Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 94 Yang Can Ship Sets Sail
"I attended!"

As soon as Yang Can finished speaking, Cheng Dong was the first to raise his hand.

He said excitedly, "With the Yu family and the Suo family backing us up, and with Miss Rena's family protecting us, if I still don't dare to do this business, then I'm a complete fool!"

"I'll join in too!"

Zhao Shanhe followed closely behind, slamming the paper in his hand heavily on the table: "Damn it, even if it's only half a share, as long as we can sell the medicinal herbs to the Western Regions, we'll earn more in a year than I do now!"

"I attended!"

"Count me in!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically, their previous concerns vanished, leaving only anticipation for future profits.

Even Zhang Yunyi, who wished Yang Can dead, expressed his opinion without hesitation.

Soon, the prepared contracts were delivered to everyone by the servants.

Each contract clearly states his shareholding percentage, rights and obligations, and profit-sharing method, with detailed and easy-to-understand terms.

Without the slightest hesitation, the farm owners and ranchers picked up pens, signed their names on the contract, and pressed their bright red fingerprints on it.

Just then, two maids dressed in simple, elegant clothes walked in, each carefully carrying a black lacquered tray.

The tray was covered with a layer of dark red velvet, on which eleven stemmed glasses were neatly arranged.

This is a treasure from the Sassanid dynasty in the West. The cup is as thin as a cicada's wing and has a faint glassy luster under the light.

The glass is filled with deep red wine, the liquid is clear, and it exudes a rich fruity aroma.

Yang Can was the first to pick up a wine glass from the tray, and Rena followed suit, picking up a glass as well.

Seeing this, the other farm owners and ranchers followed suit, each picking up a wine glass with curiosity in their eyes.

Most of them had never seen such a peculiar cup before, let alone used it to drink alcohol.

These were not items from Zhang Yunyi's stash, but rather items left behind by Young Master Yu Rui.

The large sums of money, including female slaves, could not be kept publicly, but some exquisite items were not included.

Yang Can raised his glass, turned his gaze to Rena, and smiled slightly.

He winked at Rena and smiled, "Miss Rena, our grand plan to make a fortune depends entirely on you."

"I'll need your continued help with business matters in the future."

Rena was even happier than Yang Can; what she enjoyed most was the feeling of being in control of wealth and making money work for her.

Upon hearing Yang Can's words, her eyes gleamed with excitement, and she first replied in Persian, "Hub, Agayeman!" (Yes, my master.)
After saying that, she winked playfully at Yang Can and added in fluent Mandarin, "Please rest assured, Lord Manor, Rena will certainly not fail in her mission!"

Immediately afterwards, Rena turned to the crowd, gracefully raised her glass, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice.

May our cooperation be like the camel bells on the Silk Road, clear and resounding, lasting for a long time!

Gentlemen, please drink to your heart's content!

"Drink up!"

The crowd responded in unison, raising eleven stemmed glasses high and gently clinking them together in the air, producing a crisp sound.

The crimson wine rippled in the glasses, reflecting the excited smiles on everyone's faces, and also signifying the official start of this cross-border business cooperation.

The atmosphere at the dinner was even more superficially lively than at the luncheon, as if it had been completely ignited by the business cooperation talks that took place in the afternoon.

Inside the banquet hall of the Yang residence, candlelight blazed brightly, and servants continuously lifted silver wine jugs, pouring amber-colored fine wine into glasses, splashing up tiny bubbles.

The farm owners and ranchers abandoned their reserved demeanor at the luncheon. They not only frequently toasted each other and exchanged polite words, but also kept bringing their glasses to Yang Can, adopting an extremely humble posture and speaking in a manner that was almost ingratiating.

"Deacon Yang, thanks to your introduction of Miss Rena today, you have shown us a clear path to wealth. I toast you with this cup, please drink it to the brim!"

Cheng Dong held a wine glass, his waist slightly bent, his face full of fawning smiles;
Zhao Shanhe followed closely behind, holding the wine glass with both hands and speaking respectfully.

"Deacon Yang is a man of great wisdom and foresight. It is a great blessing for us to work under your guidance. I'll drink this cup first as a sign of respect!"

Even Du Pingping, who had previously expressed some reservations, was now all smiles, repeatedly offering toasts and praising Yang Can in every word.

Self-interest is indeed the most effective adhesive for human relationships.

In less than half a day, these manor owners, who were originally either in awe or distant from Yang Can, completely lowered their guard and showed their "closeness" on their faces because of a business cooperation that spanned east and west.

Yu Xiaobao sat at the main table. Although he couldn't hear the specific content of their whispers through the noisy crowd, he could clearly feel the sudden change in their attitude.

