nucmednet Chapter 950: We can't give 3% of the trade route, we can only give 1%.
Chapter 950: We can't give 3% of the trade route, we can only give 1%.
The girls were all stunned.
Just as they were at a loss, Bai Yansong also walked out of the study looking dejected.
He saw Zhao Bingyu pleading with the girls, and he also saw the shocked and doubtful expressions on their faces.
A tremendous sense of shame and powerlessness overwhelmed him.
The seven little moons looked at each other in bewilderment.
They recognized Bai Yansong and the others, but they really didn't have any impression of Zhao Bingyu.
Bai Yansong stepped forward and spoke very kindly to the seven small moons.
"This is indeed your maternal grandmother, but she rarely sees your mother. She misses her very much..."
"Why don't you go in and speak on behalf of your maternal grandmother, so that she can meet your mother?"
Bai Yansong said kindly.
"There is no mother in the world who does not love her child."
"She really misses her child, Bailu,"
"Just like Bailu, if she were far away from you and hadn't seen you for a long time, she would miss you terribly..."
"So you don't want your grandmother to miss her own daughter either, do you?"
"..."
The seven little moons remained silent, and then March spoke up sharply.
"That's a very strange thing to say. If that's the case, why haven't we seen each other all these years, and why are we meeting today?"
"Is it only these few days that you think about it, and not at other times?"
Zhao Bingyu: "..."
January smiled and nodded, speaking to Bai Yansong.
“Grandfather, you can fool others, but you can’t fool us.”
Bai Yansong was instantly embarrassed upon hearing this.
Even Zhao Bingyu was extremely embarrassed and immediately lowered her head, looking incredibly ashamed.
Just then, Bai Lu came out of the study with a smile and said to the outside.
“I have never let you stay outside!”
"Madam Zhao, if you want to come in, then come in. It's not like I didn't let you in."
Zhao Bingyu looked embarrassed.
Of course she knew that Bai Lu allowed her to come and go as she pleased; Zhao Bingyu could easily enter as long as she gave the order.
However, if she simply told Bai Lu that she wanted a lower price, less trade routes, and only 50 taels of silver, Bai Lu definitely wouldn't agree.
So she wanted the seven little moons to take her inside.
In that case, Bailu, out of consideration for the seven little moons, would not speak ill of her and would not drive her away no matter what.
If Zhao Bingyu takes this opportunity to make some rather unreasonable demands, that's acceptable...
Zhao Bingyu stood there, not saying a word for a long time.
Bai Lu raised an eyebrow and asked her.
"Are you coming in or not? If not, please leave."
Zhao Bingyu quickly said, "Come in, come in."
As she spoke, she quickly smiled and said to Bai Lu.
"It's been so long since I've seen your daughter, and it's been so long since I've seen you."
"Come to think of it... I haven't formally given them any gifts yet..."
As she spoke, Zhao Bingyu cautiously said to Bai Lu.
"Why don't you call the children into the study, so I can see them and have the servants bring them some gifts?"
"There are many interesting things in the Western Regions, and there are many rare and exotic treasures,"
“If they like, I can give them all the good stuff from the warehouse over the years.”
"That's not necessary."
Bai Lu shook her head and smiled at Zhao Bingyu.
"My daughter lacks nothing."
"I am the richest man in Liangzhou. Although I am still a bit behind the richest man in Qingzhou... the Shangguan family, the richest family in Qingzhou, are my in-laws."
"Our family may not be the richest in the world, but we are certainly among the wealthiest."
"What's more, I also received a share of the Bai family's wealth... After a while, when I take stock, I will be the real richest man in Qingzhou."
Bai Lu looked at Zhao Bingyu with eyes as sharp as knives.
"Madam Zhao, I'm afraid I wouldn't be interested in your things."
"If you are truly willing, then give me thirty percent of the trade routes in the Western Regions."
As soon as Bai Lu finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze, leaving only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves.
Zhao Bingyu's smile froze completely.
Thirty percent of the trade routes in the Western Regions... that was almost half her life's work, the foundation upon which she established herself in the Western Regions!
She would never give it to her.
"Yes! We want this one!"
