This was also what most people would think.
Jiang Ling chimed in from the side: “That’s right! Miss Yu, we can discuss the matter of investing shares, but the main thing is that you need to consult properly with your family first, so that when they find out, they won’t blame us for deceiving you.”
Yu Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After exchanging a few polite words with Jiang Ling and Madam Jiang, she took her leave.
Madam Jiang couldn’t help but reproach Jiang Ling a few times: “Young Mistress shouldn’t be managing these matters. If anyone else comes looking, you should just say you don’t know.”
Madam Jiang was the chamber attendant of Jiang Ling’s mother and had watched Jiang Ling grow up. After Jiang Ling’s father passed away from illness, Jiang Ling’s mother also fell ill, and much of the affairs of the inner quarters of the Jiang family estate were managed thanks to Madam Jiang’s care. Jiang Ling held her in great respect, so she didn’t think there was anything wrong with Madam Jiang’s words. Instead, she comforted her: “I’m just worried about Elder Brother’s business. If I encounter this kind of situation again in the future, I’ll definitely ask you to come look first.”
Madam Jiang felt both heartache and helplessness listening to this. She could only take Jiang Ling’s hand and say: “Young Mistress, not letting you manage these things is also Master’s intention. Please listen to my advice! With someone like Miss Yu, who knows what intentions she has. If their family truly wanted to do business with our family, why wouldn’t they go find Master, but instead take this roundabout way to find you?”
Perhaps others thought she was easy to talk to?
Jiang Ling muttered this in her heart, but didn’t show it on her face. She still smiled as she saw Madam Jiang out.
However, Yu Tang felt that her attitude earlier hadn’t been quite right.
Perhaps Jiang Ling was like her—she would need to go through some experiences before gradually becoming more formidable.
Still, she had originally only wanted to meet Jiang Ling and see what kind of person she was. Now that she had met her, her purpose was achieved, which could be considered a complete success.
Yu Tang pondered this as she returned to the inn.
Yu Yuan and the Xiang family hadn’t returned yet.
Yu Tang ate lunch by herself, and thinking that they would be returning to Lin’an early tomorrow morning, she organized the things she had bought first.
It was at this time that Yu Yuan and Xiang Shi finally returned.
However, both of them were beaming with smiles, so it looked like things had gone quite well.
Yu Tang hurriedly asked if the two of them had eaten lunch yet.
“We’ve eaten, we’ve eaten.” Xiang Shi drank a mouthful of tea that Shuang Tao poured, and said happily to Yu Tang, “We had quite good luck today. Because your elder brother promised the errand boy from Ping’an Restaurant a running fee, that fellow was very diligent. Last night he found a steward from Uncle Jiang Chao’s household and thoroughly inquired about Jiang Chao’s business dealings.”
As soon as Yu Tang heard this, she immediately sat down beside Xiang Shi and conveniently passed her the pastries on the table.
Xiang Shi smiled and took a piece of pastry, continuing: “It really is just like what your elder brother found out yesterday. This time he’s running ships with a family surnamed Wang from the Ningbo area. That family is like him—they’ve been running ships for their employer for over ten years. Recently, their employer passed away, and his two sons started fighting over dividing the family property, so they decided to strike out on their own. They call it a shipping fleet, but actually it’s formed by several families pooling together in partnership. The Wang family only has one ship, and as for the Jiang family, they only hold one share in this one ship. Then your elder brother and I went to meet Jiang Chao.”
Speaking of this, she made a couple of clicking sounds and said: “I really didn’t expect that Jiang Chao, a man who runs ships, would look so refined and cultured, like a scholar. His words and conduct were also proper and honest. When he met us, he didn’t boast or make grand claims, but honestly told us the actual situation once through. He even said that currently his capital is insufficient and he has difficulties, but what he’s investing is his entire family fortune, and he will definitely treat our money as if it were his own.”
Hearing this, Yu Tang faintly felt something was amiss.
Her sister-in-law was treating Jiang Chao as an extremely trustworthy person!
Yu Tang couldn’t help but look up at Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan sat across from them, smiling as he listened to Xiang Shi speak. Seeing Yu Tang look toward him, he smiled and nodded at her, taking over from Xiang Shi: “A-Tang, it’s a pity you didn’t come with us today to meet Jiang Chao. I think what you said was very reasonable—he truly is a very capable person. After your sister-in-law and I discussed it, we agreed to invest four thousand taels of silver as shares. Two thousand taels are mine, one thousand taels are your sister-in-law’s private savings, and there’s another thousand taels that I agreed to on your behalf.”
Yu Tang was stunned.
Things had twisted and turned, rushing completely in an out-of-control direction.
“No, that’s not—” she stammered, “didn’t I say we should first probe his situation? The matter of investing shares needs to be cautious…”
Who would have known that Yu Yuan would wave his hand grandly and say: “Sometimes doing things is like this—calculating back and forth, you always feel there are risks, but when you actually do it, you’ll discover that some risks seem very serious in your imagination, impossible to solve, but when you actually do them, they’re just a matter of turning around, very easy things.”
“That’s right!” Xiang Shi chimed in, “A-Tang, I think what Jiang Chao said makes a lot of sense. Moreover, your elder brother also said that although we’ve made this decision, after we return, we still need to discuss it with Uncle. The four thousand taels of silver we promised—if Uncle also thinks this is a good business, then our two families will split it fifty-fifty. If Uncle feels the risk is too great, then as we said before, we’ll take the larger share and you’ll take the smaller share. However, Jiang Chao also said that any business has risks, and the greater the risk, the greater the return. The risk in this business is also very large. I was thinking, if it really turns out as Jiang Chao said and the ship doesn’t return, I’ll compensate you for that thousand taels of silver. You don’t need to worry.”
