Chapter 443 - 274: Why He Hides
Chapter 443: Chapter 274: Why He Hides
"She’s truly what?"
Chen Yunfan flinched when he heard the voice. But upon seeing Chen Yi’s teasing smile, he suddenly stiffened his neck and declared:
"Truly graceful and intelligent, empathetic and understanding, dignified and courteous... Huh? Qingwu, what are you doing here?"
"I was just praising you to Brother Yi."
The newcomer was none other than Cui Qingwu. Seeing Chen Yunfan’s expression, she chuckled.
She walked over and sat down beside him, chiding playfully, "If I hadn’t come, how would I ever have known Brother Yunfan finds me so tiresome?"
"Haha... I don’t think I said that. It was, it was Brother Yi."
"Right?"
Chen Yi chuckled, at a loss for words. He gave a fist-and-palm salute and said, "Miss Cui, please forgive him. My brother has had a little to drink and misspoke."
"Yes, that’s right... I’ve had too much to drink."
"Is that so?"
"Of course..."
Chen Yi was both surprised and not surprised by Cui Qingwu’s arrival.
He was surprised that she had finished her lunch with Xiao Wan’er so quickly; it also seemed that the two of them had gotten along very well.
What was not surprising was that Cui Qingwu, after all, remembered what they had discussed the previous night.
After some idle chatter, the three of them paid the bill and left the small tavern.
Before they parted ways, Chen Yunfan looked at Chen Yi, tilting his head up slightly as he spoke:
"I’ve been here in Shu State for so long, and you’ve finally played the part of a proper host."
"But I won’t let you be on the losing end. Once things calm down, I’ll..."
He glanced at Cui Qingwu, who was standing to the side. "I’ll have Qingwu treat you to a meal at the Yunqing Building."
Cui Qingwu, of course, did not refuse. "Perfect timing. We’ve just opened a new vintage, and it has a unique sweetness."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded. "It would be my pleasure."
Not long after, Chen Yunfan took a carriage back to the Government Office, while Cui Qingwu and Huan’er headed for the East Market.
Chen Yi watched them go, then smiled and returned to Jishi Medicine Hall.
The afternoon sun was at its peak.
But at this time of year, the weather had already turned cold.
As a cool breeze swept by, Chen Yi’s mood gradually settled.
He’d had a pleasant conversation with Chen Yunfan today.
Reminiscing about the past, discussing the present, and talking about the future had relaxed him considerably.
Ever since he had arrived in this world, he had been burdened by so many things that he rarely made small talk with anyone in the Xiao Family.
He rarely did so even with those he knew well, like Xiao Wan’er, Xiaodie, and Pei Guanli.
It wasn’t that there was no need; rather, he knew that saying too much would only cause them to worry.
So it was better not to speak of it at all.
But Chen Yunfan was different.
Even though Chen Yi didn’t reveal his secrets, he could still talk around the heavier topics, allowing him to confirm some of his own speculations and deductions.
’Chen Yunfan... I wonder why he hides his true self...’
...
For the entire afternoon, Chen Yi remained in the Medicine Hall. Aside from occasionally helping Ma Liangcai with a few difficult cases, he spent most of his time monitoring the situation in the East Market.
Or to be more precise, the price of grain.
At first, rumors spread like wildfire that the price of grain was skyrocketing, jumping from ten taels of silver per dan to twelve.
By mid-afternoon, it had already climbed to fifteen taels per dan.
But just past the middle of the afternoon, several graineries collectively dropped their prices to a level even lower than that morning.
—Nine taels of silver per dan.
"I can’t believe I bought so early! How could the price drop so much in such a short time?"
"If I’d bought now, couldn’t I... couldn’t I have bought twice as much grain?"
"I heard it was the young lady from the Qinghe Cui Family. They say she has her own supply of grain, and that’s what brought the price down."
"Anyone who can afford it should buy some now. Otherwise, once Miss Cui’s grain sells out, the price will probably shoot up again."
"You’ve got a point..."
After half a day of fluctuations, even those who had originally found the prices exorbitant were now willing to accept nine taels per dan.
There were many buyers.
Even Liu Quan and the others in the Medicine Hall were tempted.
Liu Quan, however, was a quick thinker. Even if he wanted to buy, he’d still try to be clever about it.
"Shopkeeper, do you think the horse bandits from Poshisu Country and the Barbarian Race will really attack again?"
Chen Yi glanced at him and shook his head. "I don’t know."
Liu Quan pressed on, "But the rumors are all over the place, and they sound so detailed and convincing. Could they be true?"
"Until the Government Office makes an official announcement, it’s all just speculation."
"But..."
Seeing his persistence, Chen Yi naturally guessed what he was thinking. He tossed the account book aside and started walking out.
"If you want to buy grain, then go buy it. It’s not like you’re short on a little silver."
"Shopkeeper?"
"I’m heading home. You all watch the shop."
Without looking back, Chen Yi gave a wave of his hand and departed.
He, of course, knew the reason for the afternoon’s fluctuating grain prices.
First, Liu Lang, Wang Ji, and their people had been secretly buying up grain. Then, Cui Qingwu had made her powerful entry.
The owners of the graineries naturally had to respond.
They could either sell off their stock in large quantities now, or they could try to win over Cui Qingwu and offer her a piece of the pie.
Clearly, the grainery owners were still greedy—they chose to hold their noses and accept Cui Qingwu’s entry into the market.
’Good.’
’If they were to give up now, wouldn’t all my planning have been for nothing?’
Musing on this, Chen Yi headed straight for the West Market Hundred Herbs Hall.
Wang Ji had been waiting for some time and led him upstairs to a private room.
Chen Yi got straight to the point. "Any word from the Marquis?"
Wang Ji bowed. "Sir, a messenger just arrived from Steward Lu of the Marquis’s Mansion."
"The Marquis has been feeling unwell recently, so he would like to schedule a meeting with you five days from now."
As he said this, he felt a flicker of inexplicable amusement.
How could Chen Yi, the renowned Mr. Qingzhou, not know whether the Old Marquis was actually unwell?
This reply was merely a pretext.
Chen Yi grunted in acknowledgement, not at all surprised.
"With news of the Barbarian Race marching north spreading through Shu State today, it’s perfectly normal for the Old Marquis to be concerned."
Fortunately, he only wanted to confirm a time with the Old Marquis on this occasion, so he wasn’t in a rush.
Besides, five days was the perfect amount of time.