Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 56

Chapter 56 - Negotiating the Purchase of the Manor 

Yunchu sat inside the carriage, sipping a cup of warm tea. Not long after, true to expectation, she heard a man's voice echo from outside the carriage: "Madam Xie, this humble one is the proprietor of the Dou Family Trading Firm. Might I ask Madam to step aside for a brief moment so we may speak?"

That haunted manor had originally been sold by the Wu family to the Zou family, who later sold it at a heavily discounted price to the Dou Family Trading Firm, only for it to ultimately become a dead asset in the hands of the Dou family.

She remembered that after the fire in her past life, this manor belonging to the Dou family was seized directly by the family of an imperial concubine within the palace. Merchants occupied the absolute lowest rung of society—even worse off than ordinary peasant households—so how could they possibly dare to pit themselves against royalty? In the end, they had no choice but to hand the manor over to the imperial concubine as a tribute.

Yunchu lifted the curtain.

Two people stood beneath the carriage: the head of the Dou family and Madam Dou, both of whom were around forty years of age.

She steadied herself with Tingshuang's assistance as she stepped down, speaking evenly, "Three nights ago, I brought some people to visit your Dou family manor. Our uninvited intrusion warranted a formal visit of apology, but I have been kept constantly occupied and unable to find a free moment these past few days..."

"Young Master Xie is participating in the imperial examinations, so it is only natural that Madam Xie is somewhat busy," Madam Dou said hastily. "That manor has long since fallen into disuse and ruin; being able to provide Madam Xie a place to rest her feet is the manor's own good fortune. I only hope Madam was not frightened while there?"

Yunchu sighed softly. "To tell the truth, I have been looking to purchase a large manor, and upon hearing that this particular place boasted both mountains and water, I made a special trip to scout it out. Who would have thought..."

She shook her head and left the sentence unfinished.

A look of delight, however, surfaced across Madam Dou's face.

For all these years, not a single soul had shown the slightest interest in this manor. It seemed they had finally hooked a gullible fool with deep pockets.

However, she had also heard that Madam Xie had entered with a whole entourage and ultimately had to carry three or four people out, making it abundantly clear that they had been terrified out of their wits.

Persuading Madam Xie to purchase the property would still require a fair bit of tongue-waving.

Pausing for a moment, Madam Dou spoke up, "Madam Xie may not know this, but people outside often claim the manor is haunted. In truth, nothing of the sort is going on; it is simply that the surrounding peasants, envious of the manor's fertile soil, deliberately put on ghostly acts and fabricated those wild tales. Back when our Dou family lived there, those peasants constantly came to cause trouble. As merchants—the lowest of the four occupations of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant—how could we ever dare to lock horns with peasants? Besides, the Dou family wasn't desperately short of that little sum of money, so we simply left the manor abandoned and idle."

Yunchu smiled slightly.

If they were truly not short of money, they wouldn't have proactively sought her out.

In this day and age, an ordinary peasant family's annual earnings amounted to a mere two liang of silver, while this manor had cost at least ten thousand liang to acquire. Anyone in their shoes would feel the heartache of such a financial loss.

The head of the Dou family chimed in, "When our Dou family originally bought this manor from the Zou family, it cost twelve thousand liang of silver. If Madam Xie truly desires it, we are willing to let it go for eight thousand."

Yunchu shook her head.

These Dou family members were truly insatiably greedy.

This manor had stood abandoned for over twenty years, yet they still dreamed of selling it for eight thousand liang of silver. If it had been properly maintained and cared for over the years, she wouldn't have minded shelling out ten thousand.

Quoting an initial price of eight thousand was nothing more than an attempt to fleece her, betting on the assumption that as the legitimate daughter of the Yun family, she was ignorant of commerce, and seeing that she had taken the initiative to visit the property, they wanted to swindle her blind.

"Eight thousand liang of silver is exceedingly cheap, but—" Yunchu lowered her voice, "my husband does not consent to my purchasing that manor. He calls it inauspicious and fears it might adversely affect his official career. Even if I genuinely adore it, my hands are tied."

Standing off to the side, Tingshuang put in, "Our Madam is extremely fond of the mountains on that estate. Previously, she considered using her private dowry funds to acquire it, but her private savings simply aren't enough..."

Madam Dou hurriedly asked, "Might this humble person ask how much private capital Madam Xie commands?"

Yunchu extended three fingers.

Madam Dou's smile froze on her face. She had taken Madam Xie for a wealthy sucker, never imagining the bargaining would be slashed down so brutally.

Business had been difficult to manage lately, and the Dou Family Trading Firm had already shuttered several branches, leaving them in desperate need of silver for business turnover. Had it not been for this predicament, the married couple would never have made a special trip here to ambush Madam Xie.

As a merchant, the head of the Dou family excelled above all else at haggling, and immediately stated, "A final, non-negotiable price: five thousand liang of silver, and the deed of transfer can be drawn up right this instant."

Yunchu shook her head. "I only have this much."

With this manor having sat derelict for over two decades and bearing the stigma of being haunted, even if she acquired it—setting aside the minimum of ten thousand liang required for future renovations—overturning the preconceptions of those in the know was no simple feat.