Yu Tang was already completely unable to speak.
This Jiang Chao—her brother and sister-in-law had only met him for the first time, yet they seemed bewitched, single-mindedly wanting to do business with him.
If he was this formidable, why would he still need to make such a big fuss about raising investment capital?
Yu Tang’s intuition told her that if she objected at this moment, it would only disappoint her brother and sister-in-law. Better to wait until their enthusiasm had faded before saying anything. She asked: “Have you settled on when to hand over the silver?”
Four thousand taels of silver was no small amount.
No one would carry so much silver on their person either.
As long as the silver hadn’t been handed over to Jiang Chao, the initiative would still be in their hands.
Yu Yuan smiled and said: “Don’t you know how much silver we brought with us? I paid a three hundred tael deposit and agreed to make up the remaining silver in ten days.”
Yu Tang only felt that she couldn’t stay in this place for even another moment. She urged: “Then fine, let’s return to Hangzhou first thing tomorrow morning. When we get to Lin’an, we’ll make further plans.”
Yu Yuan and Xiang Shi nodded repeatedly, enthusiastically inviting Yu Tang to go stroll the streets: “We’re leaving tomorrow, and we still haven’t properly looked at the lacquerware shops on this side of Suzhou!”
Yu Tang was also afraid it would be hard to account for things when they returned, so she and Xiang Shi each freshened up and went out on the street with Yu Yuan and the others.
Yu Yuan and Xiang Shi didn’t know why they had so much to talk about, walking shoulder to shoulder, even stopping to look for several moments at a candy figurine seller.
Yu Tang pursed her lips and, seizing an opportunity, pulled Xia Pinggui aside to ask: “Did you see that Master Jiang?”
“I saw him.” Xia Pinggui became somewhat excited and said, “That Master Jiang is truly remarkable, practically self-made. I also think that Young Master should invest shares this time. Think about it—someone like Master Jiang will definitely become successful in the future. Knowing him from his humble beginnings, Young Master will certainly benefit from the connection later.”
Hearing this, she also felt that this Master Jiang was impressive.
Even the most honest and upright Xia Pinggui from their household had been persuaded.
Yu Tang somewhat regretted not going along with her brother and sister-in-law to meet Jiang Chao.
However, since they were giving the silver in ten days, there should still be an opportunity.
Yu Tang pondered this in her heart.
Xia Pinggui had one thing right—knowing someone from their humble beginnings would definitely create a different bond than with others. If that was the case, regardless of whether this business venture lost or made money, their family should invest. But four thousand taels was too much. Could she find a way to persuade Elder Brother to invest less silver, just treat it as a token of good faith?
With matters weighing on her mind, she was inevitably somewhat distracted. What shops they visited that afternoon, what rare and curious things they saw—she didn’t remember any of it clearly. Instead, on the way home, the closer they got to home, the more familiar the scenery became, and the more solid she felt in her heart.
No wonder everyone disliked leaving their hometown.
Uncle and Aunt had been waiting at home for them.
Xiang Shi and Yu Tang took out the gifts they had bought for everyone. Although Yu Bo’s face was expressionless, his tone was lighter than usual, revealing his happiness: “The lacquer you bought arrived early this morning. I took a look—it’s acceptable. From now on, leave these matters to A-Yuan and Pinggui. As for the mountain forest business, just set it aside for now. Back in the day, it was also given to our family as debt repayment by someone else. It’s been several generations now, and aside from collecting some firewood, we can’t do anything else with it. You all should stop fussing about it—it wastes money and effort.”
Yu Yuan wasn’t the type to give up just because things didn’t work out. Besides, those sea buckthorn trees had just taken root—it was too early to say whether they would work or not. But he had never been someone who liked to contradict his elders. Whatever Yu Bo said, he respectfully agreed, and as for what to do afterward, he had his own plans.
Therefore, after everyone ate the welcoming feast together and Xia Pinggui and the two young assistants returned to the shop, Yu Yuan took the opportunity of seeing Yu Wen’s family off to tell Yu Wen about Jiang Chao’s matter, though he didn’t mention how much they wanted to invest.
Yu Wen listened and laughed heartily, saying to Chen Shi: “See, I told you! When these two go out, they’re bound to stir up something! Last time they went to file a complaint at the Gu family. This time, they’ve set their sights on someone doing maritime business and have presumptuously chosen one to invest in!” As he spoke, he shook his head. “Children really grow beyond their parents’ control—daughters grow beyond their mothers’ control!”
Since marrying Yu Wen, Chen Shi’s household had never had a moment of peace—if it wasn’t this matter, it was that matter. Seeing him now criticizing his nephew and daughter, she couldn’t help but say reproachfully: “Who did they learn this from? Isn’t it because you, as the elder, didn’t set a good example? When A-Yuan and A-Tang were young, you told them to seize opportunities whenever they arose. Didn’t they turn out this way precisely because they listened to your words?”
These words left Yu Wen speechless, not knowing what to say.
Yu Yuan and Yu Tang just laughed heartily on the side.
Although he said this, Yu Wen still fell back a few steps, leaving Chen Shi and Yu Tang aside to speak privately with Yu Yuan for a while.
Learning that they wanted to invest shares in Jiang Chao’s maritime business, Yu Wen furrowed his brows tightly and asked: “Do you understand this person?”