Taohuaxi

Chapter 5 Taking over the Cheng family’s business

The night light in the main room is dim and soft.

The old lady looked around at the people in the room, paused, and then said: "Why don't I leave it to you."

The Cheng family, starting from the generation of the great-grandfather, had thousands of hectares of tea gardens and several acres of farmland in Huizhou.

During the day, I learned from the housekeeper that when the master was still alive, he opened several tea houses in Yangzhou Prefecture. With the convenience of water transportation, the Cheng family's tea was transported to the north and south, and the business became bigger and bigger.Even many dignitaries in the capital like to drink Cheng family tea.

After the old man passed away, the eldest young master Cheng Cangshi took the post of Cao officer.The second young master Cheng Huaishi took care of the family business while studying and revising for the scientific examination.

I leaned over and said to the old lady: "Mom, my daughter-in-law is new here and may not be able to do the job."

The old lady told the maid: "Pour a cup of tea for the Second Young Mistress from the can of tea placed by my bedside."

The maid agreed.

After a while, tea was served to me in a celadon cup.

The old lady looked at me and I took a sip.

At first it felt unremarkable.In the blink of an eye, the rich mountain scent spread from the lips and teeth to the heart.The aroma came from all directions, strong and surging.

"How?" The old lady smiled.

"Good tea."

"This is autumn wild tea from Jinzhai, Lu'an Prefecture, not from the garden. The taste of wild tea has no rules and cannot be entered on the counter. But what I value is that it has no rules. Spring breeze, summer rain and autumn white dew. Everything is forbidden and everything is delicious. You can bear it. Once you taste the taste, you will feel that it has no root or foundation, and the fragrance is simple and without any selfish motives."

The old lady said it meaningfully.

The eldest mistress apologized and said with a smile: "Mother, even if you value the Zhu family girl, how can she understand the things on the counter without ever going to a business store? Business is no joke. Is there a day when money like water doesn't come in and out?"

The old lady thought for a while and said, "What Yuzhen said makes sense. That's it. Sang Yu will be responsible for collecting the account books on each cabinet, going through them, and then handing them over to me."

After saying that, she ordered the boy: "Go and call Wu Bi from the cupboard on East Street."

The boy responded and went. After a cup of tea, a tall man came in and said respectfully: "What do you want me to do, madam?"

The old lady said: "You have been here at the counter for ten years, and you have been with the second master for ten years. You are experienced in doing things. From now on, you can take the second young lady to get familiar with the family business. The second master is gone, and the second young lady is the only one in the second room. You must do your best.”

The tall man named Wu Bi hurriedly said: "Yes."

The old lady waved and motioned for me to come to her.

She said to me with red eyes: "Sang Yu, if you take care of Huai'er's affairs, I will treat Huai'er as if he is still alive. In a few years, I will adopt a child from the clan for you. The second wife is not considered extinct. people."

I lowered my head: "Daughter-in-law listens to mother."

The eldest mistress said: "Mom, my daughter-in-law's cousin has been doing business in Fuliang for many years and is a good hand. How about..."

"No need, Yuzhen. You don't have to worry about this."

The old lady suppressed the eldest young lady's words in an understatement.

And so things settled down.

Finally, the old lady felt that I had no reliable servant except Xiaoyin, so she rewarded me with a maid named "He Hua" beside me.

He Hua wore her hair in a bun, as if she had been married.

But the married servants in the mansion all went home at night, or rested with their families in the backyard.

Howard did not.

She followed me back to the west courtyard, quickly took a few old ladies to clean up the chores in the house, brought warm water from a copper basin, and waited for me to rest.After that, he spread a mattress on the ground by the door and slept.

She had a cold face, and she hadn't said a word or taken a step since she came back from me.

The next day, I got up.

Wu Bi was waiting in the courtyard early.

After I finished dressing up, I followed him to the shop on East Street.

The four big characters "Cheng's Tea House" were written by the grandfather of the Cheng family, and they were written in a respectful and elegant manner.

There are various tea leaves on the cabinet.

Wu Bi greeted the boys, and everyone said hello to me.

Later, Wu Bi handed me several thick account books and said, "Second Young Madam, this is the income of the sixteen shops in the city this season. Take a look."

I took it and turned it over carefully.

Zhufu is actually also a businessman.Our ancestors were engaged in flower brewing.After my mother came to the house, she took charge of affairs and became prosperous day by day.During the Longqing period, thanks to his maternal ancestors, he moved up and down and became an imperial merchant.My mother used her dowry and most of the money in her account to donate a seventh-grade official to her father.The Zhu family was once a wealthy family in Dongchang Mansion.

After the death of my mother, my father's business failed and became depressed.After marrying his stepmother, he listened to the gossip and neglected his duties. What's more, he even lost his official position.The imperial merchants were also exempted.May your family be better every day.Before I left the cabinet, my stepmother never allowed me to interfere with the affairs of the cabinet.

Today, when I took the account book, I just felt it was obscure.

I looked slowly, studied slowly, and gradually sorted out the features. Before I knew it, several hours passed.

"Wu Bi——" I called.

No one was around.

A boy said: "Shopkeeper Wu may have gone to the warehouse at the back."

I got up and looked for it.

The fragrance of tea is light and lingering.

I pushed open the door of the warehouse and saw a man in black clothes sitting inside. He was holding a few pages of paper in his hand, as if he wanted to put the paper into the tea box.

Hearing the door open, he quickly put the paper into his sleeves.

As if it were the most important thing in the world.

"Who are you? How come you are here? Where is Wu Bi?"

The man turned around.

He has a majestic body, a clear face, and eyes like cold stars.

When he saw me, his clenched fists unclenched, and the cold light in his eyes disappeared.

He said: "I'm from the counter on West Street. Tomorrow there will be a cargo ship going to the capital. I'm here to hand over the affairs to shopkeeper Wu. He's about to go do the inventory and he'll be back soon."

"So it is."

I walk up to him.

"I just saw you trying to put the paper into the tea box. The road is bumpy, and there are people checking along the way, just in case..."

He said: "Do you have any idea?"

He did not call me "Second Young Mistress" like Wu Bi.

I said: "Press the tea leaves into a block and put the paper inside. You can't see anything from the outside."

"I'm afraid the handwriting will be blurred."

"Cover with grease."

He is alert.

I smiled and said: "When the cargo ship is escorted to the capital, in addition to the customs duties paid to the court, the officials of the water transportation in Beijing also have to pay with silver notes. Is this a gift to the officials?"

When he saw what I said, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes."

"I see."

Among officials and businessmen, these things are always inevitable.

I told him there was no need to be so nervous.

He suddenly came close to me.

"It seems that Madam is not only loyal, but also very smart."

I raised my head suddenly and looked at him.

His voice, the voice of the masked man at the ferry...

Footsteps came from outside the door.

"Miss, are you in there?"

It's Qin Mingxu.

How did he find it on the cabinet?
I was about to say something, but the man next to me grabbed my arm, squatted down, put my head on my head, and covered my mouth.

His eyes were so close to mine.

"You are not allowed to interact with Qin Mingxu from now on."

He stretched his fingers towards my neck: "I pulled a knife on you yesterday. Did it hurt?"

(End of this chapter)