In the teahouse.
Zheng Ruqian and Fang Heng sat down next to Jiang Sheng, and pretended to elegantly lift up a cup of tea, making appreciative "tsk" sounds as they tasted it.
"Second and third brothers, how was it?" Jiang Sheng rested her cheek in her hand, her eyes full of stars.
How could it be anything else?
They had returned after just one cup of tea, meaning they clearly hadn't reached a deal to cooperate.
But this was all within expectations, Xu Mo was not surprised, and Zheng Ruqian was also not discouraged.
The two of them finished the tea in their cups like dogs chewing peonies, then sat there calmly.
After chatting about this and that for a while, mentioning the provincial examinations in August, lamenting how expensive everything was in the city, with even one cup of tea costing ten coins.
About one incense stick later, a little second brother rushed out of the Yu Rang Ju inn in the city, looking around as if searching for someone.
Xu Mo set down his teacup, the corners of his lips curving up. "Little brother, he's here."
Zheng Ruqian tidied his attire and bearing, then strode onto the street with Fang Heng in tow, swaggering.
The little second brother who had looked dejected just before was now overjoyed at the sight of him. "Sir... sir..."
Zheng Ruqian felt completely satisfied, unable to stop an "Ah~~" from escaping.
In the past, others had only called him things like "brat," "snot-nosed kid," or "blockhead." This was the first time someone had used such an honorable term as "sir" to address him.
Zheng Ruqian was so pleased he felt shivers down to his pores. He was so distracted by this that he actually forgot to respond.
Silently, Fang Heng reached out and smacked him on the butt.
Jolted back to his senses, Zheng Ruqian quickly put on a poised, magnanimous smile. "What can I do for you?"
"It's like this, sir. Just now we fried, sauteed, stewed and cooked your cured meat, and due to its exceptionally fragrant and delicious flavor, it attracted the admiration of some of our regular customers. Our boss was hoping to discuss purchasing several dozen jin of your cured meat." The little second brother's face was plastered with an ingratiating smile.
"Just a few dozen jin?" Zheng Ruqian was a little disappointed. "That might have to wait a while. We have a five hundred jin contract with the Yu Rang Ju inn in Xieyang County that we need to fulfill first."
The little second brother froze.
What... The boss had thought they would only ask for a couple dozen jin, and these little brats would be overjoyed and grateful.
Who would have thought they didn't care at all.
"I... I'll go discuss with the boss again." Like a dog chased off, the little second brother fled back to the Yu Rang Ju.
Zheng Ruqian snorted disdainfully, tidying his lapels again. Suddenly feeling emotional, he said, "Little brother, I feel like I should spend a fortune on new clothes."
This coarse cloth robe didn't seem to match the image of a "sir" at all.
Even if he couldn't afford something as extravagant as the young master from the Jiang family wore, at least it should be a silken changshan, right?
Just thinking about walking through the streets in new clothes, poised and refined, attracting the admiration of all the commoners.
As they would address him one after another.
"Sir, sir, sir."
Zheng Ruqian was spacing out with a silly grin when he was jolted back to awareness by another smack. Only then did he notice the little second brother had been calling to the point of hoarseness.
"Sir, I already reported back to the boss, and he said he wants five hundred jin too," the little second brother said in confusion. "What happened just now? I called you so many times but you didn't respond."
Zheng Ruqian shut his mouth.
What could he say? That he had been daydreaming in broad daylight?
That would be too damaging to his image as a "sir."
"Five hundred jin is fine. We'll need to sign a contract and pay a deposit first, and can deliver the goods in about twenty days," Zheng Ruqian resumed his dignified manner.
Behind him, Fang Heng turned aside helplessly.
Just then he happened to spot a pure black figure quickly dodging behind some merchandise shelves.
In other places, Fang Heng might have dismissed it as just seeing things. But this was the city, the city with the royal family, so a figure skulking about so furtively set off alarm bells in Fang Heng's mind.
Before long, Zheng Ruqian happily emerged with the deposit money and contract in hand. "Little brother, let's go."
The siblings returned to the teahouse, and Zheng Ruqian slapped the two taels of deposit money down onto the table.
"Wow, second brother is so amazing, you reached a deal so quickly!" Jiang Sheng's eyes were full of stars.
Zheng Ruqian was practically floating with delight. "Well, my cured meat is a rare treasure after all."
Because of its novelty, because of its flavor, because of its uniqueness, even the aloof Yu Rang Ju in the city was willing to order five hundred jin all at once.
On the other hand, no one was willing to take the vegetables. But that was fine, it was summer now and vegetables could be bought anywhere, so Zheng Ruqian's vegetables seemed ordinary and unremarkable. It would be in winter when all kinds of fresh vegetables were transported from distant places that they would become coveted rarities at the restaurants and taverns.
The siblings got up, and Jiang Sheng nimbly put the two taels deposit into her little purse.
Now they just had to see if Zhang Qiquan had found a suitable place.
They returned to where they had split up earlier.
The carriage was still there, tethered in place, while Liu Cui and Zhang Xianglian were standing beside it discussing something.
Seeing the children return, Liu Cui's eyes lit up. "You're just in time. Your father found three locations and is trying to decide which one to pick."
She presented the maps to them.
Zheng Ruqian took them in both hands, and the other little heads crowded around to form a circle.
The first location was on a busy street. The front was a storefront for selling goods, while the back was a second courtyard that could be used as a workshop. The advantage was it could expand cured meat sales, but the disadvantage was the price was truly too expensive.
It would cost fifty taels a year.
That would completely eat up Zheng Ruqian's entire budget. What about labor, purchasing goods, buying materials?
Forget it, on to the second place.
The courtyard was much bigger than the first, but the location was too remote, almost at the city gates. It would work as a workshop but wouldn't be great for living. It cost twenty taels a year.
The third location was between the first two, built on the foundation of a two-courtyard residence that had been expanded into a bigger courtyard. It was very spacious, and was said to have been used by the former owner to grow flowers. But later the owner had married out, and the servants left, so it had been neglected since.
The advantage was the price was not expensive. Such a large place plus a two-courtyard residence only cost thirty taels a year. The disadvantage was the structures had fallen into disrepair from being unoccupied for over a decade.
Zheng Ruqian pressed his palms together and decisively closed the maps.
In unison with the other children, he said, "The third place."
So what if it was run down from age? Even a dilapidated temple could still be lived in. As long as they knew how to repair and renovate, it could become a good residence.
"Let's go take a look in person," Xu Mo suggested.
After Zhang Qiquan came hobbling over on his crutch, they got on the carriage and headed to the third courtyard residence.
It was an elegant detached residence, said to have originally belonged to someone of status. But later the owner passed away, and the deed had fallen into the hands of relatives, who now rented it out.
It was just as rumored that the former owner had loved flowers. Upon entering, one could immediately sense it was true, as there were plant stalks and creeping vines and sprawling dead branches everywhere, still preserving the original style even after over a decade.
Fang Heng followed along behind the older brothers, running a hand over the marks of time on the walls. He was suddenly reminded of the Fang family's main residence in Fengjing, which was also always filled with lush blossoms and swirling mist.
His mother would often recline in a rocking chair, smelling the floral fragrance while listening to the servants read reports of border skirmishes.
When she heard news of his father's repeated victories, she would reveal a faint smile, then sigh softly, "When can he come back...?"
Without anyone noticing, Fang Heng's eyes welled up with tears.
