Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 362: Fighting without Fighting, Lin Daiyu's Way of the Inner House

February 10th,

On that day, merchants gathered in Yangzhou city.

This was the first time that the Lianghuai Salt Bureau re-elected its chief salt merchant in nearly a hundred years through an open bidding process, which naturally attracted elites from all walks of life in Yangzhou Prefecture to participate in this event.

The event was jointly organized by the Yangzhou Prefecture Government and the Salt Inspectorate. The admission tickets were also very special, and admission and seating were based on the number of salt permits in one's name.

Those who are not involved in the salt industry but just want to join in the fun can only sit on the periphery and cannot participate in the bidding.

Such a novel rule not only attracted wealthy merchants from all over Yangzhou, but also attracted a large number of spectators who wanted to watch the wealthy merchants compete and raise prices on the stage.

Since the New Year, Yangzhou City seems to have ushered in its first bustle.

The Salt Inspectorate,
Lin Daiyu walked briskly to where Xue Baochai was staying, knocked on the door a few times, leaned out and asked, "Sister Bao, I'm coming in?"

Xue Baochai, who was in the room, heard the noise, came out first, took Lin Daiyu's hand, and walked into the room.

"If my sister hadn't come to look for me, I would have been heading that way, too."

The two of them were as close as sisters and sat down together at the tea table.

Lin Daiyu looked at Xue Baochai from head to toe and saw that she was only wearing a smoky blue satin cross-collared outer jacket and a frost green folded skirt that was neither new nor worn.

The whole outfit is neither made of luxurious materials nor has bright colors, and it does not look like the outfit that one would wear for a big event.

Following Lin Daiyu's gaze, Xue Baochai also read her intention and took the initiative to explain: "After all, we are doing this unexpectedly, so it's not good to spend too much effort on clothes. It's a good thing to be inconspicuous."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly and said, "Sister Bao is very considerate when it comes to foreign affairs. It's really reassuring. No wonder Brother Yue entrusted all these matters to Sister Bao."

Xue Baochai smiled awkwardly and slowly lowered her head.

Outside the window, it was past noon and gradually getting cooler. It was time to get ready to attend the meeting.

The role she played in foreign affairs this time was the most important one for Xue Baochai since she followed Yue Ling.

The pressure in her heart was self-evident. Even though she managed her expression very well, Lin Daiyu could see through it at a glance.

After Lin Daiyu said a few flattering words, Xue Baochai, who had not yet left the house, felt the pressure pouring down on her face like a tidal wave.

Lin Daiyu squeezed Xue Baochai's palm again, smoothed her five fingers and gently placed them on her leg.

"This incident happened because of my father, and I already feel guilty for involving Sister Bao."

"And it's hard for Sister Bao, a woman, to compete with men in a place like that. I can see the difficulty even without thinking about it."

Xue Baochai shook her head repeatedly and said, "Sister, you are too much. I have been taken care of by the Lin family in the mansion. How can you treat yourself as an outsider?"

"Besides, this is also the Marquis's business..."

Lin Daiyu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she added, "Since Sister Bao can think this way, she also knows that this time we have worked together and put in a lot of effort, so nothing will go wrong."

"Brother Yue and my father are here to support the situation. Sister Bao, just do it boldly and don't put too much pressure on yourself."

While giving psychological counseling to Xue Baochai, Lin Daiyu also breathed a sigh of relief.

The current situation really does not allow for any mistakes, but she also hopes that Xue Baochai can perform normally on the field, so that everyone can achieve their goal almost exactly.

Xue Baochai lowered her head slightly and replied, "Don't worry, sister. I will definitely not let everyone's hard work go to waste."

In her heart, she secretly said, "I also need to give myself an explanation, a sufficient reason to continue to stay by the side of the Marquis with peace of mind..."

At the right time, the maid outside the door came with a message: "Miss Xue, the sedan chair at the back door is ready. It's time to go out, so as not to be stuck in traffic again."

"Okay, I'm coming right now."

Looking back, Xue Baochai folded her hands on Lin Daiyu's and said, "Sister Lin, it's getting late. I should go now."

Lin Daiyu's eyebrows curved, and she smiled and said, "Okay, I wish Sister Bao a successful start, and I will hold a celebration banquet at home."

