Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 375 Reward
Wang Yan had a suspicion, but unfortunately Sang Dian had disappeared, so he couldn't confirm it immediately.

He held the jade pendant in his hand and examined it closely; it was carved with the Five Relationships.

The Five Relationships are: affection between father and son, distinction between husband and wife, order between elder and junior, righteousness between ruler and subject, and trust between friends. Wearing such a jade pendant is naturally very appropriate.

When Sang Dian entered the room, she saw her husband looking foolish. She couldn't help but secretly purse her lips. He wore that tassel on his body every day, and it was obvious that a jade pendant was missing from it. How could Madam Xie not know what it meant?

Only her husband would do something like this to make himself look so miserable.

"Lang Jun."

Before Sang Dian could speak, he saw Wang Yan turn his head: "Where did you go?"

Sang Dian said, "Just now, someone from the government office came and asked me to bring back the remaining official documents, so I didn't go to greet you, sir."

He couldn't bear to be apart from his beloved for even a moment, but he also knew that his beloved was in such a hurry because of the jade pendant.

Wang Yan opened his palm: "Who sent this?"

Sang Dian wanted to keep it a secret, but when he met Wang Yan's gaze, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he honestly said, "It was Madam who asked Yang Xiaoshan to deliver it."

Wang Yan's fingers clenched again: "Did you say anything?"

Sang Dian lowered his voice: "My lord has been working hard lately, please take good care of yourself."

So this jade pendant was his reward?
It was a pity she didn't give it to him in person, otherwise he could have taken the opportunity to hold her hand and say a few words. Wang Yan pondered this, then immediately reached for the tassel at his waist and compared them.

Together, they were a perfect match, and Wang Yan immediately felt reluctant to part with them. The best carved pattern inside was naturally the pair of mandarin ducks that symbolized husband and wife.

Sang Dian pursed his lips. If anyone saw his young master grinning like that, his reputation would be ruined. Besides, his young master was so focused on the jade pendant that he hadn't even opened the writing brush and ink bestowed upon him by the emperor.

Wang Yan carefully put away the jade pendant. It couldn't be used for the time being; he wanted Xie Yuyan to hang it on the knot herself when he saw her. This way, it would be as if she had given it to him again.

After calming himself down, Wang Yan continued to handle official business. When it was time to rest at night, lying on the bed in the duty room, he suddenly didn't feel that the mattress under him was too thin or the wooden board was too hard.

That night, Wang Yan slept soundly for the first time in his duty room, though he dreamt of meeting her in a carriage... Fortunately, the top scholar woke up in time, preventing a embarrassing situation.

Then the lights in the duty room came on.

The patrolling soldiers couldn't help but whisper among themselves. Lord Wang came from a prime minister's family and was also a top scholar in the imperial examination, yet he was still so diligent in his official duties. He was truly admirable.

……

Xia Ziqiao has been very busy these days. He went to the perfume shop twice more, and each time the feeling was different. However, both he and his relatives and friends who accompanied him felt that the perfume shop was exceptionally good.

Xia Ziqiao became increasingly eager to secure this deal, believing that if handled well, it could be a long-term success.

But don't be fooled by the fact that it's just a bath business; after a closer look, you'll find that this perfume shop is not so simple.

The interior furnishings and the various hot spring pools that have been renovated are all very elaborate. Even the stove for boiling the soup is different from the usual one. When charcoal is put in, the fire doesn't burn as fiercely, and the hot water is just enough to supply the soup.

After changing his clothes, Xia Ziqiao left the perfume shop again and returned home.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw the steward approaching.

"How is it?" Xia Ziqiao asked in a low voice.

The steward whispered, "That merchant went to Yunqi Temple again today. The abbot of Yunqi Temple responded as instructed by the young master: although the land cannot be bought, it can be rented to them, but there is one condition: they cannot cause trouble for Yunqi Temple, and they cannot do anything that would damage the reputation of Yunqi Temple. Otherwise, the land will be taken back immediately."

Xia Ziqiao asked, "Did they agree?"

The manager shook his head: "The merchant said he needs to go back and discuss it."

Xia Ziqiao's face darkened: "They're clearly inexperienced; they don't even dare to agree to this immediately." Despite saying this, he felt a little more at ease. The more cautious these people were, the more genuine they were.

He readily agreed, but then began to suspect it was a trap.

In the following days, the manager returned to report that the merchant still had not responded, but instead went around asking brokers to find a suitable place.

However, Xia Ziqiao had already informed the other temples not to sell their land to merchants who ran perfume shops, ensuring that those people would come up empty-handed.

The perfume shops outside the city were busier than ever, but there weren't many pools available, and many people were kept outside, as if money was falling from the sky but there was no basin to catch it.

After hearing this, Xia Ziqiao concluded that the merchants who opened the perfume shop would soon be renting land from Yunqi Temple. No one could stand by and watch the silver flow out of the country, so they had no choice but to settle for second best.

Another day passed, and news came from Yunqi Temple that the land had been rented and the people had agreed to Yunqi Temple's request.

Xia Ziqiao smiled. From this moment on, the merchant was destined to lose everything.

With the land rent settled, the merchants began building houses.

A larger plot of land will be used for a perfume shop, while a smaller plot will be used for the residences of merchants.

Xia Ziqiao stood on the teahouse, watching from afar. He saw bricks and stones being transported over in an endless stream. The merchant was clearly putting in a lot of effort, just as the perfume shop assistant had said.

This place is considered auspicious for wealth by merchants.

Xia Ziqiao said to Xie Chengrang, "That merchant is really willing to spend money. He chose the best timber to repair his house and bought the most expensive bricks for the yard."

"This is intended to be a long-term lease."

"Although there's still no news from Huaizhou, I had my men thoroughly investigate them in Bianjing, and they found nothing amiss."

Xie Chengrang nodded and instructed the servant to carry the trunk forward: "I will receive a share of the money you give to Yunqi Temple."

Xia Ziqiao immediately refused, and Xie Chengrang said, "If you don't accept it, then this perfume shop has nothing to do with me, and I won't take any money from it in the future."

Hearing this, Xia Ziqiao had no choice but to agree.

Xie Chengrang was an exceptionally suspicious person, but the merchant really had no flaws.

Yesterday he went to Yunqi Temple and saw with his own eyes that the merchant had begun to make great efforts, hiring many workers to build houses. He also placed his own people among them, and his people would report to him everything the merchant did.

It's true that they built a perfume shop, and it's true that they built a house. The merchants there also spoke with a Huaizhou accent, and when they gathered together to eat and drink, they would talk about their hometown.

However, there must have been a boss behind that merchant, but that boss has never shown up.

However, Xie Chengrang was also optimistic about the deal and did not want to miss out on it because he had not yet fully understood the details.

No matter what, the money he invested was far less than that of the merchant, and in the end, the Xia family would hold onto that land. Since they had the land, there was nothing to fear.

“That piece of land needs to be dug up from beginning to end.”

A single sentence from the Xia family steward brought Xie Chengrang back to his senses.

Xie Chengrang had also suspected this. Even when building a house, there was no need to dig the ground so carefully from beginning to end, as if trying to find something in the ground.

Xia Ziqiao asked, "Did you ask why?"

Xie Chengrang had already found out the result, and the manager said the same thing: "Because we need to dig a canal, just like over there at the dock, this side is the perfume shop, and that side is the greenhouse."

(End of this chapter)