Green Mountain

Lord Si Caogui sneered, "Do you really think I would spare you just because of your uncle?"

Chen Ji, panting, said, "It's not that I neglect the business, it's just not the right time yet. Please wait a little longer, my lord."

Si Caogui asked in a deep voice, "How many more days?"

Chen Ji paused for a moment, "Four days."

Si Caogui sneered, "Wait another four days? If nothing happens in four days, there will be other punishments waiting for you."

With that, he stepped out of the carriage and drove the carriage towards the Yulin Army Commander's Mansion.

On the morning of the third day.

Before Si Caogui could speak, Chen Ji stuffed the zongzi into his arms and climbed into the carriage on his own, "Lord Si Cao, please wait a little longer."

Si Caogui looked down at the zongzi, frowning, unsure of what he was contemplating.

It was the same on the fourth day, and the same on the fifth day.

Until the sixth day, Chen Ji left in the morning, and as soon as he handed over the zongzi in his hand, Si Caogui slapped it away.

Before Si Caogui could speak, Chen Ji boarded the carriage on his own, climbing inside, "Lord Si Cao, today we are not going to the Imperial Army Governor Mansion, but to Meihua Ferry Crossing."

Meihua Ferry Crossing?

Si Caogui said coldly, "Is the business coming?"

Chen Ji responded with a hum, "By estimating the time, Huang Que should return today if he dispatched someone to the Changlu Salt Field overnight for salt. Today is a day off, no need to go to the Governor Mansion, directly to Meihua Ferry Crossing."

Si Caogui suppressed his anger, "Since you have plans in your heart, you should have told me earlier. Remember, you are a spy, I am Si Cao. If you don't serve the Jing Dynasty diligently, I can cleanse the portal at any time, and your uncle will not blame me for it."

"I know, I know," Chen Ji lifted the curtain and stuffed the zongzi into Si Caogui's arms, "Xiao Man's steamed osmanthus cake, eat it while it's hot."

Si Caogui, face as calm as water, unwrapped the zongzi, the osmanthus fragrance floated directly into his nose.

The carriage turned left after Zhengyang Gate, slowly stopping at the back door of Meihua Ferry Crossing.

Chen Ji jumped off the carriage, and the man at the door opened the narrow brown door in advance.

After Chen Ji entered, Si Caogui wanted to leave the carriage and follow him, but the man guarding the back door pointed into the depths of the alley, "Please drive the carriage inside and turn left, there is a Horse Tie, don't stop here and block the road."

Si Caogui, expressionless, led the reins inside, slowly tying the reins to the stone post, then leaned against the alley silently staring at the back door of Meihua Ferry Crossing, waiting from morning until noon, and from noon until sunset, still there was no sign of Huang Que.

...

...

At this moment, in front of the main shop of the Chen Family Salt Shop, the Store Manager Chen Yue stood inside the threshold with his hands behind his back.

He looked back at the empty salt bin and the deserted entrance, then at the bustling Luoma Market Street outside, feeling that something was off.

The new Landlord has taken the salt permit for several days, but should have made some move by now.

But Chen Yue asked around other salt shops, and no one had seen Chen Ji sell any salt permits.

Chen Yue muttered to himself, "Strange, he's holding these salt permits but isn't selling them, what's the point of keeping them?"

Chen Bin, nearby, asked quietly, "Could it be that a salt shop secretly bought the salt permits at a low price but lied about it?"

Chen Yue sneered lightly, "No worries, no matter who bought it, it is impossible to purchase them at the price of four taels. That boy will always be at a loss on the account."

As he spoke, an ox cart passed by the door.

Chen Yue paused and quickly walked a few steps forward to stop the ox cart, "Old Fu, didn't you say a few days ago you were leaving the Imperial Capital? Why are you still here?"

The man called Old Fu showed a flicker in his eyes, "Ah, Shopkeeper Chen, I was delayed by some trivial matters, planning to leave tomorrow."

Chen Yue's narrow triangular eyes squinted slightly, "Liar."

Old Fu hesitated, "I didn't lie."

Chen Yue said darkly, "If you don't tell the truth, you can forget about buying any salt permits from my Chen Family Salt Shop in the future. Even if you obtain the salt permits, don't think you can get any salt from the salt field."

Old Fu's face showed a bitter expression, "Shopkeeper Chen, why make things difficult for a small household like mine?"

Chen Yue sternly said, "Speak!"

Old Fu hesitated for a moment before confessing quietly, "Someone wrote me a letter, saying someone in the Imperial Capital was selling salt permits, two taels each..."

Chen Yue raised his eyebrow. He finally understood why Chen Ji had not made any moves, "Salt permits are not valuable, but if the ones you buy don't yield any salt, isn't it just a worthless piece of paper?"

Old Fu explained, "Someone vouched for it, saying as long as the salt permit was bought from this shop, the salt could surely be extracted. Moreover... moreover, he can sell the salt permits in parts, no need to buy all ten thousand at once. Shopkeeper Chen, we are dealing in small amounts, purchasing all ten thousand at once is indeed a bit strenuous."

Chen Yue was puzzled. He hadn't heard of any connections Chen Ji had at the salt field, so how dare he guarantee the salt could be extracted?

Seeing Chen Yue not speaking, Old Fu hurriedly took his leave, "Shopkeeper Chen, I'll go buy the salt permit first, you take care."

"Hold on," Chen Yue grabbed him and turned back to Chen Bin, "Call someone with a new face and go with Old Fu to see what exactly is going on... wait."

Chen Yue strode to the backyard, where Second Manager Ye was sitting on a deck chair, eyes closed, letting a maid massage his legs.

Chen Yue walked beside him and shook the deck chair vigorously, startling Second Manager Ye to sit up hastily, "Are you crazy?"

"Bring out the silver," Chen Yue said softly, "I mean, take out the silver from the private account."

Second Manager Ye warily asked, "What do you plan to do? That's everyone's silver, you can't decide alone."

Chen Yue waved away the servant and lowered his voice, "Chen Ji is quietly selling salt permits at two taels each; you and I should seize this batch of salt permits. When he collapses, we can mix the salt into our salt shop and sell it; by then, the profit is ours."