Xue Baochai nodded slightly, put on her long gown, stepped over the threshold with firm steps, looked back and smiled at Lin Daiyu, then left quickly.

As Xue Baochai left, Lin Daiyu also walked out the door and strolled leisurely in the back garden of the Lin Mansion.

Play with the newly sprouted green buds on the branches, or smell the peach blossoms in early spring, with Qingwen and Xueyan accompanying you.

The three of them played for a while before Qingwen came forward and asked in confusion, "Young lady, this trip is an opportunity for you to display your talents at the Yangzhou gathering. It's obviously a good thing that you have Mr. Lin and Mr. Wang backing you up, so why don't you fight for the limelight and give it to Miss Xue?"

"If it's just a disguise, not many people have seen the girl, so it's okay for the girl."

Lin Daiyu's mind was not on Qingwen's words. She looked at the blooming petals and said leisurely, "When I was in Suzhou before, I handled foreign affairs. Maybe Brother Yue also saw that I was not interested in foreign affairs and was unwilling to go out and interact with people, so he gave the task to Sister Bao, who was more suitable for the job."

Lin Daiyu is a lady living in the boudoir and is not the type of person who is willing to compete for the limelight in the outside world, but if Yue Ling needs her, she is not unable to take up the responsibility.

If not, strolling in the garden would obviously be more in line with her mood.

Lin Daiyu doesn't like overly noisy crowds, which is fundamentally different from watching lanterns during the Lantern Festival.

Compared with her, Xue Baochai's identity is more appropriate, and she knows more about the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce than Lin Daiyu, so she is certainly the best choice.

Lin Daiyu withdrew her gaze, changed her mind, and looked back at Qingwen.

There are so many maids in the room now, but Qingwen's appearance is one of the best except for a few young ladies.

She had thin shoulders, a slender waist, a pair of bright eyes, and long eyelashes. Her hands were a little rougher than before because she had done a lot of work since she came to the mansion.

Otherwise, with her delicate skin and tender flesh as before, she would have been a real beauty, the most beautiful lady in the mansion and a model of a beautiful lady.

Such a person is an unstable factor in the mansion.

And the indignation he just revealed inadvertently for not fighting for Lin Daiyu made Lin Daiyu even more surprised.

"I didn't expect that Qingwen is quite ambitious."

If you think carefully about what Qingwen did after she came to the mansion, you will find that she was trying hard to integrate into the Anjing Marquis Mansion.

It is true on the surface, but to put it another way, this girl actually has a heart that wants to win favor and is unwilling to be a maid.

This is not a wrong thing.

But as a maid in the mansion, if she wants to go further, there is no other way but to please Yue Ling.

Not long ago, Lin Daiyu asked Qingwen to look after the other maids, but Qingwen herself was so eager to win favor, wasn't she stealing from the public?
Therefore, Lin Daiyu secretly thought, "Oh no, Qingwen is not an honest person either. I should choose someone else in the future. While monitoring others, I should also focus on monitoring Qingwen."

But at the moment, there was no suitable candidate in the room, so Lin Daiyu had to endure her feelings and stared at Xueyan with a look of disappointment.

At this time, Xueyan was squatting on the side of the road fiddling with the weeds, and it seemed that she had no intention of joining in the conversation between the two.

Just as Qingwen sighed with deep regret and Lin Daiyu frowned with a thousand thoughts in her mind, Xueyan said softly, "Qingwen, you are still too immature and don't understand how a girl should behave in the world."

After these words were spoken, not only Qingwen was shocked, but even Lin Daiyu came back to her senses in shock, looking at the snow goose playing with mud and pulling weeds in surprise.

Qingwen was even more unconvinced in her heart. You, Xueyan, only know how to eat every day. How can you understand any profound principles?

But after all, she was in front of Lin Daiyu, and her status was not as high as Xueyan's, so she did not dare to get angry, but humbly asked for advice: "I have not been in the mansion for a long time, is there any other reason?"

Xueyan clapped her hands and stood up, saying solemnly, "Qingwen, do you know the truth that 'not fighting is fighting'?"

Qingwen blinked twice and was even more stunned after hearing Xueyan's mysterious words. She glanced at Lin Daiyu who was also stunned and couldn't help but say, "I hope you can teach me..."

