Chapter 26: Payment Settled, Goods Delivered

The next day, the first batch of "Peony Brand" soap was finished.

To give the soap an air of refinement, Xu Mo went out of his way to purchase some red paper and cut it into perfectly sized squares for packaging. Once the paper was ready, he carefully wrote the words "Peony Brand" on each piece. Xu Mo took this very seriously; it was the first time his trademark would be displayed to the public, so he poured his heart into every character he wrote.

By the time he finished all two hundred labels, his right hand was limp with exhaustion.

The next step was packaging. Xu Mo and Chen Miaoyi, however, were clueless about how to wrap the soap attractively. They fumbled with it over and again, but nothing seemed to work. Fortunately, Xu Hui was both clever and nimble, and happened to have some experience in this. Before long, she taught the two of them the knack, and together they wrapped the soaps neatly and handsomely.

On delivery day, Xu Mo arrived early at his uncle’s house. After packing the two hundred bars of soap into a large wooden chest, the group prepared to deliver them to the General Sundry Goods Hall.

Xu Tieshu was uneasy about Xu Mo going alone, so he called his son to accompany them. After all, they would be bringing back a thousand strings of coins; it was wise to have more hands for safety.

So, the three of them pushed a wheelbarrow loaded with the chest of soap and set out.

On the way, Xu Ping'an was visibly excited. The thought that they would soon be paid made him almost giddy with anticipation. Xu Tieshu was also excited, but as the elder, he kept his feelings to himself.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the General Sundry Goods Hall. When Liu Rushi heard that Xu Mo had brought the soap, she hurried out to greet them.

In the shop’s back room, Liu Rushi gazed at the heap of soap bars with barely concealed delight. She picked up a bar and read aloud, “Peony Brand…”

“Young Master Xu, is this your trademark?” she asked.

Xu Mo nodded. “I just came up with it these past couple of days. I felt that going without a brand name wouldn’t do, don’t you agree, Manager Liu?”

Liu Rushi nodded and asked, “But why Peony Brand, and not Lotus or Plum Blossom? Why the peony, in particular?”

Xu Mo smiled. “It’s because my wife loves peonies best, and the peony itself stands for wealth and good fortune. So, Peony Brand it is.”

Liu Rushi nodded at once, unable to help a twinge of envy as she remarked, “Young Master Xu, I see you truly cherish your wife.”

With that, she unwrapped the soap. The next moment, she saw the peony design pressed into the bar.

“Young Master Xu, this peony is truly beautiful—simple lines, yet it captures the grace of the bloom perfectly. Remarkable!” she praised.

Though born to a merchant family, Liu Rushi had been well educated in poetry and painting, so her praise was sincere—a genuine appreciation, not mere flattery.

Xu Mo smiled. “Thank you, Manager Liu, for your kind words.”

The following inspection took about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn…

Why did it take so long?

Because this was the first business transaction between Liu Rushi and Xu Mo, so she was scrupulously careful. Each bar was unwrapped and inspected before being repackaged.

“Manager, that’s two hundred bars, not one more or less. All in order!” the assistant reported.

Liu Rushi nodded and ordered someone to fetch a small wooden chest.

Inside were twenty ingots of official silver, each weighing fifty taels—one thousand taels in total, equal to a thousand strings of coins.

Even though Xu Tieshu and Xu Ping'an had mentally prepared themselves, the sight of so much real silver still set their hearts pounding with excitement.

Xu Mo paid the silver no mind; he closed the chest and said, “Manager Liu, the transaction is complete. We’ll take our leave now.”

Saying this, he handed the chest to Xu Ping'an, who clutched it tightly, his expression growing tense as if he feared someone might snatch it away.

Just as they were about to leave, Liu Rushi called out, “Young Master Xu, wait.”

Xu Mo turned back. “Is there anything else, Manager Liu?”

She smiled. “How often can you supply us with soap?”

Xu Mo frowned thoughtfully. “It’s hard to say. Making the soap is no easy matter—if things go well, perhaps once a month, but if not, it could be several months. I can’t be sure yet.”

