CHAPTER 614: CHAPTER 614: NEWS OF QIN ER LANG’S DEATH

Gu Jinli was still in the next private room sketching the blueprints of the new house when Jin’an came in with three contracts, smiling and asked, "Did you manage it?"

Jin’an smiled and nodded, "Thirty percent profit, ten percent for their two families to handle, and the recipe stays in our hands."

The concessions were something that the siblings had discussed. Xiao Yu said that noble families liked to engage in philanthropy, so they would initially demand forty percent profit and then give back ten percent. This way, they’d not only win goodwill but also make the two families trust their own family more, recognizing them as not greedy for money but as a family with noble intentions and principles.

However, Gu Jinli’s goal was merely to have both families trust her family more. As for the world, it wasn’t her child, why would she care for it?

After Gu Jinli had reviewed the three contracts, she finally signed her name and stamped her thumbprint on them, blew the ink dry, and handed two of the contracts to Gu Jin’an, asking him, "Brother, are you going to send them to the county? If you’re sending them, we won’t wait for you."

Gu Jin’an smiled and shook his head, "You’re really unconcerned, just after I’ve finished your work, you kick your brother aside."

He then answered her previous question, "No need to go to the county today, but tomorrow we need to send twenty vats of soy sauce to their families in the county, for them to take home."

With the New Year approaching, taking them home for gifting would help build a good reputation, allowing the soy sauce to go directly on sale next year.

Gu Jinli felt heartache, twenty vats of soy sauce could sell for a good sum of money. But to do business, an initial investment is always needed, and she reminded, "Remember to ask for capital from the two families, five hundred taels each, not a tael less."

Buying vats, hiring people, and purchasing soybeans all required money.

Gu Jin’an replied with a smile, "Don’t worry, I won’t forget."

He showed the signed contracts to Zheng Ying and Shangguan Zhuo, "The capital prepared is fifteen hundred taels, five hundred for each of our three families."

Zheng Ying and Shangguan Zhuo immediately had their servants bring a five hundred tael silver note each and handed them to Gu Jin’an.

Five hundred taels were nothing for their families; the monthly salary they gave to their servants exceeded a thousand taels. Spending this five hundred to exchange for future huge profits seemed like a great deal.

After collecting the silver note, Gu Jin’an pulled out the menu, letting Zheng Ying and Shangguan Zhuo order. Both men, looking at the menu, were dazzled and exclaimed, "Brother Gu, we really haven’t tasted any of these dishes at your restaurant."

They pointed at the crystal osmanthus cake and crystal red jujube cake on the table, "And these two types of cakes, truly a feast for the eyes, finer than many cakes in Jinling Prefecture."

After hearing this, Gu Jin’an, within moments, wrote down the recipes for the two types of cakes and said, "Later, I’ll have Xiao’er fetch two bags of water chestnut flour for you to take back, just have your cooks follow the recipe."

Xiao Yu said that even if you know the recipe for the crystal cake, you can’t make it without water chestnut flour, and only she knows how to make the water chestnut flour.

Zheng Ying and Shangguan Zhuo were both surprised, "Brother Gu, such recipes could be treasures passed down in families, and you just give them to us so casually, that’s inappropriate."

Gu Jin’an laughed, "It’s just two types of cakes, nothing of high value. Brother Zheng, Brother Shangguan, please take them."

Hearing this, Zheng Ying and Shangguan Zhuo felt even more that Gu Jin’an treated them with visible sincerity, cherishing a deeper true connection with them, not knowing that Gu Jin’an and Gu Jinli, both bearing the traits of a fox.

After a short time, Xiao’er brought various dishes, and Gu Jin’an along with Gu Dashan entertained them.

Meanwhile, Gu Jinli was having lunch in the neighboring private room with Brother Cheng, Nanny Tao, and Xiao Ji.

Xiao Ji was very happy, saying how good it was to follow the Young Master, not having to work and getting to eat so many tasty foods.

Gu Jinli looked at her and said, "Xiao Ji, you’ve gained weight."

Xiao Ji was just about to put a piece of meat into her mouth, at her words, she was caught in a dilemma, whether to eat or not, "Young Master..."

Gu Jinli laughed: "Go ahead and eat, I’m not stopping you. You’re slim enough, eating more can only make you look better. But you can’t neglect your martial arts, I won’t keep you if your skills are too poor."

Although she herself knew martial arts, the maids around her must also be versed. Xiao Ji had practiced martial arts since childhood, too, but her skills were not as good as Sister Li’s, so she needed to work harder.

After hearing this, Xiao Ji promptly said, "Hmm, I will practice diligently and definitely surpass Sister Li!"

Gu Jinli laughed. After finishing the meal, she ordered two high-quality banquets from the menu and asked Xiao Ji to inform the kitchen to make them, to be taken home.

An hour later, Gu Jin’an and Gu Dashan, after seeing Zheng Ying and Shangguan Zhuo off, entered the private room where the two tables’ meals were ready, packed in twenty bamboo boxes organized into four loads.

Xiao Ji and Lu Guang carried the dishes onto the mule cart, and Gu Dashan drove the mule cart home.

That evening, their family arranged two tables, inviting Elder Qin, Doctor Wu, Manager Cheng, and Master Shi for a meal together.

Brother Cheng was extremely happy, having spent the day just eating and eating; he was quite satisfied. But the next day when he woke up, he started to worry again and asked Gu Jinli, "Second Sister, are we not going to the teacher’s house today either?"

Gu Jinli said, "No, we’ll see how things go. If Master Xia knows what’s good for him, you’ll resume schooling after your birthday."

Brother Cheng counted his fingers and said, "But my birthday is a long time away, not until next month. Not going to school for so long, even Big Brother doesn’t do that."

Big Brother attended school every day and would never take a leave longer than three days.

Gu Jinli said, "Don’t worry, you are still young. Starting school early and missing a month or so won’t harm you; consider it a winter break."

Brother Cheng looked up at her and asked, "What’s a winter break?"

Gu Jinli chuckled and, while practicing her punches in the yard, replied, "It’s a break you get when the weather is cold."

Brother Cheng was astonished, "You get holidays for cold weather?"

Gu Jinli: "Of course, and you can get a summer break when it’s too hot."

Brother Cheng was convinced, thinking that he was just taking a cold-weather break, and hoped Master Xia wouldn’t get mad.

Right now, Master Xia had no time to be mad; he had been scolded again by Master Hu. This time, someone from Hu Yun Temple had come and punished Master Xia with ten strokes, making him reflect behind closed doors.

They finally warned him, "The temple master says, although you are the most knowledgeable here, there are others who are knowledgeable too. If you don’t change your ways, we might have to replace you to prevent you from disrupting our affairs."

Master Xia was not pleased about being replaced, so he accepted his punishment.

Master Hu sent another letter to Gu Jinli, informing her about the punishment of Master Xia and assured her that, "three strikes and you’re out," if it happens again, they would replace Master Xia to reassure her.

Gu Jinli wasn’t completely satisfied with this outcome and didn’t send Brother Cheng back to school immediately. Instead, she gave him a winter break to play at home and also decided to celebrate his birthday.

Brother Cheng was overjoyed, incessantly asking, "Can I eat the kind of cake Second Sister made for Brother San Lang?"

Cake tastes good.

Gu Jinli said, "Yes, Second Sister will make it for you."

"You’re the best, Second Sister; I love you the most." Brother Cheng was thrilled. In the following days, he kept following Gu Jinli around, thinking of flattering her more to get more delicious treats.

But while Brother Cheng was still happy, a sorrowful event occurred, leaving several families devastated—Qin Er Lang died.