Chapter 506: Chapter 507: Production
Bai Jinglie pointed a finger upwards. "If the cut for those above suddenly shrinks, theyāre going to ask questions."
"You know Iām completely dependent on him right now. If I mess up this job, a lot of things could get difficult for me in the future."
Ancient Wen Heng pondered for a moment. "But this sea trade venture of mine also has risks. If something goes wrong, wonāt you also have to bear the responsibility?"
"You should probably give them a heads-up first, just to save yourself from being in an awkward position later on."
"Are you that unsure about it?"
Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "Who could possibly guarantee something like this?"
Jin Qianqian sat silently to the side, inwardly rolling her eyes. āListen to his tone,ā she thought. āHeās looking for a surefire profit with zero risk. Where on earth does that happen?ā
Bai Jinglie said, "Well, I donāt suppose Brother Gu has any other ideas for our glass workshop to make another fortune?"
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "Does the Young Master think my brain is some kind of magic lamp? It took everything I had just to come up with the glass mirror last time. How could I possibly..."
āBai Jinglie is getting greedy. Heās trying to squeeze more ideas out of me again.ā
"...Iām just getting anxious, thatās all. Itās fine, Brother Gu, just give it some thought when you have time. As for the sea trade, Iāll just invest a small portion. The truth is, I have a lot of people to support and canāt come up with too much ready silver."
At that moment, Ancient Wen Heng felt a pang of regret. āWhy did I ever send him that letter?ā
Jin Qianqian made a small gesture. "Just invest whatever you can. Weāll all chip in and see if we can afford another merchant ship."
She had wanted to refuse him outright, but Prince Bai had helped them a great deal in the past, so it wouldnāt be right to completely shut him out.
"May I ask how much Little Sister Gu has invested this time?" Bai Jinglie didnāt dare underestimate Jin Qianqian; he had long since learned that she was the primary decision-maker for this sea trade venture.
Jin Qianqian replied, "Since Iām the one spearheading this, itās only natural I put in more. Iāve already invested the vast majority of the silver taels Iāve earned over the last few years. You could say Iām staking everything on this."
āWhether it will turn out well or poorly, who can say for sure? Itās better to be upfront about the risks.ā
Although Bai Jinglie didnāt know the specific amount, hearing her say that gave him a sense of the scale. "Isnāt that a bit too risky?"
Jin Qianqian said, "High risk, high reward. How will we know if we donāt even try?"
"Besides, this is an untraveled trade route. If it really succeeds, being the pioneers wouldnāt be so bad."
Bai Jinglie gave a bitter smile. He realized he had indeed become indecisive, no longer possessing the bold drive heād had in his younger years.
He stroked the beard on his chin. āAm I really getting old?ā
āWeāre clearly the same age, so why do I feel so world-weary? Where did that competitive drive go?ā
Ancient Wen Heng said, "Princely Heir, thereās really no pressure. I only sent you the letter to see if youād be interested."
"The risks are indeed significant, so itās only right that youāre cautious. Today just so happens to be the grand opening of my wifeās shop. Letās not discuss business for now. Come, letās have a drink."
Bai Jinglie raised his cup. "Your wife is the truly capable one. Sheās built a business that spans the entire country, all from a bar of soap. I should be the one toasting you."
...
The next day, Bai Jinglie went to inspect the shipyard. Only then did he make up his mind, pulling out silver notes for one hundred thousand taels. "Success or failure, Iām in. Itās a gamble."
Jin Qianqian was speechless. ā...Maybe you should just take it back?ā
ļ¼
ćGaoling Villageć
"Why isnāt the doctor here yet?" Xie Ruyi paced to the doorway again. "Lejia, go see whatās keeping your second brother! Itās so late, and he still hasnāt brought the doctor!"
Gu Lejia replied, "Mother, itās not that fast. A round trip from our place to the next village takes about an hour. Even with Second Brother driving the donkey cart, itās going to take some time."
"Besides, what if Doctor Liu was already out on a call? Then..."
"BAH! BAH! BAH!" Xie Ruyi glared at Gu Lejia. "Nothing good ever comes out of that mouth of yours! Your second sister-in-law is suffering like this, and isnāt it all your wifeās fault? If she hadnāt pulled her nasty tricks behind the scenes, your second sister-in-law wouldnāt be having such a difficult labor! And you have the gall to stand there making light of it? Where is your conscience?"
Gu Lejia retorted, "Mother, youāve been nagging me about that one incident for months. Havenāt my wife and I been working our fingers to the bone all this time? Canāt that make up for it?"
"What do you mean āmake up for itā?" Xie Ruyi felt she needed an outlet, or the anger pent up in her chest would make her burst. "So what if I made you two do more work?"
"Let me tell you, if everything turns out fine, weāll let it go. But if anything, and I mean anything, happens to my eldest grandson, Iāll..."
"Thatās enough! Stop adding to the chaos here." Gu Yuanjin heard his wifeās sharp voice the moment he rushed back. "Has the midwife arrived?"
"She went in a long time ago, but she said the babyās position is wrong and told us to prepare for the worst."
"I already sent Le Di to get a doctor, but the doctor still isnāt here." As soon as she saw her husband, the head of the household, return, Xie Ruyi looked as if sheād found her pillar of support.
"Which doctor did you send him for? Donāt tell me it was Doctor Liu from the next village?"
"It was."
Gu Yuanjin snapped, "You fool! He only knows how to treat headaches and fevers! Heās fine for simple cuts, but for a life-or-death situation like this, you have to go to the town or county seat! Youāre wasting precious time!"
Gu Yuanjin spun around and headed straight for the door. Xie Ruyi panicked. "With something this serious happening at home, where are you going?"
"Where else would I be going? Iām going to town to fetch a proper doctor."
"You, go get Mother. And bring the other sisters-in-law over, too. Theyāre all experienced; maybe they can help."
Only then did Xie Ruyi slap her thigh. She had been so consumed by panic that sheād forgotten about the other helpers in the family.
She smacked Gu Lejia, who was still standing there like a statue. "Donāt just stand there! Go get your aunts! Tell them your second sister-in-law is in labor!"
No matter how reluctant he felt, Gu Lejia could only lower his head and leave.
Still uneasy, Xie Ruyi ran to the door of the delivery room to shout a few instructions before rushing off toward Li Cuicuiās house.
Li Cuicui was sitting in the courtyard, shelling freshly picked green peas and chatting with Granny Song. "Iāll stir-fry these green peas with some meat today. Chuncao and Chun Ya both love it."
Gu Dashishi, with his legs crossed, scoffed, "Youāre the only one who treats those two like treasures. When they grow up, youāll have to provide their dowries, too. I really donāt understand how an old woman like you is so determined to lose money. Wouldnāt it be better to keep that silver to spend on yourself?"
Li Cuicui didnāt even look up. "I do things with a clear conscience. Spending money on my own descendants is always better than spending it on outsiders."
"Do you have to be like this every time? You canāt say a single thing without it being laced with barbs."
"Thatās all in the past, old history. Arenāt you tired of bringing it up?" Gu Dashishi felt like he couldnāt stand living like this anymore.