Chapter 22: Persuasion
Page 1 of 3
Chapter 22: Persuasion
(Please recommend and bookmark)
Madam Qin’s words caught Li Qi completely off guard. He had originally assumed that if she objected, it would be to the first point. He had never imagined that the matter she was most concerned about would be the third.
Although the third point seemed rather insignificant, Li Qi had no intention of giving way. With such a beautiful woman standing in the restaurant, she would attract more attention than any delicacy on the menu. To leave such a valuable asset unused would be a criminal waste.
Li Qi shook his head and smiled. “As the saying goes, a snake cannot move without a head. Some things can be replaced, but others simply cannot. Uncle Wu is, after all, only an employee; he is not the true proprietor of Immortal Tavern. When he steps forward and when Madam steps forward are two entirely different matters.
“Madam is the backbone of Immortal Tavern, while Uncle Wu is your right hand. I dare guarantee that if Madam merely stood in the restaurant, even without saying a word, the morale of our staff would soar. Of course, I am not asking Madam to stand in the restaurant every day. I only hope that you might visit from time to time to encourage your employees and let them know that even if the sky were to fall, Madam would still be there to hold it up for them.”
Just listen to that flattery! Even Wu Furong, standing nearby, turned crimson with embarrassment. Yet he thoroughly approved of Li Qi’s words. If Madam Qin took over Immortal Tavern, the burden on his shoulders would be considerably lighter. He quietly gave Li Qi a thumbs-up.
Li Qi shot a glance at the secretly grinning Wu Furong and immediately felt annoyed. That old fellow was like a turtle whenever things reached a critical moment, hiding behind everyone else and pretending to be ignorant. He made Li Qi do all the talking, even though he himself desperately wanted Madam Qin to step forward and take charge of Immortal Tavern.
It was the first time Madam Qin had heard such blatant flattery. Her face instantly flushed scarlet, and she hesitated. “What you say does have some merit. It is only—only that my late husband’s bones have not yet grown cold. If I, a widow, were to show my face in public, I fear people would gossip, and perhaps even damage Immortal Tavern’s reputation.”
He had been dead for more than two years, and she was still talking about his bones not being cold? And now she was worried about Immortal Tavern’s reputation? Where had that concern been before?
Li Qi felt utterly helpless, but he could only continue persuading her. “I have heard about your late husband’s circumstances. Yet the dead cannot return to life. I am sure that his spirit in Heaven would wish for Madam to live happily each day, rather than hide away in this deep mansion and weep endlessly.
“Besides, Madam appears to be barely past twenty. To squander such a fine span of youth would be a terrible pity. The world outside is so splendid—why not try stepping beyond this door and experiencing a new life? People live for themselves. Why should Madam concern herself with idle rumors? So long as you live happily, that is enough.”
“Such a fine span of youth”? “Barely past twenty”?
Wu Furong was utterly overwhelmed by his admiration for Li Qi. This fellow could flatter people with such effortless fluency that he made it sound completely sincere.
It was not only Wu Furong. Even the maid Xiaotao gazed at Li Qi with open admiration.
Something was wrong with the atmosphere.
Li Qi suddenly felt a chill strike him head-on and shuddered. He stole a glance at Madam Qin and saw that her face was filled with fury. Her red lips were tightly pressed together, a flush suffused her cheeks, and her ample bosom rose and fell rapidly. Her beautiful eyes, clear as autumn waters, were fixed angrily upon him.
Even when she was angry, she was astonishingly beautiful. A woman with looks like that truly was capable of bringing ruin to a kingdom.
The two furious eyes staring at him made Li Qi feel distinctly uncomfortable. He simply abandoned all restraint and allowed his gaze to roam shamelessly over Madam Qin’s figure.
So you were the only one allowed to appreciate beauty? He could do it too!
Madam Qin was clearly no match for Li Qi when it came to shamelessness.
Under his scorching gaze, Madam Qin finally yielded. She turned her head away, drew a deep breath, and said coldly, “This concerns the honor, disgrace, prosperity, and decline of the Qin family. I would first like to discuss it with Uncle Wu. I must ask Young Master Li to wait in the front hall for a while.”
Page 1 of 3
“I shall await Madam’s good news, then.”
Li Qi smiled faintly and clasped his hands. He knew that Madam Qin merely wanted to recover a little of her dignity. If dignity was what she wanted, he could give her as much as she pleased. After all, his own face was thick enough.
Page 2 of 3
When he reached the front hall, Li Qi wiped away a heavy layer of sweat. Negotiating was truly exhausting. No wonder Qingting’s father always dragged him off to relax after concluding a business deal, usually for a sauna or something similar.
