Chapter 238: Meeting Gift
Niangzi Shu raised her right hand, her slender fingers as white as scallion roots opening and closing, “Thirty thousand taels.”
A well-run merchant caravan of a hundred people was indeed worth that price. If not for the sudden incident, with Boss Zhan fearing news leakage and urgently selling, the price would only be higher.
Shang Wan was somewhat tempted, but she still needed to ask the necessary questions clearly first.
“Is my partner you or the entire Lancang Association?”
Niangzi Shu smiled and said, “I alone couldn’t come up with that much silver, naturally it’s all us sisters together.”
Shang Wan nodded, straightened her skirt hem, and stood up.
“I’ll go back and discuss it with my family, and give you a reply tomorrow.”
“Good, I’ll see Shopkeeper Shang out.”
·
“Curse!!” Xiao Huan and Shi Tou widened their eyes, staring straight at the person sitting across from them.
Lu Chengjing was also somewhat surprised, his long eyebrows slightly furrowed as he asked, “What curse?”
“Don’t know.” Shang Wan shrugged, “On my way back, I specially went to Chen Residence. Chen Cai didn’t have more news about the curse either, but he told me that all four people who died in the merchant caravan committed suicide.”
“This matter sounds eerie just hearing it.” Xiao Huan rubbed her arms, “Sis, can’t we recruit people ourselves and form a merchant caravan?”
Her sis was just a lone wandering ghost; what if this curse clashed with her sis?
“I want to too, but where are experienced hands so easy to find?” Shang Wan propped her cheek and said, “The most important thing in forming a merchant caravan is recruiting people. Those who are great at doing business themselves have no interest in selling themselves to run errands for others. Those in the tooth agencies all have some issues on them; it’s fine to buy them back and keep them under your eyes, but if you let them go out, I’m worried they’ll abscond with the goods.”
After recruiting people, there’s still the next hurdle. A merchant caravan doesn’t just have merchants; there are also cargo escorts, guards, carriage drivers, camel drivers, cooks, shop assistants, etc. Integrating the personnel takes time, not to mention procuring vehicles, goods, medicines, and all those trivial matters.
Once everything is ready, you still have to go out and test the waters.
To truly grow it into a money tree, it would take at least several years.
The silver and energy invested in the process is immeasurable.
In comparison, Shang Wan would rather deal with the curse.
“I think we can try it.” Shi Tou was the first to agree with Shang Wan, his reason being, “The Master does not speak of anomalies, violence, disorder, or spirits.”
Hey, putting it to use right away!
Xiao Huan rolled her eyes at him: “The Master does not speak of them, not that he doesn’t believe in them.”
She thought this matter wasn’t reliable; don’t spend money to buy trouble.
Shang Wan looked toward Lu Chengjing, who hadn’t spoken, “What do you think?”
Lu Chengjing, head lowered, was untying the small braid his daughter had made for him, and said, “We can try it.”
He didn’t believe in curses either.
“Then… vote.” Shang Wan clapped her hands, “Those in favor of buying the merchant caravan, raise your hand.”
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh” four hands went up.
Besides the three people of Shang Wan, Yuan Yuan stretched her arm straight up.
Xiao Huan didn’t raise hers; she pinched Yuan Yuan’s cheek, “What are you joining in the fun for?”
“Goose!” A crisp syllable popped out of her pink little mouth.
Shang Wan: “??”
Xiao Huan held her forehead; before her sis came back, they had been discussing what to eat in the evening.
She rubbed Yuan Yuan’s head, “Good, we’ll stew a big goose for you tonight.”
Yuan Yuan immediately smiled with crinkled eyes, hugging Aunt Xiao Huan and giving her a kiss.
Hehe, iron pot stewed goose, love it!
Four votes to one, four votes win.
The next day, Shang Wan gave Niangzi Shu her reply.
However, before buying the merchant caravan, she wanted to see Boss Zhan and that caravan leader with her own eyes.
