The Possession of My Beloved

Lu Wu didn’t know what Miantang was plotting. Hearing what she said, he just thought it was a child’s act of coquetry and just laughed without taking it seriously.

Miantang also laughed, but her smile was more thought-provoking.

The next day, she called her uncle and asked how many of Lu’s Escort Agency’s regular customers were left.

Lu Xian was asked by his niece with a look of shame and said, “Our Escort Agency used to focus on long escorts, but later it lost its reputation because of the loss of escorts. The rest of it was the short escort business in neighboring states. Those who didn’t make money stayed, but just enough to support a few numbers of them, better than nothing.”

Miantang then asked about the water transport and camel transport that the Lu family had run. Without exception, there was little left to make money.

Miantang nodded and said to her uncle, “My grandfather doesn’t want the money I made earlier. You know his stubbornness, but the family needs money urgently. That place was my grandmother’s dowry in those days and nothing could be sold. Since this is the case, it’s better to make some allowance for the family. You can check the business in the Escort Agency and sell the price to me so that when you have money, you don’t have to sell the farmland.”

Lu Xian looked at her suspiciously and said, “What are you going to do now? Your Grandfather won’t let you cause any more trouble. You’d better stay at home and after a few days, It’s right to find a good matchmaker to arrange your marriage…”

Miantang didn’t wait for her Elder Uncle to finish his nagging but only asked, “If you don’t sell it, I’ll think of another way to deal with it. By then, don’t say that I’m not sensible and cause trouble to the family…”

If the other children of the Lu family said this, Lu Xian would only think that they were young and said something tough. But it was Miantang who said this, and Lu Xian’s heart began to beat.

After all, he hasn’t lost his memory. He knows what kind of things she can cause! Since she wants the little mess left in the Escort Agency, just give it to her. If she has something to do, she can be more honest in the State of Xi.

Now Lu Wu doesn’t care about common affairs at home. So Lu Xian thought about it and went to discuss it with his Second Brother again. Hearing this, Lu Mu asked, “How much silver is Miantang going to give?”

Lu Xian said honestly, “One thousand taels…”

Lu Mu’s eyes were wide open when he heard. They should be thankful if that small Escort Agency could earn 100 taels a year. How could she buy it with 1000 taels of silver?

So he asked Lu Xian carefully, “At the beginning, someone on the Mountain of Yang said that she escaped with a sum of money, could it be…”

“Bullshit!” Lu Xian scolded his Second Younger Brother viciously, “Those people in the Mountain of Yang who get rid of somebody as soon as they have done their job only know to blame it on Miantang! If Miantang really takes that large amount of silver, can the b*stard in the Mountain of Yang be so peaceful and honest and don’t come to look for Miantang?”

Lu Mu hurriedly put out the fire for his Elder Brother and said, “I didn’t say that Miantang did this. It’s just… where does she get so much silver?”

Lu Xian calmed down and said, “You don’t know what Miantang is capable of. She sold some black-tailed fat sheep under the northwest ban. In the families of dignitaries in the Capital now, the sheep are sold by grams. They are expensive. She also earned some money, which is probably used to supplement her family in this way.”

Lu Mu nodded repeatedly and praised Miantang as a good child who was thinking about the family. He then said, “Since Miantang is thinking about the Lu family, you should not pour cold water on the child’s mind. She is a girl and she will have to rely on our Lu family to support her when she gets married. If our family is arrogant, the girls in our family will suffer a lot in the future on their husband’s side!”

Lu Xian sighed when he heard this. Finally, Lu Mu helped him make up his mind and agreed to exchange the remaining scattered standard of the Escort Agency to Miantang.

Although Miantang is also a member of the Lu family, her surname is Liu after all. So the Escort Agency signed a contract. On the day when the new owner was changed, Miantang asked someone to hang two strings of firecrackers. With the crackling sound, the old plaque of the “Shenwei Escort Agency” that had lasted for decades was removed.

Seeing the new plaque hanging, the people around looked at it with wide eyes and carefully read the words on the plaque, “Con… Conscience Escort Agency!”

