The two were walking on the street. Mei Niang was just looking around and was always a few steps behind Zhang Jingyun. Zhang Jingyun stopped from time to time to wait for her. Seeing that she was curious and interested, as if it was the first time she had gone out to see the street scene since she was a child, he couldn't help laughing and simply slowed down his pace to let her look around slowly.
Mei Niang quickly came to her senses, thinking that Zhang Jingyun had to hurry back to Guiyun Villa, which was thirty miles outside the city, and hurriedly urged him: "Hurry up! It will be bad if you leave the city too late!"
Zhang Jingyun said, "That's fine. My mount will stay at Qin's mansion, and the medicine delivery person will pick it up tomorrow. I'll ask Qiancaotang to give me another carriage later. I'm used to nighttime travel, so it won't take long to get back to the villa."
Mei Niang nodded: "This is the best. I was thinking that the wind at night is colder than during the day. You might get very cold walking in the wild. Let's find two more people to accompany you back to the villa later!"
"There will be a driver accompanying us. We will have him drive the carriage back to the city tomorrow."
As they were talking, they passed by a store with six open carved mahogany doors. A strong aroma of wine filled their noses. Mei Niang looked up and saw a plaque on the door with the three words "Xiankelai" written in cursive. It turned out to be a restaurant. Mei Niang smiled and said to Zhang Jingyun:
"It's a pity it's so late, otherwise I would treat you to a drink here!"
Zhang Jingyun glanced at her and said nothing. After a while, he said, "Lingxuzi and I often come to this restaurant. Because of its fine wine and delicious dishes, it has a very good business. The owner is from Liuzhou and has been running the business for more than ten years. Unfortunately, it has to let go and change hands!"
Mei Niang was stunned for a moment: "It's doing well, why do you want to change the owner?"
She looked up and counted. It was a four-story building with an antique, solid brick, wood and tile structure. It was also a street-facing store. It was a time-honored brand. It would be a pity to let it go after so much painstaking effort.
Zhang Jingyun said, "The owner is someone I know. His surname is Cen. When I came back in previous years, I would occasionally stop by his upstairs guest house to meet friends. The interior is very well decorated and elegant. He came to the capital when he was young to run this restaurant. He was very dedicated. However, due to recent family changes, his father and brother died at the same time. His widowed mother wanted her son to return home to take care of the family business. Although he was very reluctant, he had to obey his mother's orders, end the business here, and bring his whole family back home with his wife and children."
"Are there any guest rooms upstairs?"
"He built twin towers. The one facing the street is a restaurant, and there is another floor at the back, which is a guest room for merchants."
Mei Niang stopped walking, her mind racing, and she turned back to stare at the three big words "Cyclamen", her heart pounding.
"Mr. Zhang, you said you know the owner? His surname is Cen? Has someone taken over his restaurant?"
Zhang Jingyun said: "He met me the day before yesterday and said goodbye to me, and then I learned about this matter. I don't know whether there is anyone who will take over."
"How much is he asking for if he sells the restaurant?" Mei Niang asked directly.
Zhang Jingyun blinked and looked at her: "I didn't ask, do you want to..."
"Yes! I want to take over!" Mei Niang answered straightforwardly.
Zhang Jingyun was stunned: "You? Madam Hou! You want to run a restaurant? Do you understand?"
Mei Niang smiled: "If you don't understand, you can learn. Besides, it's not like I don't understand at all! This boss Cen only took his family back home, and he didn't take everyone in the restaurant away. He can stay and continue to be used by me!"
Zhang Jingyun was still in a daze: "Why are you doing this? You are living a life of luxury in the Hou Mansion, taking care of your husband and children, there are many things for you to do, Xu... he would never let you come out to do this!"
Mei Niang saw that the sky was getting darker and darker, so she stepped forward and pulled his sleeve: "It will be too late if we run out of time. Take me to find that Boss Cen and ask if there is still a chance!"
Zhang Jingyun reluctantly followed her to the front door of Xiankelai, and stopped at the bottom of the stairs: "Let's not go. This is a big deal. What if..."
"Nothing will happen!" Mei Niang pulled him forward and said, "I will take full responsibility for this matter. It has nothing to do with you. You are a gentleman, and a gentleman helps others to achieve their goals. Please help me with this!"
Zhang Jingyun hesitated: "Help others achieve their goals? I'm afraid I'll do something wrong! Do you have the ability to split yourself into two? How are you going to run this store?"
Mei Niang was anxious: "Don't worry about it, okay? Let's see if we can hold on first. There will be a way out when we reach the mountain. We can discuss other things later!"
