Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 6 Showcasing Business Talent

The accounting office is located on the east side of the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, in a separate courtyard.

When Lin Chen pushed open the door, his fifth sister-in-law, Wen Ruoxi, was bent over a large sandalwood table, holding a pen in one hand and fiddling with an abacus in the other.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on her delicate profile.

"Fifth Sister-in-law is looking for me?" Lin Chen greeted her with a smile.

Wen Ruoxi looked up, her eyes showing a hint of fatigue, but a professional smile still graced her lips:

"Eighth brother is here, please sit down."

Today she wore a light purple embroidered gold dress, her hair was styled in a high bun, and a jade hairpin was inserted diagonally, making her look both wealthy and elegant.

As the daughter of a wealthy businessman, Wen Ruoxi has always been particular about her clothing and appearance, and even during the mourning period, she maintained a proper and elegant demeanor.

Lin Chen sat down as instructed and looked around.

Inside the accounting room were three rows of bookshelves, piled high with account books.

A map of trade routes hangs on the wall, marking the various trade routes of the Dayan Dynasty.

The air was filled with the scent of ink and a faint aroma of tea.

"Eighth Brother, take a look at this first." Wen Ruoxi handed over an account book.

Lin Chen took it, flipped through a few pages, and frowned slightly.

The account books record the income and expenditure of several estates and shops under the name of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

The books appear normal on the surface, but upon closer inspection, there are quite a few problems.

There are several large expenditures with unclear purposes, income in some industries has been declining year after year, and there are some old debts that have not been recovered.

"This is a summary of the past three years." Wen Ruoxi rubbed her temples.

"To be honest, Eighth Brother, the situation in the manor is worse than it appears on the surface."

Lin Chen closed the ledger: "Fifth Sister-in-law, just tell me, how big is the shortfall?"

Wen Ruoxi held up three fingers: "Thirty thousand taels, and that's a conservative estimate."

If you include the outstanding payments for goods, the houses needing repair, the servants' monthly wages... it won't be less than fifty thousand taels.

"So many?" Lin Chen was genuinely surprised.

Although the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had declined, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and it was originally thought that the family fortune could still last for a few more years.

"When Father and my elder brother were alive, the household mainly relied on their salaries, land rent, and dividends from several mines," Wen Ruoxi sighed.

"But although the court issued a pension for the battle three years ago, the subsequent rewards have not yet been delivered."

"The harvests on the farm have been poor in recent years, and tenant farmers are leaving. And the mines..."

She paused, then lowered her voice:

"The iron mine in the west of the city was targeted by the White Tiger Sect three months ago."

They used the pretext of "mineral exploration" to try and seize the land. The person in charge reported it to the authorities, but the government kept stalling and delaying, and the matter remains unresolved.

"White Tiger Sect?" Lin Chen's eyes turned cold.

The Jianghu forces of Tianyuan Continent, one of the "Four Gates" in the "One Academy, Two Halls, Three Temples, Four Gates, and Five Families".

They controlled the western regions and were known for their domineering nature.

"Not only that," Wen Ruoxi said, taking out several more contracts from the drawer.

"These are three shops owned by the government in the south of the city. The lease was supposed to be renewed last year, but the landlord suddenly raised the rent by 50% and said that if the lease was not renewed, the landlord would take it back."

I sent someone to inquire, and it turns out the landlord is backed by the Wang family.

"Wang Yun's family?"

"Wang Sheng's room." Wen Ruoxi nodded.

"In addition, the manager of the silk shop in the east of the city ran away with the money last month, taking away three thousand taels of cash."

After reporting the incident to the authorities, the yamen only said they were "investigating," and there has been no follow-up since.

Lin Chen sneered: "They're just trying to take a bite out of the Lin family now that they're all alone."

"There's something even worse," Wen Ruoxi said with a wry smile.

"The fifteenth of next month is the day when the imperial court distributes the salaries for the first half of this year."