Someone shook their head and said that the new owner of the Escort Agency was not very knowledgeable. The new name is not as strong as the old name of the Escort Agency.

However, Miantang turned a deaf ear to the comments made by the people behind her. She only smiled at the plaque she wrote in her handwriting. She thought that her characters could be used in the elegant hall one day. It was a rise in the face!

Because the new Escort Agency opened, she recruited some more assistants, some of whom were orphans who had been funded by the Lu family for a long time.

A young man named He Quansheng heard that the Granddaughter of the Lu family had bought an Escort Agency and offered him to be an escort. His father was also an escort of the Shenwei Escort Agency in those years. Unfortunately, he was later infected with typhoid fever. Since he was out of town, he was not treated in time, so he died.

Miantang sat on the counter of the Escort Agency and drank tea. She looked up and down at the young recruited orphan through the cup of tea. He was very handsome with thick eyebrows and big eyes. So she asked, “You want to be an escort, but what are you capable of?”

The young man did not say a word, but stood in the hall and hit a set of long fists. The fists sounded and worked well, but they were not gorgeous. They were all real martial art skills.

Miantang is a connoisseur. She can’t help nodding. Although this young man lacks some of the martial arts skills compared to the Military Master in the North Street House, he is already good enough.

“Good martial art skills! Unfortunately, our Escort Agency is small and can’t afford to pay you a high salary. Are you still willing to do that?”

He Quansheng looked at the bright and beautiful Lady in front of him and looked away with embarrassment, But he said honestly, “My mother said that she has not received any less favors from the Lu family these years. She always tells me to repay the kindness of the Lu family when I grow up. I went to my uncle before, and he said that he is not short of people, but you are short of capable people… I don’t want monthly money. The Lu family has given me and my mother monthly money for ten years. When you don’t need me, I will leave again.”

Miantang nodded when she heard this. Her grandfather has been benevolent and righteous all his life, but he has not always been a greedy wolf. So she pointed to the plaque on the top of her finger and said, “Although my premise is shabby, it has the word ‘conscience’ on it. You are a conscientious young man, and naturally, you can stay here.”

Therefore, Miantang’s small and shabby Escort Agency was officially opened.

The opening of a new escort agency always needs to earn some popularity. At the moment, it needs to lower the escort bidding money to attract some customers. It even put out a sign reducing half of the escort silver for the merchants who come in within a month.

The elders of Shenwei Escort Agency will drink tea in the teahouse in the State of Xi every once in a while. When they talk about the new Conscience Escort Agency, they all laugh helplessly and shake their heads.

Just to say that this Granddaughter of Master Lu is an irrepressible master. She always causes trouble! From ancient times to the present, they have never heard that there is a female boss in the Escort Agency’s business and made famous for it!

Sure enough, there were few people at the gate of Conscience Escort Agency in the following days.

However, Lady Liu, the boss of the store doesn’t seem worried. She eats and drinks the same every day. She also goes to the canal from time to time to see the fading landscape of the river in winter.

After some time, the people in the family couldn’t stand it anymore.

On this day, when the women of the two rooms gathered together to sew cloth and clothes, Shen-Shi, the Eldest Aunt, could not help but say to Miantang, “Your Eldest Uncle is a fool. How could he be so muddleheaded as to sell you the deed of the Escort Agency? A few days ago, father heard about your absurd things and he scolded your two uncles so badly that he asked them to return the silver to you… The silver was originally divided into three parts by your two Uncles, and the portion given to your Elder Uncle was not touched. He wanted to leave it for you as a dowry. As for…”

The Second Aunt Quan interrupted her sister-in-law, “What do you mean that our family divided the money from Miantang? Elder Brother runs businesses in the Northwest and owes a lot of money. The one in our house is honest. He wanted to use the money from the Escort Agency and fill the hole for the Elder Brother. As for the other two portions, we did not divide them for anybody but placed them for public use and future needs… A few days ago, we, the Second Master Lu, borrowed a part of the money from my dowry to pay for public spending. Now it has been exchanged for money, he must pay back the money he owes us, right? ”

After listening to this, everyone was silent for a while. Everyone knew that Quan always seemed to have an endless dowry. Since they said so, it was difficult for anyone to check the accounts of the second room.

