Delicate Flower

Chapter 142 – Persuasion

That is to say, not only did Pei Yan find it delicious, but he had his family try them as well.

Yu Wen nodded his head and was smiling even from the corners of his eyes as he replied, “Ah Cam, this clever chap, went out of his way to ask about this. They say that this is the first time that Third Master Pei sent food to the various families in the inner courtyard ever since he took over.”

Yu Tang asked, “Then is it possible that we can add peanut brittle to our gift deliveries to the Pei family in the future?”

This way, there would be fewer headaches over what to send each time.

It was extremely difficult to think of gifts for the Pei Family that were novelties and that also expressed sincerity.

“Mn.” Yu Wen was delighted and exclaimed , “This is a wonderful idea! I knew that your mother made delicious snacks, but unexpectedly you followed your mother’s footsteps and have also gotten good at making snacks.”

Yu Tang kept silent and only smiled, as she didn’t intend to explain the origin of this peanut brittle to her father.

It would be better to just let him misunderstand that it was taught by her mother.

Yu Wen sighed, “Your mother’s health is getting better and better, and our family is becoming more and more like a proper family.”

Yu Tang smilingly responded “yes”. She perused Jiang Chao’s gift list again, saying, “Our two families are different. The women of our family have benefited from the Pei family in many ways, so it’s only natural that we reciprocate and build a good neighbourly friendship with the Pei Family. Master Jiang needs help from the Pei family, so he’s going by the recommendation route, thus the gifts he sends will be very different. As such, I may not be the best person to ask about such things, lest I end up creating problems for him. I think it would be better for Master Jiang himself to decide. But as I see it, this gift list is so comprehensive that even if I were to prepare it, I could not prepare a better one than this.”

From Yu Wen’s point of view, there was nothing wrong with this gift list, but Jiang Chao asked him to bring it to Yu Tang as he was afraid of any oversight.

“Then I’ll just tell him as much.” Yu Wen took the gift list and went to Jiang Chao.

After hearing this, Jiang Chao smiled and thanked Yu Wen, inwardly he mused, “So the Yu family is paving a way of neighbourly friendship with the Pei family, no wonder they are sending food and other small gifts. Clearly, the Yu and Pei family are very close, otherwise they wouldn’t have thought of cultivating a good friendship with the Pei family.”

He could not help but be glad that he had thought that since Yu Wen was a scholar, he would not value money as highly as Master Wu and thus had chosen the Yu family instead of the Wu family to stay with ……

However, when he actually got to meet Pei Yan, it was already the end of the Eighth Month.

He waited for Pei Yan for nearly half a month.

When Pei Yan met him, he looked a little tired, and it was obvious that Pei Yan met him at the very first opportunity once he said he would see him upon his return.

Jiang Chao viewed the Yu family in an even higher regard.

Pei Yan liked to speak plainly and to the point, and besides, Jiang Chao was by no means important enough that he had to speak in circles.

After Jiang Chao had paid his respects to Pei Yan, the two of them sat down, one as a host and the other as a guest. Pei Yan immediately spoke up, “I heard that you wanted to see me. Is it about the case of the Wang family in Ningbo Province? I have already sent someone to inquire about it. The Wang family’s son indeed committed a crime and was not wrongfully accused. Although it is said if the people do not report the case, the authorities will not investigate, but this case has already been referred onwards to DaLi Temple. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to overturn the case. If you come to me, there is not much I can do either.”

Jiang Chao smiled bitterly at that.

Most likely, it’s not that there’s no solution, it’s just that he, Jiang Chao, wasn’t worth the effort that the Pei family would have to go through to help overturn the case, right?

However, he had received far more derisive looks in his life than others could imagine, and such treatment from Pei Yan was hardly worth mentioning.

He said respectfully, “I have made further enquiries into the case of Mr. Wang, and I know that the fault lies with the Wang family, so I dare not ask Master Pei to help with the reversal of the case, changing of black to white. I have come to see Master Pei because there is something else I would like to seek your help on.”

Pei Yan raised his eyebrows and looked at Jiang Chao with a little more seriousness.

Truth be told, he really did inquire about the case of the Wang family in Ningbo, and when the governor of Ningbo found out that it was related to the Pei family, he laughed bitterly and said that there was nothing he could do to overturn the case since it was handed over to Da Li Temple, but if Pei Yan could bring the case back for an appeal, he would be willing to review it again.

More importantly, the Wang family was also at fault.

He wouldn’t be comfortable with the idea of helping the Wang family overturn the case either.

He even thought that it would be better for him to pay the Yu family the 6,000 taels of silver privately instead.

It was just that the matter with the Hangzhou governor slowed him down, so he didn’t have the time for this matter at the moment.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Chao did have some real ability.

No matter what he wanted to do next, at least this kind of words caught his attention, which was a good indicator of talent.

Right now, he lacked capable people.

Jiang Chao saw that he hadn’t made any mistakes in his opening words, so he smiled and continued, “I’m sure Third Master knows about my maritime business. First, I dared to undertake this venture as my family has been operating shipping vessels for generations; second, I have been doing business over in Ningbo Province for many years and know the maritime trade very well. I have personally gone to Sulu once, I am familiar with the routes, docks and even when to expect the heavy ocean currents and where to take shelter should there be a storm at sea.”

Pei Yan mostly figured what he was about to say.

He couldn’t help but sit a bit straighter.

This is interesting.

This Jiang Chao, having lost everything, could still try to persuade him with unflinchingly modest, unassuming and eloquent words like this.

A talent, indeed!

No wonder Yu Wen and Master Wu were immediately swayed by him after just meeting him once, not to mention their initial investment of silver, they were still willing to help him even now when he had lost all his funding.

