Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 106: Buying a Contract with a Thousand Gold
"Any legitimate business can participate in the selection of Imperial Merchants. I'd like to give it a try, what's wrong with that?"

"What's so special about your little shop? Can you take it if I give you a chance?" Tan Li said unconcernedly. "The Tan family is a powerful and well-established family. You might as well hand over all your existing businesses to them. It will be a bonus, and your chances of winning the title of Imperial Merchant will be even better."

"Everyone knows that the Tan family is in a precarious situation right now, otherwise Mr. Tan wouldn't have stooped to asking me for help," Tan Huaike said unhappily. "But I, a married-out daughter, have long had nothing to do with the Tan family. Didn't you all say that once I enter the Shentu Mansion, my life or death has nothing to do with you, and the losses in my dowry shop are also none of your business. How come I've been left to fend for myself for so long, and now you're the first to regret it?"

"A mere slave, you dare challenge me?" Tan Li knocked the wooden slip in his hand. "Whether you've married out or not, with this indenture, you'll always be a dog of the Tan family! If you behave well, I'll give you some meat. But if you try to bite your master, I'll beat you to death!"

"Alright, then slap this indenture in front of Old Madam Shentu's face! Let's see if she'll hold a grudge against me, a slave who was forced to marry, or against you dishonest, greedy, profiteers! It would be best to bring this to court and let the authorities decide this strange case. I want to see how the Tan family can survive in the four counties in the future!"

"If you...really want to tear each other apart, what good will you get?"

"I didn't want to gain any benefits in the first place. I just wanted to drag the Tan family down with me because I was willing to sacrifice my life!"

Seeing her resoluteness, Tan Li didn't dare to force her further. This indenture was indeed a double-edged sword. It could threaten Tan Huaike, but it could also jeopardize the reputation of the Tan family. That was why he had been reluctant to use it to make a fuss. If the matter of buying slaves as brides became public knowledge, and if it caused a falling out with the Shentu Mansion, the Tan family would suffer heavy losses.

In fact, Tan Huaike is not as fearless as he seems.

If her indentures were exposed, she wouldn't mind being divorced or expelled from the Shentu Mansion. Even if the Tan family forcibly reclaimed the two dowry shops, with Yanzhisi, her own business, she could easily make a comeback. But she feared that if she reverted to her original identity as Caizhu'er and investigated further, it would implicate Princess Alan's assassination, drawing the assassin's attention and potentially impacting their subsequent plans to travel to Andu.

So she pretended to be tough, but in fact she was betting on Mr. Tan's greedy and cautious temperament.

Tan Anfu thought Tan Huaike was easy to fool and would give in with a little intimidation, but she didn't realize that she had already weighed the pros and cons of this matter. Based on her understanding of Mr. Tan, this old fox would never really take such a risk. This way, they still had room for negotiation on this indenture.

Tan Huaike has been waiting for this "room" for a long time.
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As expected, Mr. Tan's tone softened. "Huai Ke, we are all in this together. Why should we be so irreconcilable? It will not benefit anyone. I am thinking about you. If the Tan family is doing well, they will naturally not forget to take care of you. Then, we will be able to form a perfect alliance with the Shentu family and the title of Imperial Merchant will be within our grasp."

Tan Huaike stopped arguing with him, saying, "If the Tan family can obtain the title of Imperial Merchant, I will naturally be honored. Mr. Tan, your most difficult problem right now is the shop on Huaqi Street, right? If it weren't for the burden of those ten shops, the Tan family wouldn't be in such a difficult situation."

"That's exactly what I said."

"Well, I really want to participate in the selection of imperial merchants, but what Mr. Tan said is right. The few things I have are not enough to make a name for myself. I'd better not have any extravagant hopes." Tan Huaike suggested, "How about this, although I'm not well-off, I'm still willing to contribute to the Tan family and take over a few shops on Huaqi Street. But I won't rent them out, I'll buy them outright."

"Buy it?" Mr. Tan hesitated again. If he sold the shop to her, he wouldn't be able to share in the future profits. He felt like he was at a disadvantage.

"Yes, buy it. That way the Tan family won't have to worry about anything," Tan Huaike advised. "The selection of Imperial Merchants requires merchants to have no connection to illegal activities. If they don't completely cut ties with the Tan family, and there are still transactions on the books, they will inevitably be dug up by those with ulterior motives. If they really lose their title as Imperial Merchants, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"

Mr. Tan had pondered this himself, wavering between making money covertly and becoming an imperial merchant. County Magistrate Yan, who had tricked him into the business, had said that renting out the property would be fine, but he no longer believed that man. Now, he realized that the rent alone wouldn't solve his immediate problem; getting the cash was the safest option.

Mr. Tan said, "Well, it's not cheap to buy them. How many rooms can you take over?"

Tan Huaike fiddled with his abacus and said, "According to the current market price in Huaqi Street, I can only buy one shop with the cash I have." "One shop? That's too little!" It was not even enough for him to pay back the interest on the shop.

"If I use the two dowry shops I own as collateral, I can probably buy three more."

"Don't you still have Yanzhisi? Mortgage it all and take all five from me!" There was no turning back, and Mr. Tan was eager to sell quickly and get some cash. He didn't care what Tan Huaike did. He didn't care if the three shops couldn't belong to the Tan family and were mortgaged to the cabinet shop.

"Five..." Tan Huaike looked at the indenture in his hand and said with gritted teeth, "Okay, I can buy five, but I have one condition."

"What conditions?" Mr. Tan asked warily.

"I've spent all my money to help the Tan family out of trouble. It's not like I won't get anything for nothing," Tan Huaike said. "How about using the money I earned from buying your five shops to redeem my indenture?"

"No way." Mr. Tan retorted subconsciously. This thing in his hand could always come in handy in the future, and he was reluctant to lose the handle to blackmail her.

"Then this deal can't be done." Tan Huaike sighed, "Thousands of strings of silver can't buy my indenture, so why should I ask for trouble? Otherwise, you should go and confront Madam Shentu and say..."

"Okay, okay, if you buy five shops, I'll cancel your slave contract."

"make a deal."

Tan Huaike breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, she had finally eliminated this threat. After she regained her freedom, she could be herself again by shedding layer after layer of disguise.

As for the five shops, she could find another way to deal with it.

The last time I mentioned Huaqi Street to His Majesty the Third Prince, he seemed dissatisfied with the current construction plan. He also mentioned that the court intends to issue a decree to expand border trade routes. Who knows, there might be some turning point.

At this point, Tan Huaike spent all his money and cancelled his slave contract.

Mr. Tan also felt that he had made a fortune. The sale of five shops was enough to repay most of his debts, and he could slowly look for someone to take over the remaining five. The Tan family was once again revived under his hands, and Mr. Tan was very proud and all his illnesses disappeared immediately.

At the same time, he was thinking about what Tan Anfu mentioned last time.

Tan Huaike has already cancelled his slave contract and will no longer be under his control. Why not send another daughter to the Shentu Mansion?
Now it seems that the second young master, who has turned over a new leaf, is indeed a good match.
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　Next Chapter: Still wanting to marry into another family? The Tan family is truly insatiable!

　　(End of this chapter)