The one who spoke was July, who had been protected by her older sisters. She was the youngest, but she was quite brave.
She peeked her little head out from behind her sister, her big, dark eyes curiously observing Zhao Bingyu, and said innocently.
“Grandmother, didn’t you just say you were going to give us all the good things in the storeroom as gifts? Mother said she has her eye on this one.”
"If you really care about us, please give us this gift!"
"Yeah yeah,"
May nodded in agreement, her voice soft and gentle.
“Grandmother, we sisters have everything we need, except a gift that will make Mother happy.”
The sharp-tongued March crossed her arms, a mocking smile playing on her lips just like Bailu's.
"There is no mother in the world who does not love her own child, and I think there is no grandmother in the world who does not love her own granddaughter, right?"
"We don't want anything else, we just want this 30% of the trade route. Will you give it to us or not?"
As the eldest sister, January added more graciously.
“Grandmother, look, there are seven of us sisters. If you only give us one trade route, it will be difficult for us to divide it among ourselves.”
"Of the 30% trade route revenue, 10% will be given to you as a token of respect, 10% to my mother, and the remaining 10% will be divided among my sisters and me for fun. That's just right."
They were like seven well-coordinated little foxes, surrounding Zhao Bingyu and blocking all her escape routes.
Zhao Bingyu's face turned pale and then red, her heart filled with anger and anxiety.
She could easily see that this was clearly something Bai Lu had taught her!
These children are not innocent and naive girls at all, but little wolf cubs in sheep's clothing!
She took a deep breath, forced a smile that looked worse than crying, and began to practice Tai Chi.
"Children, you...you must be joking."
"Trade routes...trade routes are not children's toys; they involve the livelihoods of countless workers and the dealings between numerous merchants..."
"It's not that Grandmother doesn't want to give it, it's just that this thing... it's not a good gift."
She tried to brush it off with adult logic, gently persuading him.
"Grandma prepared many beautiful gems for you, as well as glass cups unique to the Western Regions, and a music box that can dance... those are the things girls like."
"The trade routes are too complicated; they'll exhaust you."
"We are not afraid of being tired."
February immediately responded; she was the most composed of all.
"Our mother taught us that we should take care of our own things."
“Grandmother, you just need to give us the trade routes. We will manage them ourselves and will not let you worry about them.”
"Yes,"
June also speaks crisply.
“We have plenty of gemstones and glass in our warehouse, it’s almost overflowing.”
"We're already tired of that stuff, now we think the trade route is the most fun!"
If you don't give it to me...
March gave a cold laugh, drawing out her words.
"Doesn't that prove that everything you just said was a lie?"
"You don't really want to see Mother, nor do you genuinely care about us. You just want to get something for nothing and say a few nice words."
"How dare you talk like that, child!"
Zhao Bingyu finally couldn't hold back anymore, and her tone carried a hint of reproach.
"Am I not telling the truth?"
March met her gaze without fear.
"If you truly love someone, you wouldn't make excuses for even the smallest request we make."
“If you are truly sincere, you should nod right now instead of lecturing us on some ‘grand principles’.”
Zhao Bingyu was rendered speechless by the rebuttal and looked to Bai Yansong, who had remained silent, for help.
Bai Yansong witnessed the whole thing, and his heart was in turmoil.
Looking at the seven quick-witted and united girls, and then at his daughter Bailu behind them, who had an indifferent expression and seemed to have everything under control, an unprecedented sense of defeat overwhelmed him.
Bai Lu, however, did not utter another word from beginning to end.
She simply stood there quietly, a faint smile on her face, watching how her daughters drove Zhao Bingyu into a corner.
If you want to use them, you have to see if they are willing to be used by you.
Your hypocritical tricks are worthless in their eyes.
Zhao Bingyu's chest heaved violently.
She looked at her seven granddaughters, who were all smiles but whose words were sharp and barbed.
Then he glanced at their daughter Bai Lu, who stood behind them with an indifferent expression and an air of confidence, and a surge of anger rose from the bottom of his heart to the top of his head.
"Bai Lu!"
Zhao Bingyu finally lost her temper, her voice suddenly rising and sharply pointing at Bai Lu.