Pei Yan leaned over slightly, a smile flickering across his eyes, remarking, “What is it you wish to say?”

Jiang Chao gritted his teeth and answered, “I would like Third Master Pei to support me in this maritime business. This is the period when the sea is at its calmest, if we delay any longer, we will have to wait until next year. As you are aware about the situation at Ningbo, you must also know that Mr Wang is not opposed to doing this business. It is only because our investment is small and our political strength cannot withstand the risks associated with it. However, you are different! Not only are you in charge of the Pei family, you also have vast amounts of personal assets under your own name. Even if you don’t use the Pei family’s name, you can still afford to engage in the maritime on your own merits.”

He had even investigated and found out that he owned private assets held under his own name.

Pei Yan chuckled, “Then are you aware that my Pei family and the Song family are related by marriage? Why should I help you?”

Yu Wen became curious, and while refilling Jiang Chao’s tea, he asked, “How did you answer him then? And how did you know that the Song and Pei families were not on good terms?”

At this time, Jiang Chao had returned from the Pei residence.

His inner garments were covered in sweat and his damp clothes were very uncomfortable.

But as soon as he entered, before he had time to change his clothes, he was dragged to the study by Yu Wen, who had waited at the courtyard earlier to ask how things went. Therefore, he could only bear the discomfort and replied, “Brother Yu knows that the Pei family and the Song family are related by marriage but yet you are unaware about the rift between them?”

Yu Wen really had no idea.

He stammered for a long time but was unable to provide an explanation.

Jiang Chao could not help grew doubtful of the relationship between the Yu family and Pei family, and was wondering whether he should tell Yu Wen or not, when he saw Shuang Tao come in to serve tea. He intuitively examined ShuangTao’s movements.

After serving tea, Shuang Tao collected the tea tray and quietly stood behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains, so that people who were not paying attention would not notice her presence in the room.

Jiang Chao understood that it was Lady Yu who had asked Shuang Tao to listen in.

His mind turned as he spoke, “Since Brother Yu is from Lin’an, I thought you knew about it. I didn’t expect that you would have to hear about the legal case between the Song and Pei families from me.”

Yu Wen smiled wryly.

Jiang Chao looked as though he knew everything and said: “Grand Madam Song and Grand Madam Pei had married well, so when Grand Madam Pei first married in Lin’an, the two families were still close. However, at that time, the Song family had four or five descendants working as officials, while the Pei family only had one successful scholar, so naturally the Pei family was not as prestigious and influential as compared to the Song family. Furthermore, the Song family was in Suzhou and the Pei family was in Lin’an, so as time went on, the Song family treated the Pei family somewhat poorly at times.”

“It was rumoured that the divide between the two families began when the Song family’s eldest master got married.”

“Grand Madam Pei took her three sons to Suzhou for the wedding reception. The Eldest Master of the Pei family got into a verbal altercation with several of Eldest Master Song’s fellow students over an essay piece and somehow, one thing led to another and a fight ensued. One of them was even beaten up by Second Master Pei.”

Yu Wen was speechless.

Jiang Chao continued, “Originally, it wasn’t a big deal. They were all 17 or 18 years old, so when they fought, it was just a few punches, and the grown-ups would simply scold them afterwards. However, the Song family’s eldest master was rash, overly protective and though very highly of himself, so he led some of his attendants to barricade second master Pei in and assaulted him along the corridor. After second master Pei suffered a loss, third master Pei brought along a few guards from the Pei family and destroyed the Eldest master Song’s new matrimonial house.”

This further complicated things.

“Grand Madam Pei wasn’t a pushover either, and was even more protective than the Song family. She threw 2,000 taels of silver at the Song family and without even drinking the wedding wine, she left for Lin’an along with her three sons on the same day. The Song family sent someone to discuss the matter amicably, but Grand Madam Pei firmly protected her three sons and not only did she not apologize, but she also threatened that if the Song family did not hand over the attendant who had beaten her son, the Song and Pei families would no longer work together.”

Yu Tang’s almond eyes grow wide as she asked Shuang Tao, “Was it Second Master Pei who beat him up and not Third Master Pei?”

Shuang Tao replied, “I heard it very clearly. The one who beat up the others was Second Master Pei, and the one who smashed the newlyweds’ house was Third Master Pei.”

Then why did everyone say that Second Master Pei was an honest, loyal, filial and courteous man?

Shuang Tao continued, “Thus, the Song family and the Pei family had no more dealings with each other. Later, the three Pei family masters were all successful in the imperial examinations, but the Song family only grew worse with each passing day. When the Pei family’s second master got married, Grand Madam Song personally came to Lin’an to congratulate the Pei family, and only then was the matter closed.”

“So Jiang Chao used this to his advantage and managed to convince Third Master Pei?” Yu Tang murmured, “and even promised Jiang Chao to put up the silver for him to invest in getting a ship again and run the maritime business from Ningbo to Sulu?”

Shuang Tao replied “Third Master Pei did not promise anything. He only said that he would think about it when the time comes.”

Even if it was something unconfirmed, Jiang Chao was still very capable. Pei Yan once said that he wouldn’t enter the maritime business. What made him change his mind?

From what she knew about Pei Yan, he wasn’t a person who changed his mind easily.

Yu Tang thought of Gu Chang’s visit and Pei Yan’s late return …… Could it be that something had happened to the Pei family?

Yu Tang was a little worried and wondered if she should find Pei Yan.

After all, Pei Yan has helped her tremendously, and she with her past life experience, if she could in any way help Pei Yan, that would be ideal.