Xueyan shook her head and said, "I know you are simple-minded. Let me give you an easy-to-understand example."

"Take dinner tonight for example. Ten food boxes were delivered to the room, and seven of them were for me to eat. If I didn't eat, would you eat them?"

Qingwen shook her head in agreement, "No, we can't eat that much."

Xueyan nodded, patted Qingwen on the shoulder, and continued, "That's the truth. Even if I don't fight, you won't fight either. It's like the Marquis is standing there, and if the girls don't fight, who can fight for him?"

"How can a lady who sits firmly in the inner house be so stingy?"

"And the girl is actually waiting for the Flower Goddess Festival, two days later..."

Lin Daiyu covered Xueyan's mouth with her hand, blushing and anxiously saying, "Qingwen, don't listen to her nonsense. What kind of nonsense is this?"

Pinching Xueyan's chubby face, Lin Daiyu pulled her into the room and said, "Tonight, you eat a box like us. I want to see if you will fight for it or not!"

"Ah! How can a girl be like this? She is so stingy! A wife should not be so stingy!"

"You still said that!"

The two of them left noisily, leaving Qingwen alone, disheveled in the wind, carefully thinking over Xueyan's words.

After a long while, he stammered, "Great wisdom appears foolish. Xueyan is really insightful. I still need to be careful with my words and actions in my daily life..."

……

Slender West Lake,

The most famous building in Yangzhou, Qionghua Pavilion, has thousands of glazed lamps lit up.

Thousands of feet of colorful silk hung from the eaves, dancing in the evening breeze.

Inside the pavilion, there are three floors with a U-shaped corridor in the middle. The columns are inlaid with mother-of-pearl, forming a "Canal Map" that depicts the prosperous water transport scene in Yangzhou.

In the center of the lobby, a pool was dug into the ground and fresh water was brought in, forming a circular Moqu channel with jagged rocks in it, which is a wonder.

Behind it is a grandstand with three long tables stacked on one side, each with the name of the seated person marked on it.

Yue Ling, Marquis of Anjing, Lin Ruhai, the Imperial Censor of Salt, and Cui Ying, the Prefect of Yangzhou.

Around the stands were the wealthy businessmen from Yangzhou who came to participate in the bidding.

Further outside, and even in the circular corridors on the upper floors, there were spectators of the conference, drinking and chatting happily before the opening ceremony.

Behind the stands, Yue Ling stood and looked around.

Cui Ying stood beside Yue Ling and bowed respectfully, saying, "My Lord, it's almost time. Please see..."

Looking at Lin Ruhai who had already taken his seat, Yue Ling nodded slightly and said, "Okay, let's get started."

Yue Ling turned around and sat down. Cui Ying gestured to the people in the room, and the Yangzhou General Merchants' Bidding Conference officially kicked off. The Shaoxing lawyer in the government office struck the gong and came on stage. He cleared his throat and called out to the people in the hall: "Everyone, be quiet. It's time for the conference to begin."

The atmosphere in the hall became quiet.

Xue Baochai, who was sitting in the middle among the merchants, couldn't help but look up in the direction of Yue Ling, folded her hands in front of her, and took a deep breath.

Next to her was the shopkeeper of the Xue family, who was temporarily transferred from another place to help Xue Baochai and provide assistance.

"Madam, all the forms for our tea shop have been submitted, and there are no mistakes."

Xue Baochai nodded lightly, "Okay."

On the stage, Shaoxing lawyer continued loudly: "As you all know, today is the day when the Salt Bureau invites bids for the general merchant. The general merchant is the backbone of the salt business and is indispensable."

"Who will be entrusted with this great task today depends on your performance."

"First of all, you have met the three gentlemen, Lord Yue, the Marquis of Anjing, Lord Cui, the prefect of Yangzhou, and Lord Lin, the salt court official. Today, we will jointly witness the selection of the most suitable person to take up the post of the chief merchant of Yangzhou."

After a round of thunderous applause, the master said, "Everyone has their own identity card by their side. When the bidding begins, you can raise your card to indicate."

"Next, we will proceed to the first task, checking the salt permits."

An official walked up to the stage, holding a list. The lawyer picked it up, turned the title page, and began to read out the number of new salt permits each household received.

