The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 43

“What are you thinking about?” Seeing Bai Zhi’s serious expression, Wei Ziwan asked softly.

Bai Zhi snapped out of her reverie and replied, “Nothing much. Do you think Manager Xi is trustworthy?”

They had only done business with Lou Shang Lou twice. Although Manager Xi seemed easy to get along with so far, it’s hard to judge a person’s character after just a couple of interactions.

Wei Ziwan’s lips curled slightly as she uttered four words: “Merchants chase profit.”

There wasn’t much personal connection between them, only mutual benefit. As long as what they offered was profitable, they could negotiate terms.

The sun was shining brightly, and Lou Shang Lou was as bustling as usual. The servants in the hall were busy attending to guests.

Upon hearing of their visit, Manager Xi put down his ledger and had a servant bring them directly to his study.

“Brother Bai, Miss Wei, I was wondering why I heard magpies chirping today. So it was because you two were coming. Please, have a seat.”

Manager Xi was still smiling, but in his heart, he was speculating whether these two were here to discuss business. He felt a surge of joy, followed by a chill, as he remembered the warehouse full of soybeans and radishes.

Stay calm, stay calm. This time, I must remain composed.

“Brother Xi, we’re here to bother you again…”

After exchanging a few pleasantries and sitting down, Bai Zhi got straight to the point: “We’re here to discuss a deal with you, Brother Xi.”

Manager Xi remained cautious but kept his smile intact. “What kind of deal are we talking about, Brother Bai? Please, enlighten me.”

This time, I absolutely cannot let the warehouse get filled with more produce. No more vegetables, no matter what.

Seeing Manager Xi’s slightly peculiar smile, Bai Zhi felt a pang of nervousness and said, “I heard that Lou Shang Lou’s hot pot is quite popular in winter. Do you have any green vegetables to go with it?”

Manager Xi smiled faintly, though his voice nearly trembled: “There aren’t many green vegetables in winter, but we do grow some bean sprouts and other greens in our greenhouse. Don’t tell me you’ve grown green vegetables this time?”

He thought of the four acres of radishes and paused. Could it be that they’ve grown four acres of green vegetables this time?

It couldn’t be. At this time of year, nothing grows well—either frost or snow would kill the plants. Could they have produced a lot of bean sprouts?

If so, this deal might not work out. Every branch of Lou Shang Lou has its own greenhouse in winter, and at the very least, they can grow enough bean sprouts to be self-sufficient.

Bai Zhi smiled faintly and said, “That’s right. We’ve grown a lot of green vegetables this time. Most of them have already sprouted, and in a few days, they’ll be perfect for hot pot.”

Manager Xi was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked, “What kinds of vegetables have you grown, Brother Bai?”

Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow and said leisurely, “We’ve grown quite a variety—radish sprouts, cabbage sprouts, pea shoots, rapeseed shoots…”

She listed a long string of vegetables, emphasizing that they were all young shoots specifically grown for hot pot. Once the leaves grew a bit, they could be harvested entirely.

The more Manager Xi listened, the brighter his eyes became. He looked at Bai Zhi as if she were a golden goose, completely forgetting his earlier resolve not to buy any more vegetables. “How much have you grown, Brother Bai? Lou Shang Lou will take it all.”

He could already imagine the profits these young shoots would bring once they were washed and served. Not only for the Ninglin branch but also for branches in neighboring cities. Even four acres wouldn’t be too much this time.

Bai Zhi’s answer did not disappoint him.

“We’ve grown four acres this time. Based on the growth cycle, we can harvest three times in total.”

Manager Xi laughed heartily and said, “In that case, Brother Bai, name your price.”

Bai Zhi glanced at Wei Ziwan. Matters involving money were not her responsibility; their division of labor had always been clear.

Wei Ziwan smiled slightly and said, “Just like the previous two times, we’ll give all the young shoots to Lou Shang Lou for free.”

Manager Xi nodded with a smile. “That’s easy to agree to. The price is… huh?”

What?

For free!

Was he deaf or hallucinating?

But the expressions on the faces of the two people in front of him told him he had heard correctly.

Manager Xi’s eyes widened. “This… this isn’t appropriate—” Then he realized something and quickly asked, “What are your conditions this time?”

Wei Ziwan subtly bit her lip and quietly proposed the condition they had prepared earlier.

Manager Xi was momentarily stunned. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Wei Ziwan replied calmly. As she had said, merchants chase profit, especially when there’s a significant gain to be made. Who wouldn’t be tempted?

Moreover, this time they were giving away so many young shoots for free, and the condition they proposed was something Lou Shang Lou could easily fulfill. As long as Manager Xi’s mind wasn’t muddled, he would surely agree to this no-lose deal.

Manager Xi raised his eyebrows, remained silent for a moment, and then said solemnly, “Alright, I agree. You can rest assured, I’ll handle it properly.”

All things considered, Lou Shang Lou was getting the better end of the deal this time, so he might as well do a good job.

After finalizing the deal, the two didn’t stay long. After all, they were being watched, and the sooner they returned, the sooner those people would feel at ease.

