Chapter 290: Seventeen, Another Madam

Seventeen, Another Madam

Caishou left.

Ouyang Rong put away the invitation and the gift box.

Holding an oil-paper umbrella.

Turned and returned to the residence.

In the corridor, using the sparse light from the surrounding courtyard, he lowered his head to flip through the invitation and glanced at the general content.

Xiao Shimei's birthday banquet would be held tomorrow night.

The location was the Xunyang Tower he was familiar with.

Ouyang Rong was very busy during the day tomorrow, but he was free at night, so there was no conflict, and he could attend the banquet.

It was just that before this, before Xiao Shimei's relatives from the Chen Jun Xie clan came.

Ouyang Rong had originally planned to call Dalang, Liulang, Miss Li, and a few others on the night of Xiao Shimei's birthday to have a small gathering, cook a meal, and celebrate her birthday.

Now, it was definitely called off.

Ouyang Rong nodded lightly.

Returning to the Yinbing Studio, he placed the handmade oil-paper umbrella, the gold-stamped invitation, and the unopened gift box from Xiao Shimei on the cabinet.

Turned and went behind the flower and bird screen to bathe and wash.

The sound of the door being pushed open came from outside, and it was the familiar footsteps of the silver-haired girl.

Ye Weilai, holding a stack of clothes, walked behind the flower and bird screen with a red face.

"Tanlang, I have put the clothes on the rack."

"Good."

Ouyang Rong rested the back of his head on the jade pillow on the edge of the bathtub, covered his face with a hot towel, and responded.

The atmosphere in front of the bathtub was quiet, with only a faint mist of water permeating.

After putting the clothes away, Ye Weilai walked up silently, twisted the skirt belt with her fingers, shrank her shoulders slightly, and her snow-white collarbone was exposed. The skirt slid down to her ankles like a slide.

Ye Weilai walked up, dipped her fingers in the water to test the temperature, nodded lightly, grabbed the hot towel, her cheeks flushed, and she carefully wiped the body of the sweetheart in front of her and scrubbed with soap.

The healthy wheat-colored skin of the man wiped by the towel turned slightly red.

When bending over, the snow-white long hair on the girl's shoulders was dampened by the steam rising from the bathtub.

At some point, a soft hand as slippery as a snake prepared to slide from the chest of the man who was looking up with his eyes closed toward the bottom.

The next moment, she felt her small hand being pressed by a large hand, held tightly, and prevented from sliding down.

Ye Weilai turned her head to look.

Ouyang Rong looked up with his eyes closed, his face covered with a hot towel, his breathing even, as if he wanted to sleep.

A bit tired and exhausted.

Thinking of the busyness of Tanlang these days, not even resting during the holiday, Ye Weilai felt heartache and love in her eyes, and stopped messing around.

The master and servant held hands for a while.

After confirming that Tanlang was asleep, Ye Weilai turned around, wiped her wet hands, and walked out of the screen lightly.

When Ouyang Rong woke up, the water temperature was a bit cool.

"Why did I fall asleep."

He rubbed his face, got up out of the bucket, wiped himself, put on new clothes, and walked out of the screen.

"Tanlang, are you awake?"

"Hmm." Ouyang Rong asked casually: "What are you doing?"

Ye Weilai folded her hands together, rested her snow-white chin, lay in front of the cabinet, and pointed to the gold-stamped invitation and other items in front with a smile:

"Is tomorrow Miss Xie's birthday banquet?"

"Hmm."

Ouyang Rong walked to the desk while wiping his long hair.

"Tanlang, what is in this gift box? The packaging is quite good. Is it a gift for Miss Xie?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "I don't know, you help me open it and see."

"Good."

Ye Weilai asked curiously while opening the gift box:

"Is Tanlang preparing to give Miss Xie this handmade umbrella? Hey, why is there an extra... portrait of a lady on it."

"Hmm." Ouyang Rong nodded: "Asked a friend to paint it, is it good-looking?"

"It's quite good-looking, Miss Xie should like it, but..."

"But what?"

Ye Weilai's small face hesitated: "The umbrella sounds like 'scatter.' Sending an umbrella, isn't it sending 'scatter'?"

