"Alright, let's talk about your matters. My little issues are not worth mentioning. I was just bored and feeling a bit melancholic here by myself."
The things in his mind now seemed too astonishing. After all, no one could have imagined that such a small, insignificant country could have almost annihilated the great Song Dynasty.
Not only would Zhe Yourong not believe it, but perhaps any Song citizen in this era would not believe such a thing.
"If you don't want to talk about it, fine. It's unusual for a talent like you to be melancholic. Next time you lie, can you think of a better excuse?"
Zhe Yourong rolled her eyes at him, clearly unconvinced by his perfunctory excuse.
"No, I'm considered the foremost talent in the Great Song. What's wrong with being melancholic? Isn't it a common trait among scholars?"
Caught red-handed in his lie, Han Mo truly felt a bit embarrassed and immediately retorted.
"You have a bad habit when you lie, kid. Whenever you lie, your eyes subconsciously dart to the left before you speak!"
Hearing Zhe Yourong say this, Han Mo was utterly speechless.
He really hadn't noticed that he had such a habit.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you trying to trick me here? How is that possible? How come I don't know about it myself?"
Han Mo scratched his head, looking at Zhe Yourong with confusion.
"Believe it or not. Anyway, not many people speak the truth."
"I say, even though we have an engagement, you can't slander me like this. I'm known to everyone as the honest and reliable young gentleman. You have to take responsibility for saying that!"
"Stop being a smart aleck and let's get back to the main topic. Can you light the candle at this late hour? With your current wealth, you don't need to steal light from a neighbor's wall, do you?"
It was quite strange, really. If a person is trapped in a dark environment.
Often, they would feel uneasy in their hearts. But if there was someone they knew around, the situation seemed to be completely different.
However, if it were a man and a woman, the atmosphere would inevitably become a little awkward, just like now.
This peculiar atmosphere made Zhe Yourong quite uncomfortable.
"Didn't gold mountains and silver mountains also accumulate bit by bit? It's good to save wherever possible!"
Han Mo chuckled as he spoke, but he still took out a fire starter from his sleeve and lit the candle in front of him.
Under the flickering candlelight, Zhe Yourong, dressed in black, was almost unbelievably beautiful.
A single glance made Han Mo stare blankly, his gaze fixed on Zhe Yourong.
"You dork, why are you looking at me like that..."
Zhe Yourong was still a young lady, and her face immediately turned red with shyness.
"You can't blame me for this. Who told you to be so beautiful?"
"Scoundrel!"
Han Mo's roguish behavior drew another chiding from the beauty, but he enjoyed it immensely.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. But you've been quite quick. It's only been a few days, and the first batch of goods is already made. Did you bring any samples?"
Joking around always needed to know when to stop.
After all, even though they were engaged, if he really angered her, she would actually fight him.
"I specifically brought a few pieces. How about you take a look?"
As Zhe Yourong spoke, she untied a small bundle from herself and placed it on the table in front of Han Mo.
"Not bad, not bad, the carving is truly excellent!"
After opening the small bundle, even Han Mo couldn't help but praise it profusely.
Just based on its appearance, these items could already fetch a high price.
"How many were made in the first batch?"
"Around a few hundred. The waist carvings are too tedious. If we didn't have a few old carvers at home, doing these things would be quite difficult!"
"Difficult only the first time. Once you have the molds, the rest is simple."
"I've been looking for a few shops these days, but the locations are really..."
Zhe Yourong's voice trailed off with a hint of helplessness.
All the good shops in Bianliang City were already fully occupied.
It was incredibly difficult to acquire one with a suitable location and size now.
Even if a suitable one happened to appear, the price would likely be beyond their current means.
No matter how promising the prospect of these goods, their capital was still limited at this moment.
"For the first batch, why not send them out first! As for shops, you can go and prepare some funds. In a month's time, I guarantee you'll have plenty of excellent shops to choose from!"
Feng Yuanbao had caused such a huge mess this time that not only could he not stay in Bianliang City.
He likely couldn't stay in the other cities either. Selling so many shops at once wouldn't be easy.
After all, he had offended Wang Fu this time. Who could guarantee that after taking over his shops, no one would come looking for trouble?
Not everyone had the courage of Han Mo, an ordinary citizen who dared to confront a high official like Wang Fu.
"How much money will that require?"
When it came to money, Zhe Yourong couldn't help but frown. Wasn't the family lacking money right now?
"How much can you pool together?"
Han Mo calculated and then casually asked.
"In a month, at most a hundred thousand guan..."
Zhe Yourong hesitated and then said again.
"You prepare the funds first. I still have some spare money. If that's not enough, I can swallow my pride and try to get some on credit, but I'll say this upfront: once we make money, you have to pay it all back first. Otherwise, I won't be able to show my face anymore!"
Han Mo calculated and said earnestly.
"You must know that what we're doing can't be supported by just three or five shops..."
"Over fifty prime business locations across the country, along with several thousand nimble shop assistants and managers. Is that enough for you to work with?"
Han Mo smiled and said casually.
"So many? How is that possible?"
Zhe Yourong's eyes widened.
If it were just three or five shops in Bianliang City, perhaps she might have believed it.
But to say over fifty prime locations nationwide, what could their meager funds do?
"How is it impossible? Believe it or not, you go and prepare the funds and manpower. In a month, someone will deliver all the procedures to you!"
Han Mo smiled and said casually.