The crowd, who had kept their distance from Yang Can in the afternoon, now looked at him with undisguised eagerness and ingratiation, even bordering on fawning.

His hand holding the wine glass tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white, and the curiosity in his heart gnawed at his internal organs like ants.

What exactly did Yang Can say to them in the afternoon? What benefits did he promise?
Why did everyone's attitude towards him change so drastically in just a few hours?

But he was, after all, the third master of the Yu family. His status was what it was, and he had to maintain his dignity. In the end, he couldn't shamelessly take the initiative to inquire.

He could only sit there, watching the lively scene before him, feeling both anxious and frustrated, even the wine in his glass tasted bland.

Even after the dinner was over, the plantation owners and ranchers remained in high spirits.

They met at Du Pingping's guest room, arranged the table and chairs in a circle, and had the servants bring tea and snacks. They continued to discuss the details of their future joint business dealings.

From the purchase and pricing of goods to the organization and division of labor in caravans, and the communication methods of trading posts along the way, every topic could spark endless debate among them.

They became more and more excited as they talked, and bursts of hearty laughter frequently echoed from the room, even dispelling some of the darkness outside the window with their enthusiasm.

In his guest room, Yu Xiaobao could faintly hear the lively conversation coming from next door, separated by a courtyard wall.

The ease and anticipation in that laughter, like a fine needle, kept pricking his curiosity.

He paced back and forth in the room, finally unable to contain his restlessness, straightened his robes, and pushed open the door to go out.

"Haha, it's so late, but you all seem wide awake. What interesting things are you talking about? Let me hear it too, Boss Leopard?"

With a gentle smile on his face, Yu Xiaobao slowly walked into the living room of Du Pingping's room.

The previously lively atmosphere suddenly cooled down the moment he stepped into the room.

Zhao Shanhe, who was talking loudly, suddenly shut his mouth, and Cheng Dong also stopped smiling. For a moment, only the faint sound of boiling tea could be heard in the room.

"Oh, it's Third Master!"

Du Pingping was the first to react and quickly got up to greet him.

The other manor owners also stood up, cupped their hands in greeting, and looked somewhat reserved.

Cheng Dong chuckled, trying to cover up the topic he had just discussed.

"We didn't talk about anything important. It was just a few old friends getting together to talk about some interesting things that happened on their respective farms and ranches."

"Haha, these are just country folk's jokes, nothing worth you coming all this way, Third Master."

"Yeah yeah!"

Zhao Shanhe quickly chimed in, forcing a smile: "They're just some vulgar slang jokes, not good enough for formal occasions, we wouldn't dare offend Third Master's ears."

Funny story? Joke? Yu Xiaobao sneered inwardly.

He had vaguely heard words like "camel caravan," "spices," and "profit" in the next room. How could these words be considered vulgar jokes? He knew that everyone was just being polite to him, but as the Third Master, he couldn't expose them in public. That would not only be embarrassing for everyone, but also a slap in his own face.

Yu Xiaobao could only manage a forced smile as he sat down in the seat of honor that Cheng Dong had specially vacated, his gaze sweeping over everyone, trying to find a flaw in their expressions.

But when he arrived, the farm owners and ranchers, who had been having a lively conversation, seemed to have been silenced, and their previous enthusiasm vanished.

Everyone held a teacup, either looking down to drink or avoiding eye contact; no one wanted to speak first.

An awkward silence fell over the room, as if the air itself had frozen.

Just then, Zhang Yunyi suddenly spoke up, forcing out a new topic and breaking the silence.

"By the way, Master Cheng, I heard that your Liupanshan Ranch has trained quite a few horse maids."

A while ago, I went to Tianshui County and heard people say that the horse handlers on your ranch are famous far and wide for their good manners and horsemanship.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Dong's face broke into a smile again. He put down his teacup and grinned, saying, "There are indeed some maids, but not many."

As you know, it's inconvenient for noble ladies in Longshang to go out with male servants, so our ranch specially trained some horse maids.

They not only knew how to ride horses, but also had studied etiquette and could serve them during their travels.

Speaking of which, a fine stable girl is worth as much as three good steeds!

"Haha, what a great deal!"

Du Pingping immediately responded, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing.

"Women are always more generous with money than us men. They're willing to pay any price for something they like."

"you do not say!"

Another manor owner chimed in with a smile: "In fact, when those wealthy ladies go out, what they care about most is their pomp and circumstance and their ability to keep up with the Joneses."

When you go out, you have servants and horses to accompany you. If I don't have any, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?
If you bring two, I'll have to bring four, and the maids have to be prettier than you, otherwise I'll be too embarrassed to go out.

