Chapter 366: Prenuptial Agreement

Chapter 366: Prenuptial Agreement

In early August, the sweet osmanthus buds were just beginning to emerge. An old residence in a deep alley of Yishun Ward was covered with black cloth. A dozen sturdy men marched in single file like a line of strong workers, carrying bricks, sand, tree roots with muddy trees... One after another, they moved efficiently inside.

At the door, a dark and sturdy girl held a wooden board with a thick sheet of Xuan paper clipped to it. As each man entered, she crossed off an item and called out, “Three baskets of river sand, four thousand blue tiles, one hundred gold-foil tiles, seventeen pine seedlings, twenty-eight cypress seedlings...”

A crowd had gathered at the entrance. Yishun Ward was home to the Guozijian (Imperial Academy) and several well-known private schools. The residences of Hanlin scholars were also in this ward. Among the onlookers were students and stewards from prominent clans.

Some who knew their stuff whispered, “This is quite the investment! I recognize those pine seedlings! They’re Bashan pines transported from Shu!”

Others chimed in, “Did you see those tiles? They have gold foil on them!”

Some scholars, displeased with the crowd’s admiration for wealth, snorted coldly, “It’s likely just another gold or silver merchant. A couple of days ago, the highly renowned Tang Ji Gold and Silver Shop in the Capital City was shut down...”

The scholar left unsaid that this shop was probably another front for some noble or official to hoard riches! When he passed the imperial examination, he would risk his life to bring these national parasites to justice! Lock them all up! They’ve already made all the money!

The sturdy men continued to stream in.

The items that followed were even more precious.

Pearls glowing with a white sheen, a coral half the height of a person, porcelain ornaments that looked extremely expensive...

“Wow,” the onlookers gaped.

Could this be... money laundering?

This grand scene lasted for two or three days, until finally, what was brought into the courtyard were only about ten tightly sealed camphor wood boxes.

“What is this again?”

The crowd of onlookers hadn’t dispersed; in fact, there were even more.

“I don’t know! These boxes must cost several taels of silver each! Whatever’s inside must be even more expensive!”

“What kind of shop is this? What are they selling to recoup the costs?”

“Hey, isn’t your boss an official from the Ministry of Revenue overseeing the Capital City? Don’t you know the background of this shop?”

The steward, flattered by the attention, replied, “I did some digging! The merchant is from the south and bought several shops all at once!”

“Bought? Not rented?”

The steward shook his head, “No! They paid upfront! Not just this one, but also shops in Changgui Ward to the east and Baiqing Year to the west. It seems those haven’t been renovated yet; this one just started the earliest.”

“Heh! This southern merchant really has a solid foundation!”

The steward glanced at the large silver lock on the camphor wood boxes and smiled, “Not just financial backing, but also social standing!”

What exactly was this shop in Yishun Ward going to sell?

This matter caused quite a stir for several days.

Inside Lord Zhongwu’s manor, the main hall faced south.

A large round table held five round plates. In the center was a chicken soup hot pot. The chicken soup had nothing else added, just a whole free-range chicken and bamboo shoots. It had been simmering for a morning, with a layer of yellowish oil floating on top. The fire stirred the oil, creating circles on the surface of the soup, carrying the pure meat aroma in all directions.

Suo'er emerged from the small side room and handed the completed ledger to Xianjin, who sat at the far end of the table. She whispered, “Everyone has entered the site. Only the white jade bricks will be delayed by two days. I went to urge them, and the boss said we must pay sixty percent of the total amount upfront before he’s willing to deliver the goods.”

After a pause, she continued, “The boss is waiting at our mansion gate now. Should we pay him? If not, I’ll go find another shop right away.”

Sitting next to Xianjin, Qiao Hui glanced at Qiao Fangzhi, who was slurping soup above them at the head of the table.

Qiao Fangzhi remained expressionless, focusing on his soup.

Xianjin went through the notebook and asked, “How much was initially agreed upon?”

“Forty percent,” Suo'er replied.

“The boss didn’t seem like a dishonest person. Why did he suddenly change his terms?” Xianjin asked again.

Suo'er was taken aback.

Seven Seven Seven, sitting nearby, chimed in, “I asked around. The boss heard that our recent orders were quite large and was worried that our financial situation might be tight, leading to delays in final payments. So, he insisted on increasing the initial payment amount.”

As Xianjin lowered her eyes to sip the soup, she said, “Reject his offer.”

The chicken soup was fresh and delicious, and one could tell from the first sip that the free-range chicken must have been well-raised.

Just like her, disciplined.

Xianjin swallowed the soup and continued, “Find another shop that can make the white jade bricks. Pay sixty percent upfront, but keep the total price increase within ten percent of the previous total price.”

Seven Seven Seven nodded and immediately turned to leave.

Suo'er looked down in thought.

After the meal was finished, Qiao Hui put down his chopsticks, clasped his hands behind his head, and smiled at the old man of the Qiao family, “You play favorites.”

Qiao Fangzhi remained expressionless, “Where have I played favorites?”

“You taught me not to speak while eating and not to talk when sleeping. When I was young, if I tried to speak during meals, wouldn’t you give me a few whacks?” Qiao Hui grumbled.

Qiao Fangzhi placed his hands on the dining table, his expression serious and solemn, “All of my retirement funds have been invested in that dead girl. If she loses, I lose. It’s a matter of interest. Can’t I allow her to worry about business during meals?”

The “dead girl,” He Xianjin, looked up and grinned at the head of the Jin family.

Time rewound to a month and a half ago.

She lacked the funds to purchase the shop.

After understanding He Ainiang’s situation, she couldn’t bear to pawn the old and heavy gold ornaments — besides, Chen Fu had declared, “If you dare to sell any of Ainiang’s belongings, don’t blame me for hanging myself in front of your bed at midnight!”

This threat was too harsh.

Who would want to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and find an oily-haired playboy hanging in front of you?

While others might ooze body oils, he would probably ooze hair oils.

The odor would be unbearable.

Therefore, Xianjin’s financial gap not only wasn’t filled but grew larger — even the silver notes left by He Ainiang couldn’t be used, as they were said to “still carry the fragrant aura of Ainiang.”

Chen Fu didn’t just threaten; he also took action.

He took out all his private savings.

A total of 372 taels and eight mace.

“If I had known about today, when I left the Chen family, I should have taken the Golden Grain Scripture Paper from the ancestral hall! It’s said that a roll can fetch two taels of gold these days!” Chen Fu regretted.

Madam Qu: Listen to me, thank you for being here; even the ancestral hall seems to have feelings now.

Qiao Hui was eager to help.

Chen Fu firmly refused, his neck stiff with determination.

With Qiao Hui around, Chen Fu clammed up like a martyr, refusing to explain; but once Qiao Hui left, he opened up: "You're not married yet! Everything you acquire now is part of your dowry! Once you're married, he won't be able to touch it! If he gets involved now, who knows what mess we'll end up with!"

Xianjin was impressed by this clear-headed approach to love!

It's almost like she's protecting her pre-marital assets!

She's so clear-headed about love, but even clearer about her daughter's interests!

Xianjin smiled and said, "Should we wait until the wedding and sign an agreement? His is his, mine is mine, and let's clearly outline how everything will be divided if we ever split up!"

Chen Fu, exasperated, said, "Oh, my foolish girl! What's yours is yours, and what's his is still yours! How can someone as smart as you not see that?"

Qiao Hui, who hadn't gone far, silently wondered about the calculations he overheard.