Chapter 220: A Quick Exchange
The tea house shop assistant pushed open the smooth wooden panel, and Yu Chengfu stared wide-eyed at the long corridor.
He had been to this tea house himself, come with President Shi, and even brought his wife for tea once. He never expected it to have such hidden depths.
At the end of the corridor, the shop assistant stopped, bowed to indicate Yu Chengfu, and turned to walk back.
Yu Chengfu leaned forward slightly to peek inside.
Tables and chairs were placed in front of two open floor-to-ceiling windows. Li Xiaonan sat at a table, holding a tea cup in one hand, taking a sip from the one in her left hand, tasting it, and then taking another sip from the one in her right hand.
“Miss Li.”
Yu Chengfu didn’t dare to look too much, bowed, and greeted her.
“You’re here, please sit.” Li Xiaonan quickly put down her cup and stood up to greet him.
“I wouldn’t dare.” Yu Chengfu quickly bowed deeply.
“I can only borrow this place. How could Old Yu Xing dare not accept? Please sit, Old Yu Xing.” Li Xiaonan smiled and invited him again.
Yu Chengfu smiled, quickly cupped his hands in thanks again, and sat on the chair opposite Li Xiaonan with half his backside.
This tea house had long been the Prince’s Estate’s property. This hidden pavilion must be a place exclusively for that Young Lord. Being able to borrow it was no simple matter.
“Mr. Huang said you are very smart. Then it would be like showing off my meager skills in front of an expert to beat around the bush with you. Old Yu Xing must have guessed why I asked you here, right?” Li Xiaonan was direct.
“You flatter me, Miss.” Yu Chengfu thought for a moment about which Mr. Huang it was. “Is it about business?”
“The autumn silkworms have started spinning cocoons. How will the autumn silkworm cocoons be collected this year? Has the Jiangnan Silk General Store made any announcements?” Li Xiaonan poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Yu Chengfu.
“What you mean is, I…” Yu Chengfu didn’t finish his sentence. His mind raced, and he swallowed the rest of his refusal. “What are your plans, Miss?”
“The Jiangnan Silk General Store has ordered all weaving workshops to cease operations. Many have sent weavers to the real estate agencies to be resold. I think they probably don’t want the autumn silkworm cocoons either. What do you think?” Li Xiaonan looked at Yu Chengfu.
Yu Chengfu hesitated for a moment and vaguely replied, “I think so too.”
“Then do you think those weaving workshops will close down permanently, or will they reopen regardless of how long they are closed?” Li Xiaonan continued to ask.
Yu Chengfu felt choked by Li Xiaonan’s question.
His family also owned a weaving workshop! If it closed down permanently, how would they make a living?
“Jiangnan cannot be without weaving workshops,” Yu Chengfu vaguely replied.
This question was difficult to answer and impossible to answer.
“Old Yu Xing, can you elaborate on what you think will happen to the weaving workshops in Jiangnan?” Li Xiaonan pressed.
“That depends on when the case is concluded and how it is concluded.” Yu Chengfu paused, then smiled obsequiously. “Some people are saying that the Young Lord plans to bring all the weaving workshops under the Weaving Bureau?”
“They will definitely not be brought under the Weaving Bureau,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile. “The Young Lord feels it’s not appropriate for the Jiangnan Silk General Store to interfere in court affairs, and he seems very angry.”
“From what you’re saying, the weaving workshops won’t resume operations before the case is concluded?”
“Miss wants to do business with autumn silkworm cocoons?” Yu Chengfu asked back.
“If the weaving workshops definitely resume operations, then hoarding cocoons now would surely be profitable, right?” Li Xiaonan smiled.
“Cocoons cannot be stored for long; silk must be reeled immediately,” Yu Chengfu vaguely said. “It also depends on how long the weaving workshops remain closed. If it drags on until next spring, when the spring cocoons are harvested and there are new cocoons, no one will use the old ones.”
“Then how long do you think the weaving workshops will be closed? Will it be until next spring?” Li Xiaonan asked with a smile.
