Chapter 39: Storage_2

Yueyao could not possibly say that she was storing ancient books, so she immediately said, "What I want to store is my father's calligraphy." She then took out the yellow pear blossom wooden box secured with a copper lock. Yueyao did not open it to let Manager Qian take a look.

Manager Qian could be the shopkeeper at Huitong Money House because he knew how to read the room; of course, he would not ask about the nature of the calligraphy. "This box only needs a small safe deposit box. For a small one, the fee is five hundred taels of silver a year. Lady, if you deposit for ten years, I can give you a 20% discount. That would be four thousand taels of silver in total, to be paid at once." Four thousand taels was no small sum.

Ma Chengteng was about to pay the money.

Yueyao shook her head, "Uncle, I will pay this money myself." The annual income of an ordinary family here was about twenty taels of silver, which could provide three meals a day without worries. Four thousand taels indeed was a lot, but since she aimed for safety and the service, she had to deposit it despite the cost.

Ma Chengteng insisted, "Uncle will pay this money for you. The little money you have on you should be kept for when you have many other places to spend it in the future." Having said that, he took out a silver note and gave it to Manager Qian, "Exchange one thousand taels into silver ingots and small silver pieces." He didn't need to go into detail. He trusted Manager Qian would handle the division properly.

The night before, Ma Yuan had told Ma Chengteng about Yueyao's actions. Ma Chengteng didn't mind. A few thousand taels of silver, once spent, were spent.

Yueyao felt both warmth and bitterness in her heart. She was warmed by her uncle's disregard for silver coin, but embittered by Lady Mo's scheming ways to calculate every bit of silver she had. It was like heaven and earth in difference.

Manager Qian took the silver note and, seeing that it was from Huiyuan Money House, valued at ten thousand taels, became even more respectful. "Old Master, Lady, please wait a moment," he said before leaving with the silver note.

Soon, the shopkeeper returned, motioning for Ma Chengteng to follow Yueyao out. Ma Chengteng looked at Yueyao and said, "Uncle will wait right here." There was no need for him to accompany her to deposit her items.

Yueyao hesitated for a moment, then, clutching the small box, followed Manager Qian out. After walking for a while, they arrived at a rather spacious room.

After thinking it over, Yueyao carefully said, "Shopkeeper, the items here are books, I'm worried about them getting damp and molding?" It wasn't that Yueyao was being overly cautious, but rather, from her past experience in the Nunnery, where scriptures often needed airing out, otherwise, they would mold and rot away.

Manager Qian looked at Yueyao, somewhat surprised that the young lady knew quite a bit. "Rest assured, since you've already mentioned they are calligraphic works, we have corresponding preservation measures. Not to mention dampness and mold, even insects won't be a problem," he assured. Four hundred taels of silver a year didn't come for nothing.

Yueyao's expression finally relaxed after hearing this assurance.

Manager Qian took a sachet of herbs from someone else and said, "Lady, since what's in your box is calligraphy, this sachet of herbs must be placed inside as well. Otherwise, I cannot assure you that insects won't get in." This was a specially tailored sachet, and with a specialized storage space meant for ten years, they didn't have to worry about any damage.

Only then did Yueyao take the key from around her neck to unlock the box and placed the sachet at one side. Manager Qian stepped aside, not looking at what was inside Yueyao's box.

Manager Qian took Yueyao's box, put it into the safe, locked it, and handed the key to Yueyao. He then sealed the safe in Yueyao's presence and had Yueyao mark the seal herself. If tampered with, the mark would disappear.

After these arrangements were made, Yueyao handed Manager Qian a letter sealed with wax: "Hereafter, aside from the key and the bill, one must also produce a letter identical in content to this one in order to retrieve the items." That is to say, from now on, not only would the person need the key and the bill, but they would also need to present a letter matching the one she had just given to the shopkeeper to collect the items.

Seeing Yueyao's meticulous precautions, Manager Qian was astonished but didn't find her request excessive—it merely meant redrafting a contract.

Yueyao placed the bill into her pouch. She threaded the key onto a string and hung it back around her neck. These items could only bring her peace of mind if they were kept on her person.

Just back in her chamber, the money shop's clerk had already delivered two small boxes. One contained small silver pieces, and the other contained silver ingots engraved with patterns such as plum blossoms and traditional auspicious shapes. These ingots were ideal for tipping generously.

Ma Chengteng glanced at them and waved his hand, saying, "Put them in the carriage!" Ma Chengteng was someone who did not manage the day-to-day affairs. The accounts of the external household were managed by the Chief Steward Ma Yuan. All Ma Yuan had to do was report the finances to him once a month.

Speaking of which, Ma Chengteng had one virtue, which was that he trusted those he employed. Lady Cheng had limited abilities, but she had ambitious aspirations to take over the accounts of the external household. To overthrow the Chief Steward Ma Yuan, she even resorted to framing and entrapment. Unfortunately for her, Ma Chengteng paid no heed to these 'evidences' and sharply rebuked Lady Cheng. Because of this, Lady Cheng, let alone intervening, was not even clear about the specific affairs of the external household. Luckily, Ma Yuan was loyal and honest, harboring no ulterior motives. Otherwise, if he had been cunning and encountered a master like this, he surely would have embezzled relentlessly.

After leaving Huiyuan Money House, nearly an hour had already passed. Ma Chengteng looked at the sky, noting it was close to noon, and instructed the coachman directly, "Head to Hongfu Restaurant."

Yueyao knew of Hongfu Restaurant, the best restaurant in the Capital City. It was said a casual meal there could cost hundreds of taels of silver. A sense of unease grew inside Yueyao. Could the Ma Family withstand such extravagance? No matter how solid the foundation, such unbridled spending would soon bleed it dry. Could the Ma Family really be reliable?

About a quarter hour later, the carriage stopped.

Yueyao stepped down from the carriage and gazed at the towering building before her. Compared to the surrounding structures, this one stood a full story taller, making it stand out like a crane amongst chickens.

"Hongfu Restaurant," Yueyao read the smoothly flowing characters above the entrance, contemplating which famous person might have penned them. Of course, as the Capital City's top restaurant, Hongfu Restaurant wouldn't have such prestige without a substantial backing.

The area in front of Hongfu Restaurant was bustling, and everyone coming in and out was dressed in splendid attire. The dishes at Hongfu Restaurant were renowned throughout the city, second only to those served in the Emperor's kitchen. In the Capital City, it claimed second place, and no one dared to claim first.

Nanny Deng hesitantly said, "Old Master, the miss is still in mourning."

Without waiting for Ma Chengteng to reply, Yueyao smiled and said, "Entering the restaurant is merely for dining, not necessarily for drinking alcohol or eating meat. The vegetarian dishes at Hongfu Restaurant are also exceedingly delicious." She had often heard high praise for their cuisine in her past life when she was outside.

Nanny Deng quickly added, "It is this servant's mistake." Nanny Deng was not someone who would make such a low-level error; she was subtly reminding Ma Chengteng to order vegetarian dishes later, instead of meat.