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After paying the silver, Sun, the shopkeeper, was the first to leave, leaving the others to transport the grain to Sun’s grain warehouse.
The steward followed Sun, casting a worried glance at the servants hauling the grain.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss and anxiously said, “Sir, if you intend to sell this grain, why not wait until it’s almost sold and then buy it? Buying so much at once, if something goes wrong, Fourth Prince might place the blame on us.”
Sun, the shopkeeper, impatiently replied, “There’s no need to worry so much. Since you’re concerned, stay here and guard until they’ve transported all the grain to our own warehouse.”
“Ah, Sir…”
Before the steward could voice his concerns further, Sun, the shopkeeper, called for Sun Cai and quickly left in a horse-drawn carriage.
Once they were gone, the steward stood in place, wearing a troubled expression, muttering softly to himself, “The grain here might look plumper, and the rice cooked from it might be more fragrant, but it’s so much more expensive than other grains. It won’t sell well in the long run.”
However, these words were only meant for his own ears.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man who had just opened the courtyard gate and witnessed Sun, the shopkeeper, not heeding the steward’s advice and even leaving him behind, heaved a sigh of relief behind the closed door.
He was genuinely worried that Sun, the shopkeeper, might eventually catch on. After all, they hadn’t left yet, and if they suddenly changed their minds and insisted on taking back their silver, it would be a troublesome situation.
Since this estate was located in the outskirts and had no curfew, Sun’s shopkeeper had left some men behind to transport the grain. They worked tirelessly, making trip after trip until the estate was emptied in the middle of the night.
When the final batch was loaded, the man smiled and waved at Sun’s house steward, adopting a somewhat defiant attitude.
Having endured late into the night, the steward was already yawning with exhaustion. He grumbled and climbed onto a cart carrying only half-filled bags of grain, directing the men to push it away.
Oh, his aging body couldn’t withstand such long hours of waiting. He needed to get back and catch some sleep.
After everyone had withdrawn, and the surroundings of the estate were completely devoid of any commotion, the men inside the estate signaled to the dense forest outside.
Soon, numerous people emerged from the forest, with Shen Yu’an and Liang Hui leading the way.
Shen Yu’an said, “Erase all traces in the courtyard.”
From behind, dozens of people responded in hushed yet excited tones, “Yes.”
They went into the estate to erase any signs of their presence. The man who had been watching over the estate hurriedly walked up to Shen Yu’an and Liang Hui, handing over a stack of silver bills.
“Miss, twenty thousand three hundred taels, all in silver bills,” he reported.
Shen Yu’an smiled and said, “Thank you.”
The man replied, “Oh, it was no trouble at all. If making money were this easy, I’d do it every day.”
Hearing his words, Shen Yu’an couldn’t help but laugh. There was no shortage of gullible folks like him, falling for their tricks.
Sun, the shopkeeper, buying grain so quickly and in such quantities had indeed expended a lot of their efforts, but it had also provided them with a perfect opportunity, taking advantage of the timing and circumstances.
Among the people who had placed large orders at the Juxin Grain Store, there were quite a few arranged by Liang Hui. Their original target was Juxin Grain Store under the Fourth Prince’s control, so they didn’t deceive the other two grain shops.
The Wang family’s grain shop and the Du family’s grain shop, upon seeing that Auspicious Grain Store had resumed selling grain, quickly regained their composure. They didn’t indulge in dreams of overnight riches like Sun, the shopkeeper. Instead, they adjusted their prices promptly, offering the grain they bought from Auspicious Grain Store at a price that was profitable but not outrageously high. They had now cleared a decent profit.
Another crucial point was that Sun, the shopkeeper, under the flattery and compliments from Sun Cai, had a moment of irrationality and couldn’t figure out how to change his course. He also feared that the Wang family’s grain shop and the Du family’s grain shop might catch wind of this tremendous “business opportunity” and compete for business, which is why he hurriedly bought up all the grain without even taking time to think.
Shen Yu’an held this unexpected windfall and contemplated how to use it. Liang Hui and the others believed that Shen Yu’an needed this capital for some purpose, but she knew that the money she earned from this grain was pure profit.
The man continued, “But such good fortune surely doesn’t come every day. Even aside from the limited supply of grain, there was that steward by the fat shopkeeper’s side who tried multiple times to stop his master from buying all the grain. Luckily, I managed to stop him every time.”
The man was quite proud, feeling like he had achieved a great feat.
Shen Yu’an softly said, “Go help with the packing. When we get back, I’ll properly reward my brothers.”
The man ran off with a smile, and the other brothers who heard Shen Yu’an’s words cheered, “Miss Shen is wise!”
“Miss, please send us some meat too. Fei Xi is always so stingy; besides the meat you send, he rarely buys us any.”
Fei Xi, who had been tasked with Shen Sanlang on a mission, suddenly sneezed several times as they left.
Fei Xi: Who’s talking about me?
Sanlang next to him wiped some water from his face and, upon hearing Fei Xi’s consecutive sneezes, expressed concern, saying, “Come over and warm up by the fire. Did you catch a chill in the water?”
Fei Xi retorted, “In the middle of summer, chill? Nonsense.”
Fei Xi had come out for a mission, intending to train Shen Sanlang, so he brought the young man along. However, they encountered the Fourth Prince’s men on the way. Fei Xi and the Fourth Prince had long held a mutual dislike for each other, and this animosity extended to their subordinates.
When the two sides clashed, with Fei Xi and Shen Sanlang in the outnumbered and weaker position, they decided to jump into the river and escape, only returning to the shore at night.
On the other side, after erasing all traces from the estate, Shen Yu’an led her group to withdraw. Before leaving, she hung a rusty old lock on the door, and then they departed.
When Shen Yu’an returned to her residence in town, as soon as she climbed over the wall, she saw a group of shadows in the courtyard.
“Oh!”
Shen Yu’an was startled and took two steps back, her back pressing firmly against the wall.
“An’An, it’s me,” a voice said.
Hearing the voice, Shen Yu’an patted her chest and asked with uncertainty, “Why are you standing there in the middle of the night, not sleeping?”
Standing in the courtyard was Hua Nan. Over the past year, the young man had grown considerably, and he was now nearly as tall as Shen Yu’an.
“An’An,” Hua Nan called out again, and this time, Shen Yu’an detected a slight quiver in his tone.
Concerned, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Hua Nan replied, “I plan to take my little sister back home.”
Shen Yu’an understood that when Hua Nan said “home,” he didn’t mean Longxian Village; he was referring to the place where their people were hiding.
Shen Yu’an thought about how Hua Nan and Hua Ling, the brother and sister, had been away from home for a long time and indeed should go back for a visit.