Miantang had seriously injured her hand before and could not do the handcraft for too long, so she cut it for a while, and then stopped to eat the red bean fried cake made by her aunt. After hearing Quan’s hasty words, she smiled and said, “There are so many places to spend money at home. If you distribute the money all at once, there will be no money left. Since my Grandfather has already scolded them, please ask my two uncles to accept it. As for my dowry in the future, you all don’t have to worry about it…”

Second Aunt Quan quickly said, “Yes! Miantang doesn’t really want to do any escort business but changing her ways to help the family. Don’t be embarrassed, Sister-in-Law. Our Miantang is rich now, and this little money means nothing to her…”

Shen-Shi still wanted to talk, but Quan-Shi had already brought the topic to the Su family who was coming to see them. She only said that the Su family would soon arrive in the State of Xi. At that time, everyone would have to help and treat the distinguished guests well, so that their Second Lady could have a happy marriage.

For a while, everyone laughed and talked, and it was not good for Shen-Shi to kill the atmosphere by mentioning the topic of letting the second room return the silver anymore.

Besides, Young Master Su, who was eagerly awaited by the second room of the Lu family, finally arrived at the State of Xi on time the next day.

For the sake of the Young Master of the Su family, the appearance of the Lu family has been renovated by the family of second room. If the Su family still isn’t here, she’s afraid the second room will demolish the old house and rebuild it.

However, Miantang did not stay with the Lu family to welcome the future wealthy son-in-law. She also had a party today.

Because she used to do business with the He family in Lingquan Town. So Liu Miantang is sure that the He Family will come to buy the best dye for coloring these days.

Looking at the entire Great Yan Dynasty, only the ancestral green, condensed from the saliva of a tortoise in the State of Xi, can reflect a simple and elegant vibe when painted on the porcelain plate. It has been monopolized by the He family.

Miantang has heard from He Zhen that her father likes to eat the local crispy duck and the drunken crab with big tongs in the State of Xi, so he will come to the State of Xi for a few days every year when he comes to buy the ancestral green dye.

Remembering the past, Miantang figured out the time and walked around the dock of the canal every day. She finally awaited the He family’s merchant ship to arrive.

What’s more, two people were coming down from the boat. In addition to the Second Master He, the Third Lady He Zhen has come to the State of Xi with her father.

When they saw Liu Miantang in a hood and cloak, He Zhen called out in surprise, “Madam Cui, haven’t you gone to the northwest? Why are you here?”

The He family is in Lingquan Town, so naturally, they don’t know about the break up of the fake couple of the Cui family in the northwest. Recently, she had a lot of worries in her heart. Seeing Lady Liu, she seemed to have seen the savior. When her father turned to tell the boatman, she whispered to Miantang, “Since you’re gone, I don’t even have anyone to talk to… Do you know that Prince Huaiyang… Is going to bestow a marriage!”

Hearing this, Liu Miantang slowly raised her head and looked at He Zhen silently. The He family is an Imperial Merchant. They know a lot about things in the Capital.

He Zhen was immersed in her sadness and said, “I heard that the Empress Dowager intends to marry her own daughter to Prince Huaiyang… In the future… there will be no more chance.”

Miantang knows what He Zhen means. Since ancient times, Which Emperor’s son-in-law dares to take concubines? Once Cui Xingzhou has become the son-in-law of Empress Dowager, he can save his mind from taking in concubines and can only concentrate on harmonizing with the Princess.

He Zhen had imagined that if Prince Huaiyang would give up his marriage, she might still have a glimmer of hope. Who would have thought that he would marry a Princess in the future? In this way, it’s better to marry his cousin who is virtuous and tolerant!

She pour the things she kept in her for a long time, but she didn’t see Lady Liu comforting her as she had done before. She just looked at the river in silence, and her expression was as calm as a calm river.

He Zhen is a little awkward and asked, “By the way, why are you here?”