“I see…” Liu Rushi paused, then said, “No matter how long it takes, please, bring the next batch first to our General Sundry Goods Hall. The price will remain unchanged. Would that be acceptable?”

“Of course,” Xu Mo replied with a smile, bowing slightly. Then he left with Xu Tieshu and Xu Ping'an.

No sooner had they departed than the assistant, Xiao Wu, sidled up and whispered, “Manager, should I follow them again? I promise to be extra careful this time—they won’t notice a thing.”

Liu Rushi frowned sharply and snapped, “Be quiet! Don’t try to be clever.”

Startled, Xiao Wu bowed his head and withdrew.

After Xiao Wu lost track of Xu Mo last time, Liu Rushi had reflected carefully. All signs suggested it was no accident—Xu Mo had deliberately shaken him off. She resolved never to send anyone to follow him again; offending Xu Mo would certainly ruin their soap business.

She had no intention of behaving like the greedy Tian family.

A moment later, Liu Rushi gave a new order, “Someone, prepare the carriage. We’re going to the Ning family!”

With that, she grabbed two bars of soap and strode out the door.

***

Out on the street, Xu Ping'an was drenched in sweat as he hugged the chest of money. Inside the shop, it had felt safe enough, but now, seeing the throngs of people everywhere, he grew nervous. He felt as if every gaze was that of a would-be thief, ready to pounce at any moment.

Xu Tieshu, unable to bear his son’s lack of composure, scolded loudly as he pushed the wheelbarrow, “Ping'an, can’t you act normal? Do you want everyone to know you’re carrying money?”

This only made Ping'an more nervous. He quickly raised a finger to his lips, hissing, “Father, could you keep your voice down?”

Xu Tieshu realized he’d been too loud, so he fell silent, though his stern glance still reprimanded his son.

Xu Mo came alongside his uncle and said, “Uncle, it’s not safe to keep so much silver at home. Why not deposit it at the Si Hai Bank? We can keep just enough for daily use.”

“You’re right—we should! I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night with so much money in the house,” Xu Tieshu agreed.

Xu Ping'an nodded fiercely.

Seeing there were no objections, Xu Mo pointed ahead. “Uncle, I hear the Si Hai Bank has branches all over the country. Let’s deposit it there.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say,” Xu Tieshu replied readily.

Ping'an nodded again.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the Si Hai Bank.

Inside, Xu Mo divided the thousand taels into two equal shares, then said to his uncle, “Uncle, these five hundred taels are yours. How much would you like to deposit?”

Xu Tieshu was taken aback. “That much?”

He immediately tried to refuse. “No, that won’t do! You invented the soap, so you should take the lion’s share. We can’t accept so much.”

Xu Ping'an agreed wholeheartedly, nodding vigorously.

But Xu Mo insisted, “Uncle, that’s not right. It should be split evenly! Without you, this business wouldn’t exist. Besides, there’s much more we’ll need your family’s help with in the future.”

No matter what Xu Mo said, however, Xu Tieshu refused to accept an even split.

In the end, Xu Mo relented, and they divided the money sixty-forty in favor of his uncle’s family.

Even so, his uncle felt he was getting too much.

Xu Mo deposited his six hundred taels as several bank drafts of varying amounts—the largest for one hundred taels, the smallest for ten. Rolled up, they made a bundle as thick as two fingers.

Leaving the bank, Xu Mo said, “Uncle, I’ll head home now. Miaoyi is waiting for me.”

“Go on, be careful on the way!” Tieshu replied with a smile.

Xu Mo nodded and hurried home with his bank drafts…

Little did he know that at that very moment, five burly men were pounding on his gate.

At their head stood Xu Tong from the Changlong Gambling Den.

After pounding for some time and seeing no response, Xu Tong lost his patience. He shouted, “Xu Mo, today’s the day you pay up! If you don’t open this door right now, I swear I’ll break it down!”