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It seems that even the price is so well known, it must have been Wang Furen who let it slip out.

“Thank you, Steward Yan Qi, for looking out for me.”

Qin Niu sincerely expressed his gratitude.

The business of selling fertilizer had finally gotten off the ground.

“Hey, that sentence was the most heartfelt!” Steward Yan Qi said with a double meaning, almost subtly telling Qin Niu that nothing he had said before was true.

Qin Niu broke out in a cold sweat of worry.

Dealing with such important figures, it felt as if all secrets were laid bare before them.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going back now.”

Qin Niu had received fifty Wen Money and was calculating that he would need to gather a basket of fertilizer to take to the Yan Family tomorrow.

In business, one must certainly maintain a gold-lettered reputation.

Clients like the Yan Family didn’t come around often.

In the rear garden of the Yan Family mansion, which was planted with all kinds of exotic flowers and precious trees and laid out elegantly, a portly elderly man was reading a book in the pavilion.

Two beautiful maidservants, around sixteen or seventeen years old, stood behind the elderly man, gently fanning him.

There was tea brewing on the table, the fragrance wafting through the air.

If one observed closely, one would find a pure copper incense burner placed under the table. The sunlight from the sky slanted onto the body of the burner, and wisps of purple smoke rose from it, then gradually dissipated, filling every inch of the pavilion.

It was truly a scene straight out of a fairyland, with the sunlight on the incense burner producing purple smoke.

Incense was an essential item for wealthy households.

Reading, resting, tea-tasting, and playing chess… all made use of incense.

Incense burners were most commonly made of two types of material: copper and silver.

Silver conducted heat better than copper and was more likely to cause burns, and considering the principle that wealth should not be flaunted, it was used less frequently.

Copper incense burners were more popular.

The smallest incense burners were only the size of a palm, and slightly larger ones were only as big as the rim of a sea bowl. As for even larger incense burners, they were generally not used for burning incense but for worshiping deities and ancestors.

Items used for sacrificial offerings were not called burners but rather tripods.

These were much larger than burners.

For a wealthy household like the Yan Family, when offering sacrifices to ancestors or heaven and earth, it was common to slaughter the “three sacrifices” to increase the sense of ceremony and devotion.

These usually referred to cattle, sheep, and pigs, collectively known as the “great three sacrifices”.

Less affluent wealthy families, on the other hand, used the “lesser three sacrifices”.

This looked much more modest, consisting of pigs, chickens, and fish.

However, compared to wealthy people, ordinary folks appeared even more modest. When offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and the gods during New Year, the offerings consisted of a piece of pork, a bowl of fish, and a whole chicken.

If there was no chicken available at home, fruit would be used as a substitute.

The incense used in the burner also came with its own level of sophistication; small, wealthy families burned incense that produced white smoke, and even lower quality incense could produce grey smoke.

For a household like the Yan Family, the incense used was of superior quality, emitting a light purple smoke.

If you were a mid-level member of the Black Tiger Gang, the incense you used produced purple smoke.

The Gang Leader and Deputy Gang Leader, those high up in the hierarchy, used even higher quality incense, which emitted a thick purple smoke.

But the highest quality of incense was colorless.

The fragrance was appropriately subtle and persistent, colorless, and enduring. A single breath of it could refresh the mind and invigorate the spirit—this was the top-grade incense. It was estimated that even the Black Tiger Gang Leader couldn’t afford to use it.

The Yan Family could afford only the type that produced light purple smoke.

The price was not cheap; it was said that a small plate cost One Tael of Silver.

One plate could last about six Hours or so.

If used for an entire day, that would be Two Silver Money a day.

Considering that a common farmer’s annual income was only three taels of silver, one can imagine how luxurious the life of a rich person was.

“Master, Yan Qi requests an audience!”

A personal servant walked to the outside of the pavilion and reported with a bow.

The pavilion inside was where the master of the Yan Family stayed, and without permission, servants did not dare to take a single step inside.

This was a form of reverence for the master.

