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Jiang Junli was unfazed by the fire; in fact, he was somewhat ecstatic.
With the shop burned down, it meant the need for reconstruction to maintain the street’s appearance and not disrupt the neighboring businesses. Rebuilding would require spending money.
Another opportunity to spend money!
It seemed almost too good to be true.
With this turn of events, the rumors about Song Jingyun seemed somewhat dubious. There were talks that being close to Song Jingyun would absorb one’s luck and bring misfortune, but now, things were exceptionally lucky. Finally, there was a place to spend money!
It appeared that in the future, it might be best to spend more time around Song Jingyun!
Jiang Junli had his own perspective, but Xinghe’s views were entirely different.
It seemed like the external rumors were indeed coming true!
Just after the young master had gifted a country estate to Song Jingyun, now there was a financial loss here – a stark contrast to the young master’s lifelong streak of good fortune.
If it was truly the case that Song Jingyun was absorbing the luck, Xinghe thought he might need to advise his young master to keep his distance from Song Jingyun.
As Xinghe was pondering this, a servant from the bookstore rushed over in a state of panic.
“Something bad has happened, something bad…”
Upon hearing this, Xinghe’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s wrong? Could it be that Song Jingyun’s influence has caused yet another issue?”
The servant wiped the sweat from rushing over in a panic, catching his breath before explaining, “A few of us were clearing out the bookstore. The bookshelves were in bad shape, so we tried to move them. However, the shelves were too heavy to lift, so we decided to use an axe.”
“When the axe struck, it chipped away a lot of the charred wood, revealing something inside that startled us!”
“What did you find?” Xinghe was taken aback. “Could it be snakes, scorpions, insects, or something of that sort?”
“It couldn’t be something like that; it’s gold, gold!” the servant stammered.
“Gold?” Xinghe was astonished.
“Yes, gold! Shining and yellow, and who knows how much is there. But judging by the looks of it, there must be at least three to four hundred taels!”
Three to four hundred taels of gold?
Xinghe was so shocked that he almost sat down abruptly.
Considering that one tael of gold equaled ten taels of silver, three to four hundred taels of gold would amount to three to four thousand taels of silver.
The young master had spent two thousand taels to purchase the shop, and now not only had the money returned but there was also a significant profit, along with acquiring another shop for free.
This deal couldn’t have been more lucrative!
However, it seemed that Song Jingyun’s luck had no adverse effect on their young master.
Xinghe paused in contemplation.
Upon hearing the news, Jiang Junli couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief.
“Hey, don’t just stand there idle. Go buy some ink, paper, and stationery to give to the exam candidates who are here for the Autumn Examination. When you buy these items, make sure to choose the expensive ones. Don’t be afraid to spend the money!”
If he always ends up making a profit even when intending to incur losses in business, why not give things away for free?
After some consideration, Jiang Junli added, “There’s no need to give anything to Master Song.”
Realizing that their young master had noticed something amiss with Song Jingyun, Xinghe felt relieved. “Understood, Master.”
“Just send the bookstore along with the gold inside to him,” Jiang Junli instructed.
Xinghe was taken aback.
“There’s quite a bit of gold; are you sure you want to give it all away?” Xinghe advised, “Master, you recently gave Master Song an estate and a significant piece of jade. Wouldn’t this be too much to gift him again?”
“There’s no such thing as giving too much,” Jiang Junli replied. “Besides, this bookstore was acquired after parting ways with Master Song. It’s a gesture of gratitude for his influence. If we benefit from someone’s luck, shouldn’t we show appreciation?”
“Moreover, a few hundred taels of gold isn’t particularly valuable. I’d rather not give something that doesn’t meet my standards.”
Xinghe sighed inwardly.
If he kept trying to persuade Jiang Junli, they might end up giving away another estate or house, so it was best to remain silent now.
Acknowledging Jiang Junli’s decision, Xinghe simply replied, “Understood,” and swiftly went to make the necessary arrangements.
With the funds ready, the purchases swiftly made, and the distribution efficiently carried out, all the scholar candidates staying at nearby inns for the Autumn Examination received high-quality inkstones, ink sticks, brushes, rice paper, sandalwood paperweights, porcelain pen washers, and various essential items.
As Ruan Gaofei inspected the items in his hands, he couldn’t help but admire their quality and remarked, “This gentleman Jiang is truly generous.”
“The Jiang family’s wealth is well-known, so this level of generosity is not surprising. I’ve heard that Jiang has participated in the Autumn Examination before, and it was similar back then, although this time the variety of items is more extensive,” Yang Anning remarked.
“Perhaps Jiang’s mood is even better this year,” she speculated.
“I heard that Jiang gifted everyone the Scholar’s Four Treasures but intentionally excluded Song Jingyun,” Ruan Gaofei inquired.
“That’s correct,” Yang Anning confirmed.
“Why do you think that is?” Ruan Gaofei asked with feigned surprise.
“Maybe it’s because the rumors he spread had an impact, and Jiang Junli wanted to avoid any association with Song Jingyun,” Yang Anning suggested.
Ruan Gaofei smiled slightly, “Could it be because Song Jingyun’s luck is too good, and Jiang feels he doesn’t need to give him those items since he already has his own source of fortune?”
“That’s not all,” Yang Anning continued, “It’s said that Jiang gifted Song Jingyun a shop, an estate, and several hundred taels of gold…”
Ruan Gaofei was left speechless.
Infuriating!
Judging by the items Jiang had given to Song Jingyun, it seemed like he held Song Jingyun in high regard. With all these gifts, wouldn’t Song Jingyun live a worry-free life forever?
Damn it, how did this Song Jing manage to capture Jiang’s attention?
“Jiang really isn’t afraid of bad luck,” Ruan Gaofei almost spat out these words through gritted teeth.
“It’s not just about Jiang’s generosity; it’s clear that Song is quite remarkable,” Yang Anning blinked. “You know, Ruan, I suspect Jiang’s interest in Song might be due to his scholarly pursuits. Perhaps, Ruan, you should also showcase your abilities a bit, so Jiang might take notice of you as well.”
“If that happens, a lifetime of wealth and prosperity will be guaranteed, and you won’t have to worry about money anymore.”
Was he unaware of this?
Unfortunately, despite his eagerness to meet Jiang Junli in recent days, Jiang had always claimed to be busy and unavailable for meetings. Yet, under Yang Anning’s influence, Ruan Gaofei knew he couldn’t voice his thoughts aloud.