Chapter 35: In Her Grasp

Chapter 35: In Her Grasp

Mr. Chen Liu was on the brink of collapse, slumping in his chair with his beard hanging down as he took deep breaths, envisioning the scene after his misdeeds were exposed—his ill-gotten wealth confiscated, his son who worked as a minor official and studied literature sent back home in disgrace, and his grandson studying well at Qingcheng Mountain Courtyard losing his eligibility for the imperial examinations...

And him!

The laws of Great Wei stipulated that embezzlement of the master's property could be punished with up to fifty strokes.

Given the extent of his embezzlement, he deserved more than a hundred strokes!

Moreover, apart from embezzlement, he had committed an even greater sin—secretly "feeding the enemy," smuggling precious goods to the rival faction, helping them secure the tribute qualification... If this matter came to light, his entire family, over twenty people young and old in Jing County, would certainly not survive!

This price was too steep!

He was willing to exchange anything for it!

Anything!

As long as He Xianjin, that wanton woman, showed any sign of leniency, as long as she wanted it and he had it, he would absolutely present it to her with both hands!

Mr. Chen Liu wept bitterly as he secretly observed Xianjin's expression, only to see the wench with her hands clasped behind her back, watching his suffering with interest.

Mr. Chen Liu cried out louder.

Even the most stubborn dog, when played around with and denied food, would eventually break.

Xianjin cleared her throat.

Mr. Chen Liu's crying gradually subsided.

"I want eight zhang of Xuancheng paper and six zhang of Xuancheng paper."

Xianjin, with her hands behind her back, reined in her smile, appearing extremely serious. "I'll take as much as you have. As long as you hand it over, I will burn this copied ledger in front of you and tell you where the original is hidden."

Mr. Chen Liu instantly forgot his tears, stammering and opening his mouth, attempting to speak.

Xianjin waved her hand understandingly. "We're all foxes that have lived for a thousand years; don't play 'Strange Tales' with me."

"Given Mr. Chen Liu's nature of plucking feathers from passing geese and leaving marks on passing dogs, wouldn't Master Li Laozhang have made eight zhang of Xuancheng paper and six zhang of Xuancheng paper for you to keep privately?"

Xianjin sat down grandly, taking a cup of hot tea from the old servant with the mustache and filling it before handing it to Mr. Chen Liu. "Drink first."

Mr. Chen Liu involuntarily shrank back.

Xianjin laughed coldly. "Is it drugged? Arsenic? Or lead tetroxide?"

Xianjin naturally splashed the tea onto Mr. Chen Liu's face, turned to place the teacup upside down on the table, leaned back with her hands on the Eight Immortals table, tilted her head slightly backward, and looked at Mr. Chen Liu as if he were an ant that could be crushed with one hand.

So... so cool...

Today, little Wang Sansuo's eyes were very busy.

One moment they widened into "O" shapes, the next narrowed into "I" shapes, like malfunctioning screen flicker codes.

Mr. Chen Liu, splashed with hot tea, felt the burning pain on his face, tea dripping from his beard, trembling and not daring to move, fearing that the tea would flow into his mouth—the tea laced with thunder god vine could be lethal!

Xianjin smiled. "Six Lord, think about it yourself. Is it too much for me to ask for a few sheets of paper from you when you're trying to kill me?"

Was it just a matter of a few sheets of paper?

In today's world, who among those who could be counted, the top papermakers like Furuong Records of Anyang Prefecture, Song Records of Jing County, Wen Family and Wang Family of Xuancheng... none of them could produce eight zhang of Xuancheng paper anymore.

Papermaking masters passed away one after another, with no successors ready to take over, apprentices not yet mature enough to shoulder the responsibility.

They couldn't make it, but the wealthy and powerful families still wanted it!

Especially when there was scarcity, the desire grew stronger.

He heard that in the capital, there was a Princess Bai'an who loved long scrolls of ink painting. To please her, many painters were willing to pay one tael of gold per sheet for eight zhang of Xuancheng paper...

Mr. Chen Liu pulled out a silk handkerchief from his chest and trembled as he wiped his face clean. "...I do have these two types of paper. When Li Laozhang made them, I kept ten sheets of each for emergencies..."

Ten sheets?

You're not usually such a miser!

