"To the Huo Family Grain Store," Cheng Jinzhou said as he stepped out of his room, adjusting his sleeves while addressing Shiyan.
"Are we purchasing grain?" Shiyan turned to close the door behind them.
"Yes, two hundred dan of grain." Cheng Jinzhou continued brushing invisible dust from his sleeves.
Shiyan exhaled softly, glancing at Shimu beside him before offering a conciliatory smile. "Young Master, I fear two hundred dan may be difficult to procure today. It's already afternoon, and the Huo family doesn't keep such large quantities in one location. Not to mention the time needed for official reporting..."
Even if the magistrate's office was practically run by the Cheng family, bureaucratic procedures still took time.
"So long?" Cheng Jinzhou murmured to himself. He felt like a gambler eager to reveal his hand, willing to pay the high stakes required.
Observing his master's expression, Shiyan lowered his voice. "Young Master, for such quantities, it might be more economical to procure from our family granaries."
"The communal stores?" Cheng Jinzhou had initially wanted to avoid involving family resources, hence his plan to buy from external merchants.
As Cheng Jinzhou's personal attendant in this unfamiliar world, Shiyan had his master's best interests at heart. "No matter how expensive our family's grain may be, it's still our own. Moreover, the Madam has approved your monthly grain allowance. Purchasing from our own stores is perfectly legitimate, and we might even obtain larger quantities."
That last sentence was the crucial point. The Cheng family was a true aristocratic household, its numbers perhaps exceeding those of modern corporations. And where there were numbers, corruption inevitably flourished in direct proportion.
Cheng Jinzhou immediately grasped the implication. With a sudden laugh, he gave Shiyan an enthusiastic slap on the back. "Well then, I'll leave this matter in your hands."
When it came to bribery, he naturally preferred to keep his own hands clean, showing no discomfort at the idea of skimming from his family's coffers.
At merely sixteen years old, Shiyan found himself suddenly burdened with the responsibility of handling forty taels of silver, leaving him somewhat apprehensive. His suggestion hadn't been so thoroughly considered.
Cheng Jinzhou counted out five golden melon seeds, displaying wisdom beyond his years. "Keep clear accounts, and you'll be rewarded upon your return."
Five melon seeds equaled two taels of gold—approximately forty taels of silver. With bribery in play, the final price would naturally be lower. Regardless of whether the remaining funds exceeded the expected reward, proper accounting was essential. Otherwise, Cheng Jinzhou might find his own household in disarray before he even began bribing others.
Shiyan carefully tucked the golden melon seeds into his robe, bowed, and retreated through the side gate, his heart heavy with responsibility.
Meanwhile, Cheng Jinzhou marveled at gold's purchasing power. While copper coins served as the Great Xia Dynasty's official currency and silver remained crucial for transactions, gold functioned as premium reserve currency. The handful of golden melon seeds—both in symbolic value and their gleaming, sunflower-seed shape—held irresistible allure.
Beyond Shaonan's eastern gate lay the Cheng family granaries at Red Sun Manor.
Locals called it the Grain Manor. In addition to the Cheng family stores, it housed Shaonan Prefecture's public granaries—government-regulated emergency reserves—and hosted a military garrison protecting one-third of the prefecture's military provisions.
As the breadbasket of Great Xia's southeast, Shaonan Prefecture boasted two million mu of farmland—more than many modern prefecture-level cities, an astonishing figure given contemporary cultivation rates.
Despite lower per-acre yields and smaller total reserves compared to future eras, Red Sun Manor's stockpiles remained staggering. The dynasty treated it as a strategic grain reserve.
Given its importance, Red Sun Manor's steward wasn't a servant but Cheng Mai, a second-generation descendant of the Cheng family's Qing branch—technically Cheng Jinzhou's uncle, though distantly related.
Riding his donkey at breakneck speed, Shiyan hesitated outside the manor gates until a gatekeeper beckoned him warmly.
Bribery was something Shiyan had only heard elders discuss. Having let the idea slip earlier, he now adhered strictly to observing more and speaking less. Smiling broadly, he led his donkey forward with a respectful bow. "Good sir, how may I help you?"
"Which household seeks grain?" The gatekeeper grinned, his demeanor utterly unlike the imperious servants in town.
"From the third household of the Qing branch. I'm Third Young Master's attendant, Shiyan."
"An attendant! Now that's... what's the phrase... a bright future ahead." The gatekeeper laughed heartily, extending both hands. "How much grain do you need?"
Puzzled by the dual gesture, Shiyan murmured, "Two hundred dan."
"Such an appetite!" Several men emerged from the guardhouse. A middle-aged man in a blue short jacket, rubbing his bald head and scrubbing grime from his neck, swayed forward to inspect Shiyan. "You didn't even bring carts. How will you transport two hundred dan?"
"The manor's carts..." Shiyan caught himself mid-sentence, then smiled. "We'll need to complete the purchase first."
The first gatekeeper kept both hands extended, winking. "Two hundred dan normally requires official reporting. We can arrange transport, but the price would be higher."
"Depends whether you use your left or right hand," the gatekeeper said, rubbing his fingers together as the others chuckled knowingly.
Shiyan understood perfectly—he just hadn't expected Red Sun Manor's staff to be so brazenly corrupt, almost without pretense. Adopting a deliberately naive tone, he asked, "Which hand offers better terms?"
The gatekeeper withdrew his right hand.
Shiyan carefully produced a golden melon seed, placing it in the left palm.
"Fifty dan," the bald man called out like a coded response.
The Cheng family's signature golden melon seeds were rare sights for outer estate servants. One man immediately plucked it up with his teeth, heedless of sweat, biting down hard. "So soft."
"Could it be softer than Little Lotus?" The others roared with laughter.
Unfazed, Shiyan kept his hand at his chest. "Payment upon delivery."
"Come collect your goods." Seeing real gold, the bald man grew serious.
Red Sun Manor's granaries varied in size. The bald man headed straight for the largest, casually directing resting workers to quickly load fifty dan onto carts. Growing confident, Shiyan produced two more melon seeds. "Two hundred dan for one tael and two mace of gold."
"Four seeds." The experienced bald man slowly extended four fingers.
Four seeds equaled thirty-two taels of silver—twenty percent cheaper than market rates, though quality suffered with older stock from storage. Not that Cheng Jinzhou cared.
Seeing progress, Shiyan bargained vigorously until the bald man conceded another two taels, finally loading all two hundred dan.
Thirty taels of silver saved several months' wages for second-tier servants. How much the bald man pocketed remained unknown.
Only then did Shiyan realize his entire body was drenched in sweat.