According to regulations, the annual salary of a Duke of Zhenguo is 8,000 taels of silver and 500 shi of rice.

However, rumors circulated from the Ministry of Revenue that the disbursement might be "temporarily suspended."

"Was this Li Chongming's doing?"

"Most likely." Wen Ruoxi's eyes sharpened.

"My eighth brother went to annul the engagement today, and he has probably offended him completely. He is the Minister of Revenue, and he can easily withhold our salaries."

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

These things, taken individually, are troublesome, but put together, it means someone wants to kill the Lin family.

"What are Fifth Sister-in-law's plans?"

Wen Ruoxi took out a small wooden box from under the table. When she opened it, there was a thick stack of silver notes and land deeds inside.

"This is what I can use from my dowry, a total of 28,000 taels." She pushed the box in front of Lin Chen.

"In addition, I have three shops in Jiangnan that I can sell to make ends meet."

Even so, it can only last for six months.

Lin Chen looked at the box of silver notes and was deeply moved.

Wen Ruoxi had only been married into the Lin family for four years. When her fifth brother died in battle, she could have easily taken her dowry and returned to her parents' home to remarry.

But she chose to stay, and now she has used all her personal assets to support her family.

"Fifth Sister-in-law," Lin Chen pushed the box back, "this money cannot be touched."

"Why?" Wen Ruoxi frowned. "Now is not the time to be stubborn!"

"I'm not being stubborn." Lin Chen stood up and walked to the "Traffic Route Map".

"Selling off dowry to make ends meet is like drinking poison to quench thirst. We need to increase our income, not cut back on spending."

Wen Ruoxi's eyes lit up: "Eighth Brother, do you have a solution?"

"There is a way, but we need capital." Lin Chen turned around. "Fifth Sister-in-law, these 28,000 taels are just the right amount of start-up capital."

"What kind of business do you want to start?"

Lin Chen didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Fifth Sister-in-law, what do you think is the most profitable thing in Beijing right now?"

Wen Ruoxi pondered for a moment:

"It's nothing more than restaurants, brothels, gambling dens, and the old trades of medicine and silk."

But these industries are highly competitive, and if we enter now, I'm afraid it might be...

"No," Lin Chen shook his head, "What I want to do is something that no one else has done before."

He walked back to the table, picked up a pen, and drew a simple diagram on the paper.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, look, there are countless high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital. What do they lack most?"

"Power? Money? Beauty?"

"It's about time and novelty." Lin Chen scribbled on the paper.

"They have plenty of money, but all they do every day is attend court, socialize, listen to music, and stroll around the garden. They get tired of it after a while. Let's offer them something new."

Wen Ruoxi leaned closer curiously: "What's so new about it?"

"First," Lin Chen drew a circle, "is to set up a 'private club'."

"A clubhouse?"

"It's a high-end club, a place for eating, drinking, and having fun," Lin Chen explained.

"The location is quiet and elegant, and it is only open to members."

It can provide elegant activities such as tea ceremony, incense ceremony, chess, calligraphy and painting, and can also set up a small stage to invite famous actors to perform.

Most importantly, it's about creating a sense of privacy and exclusivity—it's not just about having money; you need an introduction and to pass a screening process.

Wen Ruoxi's eyes brightened: "That's a great idea! Those important people value their reputation above all else; becoming a member of the club is itself a symbol of status!"

"Second," Lin Chen drew another circle, "is to offer 'customized services'."

"Custom-made?"

"For example, custom-made clothing—not ready-made clothes, but specially designed and made according to the customer's body shape and preferences."

Another example is customized catering, where a famous chef is invited to your home to host a private banquet.

They also offer customized trips, organizing visits to famous mountains and rivers for members, with all arrangements meticulously made.

Lin Chen laughed and said, "In short, it's about letting customers spend money to buy peace of mind and something unique."

