Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 196: Very jealous

How meticulously controlled is the business chain of these sea merchants?

The rendezvous point and delivery location are always changing. Although Second Uncle Cao received the meeting note outside Sun Erniang’s tavern, the actual delivery location was more than 80 miles away at an inn in a small town.

After reading the details on the note, they didn’t need to go back to the inn to rest. Each of them returned to gather their goods and then headed to the delivery point to meet up again.

As for whether the other party would accept Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping’s goods, Second Uncle Cao seemed fairly confident, saying, “I have some rapport with them, so it should be fine.”

Second Uncle Cao wasn’t overstating his connections. That night, Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping hurried back to the dock where their cargo ship was anchored. Early the next morning, they hired a convoy to transport the goods to the designated delivery point, the Fulai Inn, where Cao Jinnian was already waiting outside, directing Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping’s team to move everything to the back courtyard of the inn.

Lu Chengxiao thanked him, and then had Liu Yanping’s team transport the loaded carts into the back courtyard.

As each cart of goods was brought in, Cao Jinnian simply watched from the side. Seeing no one else nearby, he quietly said to Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping, “Normally, we could have just said these were our family’s goods and easily sent them through. But my uncle knows you probably want more than just one-time business. It’s better to introduce you now so you can establish your own connections. The manager overseeing this transaction is here, so I’ll take you over. My uncle will make the introductions, and that way, you’ll know how to find them next time on your own.”

After all, traveling from the north to the south every time on the Cao family’s boat wasn’t practical.

Cao Jinnian felt deeply indebted to Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping for saving his life, and Second Uncle Cao took special care with this matter because of it.

Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping expressed their gratitude. With the goods under the supervision of Liu Yan’an and the others, the two of them followed Cao Jinnian.

The inn wasn’t particularly large; the entire back courtyard was filled with the Cao family’s goods, their escorts, and those of Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping. In the front lobby, aside from the innkeeper and a few staff, no other guests were in sight.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Cao Jinnian explained with a smile, “The inn has been reserved for a couple of days, so there are no other guests.”

Reserving the inn solely for this business transaction reflected the Cao family’s caution, Lu Chengxiao thought.

Second Uncle Cao was upstairs at the inn. When Cao Jinnian led Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping up, Second Uncle Cao, hearing the commotion below, came out to check. Seeing them, he greeted them with a smile and invited them in.

Inside, there was a guest — a burly man in his thirties with a dark complexion and strong build. The table was set with food and wine, with two sets of dishes, indicating that Second Uncle Cao had been drinking with this guest.

Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping had a good guess about the man’s identity. Sure enough, Second Uncle Cao introduced him. The man’s surname was Zhuang, and Second Uncle Cao respectfully addressed him as “Master Zhuang.”

Second Uncle Cao then introduced Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping, explaining to Master Zhuang, “These are younger friends from an old family. Their family deals in silk and porcelain. They ended up here somewhat by chance, bringing a boatload of goods. When I ran into them yesterday, I thought I’d introduce them to Master Zhuang to make a connection, hoping you might watch out for them in the future.”

Though about ten years younger than Second Uncle Cao, Master Zhuang comfortably accepted the title, “Master,” as well as the praise, making him more amiable. “If they’re friends of Second Uncle Cao, then it’s all good,” he said cheerfully.

He then turned to Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping. “Did you bring the goods?”

Lu Chengxiao nodded. “Yes, they’re all in the back courtyard.”

Master Zhuang rose with a smile, “We’ve eaten enough, so let’s go have a look at the goods.”

The group moved from the second floor to the courtyard.

When they departed from Yuanzhou, Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping had 300 taels worth of porcelain and over 700 taels of summer cloth. The summer cloth sold well in the Zhejiang region, and with the profits, they purchased silk to bring to Quanzhou.

Their cargo, worth over 1,500 taels of silver, nearly filled the entire back courtyard of the inn when combined with the Cao family’s tea.

The porcelain from Fuliang, carefully selected by Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping, was top quality. Master Zhuang’s eyes lit up as he opened each box.

“Excellent merchandise!” After examining more than a dozen boxes, his enthusiasm was clear. The final inspection would be conducted by someone else, but he looked to Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping and asked, “Let’s see your silk.”

They gladly led him to the silk-laden carts.

This batch included various brocades and satin, as well as six bolts of kesi silk.

Kesi, woven with raw silk as the warp and colored silk as the weft, is often described as “an inch of kesi is an inch of gold” for its intricacy and value. Simply put, it’s luxurious!

Compared to regular silk, this is extremely popular overseas.

These six bolts of kesi silk came from a family recommended by Master He, who had previously worked on dyeing silk for them. Knowing Lu Chengxiao and the others were headed south, he provided the family’s address and even wrote a letter, allowing them to acquire this precious kesi silk.

Master Zhuang clearly knew these were hot-selling goods. He patted Second Uncle Cao on the shoulder and laughed, “Second Master Cao, your friends here are quite something, bringing in excellent goods.”