"Xufu Salt Shop, Cen family, 370 votes; Qiuji Salt Shop, 375 votes..."

While the legal advisor reported the financial strength of each family, the officials checked the identities of each family.

After the roster was read out like a dish, the formal auction began.

"Now, everyone's identities are clear. Next, we will start bidding for the general merchant qualification. We will start with the Bao family's salt fields. The reserve price is 100,000 taels. Above that, the starting price will be 10,000 taels at a time."

Before the master finished speaking, someone raised a sign and said, "One hundred and ten thousand taels."

"Okay, Qiu's Salt Shop, 110,000 taels."

"One hundred and twenty thousand taels."

"Xufu Salt Company, 120,000 taels."

"..."

The Bao family had too many salt fields, so they were auctioned off in pieces. Xue Baochai also bought a salt field that she liked, but it did not attract any attention.

After dividing the salt pits, the next step is to really start competing for the qualification of general merchant.

Those who don't even occupy the salt fields certainly have no chance to compete. From the initial tickets and salt permits to the recent competition for salt fields, the merchants have already been screened out.

In the end, only five families were still able to compete, including the tea merchant played by Xue Baochai.

"Okay, now that the salt fields have been owned, it's time for everyone to compete for their advantages."

A man stood up at the front seat. He was wearing a feather fan and a scarf, had a fair face and a thin beard, and looked like a modest gentleman, but his tone was aggressive.

"I am from Jinhu and the owner of Peijifang."

Everyone was whispering when they heard the noise. Pei Jifang in Jinhu has been very popular recently and has a huge fireworks business.

However, fireworks are too seasonal. If they want to really turn things around, they really need a more profitable business. Obviously, salt merchants are suitable.

Moreover, Jinhu Peijifang also uses a lot of salt, produces and sells it by itself, which brings many conveniences.

"The salt depot collects salt. I pay eight cents of silver per ton to the salt depot. Thank you for your kindness."

"What? Eight cents?"

As soon as this sentence was uttered, the whole room exploded.

Eight cents of silver is the cost of producing salt, which includes the income of salt households, firewood and market taxes paid to the government. The rest is the profit of the market merchants.

The lower the market price, the lower the price the transporter gets. The transporter usually pays a fixed amount of salt tax according to the salt tax. The lower the price, the more salt tax the government collects.

Lowering prices can be seen as an act of sacrificing oneself to benefit others, which is unacceptable to profit-seeking businessmen.

"What's the use of eight cents of silver? It will take a long time to earn back the investment of the salt field!"

The crowd was noisy, and several merchants who were originally full of ambition were now unwilling to enter the competition.

Merchants are profit-driven, so there is no need for them to come here to do a losing business and work as laborers for the government.

"My family abdicated."

“It’s the same in my family.”

"Yes."

There were originally five companies competing, but once the price of eight cents was thrown out, three of them were persuaded to withdraw. The result is obvious.

After the case, Yue Ling and Lin Ruhai looked at each other and nodded slightly.

Cui Ying beside him saw this scene and smiled and shook his head, "He is also a local merchant in Yangzhou. It is best for him to take this job. It will also be convenient for Lord Lin to discipline him. With such a profit, the salt tax will also be settled in the future."

"That Lingji Tea House, the name is very unfamiliar, I don't know where this merchant came from, I don't know his background, it's not easy for me to take on this important task."

Lin Ruhai coughed lightly, covered his face with his sleeves and said, "The price of eight cents per note is indeed rare. It seems that Jinhu Peijifang is determined to obtain the qualification of general merchant."

Cui Ying smiled and nodded.

Pei Jifang came prepared, and the price of eight cents of silver was calculated in advance. A little more was a price that others could afford, and a little less, at present, except for the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou, no one could afford the loss.

When the eyes of all the merchants present were focused on the last merchant who had not yet spoken, Xue Baochai raised the sign beside her and said calmly, "Lingji Tea House offers seven cents and nine cents."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere on the field became even more different.

It was quite unexpected that he insisted on bidding, and he only lost by one point, which was clearly a provocation.

Now, everyone around, including those on the corridor, exclaimed and started to watch the excitement on the field.

The elegant scholar's face suddenly darkened, and he said in a muffled voice, "This girl looks very unfamiliar to me. Can you bear the consequences of what you said?"

