Xu Qing followed his lead and continued, "It's all my careless mistake, I lost the travel permit issued by the village. Right now, I'm tied up and can't attend to this matter. What a mess, it looks like we need to think of another solution."
As he spoke, he started to walk out.
"Sir, don't leave in such a hurry. Although you can't get the tooth card without the travel permit, it doesn't mean the travel permit can't be processed!" The broker's assistant caught Xu Qing's attention with his words, seeing that he indeed turned around, he continued with a flourish, "But the price for a travel permit is more expensive than the tooth card, I need to make that clear, it requires this much!"
The assistant held up two fingers.
"Two hundred copper coins?"
"No, two taels of silver!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Qing turned and walked away. When he reached the door and saw the assistant didn't chase after him, he nonchalantly walked back.
Taking out two taels of silver, Xu Qing weighed it and said, "I have the money, but you must ensure that this tooth card and travel permit aren't forged."
"That won't happen. This is an official broker, everything has been approved by the Government Office. See this stamp? It's officially issued and absolutely authentic!" The broker's assistant, a master of seeing business opportunities, brightened up at the sight of money and confidently assured Xu Qing, then invited him to the inner room.
Processing a travel permit is no small matter. The assistant couldn't make the decision alone; it had to be approved by the steward of the broker.
There are five stewards in the Linhe broker, each with their own responsibilities—some manage brothels and gambling houses, some manage fishing and water matters, and others oversee various businesses in Linhe District.
Currently, the assistant was taking Xu Qing to meet Li Si, the steward responsible for handling various sundry goods transactions in Linhe.
It was still early, and apart from Li Si, Huang San and Chang Wu were also present in the broker's office.
Li Si looked like a gentleman, dressed in a scholar's long robe and wearing a dark blue scholar's headscarf, with a folding fan always by his side.
Upon learning that Xu Qing needed to reprocess a travel permit, Li Si raised his eyes and studied him briefly.
Seeming to catch a whiff of perfume from Xu Qing, he suddenly joked, "You seem like a refined person, not one to cause trouble. We agree to process this travel permit for you."
With that, Li Si instructed the assistant to fetch ink and paper, and began asking for his date of birth, place of origin, and name.
Xu Qing used Little Stone Village, where Liu Youdao grew up, as his native place and filled in the registration district as Xiangyin County. After about the time to drink a cup of tea, the travel permit and tooth card were both duly processed.
One must say, having money really gets things done swiftly!
Li Si cheerfully collected a bit more than two taels of silver. Although the money wasn't much, it was received more smoothly than usual.
In the past, those who processed travel permits and tooth cards would always be stingy when paying, unlike this guest today, who handed over the money straightforwardly, not short of a single coin.
"Younger Brother Xu is a straightforward person. What kind of business do you do? Perhaps I can help you out someday."
Xu Qing put away the tooth card and shook his head, "My business is something most people can't help with!"
"Younger Brother, don't think I'm joking. Tell me, I don't believe there's any business in Linhe we brokers can't help with!"
Seeing the disbelief on the steward and the assistant's faces, Xu Qing couldn't help but find it amusing.
"It's not such a rare business, it's a funeral shop where we collect and prepare bodies, relocating the spirit for burial..."
Li Si's breath caught upon hearing this, but it greatly amused Huang San and Chang Wu next to him.
"Didn't you just say you could help Brother Xu's business? Why not skip going home today and just lie in a coffin, we'll carry you to Brother Xu's shop for support!"
Huang San's comment filled the broker's office with laughter.
"Huang San, don't make fun of me. So what if he deals with the dead? We can still get involved!"
Li Si spat on the floor and turned to Xu Qing.
"To be honest, Brother Xu, we brokers often roam the streets. We know exactly how many people, dogs, or eloped wives are around. Not to mention who's dead in the neighborhood. As long as you're willing, I can have my people help connect you. Whenever there's a funeral, you can handle the arrangements."
Brokers also acted as intermediaries, akin to headhunters, specializing in making connections and profiting from them.
Xu Qing didn't think they would so kindly introduce business for free, suspecting some hidden agenda.
As expected, Li Si promptly added, "Of course, our broker can't bridge these deals for free. If you're willing, let's split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you think?"
Taking 50% of the profits! This kind of deal would surely be unacceptable to anyone else.
You only make a connection while others do all the hard work, and then still take half the profit. It's really shameless!
However, Xu Qing was not like others. He wasn't keen on how much money he made, the key was the introduction of 'dead people'.
He knew that by relocating the spirits, he could receive rewards from the Sutra of Salvation. With enough deceased, he couldn't worry about not making money.
Xu Qing agreed immediately. Li Si brought paper, and the two signed an agreement. This operation left Huang San and Chang Wu beside them dumbfounded.
High, indeed high!
Linhe District had no shortage of wealthy people, many dignitaries resided there. If anyone needed a spirit relocation or funeral, they would certainly not be stingy. They would ensure it was grandly arranged!
If there was one funeral a month, there would be twelve transactions a year. Thinking of the hidden profits, both of them grew somewhat envious!