Ouyang Rong replied immediately: "Can't it be 'good,' sending 'good'?"

"That's fine too." Ye Weilai puffed her cheeks slightly: "Just don't be misunderstood by Miss Xie."

Ouyang Rong shook his head and looked out the window, saying softly:

"There is a lot of rain in Jiang Nan, and there are also many beauties. Blue tiles and small alleys, rain and snow flying, clove beauties... meeting an oil-paper umbrella can be considered the true Jiang Nan."

Ye Weilai was stunned: "There is such a particularity? Tanlang, where did you say this?"

"I made it up."

Ouyang Rong sat at the desk, stretched, and said with a smile:

"Mainly, I have always felt that an umbrella nourishes quiet energy. Women holding umbrellas are as quiet as virgins, elegant and intellectual. On this point, Xiao Shimei still needs to learn from Miss Li, less tiger energy, more quiet energy."

Ye Weilai nodded suddenly, "So that's how it is. I thought Tanlang sending an umbrella was implying to shelter Miss Xie from the wind and rain."

Ouyang Rong smiled.

"Tanlang, look!"

At this time, Ye Weilai opened the precious gift box and took out a jade disc with extraordinary texture.

"It seems to be a cloud dragon pattern jade disc. Wow, Tanlang, this seems very precious, it can buy the residence we live in. Who sent it."

The silver-haired girl was first surprised, then worried, and turned to ask:

"Should I return it? What if it's a bribe."

In front of the desk, Ouyang Rong raised his head, looked at the expensive jade disc in her hand, and pursed his lips slightly: "Not an outsider. Put it away first."

"Yes, Tanlang."

Ye Weilai was very obedient, didn't ask much, put the cloud dragon pattern jade disc back into the gift box as it was, and put it back in its original place.

"Weilai, you go to sleep first, I might be late."

Ouyang Rong lowered his head and said.

Ye Weilai turned her head to look and found that Tanlang was skillfully fiddling with the strange thing called an abacus on the table again.

This was made by Tanlang with bamboo a few days ago. He sent some out and mailed a pair to Luoyang.

He kept two pairs for himself, one at home and one at the Jiangzhou Hall.

Recently, every night, Tanlang stayed up late, knocking on this abacus, burying his head in the sea of books under the lamp, as if he was calculating accounts.

Sometimes Ye Weilai woke up in the middle of the night to pee, and could vaguely see Tanlang pacing back and forth at the desk.

Tanlang should be doing something very important and very complicated.

The girl felt heartache, but couldn't help, so she could only not disturb him.

Tonight was the same.

"Good, Tanlang, you rest early, tomorrow you still have to attend Miss Xie's birthday banquet."

"Good."

Ouyang Rong got up early today.

Taking advantage of the fact that the sky was not yet bright, he got up, put on his clothes, and washed quickly.

While the girl in the bed in the inner room behind him, with her sleepy head and dazed hopelessness,

he pushed the door and went out, leaving the residence in Huaiye Lane.

In winter, the days are short and the nights are long, and the sky brightens very slowly.

The wharf at the Xunyang Ferry was already bustling. The more diligent peddlers were already carrying their loads, cherishing the rare sunny day in winter, walking around selling and shouting.

Therefore, Ouyang Rong didn't get up too early. Perhaps it was considered very early in the Huaiye Lane, where there were many wealthy and powerful families.

But he knew very well that in Xunyang City, especially in Xingzi Ward, there were many people who were forced by life and were more diligent than him.

Even if he was the Jiangzhou Commandant, so what?

In this era, those who can sleep in every day, besides the wealthy and powerful families, are probably just lazy people.

Of course, Yuan Huaimin is an exception.

The Xunyang Ferry is by the river, and the morning river wind is quite biting and cold, drilling into people's necks.

Ouyang Rong put his hands together at his mouth and exhaled a few mouthfuls of white mist into them.

It was hard for him to go out early this morning, specially wearing a snow-white fox fur shawl. The large cluster of white fur on the fox fur was quite warm, but it was easy to yawn.

Ouyang Rong stood outside the door of the Trade Department of the Xunyang Ferry and waited for a while, then turned to look at the wharf that was gradually becoming bustling behind him.