He then turned to Lu Chengxiao and said, “I’ll take all these goods. In a moment, I’ll have someone come to inspect them. They’ll list the price of each item, and you can decide if the offer suits you. If it does, we’ll settle the payment, and the deal will be done.”

Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping were overjoyed and quickly bowed to Master Zhuang.

Master Zhuang smiled and added, “One thing—I’m sure you’re aware of our situation here. Keep things discreet so we can do business again.”

When talk turned to a future transaction, Second Uncle Cao’s eyes lit up. “Master Zhuang, about the next delivery note…?”

Master Zhuang laughed, “No rush. Let’s settle this account first.”

The inspection team arrived shortly after. Master Zhuang left them to it, heading to the front to have tea.

The inspection involved checking the quality of the goods, as well as assessing and pricing the different types of products Lu Chengxiao had brought.

When the first quote for the porcelain came through, both Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping’s hearts skipped a beat.

It was over triple what they’d expected, confirming the saying that sea trade is indeed profitable.

The two exchanged glances, suppressing their excitement as they waited for the next quote.

After each item was priced, Lin Huaigeng and the others would bring out similar items, letting the inspectors check and record them on the inventory list.

The quote for the kesi silk was also extremely high, almost double the price they had paid for it from Master He’s contact. But given how rare kesi silk is, Lu Chengxiao hadn’t brought much. Although the profit margin on other silk wasn’t as staggering as with the porcelain, it was still much higher than what they would’ve gotten selling it in Hongdu.

After an hour or so of bustling activity, the total tallied up to over 2,700 taels.

For this deal alone, the 300 taels worth of porcelain had netted a profit of nearly 700 taels, surpassing even the profit from the silk.

The inspectors went to inform Master Zhuang, giving him a rundown of the goods’ quality. Master Zhuang came out smiling, ready to have someone settle the account, when suddenly, one of his men rushed in and whispered something into his ear.

All Lu Chengxiao could make out were the words “Young Master” and “Master Chen.” Suddenly, Master Zhuang stood up straight, turned to them, and said, “Please wait here for a moment. I have something urgent to attend to.”

Without waiting for a response, he hurried out with his men.

Lu Chengxiao and the others exchanged puzzled glances, with Second Uncle Cao looking equally bewildered. He’d known Master Zhuang for years and had never seen him act like this. “Let’s follow and see what’s going on,” he said, raising his chin.

Soon enough, the reason became clear: as Master Zhuang and his men made their way from the back courtyard to the front lobby, two young men entered the inn with a few attendants following behind.

Master Zhuang and his group immediately bowed. “Greetings, Young Master and Master Chen.”

Second Uncle Cao was taken aback. In all his years dealing with Master Zhuang, he’d never seen him act so deferentially. He realized that these visitors must hold extraordinary status.

Lu Chengxiao, on the other hand, seemed transfixed, his gaze fixed on the man called “Young Master.” Memories from several months ago in the Liu Xian Pavilion in Yangzhou came rushing back. That night, while hiding in a storage room with Liu Yu and Xiao Yuniang, he had seen this very man pursuing them. The lighting in the courtyard had been dim, but he would never mistake that face.

Liu Yanzheng raised his hand slightly. “You may rise. I was passing through on my way back and heard there were goods here today?”

Master Zhuang straightened up, still slightly bowed, and replied, “Yes, Young Master. We’ve just completed the inspection. We have fine tea, porcelain, and silk. Would you like to take a look?”

Liu Yanzheng gave a slight nod, and Master Zhuang respectfully led the way.

As they passed by Second Uncle Cao, Lu Chengxiao, and Liu Yanping, Master Zhuang gestured, saying, “These are the merchants partnering with us on this deal.”

Liu Yanzheng raised an eyebrow, nodded at them without a word, and followed Master Zhuang to the back courtyard.

As they passed, Liu Yanzheng turned his head for a moment, catching Lu Chengxiao’s intense gaze. Perhaps sensing something off in Lu Chengxiao’s look, he gave him another glance.

In the back courtyard, Master Zhuang opened several crates for Liu Yanzheng’s inspection. Master Chen’s attention was drawn to a set of porcelain. He picked up a teacup and examined it closely, smiling. “Yanzheng, this is nice. Why not bring a set back for the Old Master?”

Lu Chengxiao’s heart sank. He had not been mistaken—this was indeed the man he’d encountered at the Liu Xian Pavilion, someone he thought he’d never cross paths with again.

His expression remained unchanged, but Liu Yanping, who knew him well, sensed something amiss and gave him a questioning look. Lu Chengxiao quickly composed himself and shook his head.

Liu Yanzheng, intrigued by Master Chen’s comment, glanced at the teacup in his hand. “My grandfather would like it.”

He instructed Master Zhuang to pack a set, which Zhuang quickly complied with, bending down to prepare it.

At that moment, another person rushed in from outside and whispered urgently into Liu Yanzheng’s ear. His expression changed instantly. He turned to the messenger. “What did Doctor Mo say?”

The messenger bowed. “It was Doctor Mo who sent us to find you, Young Master.”

This was an urgent call for him to return immediately.

