Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 326 Seeking a meeting
If Feng Erniang's matter is not resolved properly, my second brother will hate him for the rest of his life.

But if things turned sour, those people would never release Feng Erniang. What should he do then? Guo Xiong was at a loss. As he pondered, he suddenly remembered that old lady.

The delivery of bricks proceeded as usual today, but Guo Xiong did not see Yang Xiaoshan again. It was clear that after being reminded, Yang Xiaoshan was no longer going to pay attention to their affairs.

Guo Xiong instructed his men to keep an eye on that family and learned that in addition to buying two shops, they had also purchased a large plot of land.

People inevitably gossiped that doing business here would likely result in huge losses.

With that money, one could buy a shop or house in a better place in the city. But that's not surprising, as many people come to Bianjing every year to make money, only to lose everything and leave in disgrace.

Guo Xiong, however, felt that the old lady's deal wouldn't be a loss. It wasn't just wild speculation; what Yang Xiaoshan had said that day had truly shocked him.

Moreover, that business is definitely not just about growing flowers.

Who would use such a large space to grow flowers?
The lady must have had a plan in mind when she chose this location. Acting when everyone else is skeptical means either utter failure or a windfall.

Guo Xiong leans towards the latter, so he should seize this opportunity.

After much thought, Guo Xiong decided he should pay a visit. He already had an excuse: to ask for advice or to express his gratitude.

Having made up his mind, Guo Xiong arranged the work for his boatmen, changed his clothes, and went alone to find Yang Xiaoshan to explain his purpose.

Guo Xiong said, "I want to thank your wife."

Yang Xiaoshan was not surprised, and simply said, "Madam has gone out and will be back later. You can come back at 1-3 PM."

Guo Xiong was somewhat disappointed that he couldn't see the person immediately, but he was a very patient person. He didn't say much to Yang Xiaoshan, turned around and left. When it was almost noon, he came to the courtyard again.

These are two shops that Xie Yuyan bought. The shops need to be repaired, and only the back courtyard will be kept. Xie Yuyan does not want his residence in the city to be exposed, so he simply handles business here.

When Guo Xiong entered, Xie Yuyan was signing documents to buy four flat-bottomed boats.

Yang Xiaoshan had mentioned before that his wife wanted to buy a boat, but he didn't expect her to do it so quickly. Guo Xiong licked his lips, feeling a little envious. After all this time, he only had four boats, and only one of them was a large flat-bottomed boat. The other three were just small boats.

"Madam." Guo Xiong stepped forward and bowed. He only glanced at the woman, whose face was covered by a veil, but from her eyes, he could tell that she was no more than twenty years old.

They're so young.

Guo Xiong didn't feel he had made a mistake in coming; on the contrary, he became even more convinced because those eyes didn't give him a sense of naivety but rather a calm and unwavering gaze that seemed to have no bottom.

"I've come to thank Madam." Guo Xiong changed his mind and spoke directly instead of testing the waters.

Xie Yuyan said, "I have just arrived in Bianshui and need boats and manpower. Boats are easy to buy, but manpower is not easy to find. It's just a matter of seeing how capable you are and whether you work for the wealthy and powerful. So I had someone win you over."

Guo Xiong was taken aback; this woman was even more blunt than he had said.

Guo Xiong said, "Does Madam want me to do things for you?"

Xie Yuyan raised his eyes: "Work for me for three years. After three years you can leave. When you leave, in addition to your usual wages, I will give you three flat-bottomed boats."

One flat-bottomed boat per year.

Guo Xiong's mouth gaped open slightly: "So many?" "I'm not at a loss either," Xie Yuyan said. "I used your help to cultivate the fleet over the past three years, so these three ships are what you deserve. However, this condition is only valid for the next half month. If you come looking for me again after that, I may not accept them again, or I may not give you any more ships."

At this point, Xie Yuyan raised his eyes: "Since we're doing business, timing is crucial. What I value is that you can be of use to me immediately. I can't keep waiting for you. If you don't come, I'll look for someone else. By then, even if you change your mind, you won't have a chance to prove yourself."

Guo Xiong never intended to work for others; from the moment he bought the boat, he was determined to do something according to his own wishes. Since he arrived on the Bian River, many people had tried to recruit him, but he had refused them all.

The fact that this lady said such things didn't make him feel disgusted or resistant was probably because although Lady Xie had authority, she didn't intentionally suppress him or look down on him.

Moreover, it was said from the beginning that it would be three years, and after three years, he would be compensated with a large ship. To be honest, even if he led his men to work on the water all the time, he might not be able to earn this fortune.

Guo Xiong said, "I thought Madam would say something else to convince me."

“There’s no point in talking about things you can’t see,” Xie Yuyan said calmly. “It’s better to weigh the pros and cons based on what we have now.”

"Besides, no one can be certain about what will happen in the future."

Guo Xiong's eyes lit up, but he didn't rush to respond to Xie Yuyan. Instead, he asked, "How did you know that we brothers were going to be in trouble?"

Xie Yuyan said, "On the day we arrived, we saw you fighting on the Bian River. Although you were beating each other with sticks wrapped in cloth, it was clear that you had a deep-seated grudge against each other. Later, we saw you selling spices in the entertainment district."

"The imperial court levies a considerable amount on spices, and the laws are even stricter. Those who smuggle spices will be executed for serious offenses. The fact that you were able to successfully transport spices into the city and deliver them to the entertainment district..."

"You don't have the ability to cover up everything."

"Then it can only be that those people arranged it on purpose."

Xie Yuyan stared at Guo Xiong: "If someone tries to lure you into transporting large quantities of spices, they will send you to your death."

Guo Xiong nodded: "My second brother was deceived into helping him smuggle spices into the city in order to redeem his betrothed."

“It’s easy to guard against those people,” Xie Yuyan said. “You came to me because you wanted to ask if I had any way to save your brother’s fiancée.”

Guo Xiong secretly gasped. Facing this woman, he felt he didn't need to say anything more. He bowed and said, "Please thank you for your help, Madam."

Xie Yuyan and Guo Xiong exchanged glances: "Did you ask her if she was willing to let you rescue her?"

Guo Xiong looked astonished: "Why wouldn't you agree?"

“That’s not necessarily true,” Xie Yuyan said. “That night, when she jumped off the platform, was she trying to escape?”

Guo Xiong nodded.

Xie Yuyan said, "With so many people surrounding her, where does she think she can escape to? Leaving aside whether she can escape, the fact that she went to such lengths to jump off the platform seems to me to have only one purpose."

Guo Xiong listened carefully.

Xie Yuyan said, "So that people mixed in with the crowd can notice her."

After a long pause, Guo Xiong said, "You mean she did it on purpose for us?"