90: Chapter 90 Agreement Reached

As for why Chen Yuansi would increase the quantity, Pei Qingyun could figure out the reason even with his eyes closed.

Part of these eighty thousand dan of grain belonged to the He Family.

As allies, the Chen Family naturally wouldn't keep all the benefits for themselves.

With the previous lesson learned, Chen Yuansi didn't act sarcastically toward Pei Qingyun, and everything proceeded smoothly from there.

According to the agreement, the Chen Family would first pay half as a deposit, and the remaining half would be paid after the Pei Family delivered the grain.

However, the risk of escorting the grain had to be borne by the Pei Family. Pei Qingyun had no objection to this point.

In the Great Jing Dynasty, the risks involved in the exchange of goods were always borne by the seller.

Overall, Pei Qingyun was quite satisfied with this transaction.

The only thing was being slightly annoyed by Chen Yuansi.

But seeing how hurriedly Chen Yuansi left, he likely wasn't very satisfied either.

After seeing off Chen Yuansi and He Yucheng, Chen Yuanba apologized, "Brother Pei, I didn't consider this matter thoroughly. I didn't expect my cousin to act in such a manner."

Pei Qingyun waved his hand and said dismissively, "You can't be blamed for this; I know it wasn't convenient for you to speak up. Business is business. I'm comforted that you were looking out for me, Brother. Besides, it's only because you were here that I could fight for the right to an equal dialogue. Furthermore, Chen Yuansi was also fighting for interests from the Chen Family's standpoint; what reason would you have to criticize him?"

"Besides, he didn't take advantage of me. Instead, I used this opportunity to make a huge profit. From the results, this is a good thing. Moreover, our friendship is between us and has nothing to do with the Chen Family. I can't let a few individuals in the Chen Family create a rift between us."

Chen Yuanba shook his head, "Brother, don't comfort me. You achieved all this through your own ability. This cousin of mine has been sharp-tongued and relentless since childhood. If his martial arts talent hadn't been a bit lacking, he wouldn't have been assigned to the Merchant Guild. But fortunately, after entering the Merchant Guild, he fully utilized his talent."

"At that time, I was secretly worried for you, Brother. I didn't expect you to make my cousin suffer such a big loss in a direct confrontation; it really opened my eyes. It seems your talent for business is also extraordinary."

Pei Qingyun laughed and said, "Brother, please don't say that. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. If your Chen Family didn't urgently need this batch of grain, Chen Yuansi wouldn't have compromised so quickly."

Chen Yuanba curled his lip, looking skeptical, "Brother, don't trick me. Being able to analyze the market so thoroughly isn't something that can be explained so simply."

"You don't know, Brother, but when I saw my cousin out just now, his face was extremely grim. I remember the last time he suffered a setback, he looked just like this. However, don't worry, Brother; that's just how he is. If you make him suffer a loss, he will actually respect you more."

Pei Qingyun smiled and said, "Hearing you say that, I'm relieved. My accidental actions actually led to a good outcome."

Chen Yuanba also smiled and said, "I truly admire your move, Brother; it's like you've avenged me for all his sharp words."

And so, the atmosphere of their conversation became lively.

...

In contrast, Chen Yuansi had a dark expression the entire time since leaving the Evil Suppression Bureau.

It wasn't until they had walked a long distance that his expression returned to normal.

Beside him, He Yucheng said with emotion, "This Pei Qingyun is quite formidable. As expected of an old fox, his business acumen is no less than ours. This price was precisely at our bottom line. If it weren't for the fact that this is our first time here, I would suspect someone had leaked our details to him."

Chen Yuansi waved his hand and sighed, "Say no more, it's embarrassing enough already. We originally agreed on thirty wen per jin at most, but now the price has been forcibly raised by five wen. You didn't say a word back then either. Five wen for eighty thousand dan—that translates to an extra forty thousand taels of silver in expenditures."

He Yucheng said in surprise, "Hearing you say that, I'm starting to regret it too. According to the proportions, I'll have to spend an extra fifteen thousand taels. How about you go talk to him again to lower the price? Even lowering it by one wen would save several thousand taels."

Chen Yuansi rolled his eyes, "If you aren't afraid of being embarrassed, you can go yourself. If you can lower the price, you can keep my share of the savings."

He Yucheng waved his hand and said helplessly, "Then forget it. If even you can't handle it, Yuansi, it would be the same if a novice like me went. Since there's still profit to be made, I won't get involved."

Chen Yuansi said, "Fine, I knew you were unreliable. Although I lost this time, it's only because he had the home-field advantage. With my cousin's connection, we'll meet again. When that time comes, I'll make him pay it back twofold."

...

Shiming Street.

Inside the Pei Family estate.

Not long after Pei Qingyun left, the heads of the Qian and Lv families' Merchant Guilds came looking for Pei Tianrong.

Following the instructions Pei Qingyun left before his departure, the Pei Family could not openly refuse the Qian and Lv families. Pei Tianrong deliberately displayed the greed expected of a merchant, first intentionally understating the amount of stored grain, and then raising the price to a level the two families could not accept, thereby turning down the business.

The heads of the two families' Merchant Guilds were angry about this, but they could do nothing against the Pei Family.

Consequently, they could only focus on the grain available on the market and target the grain of other small Merchant Guilds.

"The Old Ancestor truly considered everything. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what reason to use to send away these two big shots," Pei Tianrong remarked as he watched the people from the Qian and Lv families leave.

Then, Pei Tianrong looked at a scout nearby. "How is the situation with the Old Ancestor?"

"Reporting to the Family Head, the Old Ancestor hasn't come out yet, but I suspect it will be soon. Before I left, I saw the people from the Chen and He families getting into their carriages," the scout said with a bow.

Pei Tianrong said solemnly, "Let's leave it at that for now. Lately, keep a close eye on the movements of the major grain merchants in Wuyang County. I suspect someone might try to cause trouble at this critical juncture."

As the Pei Family Head, Pei Tianrong had dealt with far too many types of people.

There were certainly many who would take risks for profit.

It was even possible they would use methods that harmed others without benefiting themselves.

After returning from the Evil Suppression Bureau, Pei Qingyun recounted everything that had happened there to Pei Tianrong.

When Pei Tianrong heard about Chen Yuansi's initial attitude, he couldn't help but frown.

The Pei Family's growth over the past few months was far beyond what a third-rate Family could imagine. However, at the level of a second-rate Family, they didn't even have the qualifications to attract the serious attention of the other party's direct line.

This caused his originally proud mindset to suddenly calm down.