The weather in May was extremely muggy, without a breath of wind. The willow trees in front of the Bai Mansion were wilted under the scorching sun, their branches hanging listlessly, motionless.
"Master Song, why don't you wait inside the mansion? It's really hot out here. I'm afraid you'll get sunburned."
Bai Fu stood at the side door, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he earnestly advised.
In front of him stood a dashing young master in a flamboyant red brocade robe. He casually leaned one hand on the doorframe while vigorously waving a silk fan with the other, making his jet - black hair flutter in the wind.
"Can't your young lady act more like a proper young lady in the boudoir? Which young lady on the verge of marriage runs outside every day like her?"
There was full of complaint in Song Yiqing's words.
He had come here three times. For three whole days, he had come every day, but he never once managed to meet Bai Zheng.
Today, he was determined and simply waited at the door without leaving.
He was going to wait for Bai Zheng to come back no matter what!
Bai Fu gave an obsequious smile. Although his face showed apology, his tone was filled with pride: "Our young lady is different from the ordinary young ladies. She's a woman with her own mind. Not only you, Master Song, but even the mistress hasn't seen the young lady for several days and is very anxious!"
Hearing this, Song Yiqing's hand that was waving the fan paused. He suddenly closed the fan neatly, stared intently at Bai Fu, and raised his eyebrows: "Uncle Fu, do you think your young lady...?"
"Think what?" Bai Fu was puzzled by his question.
"Could she be trying to elope?" Song Yiqing winked playfully, "After careful consideration, she might have regretted marrying the Marquis of Dingyuan and wants to find someone more handsome and suave..."
It took Bai Fu a while to understand what Song Yiqing meant. Just as he was about to retort angrily, he heard a cold voice from the front.
"Is there anyone in Yongding City more handsome and suave than the Marquis of Dingyuan? Besides, if I eloped and left this huge family fortune for you to take, wouldn't it be just what you want?"
Song Yiqing felt a cold breeze on his back, which dissipated half of the summer heat on his body.
He turned around and saw Bai Zheng in men's clothing standing quietly behind him. She was also holding a silk fan like him and gently fanning. Her red lips were slightly pursed, and her eyes were smiling. She looked extremely charming.
"Ah, we've finally been able to welcome back our rich lady! Come on, come into the house quickly!"
Song Yiqing almost immediately adjusted his expression. The playfulness in his eyes disappeared, leaving only flattery. He made a "please" gesture with one hand towards the house and fanned Bai Zheng vigorously with the other.
Bai Zheng gave him a cold look from the corner of her eye and walked straight into the house.
"What have you been busy with outside these days? I've been looking for you to sign a document but couldn't find you."
As soon as she sat down in the house and before she even had a sip of tea, Song Yiqing's complaints came.
Bai Zheng's face remained calm. She rolled up her sleeves and slowly poured herself a cup of tea.
Song Yiqing stared at her eagerly. Only after she picked up the cup, blew on it gently, and took a small sip of tea did he speak: "Have you thought it through, Master Song?"
"I've thought it through. Thirty percent is fine!" Song Yiqing nodded like a pounding garlic.
"Although the Song family can only take thirty percent, the shops will require the Song family to provide manpower and effort. Don't you think it's a loss, Master Song?" Bai Zheng glanced at him.
"It's not a loss. I feel honored just following Miss Bai and picking up money. How much more so when it's a proper cooperation with Miss Bai."
Song Yiqing looked extremely honored.
He had secretly investigated the shops that Bai Zheng was preparing. Although the products were still in the process of continuous testing and refining and he couldn't see the whole picture.
But just from the things he picked up from the garbage heap that the shops hadn't had time to destroy, he didn't recognize any of them completely.
Think about the papermaking technique back then.
The more things he, Song Yiqing, didn't recognize, the stronger their ability to turn into silver.
How could he not understand this truth!
Hearing this, Bai Zheng smiled. At this time, she hadn't changed out of her men's clothing. Her hair was tied up high with only a blue cloth, revealing her fair and delicate face, making her look clean and tidy.
She held the teapot in one hand and picked up a teacup that was upside - down on the tray with the other. She turned it over, filled it with water, and brought it in front of Song Yiqing.
The whole set of movements was smooth and very beautiful.
"Since that's the case." She picked up the teacup and gently clinked it with the cup in front of Song Yiqing, "Then I wish us a happy cooperation."
After saying that, she took a sip of the tea first.
Song Yiqing laughed heartily and also picked up the teacup and drank it in one gulp.
"I just like your straightforward personality." After drinking the tea, he took out the "cooperation agreement" that he had carried for three days from his sleeve with a beaming smile and presented it in front of Bai Zheng.
Bai Zheng read it carefully. Without saying a word, she picked up a pen and signed her name at the end.
"Generous!" Song Yiqing's smile almost reached his ears.
Bai Zheng weighed the agreement in her hand and also smiled: "It's because the Song family is worthy of cooperation that I'm so straightforward."
The negotiation last time was really not in vain. Song Yiqing had completely given up his petty thoughts of taking advantage.
Almost every clause in this agreement was a concession to Bai Zheng.
How could Bai Zheng not sign it neatly?
Song Yiqing grinned from ear to ear. The more he looked at the woman in front of him, the more pleasing she seemed. Immediately, he said: "Since Miss Bai is so straightforward, to celebrate our cooperation, I, Song, have a generous gift to give first."
"What generous gift?" Bai Zheng raised her eyebrows.
Song Yiqing sat up straight, with a mysterious expression on his face: "Didn't Miss Bai visit the General's Mansion a few days ago?"
Bai Zheng immediately became interested: "Is it about Bai Sheng?"
Song Yiqing didn't play hard - to - get. He looked around. After making sure that there was no one else in the room except Zhuling, Bai Zheng's personal maid, he leaned closer and whispered: "You guessed right. Bai Sheng did have a miscarriage."
Three days had passed since the incident, and this result was within Bai Zheng's expectation. So there was no surprise on her face. She only asked the part she was most interested in: "Have they found out whose child it is?"
Song Yiqing frowned: "This matter is rather strange."
Hearing this, Bai Zheng quickly filled the cup in front of Song Yiqing with tea: "I'd like to hear the details."
"This time, Bai Sheng's incident was sudden, and the General's Mansion wasn't prepared. The doctor they invited was from the medical clinic opened by our Song family.
Thanks to this, I, Song, finally got to know the general situation of the fetus in Bai Sheng's belly.
According to the doctor, Bai Sheng's child was about one to two months old.
It's just that her menstrual cycle was often irregular, and she didn't notice it herself. So, it's likely that Bai Sheng herself didn't even know she was pregnant."