Chapter 83: Unfolding

In the capital city, at Wuqing Court.

A man in a rather ornate brocade short robe, wearing a cap, looked at the madam across from him with a springtime smile and said cheerfully, "Madam Wang, long time no see?"

Madam Wang looked at him, a glint flashing in her eyes, and replied with an equally beaming smile: "Oh, Master Han, you rarely come around anymore. Our Juanjuan has been thinking of you for quite some time."

Han Hua smiled mysteriously and said, "I've been busy earning silver lately. Of course, with such good business, I naturally wouldn't leave you out, Madam Wang."

Madam Wang gave Han Hua another look, her smile fading slightly, and said, "What business is Master Han referring to?"

Han Hua snapped his fan shut, his smile growing more confident: "Madam Wang, for this Wuqing Court of yours, between pastries, cakes, steamed buns and the like, you must spend at least three hundred taels a month, no?"

This brothel and pleasure house was a well-known money pit, but Madam Wang furrowed her brow and said, "Master Han, if you have something to say, you might as well say it directly."

Han Hua glanced around and said bluntly: "Very well, here it is. I have a brother who runs a workshop that can supply you daily with whatever pastries, steamed buns, and other foods you need. The cost would be ninety percent of what you'd pay outside. Over a month, you'd save at least several dozen taels, and with other expenses factored in, Madam Wang, saving over a hundred taels a month would be absolutely no problem."

Madam Wang seemed to see a hundred taels of silver being pushed across the table from Han Hua's side to hers, but she calmed down instantly, squinting at Han Hua as she said, "Master Han, is there really such a good deal? Grain prices these days change by the day."

Han Hua smiled slightly and said, "Madam Wang, although my father resigned from office and returned to his hometown, he was after all a former fifth-rank official of the court. And as for me—has there ever been any stain on my character? Have I ever swindled anyone?"

Madam Wang looked at Han Hua; in her heart she found his character trustworthy enough, but this kind of matter couldn't be believed on the strength of two sentences and a claim of good character. She smiled insincerely and said, "Oh my, Master Han, for such a big matter, you must at least let me consult with my people below, no?"

Han Hua naturally saw Madam Wang's hesitation and added, "How about this, Madam Wang: I'll give you my guarantee. You can use the service first, with payment settled once a month. Within that month, you may terminate at any time. If you find it satisfactory, we'll sign a contract then. How does that sound?"

Madam Wang's eyes lit up. "No deposit required?"

Han Hua waved a hand and said, "With me here, none is needed. You just need to sign the daily delivery bill as proof."

This time Madam Wang was genuinely tempted, and made one last struggle: "Truly ninety percent?"

The corners of Han Hua's mouth curled up imperceptibly as he affirmed: "Madam Wang, if you order three hundred taels a month, it's ninety percent; five hundred taels, eighty-five percent; over a thousand taels, eighty percent! Of course, I don't care what you use it for or who you share it with—as long as you order from me, I'll refund the discount to you immediately!"

Madam Wang's expression shifted. She sat there, her fingers moving involuntarily as if working an abacus, crackling away.

"Fine, it's settled!" Madam Wang stood up and looked at Han Hua. "For Master Han's sake, I'll give it a try."

"Good."

Han Hua also readily pulled a stack of paper from his bosom—printed forms—and placed them on the table, saying to Madam Wang: "Madam Wang, these are order forms. The ordering address is printed on them. You fill in the quantities needed, the pastry styles, the delivery address, and the recipient, then send someone to that address with the order. There will be dedicated staff to receive it, and delivery is guaranteed within two hours!"

Madam Wang looked at the stack of paper and laughed: "Oh my, Master Han, this is truly novel."

Having secured this establishment, Han Hua was overjoyed inside—from this one place alone, he would collect at least five taels of silver every month from now on.

His heart was settled; this was already the second establishment. He had to keep up the momentum. Looking at Madam Wang, he smiled: "Of course. Madam Wang, if you have needs, be sure to place your orders early so the timing isn't missed. If anything comes up, feel free to find me anytime—I guarantee I'll smooth things over for you comfortably."

Madam Wang nodded with a beaming smile and saw Han Hua out.

After seeing Han Hua off, a man who looked like a shop hand walked up behind her and said, "Madam Wang, are we really going to go through with this?"

Madam Wang watched Han Hua's retreating figure and sneered: "Why not, if it saves money? Just fill one out casually and send it over. Let's see what happens, then we'll talk."

The shop hand glanced at it, nodded, and said, "Fine, let's give it a try. If it's no good, we'll stiff him on this bill."

At a teahouse.

A middle-aged man with the look of a street ruffian, cracking melon seeds between his teeth, said to the steward-looking middle-aged man across the table: "Old Wang, how much silver can you make in a month?"

The steward-looking man seemed utterly bored, eyeing the man across from him askance: "Old Yu, you're not here with nothing to do, trying to sponge off me, are you?"

Old Yu's name was Yu Mengshan, a man on the capital's streets who could move freely through all walks of life, high and low.

He sneered at Steward Wang across from him: "Sponge off you? You make less than five taels a month—what could I possibly sponge off you?"

Steward Wang was taken aback, looking at Yu Mengshan: "What's this—have you found yourself a path to wealth?"

Yu Mengshan cracked melon seeds and chuckled: "Right now, I don't do a thing, and I still bring in at least twenty taels of silver every month. How about that—am I not doing better than you?"

Steward Wang quickly leaned in: "Tell me about it—see if I can get in on it too. We're old friends; you can't hog a money-making opportunity and not let your brother know, can you?"

Yu Mengshan leisurely cracked his melon seeds, his expression shifting to one of smugness: "Alright, let me ask you—your Feng family, just on grain alone, must spend at least a thousand taels a year, right?"

Steward Wang was puzzled: "Have you gone to work as a steward for someone too?"

"I'm not about to go be someone's servant," Yu Mengshan tossed away the seed shells. "I know what you're thinking—I wouldn't do that sort of thing. But I do have an employer now. I'm responsible for finding him customers, and I take a commission."

The thought of 'twenty taels of income every month' was still spinning in Steward Wang's head, and he asked urgently: "What is it you do? What do the customers have to do?"

Yu Mengshan said with an air of indifference: "Simple—whatever your household needs: steamed buns, pastries, all manner of wheat-based foods. The price is ninety percent of what you'd pay outside. If you order in bulk, it can even drop to eighty percent."

As the steward of the Feng household, Steward Wang managed the food and daily needs of over a hundred people, and he knew better than anyone how much silver went out every day. The moment he heard Yu Mengshan's words he was startled: "Can it really drop to eighty percent? Grain prices are rising every single day now!"

Yu Mengshan looked at Steward Wang: "You want in too?"

Steward Wang glanced around, leaned in, and whispered: "You don't know—the Feng family was recently raided by the court. The master is racking his brains to increase income and cut expenses. If this really works, I don't care about the silver—the key is to make Master Feng think well of me, so I can become the Feng family's head steward in the future. That would be something to be proud of."

Yu Mengshan chuckled: "Fine, then I'll help you out, brother. Here's the form. Fill it out and send someone over with it—there will be dedicated staff to receive it. Set a daily time and it will be delivered on schedule. As for the silver you save—whether it's your own or shown to your master—that's your own business."

Steward Wang looked at the form and said, "Good, thanks brother. I'll go back and try it right away. If it really works, I'll treat you to a big drinking session!"

From that day on, great official households, wealthy merchants and magnates, brothels and pleasure houses, inns, post stations, small commoner families, petty peddlers, and even traveling merchants—almost all were subjected to a frenzied bombardment.