The Ping’an Wine House only had a two-room storefront facing the street—one room was the counter, the other held five or six tables. It looked like it couldn’t seat many people, but once you walked inside, it was a different world.
“There’s a large courtyard in back,” Yu Yuan said excitedly. “Bamboo is planted there in clusters like umbrellas, with over a dozen tables set out. When there’s no rain or snow, everyone likes to sit in the courtyard. If the weather is bad, they go inside to sit—the courtyard is surrounded on three sides by open halls. I looked carefully, and each open hall can fit over a dozen tables. There’s also a second floor, but the second floor is all private rooms. This is the first time I’ve seen a wine house like this. No wonder everyone runs to Suzhou—Suzhou really does seem livelier than Hangzhou.” At this point, he chuckled and added, “Though it’s also possible I’ve been to too few places and have limited experience. Maybe there are better places in Hangzhou that I haven’t had the chance to see.”
Both Yu Tang and Xiang Shi smiled with pursed lips.
Yu Yuan continued, “I rewarded the server with a piece of broken silver and learned about the Jiang family’s affairs.”
Now they were getting to the main topic.
Yu Tang and Xiang Shi sat up straight.
Yu Yuan’s expression also gradually became more serious: “Jiang Chao, who manages the Jiang family’s affairs, has never done maritime business before. Everyone is still somewhat uneasy about him. These past few days he’s been recruiting investors everywhere—silver is fine, goods are fine too, but this time he only wants tea and porcelain. He says the other goods have already been prepared. I felt uncertain, so I found an opportunity for Pinggui and me to treat that server to a meal outside separately. From the server’s tone, Jiang Chao might not even be the leader—he’s most likely just taken one share in this maritime venture. He alone can’t swallow even this one share, which is why he’s looking for investors throughout Suzhou. I think this matter is somewhat questionable, so I’m planning to inquire more tomorrow.”
Yu Tang nodded repeatedly: “Then we’ll use a two-pronged approach. I learned where the Jiang family’s young madam lives. Tomorrow I’ll go find her, and you go meet Jiang Chao.”
Yu Yuan thought for a moment: “How about I go with your sister-in-law to meet Jiang Chao? I feel a bit uncertain in my heart.”
Hearing this, Xiang Shi felt very gratified.
Her husband was not only outstanding in appearance and respectful and loving toward her, but also methodical in handling matters.
What he lacked was just some experience.
Even if they lost some silver, they could just consider it buying experience and lessons.
Who in business didn’t come up this way!
Yu Tang was even more capable than Yu Yuan.
When siblings work together, their strength can cut through metal.
Their future days would only get better and better.
“Little Sister, what do you think?” Xiang Shi asked Yu Tang.
As it happened, Yu Tang wanted to go see Jiang Ling alone to assess her character. Going by herself, it would be more convenient to talk.
“Then Sister-in-law, you accompany Elder Brother!” She smiled. “The Jiang family’s young madam is a female family member—we can speak without reservations. Jiang Chao, however, is an ambitious man. If Elder Brother’s talks with him don’t go well, Sister-in-law can mediate from the side.”
Xiang Shi nodded.
Yu Yuan, however, said, “You say Jiang Chao is an ambitious man—have you heard something?”
Only then did Yu Tang realize she had spoken carelessly. She quickly remedied it: “He could sell the boat his father’s generation left him to follow his own uncle sailing ships, and in just two short years he could start running maritime business—clearly this person is not simple. What else would you call him but ambitious?” Then she reminded Yu Yuan, “A person like this—even if we can’t cooperate, we mustn’t offend him.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it with discretion,” Yu Yuan acknowledged.
Her own elder brother would be someone who could support the family business in the future.
Yu Tang had no worries.
Early the next morning, after breakfast with her brother and sister-in-law, she returned to her guest room to groom and dress herself anew, then went to the Yu family residence.
The Yu family lived just a stone’s throw from the Jiang family—white walls, gray tiles, black lacquered ruyi-patterned gate, with book-chest-shaped stone pedestals half a person’s height standing on either side.
From the looks of it, someone in the Yu family had been an official in the past, and of no low rank—at minimum a fourth-rank official.
The Yu family’s gatekeeper, hearing that someone had come to visit the household’s young madam from Lin’an no less, was astonished. He hurriedly went to report to Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling was attending to her husband taking medicine. After hearing the report, she inquired in detail for quite a while but couldn’t learn anything. She could only have the gatekeeper invite the person to the reception hall. She finished instructing matters in the room, changed her clothes, and went to receive the guest.
From afar, she saw a woman wearing a plain blue-green Hangzhou silk jacket with a double-spiral bun, standing upright in the hall observing the painting of “Five Women Celebrating Longevity” hanging in the central position.
The warm morning light shone on her, making her seem like a young bamboo shoot that had just sprouted, leaving a deep impression.
Jiang Ling’s face involuntarily reddened. Upon entering, she immediately explained, “My mother-in-law celebrated her birthday a few days ago. We haven’t had time to take it down yet.”
Paintings hung in the central hall should be changed according to the four seasons. In this season, they should hang flowers, birds, and fruits. But with Young Master Yu’s health declining day by day, no one in the family had the heart to concern themselves with such matters.
Yu Tang didn’t know exactly when Young Master Yu had passed away, but she guessed it was sometime this year. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“Young Madam is too kind,” she smiled politely, turning around. “No one has made rules about what paintings must be hung. What one’s own family likes is most important.”
