Chapter 8, to eradicate completely

The charcoal girl, whose height only reached Li Xin's waist, hurriedly ran out of the courtyard holding a hot water bag. She placed the bag filled with boiling water in Li Xin's hand and sweetly smiled, "Brother, take this and come back early"

Li Xin shook his head and said to Jiu Niang with a wry smile: "Sister Cui can run such a large establishment by the Qinhuai River, logically speaking, she should not be afraid of any talents in the capital."

Jiu Niang rose and returned the greeting, a smile on her face: "Since the young lord has called me 'sister', then I shall boldly ask, what is the relationship between the young lord and the person he greeted?"

In order to achieve precision, he slowed down the speed of his carving, managing to produce about a dozen pieces in a day. However, the quality of these pieces was sufficient to be indistinguishable from the real ones. The Ninth Lady of Deyi Building was quite pleased with these counterfeit goods, and each time she made the payment, it was done promptly.

Jiu Niang nodded slightly and said softly to Li Xin: "Young Master Xiao Li, please follow me, I have something to discuss with you"

He cupped his fists in front of Cui Jiuniang

In the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-first day of the twelfth lunar month. Calculating the time, Li Xin had already been in this world for half a month. That noon, after finishing his meal, Li Xin, as usual, slung his bamboo basket over his back and prepared to set off for the city

The business of Deyi Building is currently his most important source of income. If the business of Deyi Building were to cease, it would indeed be quite difficult for him to find another profitable venture in the short term

In the following period, Li Xin's daily tasks were quite simple. The old man responsible for charcoal burning handled the burning, while he took charge of the carving. In the afternoons and evenings, he carved beast charcoal, and then delivered it to Deyi Building the next morning. Initially, the items he carved were only eighty percent similar. After a few days, the beast charcoal he produced, aside from the difference in weight compared to the original, was indistinguishable in appearance.

Li Xin took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the capital city.

It seems that they not only do not allow themselves to enter the Pingnan Marquis's residence, but also do not intend to stay in the capital.

Li Xin lowered his head and took a sip of tea, then softly said: "Sister Cui allows me to engage in this business, but she is not someone who covets small profits. May I inquire about the reason?"

Li Xin lowered his head and smiled, saying, "It's just a small business, merely to make a living"

I understand Sister Cui's meaning. This matter should indeed not trouble Sister Cui. I will certainly repay the kindness shown to me over the past half month when the opportunity arises

Although he does not intend to be a charcoal seller for life, he is currently unfamiliar with the area and, moreover, making money from this counterfeit beast charcoal is quite lucrative at the moment. Therefore, Li Xin plans to work through the winter, and once spring arrives and he has saved some money, he will consider other options.

Jiu Niang smiled knowingly: "It is unlikely that I am truly afraid; rather, in business, one must be kind to others. It is best to avoid offending anyone if possible. Young master, you are a clever person and should understand this principle."

It was the people from the Pingnan Marquisate who made the introduction to the De Yi Building, no wonder that over the past ten days, the gatekeeper at the North Gate has inquired about my name multiple times; it turns out I have long been targeted by the Marquisate.

He has entered and exited the De Yi Building more than ten times. In the previous visits, he always stopped at the front yard, but this time, it is also his first time walking into the back yard of the De Yi Building

As Jiuniang was speaking halfway, Li Xin's expression suddenly changed dramatically

The charcoal seller girl nodded, waved her hand at Li Xin, and then trotted back into the house

This situation lasted for more than ten days. During these ten days, each piece of counterfeit goods sold for one hundred wen, and Li Xin earned over ten guan of copper coins. He split this money equally with the charcoal seller, resulting in his share being around six guan. Thus, he transformed from a penniless poor boy into a person of respectable means in this era.

This water bag was purchased by Li Xin in the capital a few days ago. It is made from the hide of an unknown animal, and after being filled with hot water, it can retain heat for half a day. In winter, carrying it on one's person provides warmth

Li Xin was taken aback.

