Chapter 276 - 277: Xu Nuo

Chapter 276: Chapter 277: Xu Nuo

Jin Qianqian was busy preparing some gifts for the housekeeper to deliver to their neighbors. After all, with all the banging and clattering from the recent renovations, they had surely disturbed them.

"Madam, the housekeeper has brought the baby broker," Qing Lan announced from outside the door.

"She’s here quickly. Have her wait in the side hall; I’ll be there in a moment." Jin Qianqian handed the list she had prepared to Qing Mei. "Give this to Nanny Ou later."

As the inner housekeeper, Ou Qingshui had Jin Qianqian’s complete trust.

When she saw the young, beautiful baby broker, Jin Qianqian shot a look at Housekeeper Fu. ’Did he really hire the right person?’

"Greetings, Mrs. Gu! I am Xu Nuo, at your service." Xu Nuo stood and curtsied. When she saw how young the madam was, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. ’She seems easy to talk to. This is my first deal, after all. I can’t let it fall through.’

Jin Qianqian walked to the head of the table and sat down. "Please, sit," she said. "Housekeeper Fu should have told you I’m looking to buy two well-located shopfronts. What do you have to recommend?"

Xu Nuo quickly grabbed a notebook from her side. "I do have several shopfronts on hand that might suit your needs, Mrs. Gu.

Some are in quiet areas, others in bustling markets. They vary in size, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

I’ve selected a few based on the criteria Housekeeper Fu provided. Would you like to take a look?"

Qing Lan took the list from her and placed it smoothly on the table.

Jin Qianqian glanced at the list. "I’d like to buy one in the south and one in the north. Do you have time to take me to see them now?"

’Previously, Hu Dong was the one who handled all the shop acquisitions.’

’Once I’m done with all this, I’ll go over and take a proper look at them.’

Xu Nuo stood up. "Of course. I brought all the keys with me."

As they rode together in the carriage, Jin Qianqian found herself curiously observing the young woman.

Xu Nuo spoke up, "Are you curious, Mrs. Gu, to see someone as young as me working as a baby broker?"

Jin Qianqian smiled. "I was just a little surprised. You seem so young, after all. And judging from your presentation, you also seemed a bit nervous. Is this your first time?"

Sitting in the exquisite carriage, Xu Nuo glanced outside, shifting a little uncomfortably. "You have a sharp eye, Mrs. Gu. The baby broker before was my mother. She hasn’t been well lately, and with so much work piling up, I had to step in for her."

Jin Qianqian nodded without probing further. "Could you tell me a bit about the layout of Shangjing? As a newcomer, I’m not at all familiar with the city."

Xu Nuo relaxed and spent the rest of the journey pointing out landmarks and telling Jin Qianqian about the areas they passed through.

By the time the better part of the day had passed, Jin Qianqian had not only purchased two shops but had also seen a good portion of Shangjing.

After seeing Xu Nuo off, Qing Mei remarked, "Madam, that baby broker is really impressive. She knows this city inside and out. I lived in Fu County for so long, but I only know how to walk down a single straight road. There are so many places I’ve never even heard of."

"That’s related to her upbringing. She’s taking over her mother’s business, so of course she needs to know the layout of every street and alley.

And you, you silly girl. If you were half as sharp as Xu Nuo, you’d be able to manage things on your own by now."

Qing Mei pouted. "You can blame my parents for not making me any smarter. With this brain of mine, this is as good as it gets, no matter how hard I try."

Jin Qianqian was speechless.

The moment Xu Nuo stepped through the door, her mother, the old baby broker, called her over. "How did it go today? Did anyone give you a hard time?"

Mrs. Xu Zhou and her daughter depended on each other completely. If not for her failing health, she never would have let her daughter enter such a public-facing profession.

"Mother, look! I sold four shopfronts today! The madam didn’t even haggle. Does this mean I’m a real baby broker now?" Xu Nuo spread the silver notes on the table for her to see.

Mrs. Xu Zhou was stunned. "...You really closed the deal?"

To be honest, she had no confidence in Xu Nuo succeeding on her first day as a baby broker. She had already been thinking of how she would comfort her daughter, never expecting her to deliver such a wonderful surprise instead.

After checking the amount on the silver notes and the locations of the shops sold, she saw that it was a profitable deal.

"My dear, you met a true benefactor today," Mrs. Xu Zhou said, before bringing up the same old topic. "But we must also see to the matter of your marriage. Why don’t you go see that young man from the Li Family again?"

Her health was failing day by day, and she feared the time would come when she would leave her only daughter behind with no one to protect her.

Xu Nuo clutched her handkerchief. "Mother, I think things are fine just the way they are. If you’re so afraid this face of mine will attract trouble, I’ll just scar it myself."

"You..." Mrs. Xu Zhou felt her vision swim. "What woman doesn’t marry? I don’t care what you say, you are going."

Xu Nuo was speechless.

* * *

Ancient Wen Heng never expected to run into an acquaintance on his first day out in the city.

"Prince Bai. I trust you’ve been well."

Bai Jinglie replied, "Brother Wen Heng, when did you arrive in Shangjing? You should have sent word so I could host a proper welcome for you."

"...I just arrived yesterday," Ancient Wen Heng said. "What a coincidence running into you today, Prince Bai. I was planning to send over a formal calling card in a few days."

He thought to himself, ’Even if we hadn’t run into each other today, I would have come looking for you in a few days anyway.’

Bai Jinglie gestured toward a nearby teahouse. "Let’s go inside and chat."

"Are you here for this year’s imperial examinations?" Bai Jinglie asked as soon as they were seated. "How are your preparations coming along? Is there anything I can help with?"

Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "How long will you be staying in the capital, Young Master?"

"I expect I’ll be here for quite a while," Bai Jinglie said, his brow furrowed. ’If I don’t settle this marriage matter this time, even the Holy Emperor probably won’t let me leave.’

"...You must have been promoted, Young Master," Ancient Wen Heng remarked. "Transferred to a post in Shangjing?"

"I’m being transferred to South City this time. It will likely be a long while before we can meet again." Prince Bai sounded resigned. ’If it weren’t for getting mixed up with the Marquis Wu’an Mansion, I’d stay as far away from this mess as I possibly could.’

Ancient Wen Heng stroked his chin. ’Since we’ve met, I might as well make him an offer directly.’ "Actually, I’ve been tinkering with a few things recently and have come up with something new. I was wondering if Prince Bai might be interested."

Bai Jinglie immediately sat up straighter. "...Go on."

’Glass sales over the last two years have been decent, but they’ve cooled off significantly.’

Ancient Wen Heng spread his hands. "I can’t very well demonstrate empty-handed. Where is the glass workshop here?"

Unable to sit still, Bai Jinglie stood up abruptly. "The place isn’t far. We can go right now."

"There’s no rush," Ancient Wen Heng said. "I need to get some materials first."

An eager Bai Jinglie asked, "What do you need, Brother Wen Heng? I’ll send someone to fetch it at once."

Since someone was offering to do the legwork, Ancient Wen Heng didn’t stand on ceremony. "I need some silver powder. The finer, the better."

He already knew that many jewelry makers carried silver powder. Ladies who couldn’t afford real gold and silver often bought common hairpins coated with a layer of it.

"Silver powder?" Bai Jinglie looked puzzled. ’Is he planning to make jewelry?’