Miantang seems to have woken up. She smiled and said, “Come here to see the water transport.”

He Zhen did not doubt, so she enthusiastically recommended, “The Cao Family Shipping Company, which my family knows well, has a reasonable price and is the best for transporting. You might as well go to their business for transportation of goods.”

But Miantang shook her head firmly and said, “I don’t need their family ones.”

He Zhen asked strangely, “Why do you say that?”

Miantang smiled and asked directly, “I heard that his family started when they were separated from the Shenwei Escort Agency to take delivery of escort orders privately. Not long after the establishment of their Shipping Agency, most of the orders they received will encounter the officers and soldiers setting up checkpoints and charging the vehicle and shipping tax for a second time. Even if the escort money is not much, it will still be more expensive after adding it all together.”

Each time, the He family entrusted the Cao family’s shipping company to transport fuel and sometimes asked them to transport porcelain back to the State of Xi and go to the Capital.

Because every time taking this route, they always take the Cao family’s boat, and others can’t be compared.

However, the Second Master He has started his business early. He used to entrust the Shenwei Escort Agency to deliver goods. Later, when the Shenwei Escort Agency goes down, he also changed his source of shipping. It seems that since then, the vehicle and ship taxes have increased. However, he sent the shopkeeper to follow the boat, which was indeed taken by the officers and soldiers.

Miantang listened to the Second Master He, she smiled and said, “The shipping routes were revised by all the escort agencies. The tax on cars and ships was not issued by the Imperial Court. The Cao family changed the route of the old escort agency and went to the State of Lian, where the taxes were heavy. The officers and soldiers of the State of Lian colluded with many escort agencies. The extra tax money was divided into 40% and 60% of the money collected by the escort agencies. Such a sneaky shipping company that earned two parts of the money from one trip of escorting… If I were you, I wouldn’t dare to use it.”

Although the He family has always been traveling by boat, they are not in the escorting industry. How could they know that there are so many ways? However, to admit that he had been cheated on for many years, the Second Master He was not very willing, so he still defended them and said, “But the current route of the Cao family is a day faster than before!”

Miantang was too lazy to argue with him. She asked directly, “Can’t Second Master He deliver the goods one day earlier but have to make up for it with silver? That’s right… Your family doesn’t lack this silver, but people like me should be careful. Otherwise, there will be a lot of silver in a year!”

He Zhen saw that Miantang is going to leave, so she quickly asked, “Then which company are you looking for, Madam Cui?”

Miantang didn’t know either, but she said with an insinuation in that remark, “If I want to transport things, I will find the new Conscience Escort Agency. Their shipping business is really good!”

After saying that, Miantang brazenly pulled the flag for her family, and then got on the carriage and left. Only the Second Master He and his daughter were left staring at each other.

Lady Liu is shrewd. Who doesn’t know in the entire Lingquan Town?

After listening to what she said, it confirmed Lady Liu’s shrewdness. She even investigated every detail of the water transport so carefully.

After a discussion, the father and daughter decided not to eat the crispy duck first, but to go to the Conscience Escort Agency, which Lady Liu said. Although the He family doesn’t lack money, as Lady Liu said, they can save some freight and make a considerable profit in one year.

When they went to the Escort Agency, an old man welcomed them. After asking about the price and seeing that their store was all new ships, the Second Master He decided to temporarily ship some unimportant goods to give it a try. If this shipping company was reliable, he would also follow Lady Liu’s example and use this Conscience Shipment.

Thus, the Conscience Shipment finally opened and received its first order list after changing the plaque.

The Master was calm and relaxed, but Fang Xie and Bi Cao, the two little girls, kept being worried for their Lady.

Because they knew that all the money left by the young lady was used to buy boats. If there isn’t any business, they would lose all of it.

Miantang was not worried. Although she deliberately misled the He family, everything she said about the Cao family’s boat trip was true.

The Cao family did not make money cleanly, and there were some secrets hidden in it. Once the merchants were suspicious, they will lose their reputation and were unable to retain old customers.

