"So, sister takes advantage, I'll sell it to you for 150,000 taels. How much you can sell it for is your own capability."
Qin Junyao tilted her head and looked at Ling Manshuang, "Isn't that too expensive? Reduce the price a bit."
"No reduction. I can't eat all this myself, and I still need Bai Qing's help, so sister can only give you 50,000 taels first, and the remaining silver will be paid in full before the New Year."
"Sister Manshuang, I'll sell it to you for 50,000."
"Sister Junyao, I'll add another 20,000..."
It's unusual for the seller to complain about the buyer offering too much, and the buyer keeps raising the price for the goods.
Qin Junyao left the Ling family, holding a box containing 50,000 taels of silver notes, a ten-thousand tael IOU, and a pot of wilted wild flowers in Liu Yu's arms.
Back at the Zhao family, Qin Junyao first took out 5,000 taels for Liu Rong. This was to pay the migrant workers for their efforts in building grass enclosures and to purchase the shepherd's purse seedlings planted by the villagers.
She then put another 10,000 taels into the accounts. The cotton she brought back couldn't just appear out of thin air. Although the money would eventually end up back in Qin Junyao's hands, it needed to be recorded in the accounts.
There were also wages for the female workers making cotton clothes, the capital for making clothes for the soldiers at the stool legs, and so on. All the miscellaneous expenses were also recorded.
The ledger clearly and plainly recorded which expenses came from her dowry and which came from the public funds.
After handing over the bookkeeping to Liu Rong and Liu Yu, Qin Junyao went to the west annex to find Grandma Qin.
The west annex was now where Grandma Qin housed the eight handsome men she had bought with Qin Junyao's money.
After reading their self-introductions, Qin Junyao came up with a way for them to earn money without doing strenuous labor: forming an ancient version of a boy band.
These eight individuals had different musical instruments they could play, some could perform sword dances, fan dances, recite poetry, and paint.
Combining these skills, Qin Junyao also taught them some ensemble pieces. Their performances were truly a feast for the eyes.
The eight men also liked Qin Junyao's plan for them to become performers.
They could entertain army generals, attend noble ladies' birthday parties, and perform at shop openings, weddings, and funerals, as long as the request was sincere.
They were not entertainers or courtesans, but a public band.
This was exactly what Grandma Qin wished for. Whenever she had free time, she would come to the west annex to watch the eight men practice.
She sat in a rocking chair, eating pears, with a delicate maid fanning her, living the life she had always dreamed of.
"Grandma."
"Shh, wait until this piece is finished," Grandma Qin put her index finger to her lips, reminding Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao wasn't in a hurry to see Grandma Qin, so she sat down with her to listen.
"Good, good," Grandma Qin stood up and applauded after the piece ended.
"This rendition is good. Bai Yu, when you play the qin, your expression should be more engrossed, and your head tilted slightly. Ah, like this, it looks good."
"Qing Feng and Lang Yue, one of you plays the flute and the other plays the xiao. Don't be too far apart."
"Closer, even closer, yes, yes, look at each other while playing, it's beautiful."
"Chen Yan, when you're not playing the erhu and painting, pull up your sleeves higher to reveal your wrist. Only showing half your palm isn't good."
At this moment, Qin Junyao realized Grandma Qin had the potential to be a director. With her guidance, it would be impossible for these eight men not to attract the attention of women.
The piece they were currently practicing was "Hundred Flowers Song," which could be performed at various flower appreciation banquets hosted by noble ladies.
After the war ended and the new emperor ascended the throne, such a band appearing in the imperial city would surely be highly sought after.