"Look at you! What kind of children have you raised!"
She was so angry that her fingers were trembling slightly, and the mask of a loving grandmother on her face could no longer be maintained.
"How old are they? All they care about is trade routes and profits!"
"Is this how you raise your daughter?"
"They've been taught to be so mercenary and calculating!"
Zhao Bingyu's voice was filled with disappointment and accusation, as if she were the one who had been let down and was heartbroken.
Upon hearing this, Bai Lu slowly raised her eyelids.
Her gaze was calm and unwavering.
"Madam Zhao, you are mistaken."
"Just now, you were the one who offered to give the children gifts."
Bai Lu's gaze swept over her seven daughters, who immediately quieted down and turned to look at their mother.
“You said you would give them all the good things in the storeroom. Now, the children have only picked what they wanted, and you complain that they asked for too much, and then you accuse them of being materialistic.”
Who is more pragmatic?
"Do you genuinely want to give a gift, or are you just planning to use some cheap trinkets to get what you really want?"
Zhao Bingyu felt a lump in her throat as these words left her speechless.
She felt that Bai Lu had completely seen through her thoughts.
"I...I didn't!"
Zhao Bingyu tried to defend herself, but her voice sounded somewhat weak.
"I just feel that children shouldn't be like this!"
"They should be innocent and carefree, not haggle with me like petty businessmen!"
She tried to steer the conversation back to moral judgment of the children in order to gain the moral high ground.
"You're ruining them!"
Upon hearing this, March was the first to object.
She took a step forward, her small face full of undisguised mockery.
"Grandmother, what you said is really interesting."
"You yourself are the biggest merchant in the Western Regions. Didn't you come here for trade routes and money?"
"Why is it that it's your right to talk business, but we're considered to have been spoiled by my mother just because we want gifts?"
She tilted her head, her eyes both innocent and sharp.
"Are the officials allowed to set fires but the people are not allowed to light lamps?"
"you!"
Zhao Bingyu pointed at March, too angry to speak.
She never expected a child to be so eloquent, leaving her completely speechless.
Bai Lu gently raised her hand, signaling San Yue to step down.
She looked at Zhao Bingyu, her gaze becoming even sharper.
“Mrs. Zhao, you don’t need to bring up the child.”
Bai Lu's tone turned cold, devoid of any politeness.
"You know why you came here today. There's no need for us to use so-called kinship to cover it up anymore."
"What you want, what I want, let's discuss it directly with a clear price tag."
Zhao Bingyu's face turned pale and then red.
She knew that the roundabout route was completely blocked.
Bai Lu doesn't buy into that at all.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, her eyes revealing a hint of hurt and indignation.
"Good, what a great way to set a price."
Zhao Bingyu's voice trembled slightly, whether from anger or feigned, it was hard to tell.
"Bai Lu, are you really so heartless? I am, after all, your mother!"
She began to play her last emotional card, trying to evoke Bai Lu's guilt.
"Those industries and trade routes in the Western Regions, who do you think I've been working so hard for? It's all for my children in the Western Regions!"
Zhao Bingyu's eyes reddened, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
“I also have a large family to support over there; they are my own flesh and blood! You're asking for 30% right off the bat. Have you even thought about what will happen to them?”
She spoke with such sincerity, as if she were a pitiful mother who had devoted herself to all her children but was being pressured by one of her ignorant children.
"Ah."
Bai Lu sneered.
Bai Yansong stood silently by the side, watching the farce unfold.
When he heard Zhao Bingyu mention the children of the Western Regions, his face turned extremely ugly, and a trace of pain and disgust flashed in his eyes.
The eldest sister, who hadn't said much until January, suddenly spoke up coldly.
Her voice wasn't as sharp as March's, but it carried a maturity beyond her years.
"You're really biased all the way to the armpit."
“The children over there are your flesh and blood. Aren’t we, the seven sisters, and my mother also your bloodline?”
Her words weren't harsh, but they instantly turned Zhao Bingyu's face pale.
"Since you only care about those children in the Western Regions, why bother coming all the way to Dawu to find us? Why don't you just stay and live your life with your precious children?"