Did that mean he ought to visit a brothel tonight as well?
Hmm, that was a fine—
No, forget it. Money was tight at the moment, and a brothel was a bottomless pit. There would be no harm in waiting until he had earned more.
“Brother Li, how did your discussion go?” Wu Xiaoliu hurried over as soon as Li Qi appeared.
Li Qi glanced at him and shook his head. “I don’t know yet. But whatever happened today, do not mention it to anyone. Understood?”
“Understood, understood. Rest assured, I can keep my mouth shut,” Wu Xiaoliu said, thumping his chest in assurance.
Li Qi could not be bothered to say anything more. He sat down, took a sip of tea, and closed his eyes to rest. His mind, however, was already occupied with the future development of Immortal Tavern.
He was completely confident in the outcome of this negotiation because he had offered Madam Qin a price she could not refuse. Naturally, he had to thank Cai Yuanwai for that. If that sly old fox had not offered Madam Qin such a low price, Li Qi would never have been able to take advantage of the situation.
Although it might seem that Li Qi had once again acquired something without investing any capital and had taken advantage of another’s misfortune, he did not see it that way. Knowledge was the most valuable thing in any era. In fact, he felt that he had not been ruthless enough and had offered Madam Qin far too generous a price.
His decision to cooperate with Madam Qin was also an act of necessity. He had only recently arrived in the Northern Song, and he was alone and without influence. In the very shadow of the emperor, it would be extremely difficult to accomplish anything without someone to protect him.
He had made inquiries. Though the Qin family had fallen into decline, Madam Qin’s maternal family was still a prominent household. That was precisely why Cai Yuanwai had never dared to seize Immortal Tavern by force.
Li Qi intended to use this protective umbrella to build up his own power. Once his influence had grown strong enough, he would be the one deciding what happened next.
About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense later, Xiaotao emerged from the inner quarters and announced that Madam Qin and Wu Furong had reached a decision. She then invited Li Qi to the rear hall.
When Li Qi arrived, he found only Wu Furong waiting there. The beautiful Madam Qin had vanished without a trace. Li Qi’s heart immediately leapt into his throat.
Surely Madam Qin had not been foolish enough to reject a partnership that could only benefit her and could do her no harm?
“Uncle Wu, where is Madam?” Li Qi hurried forward and asked.
Wu Furong wore an expressionless face. “Madam was feeling unwell, so she returned to her room to rest.”
Rest? She was going to rest now? Was this woman out of her mind?
Li Qi cautiously asked, “Then what about the matter of our cooperation?”
Wu Furong tipped his face upward. “As for the matter of cooperation, I’m afraid—”
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Wu Furong stopped halfway through his sentence, which nearly drove Li Qi mad with impatience. No matter how capable Li Qi was, he could not possibly alter another person’s intelligence.
“Afraid of what?” he demanded.
Seeing Li Qi’s anxious expression, Wu Furong felt immensely satisfied. The young man had kept him completely under his thumb earlier, but now he had finally recovered all the dignity he had lost. He burst out laughing.
“Relax. Madam has agreed to cooperate with you. But, young brother, I must give you a warning: you cannot be so reckless in front of Madam in the future.”
“Uncle Wu, you nearly scared me to death!” Li Qi let out a long breath and dropped heavily into a chair.
Was it he who had nearly scared Li Qi to death, or Li Qi who had nearly scared him to death?
Wu Furong shook his head. “Madam said that you should draft the contract first.”
“That I understand. By the way, Uncle Wu, did Madam agree to that condition of mine?”
“What condition?”
“Oh, you know—the matter of her appearing in public and taking charge of Immortal Tavern.”
Wu Furong suddenly understood. “Madam said that you need not concern yourself with that matter.”
Fine. Whether she came or not, he would no longer insist. Even without her, he could still make a success of things.
Li Qi sighed. His dream of having a male-female partnership had been shattered then and there.
When Xiaotao placed the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone before him, Li Qi was completely dumbfounded. Who in his era still wrote with a brush? Besides, he did not know how to write traditional characters. He could only claim that his handwriting was poor and ask Wu Furong to write the contract while he dictated it.
At first, Wu Furong did not believe him. But when he saw Li Qi sign his name on the contract, he became thoroughly convinced. Without exaggeration, the handwriting was no better than that of a three-year-old child.
The contract was prepared in duplicate, with one copy for Li Qi and one for Madam Qin. It clearly specified the terms of payment by installments, as well as the distribution of profits and authority. Even the most trivial matters were included. In the end, the agreement filled three large sheets of white paper.
The contract had been signed, but whether it would actually take effect depended on whether Li Qi could earn one thousand strings of cash within fifteen days.
End of Chapter 22