Zhenfubao waved his hand and the warehouse was full of grain, and the whole family regretted it

Chapter 558: Old Iron Mine

Gu Sinian sat up straight, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp:

“Following me is like walking on a tightrope; you could fall to pieces at any moment.

Can you promise not to betray me?"

The Seventeenth Prince puffed out his chest and shouted, "I mean what I say! If you dare to play tricks on me, I'll kill you!"

He knew in his heart that this was his only chance, and only if he won the bet would he have a way out for the rest of his life.

Gu Sinian nodded, the auction was nearing its end.

Bai Wanwan felt extremely satisfied looking at the pile of land deeds. What could make her feel more secure than a farm?

The steward slammed the wake-up stick:

"Everyone! The last item for today is the old iron mine!

Even though it's already been mined, there are still mountains of gold and silver hidden inside!"

He raised his hand and pointed at the parchment map on the wall. It showed a crooked drawing of winding mine tunnels and scattered mine holes.

“This mine is connected to the mountain, and no one can tell how deep it is or how much iron it contains.

But look, the previous mine owner only dug a small corner and took away thirty carts of fine iron!"

The audience suddenly started to whisper, and the steward lifted his long gown and paced back and forth:

“The iron ore veins on the stone wall were as thick as thighs, and sparks flew when the pickaxe hit them.

Although the ore layer outside is shallow, if we dig deeper, we might unearth a mountain of iron!"

He held up two fingers:

"The starting price is two million taels of silver! This price is actually not expensive.

Buy this mine, and you'll have plenty of iron to forge weapons and make farm tools in the future!

If you are short of ore and miss this opportunity, you can slap your thighs!"

Before he finished speaking, a sneer suddenly came from the northwest corner.

The man in brocade robes slammed the teacup against the table, causing the lid to clang.

"Bah! What rare mineral vein? It's just a trick to fool fools!

This mine has been riddled with holes by previous owners, and now even rats would starve to death if they went in there!"

He stood up suddenly, the hem of his robe sweeping over a low stool. "Two million taels? I might as well throw the silver into the river and listen to the sound!"

The surroundings suddenly exploded, and a white-bearded old man twirled his beard and echoed:

"That's right! My nephew went there to explore last month, and the mine was crooked like a dead snake.

It's collapsed here and there's a hole there, there's barely enough space for people to stand!"

Someone else slammed the table and sneered:

“If there really is a treasure, which family wouldn’t hide it?

Is the mine owner stupid enough to put it up for auction for no reason?"

"Everyone, don't worry!" The steward had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, but he still forced a smile:

“Although the mine is old, the unexplored tunnels are hundreds of feet long!

Back then, the miners were so eager to mine the surface iron ore that the deep veins were left untouched..."

Before he could finish his words, he was drowned out by the laughter.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "If it's iron ore, two million taels wouldn't even be enough to fill a gap in my teeth!"

"Come on! This iron ore is very difficult to dig. We need to find a lot of people to work.

Even if it is dug out, it will cost a lot of money to transport and process it.

Besides, there's no guarantee we'll find anything good, so I won't take advantage of such a bargain." After saying this, everyone present shook their heads, and no one was optimistic about this deal.

At this moment, Bai Wanwan stretched out her finger and said crisply, "I'll give you 200 million."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. The scene suddenly became so quiet that one could hear their heartbeats.

Shen Tao was so shocked that he stuttered and his voice changed:

“You…you…you actually want to buy this mine?

200 million is not a small amount, are you confused? "

Seeing this, Gu Sinian reached out and gently touched Bai Wanwan's head, then turned around and glared at Shen Tao, saying, "Don't make a fuss. This has nothing to do with you, and you don't have to pay for it."

Shen Tao's face flushed, the corners of his mouth twitched twice, and he bowed to Gu Sinian with a feeling of grievance:

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm meddling in other people's business! If you want to pay the 200 million, go ahead and do it.

I'll just keep my mouth shut!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, retreated behind the crowd, crossed his arms and said nothing more.

Bai Wanwan worked very quickly and completed all the paperwork for iron ore mining within half a day.

Her fingertips stroked the gold-plated contract, and her eyes flashed with a determined light. Now, which of the weapons forging of the Gu family army and the textile machinery in the workshop can be separated from iron ore?

Instead of buying at a high price depending on the merchant’s wishes, it is better to control the source yourself.

Even if this mine yields nothing in the end, just consider it a gamble.

But once a high-quality mineral vein is unearthed, not only can a huge amount of expenses be saved, but also the key lifeline can be grasped in troubled times.

When the gong sounded, signaling the end of the auction, Marquis Ding'an stroked his beard and sneered, "Tsk tsk, I never thought someone would treasure these scraps of metal."

The young men from the surrounding noble families immediately laughed: "I heard that Baiyin's adopted granddaughter is from the countryside and knows nothing. Now it seems to be true."

"Several million taels of silver are wasted. Isn't this a waste of money?"

"In my opinion, he's been blinded by greed and wants to turn his life around by relying on an abandoned mine..."

Gu Sinian sneered and took out the banknotes from his pocket and said, "This is my gift to you. Isn't it just an abandoned mine? Whatever Wanwan wants, I will give it to you."

A suppressed gasp could be heard from the crowd: "That's the Eighteenth Prince! Who could have thought he would actually come forward to help Bai Wanwan?"

Lin Zao Zao bit her lower lip and lowered her voice: "I don't know if Gu Sinian has a problem with his brain? He actually spent a huge amount of money on a woman like this!"

Su Niantang stood on tiptoe, gazing at the Eighteenth Prince leaning against the railing in the private room upstairs with an infatuated look, and said:

"I...I think Gu Sinian is really handsome...

His eyebrows are sharp and his eyes are bright, and his every move exudes nobility."

Seeing this, Lin Zao Zao leaned over to her ear and whispered something seductively, with a calculating smile on his lips:

"Then snatch him away! As long as you become Gu Sinian's wife, are you still worried that you can't deal with Bai Wanwan?

You can teach her any lesson you want then!"

Su Niantang twisted the handkerchief in his hand and stammered, "You...you don't say nonsense..."

Lin Zao Zao smiled and said, "I just think that sister and that Gu Sinian are quite a good match. If they really get together, it would be pretty good."

After shopping, the seventeenth prince warmly invited everyone to go boating on the lake.

There are many pleasure boats parked densely on the river, and melodious piano music can be heard from each boat.

The Seventeenth Prince led everyone onto a red-painted pleasure boat and introduced it with a smile:

"This ship is extraordinary. The owner has specially invited the most famous zither player in the city to take charge.

Let’s listen to the authentic Guangling San today!”

As soon as I stepped over the carved threshold, a faint scent of sandalwood hit me in the face.

There was a translucent gauze curtain hanging in the cabin, and a dozen girls in simple and elegant skirts were kneeling in front of a rosewood piano table, their fingertips flying across the strings.

In the corner, a veiled woman was plucking a Jiaoweiqin. The sound was clear, like spring water flowing over bluestone, with an indescribable tenderness.

It was also the first time that Bai Wanwan heard such beautiful piano music. Just as she was about to sit down, she heard a sound coming from outside.