Chapter 443: Giving His Wife a Present (2) (2/2)

Wenqing hadn’t expected her master to ask something like that. She was worried that the purse might have caused some sort of misunderstanding between him and Third Young Madam, so she quickly explained, “The red purse with embroidered patterns that Third Young Madam received yesterday was from General Sima. This servant witnessed it personally!”

Please don’t mistake it as Third Young Madam receiving a present from some stranger!

He Changdi’s eyes narrowed into slits. Sima Hui. It was that Sima Hui again!

Chu Lian is his wife! What was she trying to move in on? That damned butch!

Wenqing felt like her head was still in the clouds even after she was dismissed. She couldn’t wrap her head around why Third Young Master had only asked her a single question about the purse before letting her go.

Left alone in the room, He Sanlang leaned against the headboard in deep thought.

He hadn’t bothered much about material items before. As long as he had enough silver to buy what he needed, he had felt perfectly fine. Furthermore, there usually wasn’t much that he needed to spend on in the army. However, it looked like it wouldn’t do if he continued like this. He had to start earning some money!

At the very least, he had to be able to afford better presents for his wife so that he wouldn’t get outshined again.

Chu Lian spent the whole afternoon busying herself with the New Year gifts before ordering Mo Chenggui to send them to the army camp, along with some of the family soldiers.

Just as she finished that task, Manager Qin came into the main room, beaming from ear to ear.

During this period of time, he had been busy with what Chu Lian had ordered him to do. His whole figure had slimmed down, compared to back in the capital, and his face had become sharper.

As the saying went, every chubby man was an unpolished jewel. Once he had slimmed down, Manager Qin was a rather good-looking man himself.

The way he smiled before saying anything made him look like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He was looking more and more like a proper steward as time passed.

Chu Lian was sitting on the hearth bed in the main room, drinking some red bean and lotus porridge. When she saw how radiant Manager Qin seemed to be, she smiled back, “Is there some good news?”

Manager Qin never forgot his manners in front of Chu Lian. He bowed respectfully to her first and spoke some customary words of blessing for the New Year before moving on to report on his tasks.

“When there’s a will, there’s a way. This servant has finally fulfilled Third Young Madam’s order.”

Chu Lian’s almond-shaped eyes lit up. The speed at which Manager Qin had accomplished her request was out of her expectations.

She set down the porcelain bowl in her hands to ask, “When can we start operating?”

“The day after tomorrow at the latest. The barbarians don’t celebrate the New Year. This period is when there’s great demand for material goods. This servant has already inquired about the location. There are eighteen places in total. We’ll send the goods over in the next two days. As long as we have enough manpower, we’ll be able to start operating immediately.”

Chu Lian was generous with her praise, “You’ve done well for this task. Remember what I said to you last time. Offer whatever goods we manage to get to the northern border troops first. Move whatever they don’t want according to the plans I’ve given you. Also, give the northern border troops forty percent of the profits we make from this. We’ll keep the other sixty percent.”