Chapter Thirty-Nine: Bai Ruolan

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Of course, if they had been purchased directly in Chamdo, the price would have been somewhat lower. But the Zhou clan had to deliver them safely to Ningguta, and transportation costs had to be taken into account.

Of the fifty women, forty-eight were priced at around one hundred to one hundred and twenty taels each. The prices were more or less the same, and all came with deeds of servitude, making the payment a one-time purchase in full.

Besides them, two others had been bought as a package. Their price was clearly listed as three thousand taels.

Bai Ruolan, accompanied by her maid Qingyan.

Looking at those two names, Jia Pingan raised his head in puzzlement. Zhou Cai, who had been watching him closely, smiled and explained, “Bai Ruolan is a beautiful young woman, but more importantly, she has studied the four arts since childhood and is highly accomplished in them. Had her clansmen not committed a crime and dragged her into the affair, we would never have been able to purchase her. As it happens, the Worthy Consort personally spoke on her behalf. That was why she was not sent to the Imperial Music Bureau, but was instead purchased directly by us. Even the three thousand taels were spent only after payments had been made to smooth things over with everyone involved.”

Since the Worthy Consort had spoken, and this was merely the daughter of a disgraced official’s family, how could anyone still have demanded money?

Jia Pingan did not believe for a moment that three thousand taels had truly been spent on her.

Perhaps the Zhou clan had not paid a single copper coin. But so what?

They had managed to acquire her. That alone was proof of their ability. At least with Jia Pingan’s current capabilities, he could not have accomplished such a thing.

“Very well.” Jia Pingan knew that Zhou Cai had probably made an enormous profit from the three thousand taels, but he did not expose him. There was no need. Instead, he simply nodded and accepted the explanation.

Seeing that Jia Pingan had no objections, Zhou Cai immediately broke into another chuckle. He had already discussed the matter with his master, Zhou Wenbing. If Jia Pingan wanted to bargain, they could have negotiated. But judging from his present attitude, he clearly had no intention of doing so. That was naturally the best possible outcome.

By this reckoning, the sixty people alone had cost approximately fourteen thousand taels. Adding ten chests of cloth, priced at two thousand taels apiece, brought the total to thirty-three thousand eight hundred taels.

The people and goods had now been roughly checked and accounted for. It was time for Jia Pingan to pay. He waved to those behind him, and Chang Chao brought out a bundle containing rectangular ginseng cases. He took out twelve of them.

It was obvious that not all the ginseng cases had been removed from the bundle. There were still some left inside.

A trace of envy appeared in Zhou Wenbing’s eyes. This young man had far too much fine ginseng in his possession. He wondered whether Jia Pingan would continue selling to him. With that thought, he said, “Young Master Jia, do you still have any goods left? Why not sell all of them to the Zhou clan? The price will remain the same. For ginseng between seventy and eighty years old, we will pay two thousand taels per root.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Jia Pingan hesitated only briefly before nodding. He then opened the bundle completely, revealing three more ginseng cases inside. “There are three more. Just give me another six thousand taels.”

“Ah! Young Master Jia, you are truly generous. I will not stand on ceremony, then.” Hearing that figure, Zhou Wenbing realized that Jia Pingan had even waived the remaining two hundred taels. The smile on his face immediately grew broader.

At the same time, he felt somewhat regretful. It seemed Jia Pingan had prepared fifteen roots of ginseng this time. He cursed himself for being too timid. If he had opened with a more outrageous demand, perhaps he would not have needed to pay for these three roots at all.

Ginseng of this quality could be resold in Chamdo for roughly five thousand taels per root. That meant he had lost fifteen thousand taels in potential earnings. The very thought made his heart ache.

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Zhou Cai paid no attention to any of that. He approached as though he had found a priceless treasure and carefully opened each ginseng case. After confirming that the quality was no inferior to the ginseng sold on the day of the shop’s opening, he excitedly nodded again and again at Zhou Wenbing.

With that, the transaction between the two sides was successfully completed.

After another brief commotion in the courtyard, everyone followed Chang Chao, Zheng Tongheng, and the others out of the Zhou compound.

“Arrange for everyone to stay at the tavern. Let them rest properly for one night. I will meet with them tomorrow morning and put them through some training.” After leading the way out of the Zhou compound, Jia Pingan reminded Chang Chao, who was following behind him. He then headed toward the Tong residence.

Today was the day he had agreed to meet Master Tong and Grand Steward Guo. He could not arrive too late, or he would have to endure another round of nagging.

“Yes, Young Master. You may rest assured,” Chang Chao hurriedly replied.

Chang Chao was quite capable when it came to handling affairs, largely because he could carry out every one of Jia Pingan’s orders without fail.

That suited Jia Pingan perfectly. At present, he did not need people capable of making their own judgments about right and wrong. What he needed were obedient men.

Jia Pingan nodded at Chang Chao, then swept his gaze across the crowd and settled it on Zheng Tongheng, the leader of the Zheng clansmen. When he saw that the other man was looking back at him, he gave him a slight nod.

