113. Lu Jin Angling for the Tantai Clan

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At the Shen Residence, in the Creek Garden, at the Cloud Pavilion.

“Master, Young Master Dantai and Miss Dantai have arrived!” Moonchaser whispered to Lu Jin’s side.

Lu Jin, nearly dozing on the lounge chair, opened his eyes upon hearing Moonchaser’s words.

“Oh, quickly invite them over!” The servants had already informed him yesterday that the Dantai siblings would be paying a visit today. It seemed the Dantai family had reached a decision.

Lu Jin hastily stood up, just as the Dantai siblings, accompanied by Su Bo, approached.

“Nanqing, you really know how to enjoy life!” When Dantai Ming first saw Lu Jin at the Cloud Pavilion from afar, he saw him reclining in the lounge chair, with a maid massaging his legs in front, another pressing his shoulders behind, and a servant holding a fishing rod nearby. Dantai Ming twitched at the corner of his mouth—who exactly was fishing here?

“Ziyu, don’t mock me. You’re the scion of the illustrious Dantai family of Jinling; what haven’t you enjoyed? Miss Dantai, greetings!”

“Greetings, Young Master Lu!” Dantai Yue bowed respectfully.

“Please, both of you, have a seat.”

The Dantai siblings did not hesitate and followed the maid’s guidance to sit opposite Lu Jin.

“Nanqing, have you caught any fish?” Dantai Ming asked curiously.

“Isn’t this one here?” Lu Jin smiled.

“… Haha, Nanqing truly is a wise man.” Dantai Ming paused before catching on.

“Ziyu, you jest; a wise man never falls into the river of love. I’m different—I want to be inseparable with my lady.”

“…” Dantai Ming was speechless. Did he truly not know, or was he pretending not to? Or was he just trying to tease me?

“Ziyu once admired my lady?” Lu Jin asked Dantai Ming while signaling the servants to bring tea.

Dantai Yue glanced at Lu Jin. Was this man too blunt? One side was the guest, and the other was your wife—was it appropriate to ask such a thing?

“Madam Lu is unparalleled; naturally, Ming once admired her. But since the lady has found a worthy man, Ming knows where to draw the line.” Dantai Ming sighed helplessly. It seemed today he had to give an answer. Oh well, the past was all blown away like clouds.

“I always said Ziyu is a gentleman. I don’t fear others coveting her, but I fear losing Ziyu as a friend.” Lu Jin was no longer reckless. The friendship between gentlemen is like the clear breeze and bright moon—spoken aloud, it’s no fear; hidden inside, it’s a torment.

“Now that I know, I can see why Madam Lu chose Nanqing. He truly deserves her.” Dantai Ming, having made his decision, no longer dwelled on it.

“Speaking of my lady, here she comes now!” Lu Jin smiled.

Following Lu Jin’s gaze, the Dantai siblings saw Shen Yanxi approaching gracefully, surrounded by maids and attendants, her face glowing with joy and elegance. Although knowing she was now married, Dantai Ming couldn’t help but inwardly marvel at her extraordinary beauty. Once as cold as a mountain snow lotus, now like a blooming rose—either way, the most exquisite flower.

“I didn’t know Elder Brother and Miss Dantai had arrived; I apologize for the ungracious welcome.” Shen Yanxi greeted them as she came closer.

“Greetings, Madam Lu. We just arrived and came straight to Nanqing’s side.” The Dantai siblings returned the greeting.

“Please, Elder Brother and Miss, take a seat.” Shen Yanxi invited them and then walked toward Lu Jin.

“Husband!” Shen Yanxi called sweetly.

The Dantai siblings were somewhat stunned. Miss Shen had changed so much.

Although they had seen the couple’s tender affection on Mid-Autumn Night, that was a special occasion, especially with Lu Jin’s extraordinary gestures—it was understandable. But even on an ordinary day, they were this sweet?

“I missed you in just a moment apart,” Lu Jin smiled and gently embraced his wife.

