Zhou Qi has been in retreat for a month, and Yao Qing has not been idle either.
The second property Yao Jingyi handed over to Yao Qing was a cargo station.
The name is South City Freight Station.
The goods station is located on an old street in the south of the city. It has a small front, with two shops connected to a courtyard behind it.
Yao Qing When we arrived, several old servants were sunbathing in the yard.
The oldest one, named Liu, had all white hair and a hunched back. When he saw Yao Qing coming in, he stood up slowly and cupped his hands. "Young Master Qing."
Yao Qing nodded and glanced across the yard.
There were several boxes of groceries piled in the corner, covered with dust, and it looked like no one had touched them for a long time.
This is said to be Yao Family's cargo station, but in fact it is the retirement home for some of the Yao Family's old servants.
I don't go there for a long time, unless sometimes other cargo stations are full, and I will pile them here for a while.
"Uncle Liu, where are the account books?" Yang Zhenshan spoke in a polite tone.
Old Liu nodded towards the room and said, "It's lying on the table. It hasn't been touched for a long time. Young Master Qing Don't be surprised."
Yang Zhenshan entered the room, and there were indeed several account books on the table. The covers were yellow and the corners were rolled up.
He flipped through a few pages and read them. The handwriting was neat but the content was simple. How much goods were purchased, how many goods were shipped, and how much inventory was left. He remembered each item clearly.
There's no fuss and no grease.
Yang Zhenshan closed the account book, walked out, and nodded towards Yao Qing.
Yao Qing understood and turned to a few old servants. "You have worked hard at the Yao Family for so many years. According to the rules, those who want to stay can stay, and those who want to leave can leave. The severance package will be a penny."
Several old servants looked at each other and said nothing.
Old Liu raised his head and cupped his hands. "Young Master Qing benevolence and righteousness."
The handover took less than half a day.
Coming out of the cargo station, Yang Zhenshan walked beside Yao Qing: "There is no oil and water, Yao Ke doesn't like this place."
Yao Qing nodded.
The third property is a Elixir Pharmacy, Guiyuan Hall.
It is said to be Elixir Pharmacy, but in fact it is more like a half-dead drug store.
In the front shop and back shop, the shopkeeper is called Sun Zhonghe, who is in his sixties, and Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, whose alchemy skills are mediocre, is better because of his seniority and wide connections.
If anyone in the noble houses in the capital has a headache or fever, they are accustomed to ask him to come and check their pulse.
Sun Zhonghe has a strict mouth and a steady hand, and has not made any mistakes in decades. This is why Yao Jingyi put him in the Guiyuan Hall.
Yao Qing took over Guiyuan Hall, and thought it would be the easiest of the three properties.
But he was wrong.
He brought Yang Zhenshan to the door for the first time. Sun Zhonghe greeted him respectfully and served him tea and water with all the courtesy.
But when it came to the handover, Sun Zhonghe became embarrassed:
"Young Master Qing, it's not that I'm too old to pay, it's just... Guiyuan Hall's debt is not easy to pay."
He took out a thin booklet from the cabinet and handed it over with both hands.
Yang Zhenshan took it, opened it, and frowned.
What is recorded in the book is not revenue, but debt.
Ministry of Revenue The Minister's Mansion, three doses of spirit medicine on credit, discount Low-Grade Spirit Stone for thirty-three pieces.
Ministry of War Military Selection Office Lang Zhongfu, credit Foundation-Nurturing Pill for two bottles, discount Low-Grade Spirit Stone for sixteen pieces.
Chengdong Changfeng Martial Arts Hall, eight bottles of Rejuvenation Pill on credit, twelve bottles of Meridian-Clearing Pill, discount three pieces of Mid-Grade Spirit Stone.
Flipping through the pages, we can see that there are at least thirty or forty families with credit, most of whom are high-ranking officials in the court, a few are some powerful forces in the city, and there are also scattered poor families, all of whom owe more than 2,000 low-grade spiritual stones.
Sun Zhonghe sighed, "Young Master Qing, Guiyuan Hall is not doing ordinary medicinal materials business, it is a human relationship between various governments."