At this moment, it was still the holiday before the New Year. Approaching the New Year's Day, the streets and alleys were full of the joyful festival atmosphere of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

However, Ouyang Rong got up early today, not to buy New Year's goods for the festival.

"Brother-in-law, sorry to keep you waiting."

Wang Caozhi and other wealthy merchants arrived one after another to gather, greeted each other, and exchanged pleasantries.

Ouyang Rong nodded, his gaze falling on the rather unfamiliar faces beside Wang Caozhi and Shopkeeper Ma.

These were the wealthy merchant friends introduced by Wang Caozhi and the others.

A few days ago, after the second dinner party at the Xunyang Tower, Ouyang Rong began to discuss the matter of shareholding and profit sharing with them.

The funding gap required for the plan of carving the Twin Peaks and building the Xunyang Grottoes had been filled, but the specific shareholding and profit sharing still needed to be discussed in detail.

Ouyang Rong had originally planned to negotiate these after the New Year, after the holiday.

It was just that the calm in Xunyang City recently made Ouyang Rong feel some vigilance, so he decided to speed up the progress and seize this vacancy period.

Striving to finalize everything before the end of the year, so that construction could start directly at the beginning of the coming year.

It just so happened that the cooperative wealthy merchants like Wang Caozhi and Shopkeeper Ma were also spending the holiday in Xunyang City.

This was also the reason why Ouyang Rong was still busy during the holiday, and even had to take time to eat with friends like Dalang and Liulang.

Although they were cooperative partners with previous friendship.

But in business, talk business.

Regarding the distribution of benefits, Ouyang Rong, as the Jiangzhou Commandant, represented the Jiangzhou Hall and the interests of the people of Xunyang City.

Naturally, he fought for every inch, and for certain principles, he did not give an inch.

Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, and others, as well as the newly joined wealthy merchants, were also fighting for their own interests, proposing various conditions, although many were ruthlessly rejected by Ouyang Rong.

However, in the general direction, everyone was consistent.

It was just some small friction and differences that needed to be discussed carefully.

And today was the final deadline for them to give an answer and finalize the plan.

The wealthy merchants and big traders arrived one after another.

Ouyang Rong's scanning gaze lingered on the two people beside Wang Caozhi.

This was a tall old shopkeeper and a young woman with peach-blossom eyes.

The peach-blossom-eyed woman was quite young, wearing clothes suspected to be a maid's skirt, with her hair combed into a double-bun, her hands placed on her abdomen, standing in a dignified and polite manner.

At a glance, she had received strict etiquette education from a high-ranking family.

However, she showed her face to negotiate business here, and didn't even wear a veil to avoid suspicion.

Ouyang Rong suspected at first glance that she might be a personal maid acting as an agent to listen in.

After contact, it was indeed so. She called herself a maid. According to Wang Caozhi, her name seemed to be "Qingshu."

The tall shopkeeper beside her was surnamed Guo.

The old shopkeeper was humble and obedient in front of Qingshu, as if he respected her.

Qingshu and Shopkeeper Guo were guests brought by Wang Caozhi to participate in the second dinner party at the Xunyang Tower, occupying his one recommendation quota.

Ouyang Rong allowed the merchant firm behind them to participate in this construction project.

Ouyang Rong was quite at ease with friends recommended by Wang Caozhi, but he still asked a question.

Wang Caozhi didn't reveal much, just smiled bitterly and said that the proprietor behind this merchant firm was a madam from the wealthy Yangzhou side, who had some friendship with his family, was interested in Ouyang Rong's plan, and greatly appreciated Ouyang Rong's achievements.

Wang Caozhi couldn't save face, so he recommended her.

It was just that this madam of the proprietor was low-key and didn't want to reveal her name, so she only sent the maid Qingshu and Shopkeeper Guo to come and act as agents with full authority.

Ouyang Rong specially asked if the madam's money was clean, and if it was money laundering for a white glove, but Wang Caozhi immediately patted his chest to guarantee that it was definitely not gray industry like lending or tax evasion.

He also said that the merchant firm operated by this madam was a large clothing firm.

Different from ordinary clothing shops, this was a high-end merchant firm that operated formal wear for the wealthy and noble, established for many years, with an old gold-lettered signboard.