Both Liu Yanzheng and Master Chen’s faces darkened. They stopped inspecting the goods altogether, completely forgetting the tea set as they put down what they were holding and headed straight out of the inn.

As they reached the front lobby, Lu Chengxiao heard Master Chen say, “Yanzheng, don’t worry. The Old Master was in good health before we left for Yangzhou. It should be nothing serious.”

Liu Yanzheng said nothing, but quickened his pace even more.

Just as swiftly as they had come, the group departed.

Only then did Second Uncle Cao dare approach Master Zhuang to ask, “Master Zhuang, who were those two?”

Master Zhuang, still watching the direction Liu Yanzheng’s group had gone, seemed somewhat distracted. Hearing the question, he turned to look at Second Uncle Cao. “Best not to be curious, Second Master Cao.”

Second Uncle Cao’s brow twitched. He had thought his long-standing relationship with Master Zhuang might allow him to ask, but seeing Master Zhuang’s reaction, he knew he had overstepped. He quickly cupped his hands and said, “Yes, yes.”

He didn’t ask any more about the visitors.

Soon, the accounts for both the Cao family and Lu Chengxiao’s group were settled. Second Uncle Cao didn’t linger, speaking with Master Zhuang for a while before slipping a red envelope discreetly into Master Zhuang’s sleeve. Then he called over his nephew and Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping to bid farewell to Master Zhuang, and they all left the inn.

Once outside, they took the water route to return, planning to hire a carriage to the dock.

Second Uncle Cao, his nephew, and Liu Yanping and Lu Chengxiao shared the same carriage. At this point, Second Uncle Cao took an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Liu Yanping. “Everything you need to know for the next delivery is in here. Read it when you get back.”

Liu Yanping thanked Second Uncle Cao and tucked the envelope away, not even sure when Second Uncle Cao had gotten his hands on it.

At that moment, Lu Chengxiao asked, “Second Uncle Cao, working with these sea merchants is profitable. Are there any other sea trade routes around Quanzhou?”

Second Uncle Cao was surprised, then smiled. “There are, but gaining their trust and establishing contact isn’t easy. Most of them aren’t as organized.”

Seeing Lu Chengxiao raise an eyebrow, Second Uncle Cao lowered his voice and explained, “Sea merchants are a mixed bag. The ones we’re working with are strong. In Quanzhou, aside from small groups from fishing villages, they’re the only major force. Partnering with them allows for large shipments, and it’s safe with little risk of betrayal. They’re the best choice.”

Lu Chengxiao pondered this and asked a few more questions about this group of sea merchants, though Second Uncle Cao didn’t know much more. Soon, Lu Chengxiao changed the topic.

On the way to the dock, they chatted about sea merchants. As they reached the dock, where their two groups would board separate boats, Second Uncle Cao advised, “You’re close to Fuliang. Next time you sell porcelain, you might consider bringing some Fuliang tea along. Like porcelain, it’s highly profitable.”

After a round of thanks and an invitation for the Cao family to visit Yuanzhou so they could host them, the two families parted ways.

The Cao family needed to buy more tea to bring back north, while Lu Chengxiao’s group headed south.

As the Cao family’s boat departed, and they were about to set sail themselves, Liu Yanping looked at Lu Chengxiao, who was standing at the bow, and asked, “You don’t want to work with these sea merchants?”

Lu Chengxiao was slightly taken aback and looked at Liu Yanping.

Liu Yanping chuckled. “Something seemed off with you at the inn. Then you asked about other sea merchant groups. What’s up? Did something seem wrong with those two who arrived later at the inn?”

Lu Chengxiao was impressed by Liu Yanping’s perceptiveness.

He shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong, just… I’d rather not cross paths again.”

Seeing Liu Yanping’s confusion and thinking it was their shared business, he added, “I ran into them once in Yangzhou.”

That was all he said.

Inwardly, he didn’t want any further entanglement between that person and Liu Yu, so he kept quiet about what happened in Yangzhou, even with Liu Yanping.

Liu Yanping thought for a moment, something clicking in his mind. He raised an eyebrow and tested the waters, “Did Yu’er run into them too?”

As expected, there was a barely noticeable tightening of Lu Chengxiao’s lips.

Got it. Liu Yanping understood immediately. Here was a man willing to forgo thousands of taels, all because of a little jealousy.

Why was he sure it was jealousy and not an offense against Liu Yu? Simple: with Lu Chengxiao’s fierce protectiveness over his wife, if there had been any offense, he would’ve likely started throwing punches in the inn. Since it was clear the two men didn’t recognize him, there hadn’t been any direct confrontation.

If there wasn’t an open conflict, then it must be hidden jealousy.

Amused, Liu Yanping let it go. “Alright, we won’t do business with them. Besides, this trip was to raise funds for the shop. We’ve got over 3,000 taels on hand now, more than enough to get started.”

Though it was a shame to pass on the profits, there were countless ways to make money. Liu Yu and her husband, Lu Chengxiao, were as close as could be, and it was best to avoid anything that might threaten that bond.

Sansukini: Wow! We only have 17 chapters left, including the extras.

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5 review.