Xianjin rubbed the rim of the teacup with her fingertips and stood up. "Two bundles of eight zhang of Xuancheng paper and two bundles of six zhang of Xuancheng paper. You bring them out, and I'll leave. We'll settle our accounts, and I'll pretend I've never seen this ledger. You can return to your village and live out your days as a wealthy farmer. When we meet again during festivals, you'll still be my good Grandpa Six."

Grandpa your head!

Would you be my grandpa!

Mr. Chen Liu raged inwardly but managed a bitter smile on his face. "Two bundles each? I really can't come up with them..."

"If you can't come up with them, then there's nothing I can do." Xianjin patted her knees and lifted her chin to beckon. "Suo'er, let's go." She then turned to smile at Mr. Chen Liu. "You can keep this ledger. It'll make a good footrest when you're in your coffin."

Xianjin walked out without looking back.

Three—

Two—

One—

Generally speaking, the underground market trick of "if you don't sell, I'm leaving" should logically work quite effectively.

"Wait!"

Indeed, it worked wonders.

Xianjin flashed a smile.

Mr. Chen Liu abruptly rose to his feet. "I'll give it to you! I'll give you four sheets of paper!"

He gritted his teeth.

He only had three sheets left in total!

He had coerced and enticed Li Laozhang into working five or six nights every month for him! For each sheet made, he gave Li Laozhang a ginseng root that could last one to two years for his dying wife! Li Laozhang was grateful to him as if he were his savior, revering him like a parent!

These people from the countryside had no idea how valuable their craft was!

They thought that something made from tree bark wasn't precious, and even if scholars valued it, it wouldn't sell for much—these common folk would never know how expensive good paper was in their lifetime! They would never know that rare items were worth gold and silver, coveted by thousands!

Mr. Chen Liu ground his yellow teeth. "Old Gen! Go to the storeroom and fetch two sheets of eight-zhang and two sheets of six-zhang!"

Then, with eyes like tempered iron, he looked at Xianjin. "Miss He, you should tell this old man where the original ledger is?"

...

On Shuixi Street, the market was bustling with vendors and customers, the cries of hawkers echoing continuously.

The Little Rice Fragrance by Qingcheng Mountain Courtyard reopened on the fifth day of the first lunar month. A pot of stewed mutton with cornus fruit, green peppers, ginger slices, star anise, and fennel, served with large, angular pieces of white radish. The mutton was cooked until tender, easily falling off the bone with a gentle prod from a pointed chopstick, steam rising from the meat.

Qiao Hui took a bite of the mutton, then sipped some Jinhua wine, squinting his eyes as he exclaimed, "...Thank you, this mourner, for accompanying me to drink and eat meat."

Chen Jianfang took a sip of tea and smiled. "The last time we met was during the provincial examination in Nanzhili. After the exam, your eyes were blurry, and your father had to pour you a pot of salt-sugar water to recover. I thought the next time we'd meet would be when we both went to the capital for the metropolitan examination..."

Chen Jianfang lowered his eyebrows, swallowing the rest of his words, shook his head, took another sip of tea, and turned to look out the window.

The Wuxi River didn't freeze over, but there was snow on its banks, which pedestrians trampled into black slush as they walked by.

A familiar figure darted out from an alley, followed by three others.

Chen Jianfang narrowed his eyes.

What was Miss He doing with Mr. Chen Liu?

Following Chen Jianfang's gaze, Qiao Hui recognized Xianjin's wintergreen face and ground his teeth. "Isn't that your family's wintergreen tree, oh no, that female accountant?"

Chen Jianfang kept his gaze fixed and nodded perfunctorily.

Miss He pointed to a spot in the crowded area, and Mr. Chen Liu raised his hand. The old servant behind him then started digging frantically, soon uncovering a square object that seemed to be a book.

Mr. Chen Liu snatched the item and turned to leave. After a while, Miss He led a younger girl, each carrying something wrapped tightly, and headed back toward the old residence.

The process was smooth and swift, as if they were conducting a transaction?

Chen Jianfang furrowed his brow even more.

Was that square object the ledger they had found during their nighttime reconnaissance of Zhu's residence a few nights ago?

Was she... making a deal with Mr. Chen Liu?

Qiao Hui also watched, turning his head. After a while, he resumed eating the mutton.

Well then.

This girl finally got her hands on the six-zhang paper.