Chapter 39 How much money is in the Marquis’s private treasury

Qin Yuan smiled and said, “Manager Leng of Ranxiangju is an expert, smart and capable, and also good at mixing incense. He said that Ranxiangju doesn’t have much pepper in stock, so we have to ask others to know if we have it.”

Just a few words from her made Rong Mama’s face light up immediately, and the smile in the corners of her eyes became even more intense.

Gu Jinghui glanced at her and said nothing.

Madam Gu asked: “Yuan’er, how much do you plan to stockpile?”

Qin Yuan reported a number, “Ten hu.”

“So many?” Old Madam Gu was surprised.

Although Gu Jinghui didn’t say anything, his expression was not relaxed.

One hu weighs 5 dou, which is 120 jin. The market price of pepper is 50 taels of silver per jin, so 10 hu would cost 60,000 taels of silver.

This is too generous.

No wonder Shopkeeper Leng said he wanted to look for it.

Rong Mama hurriedly asked, “Madam, did Shopkeeper Leng say that this business cannot be done?”

Qin Yuan smiled and said, “Manager Leng is well-informed. He said that the amount of pepper brought from the Western Regions has been decreasing in recent years, and the price is ridiculously high. Several wealthy merchants are already raising funds to go overseas and are planning to buy pepper. If this is accomplished, I’m afraid the price of pepper will drop.”

Rong Mama immediately advised: “He has been in this business for many years, Madam, you should listen to him.”

Although Madam Gu did not say anything, she obviously thought so.

Gu Jinghui quietly waited for her next words.

Qin Yuan sighed and said, “I also know that what Shopkeeper Leng said is reasonable. Even several shopkeepers in my dowry shop have advised me so. But I have had this dream for several days in a row. In the dream, the price of pepper started to rise before the end of the year. Rich families couldn’t even buy pepper stew for sacrifices, and they were worried that their ancestors would be unhappy.”

“I think if this dream is true, wouldn’t it be like passing by a treasure and not taking it? As the saying goes, if you don’t take what God offers, you will suffer the consequences; if you don’t take what the time is, you will suffer the consequences.”

After hearing this, everyone didn’t know what to say.

Qin Yuan hadn’t expected to get the old lady’s approval.

But the Marquis’s Mansion is large and powerful, and the old lady is sensible. She won’t be like Lin’s mother, who would control how her daughter-in-law’s dowry is spent.

But she wanted to stockpile too much, and when pepper was in short supply in the future, there would always be people asking for help. This matter could not be kept secret, so it was better to inform the old lady as soon as possible.

It would be even better if the old lady listened to her and was willing to get involved and make some money.

She had always been kind to the old lady and was willing to give something in return.

Madam Gu bowed her head and pondered.

Gu Jinghui suddenly said, “Pepper is a rare commodity. The previous dynasty used it to pay salaries to officials. The wealthy merchants who bought pepper from overseas would not let pepper become a cheap commodity.”

Madam Gu nodded.

Qin Yuan glanced at him and didn’t expect him to be so knowledgeable.

Lin Ziqi only cared about studying and being an official, and looked down on the behavior of businessmen. If you said these things, it would only make him unhappy and he would say it was disrespectful.

Gu Jinghui added: “When I was stationed in the northern part of the Great Wall, the foreigners also regarded pepper as a treasure. Their leaders would add pepper to every meal. I think this business, even if it loses money, will only be limited.”

As he spoke, Aunt Rong’s expression relaxed a lot.

Madam Gu thought for a moment and said, “Brother Hui is more knowledgeable than us women. What he said makes sense. Even if the price of pepper drops, we won’t lose much money. But to be safe, Yuan’er can buy less.”

Since this is her daughter-in-law’s first business, she has to support her, but she shouldn’t buy too much. Those things are rare and most people are reluctant to use them, and it’s difficult to sell them even if she’s in a hurry.

Qin Yuan said gratefully: “Mother and husband are right. Yuan’er will buy less.”

Madam Gu smiled and said, “I’ll also buy one thousand taels of silver to take advantage of Yuan’er’s good fortune. If I make money, I’ll have money for playing cards.”

Madam Rong laughed and said, “The old lady wins more and loses less, so it is better for me to buy two hundred taels of silver as well. If I make money, I will have the money to pay tribute to the old lady.” “You old fool,” Old Madam Gu could not help laughing.

Qin Yuan’s heart felt as if it was soaked in hot water, feeling indescribably warm and comfortable.

Even though the old lady was not short of money, she was really spoiling her by giving her so much support.

I am so lucky in this life to have such a good mother-in-law.

Qin Yuan smiled and said, “Then Yuan’er needs to set up an account book to keep a clear account of mother and Rong Mama. During the New Year holidays, this account book will be used to pay the share of money.”

Gu Jinghui looked at her and smiled.

Qin Yuan’s heart moved, and she asked, “Would you like some, my husband?”

Gu Jinghui shook his head.

Madam Gu poked him in annoyance and said, “You don’t even help your own daughter-in-law.”

“Mom, my money…if she loses it, I’ll have to find a way to give her some compensation,” Gu Jinghui said, shocking everyone, and then they all burst into laughter.

Qin Yuan blushed and complained: “Mother, the Marquis’s account is the Marquis’s account, and Yuan’er’s is Yuan’er’s. He is just talking nonsense.”

A woman’s dowry is a private account, and a man’s own property is a public account.

Daily food, clothing and other necessities are provided by the government and paid from the government’s public account.

The rest is given by the man to his wife for the family’s expenses.

Many men give their wives money every year or every month for daily expenses. If the money is to be used to buy expensive items such as jewelry, the man must approve it.

Therefore, many female housekeepers put any surplus into their private accounts. This is an unspoken secret between couples.

Gu Jinghui said this as if he was planning to give Qin Yuan more money so that she could take the opportunity to fill the gap in her dowry.

Madam Gu smiled and glared at her son, saying, “Since he has opened his mouth, just ask him for money. Even his parents don’t know how much money he has in his private vault. In Saibei, there is no place to spend the money, so I don’t know how much he has saved.”

Gu Jinghui: “…”

It is not okay to forget your son after having a wife.

Didn’t his mother know about his father’s private vault?

but……

Gu Jinghui looked at Qin Yuan, whose face was flushed with rosy clouds, and thought to himself, it’s not impossible.

But, I can’t give it to her easily.

The lieutenant generals in his army all said that once the money was in a woman’s pocket, it would be difficult to get it out.

It’s not easy to ask a woman for money with your palm facing up.

Madam Gu did what she said and immediately took out a silver note worth one thousand taels. Madam Rong also took out two hundred taels and asked Qin Yuan to put it in the account.

It didn’t take long for Mrs. Gu Liu to hear that Qin Yuan was going to stock up on pepper.

“The old lady’s private treasury is rich, and you can’t treat money as if it’s not money. Sprinkling silver to make Third Sister-in-law happy is not the way to love your daughter-in-law.”

Madam Gu Liu sat behind the desk by the window, stringing beads for her daughter while complaining to Gu Jingjun who was resting on the Arhat bed.

Gu Jingjun said lazily, “That’s because she knows how to make the old lady happy. Third sister-in-law is good-looking, and the old lady has always liked beauties. The maids in the house are all as fresh as young onions. Unlike in our house, everyone is like a mushy pancake.”

Burnt pancake?!

Mrs. Gu Liu’s face turned pale with anger. Just at this moment, Mrs. Cai, who was in charge of the repairs, sent someone to inform that a small kitchen had been built in Wutong Garden on the orders of the old lady and that some things needed to be moved out.

(End of this chapter)