Chapter 110

First Volume, Chapter 110: Kindness and Authority Both Heavy

As soon as Qin Feng entered, he saw the four men exchanging glances—they had clearly coordinated beforehand and had no intention of doing business with the Qin Family.

The words they were speaking now were merely empty formalities to stall.

Qin Feng wanted to see whether these seasoned veterans could escape his Five Finger Mountain.

Seeing Chen Ping standing, Qin Feng made no gesture for him to sit; he merely smiled warmly at him: "A moment ago you said twenty wen per jin? Fine."

As Qin Feng expected, Chen Ping immediately changed his tune: "There may be a misunderstanding—it's not twenty wen, but fifty wen. Young Master Qin probably knows that the northern Di have raided the borders, the Sugarcane Plantation has been damaged, output has nearly halved, and sugarcane must supply the entire empire, so the amount reaching Jingdu is extremely limited, so…"

Qin Feng pressed his hand down, signaling Chen Ping to stop: "Fifty wen it is. Bring all the raw sugarcane you've brought straight into the Qin Residence's Back Courtyard. Pay in full upon completion—no delays, no arrears."

Saying this, Qin Feng stood up and walked away.

Chen Ping stood frozen—twenty wen had been the absolute limit he could force out of his throat; now that the price had jumped to fifty wen, instead of breaking his legs, the other party had accepted it outright, leaving Chen Ping utterly stunned.

Even the Jiang Family had offered only eight wen!

No! The Jiang Family's deal was already settled—if he backed out now, he'd be in deep trouble, earning money but losing his life.

Chen Ping rushed to the door and blocked Qin Feng's path, stammering: "Y-Young Master Qin, did you mishear? This is fifty wen per jin! In past years, that could buy ten jin of raw sugarcane!"

Qin Feng glanced at Chen Ping, annoyed: "Can't I have money? I'm not cheating you—why do you care so much?"

At these words, Chen Ping was left speechless again.

Beside him, Lin Quqi stared in disbelief. Though he'd never eaten pork, he'd seen pigs run—where was there a merchant who didn't haggle? Besides, a jin of pork cost only thirty wen; these worthless sugarcane were being bought at fifty wen? Wasn't this going to bankrupt him?

Even Lin Quqi couldn't bear it anymore, muttering inwardly: "This fellow—does he even know how to do business?"

Chen Ping nearly burst into tears, then gritted his teeth: "Young Master Qin, we can't sell this sugarcane!"

The moment he spoke, Qin Feng laughed—a chilling, cold laugh: "Do you think I'm easy to bully? Are you deliberately mocking me?"

At these words, Chen Ping dropped to his knees instantly, trembling violently: "Y-Young Master Qin, even if you gave me a hundred lives, I'd never dare mock you! Who in Jingdu doesn't know your name? Even the noble sons of the Minister of Rites dare not provoke you—how could commoners like us dare to offend you? We'd be begging for death!"

Lin Quqi frowned tightly; as a scholar, he despised bullying with power, and immediately warned sternly: "Brother Qin, don't go too far!"

Qin Feng wanted to explain to Lin Quqi that doing business was no different from warfare—showing mercy to merchants was cruelty to oneself. But with the merchants present, he couldn't speak plainly, so he simply pretended not to hear.

Still, to prevent Lin Quqi from storming out, Qin Feng softened his tone.

"I know you fear the Jiang Family will settle scores later. Just listen to me—sell all your sugarcane to me, and I'll handle the Jiang Family myself. This business of mine is meant to last, not be a one-time deal. Protecting your safety is my undeniable duty."

With words spoken this far, Chen Ping knew he had no choice.

The Jiang Family was dangerous, but this Young Master Qin was even more dangerous.

Considering all the rumors he'd heard along the way about Qin Feng's vicious deeds, if the Jiang and Qin families clashed, Qin Feng—the mad dog—would be the fiercer one.

Realizing this, Chen Ping gritted his teeth and gave in: "Young Master, if you guarantee our safety, why not sell sugarcane to you? To be honest, the Jiang Family offered eight wen per jin—just match that price."

Seeing Chen Ping finally yield, Qin Feng's expression shifted a full 180 degrees—moments ago he looked ready to bite, now he wagged his tail, immediately helping Chen Ping up, brushing the dust off his knees, and speaking warmly: "Please, sit down. We're all family now—don't kneel so easily. What if you hurt your knees?"

Lin Quqi nearly laughed in disbelief—if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he'd never have linked this ruffian to the brilliant scholar of the Imperial Court.

Today, he'd truly seen the world.

Qin Feng picked up the Wine Pot and poured wine for the four merchants, his expression gentle and kind—so much so that the four merchants felt their skin crawl. This was the son of the Minister of War, a top-tier aristocrat of Jingdu, pouring wine for commoners like them? It was like seeing a ghost.

How much was status worth? If money could be made, pouring wine wasn't enough—even massaging their legs wouldn't be too much.

"The price? Stick to what we originally agreed—no need to match the Jiang Family."

At these words, Chen Ping was overjoyed: "Twenty wen per jin? Young Master, you're not joking, are you?"

Qin Feng waved his hand, casually: "Twenty wen was the price you agreed on with my sister. The price we agreed on was fifty wen."

The bearded merchant, too shocked, spat out his wine, staring dumbfounded at Qin Feng.

Chen Ping's hand holding the Wine Cup trembled uncontrollably—he felt he must be dreaming. Even the tenderest pork ribs cost only forty wen per jin; these worthless sugarcane were being sold at fifty wen? What else could this be but a dream?

Giving a slap then a sweet date—this was a low-level tactic, but its ultimate goal was to trap these merchants.

As Qin Feng urged them to drink, he smiled warmly and explained: "This is our first business deal, and you've taken risks by breaking ties with the Jiang Family—you deserve profit. This time, we pay fifty wen per jin. For future deals, I'll pay you ten percent above market price."

"As long as you deliver the sugarcane on time, in full quantity, and of good quality, your rewards won't be lacking. Money? We'll all profit together."

Chen Ping swallowed hard—such generous terms gave him no reason to refuse.

He immediately stood, raised his Wine Cup, and declared warmly: "Meeting Young Master Qin is our fortune! I'll drink this cup! Rest assured, as long as we continue sugarcane trade, we'll stand with the Qin Family forever!"

The other three also rose and toasted.

Qin Feng clinked cups with all four, drained his wine in one gulp, and exhaled deeply: "No time to waste—take your sugarcane to the Qin Residence immediately, then leave Jingdu quickly. I'll send men to protect you. As for next year, come boldly—I guarantee you: by then, Jingdu may still have the Jiang Family, but there will be no Jiang Family sugar merchants!"