Green Mountain

In the brightly lit Meirui Building, the sound of nine accountants fiddling with abacus beads was deafening.

Outside the threshold of Meirui Building, Huang Que stared blankly at the bustling scene inside, hesitant to step through the door: "Brother, this is..."

Chen Ji took a few steps forward and pulled Huang Que inside: "Brother Huang, did you manage to obtain salt by galloping to Han Gu Salt Field?"

Huang Que hesitated: "Indeed, I did, but..."

He felt an unease, initially thinking he was going to score a big deal, but now with the sound of abacuses ringing in his ears, he feared he might be tricked.

Yet no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out how Chen Ji could be scheming against him. The price of the salt permit was very low, two taels per piece, and they could even get salt with priority, this deal couldn't go wrong in any way.

Chen Ji asked with a smile, "But what?"

Sixth Brother Cao whispered to Huang Que, "The longer the night, the more dreams one has. We brought little money this time, so there's nothing much to lose."

Suppressing his inner uncertainties, Huang Que immediately cupped his hands toward Chen Ji: "Brother, we've come for the salt permits today; since they have been verified, let's dispense with the small talk and discuss business."

He turned back to exchange looks with several salt merchants behind him.

Several salt merchants removed the Buddhist Treasure from their wrists and handed it to Huang Que, who said, "Brother, here are six thousand taels of silver; we want to buy three thousand permits."

Chen Ji shook his head: "Brother Huang, it's not possible."

Huang Que furrowed his brow: "Brother, aren't you trying to raise the price on the spot? We had agreed earlier..."

Chen Ji reassured: "I'm not trying to raise prices on the spot; I just don't want to sell them in small batches. Brother Huang knows, my intention was to save effort and worry; if it's always three thousand or five thousand at a time, how long would that take? Look, I brought these nine accountants from the Zhang Family, and just going through the accounts of my Chen Family Salt Shop takes several days. There are also quite a few pests in the salt shop that need to be caught, so I really don't want to expend more effort."

Huang Que was stunned: "What is brother planning?"

Chen Ji pondered for a moment: "I plan to find a wealthy buyer who can buy thirty thousand permits at once; that way, no one will be bothered. Brother Huang, how many of these permits can you take at most?"

Huang Que hesitated: "If brother can wait two more months, I could take ten thousand permits... You know, I'm a scholar heading to the capital to take the exam; how could I carry so much silver?

Chen Ji looked somewhat disappointed: "Sorry, I can't wait that long. Of course, if Brother Huang genuinely wants to buy, then you can break it down and buy at the rate of four taels. At this price, even if Brother Huang wants to buy a hundred permits, it's fine."

Huang Que's voice gradually became deep: "Chen Ji, are you deliberately toying with me? You just said it wasn't to raise the price on the spot, but in the end, isn't it just an excuse to raise the price?"

Chen Ji sat calmly on the edge of the table and said: "Brother Huang, that's quite the misunderstanding. You're from a merchant family, so you naturally understand that the market changes rapidly. Today, rice might be ten cents a pound, tomorrow, if there's a drought, it might be worth twenty cents a pound, and if war breaks out in two dynasties, it could be worth forty cents a pound."

Huang Que took a deep breath: "You didn't have a way to sell salt permits earlier; now that I've helped you bring the salt merchants here, you want to raise the price on the spot? Who else would dare do business with you in the future?

Chen Ji counted on his fingers and said: "Nowadays, everyone in the market mixes private salt with official salt. Those more cautious add one part, those bolder add six parts, and some people, who are extremely bold, dare to mix nine parts into official salt. They collude with the salt-makers to escape, boiling salt in places beyond the government's reach, like Mangdang Mountain, Nanling, Fangongti, Twins Island..."

Huang Que's expression changed.

Chen Ji continued: "If the government tries to crack down, they gather thousands, making it impossible for the officials to deal with them. A salt permit is worth four taels of silver in the hands of salt merchants, but seven to eight taels in their hands. Brother Huang, do you know such people?"

Huang Que gritted his teeth and said: "I don't know them."

Chen Ji continued: "Of course, they earn dangerous money, with their heads on the line at every move, but... selling a salt permit for four taels to them is definitely worthwhile. Brother Huang, there are many such people in the Ning Dynasty, they just lack a salt permit that actually gets them salt. I'm not worried about not finding business. I know, raising the price on the spot makes Brother Huang uncomfortable, but poor people care about face, rich people care about results. Does Brother Huang want to be poor or rich?"

Huang Que turned to leave: "So, Brother Chen Ji is not just a spoiled young master, you've figured out all the ins and outs of the salt market… take care of yourself."

Chen Ji sincerely cupped his hands: "Brother Huang, even if the deal doesn't go through, goodwill remains. How about everyone stays for a drink, as my apology to all. If it doesn't work, once Brother Huang gathers enough silver and buys all thirty thousand permits, I would still give them to you at two taels each."

Huang Que said in a deep voice: "No need!"

Chen Ji stood amidst the lamp-light, watching Huang Que and the others leave.

Brother Pao looked at Chen Ji and scratched his head with his little finger: "Were you being a bit too untrustworthy with your words just now?"

Chen Ji said softly: "It's okay, they will come back."

"Did it catch?"

"Not sure, but with more people coming, we'll definitely catch something."

...

...

Huang Que, after leaving the Meihua Ferry Crossing, took a deep breath to calm himself without speaking for a long time.

Sixth Brother Cao fanned the flames at the side: "Young boy of the Huang Family, you didn't learn much from your father, you still need to learn and observe more, the human heart is unpredictable."

Huang Que turned to look at him, just about to speak, but suddenly wondered: "Where is your nephew?"

Sixth Brother Cao's heart skipped a beat, and when he looked around, no one was there.

