CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: I’LL PAY DOUBLE

"Don’t get married, once you have a wife, you’ll forget your mother."

Zhao Minghua’s response made Mrs. Zhao both angry and amused. This boy, he’s just not grown up, he doesn’t understand the benefits of having a wife.

Forget about Xiao Chunlan from the prominent Xiao Family, which means he has no chance with any girl from that family.

When you think about it, it makes sense. Even the eldest granddaughter of the Clan Leader hasn’t been engaged, so which girl from the Xiao Family would be suitable to marry into their family?

Mrs. Zhao looked at her son, who spent all day fooling around, thinking that he really needed a wife to keep him in check.

But, which family’s girl should they consider?

If it doesn’t work out, see if there’re any good young ladies among the eldest daughter-in-law’s friends, even daughters from small households would be fine, as long as they’re good-natured and well-known.

This kid may not be serious, but his standards are quite high.

He’d only talk about those who catch his eye.

Every time she tried to ask her son if there’s anyone he likes, he always said he was busy.

Busy with what?

At this time, Zhao Minghua was almost running to the courtyard under the Huang Jue Tree every day.

Even Mrs. Zhu thought it was a bit unusual.

"Second sister, that Mr. Zhao, why does he..."

"Sister-in-law, just let him be."

He often brings herbs to ask me to process, and he insists on watching over the process. It seems he not only wants to do business, but also wants to be an apprentice.

If someone has the heart, you don’t need to teach them; if they don’t have the heart, you can’t teach them anyway.

It’s not that she looks down on Zhao Minghua, but with his flighty temperament and tendency to get flustered, he’s just not someone who can process herbs properly!

This doesn’t involve any secret recipes, so Chun Nuan doesn’t have to guard against him at all.

According to her grandfather’s idea: it’s a good thing if more people can learn good skills, at least the legacy won’t be broken.

Moreover, Zhao Minghua’s purpose here seems more like he’s guarding against her, always intentionally or unintentionally asking about things on Old Master Zhang’s side.

That day, he just arrived and hadn’t been there for half an hour when Uncle Ma came by.

Uncle Ma came to deliver the tea house’s herbal tea account book and the dividends. Chun Nuan hurried to welcome Uncle Ma into the study, signed for the dividends after looking them over, and seeing the tea house business was promising, she had received six taels of silver in just one month.

In the Capital, Chun Nuan, who was a young lady, might not care about six taels of silver.

However, for Chun Nuan, who had fallen on hard times in Shu City, it was a significant income, and she was very grateful to Old Master Zhang.

After sending off Uncle Ma, she thought about giving another herbal tea recipe.

Turning around, she almost bumped into Zhao Minghua.

"Mr. Zhao, why are you standing here?"

She was startled.

"You still say you have no cooperative relation with Old Master Zhang?"

That was Housekeeper Ma, the person authorized to make decisions on behalf of Old Master Zhang, and any matter needed to be discussed in the study?

He visits three times a day and doesn’t even have the qualification to enter the study.

Indeed, as her grandfather said, good things need to be kept hidden, or else they’ll be taken away by others.

"..."

Chun Nuan... how is this person acting like a child and even seems aggrieved?

Why should she be afraid of him?

She’s above board and has nothing to hide.

"Don’t say anything, let me guess." Zhao Minghua thought for a bit and then slapped his thigh: "I know, it’s Fate Tea House."

Chun Nuan looked at him in shock?

He knows this too?

"I said it, Zhang Family’s Fate Tea House has been running in Changzhou since I was little, and its business was never this prosperous. Recently, in just over a month, they started selling a herbal tea that many people love to drink, saying it clears heat and relieves summer heat."

"So it was you who meddled."

"Mr. Zhao, what do you mean by meddled?"

The business was above board, but coming from his mouth, it sounded like some conspiracy.

"Did you give the recipe for the herbal tea?"

"You’re very smart."

"Of course, in Changzhou, any place with good business for eating, drinking, and entertainment, cannot escape my eye; of course, I have to investigate."

