Chapter 39: Storage
The carriage stopped.
When Yueyao heard the coachman say they had arrived and ask her to get off, she didn't know why her heart skipped a beat. Now that they were at the Huitong Money House, Yueyao caressed the box with her hand. It might be eight years, or perhaps even longer, before she would see it again.
Yueyao put on her veil cap and descended from the carriage. Even with the cap veiling her face, she could still see the four glistening gold characters above the entrance: "Huitong Money House."
Looking at those characters, cast in gold, Yueyao smiled, thinking it really was a display of vast wealth for such a sign to be worth tens of thousands of gold.
As she stepped off the carriage, she saw two Valiant Soldiers at the entrance, each with its mouth wide open. The Valiant Soldier attracted wealth, allowing it to come in but not to go out, making it most suitable to stand guard at a money shop as a House Guardian Beast.
Upon stepping up the staircase and crossing through the door, she found that not only were the door handles on the red-painted doors made of top-grade marble, but the path leading to the main hall was also paved with the finest marble.
Just as she approached the steps, a shop assistant dressed in blue came to greet her: "May I ask if the Great Master is here to deposit or withdraw silver..."
Yueyao was somewhat surprised by this question, as it was her first time here and she was unfamiliar with the local situation. She turned her head towards Ma Chengteng.
Ma Chengteng said with a smile, "Please arrange a private room for us!" Ma Chengteng didn't want others to know his niece was storing items, so today, instead of having Nanny Deng carry them, he had his attendant take charge.
Upon hearing this, the smile on the shop assistant's face grew even wider, "This way, please, Old Master." When someone asks for a private room, it clearly indicates they want VIP service. Not having the awareness of this simple fact might cost him his job. The assistant was cheerfully thinking that attending to such a major customer this month could mean a hefty bonus.
Entering the main hall, Yueyao saw that the middle of the hall had a marble screen held up by a gold frame. On the left, there was a base made of black nanmu wood that cradled a gold-glittering Valiant Soldier, larger than Yueyao herself, also forged from pure gold. To the right stood another nanmu wood base, upon which a pine tree over a meter tall was carved from a single block of Ink Jade. The pine tree symbolized everlasting longevity, remaining evergreen for thousands of years, also implying an unending prosperity in business.
Looking at the decorations in the main hall, Yueyao thought to herself, how truly extravagant. Indeed, it lived up to the name of the foremost money house. However, it was quite strange that the money shop did not have a wealth deity.
The shop assistant led them to the private room.
The room was small, but elegantly arranged. Inside, the round table was made of Yellow Pearwood, and the table was set with pastries and fruit, with a painting hanging on the wall. There was a writing desk by the window, with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone set upon it.
After leading them inside the private room, the shop assistant asked, "If there is anything the Old Master requires, please do not hesitate to command me."
Ma Chengteng nodded, "Please call your shopkeeper to come here." Since they planned to deposit something for a long period, it was definitely necessary to find the shopkeeper to discuss it.
The shop assistant immediately went out.
With a smile, Yueyao started to admire the painting on the wall. It depicted a landscape of lush green mountains and rivers. The painting was done in Wen Style, using the techniques of outlined shading on a foundation of ink outlining and color washes and introduced the method of filled color painting with vibrant blue-green hues.
Ma Chengteng, having nothing better to do, talked with Yueyao about the painting. Nanny Deng, not understanding the topic, simply stood aside with her head bowed, waiting.
The attendant from outside announced the arrival of the shopkeeper. Yueyao looked towards the entrance, and in came a man of over fifty, dressed in a treasure blue satin gown, slightly portly, and with a mildly hunched back. He had a small beard on his chin, which was not very long. He had a kind face, and when he smiled, his eyes crinkled into slits.
The man respectfully inquired, "Old Master, my surname is Qian. May I ask what services I may offer you?" His years of experience allowed him to judge from the clothing Ma Chengteng and Yueyao wore that, despite not being luxurious, the fabric was of excellent quality satin and they must be from a wealthy family. Since they specifically asked for a private room, it had to be for a significant transaction.
Ma Chengteng looked to Yueyao: "Yueyao, you speak for yourself!" The reputation of the Huitong Money House was well known, so there was no concern about leaking any information. It was up to Yueyao herself to share.
Yueyao said with a smile, "Manager Qian, I've heard that this place offers storage services. I'm not familiar with the details, could you please explain them to me?"
After hearing Yueyao's request, Manager Qian glanced at Ma Chengteng, who nodded in return, finding the situation rather peculiar. Nonetheless, as a professional, he wouldn't inquire about the customer's business and proceeded to explain everything Yueyao wanted to know.
Once he finished, Yueyao said, "I'm planning to store something for ten years."
Manager Qian took another glance at Ma Chengteng and, seeing that he didn't intervene, addressed Yueyao, "Miss, that will depend on what you are storing. I will then arrange for it to be kept in a suitable place." Different items required different storage conditions, and of course, the prices varied accordingly.