After the He family switched to the Conscience Escort Agency, they certainly did not dare to use large goods for the first order. so Miantang did not buy many ships, which was enough to deal with.

She drew the freight route herself. When Zhao Quan was transporting military rations to the northwest, he once told her unintentionally that to facilitate the transportation of military rations, the Imperial Court opened the river channels of the four counties. Local officials are not allowed to set up checkpoints along the way. Once found, they will be severely punished.

Besides, many military ships are coming and going, and the river is very safe. Many small merchants who can’t afford to hire escorts follow the military ships far away, which is safer.

The He family tried Conscience Shipping Company and found that the new water transport shipping company was fair with the price, and the time for shipping goods was not slower than the high-price route.

The Second Master He transferred all his business with the State of Xi to the Conscience Escort Agency.

His family had a large number of goods shipped at one time. After two orders, the Escort Agency’s account book was revitalized and new ships could be bought.

She doesn’t know why. The news regarding something fishy about the Cao Family’s Shipping Company spread. Many merchants who have dealings with the Second Master He has also signed with the Conscience Boat Shop.

Not long after, the Cao family asked to see Lady Liu.

It was the Elder, Master Cao who came here with several seniors from the Escort Agency and claimed to be helping their nephew to negotiate. But the color of his face was nasty.

Once he entered the Escort Agency’s hall, he began to talk about his past merits and virtues. He pretended to be Liu Miantang’s elder. He said that Lady Liu was not authentic and that she bullied the people on the same side. Even if she opened the Escort Agency, there was no reason for her to steal from other businesses. If she doesn’t come up with a rule today, he will drag her to Lu Wu for judgment.

The rest of the bearded old men were also pretending fairness in stopping the fight but were actually helping their own side. They seemed to be trying to persuade Master Cao to calm down, but in fact, they were still accusing Miantang of acting badly.

Miantang kept still when he was talking until Master Cao had said enough, and Miantang slowly glanced at him and said, “I dare to ask Master Cao, is the shop you entered the Shenwei Escort Agency?”

Master Cao glared, which of the seatings is not used by the Shenwei Escort Agency before? But… The name of the Escort Agency has changed. It’s called the Conscience Escort Agency.

Thinking of this, he still said angrily, “Even if this is not the Shenwei Escort Agency, it’s always the property of the Lu Family! Don’t beat me about the bush. Little girl, you are so unruly in everything you do. Just wait and see if your Grandfather will scold you to death!”

Miantang smiled, then slowly stopped smiling and said, “My Grandfather told me that my family name is Liu, not Lu, and I will be the daughter-in-law of another family when I get married. I bought this Escort Agency from the Lu family with real money and silver. How can it be regarded as the property of the Lu family? You, Master Cao, have a priceless love and gratitude for the Lu family as if you were the parents of the Lu family. How will the Lu family honor you, that’s the business of the Lu family? What does it matter to me?”

When she said this, Master Cao just choked and stared. He didn’t know what to say. Because now the leader of the Conscience Escort Agency is indeed Liu, not Lu.

But she is so unruly in her own business that his Shipping Company has had no list in recent days. How can he compromise? So he ignored this and angrily asked Miantang to see Lu Wu.

But before his hand come close, a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes raised his hand and pushed him aside, glaring at his big eyes and saying, “Old man, how dare you try to touch our Young Lady?”

The people on the other side recognized that this was a descendant of the He family and hurriedly said, “Hey, how dare you beat your uncle? When your father was alive, he had to call Master Cao his elder brother!”

He Quansheng stared, “Who is family with him? My mother said that we should be conscientious. When my father died, who was present to help us? It was the Lu family who took care of us. Did you work in the Lu family for nothing? Did you not receive rich monthly silver in any month? Why did you become the ancestors of the Lu family in the end? All day long, you always took the things you did in the past to take credit. I’m so ashamed to see your actions and you still have the face to make a scene in our Escort Agency. Others don’t know, but I know how you emptied the Escort Agency bit by bit! ”

These elders were derided by the young man, and their faces turn from black to white. Master Cao was so angry that he overturned the table with one hand.