Aoyama

Chapter 510 Collecting Debts
The Ginkgo Garden was quiet and peaceful.

Chen Ji sat at the stone table, lost in thought, his fingers tapping the surface repeatedly. No one dared to interrupt his thoughts.

Xiaoman was puzzled. Mingbao Pavilion and Gufu Tower were clearly the most profitable businesses, so why was the young master interested in Baoxiang Bookstore?

What can a bookstore do?
At this moment, Chen Ji asked, "Where is Baoxiang Bookstore located?"

The manager of Gu Fu Lou bowed slightly and replied, "Young master, it's in Liulichang. About 80% of the bookstores in the capital are located in Liulichang."

Chen Ji asked, "Why can't Baoxiang Bookstore compete with Wenyuan Bookstore?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Young master, the income of this bookstore is mainly divided into two types. One is the annotations of classics and 'current essays' related to the imperial examinations. Wenyuan Bookstore is opened by Xu Bin, a branch of the Xu family. He has connections with the Ministry of Personnel and can always get the latest articles from the education commissioner, so it naturally sells the best."

Chen Ji understood; this was a business of predicting exam questions.

Confucian classics have existed for over a thousand years, with countless annotated versions and interpretations by various great scholars. But none of that matters. For scholars aspiring to take the imperial examinations, what is important is how the educational officials interpret them.

Even if Confucius were still alive and had disagreements with the education officials, the scholars would still listen to the education officials, since Confucius did not concern himself with the imperial examinations...

The shopkeeper continued, "Secondly, storybooks are the most profitable. A single storybook costs about one tael of silver, and tens of thousands of copies can be sold in the capital alone. It's fair to say that Wen Yuan Bookstore got incredibly lucky. Originally, Wen Chang Bookstore did this business the best, but somehow that 'Book Club Master' from the Four Dreams of Bianliang, Jiuli Jinguang Sanren, entrusted his books to Wen Yuan Bookstore for exclusive printing, instantly snatching away the entire storybook business in the capital. That Jiuli Jinguang Sanren has recently written a new book, claiming it's by Li Changge..."

As the shopkeeper spoke, he secretly raised his eyelids to look at Chen Ji, only then realizing that Li Changge was sitting right in front of him.

Xiaoman bent down beside Chen Ji and whispered, "Young master, go talk to that old Taoist priest and tell him to hand over the storybook to Baoxiang Bookstore for printing. It's sure to make money. If he's unwilling, you can go to a Buddhist temple and become a lay Buddhist, so he can't continue writing."

Chen Ji did not answer, but continued to ask: "Although Baoxiang Bookstore does not have these two channels, it should not be squeezed out of business, right?"

The manager of Gu Fu Lou sighed, "Chen Dong, the manager of Bao Xiang Bookstore, is a bookworm. He always likes to nag that the educational officials' annotations of the classics are wrong. He is single-mindedly focused on annotating the Four Books and Five Classics himself. But who does he think he is? Who cares about his annotations? At first, some scholars listened to his nonsense, but gradually they kept their distance."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, then got up and walked outside: "Xiao Man, I'm going to Liulichang."

Xiaoman called out to him from behind: "Young Master..."

Chen Ji turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"

Xiaoman lowered her head slightly, her fingers pinching the hem of her clothes: "You promised to entrust these businesses to me."

Chen Ji hummed in agreement: "These are all your responsibility. If anyone disobeys you, give them fifty taels of silver for travel expenses and send them back to Luzhou."

The shopkeepers' expressions changed.

As soon as Chen Ji left, the wooden door of Ginkgo Garden slammed shut.

Xiaoman's bashful expression vanished instantly. She gathered her skirts and slowly sat down on the stone bench: "Kneel down."

The shopkeepers exchanged glances, hesitating slightly.

Xiaoman smiled slightly: "Young master is young master, and I am me. Now all these businesses are handed over to me. Who can do it and who can't is up to me. Not long after the concubine left, Liang tricked the young master into handing over the land deeds and house deeds, and then placed you in the business to drive away the concubine's people. It's time to settle this score with you. I remember that the methods you used to drive away the concubine's people were not very honorable."

As she spoke, she pointed her small hand at the manager of Gufulou: "Manager Chen Xudong, the manager that Auntie originally arranged for Gufulou should be called Zhang Cheng, right? I heard that you framed him by making false accounts, and then Liang reported him to the authorities and his family was raided? Do you want me to continue? Every one of you here should be beaten to death without any injustice."

The shopkeepers gritted their teeth and slowly knelt down.

Xiao Man looked at the row of shopkeepers in front of her with a half-smile: "Young master is kind and generous, unwilling to get entangled in such trivial matters with you... but that doesn't mean I, Yao Man, won't hold it against you. You dare to say there's no money in the accounts just because you glared at me? I think you're tired of living. If you lie to me again today, there's no such thing as being sent back to Luzhou. You'd better stay in the reeds by the Altar of Mountains and Rivers and keep company with the salt shopkeepers."

Chen Xudong, the manager of Gufulou Restaurant, hurriedly said, "The money in the account has really been withdrawn by the Liang family!"

Xiaoman said casually, "Oh, so what about the silver you've embezzled from the accounts over the years?"

Chen Xudong shrank back slightly: "I have never done such a thing."

The young monk looked into Chen Xudong's eyes, put his hands together, and said, "Amitabha."

"Still lying? Slap him!" Xiaoman said casually. "Chen Eryin, you slap him. If you don't, I'll have someone else slap you."

