Chapter 160: A Chill with Each Autumn Rain

Chapter 160: A Chill with Each Autumn Rain

"He Zhiran has no problem with that, as long as Mr. Tang finds it agreeable."

In her mind, she was providing the dolls at cost, so it mattered little to her whether he sold them for ten or even twenty taels – she wouldn't be envious.

To her surprise, Tang Mingrui seemed somewhat awkward after voicing his thoughts.

He fidgeted with his hands, appearing hesitant to speak.

He Zhiran quickly sensed something amiss and asked, "Is there some difficulty, Mr. Tang?"

Seeing her concern, Tang Mingrui tried to cover his embarrassment with a light cough.

"I must be frank with you, Mrs. Mo. I'm running a bit short on funds lately and won't be able to pay upfront for the dolls."

This didn't worry He Zhiran, for she hadn't approached Tang Mingrui blindly.

Considering his future accomplishments, he wouldn't deceive her over such a small gain.

"Mr. Tang, there's no need to worry. You can pay for the goods after they're sold," He Zhiran said with assurance.

Tang Mingrui was surprised by her trust in him.

The more magnanimous He Zhiran appeared, the more uneasy he felt.

"I'm deeply grateful for Sister Mo's trust," Tang Mingrui said, standing up and bowing respectfully towards her.

"Sister Mo, I've decided to collaborate with you in another way," He Zhiran replied, raising an eyebrow.

"And how do you plan on doing that, Mr. Tang?" she asked.

"I'll set the lowest price for these dolls at ten taels of silver each, and I won't sell them for less than that. When the time comes, I'm willing to split the profits fifty-fifty with you," he proposed.

With the prospect of greater profit, He Zhiran saw no reason to decline.

Even though she couldn't constantly monitor how much Tang Mingrui sold the dolls for, it was undeniable that each doll would be sold for no less than ten taels of silver.

As long as they could earn five taels of silver per doll themselves, it would yield several times the profit compared to selling them to the embroidery room.

"Very well, let's proceed as Mister Tang suggests."

For Tang Mingrui, the higher the profit margin, the better.

The reason he was willing to split the earnings 50-50 with He Zhiran was to repay her for saving his life.

After all, both of them were exiles, but her life was likely more challenging than his. He wanted to earn money while also improving the lives of his benefactor and her family.

He Zhiran had no intention of delving deeper into Tang Mingrui's thoughts. When she asked Mo Jiuya to rescue Tang Mingrui initially, it was mainly to facilitate business in the northwest later on.

Therefore, in her heart, her relationship with Tang Mingrui was simply one of potential business partners.

With their intentions aligned, He Zhiran handed over all sixty dolls she brought to Tang Mingrui.

Tang Mingrui counted the dolls in front of He Zhiran and wrote her a receipt for them. They then agreed to meet again in five days at the same spot.

Exiting the teahouse, they noticed a sudden overcast sky despite the initially fair weather outside.

Mo Jiuya glanced at the heavens, "Let's hurry back; it looks like it's about to rain."

This would be only the second rainfall since their exile.

"As the saying goes, 'every autumn rain brings a chill.' After this rain, the weather will likely turn even colder."

He Zhiran was somewhat worried, concerned that everyone would struggle through the cold nights in their inadequate tents.

Mo Jiuya shared her concern.

"Considering our current circumstances, we won't be able to continue our journey anytime soon. As the weather gets colder, this can't go on."

After some thought, He Zhiran suggested, "Why don't we discuss with Brother Peng the idea of renting a nearby courtyard? Sleeping indoors at night would at least provide some respite from the cold."

Mo Jiuya nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to Brother Peng when we get back."

The rain came down fiercely. Barely had the two of them returned to the camp when it started pouring.

Everyone hurriedly took shelter inside their tents.

But the He family was in a predicament – they had no tent, and the surrounding area offered no cover. Soon, they were drenched from head to toe.

The more this happened, the more they resented the other families. As they shivered in the rain, they cursed under their breath, spewing vile words.

It seemed that only through these insults did the He family find some semblance of relief.

Thus, their curses evolved from whispers into full-blown rants.

Satisfied with maligning the Mo, Fang, and Xie families, they eventually, unintentionally dragged the officials into their tirade.

Initially, everyone had grown accustomed to the He family's antics, choosing to ignore them.

Little did they expect that the He family would dare to insult the officials.

Zhang Qing's tent was situated relatively close to the He family's. Upon hearing the commotion, he donned his cloak, grabbed his whip, and strode over to sternly discipline the He family members.

This time, the He family learned their lesson well and retreated into their shells once more.

The rain had come swiftly and left just as abruptly, lasting for only about two hours before ceasing.

Mo Jiuya emerged from his tent and sought out Peng Wang.

"Brother Peng, I'm afraid we won't be able to resume our journey anytime soon," he said.

Peng Wang couldn't help but grumble in frustration. "What are these people thinking? Do they believe we're destined to be trapped here forever just because we can't find Prince Heng?"

Mo Jiuya found himself at a loss for a response.

He was the one who had killed Nan Heng, whose body he had sunk into a deep pool, making it impossible for anyone to discover. Moreover, several days had passed, so he assumed that Emperor Shunwu must have received word by now.

He hadn't issued an edict for their departure, which clearly indicated that their departure from this place was indefinitely postponed.

Seeing that Peng Wang had already grasped this reality, Mo Jiuya felt there was no need to elaborate further.

"Brother Peng, the weather is getting colder. Living in tents can't be a permanent solution."

In truth, Peng Wang had also considered renting a yard for temporary accommodation.

"I'll send someone out soon to inquire about suitable yards. It's just that the rent..."

Aside from the Mo family, the other families they were escorting were penniless.

Peng Wang was exasperated. This was his first time encountering such an assignment.

Not only did it offer no profit, but the journey had been unusually troublesome.

The thought of dipping into his own pocket to rent a yard for these prisoners made him want to vomit blood.

If not for this, he would have long rented a yard to rest properly for a few days.

Mo Jiuya was well aware of Peng Wang's intentions.

These law enforcement officers received the same salary as their counterparts serving in the capital city.

The reason they were willing to endure such hardship and travel far was because they could profit from the prisoners.

In the end, not only did they fail to make any money from this mission, but they had also lost two lives.

"Brother Peng, the rent isn't an issue. We're willing to contribute to the portion for the officers. As for the Fangs and Xie family, my wife and the ladies have been making dolls and earned some silver these past few days. I'm sure they won't mind covering the rent."

Peng Wang was accustomed to not profiting from these trips, and he hadn't intended to take advantage of the Mo family when he spoke just now. He merely didn't want to pay for the prisoners' accommodation.