Wen Ruoxi listened intently: "These ideas are indeed novel, but implementing them..."

"So we need capital," Lin Chen said.

"Location selection, decoration, recruitment, and building relationships all require a significant initial investment. But once it gets going, the profits will be substantial."

"And what about the third one?" Wen Ruoxi pressed.

Lin Chen smiled mysteriously: "Third, keep it a secret for now. We'll talk about it after the first two are done."

Wen Ruoxi stared at him for a long while, then suddenly asked, "Eighth Brother, did you really come up with these ideas?"

"What, doesn't it look like it?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that it doesn't look like it," Wen Ruoxi shook her head.

"It's too unbelievable. This is an idea that only a cunning old fox with decades of business experience could come up with."

You're just a spoiled brat who spends all his time in brothels, what would you know about these things?

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a playful smile on his face:

"Fifth Sister-in-law, what you're saying is true. I visit brothels to check out the market!"

You wouldn't believe it, the girls at Baihualou have an incredibly thorough understanding of the tastes of the noblemen in the capital!

These ideas are all things I heard from them, and then I just tweaked them a bit.

Wen Ruoxi was skeptical, but didn't investigate further:

"Even so, it won't be easy to implement. Putting aside everything else, just choosing a location is a challenge; the best spots have already been taken."

"I have someone in mind," Lin Chen said. "Does Fifth Sister-in-law know about 'Drunken Moon Pavilion'?"

"That restaurant in the east of the city that's about to go out of business?"

"Yes." Lin Chen nodded. "Zuiyue Pavilion has an excellent location, built by the lake, with a tranquil environment."

But the owner mismanaged the business and is heavily in debt; he's looking to sell. It's perfect for us to take it over and convert it into a clubhouse.

Wen Ruoxi frowned: "I know that place. It's not cheap, and... I heard there's some trouble behind it."

"What's the trouble?"

"The owner of Zuiyue Pavilion is surnamed Zhao, and his daughter is a concubine who is in charge of the Second Prince's household," Wen Ruoxi whispered.

"The Second Prince has probably already set his sights on that piece of land."

Lin Chen smiled: "What a coincidence, I was just thinking of meeting the Second Prince."

"Eighth Brother!" Wen Ruoxi exclaimed anxiously, "I know you vented your anger at the Li family today and feel great."

But the Second Prince is not Li Chongming; he is a true member of the imperial family! We can't afford to offend him right now!

"Don't worry, Fifth Sister-in-law, I know what I'm doing," Lin Chen reassured her.

"If we can't do it openly, we can do it covertly."

He pulled out a silver note from his pocket—the very one hundred taels he had earned from checking in through the system.

"In that case, Fifth Sister-in-law will first send someone to contact Boss Zhao of Zuiyuexuan to sound him out. As for me, I'll go and 'investigate the market'."

Seeing his winking and gesturing, Wen Ruoxi knew he was going to the brothel again.

"Eighth brother," she said helplessly, "with the situation in the manor like this, you still have the mind to think about..."

"Fifth Sister-in-law, this is a very serious matter!" Lin Chen said earnestly.

"Think about it, if we're opening a high-end club, don't we need to understand our customers' preferences? Who knows better than the courtesans what those high-ranking officials and wealthy people like to do and what they talk about in private?"

Wen Ruoxi was speechless, choked by his words.

"It's settled then!" Lin Chen stood up. "Fifth Sister-in-law, prepare the money. I'll go gather intelligence. We'll discuss the details in three days!"

After saying that, he ran away in a flash.

Wen Ruoxi watched his disappearing figure, feeling both annoyed and amused.

But when he looked down at the paper on the table covered with circles, his expression gradually became serious.

These ideas are indeed feasible.

Moreover... the look in her eighth brother's eyes when he was discussing business was something she had never seen before.

"Perhaps," Wen Ruoxi murmured to herself, "that Grandmother's judgment was truly correct?"