Chapter 168: Gaining an Inch and Advancing a Foot (Pink Ticket 800 + Additional Chapter)

  At this, Jingyu spoke in a low voice: "The one who took over the tea farm from me is my fourth uncle from my paternal grandfather's side. He is a fair person and should not make things difficult for Lin Rui Chun. Even if he was the one who forced me to leave, Lin Rui Chun is someone from your Shen family, specifically arranged by our ancestor to learn the trade at our tea farm. If he had any small actions, I'm afraid it would be hard to explain to our ancestor later - that's why I didn't bring him back when I left."

  A big family should avoid internal conflicts at all costs.

  Forcing Shi Jingyu to leave is not for the sake of the tea house's management rights, but now that it's in hand, the next step should be to treat Shi Jingyu well and make sure Shi Zimo doesn't think her departure has anything to do with him. So, no matter who takes over the Shi family tea house, Lin Rui Chun will not be mistreated for bringing Shi Jingyu to the tea house.

  The two of them went together.

  Shen Mu Qing slightly nodded and instructed Pang De Bao: "Whether it's selling at a flat price or directly purchasing from the tea plantation, what's most important is to ensure the quality of the tea leaves."

  "Now that Auntie has made up her mind, I have an idea." Pang Debao smiled as he looked at Shen Muqing.

  "Please speak, Manager Pang!" Shen Muqing said politely.

  "Doing business is all about seeking profit." Pong De Bao's smile was faint, but his eyes were very serious, making people involuntarily calm down to listen to him speak. "Importing tea from Jiangnan at a flat price may be convenient, but we would be doing it for nothing. Moreover, the young lady is also planning to have the One Wen Tea Shop mainly sell large-leaf tea - I think this idea is excellent too."

  All good Dah Yeh tea is produced in Fujian. If we can open a tea plantation in Anxi, we can produce top-grade Tieguanyin and the cheapest Dah Yeh tea at the same time. However, building a tea plantation is not something that will show results in one or two years. When I was helping the Xiao family build a dock in Guangdong, I met a Fujian merchant named Xie Ping whose ancestors were tea farmers and who made his fortune in the tea business. If Madam agrees, I'd like to get in touch with him and have him supply us with the Dah Yeh tea we need. For now, let's just focus on building our reputation.

  Shen Muqing looked at Shi Jingyu with a quiet gaze.

  She is an expert in making tea.

  Time Jingyu lowered her head, pondered for a moment, then raised her head and bowed to Shen Muqing.

  Shen Muqing smiled and asked Pang Debao: "Is this Xie Ping reliable?"

  Pang Debao smiled and said, "This person's character is somewhat frivolous, but he doesn't lose his generous nature. Besides, he has made a fortune in the shipping business in recent years, and the tea plantation at home is no longer important to him."

  "Then I'll trouble you, Manager Pang, to ask around and see if there's any possibility of cooperation." Shen Muqing said politely to Pang Debao.

  Pang De Bao stood up with a smile and gave Shen Mu Qing a slight bow: "Then I'll take my leave."

  Shen Mu Qing stood up and saw him off.

  He humbly said "I dare not".

  Shen Mu Qing was polite for a while and finally sent him to the door.

  As she turned around, Shi Jingyu looked at Shen Muqing with a solemn expression and said: "Mu Qing, regarding Xiao Sa's matter, I advise you to reconsider!"

  Shen Mu Qing was taken aback for a moment.

  "You're probably not aware of the name Pong De Bao, are you?" Shi Jingyu furrowed her brow. "This man is from Guangdong, nicknamed 'Golden Fingers', meaning that any business he touches turns a profit. He also has a younger brother named Pong De Xue, whose nickname is 'Living Abacus', meaning that any business that goes through his hands will never lose money. Mu Qing, Xiao Sa lending him to you shows how much they value you. Merchants prioritize profits over personal relationships; handing over the money to you speaks louder than words. Mu Qing, think carefully about your dealings with Xiao Sa. Some things are better left unsaid. Sometimes, saving face can be fatal."

  Shen Mu Qing listened quietly but her face changed color.

  "You say, Pang Debao never makes a losing deal - who told you that?"

  "We sometimes do business with the Imperial Household Department, and also have dealings with the Fujian Maritime Trade Intendancy." Shi Jingyu explained, "The Xiao family has been selling porcelain to the Western Ocean through the Fujian Maritime Trade Intendancy for many years. The person in charge of this business in Fujian is Pang De Xue. In his early years, Pang De Bao was in charge of building the Xiao family's Longxue Island shipyard in Guangdong. The Pang brothers are well-known figures in Fujian."

  Shen Mu Qing bit her lip and said, "Then have you heard of Xiao Cheng?"

  Shi Jingyu's eyes sparkled with amusement: "I heard that the Xiao family in Lincheng has a young master named Xiao Cheng, who has been doing maritime trade in Quanzhou for several years and has made a fortune. He is already one of the richest men in Quanzhou." She spoke with a hint of teasing, "Isn't it said that Peng Debao's business on the high seas has also made him rich? Maybe he's doing business with Xiao Cheng."

  Shen Mu's face turned pale.

  It wasn't until then that Shi Jingyu felt something was off about Shen Muqing. She said somewhat anxiously, "What's wrong? Why does your face look so bad?"

  "This spring, was there a massive tsunami at sea?"

  Shi Jingyu said inexplicably: "Is it because of the tsunami? Many people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Why are you asking this?"

  Shen Mu Qing slapped his palm on the kang table: "How detestable!"

