Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
âThat wonât work. 20% is sufficient,â objected Qin Zhenzhenâs cousin, Yang Hong.
âYour seasonings are sold in my store, and it doesnât require much space. I have to manage the store anyway, so the labor costs are minimal,â Yang Hong explained.
Qin Zhenzhen persisted, âThis is a long-term business, and the profits should be generous to ensure a fruitful cooperation in the future.â
Yang Hong had his own plan. âCousin, how about we sign a contract? You will exclusively sell your seasonings to us, and the profits will still be 20%.â
Qin Zhenzhen smiled. Her cousin was indeed a shrewd businessman.
However, making seasonings wasnât overly difficult. Moreover, she needed her cousinâs assistance to expand their business in the county, and she wanted everyone to earn a fair share. That was the best way to collaborate.
âCousin, even if you hadnât mentioned it, I would have willingly signed the contract with you, and the profits would still be 30%.â
âBut letâs make it clear that Iâm granting you exclusive rights in the county, not elsewhere.â
Yang Hong laughed. âOkay, okay! Itâs a deal. I canât leave the county for the time being.â
âBut Cousin, I have one request. If you have any other innovative products to sell, please consider giving me exclusive rights in the county first.â
Qin Zhenzhen chuckled. âYouâre absolutely right. I plan to make soy sauce, and if it turns out well, Iâll offer you the first opportunity.â
âThatâs a deal!â
Su Bin remained at the stall until he finished his examination. He stayed there from morning until evening, only having two slices of pancakes for lunch, and now his stomach was growling in hunger.
Spotting his brother emerging from the examination hall, Su Ping approached him with delight.
âThird Brother, did anything noteworthy occur?â
Su Bin wore a rare smile.
âIâm out of the examination hall, what could go wrong?â
Su Ping grinned in response. âWas the paper challenging?â
âIt wasnât difficult. If you have a good grasp of the knowledge from the books youâve studied, you can secure a place on the rankings.â
The county examination wasnât overly arduous; otherwise, they wouldnât select 100 candidates each year.
The real challenges lay in the prefectural examination and the academy examination.
This reassured Su Ping even more.
Memorization wouldnât pose a problem for Third Brother.
Suddenly, Su Bin turned his attention to his Second Brother. âSecond Brother, have you been here the whole time?â
Su Ping nodded. âNot even for lunch?â
âYesâ¦â
However, his rumbling stomach betrayed him. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âSecond Brother, letâs go grab a meal and find Fourth Brother.â
Su Bin suppressed his emotions. He knew that his Second Brother must have skipped lunch, so he refrained from mentioning it.
But he suggested, âWe should express our gratitude to Constable Yang at his home. Without him, things wouldnât have gone so smoothly.â
Su Bin didnât want to go. âDidnât you say we should avoid raising suspicion?â
She intended to meet Qin Zhenzhen at the Yang Familyâs residence.
To outsiders, it might seem as though he was visiting his wife!
âThatâs different from going to a restaurant. Weâre visiting relatives at the Yang Family, so thereâs no need to be so cautious.â
Su Bin still resisted the idea.
He played his trump card. âDid you hear that Honglian is dead?â
Su Bin remained unfazed. He responded calmly, âI anticipated that.â
Su Ping attempted to entice him. âDonât you want to know who framed you?â Su Bin was intrigued. âWho knows the truth?â
âI believe Third Sister-in-law should know. Constable Yang informed her,â he recounted to Su Bin.
âI informed Third Sister-in-law about Honglianâs death, and she didnât seem surprised at all, just like you. It indicates that she already knows about Honglianâs demise, and it wonât affect your examination any further..â