But what does finding out have to do with you?

"Miss Xiao, you are in the wrong here." Zhao Minghua felt frustrated, watching over her every day, yet the wealth has leaked out: "You have the recipe for herbal tea, why didn’t you cooperate with me? Are you afraid I can’t pay you, or do you think I don’t have enough sincerity to cooperate?"

"Mr. Zhao, isn’t your family the Hundred Herbs Hall? It’s a pharmacy, a place for medical consultation and treatment, you can’t exactly sell herbal tea there, right?"

"Alright, alright, I won’t pretend anymore." Zhao Minghua’s grievance was because the booming business at Fate Tea House was based on his turmoil: "My Six-sided Fate Tea House is right opposite the Fate Tea House. Originally, our business was evenly matched, but you broke the balance between us, and I’m jealous!"

What?

"Your tea house?" Chun Nuan was a bit surprised: "Your family runs the Hundred Herbs Hall, and you also have a tea house?"

"The Hundred Herbs Hall is the Zhao family’s business; the Six-sided Fate Tea House is a shop I secretly bought with all my private savings at the age of fourteen. Since its opening, it hasn’t made much, but it hasn’t lost either."

"And besides, the only people who knew about this besides Qingsheng were you."

"Mr. Zhao, you are really something."

Daring to open a shop secretly at fourteen without the family’s knowledge.

"Ahem, the skill isn’t that great, mainly because it hasn’t made much money." Zhao Minghua said: "What did Old Master Zhang give you for the herbal tea recipe? You give me a recipe, and I’ll double the benefit for you."

Chun Nuan... when it comes to competition like this, I think it can be okay.

But giving Old Master Zhang a herbal tea recipe, and then giving Zhao Minghua a different herbal tea recipe, seems a bit unfair to Old Master Zhang, he gave two percent dividends right off the bat, you can’t just forsake loyalty for profit, right?

Will they still cooperate in the future?

As a person, one should still have some integrity.

"Miss Xiao, aren’t you going to give me a herbal tea recipe?"

"Don’t you think your competition like this isn’t too good?" Chun Nuan thought for a moment: "When the two families cause a scene, I’ll be embarrassed."

"I swear I won’t betray you."

"Then Old Master Zhang can’t figure it out?"

This world doesn’t have just you as an intelligent person; the shopkeepers hired by Old Master Zhang can’t all be eating for nothing?

"Business rivals are like enemies, besides, our Zhao family is an apricot forest family, with hereditary medical skills, so it’s normal for us to be able to brew herbal tea."

"In that case, does Old Master Zhang also know that the Six-sided Fate Tea House is opened by you, Mr. Zhao?"

"No, no one knows; except for the shopkeeper, no one knows I’m the owner."

So the herbal tea recipe, it can’t be given to Zhao Minghua.

"Miss Xiao, what about the agreed cooperation?" Making money together, how can you be so rigid?

"I’ll think about it later, give your shop some other featured things; this way, your two shops can have healthy competition, without making it ugly."

"Alright, I like this." Zhao Minghua said: "So, what did Old Master Zhang give you?"

Chun Nuan didn’t hide it, she said directly that he gave her ten taels of silver and two percent dividends.

"That old man was quite generous." Zhao Minghua felt a bit regretful, he said he would give double, well, he must keep his word: "You give me the recipe, and I’ll give you twenty taels of silver, plus four percent dividends."

"Do you mean it?"

"A man keeps his word!"

His heart was bleeding, but he spoke quite boldly.

However, thinking that the business at Six-sided Fate could also thrive from now on, Zhao Minghua felt it was worth it.

Having obtained Chun Nuan’s affirmation, Zhao Minghua left happily.

Mrs. Zhu watched the interaction between the two, wanting to speak but then hesitating.

Forget it, this household is all supported by Chun Nuan, she’s managing everything, since I can’t help, who am I to remind her?

Anyway, there aren’t many people in the small town, so no one should mind. If it were in a village, there would be worries about rumors spreading.