  Shi Jingyu gazed at her with a bewildered expression.

  Shen Muqing told Shi Jingyu about how Xiao Xiao moved into the Shen household, but she concealed the fact that she had lent money to Xiao Xiao. In her heart, she was still worried that Shi Jingyu would think Xiao Xiao's character was not clean because of this.

  At that time, Jingyu listened and burst out laughing: "It's a tsunami... but I saw Xiao Cheng in Nanjing last December... He bought the most famous Yonghe Garden in Nanjing... for 30,000 taels of silver..."

  Shen Mu Qing angrily shouted at Ying Fen: "Have someone deliver the letter to Gansu - if you dare to be hypocritical again, I'll beat you to death with a stick."

  Ying Fen had never seen Shen Muqing so furious, and was startled. She took the letter, hastily curtsied and said: "Don't worry, milady, I'll have someone send it to Gansu immediately."

  Shi Jing'er wiped away the tears of laughter and said, "Mu Qing, you shouldn't hold on too tightly either. To think that someone is using their heart for you like this, you should also be more tolerant." By the end, there was a hint of melancholy in her words.

  Shen Muqing's heart was full of resentment and she couldn't bear to listen to these words.

  She paced back and forth in the house: "He's always using his brains in front of me... I reckon if I'm ever sold by him, he'll even help count the silver."

  "That also requires someone to take charge." Shi Jingxian sighed, "Mu Qing, I think we'd better not go to Fujian for the time being. Opening a wine house is still going to require a lot of effort to prepare..."

  "Why not go?" Shen Muqing said somewhat petulantly, "I just don't want to let him have his way! If you don't want to go, I'll go myself!"

  Shi Jingyu couldn't help but laugh at her furious expression, like a child who had been deprived of candy.

  "First help me resolve the wine house matter, otherwise I won't have the heart to go to Fujian with you."

  Shen Mu Qing's heart finally calmed down a bit.

  Yes, after Shi Jingyu's affair, I still hoped that this wine tower would protect me and keep me safe.

  She smiled at Shi Jingyu with some embarrassment.

  Shi Jingyu gazed at her with a smile covering her mouth.

  The two of them discussed the wine shop's affairs.

  They decided to open a high-end restaurant, the name of which was "Jiangnan Spring", and it would be located near Xidajie. As for the funding issue, they decided to first go to Xidajie to take a look around, see if there were any suitable storefronts available, and then find someone who had experience running a restaurant to get an idea of how much capital was needed. Once all these things were settled, they would go find Shen Zhen and ask him to introduce some potential investors.

  Just then, a letter arrived from Gansu.

  Shen Muqing was very surprised.

  How did you get back so quickly?

  She was in a fit of rage at the time and wrote many unbearable words... Xiao Sa will probably be furious with a pale face after receiving the letter... Shi Jingyu just smiled at the time and didn't stop herself...

  Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a little homesick, holding the letter and rubbing it for a long time before opening it.

  Xiao Xiao praised the shoes made by "her" in the letter, saying that they fit well and asked her to make a few more pairs, which he would pick up when he returned to Kyoto. Finally, he also mentioned that if she had time, let her help him make a few spring clothes for himself.

  Deeply shocked and saddened.

  He hasn't received his letter yet!

  She gazed at the five words "Shen Muqing personally opened" written neatly on the envelope with a brush, and suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her heart.

  The days quickly arrived at the beginning of March. Shen Muqing began to prepare incense, candles, paper money and fresh flowers for worshiping Li Shi.

  Those who cannot personally visit the graves of their relatives on Qingming Festival can go to a temple for Buddhist rituals, and then ask a virtuous monk to write a yellow banner along with incense, candles, and paper money to be burned together - those in the underworld will also receive them.

  At this time, Jing Yu's usual enthusiasm was gone, and her expression was somewhat listless.

  On this day of visiting ancestors' graves, she has no home to return to... how can her mood be pleasant?

  Fortunately, two days before Qingming Festival, Shi Jingyu received a letter from Shi Zimo.

  Although it is unknown what Shi Zi Mo wrote in the letter, when Shi Jing Yu received it, she locked herself in her room and cried for two hours.

  Looking at Shi Jingyu's eyes which were swollen like peaches, Shen Muqing didn't say a word and invited her to help Li Shi fold paper money.

  After half a day, looking at the pile of paper money that had accumulated on more than half of the kang, Shi Jingyu's mood finally improved a lot.

  "Grandfather said that from now on, our family will give me two hundred taels of silver every year," Qīng Jì finally spoke up that night, "He said sorry to me and told me to blame him for being an incompetent grandfather..."

  An elderly person has spoken to this extent, what can a junior say?

  Shen Muqing could very well understand Shi Jingyuan's heartache.

  She patted Shi Jingyu's hand and said, "After the Qingming Festival, let's set off for Fujian! Going out for a walk will make you feel much better."

  Time flies like an arrow.

  "A moment later, he said: 'Shall we set out with Li Si Guan?'"

  Zhou Bing finally chose Li Si Guan as Chen Niang's person to send to Jiangnan, in charge of the sixteen silk shops in Jiangnan.

  Shen Muqin sighed and nodded her head.

  Shi Jingyu worried: "Li Si Guan, I see that he is clever, but a bit impulsive, can he be sent to Jiangnan?"

  "It can only be treated as a live horse now!" Shen Muqing sighed with a bitter smile, "I hope this young man's vigor can help him break through the situation."

  (Sisters, see you at the usual time! Hehe......)

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