The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 64: Somewhat pleasing to the eye

"Pay close attention to the news from the Cheng Mansion." Shang Mingshu ordered.

The news that Cheng Mian fainted in the examination room and was carried back spread throughout the city. Many candidates saw it with their own eyes, and the teahouses began to express their pessimism, regretting that Cheng Mian would have to wait another three years.

At this time, Shang Mingshu couldn't rush to disturb them, so she could only wait for news from the Cheng Mansion.

"Third sister." As soon as He Sui left, Shang Zishu came to look for her with Jin Ya.

"It's been hard to see my second sister these days." Shang Jinliang opened the tea garden to them. Shang Zishu went there every day, and occasionally stayed in the farmhouse next to the tea garden. "Second sister, what's going on?"

Shang Zishu is so busy that no one would come to see her unless it was something important.

"Hehe..." Shang Zishu smiled with her eyebrows curved, twisted her waist, and sat down next to Shang Mingshu, "Third sister, please help me find someone to go to Hangzhou to find out about Chen Jin."

Shang Mingshu raised an eyebrow: "Are you interested?"

Shang Zishu glared at her sister: "Not really, but she's a bit pleasing to the eye."

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, "He said he's the Chen family's illegitimate son, and now he's traveling around with his father to learn how to do business. He has a legitimate younger brother, but he's lazy by nature, and they get along very well..."

"The Chen family's bastard?" Shang Mingshu vaguely remembered that the Chen family only had one son. Chen Jin wouldn't use such a lie that would be easily exposed to deceive Shang Zishu. "Tell me the truth, are you attracted to Chen Jin because of the Chen family's secret recipe for making Longjing tea?"

Shang Zishu looked away guiltily, not daring to meet her sister's gaze.

Shang Mingshu forced a helpless smile: "Just for a prescription, you want to sacrifice your whole life?"

"How could he be as snobbish as you say?" Shang Zishu tugged at the handkerchief in her hand. "The person I want to spend the rest of my life with can't be someone I hate. I admit that I gave him the opportunity to get close to me because I had other intentions, but if we weren't getting along, I wouldn't have set my sights on him just for the secret recipe of Longjing tea."

Shang Mingshu looked at Shang Zishu carefully. Shang Zishu was not shy. She raised her chin slightly and let Shang Mingshu look at her with confidence.

After confirming that Shang Zishu wasn't acting impulsively and had no ulterior motives, Shang Mingshu nodded and said, "I'll help you find out. First, send a letter to our Xiangmingzhai staff to secretly inquire about it. We'll take a closer look when we go to Xihang in person."

After a pause, Shang Mingshu hesitated for a moment and then said, "If you are anxious, why not ask Brother Cheng? He often goes to Xihang and should know more about Chen than you and I."

"Is it okay?" Shang Zishu didn't care much about Chen Jin. She was just an impetuous person. It would be great if she could get the news earlier. It would be very annoying for her to have to wait.

"I'll ask Hemu to send a message to ask Second Brother Cheng if he has time to see us." Shang Mingshu also had her own selfish motives. She wanted to know about Cheng Mian's situation, but it was not appropriate for her to make an appointment with Cheng She just to find out about Cheng Mian.

Cheng She replied very quickly and made an appointment in the afternoon, still at the teahouse in Xiangmingzhai.

"Second Brother Cheng, how much do you know about Chen Jin?" Shang Zishu didn't hesitate and asked directly when they met. She also spontaneously followed Shang Mingshu's way of addressing him. After all, it was not easy for Shang Mingshu to suddenly change her way of addressing him. It seemed awkward for the two sisters to address each other differently.

"So it's about this matter." Cheng She thought that Shang Mingshu was worried about Cheng Mian, and was very surprised to see Shang Mingshu bringing Shang Zishu with her. He initially guessed that she was avoiding suspicion, but only now did he realize that it was Shang Zishu who actually made an appointment to meet him.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm." Shang Zishu opened her eyes wide and nodded continuously. Cheng She was impressed by Shang Zishu's grace and grace. "I don't know much. Mr. Chen was brought back from outside the mansion by Chen Yuanwai two years ago. It was rumored that he had a fleeting love affair with Chen Yuanwai while he was a businessman. Chen Yuanwai himself was unaware of his existence. He only sought out Chen Yuanwai after his mother passed away."