Chen Eryin, the shopkeeper of the grain and oil store, knelt to the side, gritted his teeth, turned around, and swung his hand to slap Chen Xudong across the face, making Chen Xudong see stars.

He glared at Chen Eryin and said angrily, "You son of a bitch..."

Xiaoman said slowly, "Still not convinced? Slap me again."

Chen Eryin slapped Chen Xudong again, leaving a disfigurement on the corner of his mouth.

Xiaoman stared intently at Chen Xudong: "Tell me, how much silver have you embezzled from the accounts over the years?"

Chen Xudong cried out, "Miss Xiaoman, please understand! Over the years, I've only taken some ingredients home from the kitchen. I really haven't embezzled any money!" The little monk clasped his hands together again and said, "Amitabha."

"You won't give up until you see the Yellow River," Xiaoman sneered. "Keep slapping me, and I won't let you stop until I tell you to."

The shopkeepers looked up at the little monk in shock, then at Xiaoman.

Xiaoman said calmly, "If you don't take action yourself, don't regret it when I, the Innate Official, have to."

Chen Eryin gritted his teeth and swung his arm to slap Chen Xudong across the face again. After more than thirty slaps, Chen Xudong's face swelled up so much that he couldn't open his eyes. Even Chen Eryin's own hand swelled up from slapping.

But Xiaoman did not call a halt for a long time.

The steward of the farm looked to the young monk for help: "Little monk, you are a monk, please persuade Miss Xiaoman."

Seeing Chen Xudong's miserable state, the young monk couldn't bear it and turned his face away, unwilling to look any longer: "Xiaoman, stop hitting him, why don't we just kill him?"

The estate manager's expression changed drastically.

Chen Xudong quickly shouted, "I'll talk!"

Xiaoman still didn't call a halt, until Chen Xudong received ten more slaps before she slowly said, "Stop now, tell me how you've embezzled and amassed your wealth over the years."

Chen Xudong mumbled, "I arranged for my brother-in-law to run a vegetable and meat business. Every time I buy from him, he gives me 10% of the money back."

Xiaoman smiled and said, "Only 10% back?"

At this point, she took out a few sheets of paper from her sleeve. On the paper were notes written in elegant small regular script: "Chen Xudong owns a two-courtyard house in Chongnan Ward of the outer city, a three-courtyard house in Zhengdong Ward, and a three-courtyard house in Huanghua Ward of the inner city. He keeps three concubines and two mistresses. He has acquired 120 mu of farmland in the suburbs of the capital and has lent out more than 3,000 taels of silver at exorbitant interest rates... Manager Chen, this is not an fortune that can be amassed by embezzling even a tenth of the tael."

Xiaoman continued reading from the notes on the paper: "For years, Gu Fu Lou has been selling inferior liquor brewed in Langfang as Fenjiu from Xinghua Village, recording 100 jin of pork as 150 jin, and buying old ewes and rams at the price of lamb from Hexi... Manager Chen, do you want me to continue reading? No wonder your business can't compete with Bianyifang. If you keep doing this, where will you get repeat customers?"

Chen Xudong banged his head on the ground, pleading, "Miss Xiaoman, spare my life!"

Xiaoman threw the paper in front of Chen Xudong: "You know that cheating your master like this is enough to warrant death by beating? Even if I beat you to death right now, it won't do any good if your wife reports it to the authorities."

Chen Xudong cried out in a panic, "Miss Xiaoman, spare my life!"

Xiaoman sneered: "Bring the house deed, land deed, and all the silver in your house before sunset to buy your dog's life, otherwise I'll take you to the reed marshes of Shanchuantan and drown you tonight. Get out of here."

Chen Xudong scrambled to his feet and fled in panic.

Xiaoman turned her gaze to Chen Eryin, the owner of the grain and oil shop: "It's your turn. Do I need to read it to you from the paper?"

Chen Eryin quickly shook his head: "No need, no need, I will go home and check the accounts right away. I will make up for all the money I owe the shop before sunset."

Xiaoman then turned her gaze to the others: "What about you?"

The other shopkeepers hurriedly added, "We feel the same way."

Xiaoman put on a smiling face: "Remember, this is money to buy your lives. I know very well how much wealth you have. If you hand it all over, you'll be left with nothing. If you hand over half, you'll only have half your life left... Get out!"

After all the shopkeepers left, Xiaoman suddenly slumped her shoulders and patted her chest: "Finally done. I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep them in check."

The young monk asked curiously, "Why not do this while Benefactor Chen Ji is here?"

Xiaoman glanced at him sideways: "Young Master is currently only focused on saving the Princess. I just don't want to distract you from such a trivial matter."

The young monk put his hands together and said, "Amitabha."

Xiaoman raised an eyebrow: "So what if I'm greedy? Young Master is going to fly far away in the future. He promised to leave his entire family business to me. From now on, it's all my family business and my money! Young Master will need money on his journey, right? Even if he leaves Ning Dynasty, he still needs to live. After I get the silver, I'll convert it into gold and give him half of it as travel expenses when he flies away..."

The young monk put his hands together again and said, "Amitabha."

Xiaoman angrily said, "Giving him 80% is fine, no more than that. I have so much business to manage, I need to keep 20% for myself!"

The young monk innocently replied, "This humble monk meant nothing by it, Miss Xiaoman, why are you feeling guilty?"

Xiaoman got up and pinched his waist: "Go cook!"

The young monk called out from behind her, "Today I would like to eat pan-fried tofu and deep-fried water bamboo shoots."

Go eat your fart!

(End of this chapter)