Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 224: Troubles at Home

Xinchun Street, Western City of Shenjing.

At the beginning of July, the sun is scorching and it is the hottest time of the year in the capital.

The scorching road surface was like it was on fire, and the shops on both sides of the street were doing little business and were deserted. It was normal that no one was paying attention in such hot weather.

But there is an exception in Xinchun Street, which is Xiuniang Fragrance Shop, which has recently become quite famous in the market.

Not only did this place not become unpopular due to the hot weather, but business was booming.

The two open shops were filled with people dressed in silk and satin, picking items off the shelves, chatting and laughing. They seemed very comfortable, not at all affected by the scorching heat outside the shops.

The most eye-catching thing in the store is the three half-person-high white porcelain jars, inside which crystal clear ice cubes are piled up into small hills, emitting white cold air.

The three porcelain jars of ice cubes eliminated the heat in the shop, making the entire Xiuniang Incense Shop cool and pleasant, very comfortable. No wonder the incense shop was so popular in such a hot summer.

These women lingering in the store seem to be enjoying the unusual coolness in the store amidst the scorching summer heat rather than buying things.

The women in the shop were all from wealthy families. They had all seen the world to some extent and knew that there were two shops selling winter ice in Shenjing City, but the price was very expensive.

The three jars of ice in Xiuniang's incense shop are worth no less than ten taels of silver according to the market price. If they are just left in the store to cool down, they will be consumed in less than a day. It is really a big deal.

Such a icy summer scene is not only seen in Xiuniang Incense Shop on Xinchun Street. The same scene can be seen in every teahouse or women's house on the street, which are also experiencing booming business and popularity.

In this hot summer, the strange sight of these two shops has become a unique landscape of Xinchun Street.

……

Jia Cong originally wanted to open an ice cream shop to make money, but he eventually put the idea on hold.

The collected materials were simply transported to a secret perfume workshop outside the city, and the ice cubes made every day were transported to Xiuniang's perfume shop and the girls' quarters in the teahouse.

The effect was very good, and it greatly increased the business of the two stores.

Feng and a waiter named Liu Ping were busy in the store. Feng was busy greeting female customers, while Liu Ping was in charge of the cashier and keeping accounts.

Ever since Feng was arranged by Jia Cong to work in the incense shop, she has completely adapted to this kind of life.

Although she was once a country squire's wife, she never thought that one day she would be a businessman.

But over the years, her husband went missing, her daughter was kidnapped, and her biological father was so greedy and cruel that she experienced all the sufferings in the world.

Until she met Jia Cong, this teenage boy, who became the benefactor of her life. He not only helped her find her long-lost daughter, but also took her and her daughter to escape from the dirty plot of her biological father.

As the shopkeeper of this incense shop, she can support herself with ease and spend time with her daughter from time to time.

I heard that my daughter is living very well in the Jia family. Mr. Jia treats her very well. The old ladies in the family all like her and almost treat her like a half-young lady.

Looking back on the hardships of the past ten years, she is content to be able to live such a life now, and she is also extremely concerned about the business of the store.

At this moment, Feng was busy introducing a new perfume in the store to a new customer.

Suddenly, I saw five or six yamen runners walking on the street under the scorching sun. They were holding whistles, sticks and chains, with unfriendly expressions, and were heading towards the incense shop. I was shocked.

……

Zhen'an Prefecture.

Procurator Liu Binfang walked into the official residence of Prefect Zhang Shouan.

Liu Binfang was the confidant of the prefect Zhang Shouan and an official promoted by him. The two had a close relationship.

When a servant's witchcraft murder case occurred in Rongguo Mansion, it was Liu Binfang who came forward to investigate, and Zhang Shouan was the one who planned and strategized behind the scenes, seeking benefits and avoiding harm, and thus allowing Zhen'an Mansion to avoid a dispute.

Over the past few years, the two of them have worked in perfect harmony and have managed Zhen'an Prefecture in peace and tranquility. Zhang Shouan has also gained a lot of benefits from his position as prefect.

However, the Ministry of Personnel was about to hold a two-year examination, and the chief officials of each yamen would be tested to decide whether they would be promoted, retained, or dismissed. Everyone in Zhen'an Prefecture knew that Liu Binfang was Zhang's man, and whether Zhang Shou'an could keep his position was directly related to Liu Binfang's future.