Zheng Tongheng held a certain position within the Zheng clan. He was especially suited to the role of a tough enforcer, with his burly frame and powerful build. He was one of the five hundred men selected by the Zheng clan, as well as the leader of the thirty Zheng clansmen who intended to remain permanently.

Zheng Tongheng’s father was known publicly as Third Master Zheng. He was the biological brother of Zheng Tianhai, the Zheng clan patriarch. With such a connection, Zheng Tongheng’s status required no further explanation.

Yet despite his rough appearance and fierce countenance, he was an extremely shrewd man—far more perceptive than most. Ever since he had come to help Jia Pingan, he had continually sought to ingratiate himself, presenting himself as someone willing to serve at Jia Pingan’s command.

Since someone had taken the initiative to offer his allegiance, Jia Pingan, who was short of capable men, naturally would not refuse. So what if Zheng Tongheng belonged to the Zheng clan? Who said that made him unusable? Was the Zheng clan truly a single unbreakable block?

The moment Zheng Tongheng noticed Jia Pingan’s gaze fall upon him, he hurriedly bent and bobbed his head, putting on the full appearance of an obsequious lackey.

“Very well. I leave things in your hands. Make absolutely certain that everyone’s safety is protected. Go.” Jia Pingan waved his hand, then left the group alone, striding directly toward the Tong residence.

Jia Pingan did not notice that, amid the crowd, a pair of large eyes was fixed intently upon him. Only after his figure had vanished did their owner finally look away.

“Miss, what are you looking at?” Qingyan asked softly, having noticed Bai Ruolan’s strange behavior.

“Qingyan, I told you not to call me that anymore. The Bai family is gone.” Bai Ruolan seemed startled by the form of address. She quickly turned her head and reminded Qingyan.

“Oh, Sister, what were you looking at?” Qingyan realized that she had misspoken. She hurriedly covered her mouth, and after seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she could not resist asking again.

Having lost her family, Bai Ruolan now depended entirely upon Qingyan, and she regarded the former maid, now more like a younger sister, as family. Hearing the question, she answered without concealing anything. “I was looking to see who bought us.”

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“Ah! Who was it?” Qingyan asked again.

“I do not know yet.” Bai Ruolan gently shook her head, her fine brows drawing together slightly. She had seen Jia Pingan, but she was not certain whether he was the one who had purchased her. After all, he looked as though he might even be younger than she was.

Still, that young man was remarkably handsome. If only he were her master.

Raised in comfort from childhood, Bai Ruolan had once grown up carefree and without worry. But after enduring one calamity after another, her spirited nature had faded. Now she dared not hope for too much, because she knew that the greater one’s hopes, the greater the disappointment when they were dashed.

“Oh.” Qingyan was somewhat disappointed that she still did not know who her future master would be. But she soon forgot about it. In her eyes, as long as she could remain together with her sister, she would be happy. As for everything else, they could take matters one step at a time.

“Move along! Stay together! And listen carefully—do not fall behind. Without any status, if you are killed, no one will seek justice for you!” Zheng Tongheng’s voice soon rang out among the crowd. In Jia Pingan’s presence, he could pretend to be utterly obedient, but toward everyone else, he had no intention of showing the slightest courtesy.

Under Zheng Tongheng’s shouting, the crowd began moving quickly toward the newly built tavern.

The Tong residence.

By the time Jia Pingan arrived, Master Tong and Grand Steward Guo had already been waiting there.

The instant he appeared at the courtyard gate, Grand Steward Guo called out, “Brother Jia, you have finally arrived! Tell me, did you bring the Du Kang liquor?”

As Grand Steward Guo stared at Jia Pingan, he failed to see Chang Chao following behind him and spoke with evident disappointment. Then Jia Pingan smiled, reached into his robes, and produced a half-kilogram jar. At once, delight appeared on Guo’s face.

“Haha, my dear brother, bring it over quickly and let your elder brother have a proper taste.” By the time he finished speaking, Grand Steward Guo had already risen to his feet. This liquor called Du Kang suited his palate far too well.

It was fiery and potent, its burning heat as it slid down the throat incomparable to any other wine.

Ever since Jia Pingan had refined the brew and brought some for him to taste that day, Guo had been unable to forget its flavor. For days, it had occupied his every thought.

Ignoring both his age and his station, Grand Steward Guo hurried over, snatched the half-kilogram jar of Du Kang from Jia Pingan’s hand, and then hugged it to his chest as though protecting a priceless treasure. He looked very much like a man declaring, “This liquor is mine. Anyone who tries to take it from me will have to fight me for it.”

Master Tong rose as well. Seeing Guo Tongfang behaving like a child, he could not help feeling both amused and exasperated.

In truth, he was also very fond of Du Kang’s flavor. He simply did not possess Guo Tongfang’s shamelessness. Besides, compared with fine liquor, he preferred fine poetry and good stories.

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