Watching them leave in a carriage, Manager Xi pondered for a moment, then returned to his study and wrote a letter.

The general manager had been paying close attention to these two Bai family members from the capital. It would be best to inform him early.

On their way back, Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan stopped the carriage to buy two sets of gray cotton clothes, the most common color and style on the streets.

When they returned to the manor, Bai Zhi was summoned by someone sent by Bai Shu.

Wei Ziwan returned to her room alone, opened the cotton clothes, and sewed a hundred taels of silver into the lining, leaving only twenty taels of loose silver in the purse.

She put away the purse and sighed softly. This time, the cost of leaving was really high.

She wondered what the old manor lord wanted with Bai Zhi this time.

Bai Zhi followed the servant to the main hall.

“Did you go to Lou Shang Lou today?” Bai Shu’s expression was calm, like a kind elder concerned about a younger family member.

Bai Zhi looked at the face that somewhat resembled her own, her eyes icy.

She replied calmly, “Thank you for your concern, Uncle. We went to discuss business with Manager Xi.”

Bai Shu’s expression softened slightly. “Oh? What kind of business?”

Bai Zhi raised her eyes, a hint of pride appearing at the corners. “The vegetables we planted have sprouted. In a few days, they’ll be ready to harvest for hot pot, so we went to Lou Shang Lou to discuss a deal.”

As for what they were trading these young shoots for, her dear uncle would find out soon enough.

Bai Shu’s expression turned serious, and he surprisingly praised her: “I thought you were just fooling around, but it turns out you had a plan all along. Well done.”

He had thought that planting so many radishes and greens would only yield a harvest by next spring, which wouldn’t fetch a good price. But it turned out they were planning to sell the young shoots. This way, the greenhouse wasn’t a waste, and they could plant two more rounds before spring, ensuring a profit.

Hearing the praise, Bai Zhi’s eyes nearly overflowed with pride.

Bai Shu looked at the proud Bai Zhi and smiled slightly. “In a few days, a teacher will come to the manor to instruct you. Be well-behaved.”

He hoped the child had truly turned over a new leaf.

Bai Zhi paused, then lowered her head and said, “Yes.”

Seeing that she didn’t object, Bai Shu nodded in satisfaction and dismissed her.

Bai Zhi’s expression remained unchanged, but once she returned to her room, she raised an eyebrow and said to Wei Ziwan, “He said he’s found another teacher for me and told me to behave.”

By now, she understood that everything was directed at her alone. Wei Ziwan had just been dragged into it unintentionally, so she made that clear.

Wei Ziwan smiled faintly. “Soon, none of that will matter to us. There’s no need to worry, husband.”

“With Wanwan by my side, I naturally won’t worry.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Zhi’s eyelid twitched. Nowadays, they called each other “husband” and “Wanwan” more and more naturally.

It was as if they were a real couple, supporting each other.

Seeing Bai Zhi lost in thought again, Wei Ziwan’s eyes flickered. “With my husband here, I feel very at ease.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, like honey to Bai Zhi’s ears, filling her heart with sweetness.

She looked up at Wei Ziwan, who slightly avoided her gaze, deliberately looking away.

Bai Zhi’s heart warmed. She seemed to have realized something incredible, a mix of joy and disbelief.

“Wanwan—you—I—”

Her nervous, dry words seemed to trail off unfinished, leaving the room in silence.

Bai Zhi felt as if she could hear her own heartbeat, steady and strong.

She stared intently at Wei Ziwan, her eyes growing brighter.

“What did you want to say, husband?” Wei Ziwan spoke slowly, her gaze returning to meet Bai Zhi’s intense stare.

What did she want to say, or ask, or what should she say or ask at this moment?

Bai Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. What did she want to say?

“I… are we a real couple now?”

No longer a fake couple forced together by circumstances.

Wei Ziwan’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “Of course, weren’t we married by the Empress’s decree? We’ve always been a real couple.”

Bai Zhi felt her heart tremble. That wasn’t what she meant. She murmured, “That’s not what I meant by a real couple.”

“Then what did you mean?” Wei Ziwan’s smile grew warmer, her voice even softer.

Bai Zhi’s gaze paused, her hands slowly clenching. She took a deep breath and said, “I mean a real couple, not one arranged by the Empress, but… but… but…”

“A couple who have shared a wedding night?” Wei Ziwan finished the sentence Bai Zhi was struggling to articulate, her gentle, affectionate eyes filled with amusement.

She looked deeply at the person frozen in place by her words, her smile growing even brighter. What a blockhead.

Bai Zhi blinked. She must be hearing things. Did she just hear something about a wedding night?

“What? Wasn’t that what you meant, husband?” Wei Ziwan’s eyes sparkled as she stood up and walked over to Bai Zhi, leaning in close to ask.

———

Author’s Note:

Bai Zhi: Wanwan, are you thinking about our wedding night?

Wei Ziwan: Doesn’t my husband want to?

Bai Zhi: Of course, I’m a gentleman.

Wei Ziwan: Is that so? Then let’s not think about it anymore.

Bai Zhi: I’m guilty, I repent, I was wrong, I really want to now—