Chapter 143: Hitch A Ride
Xiao Huan thought about it and reluctantly agreed.
A small hand grabbed her skirt hem and tugged, Xiao Huan looked down and met Yuan Yuan’s pair of bright black eyes.
“Auntie, me.” Yuan Yuan pointed at herself with a small finger, then swung her hand down forcefully, “Hit!”
Cub wants to hit the bad guy too!
Xiao Huan burst out laughing, readily agreeing, “Okay, next time let Yuan Yuan hit a couple times too.”
Shi Tou: “…”
No way, why the differential treatment?
At the same time, Shang Wan was asking Lu Chengjing about replying to Qiao Yu’an’s letter.
Qiao Yu’an’s letter first lavishly praised Shang Wan’s ancestral secret recipe, then said the ointment was particularly effective for his eldest cousin’s injury, wanted to buy a few more boxes, and also wanted to discuss a business deal with Shang Wan.
Eldest cousin Qiao Yu Gui owned a medical hall and wanted to use Shang Wan’s ointment as their hallmark treasure.
Both sides would adopt a cooperative model, with medicinal herbs provided by Qiao Yu Gui, Shang Wan responsible for making the ointment, and one tael of silver per box as labor fee for Shang Wan.
For every box of ointment sold, another three taels of silver would be given to Shang Wan, more sales more earnings, equivalent to Shang Wan contributing her technique as shares.
If Shang Wan agreed to cooperate, she couldn’t sell the ointment to anyone else or cooperate with other medical halls, and the cooperation would end whenever Qiao Yu Gui decided.
On the surface, Shang Wan barely had any costs, seeming very profitable.
But thinking carefully, the restrictions were huge. Although the so-called ancestral secret recipe was still in Shang Wan’s hands, under such restrictions, it was equivalent to becoming Qiao Yu Gui’s thing.
And there was another obvious drawback: the ointment’s secret recipe could very likely be figured out by Qiao Yu Gui’s people through the required medicinal herbs.
The restrictions were real, but regarding the secret recipe leaking, Shang Wan had no worries at all.
After all, her secret recipe was spiritual spring water, even she didn’t know where it came from, who could figure out the formula for spiritual spring water?
Overall, this was indeed a way to make money, but the specific cooperation needed detailed discussion, at least not handing all the initiative to Qiao Yu Gui.
Shang Wan wasn’t planning to agree for now, she had to make him visit three times before agreeing to show how precious her secret recipe was.
The more reluctant, the more room for negotiation, rushing wouldn’t be good business.
Lu Chengjing was of the same opinion.
Things obtained too easily are often undervalued.
They weren’t in a hurry to use money now, they could wait for Qiao Yu Gui to come personally.
“Have you written the reply? If it’s done, I can take it into the city for you on the way.”
Shang Wan changed into a set of clothes and said to Lu Chengjing, “Yuan Yuan goes crazy playing in the mountains every day, her clothes wear out fast, Xiao Huan has started patching her clothes. I’m going to the city to buy some fabric to make a few sets of new clothes for the good cub, and also buy some seeds.”
“It’s written.” Lu Chengjing pulled out the written letter from under the book and handed it to Shang Wan.
Shang Wan tucked the letter into her sleeve and went out to harness the ox cart.
When leaving the village entrance, she saw Liu Yuzhi whom she hadn’t seen for some days, she thought Liu Yuzhi had already gone back, unexpectedly she was still at the Lin Family.
Liu Yuzhi was sitting on a big rock not far from the village entrance in a daze, looking plumper than last time, her face rounder.
The movement of the ox cart passing brought her back to her senses, she raised her head and saw Shang Wan, stunned for a moment, and asked, “Are you going into the city?”
Shang Wan nodded and continued driving the ox cart.
“Wait!” Liu Yuzhi jumped down from the rock, lifted her skirt hem and chased after.
“Whoa!” The ox cart stopped, Shang Wan turned her head back, “Something wrong?”
“I…” Liu Yuzhi stared at Shang Wan, “Can you take me into the city with you?”
