The shopkeeper was delighted when Shen Qingwan inquired about grain and stepped forward immediately. “What a coincidence! Our Wantong Bank deals in more than just money; we also run a grain business. Our owner, surnamed Bai, is from the Bai family in the capital. Just a few days ago, our master transported a new batch of grain, which was stored in the warehouse yesterday. However, our owner only deals in bulk sales, not retail. I wonder how much you need? If you require a large amount, I can take you to see it.”

Shen Qingwan’s eyes lit up—it was as if someone had handed her a pillow just when she was about to sleep. “Shopkeeper, rest assured, I am buying in bulk. You must know that a famine is looming, so I plan to stock up on grain while prices have just started rising to make some profit.”

Seeing that Shen Qingwan was a merchant, the shopkeeper nodded in approval.

“You are wise. It’s still not too late to buy. Many businesses in Ping’an County have stored grain, waiting for prices to rise further and make a big profit. If you have time, why don’t I take you to meet the warehouse manager? He handles all grain sales, and you can negotiate with him directly.”

Shen Qingwan nodded. “I’ll trouble you then.”

“My surname is Xu. May I ask for your honorable surname?” Shopkeeper Xu asked while leading Shen Qingwan toward the back door.

Shen Qingwan did not hide her identity. “My surname is Shen.”

Shopkeeper Xu led Shen Anning to a carriage through the back door and then headed to the Bai family’s grain warehouse.

The Bai family’s warehouse was in a large courtyard, guarded by many strongmen, likely stationed there to protect the grain.

Upon entering, Shopkeeper Xu escorted Shen Qingwan off the carriage and took her into a side room.

“Old Xu? What brings you here?” As soon as the door opened, a stocky middle-aged man stepped out.

“Manager Bai, this is Young Master Shen. He wants to purchase some grain, so I brought him to you,” Shopkeeper Xu introduced.

“This is Bai Wei, the person in charge of the Bai family’s grain business,” Shopkeeper Xu explained.

Since Shen Qingwan had been brought in by Shopkeeper Xu, Bai Wei gave her some respect. “I am Bai Wei. May I ask how many hundred stone of grain Young Master Shen intends to buy?”

Bai Wei’s opening offer of several hundred stone was meant to indicate that they did not sell in small quantities.

Shen Qingwan’s lips curved slightly. “A few hundred stone might not be enough. May I ask what kinds of grain you have available?”

Bai Wei noticed that Shen Qingwan spoke confidently but was unsure of her financial capability.

However, when his eyes fell on the bag beside her on the table, he took her more seriously.

As a businessman accustomed to dealing with silver, he could recognize the shape of silver ingots even through a bag.

Seeing such a heavy pouch, no wonder this young man spoke so boldly.

“This batch includes coarse flour, brown rice, mixed grains, and millet. We also have a small amount of refined rice and fine flour.”

The master of the Bai family had anticipated an impending famine in Youzhou, so most of the transported goods were cheaper grains, which would be in high demand.

“May I ask Manager Bai for an exact inventory of your stock? If the price is fair, I may take it all.”

Shen Qingwan wasn’t bluffing—her hidden supply of gold gave her the confidence to make such a bold statement.

Both Bai Wei and Shopkeeper Xu gasped, surprised by her ambition.

“Are you serious, Young Master Shen?” Bai Wei straightened his posture and looked at her sharply.

Shen Qingwan nodded. “Of course.”

After some thought, Bai Wei said, “Currently, our warehouse holds 1,300 stone of coarse flour, 3,500 stone of brown rice, 3,800 stone of mixed grains, 2,500 stone of millet, and 200 stone each of refined rice and fine flour.”

“If you take it all, I’ll offer the following prices: 1,300 wen per stone of coarse flour, 1,000 wen per stone of brown rice, 800 wen per stone of mixed grains, 700 wen per stone of millet, 4,800 wen per stone of refined rice, and 6,000 wen per stone of fine flour.”

Bai Wei picked up his abacus and started calculating rapidly.

Shen Qingwan knew that grain prices were rising fast.

Just securing the stock was already a victory—there was no room to haggle.

If they didn’t set a price today, it could rise again tomorrow.

“That comes to a total of 12,140 taels of silver, which is 1,214 taels of gold.”

1,214 taels of gold was approximately 60,700 grams—meaning she needed 607 gold bars.

When she stated the amount, Bai Wei and Shopkeeper Xu were stunned.

Bai Wei double-checked the calculations on his abacus, only to find that her mental math was accurate.

Shopkeeper Xu also saw the result and was amazed.

“You are incredible, Young Master Shen! It took me a while to calculate, yet you got it instantly without an abacus. I’m impressed,” Bai Wei exclaimed.

Having spent most of his life calculating with an abacus, Bai Wei prided himself on his speed.

Yet Shen Qingwan had calculated the total instantly without even using one—remarkable.

Shen Qingwan smiled. “You flatter me. I have a photographic memory, so I calculate quickly. Let’s proceed as discussed. I’ll take it all. Here are five gold bars as a deposit, and tomorrow I will bring the rest of the payment for the final transaction.”

Using the cover of her wide sleeves, she discreetly retrieved seven gold bars from her hidden storage space.

When Bai Wei saw the gleaming gold bars, he was shocked.

My goodness—who carries gold bars to buy goods?

This was pure extravagance.

Although seven gold bars weren’t a massive sum, few merchants could pay so smoothly.

This young man had nerve.

“Hahaha! Young Master Shen, you are straightforward! Consider it a deal. I will be waiting for you tomorrow,” Bai Wei said cheerfully.

Shen Qingwan nodded, not even bothering to ask for a written contract.

She wasn’t worried about them trying to cheat her.

If they dared to steal her gold, she had no qualms about emptying their entire warehouse.

She always lived by the principle: if no one provoked her, she wouldn’t cause trouble—but if someone did, she would not tolerate it.

After leaving Bai Wei’s warehouse, Shen Qingwan found a secluded spot to store her silver in her hidden space.

She then began frantically stocking up on supplies—not just grain but also oil, salt, and daily necessities.

Although her storage already contained many modern items, some weren’t practical for use in this world, so she had to buy more locally available goods.

She didn’t need to stockpile herbs, as she already had plenty of medicine.

To facilitate deliveries and tomorrow’s transaction, Shen Qingwan rented a small courtyard in Ping’an County for a few days, which wasn’t too expensive.

After paying for her goods, she arranged for them to be delivered to the rented courtyard.

She also visited two clothing stores to buy large amounts of ready-made garments and shoes in various sizes for both men and women.

Since she couldn’t sew clothes or make shoes herself, she had to buy them pre-made.