Chapter 57: Growth

Chapter 57

Growth

Less than three days after the court case, Ding Tao arrived at Nie Shuang’s mansion with a list of names and account books. A large group followed behind him. Naturally, Song Qilin sat beside his wife, worried she might soften and end up at a disadvantage.

Ding Tao handed her the list, which included the names of tea plantation owners who had previously been forced to sell their land at low prices. Many of them still lived in Huangjing City but had become day laborers with no land to cultivate. Upon regaining their ancestral tea plantations, they were overjoyed. They had followed Ding Tao here today to personally thank the Lady Boss. As for those who had moved away, Ding Tao had sent letters, but also left the deeds with Nie Shuang as a sign of goodwill.

"As for the tea shops that went out of business, I don’t know how to compensate them. Back then, I used the tea from the cheap plantations to undercut prices, forcing them to close on their own,"

Ding Tao said, looking troubled, fearing Nie Shuang would think he was avoiding responsibility.

"Who are these people?"

Nie Shuang asked. He handed her another list.

"These people still live in this city. Some have changed businesses, while others are managing to get by with side ventures.".

"Go find them and bring them here to meet with me. Tell them I have a business opportunity they might be interested in."

Meanwhile, the former tea plantation owners who had come with Ding Tao knelt down to thank Nie Shuang sincerely. Some even wept, recalling the hardships they had endured over the years, with families torn apart and struggling to survive. When Ding Tao had come to return their plantations, they had thought it was a dream.

"Thank you so much, Lady Boss. We never imagined we’d see this day."

Nie Shuang told them to stand up and talk properly. Then, she made an offer to purchase their tea leaves to produce Lü Cui tea. They accepted immediately—who wouldn’t agree to such a good deal? Xiangyun Tea House would buy all their tea leaves, provided they met the agreed quality standards, and the price would match what they used to get from selling to other shops.

Now, Da Shi had brought his two younger brothers to help with the business. Soon, he planned to move his family to Huangjing City. Nie Shuang, being generous, had given Da Shi a handsome salary, allowing him to buy a modest home to welcome his family. Da Shi’s younger brothers quickly brought out contracts for the tea plantation owners to sign. Just as the paperwork was finished, the former shop owners that Ding Tao had contacted arrived.

"Today, I have a proposal for you. You all have experience selling tea, so you know the business well. Soon, I will have the tea trade concession in the Da Ye Region. At that time, tea from Huangjing will be exclusively distributed by Xiangyun Tea House to the entire region. If you are interested, you can buy the rights to use the Xiangyun name and sell tea in your chosen city. Xiangyun will supply the tea to you. Additionally, you can source premium tea leaves from other cities and sell them to Xiangyun. Xiangyun Shop will distribute the tea under its own brand. If you’re interested, feel free to stay and discuss the details."

Upon hearing Nie Shuang’s offer, Ding Tao lowered his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. Hmph! She only knew how to use her husband’s connections to monopolize trade. How was she any better than him? Before he could continue his thoughts, the cold voice of the General rang out.

"You’ve compensated the tea plantation owners and shop owners that you exploited. But what about my wife? Her reputation, and the damage done to the Yong An Hou Manor—how do you plan to address that?"

At the sound of this fearsome Reaper, the haunting memories of that dreadful day in court resurfaced, making Ding Tao shiver.

"I’ve brought the remaining wealth from my house, offering five thousand taels to the Young Furen as compensation. Though it’s a small amount, I hope she will accept it."

In truth, there was more wealth stashed away. After having time to think after the court case, Ding Tao regretted offering so much. He’d hidden part of his fortune with his relatives, pretending that the sum he presented was all he had left. Song Qilin raised his eyebrows.

"For years, you’ve monopolized the trade and made a significant fortune. And yet, you think this is enough compensation for my wife? It seems you’re displeased that she’s gained the trade concession and think she took the opportunity away from you, right?"

"N...No, of course not. I would never think that. I admire the Young Furen’s business acumen."

"Very well, we’ll accept the five thousand taels. Seeing that you’ve shown remorse, I’ll grant you and your family a precious opportunity. Given the scale of this case, you and your family can no longer do business in Huangjing. How about you let my wife ’help’ by buying your Chun Shui Shop and you, in return, buy the rights and move your family to open a Xiangyun Shop branch at the southern border? I hear the tea from the complex mountain tops there has a unique flavor, thanks to the minerals in the soil. It could become a new flagship product for Xiangyun. Besides having the rights to sell Xiangyun’s tea, you could profit by bringing tea from the southern lands. Isn’t that a great opportunity for you?"

The night before, Nie Shuang had mentioned this to him. She had read in various books about the remote southern tea leaves and was pondering whom to send to establish contact with the tea plantations there. Song Qilin saw the perfect chance to send Ding Tao and his family. The people in the southern part of the region were known to be fierce. If Ding Tao continued his immoral practices there, he might find his entire family wiped out. Hearing her husband’s suggestion, Nie Shuang chuckled quietly to herself—he truly had a merciless way of dealing with people.

In truth, Xiangyun Tea House was booming with guests, and they needed a separate store to focus solely on selling tea leaves. But Nie Shuang hadn’t expected her husband to simply seize Chun Shui Shop so boldly.

Ding Tao, with no choice, accepted the offer with a submissive nod. The southern border it is, then. At least it’s better than death. He silently cursed his fate. Why did he have such bad luck? The one person he picked a fight with had to be made of iron. He lost so much money and now had to move far away.

"Ding Tao, I’ll buy your store at a fair price, so don’t worry,"

Nie Shuang offered to console him when she saw the old man on the verge of tears. Song Qilin sighed to himself. Did she not see him grinding his teeth earlier? If they kept him close, he’d surely turn on her at the first chance. As skilled as she was in business, people like Ding Tao didn’t deserve any kindness.

The former tea shop owners who came to hear Nie Shuang’s proposal saw a great opportunity. Many of them had unemployed children and grandchildren, so they eagerly accepted the offer to venture into new markets. Not everyone could produce Lü Cui tea, not to mention Hong Bao tea. Even before making any investments, they could already foresee the profits. Moreover, by opening shops under the well-known Xiangyun name, there was no fear that the teas wouldn’t sell.

Following this, Nie Shuang recruited more people, sending them to negotiate with tea plantations in different cities, aiming to purchase renowned local teas, and negotiated with local tea shops, allowing them to either order tea from Xiangyun or buy the rights to rebrand their shops under the Xiangyun name.Soon enough, Xiangyun was set to become the official tea shop, gathering the most famous and high-quality teas from various regions.