"It's a one-cent difference now, but over the years, it can add up to tens of thousands of taels."

Xue Baochai did not back down and responded sharply: "With all the gentlemen in front of me, who dares to tell lies?"

"Good, very good. I admire the financial strength of your tea house. Peijifang will pay 7.5 cents."

"Lingji Tea House, seven cents and four cents."

The scholar slammed the table and shouted angrily: "You!"

Seeing that the situation was gradually heating up and the price was getting lower and lower, there was really not much profit to be made, so the lawyer immediately struck the gong, making the scene quiet instantly.

"Stop for a moment. You two are both wealthy people, so we won't fight over anything."

"This position of general merchant is not only about price, but also about transportation capacity and shops that can operate. We need to look at it comprehensively."

"Since there are only two of you competing for the position of the chief merchant, according to the rules set by the conference, please come to the stage and talk about your own advantages, and the three adults will judge accordingly."

"I declare that the Chamber of Commerce is suspended. Give you two a quarter of an hour to prepare your speeches."

The bidding will be temporarily interrupted, and tables will be set up on the stage, and the two parties who will come on stage in a while will sit down and debate.

Offstage, the scholar came up to Xue Baochai, sang a yes, and then said coldly: "Madam, I don't know why a woman who is in charge of your shop dares to be so rude. You have long hair and short knowledge. Madam, you should at least ask the old shopkeeper next to you how much difference the price of salt will make if a few cents less is drawn."

“This is different from tea that costs several times more.”

The scholar warned Xue Baochai in person, but she ignored him and replied coldly, "You only need to worry about yourself."

The scholar closed his folding fan, irritated by Xue Baochai's arrogant attitude, and said repeatedly: "Well, today I will let you know that there is no regret medicine in this world. Just because of a bidding meeting, your husband's family's hard work was destroyed in an instant."

With another cold snort, the scholar withdrew and went up to the stage to find a seat.

The shopkeepers of the Xue family gathered around and asked with concern, "Madam, this man's words are full of hidden meanings, and his sharpness is obvious. Could there be any deception? Do we need to think about it again, so as not to make any mistakes in this important matter?"

Each of them knew that their young lady had a close relationship with Marquis An Jing. The young lady even named the non-existent tea shop "Ling Ji" and called herself Madam. The reason was self-evident.

But it was precisely in front of Marquis Anjing that mistakes should least occur.

Xue Baochai knew this, but she remained calm and said, "Bring my account and pen, and go on stage."

The shopkeepers looked at each other and could only believe their own young lady, and went up to the stage together.

A gong sounded, and the second round of bidding began.

At this moment, three judges appeared on the stage, with a merchant competing for the position of general merchant on each side. The scholar was on the left and Xue Baochai was on the right.

"Okay, everyone, please be quiet. The final salt merchant will be selected from these two companies. Let's welcome Pei Jifang first."

The scholar stood up, bowed to the people around him, glanced at the opposite side with disdain, and said word by word: "Jinhu Peijifang, originated from the fireworks business. We use salt to make fireworks. Apart from the price just mentioned, we are also very familiar with the transportation of salt."

"There are also shops in half of Jiangnan that have switched to selling salt during the fireworks off-season. Even in places without shops, they can work with small merchants to stabilize the price of salt. Peijifang has such strength."

"Perhaps you all thought I was bragging about what I said before. On the stage, in front of the three adults and all of you, I will review it again. Pei Jifang's salt price can be given as six coins of silver!"

"Okay, please come to Lingji Teahouse."

The scholar sat back with confidence. Six cents of silver was reduced by two cents compared to eight cents, which meant he was already walking on the tightrope of possible loss.

Everyone regarded this as an irreversible situation.

Even though Pei Ji Fang appears to be aggressive and unpleasant on the surface, this is how it is among merchants; financial resources determine power.

When everyone looked to the side, they couldn't help but look at him with some sympathy.

This woman was no less bold and dignified when she took to the stage, but faced with a price tag of six cents, she no longer had any advantages to speak of.

Everyone stared at the right side with their eyes fixed, but saw a pair of delicate hands of a woman dancing on the abacus like playing a musical instrument, making a rhythmic crackling sound, as if no one was around...

(End of this chapter)