Chapter 430: Chapter 166: Settling Down in the Prefecture (Part 2)
Chen Wanqing took the box and felt the thickness of the silver notes inside.
The silver notes inside were all one-hundred-silver notes, deposited at Datong Bank.
This bank was owned by the imperial family, making it extremely reliable, with branches in every region.
Back in Qingshui County, Chen Wanqing had also converted the silver she earned into silver notes and deposited them at Datong Bank.
Having handled many silver notes over the past six months, Chen Wanqing could easily estimate the approximate amount just from their thickness.
’The amount should be right,’ she thought, so Chen Wanqing didn’t count them carefully.
This was, in fact, the very reason they had come looking for Mr. Xie as soon as they arrived in the Prefecture.
Before coming, Chen Wanqing had given all the silver notes she had to her mother to keep the business running.
She had only kept enough for their travel expenses, and most of that was now gone. If she hadn’t come to Mr. Xie for her share of the profits, they wouldn’t even have been able to afford staying at the Wangyue Inn.
Fortunately, Mr. Xie was a sharp man and didn’t need any prompting; he presented her share directly.
When Xie Ming saw that Chen Wanqing only roughly estimated the thickness and didn’t count the notes carefully, it was clear that she trusted him.
But when it came to money, it was always better to be clear.
Mr. Xie said, "Mr. Chen, please count it carefully. It should be about four thousand two hundred silver. See if the amount is correct. You seem to be in a hurry to get back, so you probably aren’t in the mood to look at the ledgers. I’ll have them sent to the Wangyue Inn for you later."
In truth, it didn’t matter whether he sent the ledgers or not, because Chen Wanqing also kept her own accounts for every shipment.
Factoring in expired and damaged products, she had a good idea of the approximate profit from each delivery of Moonlight Fragrance.
If the silver notes in the box really amounted to four thousand two hundred silver, it would prove that Mr. Xie was an honest man, and their partnership could continue.
For the sake of their long-term partnership, Chen Wanqing did end up verifying the silver notes after all.
She not only checked the amount but also verified their authenticity. Fortunately, the result was good—the amount was correct, and the silver notes were all real. There was no deception.
"With these silver notes, will this perhaps solve your pressing problem, Mr. Chen? It’s not that I’m just dead set on solving a problem for an old friend and want to sell that house quickly. It’s just that the location is excellent, the house itself is elegant, and it’s only about a hundred meters from the examination hall. The house is diagonally across from the government office, so the security is second to none. If I weren’t privately committed to the task you entrusted me with, I would have bought it myself."
Xie Ming wore a wistful expression, and so, Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing finally decided to go take a look.
And it turned out to be a truly wonderful place.
Although the house was located in an alley, the alley was wide enough for carts and horses to pass through without issue. Moreover, there were only two households in total. The other home’s gate was shut tight, but the entire alley was kept spotlessly clean, suggesting they would be easygoing neighbors.
The alley was just two turns away from the main street—at most, a distance of less than two hundred meters.
Exiting the alley, the Wang Family’s teahouse was on the left, and diagonally across to the right was the government office.
It was a truly, truly good location.
Not only was the location excellent, but the house was as well. Its elegant and stately construction was one thing, but it also possessed a certain charm.
Walking from the outer courtyard inward, one could see blooming Chinese roses and climbing begonias everywhere. The sweet osmanthus season was ending, and the trees planted along the path dropped a rustle of golden blossoms. Furthermore, yellow and green chrysanthemums bloomed brilliantly, and cotton roses exuded a delicate, wispy fragrance.
Xie Ming said, "This house was rented out a while ago to a wealthy Scholar. That Scholar wanted to bask in the original owner’s good fortune, so he paid a high price to rent the entire courtyard. But perhaps there’s some real metaphysics at play here. The Scholar’s chances of passing the exam were about fifty-fifty, but this time he actually passed and became a scholar, and his ranking wasn’t even low... The feng shui of this courtyard might be truly excellent. If Mr. Chen hadn’t entrusted this task to me earlier, I really would have bought it myself."
Xie Ming emphasized again and again how wonderful the house was and what a shame it was that he couldn’t acquire it.
’But wasn’t this also a way of sending a message? That he was a man who valued trust and kept his promises, and would never abandon a prior agreement for some sudden profit?’
’Although the man was a bit slippery, he was, on the whole, a good person. And the house was an even better house.’
Both Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing had taken a liking to it.
Even though before they came, the two of them had been discussing buying two small courtyard houses—one for their family to live in, and one to house the servants. That way, it would be convenient for everyone.
But now that a better option had presented itself, a last-minute change of plans wasn’t out of the question.
Besides, since the house was large, they could knock through the rear courtyard and house all the servants there. This would also make it convenient for her to pop over and supervise at any time, preventing any mishaps.
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