My younger sister insisted on marrying me and made me the Marquis' wife.

Qin Yuan smiled and said nothing more.

Well, the reason Marquis Gu was able to capture Sixth Master Gu was probably not because he wanted to appease Aunt Zheng, but because his face had not yet fully healed.

Cui Ming smacked her lips.

They had never seen these things in the Qin Mansion.

Qin Jijiu was a Beijing official and had no way to get money from outside. Apart from the ice and carbon tributes sent by local officials twice a year, he relied on the gifts from the students who were sent back to Beijing to make up for the deficit.

Qin Jijiu would often bring students he liked home, send them books and papers from time to time, and occasionally provide some silver. There were also often clan members who came to seek refuge with him.

Therefore, Cui calculated the accounts very carefully, and no one could get an extra penny from her.

Cuiming and Hongye, who grew up in the Qin Mansion, can't help but find everything surprising.

In her previous life, Qin Yuan had been dealing with all kinds of wives of officials since she was the wife of a county magistrate, and she had seen all kinds of inner chambers.

These were all ordinary in her eyes.

After listening to Cui Ming and Hong Ye chattering for a long time, Qin Yuan felt a little sleepy, so she told them not to stay in the room and only left a few little maids in the corridor. She also told them to wake her up when anyone came to deliver the bill.

Cuiming and Hongye left the main room and went about their own business.

Qin Yuan got up after a nap, made a cup of strong tea to wake herself up, and was rocking slowly in a rattan chair in a daze when the maid said that a servant outside came to report that two middle-aged men had come and asked to see the marquis's wife, claiming that they were here to deliver the account books.

"Please invite them to come in and sit in the hall."

Finally here.

Qin Yuan asked: "Where are Hongye and Cuiming?"

The little maid said, "Sister Hongye grabbed a few handfuls of Wosi candy and went out for a walk. She said she would be back soon. Sister Cuiming is in the small kitchen, I don't know what she is doing."

Qin Yuan said, "Go and call Cui Ming to serve. If Hong Ye comes back, ask her to go to the flower hall as well. If she doesn't make it, forget it."

The little maid hurried to the small kitchen and called Cui Ming to help her change clothes and comb her hair.

Cui Ming was making cold noodles. Qin Yuan liked to eat this when they were at the Qin Mansion. After the rich meals they had at the Marquis' Mansion in the past few days, Cui Ming suddenly remembered it and made some during her lunch break.

"The two shopkeepers are here? The young lady has been waiting for them for a long time."

Cui Ming withdrew her hand, said a few more words to the cook, then changed her clothes and went to help Qin Yuan comb her hair.

By the time Qin Yuan had finished packing and took Cui Ming to the flower hall, Shopkeepers Lin and Wu had been sitting there for nearly half an hour.

As soon as Qin Yuan came in, the two men hurriedly stood up to greet her.

He seemed much more respectful than the last time we met.

After Qin Yuan greeted them, he said, "Please take a seat, both of you. Have you sorted out the account books?"

Shopkeeper Wu laughed dryly as he opened the box he was carrying, took out several thick account books, and said, "The account books for all the stores are here. Madam, please check them."

Qin Yuan nodded, and Cui Ming came over, took the account book and handed it to her.

Seeing her flipping through a few books and then putting them down, Manager Lin said quickly, "Madam, I have been looking for that Persian merchant these days, but I couldn't find him because he was in a hurry to go back to his hometown to visit a patient. Today, I got the news and I'm here to report it."

Qin Yuan nodded and said, "Thank you for your help."

Shopkeeper Lin continued, "The Persian merchant has about four hu of pepper, and the starting price is fifty-five taels per catty. He said that there have been a lot more people asking for the price recently, and they all said that as long as the quality is good, they will take all of it. He also said that he will leave Beijing within half a month, and if you offer a price that is not too far off, he will make the move."

Shopkeeper Wu seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Qin Yuan frowned and said, "That's strange. Are there more people buying pepper in large quantities recently?"

Shopkeeper Lin said, "The original market price should have been fifty taels of silver per catty. I thought the Persian merchant's family was seriously ill, so he should have been anxious to lower the price. I didn't expect it to be raised to fifty-five taels per catty. I guess there are too many people asking."

Shopkeeper Wu couldn't help but interrupt, "When the ships of the wealthy merchants return in a few months, the price of pepper will probably fall. The Persian merchants are arbitrarily bidding prices, so Madam, you'd better be cautious. If you want to stock up on pepper, you'd better wait until their ships return to buy in large quantities."

Even if there is a loss, it can be a lot less money.

What Manager Wu said shows his loyalty. Not everyone would speak frankly and make the boss unhappy.

Qin Yuan said softly, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Wu, for reminding me. I have my own reasons, but it is strange that the Persian merchant wants to raise the price so much. Shopkeeper Lin, why don't you ask around and find out who are the people asking for the price. If you get the news, report to me as soon as possible. If it is inconvenient, just let the servant bring the message."

Shopkeeper Lin nodded.

Qin Yuan waited for a while, and seeing that they had nothing to say, he sent them away.

Shopkeepers Lin and Wu left Wutong Garden with their hands and feet tied. They were very careful along the way and did not dare to speak. They said after they left the mansion: "The mansion of the Marquis is like the sea. It is true. We walked in and out of the corner gate and it took us nearly half an hour. The Dingbei Marquis Mansion is really too big."

Shopkeeper Wu stroked his beard and said, "Madam is a blessed lady. I see that she is calm and peaceful, and she seems to be able to handle all this wealth. We must serve her wholeheartedly in the future."

A girl who is only in her teens has such temperament and determination, which should not be underestimated.

Shopkeeper Lin nodded, "I used to think that the mistress of the master's family was lucky enough to marry into the Marquis's mansion, but now it seems that she has some luck and ability."

Not to mention her astonishing methods when checking the accounts that day, just today in the Marquis's Mansion, she saw that the servants were all respectful and didn't look down on them at all, so she knew that she was loved and respected by the Marquis, and good days were yet to come.

Shopkeeper Wu also nodded, and then asked in distress: "But why does Madam insist on doing this pepper business?"

Shopkeeper Lin said with a smile, "How should I know? I will do whatever she wants me to do. Maybe the lady has other methods. Haven't you heard that the Dharma should not be passed on to others?"

Shopkeeper Wu also laughed.

……

Qin Yuan sat in the flower hall in a daze for a while. She really didn't understand. Even Shopkeeper Wu and Shopkeeper Lin knew the news that the tycoons were going to go out to sea to look for pepper, but why were there still people like her who were rushing to buy a lot of pepper and raised the price abruptly.

Could it be that someone else got the upper hand?

A little maid called Cuiming outside the flower hall. Cuiming went out for a while, turned back and said to her hurriedly: "The Marquis is back. I don't know where he got some wine. He wants to see the lady and can't wait a moment."

Qin Yuan's beautiful eyebrows knitted when she heard that. She stood up, looked at the sun outside the window, and asked curiously, "It's so late in the morning, why didn't he go to the side room to rest after drinking? Why is he in such a hurry to find me?"

Cui Ming said, "I don't know. Maybe the Marquis wants to tell you about the Seventh Miss?"

Qin Yuan had no choice but to say, "Then let's go over and take a look."