Chapter 51: Distinguished Guests Naturally Deserve Fine Tea

As Su Wu took his seat in the Yang family's parlor, tea and pastries were promptly served, and young Master Yang Zongtie came skipping in.

Though his face beamed with excitement, his manners were impeccably standard as he bowed ninety degrees and said, "Greetings, Chief Su."

The lad was truly endearing, with a rosy, tender face and two dimples upon his cheeks.

Seeing the ninety-degree bow, Su Wu smiled and replied, "Greetings to you too."

"Hehe... What business brings Chief Su to see me?" The youngster must have been briefed by someone, standing respectfully before Su Wu.

"I'm here to talk business with you." Su Wu reached out and patted Yang Zongtie's head.

"Ah? This... I will go call my sister-in-law to speak with you." Yang Zongtie turned around, preparing to fetch her.

"No need. I speak, you listen, and just remember it." Su Wu's hand was still on Yang Zongtie's head, and with a slight twist, he turned the departing lad right back around.

Yang Zongtie spun two and a half circles and chuckled himself: "Mm, alright, I will remember."

"Your family's business is not small. You must be well-acquainted with commercial routes and shipping vessels, and you likely have dealings with merchants everywhere. I also want to start a business, and instead of searching high and low for such connections and inquiring about them elsewhere, it is far better to seek out your family. Furthermore, you must have plenty of experienced shopkeepers and hired hands..."

Matters of distribution channels, manpower, transportation costs, and contacting out-of-town merchants—doing business was actually a terribly troublesome affair.

Since the Yang family had all these readily available, rather than solving them bit by bit on his own, it was much better to deal with the Yang family and settle everything at once.

Little Yang Zongtie could only nod. "Mm, I remember."

"Well... if you are willing, I can form a partnership with your family's firm, using your existing workforce. Think it over."

Su Wu had pondered deeply on many things, and this approach was actually exceptionally good. Everything required professional people and a professional team, and the people around Su Wu, such as Wu Song, were incapable of handling such tasks.

Wu Da might possibly be able to manage, but Wu Da could not carry the heavy burden alone. It was still the Yang family's established framework that seemed most useful.

"Mm, I've remembered all that too. I'll tell my sister-in-law everything later," little Yang Zongtie nodded repeatedly.

Su Wu smiled as well. The boy was quite sharp and knew that Su Wu's words weren't meant just for him.

"Alright, I'm leaving." Su Wu had nothing more to say; he rose and left, awaiting simply a reply. If this matter succeeded, then henceforth, whatever the venture—as long as it concerned trade—he would simply hand it directly over to the Yang family.

That meant the channels were already open, and the Yang family had their own business partners. Whether buying or selling anything, it would be much easier for them to operate.

"Safe journey, Chief Su." Little Yang Zongtie gave another deep, formal bow and even escorted him to the door.

Meng Yulou had indeed taught this child rather well.

***

As soon as Su Wu stepped out the door, Yang Zongtie dashed quickly back into the courtyard. When he reached the front parlor, his sister-in-law Meng Yulou was already seated in the very chair Su Wu had just occupied, gazing at the teacup Su Wu had used.

Stepping forward, Yang Zongtie blurted out, "Sister-in-law, he wants to do business with us. He said..."

His sister-in-law gently raised a hand. "I heard it all from behind the window."

"Sister-in-law, why did he want to discuss it with me? Why not just talk directly to you..."

"You, you are still young. When you grow older, you will understand." As Meng Yulou spoke, she lightly raised her left hand to tuck back the wide sleeve of her right robe, and then her right hand picked up the cup Su Wu had drunk from. After looking at it for a few moments, she turned and called out, "Take this away to be washed..."

A young maid stepped forward to clear it away.

Yang Zongtie spoke up again, "This time, he actually drank our tea."

Meng Yulou smiled. "You, go to the yamen this afternoon and give him your reply. Tell him you have thought it over and are willing to go into business with him. Say that forming a joint trading firm would be wonderful, and express your gratitude. Do you know how to express it?"

"I know, I know." Yang Zongtie nodded repeatedly, then immediately bowed low and recited, "Thank you, Chief Su, for your grace in bestowing this elevation..."

Watching her young brother-in-law imitate the gesture so vividly, Meng Yulou's face was filled with gratification.

Yet the brother-in-law asked again, "Sister-in-law, we don't even know what kind of business we're doing yet. Shouldn't we ask?"

"When doing business with outsiders, of course one must ask, and be all the more cautious and careful, inquiring into every single detail, and even sending people to investigate the inner workings. But with Chief Su, there is no need to ask..."

Meng Yulou instructed him very earnestly.

"Why is that?" Yang Zongtie remained puzzled.

"Because he is no longer just a chief bailiff; he is an official in Dongping Prefecture. He is a person of high status, while we are merchants. Do you understand this logic?"

"I understand, I understand. We merchants must stay on good terms with influential people. Chief Su is a person of high status, so we shall be on good terms with him, and thus the business will endure long."

"Precisely so." Meng Yulou grew even more gratified.

Suddenly, her brother-in-law remarked, "Sister-in-law, that Chief Su is truly a wonderful person."

Meng Yulou nodded involuntarily.

"Sister-in-law..."

"Hmm?"

***

"Sister-in-law, I understand everything. Our family is in a difficult spot right now, and those managers and clerks all harbor petty thoughts simply because they see that I am too young and that you are a woman. They want to bully us. If this is Chief Su's business, they surely wouldn't dare to act like that anymore."

As Yang Zongtie spoke, the look in his eyes towards his sister-in-law held a genuine trace of heartache. Clearly, he knew well that this household was currently being propped up entirely by her.

Hearing such words, how could Meng Yulou not be moved? She reached out and patted the young boy's head. "You must strive to make something of yourself."

"Mm..." The child wore a truly resolute expression, yet he added, "Sister-in-law, I think Chief Su is really good..."

"Hmm?"

"Chief Su is exceptionally good. Unlike ordinary men, looking at him just lifts one's spirits. He is robust and strong, kind and gentle in his dealings, possesses the spirit of a hero, and looks exceedingly upright and handsome as well. He is... He..."

"Do not babble nonsense. What does a child understand..."

"I..."

"Very well, go fetch the writing assignments your teacher left this morning and bring them for me to look at."

"Oh..." The lad pouted and went off.

When he brought back the writing sheets, Meng Yulou took them to inspect. Yang Zongtie still could not help himself and muttered, "Sister-in-law, just these past few days, quite a few matchmakers have come knocking on the door. I understand it all..."

Holding the papers and reading them slowly, Meng Yulou let out a sigh. "Zongtie, your sister-in-law is a bereaved person, a widow, and he is an official in Dongping Prefecture..."

The young boy thought deeply about these words with his little head, then asked, "He looks down on sister-in-law, doesn't he?"

Instead of answering, Meng Yulou simply raised her head and commanded, "Go, fetch the disciplinary ruler."

"Did I copy something wrong again? Sigh... I copied it with the utmost care, how could I still have made a mistake?"

Knowing he was about to suffer, the brother-in-law honestly went to fetch the ruler.

While he was getting it, Meng Yulou looked at the neatly tidied tea table and instructed the maid behind her, "Next time General Su comes, change the tea. Go straight to my room and fetch that Chunxiang ointment..."

"Mistress, Chunxiang ointment is fine tea paste from Tokyo, and we don't have much left..."

"An honored guest naturally deserves good tea." Replying thus, Meng Yulou took the ruler handed to her.