"Some of these debts are really unaffordable, some do not want to be paid, and some are given away for the convenience of the Yao Family's work."
He looked at Yao Qing and said in a sincere tone, "I am getting old. This Guiyuan Hall is in your hands. Do you want these accounts or not?"
"No, Guiyuan Hall is just a hole that can't be filled."
"Yes, those people who owe the debt just turned their backs and said that you Yao Family don't miss the old relationship."
Yang Zhenshan closed the book and asked, "What does Shopkeeper Sun mean?"
Sun Zhonghe shook his head. "I don't have any meaning. I just want to give Young Master Qing the results of these years to see. Whether Guiyuan Hall succeeds or fails in your hands, I have no control over."
"But I can't bear these debts of gratitude for you."
Yao Qing's face darkened slightly.
He finally understood that this Sun Zhonghe was not refusing to hand over, but throwing a hot potato to him.
The debt amounted to more than two thousand spiritual stones.
If you chase, you will offend others.
If you don't pursue it, Guiyuan Hall will be a loss.
He looked at Yang Zhenshan, who shook his head slightly to signal him not to have an attack on the spot.
The two returned to the other courtyard. As soon as Yao Qing entered the door, he said in a deep voice, "This Sun Zhonghe is more difficult to deal with than Shi Donglai. Shi Donglai is dragging her away openly, but he kills people with a soft knife."
But Yang Zhenshan laughed, "Young Master Qing, Sun Zhonghe, this trick is called the Tuen Order."
Yao Qing was stunned.
Yang Zhenshan picked up the tea cup and said slowly, "Sun Zhonghe handed over the list of the Guiyuan Hall's creditors to push this mess onto you."
"If you collect debts, those who owe the debt will only hate you Yao Qing, not him Sun Zhonghe."
"If you don't chase me, Guiyuan Hall's hole will be yours."
Yao Qing's face became darker. "What should we do?"
Yang Zhenshan put down the tea cup and looked deeply. "Sun Zhonghe is just a puppet, he didn't set up the situation."
Yao Qing was startled. "You mean..."
"Yao Ke." Yang Zhenshan spit out two words, "Sun Zhonghe has been in the Guiyuan Hall for thirty years. Who put him in that position? And who allowed him to stay in peace and stability until today? How many of those families who owe debts are related to Yao Ke?"
Yao Qing was silent for a moment and said slowly, "Are you saying that these debts are themselves a trap arranged by Yao Ke?"
Yang Zhenshan nodded, then shook his head. "Not entirely, the debt is real, and the favor is also real."
"But handing over Sun Zhonghe at this juncture means Yao Ke."
"He wants to tell you: You can accept this Guiyuan Hall, but you have to bear these debts and offend these people."
Yao Qing clenched his fists. "Then why don't I accept it?"
"I have to take it." Yang Zhenshan said, "The master asked you to take over three properties. Guiyuan Hall is the last one. If you don't take it, the previous property Treasure Pavilion and the other property will be in vain."
Yao Qing took a deep breath and looked at Yang Zhenshan: "Zhenshan, since you have seen through it, there must be a way."
Yang Zhenshan didn't answer immediately. He stood up and walked around the hall.
"There is a way!"
Late at night three days later, Yang Zhenshan went to the Guiyuan Hall alone.
Sun Zhonghe was sorting medicinal materials in the back yard. When he saw him coming, he put down his work and raised his hand. "Mr. Yang, it's so late, what can I do?"
Yang Zhenshan Opening the Mountain Gate: "Shopkeeper Sun, I read the list of debtors three times and found one thing."
Sun Zhonghe's eyelids twitched. "What's the matter?"
Yang Zhenshan sat down opposite and said in a calm tone, "There are three types of people who owe money."
"The first category is the poor who really can't afford the money. What they get on credit is a few packages of Rejuvenation Powder and one or two spiritual stones."
"The second category is officials from the DPRK and China. The credit is spirit medicine, Foundation-Nurturing Pill, hundreds or even thousands of spiritual stones."
"The third category..." He paused and looked at Sun Zhonghe, "They are people from Yao Ke."
Sun Zhonghe said nothing, and there was a trace of unnaturalness in his eyes.