Chapter Eighty-Two: Deal

Baiyang Pavilion had just ended.

A rendition of "Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" spread like wildfire, shaking the literary circles of Jiangnan, and even reaching the distant capital of Jiu’an.

But that is a tale for another time.

At present, Qin Zhen had just stepped out of Baiyang Pavilion.

"Brother Qin, since Tang and I are a few years your senior, let us call you our younger brother," Nangong Yuan said earnestly. "I know that your feelings for Miss Oriole run deep, which is perfectly understandable. After all, she is one of the three great beauties of Jiangnan, and countless men admire her. But let me remind you, the three of us must compete fairly—no underhanded tricks."

"Who says I like Miss Oriole?" Qin Zhen suddenly realized he might have done something foolish.

Had he caused a great misunderstanding?

"We’re all friends here—no need to pretend! That poem, 'Phoenix Seeks Its Mate,' didn’t you see Miss Oriole smile? You have no idea—before this, her smiles toward me were always cold, mocking, or disdainful! But today, after hearing your poem, it was a genuine, heartfelt smile. What does that mean? It means your poem touched her heart!"

"Exactly!" Tang Xuan nodded in agreement.

"But don’t get cocky, and don’t think this alone will win her heart. We’re not giving up yet! As long as you and Miss Oriole aren’t married, Old Tang and I still have a chance!" Nangong Yuan added.

"That’s right!" Tang Xuan nodded again.

As he watched the two put on their little act, Qin Zhen suddenly found their faces not quite as annoying as before.

"To be fair, your outfit really was exquisite. The craftsmanship and stitching could only be matched by the imperial brocades of the capital or Shu," Nangong Yuan remarked, full of hope. "Brother Qin, do you think you could make one for me as well?"

For scholars, appearance was everything—fine robes brought confidence and comfort.

"No problem. In a few days, when my fabric shop opens, you’re both welcome to come get measured. I’ll make sure you each have an outfit that will turn heads wherever you go!" Qin Zhen replied with a smile.

"Don’t make it too ostentatious—I like things subtle," Tang Xuan chimed in.

Nangong Yuan, on the other hand, was unabashedly flamboyant: "I’m the opposite—make mine as distinctive as possible, something that will stun the world! Don’t worry, we’ll pay you handsomely for your trouble!"

Just then, a graceful figure approached.

"Master Qin, please wait," called Fang Lan.

Seeing the other two were there, she offered a polite greeting.

"Greetings, Young Masters Tang and Nangong."

"No need for such formality, Miss Fang. Since you’ve come to speak with Brother Qin, we’ll leave you to it," Nangong Yuan said, tactfully pulling Tang Xuan away. As he departed, he called back to Qin Zhen, "Don’t forget—my outfit must stand out!"

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Fang Lan asked curiously, "What was that about?"

"They want me to make them clothes," Qin Zhen explained.

"Your cheongsam is magnificent, resplendent with flowing colors, and its landscape motifs are pure artistry—a true treasure! Not just those two gentlemen—even I would like you to make me a new dress," Fang Lan teased.

"After today, I’m afraid the name 'Little Fishing Village' will soon be known throughout Jiangnan! Who knows how many will flock to get fabric from you?"

"But I doubt you came here just to praise me, Miss Fang?" Qin Zhen inquired.

"With your intelligence, Master Qin, you must have guessed my purpose already—why ask?" Fang Lan’s eyes were gentle, her hands demurely folded at her waist, perfectly complementing her azure gown. Her elegance was tinged with a shrewdness befitting a merchant.

Dispensing with pleasantries, she got straight to the point: "We can work together."

"We can supply you with snow silkworm silk at a price below market value, and handle the transportation as well. In exchange, all the silk and cloth produced by Little Fishing Village must be sold exclusively to my family. Of course, we would never let you suffer a loss on price."

Fang Lan was indeed shrewd.

She knew from their last conversation that the loom was Qin Zhen’s bottom line, so this time she didn’t even mention it. Instead, she targeted what Qin Zhen needed most—raw materials.

This way, the Fang family would become both Qin Zhen’s raw materials supplier and distributor.

Little Fishing Village would focus solely on production.

But was this truly advantageous?

For Little Fishing Village, it meant never worrying about sales or raw materials—the Fang family would buy everything they made. Certainly advantageous.

But for long-term development, it was lacking.

From a simple perspective, agreeing to Fang Lan’s terms would make Little Fishing Village dependent on the Fang family. If the Fang family ever turned on them and choked their supply of raw materials, Little Fishing Village would be left in a precarious position.

"Perhaps you’ve misunderstood, Miss Fang. Our silk and cloth from Little Fishing Village have no shortage of buyers," Qin Zhen replied calmly, neither accepting nor refusing, but keeping things ambiguous. "Besides, the Fang family isn’t the only source of snow silkworm silk."

He’d already let it be known at Baiyang Pavilion that he was buying snow silkworm silk.

Every silk merchant in Jiangnan was watching!

Why must he buy from the Fang family and no one else?

Fang Lan clearly hadn’t expected Qin Zhen to be so quick-witted.

In her mind, if Little Fishing Village partnered with the Fang family, they’d both be rolling in wealth—the Fang family would also gain a firm grip on Little Fishing Village, using its textile technology to earn a fortune! It was a win-win. She really couldn’t see why Qin Zhen would refuse.

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Unless—Qin Zhen wanted more than profit; he wanted a seat at the table.

"Do you really intend to go up against Huang Dalang?"

When she asked, Fang Lan’s eyes were filled with astonishment and doubt.

Qin Zhen didn’t answer, but changed the subject: "Miss Fang, I can’t accept your terms. However, I do have a proposal—would you care to hear it?"

"Speak," Fang Lan replied.

"As you can see, Little Fishing Village does need a large quantity of silk, and not just silk—other textile raw materials as well. I know your family has ample stock and is eager to sell. I’m willing to purchase some for trial use."

Qin Zhen was no fool. In business, one couldn’t make rash decisions. If you wanted to do business with him, you had to first prove your quality.

"If the quality is up to standard, I’m willing to sign an order for ten thousand catties."

"Ten thousand catties?!" Fang Lan’s breath caught.

That amount was nearly equal to the Fang family’s total silk output over the past several years.

It was an astronomical order!

"What’s wrong? You don’t have that much?" Qin Zhen asked.

"Of course we do!" Fang Lan replied hastily, though suspicion crept into her voice. "But with so much silk, the price won’t be cheap—can you afford it?"

It wasn’t that she looked down on Qin Zhen, but such a large sum— even Huang Dalang would struggle to come up with it.

Qin Zhen was just a country youth, starting out with nothing. Could he possibly have that much money?

"This is the business I’d like to discuss with you, Miss Fang," Qin Zhen said, a faint smile on his lips.

"You may buy a stake in my venture."