Chapter 290: Putting on a Show of Wealth
Seeing Ye Lu’s arrogance, Wu Er was fuming with anger, while Zhang Hu merely cast him a deep glance before ordering someone to bring out paper, ink, brush, and seal to draft the contract.
“According to our Miss’s policy, this deal requires a 30% deposit upfront. The previous client and you have the same terms—a rough estimate puts it at 93,000 taels of silver. Will the Young Master pay now, or when would you like to settle it?”
Hearing that just the deposit was over 90,000 taels, Ah Zan’s face paled once again.
The last time they ventured into the wilderness, they had already spent a significant sum. Now, his Young Master only had 200,000 taels left in total. If he paid this deposit, that meant they would need to scrape together another 200,000 taels within the next ten days to cover the rest of the payment.
Thinking about that huge sum, Ah Zan felt like his soul was leaving his body.
But while Ah Zan was burning with anxiety, Ye Lu didn’t hesitate at all—he directly pulled out 100,000 taels in silver notes and, with an air of grandeur, handed them over to Zhang Hu.
“I’ll give 100,000 taels upfront to round off the number. The rest can be settled when the goods arrive.”
Watching his master put on this extravagant act, Ah Zan almost wanted to bite his own tongue and end it all.
Did his master really understand just how little money he actually had left?!
Zhang Hu, however, remained calm and collected, carefully examining each silver note before pressing his seal onto the contract.
“Zhang Hu? That’s your name?”
Zhang Hu nodded, already knowing exactly what Ye Lu was thinking.
“Wait, wait. Does this contract even hold weight? It’s obvious your Miss calls the shots—shouldn’t she at least put her seal on this?!”
“Our Miss entrusts all business matters to me. There’s no need for the Young Master to worry. If we fail to deliver as promised, we will fully refund your deposit.”
Clearly, Ye Lu was not satisfied with this answer. He had gone to all this trouble just to meet this woman, and now, after spending tens of thousands of taels, he hadn’t even gotten her name?!
“This deal is between you and me, then? Are you regretting it?” Zhang Hu’s tone remained firm. “If the Young Master doesn’t have the financial capacity to handle such a large order, we can void the contract now. I urge you to consider carefully before sealing it.”
Hearing Zhang Hu’s words, Ye Lu immediately bristled.
“Hah! Trying to provoke me, are you?! I see right through you! I already knew your lot were cunning back in Feng City, yet here I am, still throwing myself into your trap! Fine! You win!”
Without hesitation, Ye Lu slammed down his seal onto the contract, stamping his name boldly onto the agreement.
The contract was made in duplicate—Zhang Hu handed one copy to Ye Lu before pocketing the silver notes.
“You should let us know where to deliver the goods once they arrive.”
“Find Ah Zan at Mingyang Inn in Yueyang City.”
With that, Ye Lu cast a final glance at the shut door, still reluctant to leave. But he had no choice.
*
As soon as they left the courtyard, Ah Zan couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Master, where are we going to find the rest of the money?! Even if we empty the treasury, we’ll still be 15,000 taels short! Over the years, you haven’t saved much—how are we supposed to make up for it?!”
Just as Ah Zan’s anxiety peaked, Ye Lu snapped irritably.
“What’s there to worry about? It’s only 150,000 taels!”
“ONLY?! Master, this is pure recklessness! If you hadn’t spent 250,000 taels on that Imperial Green Jade set for the Empress Dowager’s birthday, we wouldn’t be scrambling like this now!”
“Watch your mouth! Honoring the Empress Dowager is my duty. That Imperial Green set was one of a kind—it suits her elegance and timeless beauty. I have no regrets!”
Ah Zan almost collapsed in frustration.
“Fine, fine, but… where are we going to find the money now?!”
Ye Lu scoffed, then casually made an announcement that nearly gave Azan a heart attack.
“Simple. I’ll sell my mountain villa outside the capital. Someone’s been eyeing that hot spring estate for ages. If I sell it, it’s worth at least 350,000 taels.”
Ah Zan stumbled in shock.
“MASTER! Are you seriously considering this?! That villa was left to you by your mother! You can’t just—”
“Enough!” Ye Lu waved him off dismissively.
“It’s just property. My mother acquired it through certain means—selling it to the buyer fulfills their long-held desire. It’s settled.”
Seeing his master completely resolute, Azan had no choice but to swallow his objections.
But deep down, he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.
His master—a man who never cared for women—was now willing to give up his own inheritance just to stay close to this one girl.
“Once Lu Yi returns, have him secretly monitor that courtyard. I need to know everything about that woman—her origins, her background. I need more chances to cross paths with her.”
Ah Zan stared at him in disbelief.
“Master… this isn’t like you. You’ve never been so obsessed with a woman before. Why now?”
Ye Lu suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning back to look at Azan like he was an idiot.
“Hah! Do you not see it?!”
Ah Zan, bewildered, replied, “See… what?”
Ye Lu smirked knowingly.
“A woman like that is one in a million.”
Ah Zan nodded. “Well, yes, she’s indeed very beautiful—”
SMACK!
Before he could finish, Ye Lu smacked him across the head.
“Idiot! You think I’m that shallow?! You think I’m only interested in her looks?! Unbelievable! A waste of my breath!”
*
Meanwhile, back at the courtyard—
After Ye Lu finally left, Yu Luo headed straight for the kitchen to cook.
“Miss, shall I go to the restaurant and pack something for you instead? No need for you to trouble yourself!”
“Our identities are too sensitive. We should limit unnecessary outings. But we do need to visit that restaurant, just not in broad daylight—too conspicuous. After all, I had to assume a fake identity just to enter the city.”
Yueyang City wasn’t far from the borderlands, and Yu Luo needed to study the local cuisine.
When Luo City’s own inns and restaurants opened, she wanted to help her father design the menu.
And since these men were utterly hopeless in the kitchen, Yu Luo figured, if she wanted to eat well, she’d have to do it herself.
