Chapter 186: Chapter 187: Deng Yuanhang Receives a Client

Deng Yuanhang crossed his arms, looking at Ancient Wen Heng, who only ever showed up when he needed something. "What wind blew you in today? I’m surprised a busy man like you has the time."

Ancient Wen Heng walked right past him. "I’m here to hire an escort. Get to it, start entertaining your clients."

Deng Yuanhang pointed at himself. "Me? Entertain clients?" If not for the height difference, he would have shoved the man right out. That phrasing really rubbed him the wrong way.

Ancient Wen Heng said, "You haven’t been to the academy for days. Mr. Nan has asked about you several times, and his expression gets uglier with each mention. Are you sure you want to keep this up?"

Deng Yuanhang’s face was a mask of misery. "It’s not that I want to! There’s just too much business coming and going. All of our available men are out on jobs, so I have to hold down the fort.

Once this next escort job is dispatched in a day or two, I’ll definitely go back to receive the master’s teachings."

"If you’re really in a bind, just hire a couple more people. It’s not like your escort agency would have gone out of business if you hadn’t come here to study, right?" Ancient Wen Heng shook his head, looking around the empty agency. ’This whole operation is full of holes.’

Deng Yuanhang said, "It’s not that simple. Even if we train people on a temporary basis, it takes more than a few days.

We actually had enough staff before. I don’t know what’s been going on recently, but so many people are requesting group escorts that it’s completely drained our manpower."

Ancient Wen Heng rubbed the bridge of his nose. ’This seems to have something to do with me, after all.’ When all the trading firms set out for various parts of the country at the same time, they usually hired escort agencies to travel with them.

Seeing his guilty expression, Deng Yuanhang’s suspicions were confirmed. "That batch of goods that came into the port a while back... that had something to do with you, didn’t it? I remember getting some soap from you before. It looked a little different, but it worked the same."

Ancient Wen Heng coughed lightly. "I hope Senior Brother can help me keep this a secret."

He had known coming here that Deng Yuanhang had likely already figured it out. It was just that his friend was too busy to get away, or he would have definitely come to get to the bottom of it.

"Aha! So my recent misery is all thanks to you," Deng Yuanhang said, walking over and slinging an arm around his shoulder. "You’ve really put your senior brother through the wringer. Now, let’s talk about compensation."

Ancient Wen Heng was speechless.

"I’ve fallen behind on so much of my studies, and I’ve made a bad impression on Mr. Nan. I’ve been so busy I’m run off my feet. If you don’t offer me something good, you’re not leaving today."

"That’s where you’re wrong," Ancient Wen Heng said, pushing him off. "A grown man shouldn’t be so clingy. Stand up straight, and then we can talk."

Deng Yuanhang walked across with a serious expression and sat down. "Go on. How are you going to compensate me?"

Ancient Wen Heng gave him a smirk. "Senior Brother Deng, are you sure you shouldn’t be the one thanking me?

Thanks to me, you’ve got more escort jobs than you can handle. Your business has gone up a level. That’s a great thing!"

Deng Yuanhang was speechless. ’Damn it, he had a point.’

But then he glared. "Don’t give me that twisted logic. Even without these extra jobs, this young master would be just fine. Look at me now! I’ve even sent out my two personal attendants. Have you ever seen such a tragic young master of the house?"

"So that’s your problem right there. A big escort agency like this should have planned for unexpected situations. Just a few extra jobs have thrown you into such a state. In the future, if the port gets busier, competitors will pop up in no time with your slow processing speed."

Ancient Wen Heng’s face was full of disdain as he spoke. "A customer like me has been in here for this long, and you haven’t even asked what kind of job I need done?"

Deng Yuanhang took a deep breath. "Then, may I ask what kind of escort this gentleman requires?"

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Lift the corners of your mouth. Show a little smile. With that long face of yours, plus this empty-looking place, I doubt anyone would dare to entrust their business to you."

Deng Yuanhang slammed his hand on the table. "You brat! You may be a little older than me, but don’t forget I’m still your senior brother. If you have something to say, say it. I don’t have time to chit-chat with you."

Ancient Wen Heng pulled a letter from his robes. "I was afraid you’d be too busy, so I brought the letter over in advance."

Deng Yuanhang took the letter. "Is there trouble at home?"

Ancient Wen Heng replied, "Nothing major. Having Brother Li Yong make the trip should be enough. But you guys really can’t go on like this. Don’t you know you need a clear division of labor for any business? How can you send out everyone who’s supposed to be minding the shop on escort missions?"

Deng Yuanhang spread his hands helplessly. "We have no choice. It just so happens that everyone here has some fighting skill. If I didn’t have to go to the academy, I’d probably be out on an escort mission somewhere right now myself."

Ancient Wen Heng knew this was how they had operated for decades. "So you haven’t tried hiring anyone?"

"There are recruitment notices posted on the walls outside, but unfortunately, we haven’t found anyone suitable."

Ancient Wen Heng looked at him with understanding. "You’re not looking for someone who’s a master of both the pen and the sword, are you?"

Deng Yuanhang replied, "Is that wrong? We don’t need them to be great scholars, but they at least have to be literate. Otherwise, they won’t be able to read signs or maps along the way."

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Have you ever considered hiring people first and then training them slowly?"

In this dynasty, unless a family had money to spare, who would have their children learn to read and write from a young age? To demand someone skilled in both scholarly and martial arts was asking for the nearly impossible.

"Wenheng, you’re a quick thinker. Why don’t you give us some ideas?" Deng Yuanhang was getting a headache just thinking about it. In his old man’s words, if he failed to become a scholar, his fate was to take over the escort agency.

After so many busy days, Deng Yuanhang’s head was throbbing. The daily grind was full of so many trivial matters. He’d rather just bury his nose in a book and study hard so he could pass this mess on to his younger brothers.

Ancient Wen Heng was speechless.

Liu Xiaohua looked at Jin Qianqian hesitantly. "Madam, how about you give me a new name, too?"

Jin Qianqian was watching Zhuqing and Zhulan calculate the previous account books and looked up at her in surprise. "Why?"

Liu Xiaohua fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. "Little Hua... it just sounds like ’little flower’ or ’little grass.’ It’s not as pretty as the sisters’ names."

"But that’s the name your parents gave you. If you buy back your freedom and go home someday, you won’t be used to a new name." Jin Qianqian really hadn’t planned on keeping her by her side forever.

"I’m not going back," Liu Xiaohua said, pressing her lips together. "I’m going to follow you for the rest of my life, Madam."

Jin Qianqian said, "You silly girl. Actually, I was planning to talk to you about this today. We won’t be staying in Sea City for very long. We’ll be going back home next spring. If you have anything you want to tell your family, you should go and let them know in advance."

Although Liu Xiaohua wasn’t as sharp as the twin sisters, she was nimble and efficient. Jin Qianqian wanted to keep her around for a while. In a few years, she could see whether Liu Xiaohua wanted to buy back her freedom and go home, or she could help her find a reliable man to marry.

"I’ve already been sold. Of course I’m not going back. Madam, please give me a name. I’ll serve by your side forever."