A person with martial arts skills can be considered to possess expertise. Gao Feng believed that someone like this shouldn’t have ended up at Yahang, and he held a hint of contempt in his heart as he said, “Attack together.”
Having experienced hunger and cold in Yahang, everyone hoped to be purchased and when they heard his words, they didn’t hesitate to launch a joint attack. Two of them only had basic martial arts knowledge and were quickly defeated by Gao Feng, retreating to the side in embarrassment. After a while, two more people withdrew.
The most impressive were the woman and a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, especially the woman. Gao Feng also felt the urge to test his skills and used seventy percent of his strength to subdue her.
Yan Ge wore a surprised expression at this moment, but his astonishment was not due to the appearance of such a skilled expert in Yahang. Rather, he realized that with his current abilities, he had an eighty percent chance of defeating Gao Feng. Once he perfected his swordsmanship, defeating Gao Feng would be as easy as flipping his hand! The items bestowed by the system were truly extraordinary! He began to regret not having the courage to hug Huangfu Yuchen before leaving.
In the palace, Huangfu Yuchen inexplicably sneezed several times today.
“Young Master Qin?” Jin Defa called out.
Yan Ge snapped out of his thoughts and gestured with his folding fan towards the woman and a young person who appeared to be eighteen or nineteen years old, “Those two.”
Gao Feng was taken aback.
The man in his mid-twenties also displayed a hint of disappointment on his face.
Jin Defa asked in confusion, “Young Master Qin, didn’t you want to find skilled individuals? How come…”
He wasn’t supposed to ask so many questions to the customer, but curiosity got the better of him.
Yan Ge smiled faintly, turned around, and entered the main hall.
The woman and the young person followed, silently standing behind Yan Ge.
“Those skilled in cooking, step forward,” Yan Ge said.
He selected a cook in her forties.
Then, he chose two boys to handle miscellaneous tasks, both looked agile and about sixteen or seventeen years old. The gatekeeper was an uncle in his forties, and the accountant was a young scholar in his twenties.
Lastly, he picked the maidservants.
In a feudal society that valued men over women, the number of women in Yahang was the highest. Several girls blushed when they first came out and saw Yan Ge’s handsome appearance and his noble demeanor earlier. Now, upon hearing his request for two maidservants, their most beautiful smiles appeared. Among them, a few had remarkable features and their smiles were quite captivating.
However, Yan Ge once again surprised everyone by choosing two ordinary-looking girls.
The two young ladies widened their eyes in astonishment but immediately became happy and hurriedly walked to Yan Ge’s side, fearing he might change his mind.
Yan Ge instructed Jin Defa to dismiss the rest and then asked for the names of the selected individuals. The woman’s surname was Deng, addressed as Deng Mama. The other person skilled in martial arts was called Zhao Cheng. The cook’s surname was Qian, known as Aunt Qian. The two boys were Zhang Yuan and Liu Rong, both assigned to miscellaneous tasks. The gatekeeper was Uncle Sun, and the accountant was Li Jin. The two maidservants were Chunxiang and Taohua.
Yan Ge looked at Deng Mama and said, “I bought you not only because of your martial arts skills but also your knowledge and experience. There is no need to deny it; I can tell that you are extraordinary person. Therefore, you may need to make frequent public appearances, of course, you won’t be doing anything bad. If you can’t do this, it’s still too late to leave.”
Deng Mama curtseyed, “This servant is willing to follow the young master.”
Yan Ge nodded, then turned to Zhao Cheng, “Do you know why I didn’t buy someone with better skills than you, but instead chose you?”
Zhao Cheng shook his head in confusion, “No, this servant thought Young Master would choose him.”
Yan Ge smiled, “His skills are indeed commendable. However, I don’t need a thug; I need a guard. His aura is heavier than yours, and you, on the other hand, appear much more composed.”
Zhao Cheng sensed his intention and quickly said, “I will faithfully obey any command from Young Master and never dare to act recklessly!”
Yan Ge was satisfied and turned to the somewhat bewildered Jin Defa, “Boss, settle the bill.”