If any newcomer didn’t understand the rules and dared to enter the pavilion rashly to report, at the very least, they would be scolded, or at the worst, have their legs broken.

The larger the household, the stricter the rules.

For example, during meals, servants and female family members cannot join the table. The women typically have servants deliver their meals to their rooms to eat, keeping out of sight.

It goes without saying for the servants; they have no status whatsoever.

The masters feast on exotic delicacies while the servants are left to eat the poorest quality food. Having fine grains to eat every day is considered a very good treatment for them.

“Let him in!”

The elder spoke indifferently.

His voice was extremely steady, naturally exuding depth and authority.

Being in a position of power doesn’t mean you have to keep a stern face and glare to be authoritative, but rather it’s the confidence and solidity in every move that makes one as immovable as a mountain, causing those before him to feel insignificant and awe-inspired.

Those who always wear a fierce expression can only turn out like Wang Haikun; that’s the look of evil spirits, a manifestation of insecurity.

Inner brutality, acting without the wisdom and steadiness expected of someone in power.

And even less likely to earn the respect of others.

In Shuangfeng Village, nine out of ten villagers hate Wang Haikun to the point of gritting their teeth, but it is just that they dare not speak their anger.

Where could such a person find any dignity?

If something were to happen to the brother behind him, you can be sure he’ll be pushed over by the crowd.

Steward Yan Qi quickly walked through the arch of the back garden.

The back garden, a private space for the master to stroll and sit quietly, is not a place servants can enter at will.

“Master, please forgive Yan Qi’s incompetence; I did not get the fertilizer formula!”

“Come in and talk!”

“Thank you, Master!”

Yan Qi slightly drooped his shoulders as he entered the pavilion, his hands hanging limply, showing extreme respect.

“You may go now!”

The elder waved his hand, and two maids obeyed and left swiftly.

When the master discusses important matters, to prevent leakage of information, it’s usual for others to be asked to leave.

This matter, although minor for the Yan Family, still caused the elder to dismiss the two maids attending him in person, showing how cautious and careful he was in his affairs.

The elder, in control of the vast Yan Family assets, held a distinguished status with immense wealth. To him, women were but commodities for enjoyment.

Indulging in female company is what a profligate scion does.

At his level, women and the tea in his cup might as well be no different.

“Sit!”

“Thank you, Master, for allowing me to sit!”

Yan Qi sat down on the edge of the chair.

“Among the many stewards, you are the one I am most optimistic about. Bear in mind that you could very well become the chief steward of the Yan Family.”

The elder’s promise-making matched his snow-white beard.

He gave Yan Qi hope, without committing his word.

He didn’t say Yan Qi would succeed as chief steward, but left it vague, mentioning only a high probability.

If Yan Qi wouldn’t become the chief steward, he wouldn’t harbor any resentment but blame his lack of capability.

“Explain the matter of the fertilizer in detail!”

After dangling the carrot, the elder instructed Yan Qi to get to the main point.

“I have visited Qin Niu’s field, and the corn seedlings grown on that poor acre are doing better by a third than those on good land. Moreover, there are no empty stalks, dead seedlings, or weaklings; each plant is strong and thriving, which is incredibly unbelievable. It shows that Qin Niu’s farming techniques must be extremely advanced.”

“My Yan Family supports a number of competent farmers as well. Are you telling me they’re not as good as a sixteen-year-old boy?”

The elder retorted.

A landlord relies on the land; a bountiful harvest of grains and economic crops is needed to guarantee the family’s income.

“Forgive my frankness, but if we combine all the top farmers of my Yan Family, using quality manure and planting on first-rate fields, we might just barely meet the growth of that acre of corn.”

Yan Qi answered after a moment of thought.

“Ridiculous, the Yan Family has more than a dozen long-term workers rated as excellent farmers, earning a generous salary of over ten silver taels a year. Are you saying all of these people together can’t match a youth from Shuangfeng Village?”

The elder’s tone grew a bit heavier, his anger barely veiling.

Yan Qi panicked and immediately stood up and knelt on the ground.

As if a heavier tone from the elder was the fury of thunder..