Niangzi Shu had the same idea; she and Shang Wan hit it off immediately. That very evening, they took a carriage to the prefectural city, with Niangzi Lou and Hua Niangzi going along.
Yuan Yuan insisted on going with Shang Wan; to prevent the little one from sneaking off, Shang Wan just brought her along.
It was the first time Niangzi Shu and Hua Niangzi had seen Yuan Yuan; their liking for her nearly overflowed from their eyes.
“These big eyes, little nose, little mouth—she’ll definitely be a beauty when she grows up.”
Yuan Yuan wasn’t shy; looking at the pretty aunties beside her, she proactively reached out her small hand and softly called them Auntie.
Before long, the three women were surrounding Yuan Yuan, calling her “good girl” on the left and “treasure” on the right, all wanting to hold the chubby little bundle and not let go.
Shang Wan strongly suspected these three just found holding the bundle warm.
·
The carriage entered the prefectural city and stopped at the doorway of Red Plum Inn.
Niangzi Shu said, “We’ll rest at Red Plum Inn today, and go see Boss Zhan tomorrow.”
Shang Wan and the others had no objections and followed Niangzi Shu into the inn.
Just as they entered, a red shadow pounced out from inside.
“You finally came!” Inn Boss Lady Meng Niangzi excitedly hugged the foremost Niangzi Shu, her words spilling out like popping beads, “Rooms are all prepared; I’ll take you up, then have the shop assistant fetch water, and have the kitchen make a few more dishes.”
Her gaze swept over the women, suddenly pausing on Shang Wan—or more precisely, on the little baby girl in her arms.
“This doll is?”
“My daughter.” Shang Wan spoke up proactively, “Surname Shang, shopkeeper of Spiritual Medicine Pavilion.”
“You’re the shopkeeper of Spiritual Medicine Pavilion!” Meng Niangzi widened her eyes, “So young.”
“She’s called young and promising; don’t be so loud and scare her.” Niangzi Shu linked arms with Meng Niangzi, playfully patting her once.
“Sorry, I got too excited.” Meng Niangzi’s smile took on a touch of shyness, “Surname Meng, Red Plum is my name. I especially like things from Spiritual Medicine Pavilion, but many aren’t available in the prefectural city, so I can only ask people to bring them.”
Hearing this, Shang Wan rummaged in her bundle, pulling out a delicately carved plum branch medicine box, “This is Snow Plum Cream launched by Spiritual Medicine Pavilion last month; hope you like it.”
Unexpectedly receiving a meeting gift, Meng Niangzi took the box, then removed the gold bracelet from her wrist and stuffed it into Yuan Yuan’s arms, “Good girl, Aunt Meng didn’t know you were coming; this bracelet is for you to play with.”
Yuan Yuan hugged the gold bracelet, blinking her eyes, and reached out her small hand, “Auntie, here.”
Mother said not to casually accept others’ gifts.
“The bracelet is too valuable.” Shang Wan had just casually given a small gift; she hadn’t expected such a heavy return gift.
Naturally, Meng Niangzi wouldn’t take back what she’d given; the atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment.
“This bracelet can’t be worn or eaten; how can the child play with it?” Niangzi Lou smiled and spoke up to relieve the tension, reaching out to take the bracelet and put it back on Meng Niangzi’s wrist, “Hurry back to the room and find something the child likes; don’t just go by your own preferences.”
Hua Niangzi also teased, “I think you got dizzy with joy seeing the pretty doll.”
Niangzi Shu patted Meng Niangzi’s arm, “You going to make us chat at the stairwell?”
With this interruption, Meng Niangzi came back to her senses and slapped her forehead.
“Look at my brain; I was just so happy I didn’t think. I’ll take you up first; after the carriage ride, your bones must be all shaken apart.”
“Indeed.” Hua Niangzi raised her hand and thumped her lower back, “I need to lie on the bed for a bit.”
While everyone was washing up and changing, Meng Niangzi went back to her room and fetched a small sandalwood box.