Having witnessed Yan Ge’s methods, Jin Defa felt the desire to establish a connection and rang the abacus while saying, “The two skilled individuals are the most expensive, thirty taels each; the two young servants, ten taels each; the two maidservants, eight taels each; the gatekeeper, five taels; the cook, five taels; and the accountant, fifteen taels. In total, it amounts to one hundred and twenty-one taels. Since Master Qin is patronizing my business for the first time, I’ll offer you a discount: pay only one hundred and ten taels.”
“Then I thank you, Boss Jin,” Yan Ge replied with a smile.
Xiao Chuanzi handed over the money. Jin Defa meticulously inspected and handed over the contracts of the newly acquired servants to Yan Ge.
Yan Ge then said, “Boss Jin, later I will also need to buy a house. But for now, I’d like to borrow Boss Jin’s place to settle these people.”
Upon hearing about a big business opportunity, Jin Defa willingly agreed, “Please, Master Qin. Let me have someone serve you tea.”
After Jin Defa left, Yan Ge had to give the newly acquired servants new names. When he asked if they wanted to keep their original names and received affirmative answers, he decided not to rename them. Everyone was grateful for his consideration.
“Xiao Chuan, Zhao Cheng, today you will go and inquire about the number of small restaurants and eateries in the city. Xiao Chuan is young, so you should take care of him. Wan Xiang and Deng Mama will take the rest of the people to the Inn and arrange rooms for everyone. We might not find a suitable courtyard today, but we need a place to rest.”
Xiao Chuan and Wan Xiang finally understood that the main reason why the young master bought Deng Mama and Zhao Cheng was to take care of the two of them. They hid their emotions in their hearts and could only repay him with loyalty.
“As for lunch, Xiao Chuan and Wan Xiang will take care of the arrangements. I believe I don’t need to personally instruct you on these small matters.”
“You can rest assured,” Xiao Chuan said, “Wan Xiang and I will handle it.”
Yan Ge nodded. “After completing the tasks I have assigned, you can wait for me at Liuxian Pavilion.”
“Yes.”
Afterward, Wan Xiang and Xiao Chuan led the group of people away from Yahang Market.
Yan Ge was not worried about these newly purchased individuals running away. First, their contracts were in his hands, and second, he believed that after witnessing Gao Feng’s skills, they wouldn’t dare to flee. He would select his trusted and capable subordinates from among these people. Hopefully, they wouldn’t disappoint him.
Gao Feng instructed one of the clerks outside the door to call Jin Defa. He explained that they wanted to purchase a courtyard for office use and to provide accommodation for the servants.
Following Yan Ge’s requirements, Jin Defa introduced four courtyards to him. Yan Ge personally visited two of them, and they were quite satisfactory, so he decided to look at the other two later in the afternoon.
At noon, he returned to the Yan Mansion and discussed with Yan Xiaojing and Yan Su about transferring the management of Liuxian Pavilion to someone else.
Yan Xiaojing and Yan Su were struggling to handle the affairs of Liuxian Pavilion, so they were pleased to hand it over to someone else. The only regret was that in the future, Yan Ge would only receive 20% of the income. However, when they thought about the fact that the other major shareholder was the Emperor himself, they dared not dwell on it.
Why did Shen Wansan die? It was said that it was because his immense wealth caused the Emperor’s jealousy.
*Shen Wansan was a historical figure who lived during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties in China. He was a successful and influential merchant and entrepreneur during that time. Shen Wansan’s rise to wealth and power is often depicted in Chinese folklore and literature, making him a popular figure in historical fiction. He is known for his business acumen and his involvement in trade, particularly in silk and salt.
Yan Ge was afraid that the Yan family would be too concerned, so he carefully analyzed the situation to them, “We are like a pillar supporting Liuxian Pavilion. When Liuxian Pavilion transforms from a small building to a large one, we won’t be able to sustain it. By handing over Liuxian Pavilion, we can sit back and relax at home, receiving annual dividends without bearing any risks. Moreover, in the future, it will expand even more, so 20% of the income is already quite substantial.”
“Ge’er is right.” Yan Xiaojing was the first to express agreement. “In the future, we should refrain from interfering in the affairs of Liuxian Pavilion.”
Yan Su and Madam Yan also agreed.