It monopolized the luxury clothing business in more than a dozen states in the Jiang Nan Circuit... with very strong financial resources and widespread connections.

This madam could be considered a wealthy merchant in Yangzhou.

Yangzhou was the most prosperous and wealthy state in the Jianghuai region, with prosperous commerce and many wealthy merchants. There were very few who could be called wealthy merchants.

When shopping the day before yesterday, Ouyang Rong inquired about it from Xiao Shimei, and this large clothing firm was indeed very famous. The proprietor was indeed a low-key madam, and there was no discrepancy with what Wang Caozhi said.

Only then did he feel at ease.

At the entrance of the Trade Department, as if noticing Ouyang Rong's scrutinizing gaze, Qingshu turned her head, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and greeted Ouyang Rong with a soft smile.

For this young Commandant, perhaps because of the appreciation of her own madam, Qingshu was very respectful to him.

In the past few days, when everyone was discussing in detail, she spoke very little, mainly letting Shopkeeper Guo talk.

Qingshu spent most of her time observing left and right, not knowing what she was recording.

Regarding Ouyang Rong's plan, she and Shopkeeper Guo also had the least disagreement and were quite cooperative with him.

Ouyang Rong had a very good impression of them.

Facing Qingshu's soft smile and goodwill, Ouyang Rong also returned a smile and turned his head:

"Are you all here? Then let's go, it's cold outside, let's go in and talk."

He greeted, and took Wang Caozhi, Qingshu, Shopkeeper Guo, and others into a reception hall of the Trade Department.

The big door closed slowly.

A new day, the final discussion began...

This consultation lasted from morning until afternoon.

At the beginning of the Wei Shi hour.

Finally, the door of the reception hall was opened from the inside.

Ouyang Rong and the merchants like Wang Caozhi walked out.

Everyone's expressions were different.

Ouyang Rong's expression was relatively calm, his brows relaxed, as if he had finally let out a sigh of relief.

Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Guo, and others who followed him out had bitter smiles and shook their heads.

Their eyes looking at Ouyang Rong's back in front were somewhat helpless.

Qingshu didn't seem to care about the profit distribution plan just finalized, her beautiful eyes turned, and she looked at Ouyang Rong.

"Lord Ouyang's terms are too harsh. This is not allowed, that is not allowed, sigh, and in this way, the leading power of the Jiangzhou Hall is too strong."

The wealthy merchants who were forced to accept the terms said helplessly:

"If we make more concessions, we can add more money and have more cooperation, right?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head lightly, his tone firm: "Gentlemen, not every business can be done. You must follow the rules I set."

He paused and showed a relaxed smile:

"Since everything has been finalized, let's go, I will take you to visit the Twin Peaks.

"It can be considered as going to take a look at the location of the major event that we are about to do, which will change the pattern of Xunyang City."

Everyone agreed.

Ouyang Rong took them to the Twin Peaks outside the city and visited them with ease.

During the period, when resting by a spring, Qingshu suddenly approached and asked sideways:

"Commandant young master, I actually have a question. There are clearly more profitable business opportunities that we can cooperate on, which is a win-win for you and me. Why did the young master refuse so decisively, and set so many rules and regulations for everyone?"

Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked at the curious expression of the peach-blossom-eyed maid:

"How can all the benefits in the world be occupied? There is no shortage of smart people in the world, but if all profitable businesses are done by smart people, what about the people? Is there still a place for them to make a living? This business will not last long. Leave a little, only by leaving a little can it last long."

He pursed his lips:

"Big merchants should not hoard and bully the people."

Seeing the very serious expression of the young man in the white fox fur in front of him, Qingshu smiled and nodded in agreement:

"The Commandant young master has a long-term vision."

Being praised, Ouyang Rong didn't care and said a few polite words.

Not long after, the wealthy merchants finished their visit and said goodbye to each other, most of them leaving with satisfied expressions.

Ouyang Rong patted his sleeves, looked at the sky approaching dusk, and turned to prepare to attend the birthday banquet.

It just so happened that he found Wang Caozhi was also going to the banquet.

The two were on the same road, sharing a carriage, and drove slowly back to Xunyang City. ===== CHAPTER 291 =====