The two of them have developed a tacit understanding over the years. Liu Binfang is proficient in government affairs and is very careful about everything. When he finds a problem, he will take the initiative to discuss it with Zhang Fuyin to avoid leaving any excuses or loopholes in daily government affairs.

This is also Liu Binfang's way of being an official. The two of them have a relationship of coexistence and mutual prosperity.

Today he handled a warrant and after checking it, he felt suspicious, so he went to discuss it with Prefect Zhang. This was a common occurrence in the past.

"Sir, just now, Chief Constable Liu Erzhen went to Xinchun Street with a warrant, saying that the Xiuniang Incense Shop owed government money.

I have seen the official silver documents from last month. During the past six months, Xiuniang Incense Shop has paid official silver every month, with the amount ranging from 150 taels to 200 taels.

It seems that there is no arrears, but if we rashly put him in jail, will it give people something to criticize him for? "

Zhang Shouan took a sip of the freshly brewed tea and said, "Binfang, you may not know that someone reported that Xiuniang's incense shop had a turnover of four to five thousand taels of silver per month, and the tax was one tenth.

It's more than one or two hundred taels of government silver a month, and there is a suspicion of withholding and concealing government silver."

Liu Binfang was stunned when she heard this, because the Xiuniang Perfume Shop was not a big business, it just had two branches.

In the past, it was customary for such shops to pay government silver, with the upper limit being two hundred taels of official silver per month. Although it was not required by the government, it was a common practice.

In fact, it is difficult for the government to accurately judge how much business each store can do each month. The amount of official silver that each store has to pay is roughly estimated by the government based on market conditions.

Setting a monthly cap of 200 taels of official silver for small and medium-sized shops can prevent excessive exploitation of the shops and also have the effect of ensuring a steady income over the long term.

Liu Binfang felt puzzled. The prefect should know the rules for collecting official silver, so why did he suddenly become so harsh on the Xiuniang Incense Shop?

Zhang Shouan saw Liu Binfang's expression and knew that he had doubts in his heart.

"Someone also reported that Xiuniang Incense Shop stole the secret recipe of incense from others, made huge profits by taking advantage of others, and demanded that they return the secret recipe and pay compensation."

When Liu Binfang heard this, a strange expression appeared on his face. This was not his first day as an official in Zhen'an Prefecture, and as a prosecutor in charge of criminal prosecutions, he was certainly not a fool.

He accuses others of stealing the secret recipe, and then asks them to hand over the secret recipe. It is not clear who is actually taking advantage of the situation.

This incense shop must have a very good business and was coveted by the powerful. This kind of law of the jungle and seizure of property happens all the time, usually by colluding with government officials. It is also commonplace.

Liu Binfang sighed inwardly. Lord Zhang had been in the ups and downs of officialdom for half his life and had finally secured the position of prefect of Zhen'an Prefecture. In order to secure his position, he had always made friends with the rich and powerful. He was afraid that he had been asked to do something by others again.

Now that he had guessed the truth, Liu Binfang didn't want to get involved and just let Zhang Shou'an handle it himself. This kind of thing was always not very glorious and he didn't want to be implicated. If anything happened, it wouldn't be his fault.

So he changed the subject, talked about other matters, and then said goodbye and left Zhang Shouan's official residence.

Zhang Shouan watched Liu Binfang leave and cursed the old fox in his heart.

He came from a poor family and lacked family connections. He spent half his life climbing to the position of prefect of Zhen'an Prefecture in Shenjing, and he did so by lowering his face to make friends with famous and powerful people.

In fact, he had done one or two such things in the past two years, and he cleaned up the mess from beginning to end, which brought him many benefits.

He also investigated the Xiuniang Incense Shop carefully and found that the owner was a woman under 20 years old with no background, and the shopkeeper was also an ordinary woman.

They learned the skill of making incense from somewhere and made their business so prosperous.

But without the ceremonial guards and protection of a wealthy family, what's the difference between her and a child carrying gold through the market? No wonder she is coveted by others.

The Ministry of Personnel's two-year examination was approaching. Zhang Shouan came from a poor family, and although he had tried to make friends with powerful people in the past two years, he did not have any connections in the Ministry of Personnel.

However, the person who made the request this time was one of the top nobles of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with extensive connections inside and outside the court, and even a long-standing friendship with the officials of the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Reward Department.

Naturally, he would not miss such an opportunity to make friends. If he had not met this person a few times, the other person might not have come to him for help.

(End of this chapter)