When Jiang Ling saw Yu Tang’s face clearly, she felt her eyes brighten.
She had seen many girls with beautiful features, but those like Yu Tang—beautiful not only in features but also with a temperament as gentle as jade yet as bright as flowers—were extremely rare.
She couldn’t help but ask, “May I ask who Miss is?”
Jiang Ling feared Yu Tang was an old acquaintance of the Yu family.
Yu Tang, seeing Jiang Ling, was extremely surprised.
In her mind, a woman who could accomplish things comparable to men like Jiang Ling would, even if not having thick eyebrows, large eyes, and tall stature, should at least be dignified in appearance and shrewd and meticulous. But Jiang Ling appeared about the same height as her, with a slender figure. On her palm-sized face, one could only see a pair of large, clear peach-blossom eyes with long eyelashes like small fans. Her face was youthful, her smile shy. Where was the appearance of a young madam managing household affairs? She was clearly still a young girl who hadn’t grown up.
Yu Tang even doubted for an instant whether she had found the wrong person.
“You, you are the Jiang family’s young madam?” she asked hesitantly. “Master Jiang Chao’s younger sister?”
Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
Since she was asking about her elder brother, she must be a relative or old friend from the Jiang family’s side. Even if she didn’t recognize her, her elder brother should.
“Then you are?” she asked Yu Tang cautiously.
Yu Tang smiled and explained her purpose: “I’ve come from Lin’an. My surname is Yu. You probably haven’t heard of me. Our family makes lacquerware. These past few days, my elder brother and I came here to buy lacquer. I heard Master Jiang is planning maritime business and is currently recruiting investors. Since men and women should maintain proper distance, I felt awkward seeking out Master Jiang directly, so I could only come to you to feel out the situation and see if there’s any possibility of cooperation between us.”
Jiang Ling still didn’t recognize her, but she developed favorable feelings toward her. Not knowing her at all yet daring to come see her—this impressed her greatly.
She warmly entertained Yu Tang with tea and spoke of her elder brother’s business: “It’s rare that Miss Yu is interested. However, I never involve myself in my elder brother’s business. But I do know about his recruiting investors. My elder brother is an honest man—if you can invest, he certainly won’t let you suffer losses. Moreover, my elder brother always handles matters properly. For female family members who invest, there will be a special female manager to handle things. I’ll have someone fetch our family’s female manager right away. You can ask her anything, or have her relay messages to my elder brother.”
A special female manager—could there be many women investing in Jiang Chao’s business?
Yu Tang pondered this inwardly but showed nothing on her face, smiling at Jiang Ling: “Then I’ll trouble Young Madam.”
“Not at all!” Jiang Ling was very polite and immediately had someone go fetch the Jiang family’s female manager. She neither asked how Yu Tang knew their family was recruiting investors, nor how she had found her way here.
Yu Tang frowned secretly.
This Jiang Ling wasn’t nearly as shrewd as the legends suggested!
As she struggled with this realization, while waiting for the Jiang family’s female manager, she continued chatting with Jiang Ling: “I wonder how many shares Young Madam has invested in Master Jiang’s business this time?”
Hearing this, Jiang Ling’s expression immediately became embarrassed. She stammered for quite a while without explaining clearly.
Could she not have invested at all?
Yu Tang was greatly shocked.
Only then did Jiang Ling feel she had done something wrong.
Everyone in Suzhou didn’t believe her elder brother could succeed in maritime business. As his younger sister, she should have been the first to stand up and support him. If others learned that even she hadn’t invested in her elder brother’s business, they would trust him even less.
She urgently explained, “I certainly plan to invest. But as you can see, I’m now a daughter-in-law of the Yu family. Business matters require consulting my husband. Unfortunately, my husband has been gravely ill these days. I haven’t found an opportunity to discuss this matter…”
Yu Tang already felt exhausted. She forced a smile and responded with a perfunctory “It’s fine.”
Jiang Ling was about to explain further when the Jiang family’s female manager arrived.
The female manager had ordinary features, was about thirty years old, with fair skin and a rice-grain-sized black mole at the corner of her mouth.
Upon seeing Yu Tang, she paused slightly, curtsied to Jiang Ling, and before Jiang Ling could speak, said, “Young Madam, is there something you need?” After speaking, she cast a wary glance at Yu Tang.
Jiang Ling, all smiles, told the female manager Yu Tang’s purpose and introduced her to Yu Tang, explaining that the manager’s husband’s family was also surnamed Jiang, so Yu Tang could address her as “Madam Jiang.”
Yu Tang greeted Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang returned the courtesy and began questioning Yu Tang’s background: “Miss Yu has come from Lin’an? I wonder who else is in your family? How did you come to Suzhou alone to purchase lacquer? And how did you think of investing in our Jiang family’s business? Are you planning to invest on your own, or together with your family?”
Some women would take the opportunity to earn some private savings.
These were all questions Yu Tang had prepared for Jiang Ling to ask. Jiang Ling hadn’t asked a single one—instead, Madam Jiang asked them all.
“I’m the only daughter in my family, with just one cousin. On this trip, I came together with my cousin and his wife…” By this point, Yu Tang was already somewhat disappointed in Jiang Ling. She calmly explained her intentions to Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang was half-believing, but still expressed welcome, saying, “This is a major matter. Miss should return and discuss it with your elder brother before making a decision!”