Shang Mingshu frowned when she heard this: "I think Master Chen's words and actions are not like those of an ordinary person."

From their brief encounter, Shang Mingshu concluded that Chen Jin was educated, judging by his conversation and some details of his behavior. Without support from others, how could Chen Jin, an orphan and a widow, go about studying? How could he have done so?

His demeanor did not seem like something that could be accumulated in just one or two years. Although we were far apart that day, one could still see him moving around among several tea merchants with ease, which showed that he had a very broad knowledge of tea and could chat and laugh with tea merchants from all over the place.

Shang Jinliang has been very busy these days, busy exchanging goods with tea merchants who have come from afar. He wants to sell Xiangmingzhai's tea to southern Yunnan, and also wants to purchase Pu'er tea from southern Yunnan to sell in Huizhou Prefecture. Of course, he also wants to get involved in Wuyi Mountain's rock tea.

These people obviously had the same plan. Xihang was close to Huizhou Prefecture, and Chen Jin and Shang Jinliang became competitors in some areas. Shang Jinliang mentioned Chen Jin several times, saying that he was young and promising.

Shang Jinliang is a person who does not easily belittle others. What he said about his young and promising future may not be all praise to Shang Mingshu. At least it proves that Shang Jinliang did not take advantage of Chen Jin in the business competition.

This is enough to prove that Chen Jin is both skillful and cunning.

Seeing Shang Mingshu lost in thought, Cheng She pursed his lips and smiled faintly, "Mr. Chen has another son named Che, who is eighteen years old. I have met him a few times in Xihang. This Chen Dalang is particularly good at enjoying life. He is lazy and has big hands. He doesn't care about the family's livelihood at all. He doesn't like drinking tea or fine wine."

They came to inquire about Chen Jin, but Cheng She even mentioned Chen Jin's younger brother Chen Che in passing. It definitely doesn't mean that Cheng She himself likes to share with others. There must be a deeper meaning.

He calls the older Chen Jin "Mr. Chen" and the younger Chen Che "Chen Dalang". How intriguing is that?

This means that Chen Jin has been home for two years, but has not yet been included in the family tree, or there is a force preventing him from becoming the eldest son of the Chen family. The Chen family is very complicated, and the legitimate heir is not a responsible person.

Even from Cheng She's description, he seemed like a dandy young man who was ignorant of the ways of the world.

"What kind of person is Mrs. Chen?" Shang Mingshu suddenly asked.

Cheng She's smile deepened. "Mr. Chen was a soft-hearted young man, so Master and Mrs. Chen found him a strong-willed woman. Mrs. Chen was born a butcher's daughter. I once heard that twenty years ago, the Chen family tea shop was swindled and in debt. The debt collectors blocked the Chen family's front door, and it was Mrs. Chen who stood at the door holding a butcher knife to scare them away..."

Later, she single-handedly took charge of the Chen Tea Company, which led to its revival. Today, most of the people in the Chen Tea Company are the heroes who followed Madam Chen in her revival. In the Chen Tea Company, Madam Chen's words carry more weight than Mr. Chen's."

Shang Mingshu completely understood the inside story of the Chen family, and she turned to look at Shang Zishu.

The interest on Shang Zishu's face faded. She had no intention of doing it in the first place, and when she heard the result, she immediately backed down.

Chen Jin was not a man of proper status, and it would be difficult for him to find a woman of equal status in Xihang. The wealthy families in Xihang might not be willing to offend Madam Chen for him, or send their daughters to suffer at her hands.

He certainly doesn't want to be too low-key. If he is ambitious, he will marry a wife who can be helpful to him.

Shang Zishu is undoubtedly a good choice.

(End of this chapter)