Huang Que signaled the salt merchants behind Cao Old Six with his eyes, and the group surrounded him: "Did you dare bring government people to investigate us? You know exactly what kind of business we're doing, if you dare betray us, we'll drown you in Ji Shui Pool tonight."

Sixth Brother Cao cried out: "I'm innocent, he's definitely not from the government."

Huang Que remained expressionless: "What kind of person is he?"

A few people pressed Sixth Brother Cao against the wall. Seeing someone reaching for their waist, Sixth Brother Cao hurriedly said: "That kid's name is Chen Zhe, he's from the Chen Family Salt Shop, not from the government!"

Huang Que was puzzled: "Chen family?"

At this moment, Chen Zhe hurriedly made his way toward the Chen Family Salt Shop under the cover of night.

Luoma Market Street was already cold and deserted, each household having shut their doors. The Chen Family Salt Shop, which should have been closed, still had its doors wide open. The Store Manager, Chen Yue, stood at the threshold waiting silently, while Second Manager Ye leisurely drank tea behind him.

"It's not good!"

Chen Zhe's voice came from afar.

Chen Yue looked toward the east side of Luoma Market Street, only to see Chen Zhe sprinting madly, panting heavily as he arrived in front of the salt shop.

Chen Yue roared: "What do you mean, not good?"

Chen Zhe quickly said: "Store Manager, Chen Ji is currently in Meirui Building at Meihua Ferry Crossing. They've cleared out the place, there are nine account masters having a combined account audit. I've never seen account masters move their abacuses so fast."

Chen Yue's face turned pale, even Second Manager Ye immediately put down his teacup, walked to the door, and straightened Chen Zhe up: "Where did he find so many account masters? Could it be that the big master sent them?"

Chen Yue pondered: "If it's those few, it's easy to handle. We often extend courtesy to them; if they find any issues, they'll only come to us privately for compensation."

Chen Zhe hunched his shoulders: "It's not from the big master, Chen Ji said he hired account masters from the Zhang Family."

Second Manager Ye looked at Chen Yue in confusion: "Zhang Family? Which Zhang Family?"

Chen Yue's expression darkened: "Which Zhang Family could it be? The Zhang Family that boy is close with is only one, of course, it's Zhang Zhuo's Zhang Family!"

Second Manager Ye was incredulous and uncertain: "It's bad, those guys are so thorough with accounts, even the mud in the cracks of the salt shop bricks will be cleaned out, they might truly find something. Chen Yue, you're the one who did the accounts, did you leave any oversight?"

Chen Yue closed his eyes and pondered carefully: "There really shouldn't be any issues with the accounts, but..."

Second Manager Ye's bushy moustache twitched: "Spit it out already!"

Chen Yue said irritably: "Years of accounting are numerous, I'm not the one who did every single entry, who can guarantee there's not a single discrepancy?"

The person who commits theft, even if they do the deed flawlessly, is inevitably nervous when being checked.

Chen Yue was originally very confident, but now hearing about Zhang Family's nine account masters auditing, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Second Manager Ye paced back and forth in the salt shop: "Tell me, tell me, what should we do now?"

Chen Yue squinted slightly: "The early strike wins, the late strike suffers. I originally planned to give them the slip, it seems I can't keep them now; I must eliminate them soon."

Second Manager Ye was about to walk out: "I'll take care of it."

Chen Yue pulled him back into the threshold, and asked solemnly: "Where are you going?"

Second Manager Ye said furiously: "Didn't you say to eliminate them quickly? I need to leave the city overnight to the farm and call for manpower. Rest assured, there are capable men at the farm, even if he's an Executive Officer, it won't matter."

Chen Yue shouted angrily: "Fool! Main family affairs, main family business; you and I are ultimately just servants. If we kill a main family member, we'll both die."

Second Manager Ye asked in confusion: "Didn't you say the second master would protect us?"

"If you strike him down and kill him, then once he's dead, the second master will be next in line to kill us," Chen Yue grabbed Second Manager Ye's collar: "If you were the main family, would you keep a dog that eats people? Even if this dog eats passersby, you wouldn't keep it anymore. A dog can eat chickens, ducks, and dogs, but it mustn't eat people!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Chen Yue slowly released Second Manager Ye's collar and said softly: "He's selling salt permits at two taels each, having not seen you yet; you buy some with silver now."

Chen Zhe quickly interjected: "No, the salt permits are no longer the original price. He deliberately tricked Sixth Brother Cao and those people, essentially to raise the price. Now it's four taels per permit. To buy at the two-tael price, you have to buy thirty thousand permits at once."

Second Manager Ye exclaimed in shock: "Buy thirty thousand permits at once? Even if we use all the silver in the private accounts, it won't be enough."

Chen Yue thought for a moment: "How much is the shortage?"

Second Manager Ye whispered: "Twenty-three thousand taels short."

Chen Yue contemplated for a moment, then suddenly said: "Take from the public account."

Second Manager Ye took a step back: "Are you crazy? We've never touched the public account."

Chen Yue chuckled coldly, holding his large belly: "What's there to be afraid of? That kid will seize the public account, but the silver is still in the salt shop. Before he audits the public account's silver, he cannot continue. Besides, once the salt permits are bought, immediately have your men disperse and use your methods to get the silver back for me. As long as it's done before the fifteenth of next month, no one will realize."

Second Manager Ye asked, puzzled: "Why must you buy those salt permits from him?"

Chen Yue waved his hand: "You don't need to know with your dog brain, just buy them. Tomorrow at Wendan Hall, it will be evident."

"I'll get the silver," Second Manager Ye returned to the backyard, carefully retrieved two sandalwood boxes, and carrying them, went out the door, accompanied by over ten escorts.