A calculating glint flashed in Zhang Yunyi's eyes, then he smiled and said, "Oh? I see!"
A few days ago, I saw the two horse maids that Master Cheng gave to Steward Yang. They were bright-eyed and white-toothed, and very pretty. I was wondering about them at the time, but now I understand.

This isn't just a gift of a horse and maid; it's clearly a gift that perfectly suits your taste!

Du Pingping, who was standing nearby, was curious and couldn't help but ask, "A horse maid, as long as she can take good care of the horse, it's enough if she's good-looking."

"Now that you mention it, it seems Master Cheng sent over a pretty young woman? Is there something special about her?"

Zhang Yunyi smiled mysteriously, lowered his voice, and deliberately whetted everyone's appetite.

"Those two maids are not just pretty, they're twins, they're like two lotus flowers blooming on the same stem!"

"Huh? Twins?"

Zhao Shanhe's eyes lit up immediately, and his voice rose several decibels:

"This is quite rare! Old Cheng, these are twin girls, and they're so pretty, how could you bear to use them as horse maids? It's such a waste!"

The other manor owner nodded repeatedly, his tone full of heartache:

"That's right, such a rare girl, even if you don't send her away, keeping her on the ranch would be a cherished memory. You're simply wasting her!"

Cheng Dong, however, didn't seem to care. He leisurely picked up his teacup, blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, and a smug smile appeared on his lips.

He said slowly, "I was just thinking that Steward Yang's residence is lacking a capable horse maid!"

Since Steward Yang needs them, then they must be the best horse maids.

Everyone was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was going on.

Cheng Dong wasn't really giving away horse and maidservants; he was clearly using the pretext of giving away horse and maidservants to curry favor with Yang Can!

Immediately, someone pointed at Cheng Dong and couldn't help but burst into laughter: "You old rascal! Only you could come up with such a subtle way of currying favor!"

Those plantation owners and ranchers who had previously given relatively modest gifts immediately changed their expressions upon hearing this.

They looked at each other, their hearts filled with anxiety.

Even someone as straightforward as Cheng Dong could think of using twin horse maids to curry favor with Steward Yang, so weren't the gifts we sent before too meager?

Compared to Cheng Dong's gift, ours is simply insignificant!

Will Deacon Yang be dissatisfied with us because our gifts were too small?
In future business collaborations, will they deliberately make things difficult for us?
A series of worries welled up in their minds, making them restless and unable to even enjoy their tea.

They are now only thinking about how to make amends after they go back, so that Yang Can will get rid of his resentment towards them.

Yu Xiaobao sat in the head seat, which was supposed to be the most prestigious place in the room, but at this moment he was like a clay or wooden statue, completely ignored by everyone.

Whether discussing business details or chatting about horse grooms, no one took the initiative to talk to him, and they rarely even glanced at him.

Looking at the lively scene before him, he felt both envious and resentful.

Just a few days ago, these people were avoiding Yang Can like the plague, and they begged him to come to Feng'an Village, hoping that he would stand up for them and make decisions for them.

But now, they all side with Yang Can, fawning over him and completely forgetting about him, their Third Master.

Unable to bear sitting there any longer, Yu Xiaobao cleared his throat, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Well, you guys are all getting on in years, yet you still get so excited when you talk about women, it's really..."

He paused, put down his teacup, shook his head with a faint smile, and spoke with a hint of feigned nonchalance.

"Alright, you guys keep chatting. I had a couple too many drinks tonight and I'm a bit tired, so I'm going back to rest now."

"Oh dear, it's getting late. We should head back now. Let's talk again another day!"

Seeing this, Zhao Shanhe immediately followed up with his own words.

The other manor owners quickly echoed this sentiment, rising to bid farewell to Du Pingping and returning to their rooms.

The once bustling guest rooms instantly returned to silence.

With a gloomy face, Yu Xiaobao quickly returned to his room. As soon as he closed the door, he couldn't help but curse viciously.

"These bastards! Just now they were terrified of Yang Can, crying and begging me to come and support them."

Hey, the moment they turn around, they fawn over Yang Can and treat me, Leopard, like I don't exist!
What a bunch of greedy, treacherous bastards!

He paced back and forth in the room, his chest heaving violently, his anger almost bursting out of his chest.

Just then, a soft call came from outside the door: "Master Leopard".

"Get in here and talk!"

Yu Xiaobao roared angrily, his voice almost overflowing with rage.

The attendant pushed open the door and entered the room, immediately sensing the pervasive anger in the air.

He saw that Yu Xiaobao had a tense face, and was obviously very angry.

Although he was already used to Leopard's occasional bad temper, he dared not provoke him.

He quickly bowed and lowered his voice, saying, "Master Leopard, the news you instructed me to investigate the Xianbei people this afternoon has been confirmed..."

(End of this chapter)