“I believe it depends on when the cases of the Silk Guild and the Maritime Tax Bureau are investigated and concluded,” Yu Chengfu looked at Li Xiaonan.
“I don’t know when the cases will be concluded. I asked Mr. Huang, and he said he didn’t know either. When I asked him how the investigation was going, he said he couldn’t say.” Li Xiaonan spread her hands.
Yu Chengfu gave a soft “Oh,” and he knew who Mr. Huang was.
“President Zhu of the Jiangnan Silk General Store has already…” Li Xiaonan touched her neck, indicating beheading. “His property has been confiscated. If, by the time the case is concluded, the people from the Jiangnan Silk General Store are either killed or exiled, then the current Jiangnan Silk General Store will have fallen apart and ceased to exist, right? Who will you listen to then?”
Yu Chengfu raised his eyebrows, then leaned forward and asked, holding his breath, “Is this your idea, or whose idea is it?”
“Whose idea could it be? Do you, Old Yu Xing, think that when the case is concluded, the Jiangnan Silk General Store, the Pingjiang Silk Guild, and so on, will still be the same as before? President Zhu will still be President Zhu, and President Shi will still be President Shi?”
The surprise on Li Xiaonan’s face seemed to ask, “Are you stupid?”
Yu Chengfu blinked continuously, then looked at Li Xiaonan and asked, “Does Miss plan to take over some weaving workshops?”
“No, I don’t!” Li Xiaonan shook her head decisively. “I’ll just do my fine cloth business. A while ago, I bought some weavers to teach those aunts and sisters how to weave.”
“Weaving workshops also weave fine cloth. Fine cloth is the same business as silk. If Miss takes over weaving workshops, I am willing to follow your lead.” Yu Chengfu lowered his eyes, then looked at Li Xiaonan, cupped his hands, and said with a serious expression.
“I don’t plan to do weaving workshop business, but I understand what you mean. However, I don’t understand this matter and can’t help you. How about you go to the Prince’s Estate Villa and find a Mr. Zhou? He can give you some guidance.” Li Xiaonan smiled.
Yu Chengfu’s eyes lit up. He stood up and bowed deeply to Li Xiaonan. “Thank you for your guidance, Miss.”
After Li Xiaonan saw Yu Chengfu off, she went around to the backyard of the tea house and got into the carriage. Wan Jing immediately poked her head out and asked, “Did the business deal go through?”
“No, it fell through,” Li Xiaonan sighed.
“Ah!” Wan Jing looked at Li Xiaonan with pity, reached out to pat her, bowed, took a dish of “donkey rolling” (a type of sweet cake), and placed it in front of Li Xiaonan, then patted her again. “They hired a new chef from the north at their tea house. They say this donkey rolling is his specialty. I tasted it, and it’s indeed very good.”
“Have a piece. Sigh, looking at it, you lose money more often than you make it in your business.”
“I’ve told you many times, I’m playing the long game to catch a big fish. The profits are yet to come.”
Li Xiaonan took a piece of donkey rolling, took a bite, and hummed, “Delicious!”
“By the way, why are you here? Is there another letter from the Eldest Madam?” Li Xiaonan took another bite and asked vaguely.
“There was one the day before yesterday. How could there be one today! The Eldest Madam writes to you once a week, and I remember it all.” Wan Jing poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Li Xiaonan. “Uncle Hong asked me to pass on a message. Our Young Lord has sent word back that he will be returning the day after tomorrow.”
“Your Young Lord is returning the day after tomorrow, why is he sending me a message?” Li Xiaonan took a sip of tea.
“Uncle Hong is looking out for you. For example, if I pass on a message to you, I’ll have to go to the storeroom and clean it thoroughly, organize everything, put away what needs to be put away, and take out what needs to be taken out.”
“Then I’ll sort out the matters of running around with you. If our Young Lord asks, I’ll be able to answer fluently,” Wan Jing shared her experience with Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan, chewing on the donkey rolling, couldn’t help but give Wan Jing a roll of her eyes.
Wan Jing only gave her advice that she didn’t need at all.
