Chapter 252: A Box of New Seeds

At this moment, the rain had stopped.

Gu Xixi rose calmly and said, "We agreed I would sell another batch of grain to Manager Liao, but I've really had no time to go to the city lately, so let him come pick it up himself."

Five large carts stood outside the gate, all pulled by tall, sturdy mules—truly befitting the display of a grain shop.

Besides the carters, Manager Liao brought only one accountant.

Seeing the host come out to greet him, he smiled, stepped forward two paces, and clasped his hands, saying, "The cart got stuck in a mud puddle on the side road, so I'm late; please forgive me, Boss Gu."

The carters wore straw raincoats and bamboo hats; Manager Liao still held an umbrella, his clothes damp, the hems smeared with mud—clearly they had come through the rain.

Gu Xixi returned the salute and said, "No problem, transporting grain in the rain is inconvenient anyway. It's rare that Manager Liao arrived as promised."

Manager Liao said, "If I couldn't even keep basic faith, how could I deserve Boss Gu's trust?"

He glanced at the sky and laughed heartily, "Even Heaven is helping—now the rain has stopped; soon nothing will be delayed."

Gu Xixi invited the guests inside.

Though they said they came to buy grain, Manager Liao had the carters wait outside and brought only the accountant, Old Ma, inside.

He Jinglan quietly asked Gu Xixi, "Aren't they going to the back courtyard to move the grain?"

Gu Xixi replied, "No rush; let's discuss more important matters first."

In the main hall, Gu Xixi did not invite the guests onto the kang bed but had them sit at a side table.

Manager Liao placed a palm-sized wooden box on the table and said, "Within three years, I, the Liao establishment, have first right of refusal to purchase any grain you grow, with the price fluctuating according to that year's market price."

"As compensation, this is what you wanted, Boss Gu."

Gu Xixi took it without hesitation and opened the lid.

He Jinglan peered over curiously and saw the box filled to the brim with dark brown little beans, packed tightly.

She felt it looked somewhat familiar, furrowing her brow in thought.

At the same time, Gu Xixi stuck her hand in, stirred a few beans, then randomly picked up a few and spread them in her palm.

She smelled them, examined them in the light, and finally split one open with a small knife to look inside.

He Jinglan suddenly recalled, "Grapes! These are grape seeds!!"

She had eaten grapes once before.

The raisins sent as tribute from the Western Regions to the capital contained seeds that looked just like this!

At this point, Gu Xixi had finished her inspection as well.

She tossed the remaining grape seeds in her hand back into the box and said, "Not bad; these seeds are last year's new stock, stored adequately, and most are still viable."

Manager Liao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "As long as you're satisfied. To be frank with you, Boss Gu, these are genuinely hard to find; I had to pull several strings to get even this much."

Gu Xixi closed the box, laughing as she said, "If it were easy, I wouldn't be bothering you, Manager Liao. Thank you."

Don't think Manager Liao is merely running a grain shop in Qing Tian County seat.

The Northwest lacks the prosperity of the Jiangnan land of fish and rice; Qing Tian County borders the frontier, so it inevitably deals with north‑south trade, and under the Northwest Army the rules are especially strict.

To do grain business here, one needs connections, sources, and routes.

Even if Manager Liao isn't a big merchant, he likely knows quite a few foreigners involved in agriculture.

Gu Xixi had anticipated this, which is why she entered into the exchange with Manager Liao.

And indeed it turned out just as she wished.

Zhang Shen came in to serve tea to the guests, then took Shitou and Xiao Hua out.

Manager Liao reached for the tea cup, found it a bit hot, and set it down again.

He rubbed his hands, hesitated a moment, then decided to speak frankly.

"Boss Gu, since you're satisfied with the grape seeds, I've brought the contract already drafted."

Gu Xixi replied readily, "I've looked it over and see no problem; let's sign."

Manager Liao was overjoyed.

Thinking that he had also brought Boss Gu a great gift, if he could also facilitate this matter, his grain shop would never again worry about supplies—there would be plenty of top‑grade goods, and opening branch stores would pose no problem.

The smile on Manager Liao's face could barely be contained; he repeatedly urged the accountant to bring out the contract.

As Gu Xixi's temporary accountant, He Jinglan had also fetched her own set of the four scholar's treasures and a piece of red clay.

The contract existed in two copies.

Gu Xixi took it first to have a look, then passed it along to He Jinglan.

He Jinglan examined it for the length of two cups of tea and confirmed, "No problem."

Although the agreement gave first right of purchase for grain within three years, the pricing authority remained in Gu Xixi's hands.

Using that day's market price as reference constituted a limitation for both parties.

Gu Xixi could not unilaterally raise the price, and Manager Liao could not maliciously press it down.

After hearing He Jinglan's words, Gu Xixi took it up, gave it no further glance, and signed and stamped it swiftly.

Seeing this, Manager Liao was somewhat surprised, "So Miss He is a female accountant?"

"My apologies, my apologies."

He Jinglan gave a slight smile, "Not at all."

Actually, even without an accountant present, Manager Liao would not have hidden any foul play in the contract.

If exposed face‑to‑face, the collaboration would collapse; otherwise, by playing the long game and following Gu Xixi, he could always eat his fill—and even overeat.

As for the pros and cons, Manager Liao could still tell them apart.

Once each had put away their copy of the contract, Manager Liao's heart boiled over, as if he could see countless coins and grains flying toward him.

Thus he also forgot about his tea and urged:

"Old Ma, hurry up and give the list you wrote to Boss Gu and Miss He for review!"

The accountant Ma took out a folded slip from his sleeve and carefully unfolded and smoothed it.

Only then, with both hands, they presented it to Gu Xixi, saying, 'Gu Boss, please.'

Two women leaned together to look at a sheet of paper, fully filled, categorized, and listed very clearly.

North of Qing Tian County… ten mu of good farmland, a manor, irrigated fields via canals, fifteen mu…

He Jinglan suddenly lifted her head to look at Gu Xixi, 'You want to buy land?'

Gu Xixi smiled, 'Mm.'

Every village is a relatively closed small society.

Over the long term, the residents are fixed, and the land is fixed.

It is impossible to buy land around Huachi Du Cun Village.

So Gu Xixi, after thinking, turned her gaze to the outskirts of the county seat.

Gu Xixi entrusted Shopkeeper Liao to inquire, asking whether any land was for sale inside and outside the county seat.

Shopkeeper Liao went around purchasing grain; wherever there was grain-producing land, he knew it better than anyone.

After several days of busyness, they indeed had a harvest.

Shopkeeper Liao said, 'Gu Boss, this timing you chose is truly divine!'

Listening to his detailed explanation, since the war began, the biggest reaction has not been from ordinary civilians, but from those wealthy households with extensive land holdings.

Some are not optimistic about the Northwest, believing that in the long run, the Northwest Army will surely lack money and grain, possibly even triggering a peasant uprising, fearing that by then the General will squeeze them for profit.

Or those with connections to certain big households linked to the capital, fearing later retaliation from the General.

These people gradually left with their families; money and valuables could be taken, but land could not.

Shopkeeper Liao beamed with joy, looking even happier than Gu Xixi herself.

Although not every family is eager to sell their land for cash.

But isn't what we're after just taking advantage of the fire to loot!