“Want a ride? Sure.” Shang Wan was very agreeable, “Thirty copper coins for a trip into the city.”
“Thirty copper coins!” Liu Yuzhi widened her eyes, “Others only charge five.”
Shang Wan leaned back, glancing sideways at her, “That’s the price for my cart, if it’s too expensive don’t ride.”
Liu Yuzhi looked back at the village entrance, gritted her teeth, climbed onto the ox cart, “Let’s go.”
Shang Wan thoughtfully sized her up, reached out her hand, “Money first, then ride.”
Liu Yuzhi unwillingly counted out the copper coins and handed them to Shang Wan.
Shang Wan neatly took the money and drove the ox cart toward the city, with no intention of talking to Liu Yuzhi the whole way.
Liu Yuzhi couldn’t help asking, “Why don’t you ask what I’m going into the city for?”
Shang Wan glanced back at her, “If I ask, will you tell?”
Liu Yuzhi pursed her lips, turned her head to look at the scenery along the way, and said no more.
After entering the city, the two parted ways.
“Hey.” Shang Wan called out to Liu Yuzhi, “Ride back? I’ll charge you less.”
Liu Yuzhi gave her an inexplicable look, shook her head, and hurried into the crowd, disappearing soon after.
Shang Wan first went to the East Market to shop, and only went to the Qiao Mansion after buying everything.
Qiao Yu’an was in the mansion, the gatekeeper ran in to report, Shang Wan leaned against the ox cart and waited.
Not long after, Qiao Yu’an came out hurriedly with A Le.
Shang Wan directly handed him the letter.
Qiao Yu’an tucked the letter into his bosom and gestured for A Le to give the blue bundle he was carrying to Shang Wan.
Shang Wan opened the bundle and glanced inside, finding account books and some odds and ends. She directly put the bundle in the ox cart.
“Bought so many things.” Qiao Yu’an glanced at the half-full ox cart and asked about Lu Chengjing’s recent situation, “How is Chengjing’s injury recovering?”
Shang Wan vaguely said, “Not bad.”
Qiao Yu’an wasn’t satisfied with this answer, good is good, bad is bad, what did “not bad” mean?
He was about to press further when a blue sedan chair stopped in front of the Qiao Mansion.
The blue curtain was lifted, a maid helped Qiao Weiwei out of the sedan, and she looked up to see Shang Wan and Qiao Yu’an standing together talking.
A flash of surprise passed through Qiao Weiwei’s eyes, she lightly stepped over and paid respects to Qiao Yu’an.
Qiao Yu’an smilingly asked her, “Where did you go to play?”
Qiao Weiwei said, “To the temple to fulfill a vow.”
Qiao Yu’an nodded, seeing fatigue on her face, urged her to hurry back to the mansion to rest.
Shang Wan’s nose twitched slightly, looking at Qiao Weiwei’s back, kindly reminded Qiao Yu’an, “Be careful with your younger sister.”
Going to a temple usually calls for plain and elegant dress, but Qiao Weiwei was dressed up gaudily, not a trace of temple incense on her, instead there was a smell of blood.
Although the powder fragrance was strong, it still couldn’t fool Shang Wan’s nose.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible that Qiao Weiwei had her monthly affairs.
But if she had her monthly affairs, by this world’s customs, monthly affairs are unclean, and women with monthly affairs definitely can’t enter temples.
In short, Shang Wan felt something was off with Qiao Weiwei. Qiao Yu’an cared a lot about his younger sister, so reminding him casually didn’t cost much.
Qiao Yu’an misunderstood, explaining, “Weiwei treats Chengjing like a brother, don’t misunderstand.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Whatever, she had already reminded him anyway.
“I’m off.” Shang Wan jumped onto the ox cart and drove away.
By the time she reached the village entrance, evening clouds had appeared on the horizon.
Shang Wan looked at Liu Shi and Wei Lao Tai blocking the ox cart, did these two want to be hit by the ox again?
The two certainly weren’t there to get hit.
Wei Lao Tai had an unfriendly expression and shouted, “Surname Shang, where’s Yuzhi? Where did you take her?”