This was not done deliberately to show off to Dantai Ming. The couple was simply immersed in each other, reluctant to part. If not for the guests, they might not have separated anytime soon. Though the Dantai siblings were present, they were young and such a gentle embrace was not considered rude. Since long-term cooperation lay ahead, Lu Jin preferred a natural atmosphere—this was his way of life.

“Husband!” Shen Yanxi blushed slightly. Though she had grown used to it these days, there were still guests present.

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The Dantai siblings were dumbfounded. As children of a noble family, they were not that conservative inside. In a grand household, what wild things hadn’t happened? But not being so clingy in front of outsiders—that was different.

The embrace was brief, just a longing from a short absence. Any longer would be disrespectful.

After the embrace, they took each other’s hands and sat down again. Dantai Ming’s expression was awkward, while Dantai Yue was slightly embarrassed and indignant. This man was talented, no doubt, but far too frivolous.

“A truly devoted couple!” Dantai Ming said awkwardly.

“Don’t laugh, Ziyu. My wife and I have come a long way together. Life is short, so we cherish each other dearly. If there was any impropriety, please forgive us, Ziyu and Miss Dantai.” Lu Jin explained.

“Oh? It seems there’s more to your story?” Dantai Ming was curious. He had thought it was just a simple marriage into the family, but it sounded like there was more.

Lu Jin didn’t hide it and briefly recounted his and Shen Yanxi’s story. Shen Yanxi listened quietly, her face full of happiness.

“You two are deeply devoted. I was shallow,” said Dantai Ming, shocked by such an unusual tale. That Miss Shen was truly devoted, risking her life almost.

After hearing this, Dantai Yue’s impression of Lu Jin changed again. The frivolity he once thought was gone; instead, he felt this man was genuinely different.

“Ziyu, come sit. We’re about the same age, and I consider you a close friend, so I won’t hide anything from you.”

They chatted for a while longer before the conversation turned to business.

“Ziyu, did you visit the Clear Breeze and Bright Moon Pavilion on Mid-Autumn?”

“I did. Nanqing’s skills truly impress me. Without spending a penny, he made Lanjiang Spring famous across Jianglin…”

“Just a small trick!” If you hadn’t seen the result, you wouldn’t have come today.

“Try this tea. You probably haven’t tasted it before.” Lu Jin had the maids pour tea for the Dantai siblings.

“Hm? Why is your tea so light?” Dantai Ming looked at the cup; only a few leaves floated, the water clear and faintly green.

“It seems to have no flavor.” Dantai Ming sipped strangely.

“Ziyu, savor it slowly.”

What was there to savor? It was more like drinking plain water… hmm? The aftertaste was interesting!

“I don’t envy golden goblets, nor white jade cups. I don’t envy morning visits to the province, nor evening visits to the pavilion. A thousand envies, ten thousand envies for Lanjiang water, once flowing down to Jianglin City.”

“One scoop of Lanjiang water, three leaves from Qingqiu, I welcome Ziyu to join the Jiangzhou Brewing Bureau with a cup of gentleman’s tea!”

Dantai Ming was startled. Lu Jin not only spoke poetically but was so confident that the Dantai family would agree?

“Nanqing, are you sure the Dantai family has consented?”

“Of course. I don’t think Ziyu is a fool, nor the Dantai family.”

“Haha, you really say whatever comes to mind,” Dantai Ming laughed. The more he interacted with Lu Jin, the more interesting he found him—direct but not rude, always leaving a deep impression.

“We received a letter yesterday. The family agrees to purchase 500,000 shares for one million taels of silver under your terms.”

“And they want me to manage affairs here in Jianglin, so I’ll be staying here more often. Nanqing, are you afraid?”

“If I were afraid, would I come to your Dantai family?” Lu Jin laughed.

“Compared to your family’s one million, I’m happier that Ziyu will stay in Jianglin. That way, I’ll have an assistant…”

“I see it now. Did you decide on me from the first meeting?” Dantai Ming joked.