Jiu Niang poured herself a cup of tea, looked Li Xin up and down, and said with a smile: "If the young gentleman were an ordinary person, a mere few pieces of charcoal would be nothing even if they were given to you. However, since the young gentleman is anything but ordinary, that makes things quite troublesome."

Li Xin was momentarily taken aback, then quickly cupped his hands slightly in a gesture of respect towards Jiu Niang

I have met Sister Cui

He did not have time to pay attention to other formalities, hurriedly clasping his fists in front of Jiu Niang, not even taking the bamboo basket, and rushed towards the north gate in a flustered manner

After half a month of getting along, the little girl is no longer as shy as before. Now, when she sees Li Xin, she calls him brother.

The cabin in Beishan will certainly not be overlooked

I shall not trouble you any further, dear sister, for it may cause trouble for the De Yi Building. I will take my leave now

Li Xin nodded with a smile, took the water bag and placed it in his bosom, then gently patted the little girl's head and said softly: "Be good at home, and later, your brother will bring you some delicious treats from the city."

Lady Jiu personally poured a cup of tea for Li Xin and gently sighed: "Young Master, your business with the De Yi Building may come to an end in the future"

Jiu Niang wore a smile on her face, yet there was a hint of gloom between her brows. She lightly laughed at Li Xin, saying, "Young master, you are indeed punctual, arriving early every day."

Li Xin sighed, stood up, and bowed to Jiu Niang.

It is still a low table, with two people sitting opposite each other across the table

After all, the patrons who come to the Delight Pavilion are almost all well-off individuals, none of whom are poor; they are all knowledgeable figures. Upon seeing the substance that resembles beast charcoal burning in the bronze furnace and catching a faint fragrance wafting through the room, even if the courtesans do not speak, they can easily guess what is being burned in the furnace. When it comes time to pay, they will naturally be more generous.

Because he came to Yilou to sell coal, only a few days ago did this Jiuniang meet with him, and afterwards it was that maid Ping'er, who is by Jiuniang's side, that came to interact with him. Counting the days, he has not seen this Jiuniang for over ten days.

Upon hearing these words from Jiu Niang, Li Xin understood in his heart

At this point, the graceful woman smiled and said, "To be honest with you, young sir, someone came to the Delight Pavilion yesterday and asked me to terminate this business deal. The person who made the request has considerable influence, and the Delight Pavilion cannot afford to offend them, so this business deal must be terminated."

Now that he is financially comfortable, Li Xin often brings back some food for the little girl when he returns from delivering goods in the capital.

At this moment, he was no longer the pitiful figure dressed in a single garment; he was wrapped in two thick layers of cotton clothing, shielding himself from all the harshness of the outside cold

Li Xin's expression remained unchanged as he lowered his head and said, "It doesn't matter"

Since the Pingnan Marquisate has taken action regarding itself, then...

The person who received him was Cui Jiuniang, the manager of Deyi Building

Li Xin set down the backpack on his back and followed Jiu Niang into the backyard of De Yi Lou

Jiu Niang gave Li Xin a meaningful glance, then spoke: "Young master, let me say something profound despite our shallow acquaintance. The fact that that person was able to find De Yi Lou indicates that someone has been watching you all along..."

Li Xin was slightly taken aback

At this time, the injuries on his hands and legs had mostly healed, so it took him only about one hour to arrive at the De Yi Building. The De Yi Building was still not open in the morning. After half a month, Li Xin had become a familiar face here, thus he entered without any hindrance

In the capital city, almost every establishment that can open a shop along the ten-mile Qinhuai River has a powerful backer. Among them, the most prominent, Deyi Building, undoubtedly has an extraordinary owner, which is why Li Xin posed this question.

Jiu Niang stopped in a warm pavilion in the backyard, and Li Xin stepped in after her. The fire in the pavilion was a bright red, warm as spring.