but said to Wang Yuting, “You two wait up front, I’ll go fetch the horses.”
Li Xiaonan and Wang Yuting, with one horse, arrived at Guo Xiang Town in no time.
Still in the open space at the horn-shaped opening outside the town, the three of them dismounted. Li Xiaonan untied her bundle, stuffed the bundle of glutinous rice cakes into Wang Yuting’s arms, spread out the coarse Xuan paper, gestured for A Wu to carry it, and took out the inkstone box.
“What are you doing?” A Wu and Wang Yuting leaned in from either side to watch Li Xiaonan busy herself.
“Writing a notice, to put on the horse’s back,” Li Xiaonan replied.
A Wu let out a snort of laughter, and Wang Yuting also laughed.
“This young lady, do you think everyone is as literate and refined as you are?” A Wu said while laughing.
Li Xiaonan froze.
Indeed, she had overlooked it again. The literacy rate in this area was extremely, extremely low!
Wang Yuting looked at Li Xiaonan, who resembled a deflated water bag, and asked with a smile, “What do you want to write? What kind of business are you doing?”
“I want to buy fine cloth, at a high price,” Li Xiaonan said weakly.
“Where would you find fine cloth here!” A Wu was still laughing.
“I know there isn’t any. It’s not about buying fine cloth, I just… sigh, it’s hard to explain to you. I just want everyone to know that someone is buying fine cloth at a high price, anytime, all year round.”
Li Xiaonan took the coarse Xuan paper and, dejectedly, folded it back up.
Li Xiaonan’s mood was gloomy, but A Wu’s mood improved. He drew out his words and said with a laugh, “This is similar to us accepting escort missions.”
“Huh?” Li Xiaonan glared at A Wu. “How do you accept escort missions?”
“We find a few warehouses and inns, and leave word. If someone needs an escort, and it’s urgent, the shopkeeper will send someone to call us. If it’s not urgent, they wait for us to pass by. Anyway, we make a round every three to five days.”
Li Xiaonan’s eyes lit up. “That’s right, that’s a good idea! Let’s go find an inn and ask.”
“It might not be appropriate to go to an inn to buy fine cloth,” Wang Yuting followed Li Xiaonan.
“Right!” Li Xiaonan stopped. Wang Yuting didn’t stop in time and bumped into Li Xiaonan, making her stumble. Li Xiaonan turned around smoothly and looked at Wang Yuting, her eyes bright. “I’m buying fine cloth from girls and wives. Where do they go most often? Needlework shops?”
“They don’t go to needlework shops many times a year; a needle can last for several years. The place they go most often during market days is the grocery store. They can’t do without soy sauce, vinegar, and salt,” Wang Yuting said with a smile.
“Mm!” Li Xiaonan nodded repeatedly.
Indeed, she had gone to the county town with her eldest sister a few times, and the place her eldest sister went to every time was the grocery store.
“Let’s discuss how to get the grocery stores to agree to help us collect fine cloth, and how to get them to work hard. A commission is the best method. How much should we give them per bolt of cloth? And how often will we come over?” Li Xiaonan looked at the two of them, her eyes sparkling as she discussed.
“How much for your bolt of fine cloth…”
Before A Wu could finish his sentence, Wang Yuting interrupted, “I just remembered, there’s something important I forgot to tell A Wu, just a few words!”
Wang Yuting said, while pushing A Wu to the side.
“What’s wrong?” After walking a few yards away, A Wu glanced at Li Xiaonan, who was standing with her hands on her hips looking at them, and asked in a low voice.
“Didn’t we agree not to help her, so that her business wouldn’t succeed and we could go back?” Wang Yuting glanced at Li Xiaonan and also spoke in a low voice.
“Yes! But we can’t just see someone in trouble and not help, can we? Look how distressed she was just now, she was almost in tears. If we really stand by and do nothing, how can we bear it?” A Wu frowned.
“Then if you help her, what if her business succeeds?” Wang Yuting also frowned.
“That’s true. Then why did you mention grocery stores? You said a lot more than me just now,” A Wu glanced sideways at Wang Yuting.
“Me!” Wang Yuting was stumped.
The two of them stared at each other, then both glanced at Li Xiaonan. After a moment of silence, A Wu frowned and asked, “Are we really not going to help her? She’s been quite good to us.”
“It’s not that we’re not helping. Don’t you want to go back to the wharf? That’s a big matter over there. As for this side…” Wang Yuting glanced at Li Xiaonan again. “If we don’t help her, will no one else help her?”
“You, a little girl, what kind of business are you trying to do? You’re just bored. Let’s just tell her directly, and tell her not to do this business!” A Wu turned and walked straight towards Li Xiaonan.
“Have you two decided?” Li Xiaonan looked at A Wu, then at Wang Yuting.
“Your brother is a Xiucai scholar, and your family’s preserved egg business is said to be very profitable. Your family doesn’t lack money, and your life is good. Why do you insist on doing business? Isn’t it better to just be a young lady at home?” A Wu asked Li Xiaonan.
“Then why do you want to be a man? Isn’t it better to just be a young lady?” Li Xiaonan retorted unceremoniously.
A Wu glared at Li Xiaonan. After a moment, he looked at Wang Yuting. “Let’s discuss it. Guo Lane is very big, we need to find more grocery stores.”