Most importantly, the amount of silver she currently had on hand was quite limited.

Just as the Dou couple hesitated, Yunchu's expression shifted abruptly. "My husband is coming over. Never mind, I will not buy it after all. You two should leave quickly."

The head of the Dou family and Madam Dou: "..."

They had previously considered three thousand liang to be far too paltry, but now, it seemed even that meager three thousand liang had vanished into thin air.

However, Xie Jingyu was already walking over with Xie Shi'an in tow. Reluctant as they were, the two members of the Dou family could only retreat to the side, intending to seek out another opportunity in the future.

Curiously, Xie Jingyu glanced at the backs of the departing Dou couple. "Those two individuals were?"

Yunchu smiled and replied, "Merchants who have previously conducted business with the Yun family. They came over to pay their respects to me."

Turning her gaze toward Xie Shi-an, she asked, "An'er, how did the examination go?"

A smile bloomed across Xie Shi'an's face. "Securing a spot among the top three should pose no major problem."

Upon returning to the estate, seeing the look of absolute confidence and high spirits on Xie Shi'an's face, the Old Madam knew instantly that this great-grandson of hers would pass the provincial courtyard examinations in a single stroke. To become a certified scholar at the tender age of twelve was even more outstanding than Jingyu had been back in the day.

Seated to the side, Xie Ping inquired, "If Shi'an takes the top rank as the examination's top scholar, will our Xie family host a banquet?"

Xie Jingyu took a sip of wine. "Naturally, we will host one."

The Old Madam shared the exact same sentiment. "The youngest top-ranked scholar in the entire capital—this is an achievement well worth praising. Why shouldn't we host one? What do you think, Chuer?"

Although the Old Madam currently held little affection for Yunchu, whenever major matters of this scale arose, she still habitually relied on listening to Yunchu's counsel.

"Many children carefully nurtured by prominent aristocratic clans across the capital fall short of An'er's brilliance. If An'er truly secures first place this time, it will bring immense honor to the Xie family's face. Moreover, there has been quite a bit of unfavorable gossip circulating about our Xie family lately; once this banquet is held, those noises will naturally dissipate." Yunchu smiled as she said, "If the Old Madam trusts my judgment, allow me to take charge of arranging the banquet. How does that sound?"

The Old Madam naturally wished for nothing better. "Then I shall trouble you with this, Chuer."

Xie Ping looked toward Yunchu and asked, "Mother, might I follow along and learn from this?"

Ever since the incident at the birthday banquet, she had stopped following her mother to learn household management. Having evaded responsibilities for so long, it was time to face them.

Naturally, this top scholar's celebration banquet would be far more lively and bustling than an old woman's birthday banquet; she was determined to use this grand gathering to wash away her own sullied reputation.

Although the results of the courtyard examinations had not yet been posted, the Old Madam had already concluded in her heart that Xie Shi'an would undoubtedly be this session's top scholar. Amidst her joyous elation, she could not help sighing, "Alas, if only Wei'er had a tenth of that aptitude for studying..."

Ever since Xie Shi'an returned from the examination grounds, he had heard whispers of the turmoil that had unfolded within the estate: how Wei'er had received over a dozen lashes from their father, spent two days bedridden, and finally returned to attend classes at the schoolhouse today.

"An'er, go check on your younger brother," Lady Yuan urged. "Seeing how accomplished you've become, Wei'er might just turn over a new leaf and apply himself from now on."

Xie Shi'an nodded, turned on his heel, and walked toward Xie Shiwei's courtyard.

All the serving personnel in the courtyard had been replaced with robust, sturdy matrons. One of the matrons was standing guard by the doorway tending to a boiling medicinal brew; catching sight of him approaching, she immediately moved to bow.

He gestured a motion for silence, softly pushed the door open, and stepped inside to find Xie Shiwei lying prone on the bed, engrossed in a book.

As an older brother, seeing his blood-related younger brother show signs of striving to improve brought a genuine sense of relief to his heart, making him deeply feel that those whip lashes from their father had been entirely worthwhile.

However, upon stepping closer and peering down, his expression instantly darkened. He snatched the book straight out of Xie Shiwei's hands. "You spend your entire day reading this kind of trash?"

The pages were filled with crudely drawn illustrations, weaving together various bloody and macabre scenes into a continuous narrative.

"Big Brother..." Xie Shiwei was frightened out of his wits. "Please don't tell Father and Mother, I'm begging Big Brother."

Xie Shi-an tossed the pulp fiction booklet directly onto the candleholder atop the table, and within moments, it caught fire and burned away.

Suppressing his rising fury, he rebuked, "Father punished you with such severity, yet you refuse to mend your ways! It seems you truly are beyond saving!"

"Big Brother, I didn't mean to, the tutor's assigned homework was simply too difficult..." Xie Shiwei racked his brains frantically for an excuse. "I just wanted to relax for a little while after writing for a bit, which is why I picked up this book. I really have changed, I'm doing better now..."

Xie Shi'an gazed down at the crooked, clumsy scrawls sprawled across the desk.