Chapter 452: Silver Note
Chapter 452: Chapter 452: Silver Note
Bai Suihe explained it to him: an auction was a contest of courage and financial strength, as well as an intense psychological battle. People with strong competitive streaks loved to compare themselves against others and show off their prestige on such occasions. This was especially true when there was only one competitor left. Neither would be willing to give ground, so they would compete to raise the price, attempting to crush the other party. This would ultimately lead to a final transaction price far higher than the market value. This was the true meaning of an auction.
"Will they regret it afterward?" Gu Kaiyuan asked. He knew that although buying and selling was voluntary, the inner workings of some families were quite filthy.
"So what if they regret it?" Bai Suihe looked up at him. "Do you think our land was sold at too high a price, or did we scam someone with the valuation?"
Gu Kaiyuan pondered for a moment. "Well, no. Although the price was a bit high, it wasn’t overly outrageous."
"It was a willing transaction between both parties, and with so many people watching, do you think they would be willing to bear a reputation as sore losers?"
Gu Kaiyuan shook his head. "Not for this little bit of silver."
"Exactly," Bai Suihe said. "By winning the bid for this land, even if the price was a bit high, they gained face in front of the other families and demonstrated their financial power. If they were to go back on their word over such a trivial matter or come looking for trouble with us, they would be the ones with the most to lose in the end.
"You still hold a large portion of the shops and farmsteads. In all likelihood, it won’t be long before they come encouraging you to hold another auction like this."
"I doubt it would go that far," Gu Kaiyuan said, looking at the silver notes in front of him. He couldn’t help but lick his lips. "I quite like the farmsteads and shops I kept. I was thinking of saving them for our own use in the future."
His wife had so many novel food crops and seeds in her pocket dimension. While it wasn’t suitable to take out many of them right now, a portion of them—like vegetable seeds that didn’t currently exist in this world—could easily make them a fortune first. He now had a wife and a daughter. Naturally, he wanted to accumulate more family wealth so they could live a good life in the future.
He also knew that such speculative opportunities were rare. After all, the memories of his past life could only bring him a few specific opportunities. For longer-term prosperity, he would likely have to rely on this land.
"Keeping a few farmsteads is enough," Bai Suihe said after some thought. "Nowadays, it’s not a good thing for us to hoard too much land.
"Since they already know about us and have investigated thoroughly, they’ll keep their eyes on us.
"The best thing to do right now is to clear out some more to divert their attention."
If they wanted to quietly make a fortune, they naturally had to avoid drawing attention. Having people stare at them every day would only tie their hands. In the grand scheme of things, they would actually lose more this way. Although their shipyard had only just started and many people were not optimistic about it, being constantly watched would inevitably lead to someone noticing that something was different.
"You make a good point, my dear. I’ll reach out to them later to organize another auction like this."
Bai Suihe shook her head. "Don’t rush. Desperation kills a deal. They’ll come knocking on our door in due time."
Gu Kaiyuan gave her a thumbs-up. "From now on, I’ll listen to whatever you say."
"Are you sure about that?" Bai Suihe asked.
Who wouldn’t want to hold the decision-making power in the family? Naturally, Bai Suihe didn’t want to miss such an opportunity. Even if he didn’t listen to her on absolutely everything, cultivating a habit of discussing things together would ensure the longevity of their little family.
"Of course," Gu Kaiyuan quickly promised. "Although my martial arts skills are a bit stronger, I am inferior to you in many aspects, especially when it comes to financial fortune. I’ll have to rely on you from now on."
He still had that bit of self-awareness. He wasn’t going to get cocky over this one small success.
"We each have our own strengths," Bai Suihe said. "From now on, we’ll discuss everything with each other."
Bai Suihe wasn’t an egocentric person, either. The family still had to work hard to manage their household well.
As they spoke, the two had already sorted the silver notes by denomination and began counting them. The final tally was astounding—there were nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver here.
"The number of farmsteads and real estate we currently have on hand is far greater than what we just sold, and the locations are better too..." Gu Kaiyuan didn’t even dare to think too deeply about it. "I’m honestly starting to feel a bit panicked."
This money was way too easy to make. This was a profit multiplied several times over.
"What’s there to panic about?" Bai Suihe cast him a glance, refusing to tell him that her own heart was racing. "Think about it. With this silver, the follow-up funds for our shipyard are secured. Once we succeed in shipbuilding, there will probably be many more places where we need to spend silver."
Gu Kaiyuan thought of those two bottomless pits: training manpower and building the shipyard. Right now, money was only going out and nothing was coming in. Furthermore, he didn’t know how long this would last. This hole they had dug was rather large.
"Are we really going into shipping in the future?" Gu Kaiyuan asked. He knew that risks and opportunities coexisted.
"Actually, what I want more is to find another homeland that belongs to us." Bai Suihe had an obsession in her heart; she had to find a way out for themselves. "In fact, the situation might not be that bad. Rong Ruiyuan might not necessarily ascend to that position."
Gu Xingyang looked up at her parents, remaining silent this time. Because she had followed her mother to another world later on, she didn’t know the progression of events in this world either. Regardless, the Third Prince was not a good person, and that so-called aunt of hers was even more indescribable. Letting them climb to a high position would be disastrous for their family.
"I know you’ve made some arrangements in the capital, but as you said, it’s not a certainty, which means there are many unstable factors," Bai Suihe said.
"Rong Ruiyuan probably doesn’t have much of an impression of us. You didn’t oppose them this time, so he certainly won’t remember us.
"What I’m most worried about is Gu Antong. Even though she has no open grudge against us on the surface, she’s petty-minded and will definitely remember those grievances from the road of exile. If she truly gains power, I’ll probably be the first one she settles scores with."
In this ancient era where imperial power was supreme, Bai Suihe and her family’s status was already set in stone. Unless they raised an army to rebel right now, there was no way to change it. But how could raising an army in rebellion be that simple? Moreover, how many times had it ever succeeded throughout history?
Bai Suihe would not do such a thankless task. She didn’t consider herself the main character of this plane of existence, nor did she have that kind of luck. Therefore, she just wanted to lay low and survive safely. It would be best if the Third Prince couldn’t ascend to the throne; that way, she wouldn’t have to take her family and flee their homeland.
"One must think ahead. Only by going out more can you know how big the world is!" Bai Suihe understood that as a native-born local, Gu Kaiyuan definitely wouldn’t want to leave this land, but a person’s mindset would change based on what they saw.
"We can talk about this later. I’ll keep a close eye on the shipyard." Gu Kaiyuan sighed. The Gu family was truly a headache, forcing their young couple to think of a way out so early on.
He wondered why he couldn’t have been a bit more ruthless back then. If only he had dealt with that disaster, Gu Antong...