“What nonsense, Ziyu. If I had that ability, why be a son-in-law? I was just counting on my wife’s support.” Lu Jing said politely, though his wife pinched his hand with surprising strength.

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“I think Nanqing enjoys this.” Hearing the story, Dantai Ming knew Lu Jin was teasing and replied in kind.

“Ziyu’s right. I never dreamed of this life. When the chance came, I grabbed it and never let go…”

Dantai Ming: Well, this guy has no shame.

“I can offer you a co-manager position in the Dantai family. The rest will be handled by your people with Shen Yi. We don’t need to worry about these matters.”

“What sort of position is that? I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s Shen Yi’s deputy, assisting with daily management of the Brewing Bureau. Such a large workshop can’t be run by Shen Yi alone.”

“Ziyu, as friends, I speak plainly. Your people will be Brewing Bureau personnel, not Dantai family members. They can represent you in management but must not act beyond the rules.”

“For major decisions, we’ll follow shareholding proportions. But I must emphasize: regardless of shares, I have veto power. If I find your opinions unsuitable, I can reject them outright. This is all in the charter, which I believe you’ve seen. I don’t boast, but in this field, I have absolute confidence to lead everyone to new heights. You’ll see in time.”

“Of course. Although many parts of the charter are unclear, since the Dantai family agrees to cooperate, we won’t cause trouble. You can rest assured, Nanqing.” Dantai Ming’s reply was firm.

“I can only say the Dantai family will reach new peaks because of Ziyu. Madam, let’s show Ziyu something else.” Lu Jin smiled at his wife.

“Oh? Nanqing has something new?” Dantai Ming was curious. Was Lu Jin actually a scholar?

“Ziyu, just wait a moment.”

Under Shen Yanxi’s orders, a servant soon brought a bag of refined salt.

Dantai Ming stared at the white, sand-like substance, puzzled. What was this?

“Brother, you can dip a little and taste it,” Shen Yanxi suggested.

Dantai Ming looked at her. Was it edible? He dipped a finger and tasted it. Wow, so salty!

“This is salt?” Dantai Ming looked surprised at the couple.

“Brother is right. This is refined salt, improved by my husband’s ancient recipe, hence the pure white salt in your hand.”

Dantai Ming’s mind buzzed. This pure white sand-like substance was salt? What had he been eating all along? And the Shen family was so fortunate. A man like Lu Jin willingly entered the Shen family?

He glanced at his sister. Alas, it was too late.

It wasn’t that Dantai Ming was naive. Salt was a matter of life and death for countless people and a battleground between the imperial court and noble families. Now, such unprecedented refined salt had casually appeared with a Shen family son-in-law.

The more Dantai Ming thought, the more excited he became. If Lu Jin’s words earlier seemed boastful, now he was filled with boundless excitement. No wonder he said the Dantai family would reach new heights with me—it was no empty boast.

Beside him, Dantai Yue also tasted it, shocked, but it was too salty; she quickly drank some tea. In her heart, she wondered what this man couldn’t do. Perhaps only lacking in martial spirit?

“Nanqing, what do you plan to do with this refined salt…” Dantai Ming was somewhat frustrated. He shouldn’t be like this. How could a noble son be so unsettled? But he simply could not calm down.

“Ziyu, matters must be handled one by one. No rush. I just want you to know, I don’t speak empty words. If the Dantai family is interested, we’ll meet again at the right time.” Lu Jin was calm and collected.

“All right…” Dantai Ming nearly lost his words. Though his family couldn’t compare to the Shen family, it wasn’t too late. As long as he cooperated with Lu Jin, who knew what else he might produce?

As for what Lu Jin didn’t say now, Dantai Ming wasn’t a fool. Simply put, Lu Jin didn’t fully trust the Dantai family yet, so he wouldn’t reveal all his treasures at once.

It seemed he still had to consult his family and not lose the big picture for small gains.