Zhang Jingyun passively took Mei Niang up the stairs. As soon as they stepped into the door, a man in his thirties, wearing a plain brocade robe, slightly fat and with a fair complexion, came over and bowed to Zhang Jingyun:
"Am I seeing right? It's Mr. Zhang! It's snowing heavily and it's very cold. Please come sit in the private room upstairs!"
Zhang Jingyun greeted him and pointed at Mei Niang: "This is..."
Mei Niang smiled and raised her hand to bow, introducing herself generously: "My surname is Cen. I heard from Brother Zhang that the owner of this restaurant is also surnamed Cen, so I want to find my family to talk about my relationship!"
The man in the plain robe was none other than Xiankelai's owner, Cen Guiquan. He hurriedly bowed and saluted, "So you're my brother. I'm sorry for being so rude!"
At that moment, Cen Guiquan enthusiastically led the two men to the private room on the second floor, asked the waiter to bring a pot of good tea, and then ordered the kitchen to heat up the wine and prepare some delicious dishes to treat Mr. Zhang and his brothers to a few drinks.
Zhang Jingyun stopped him and said, "Brother Cen is in mourning and cannot drink. We two are just here to ask a question. We can't delay too long. Just have a cup of tea!"
Mei Niang also sighed, "The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop, the son wants to take care of his parents but they are not there yet! I just learned from Brother Zhang about my elder brother's family situation. My elder brother's filial piety has not been repaid, and his strict father has passed away. It is really a pity!"
Cen Guiquan lowered his head, tears dripping down his cheeks, choking with sobs: "I can't explain! I am the second son in the family, and my eldest brother inherited the family business. I came to Beijing when I was a teenager and worked hard to build this career. I originally thought that I could bring my parents to Beijing to live in the next few years and expand my horizons... Although Yangzhou is good, it is not as prosperous and lively as the capital. Who could have thought... Now even my eldest brother is gone! My loving mother was unwilling to give up the family business that has lasted for hundreds of years, and strictly ordered me to return home. But I have worked hard to run this shop for many years, and I can't bear to let go of people who are not worthy of my attention. I have been worried for days. There are merchants and scholars who are taking exams living in the shop. I don't want to let them go, but I can't close the shop... I am wearing mourning clothes, and I think about my father and brothers who died at home every day. My heart is like oil!"
Mei Niang sighed sympathetically and said, "Brother, if you are confident in running this restaurant, how about handing it over to me? I am from another place and my family is originally engaged in business. Although I am young, I should be able to manage a restaurant. This restaurant has been run by you with great effort. I know how much effort you have put into it. Brothers should be clear about the amount of money you want to pay. You can tell me how much money you want to pay. I will try my best to follow your original style and rules. Just think of it as you are away on a trip and I will take care of the property temporarily. If you are willing to come back one day, I will definitely return it with both hands!"
Cen Guiquan stared at Mei Niang in a daze: "You? You... You are young but you have a great bearing. What you said touched my heart. I am not looking down on you, but it is not easy to run this restaurant. You are so frail, like a girl, I am afraid you can't stand the hard work."
Mei Niang glanced at Zhang Jingyun and smiled, "Brother, you don't believe me? Mr. Zhang and I are close friends, he knows me!"
Zhang Jingyun couldn't dodge and said helplessly: "Brother Cen, you can trust me. Although your brother is young, he is quite courageous and measured. He also came to Beijing from his hometown to do business alone and has made some achievements!"
Cen Guiquan looked at Mei Niang in surprise: "Where is your hometown, brother? What do you do?"
Mei Niang lied so quickly that Zhang Jingyun was dumbfounded: "My family is in Guangzhou, and I specialize in shipping. Now I have three large cargo ships, which I have entrusted to my men to manage. I just live in the capital."
"Oh! I am so disrespectful to you for being so capable!" Cen Guiquan was full of admiration and praised him repeatedly.
With Zhang Jingyun as a witness, he had no choice but to believe it.
He looked at Mei Niang carefully and nodded, "Although you are young, you look very honest. I feel relieved to hand this shop over to you, just like handing it over to a family member! As long as you manage it carefully, you will soon know the benefits of it!"
Mei Niang spent a lot of effort to suppress herself from jumping up, and shouted to Cen Guiquan: "Grandfather, you are so wise! Handing the restaurant to me is like doing a great favor to your descendants!"
She simply stood up, bowed to Cen Guiquan calmly, and said, "Brother, you think highly of me. I will do my best to manage the restaurant and live up to your high expectations. I still say the same thing: if you want to take back Xiankelai in the future, I will return it without hesitation!"
Cen Guiquan nodded with a smile: "For your sincerity and generosity, starting tomorrow, Xiankelai will be owned by you, but not by your surname! Please wait a moment, I will go and invite the lawyer to come, and ask Mr. Zhang to be the middleman, to draft the document, and you and I will sign and seal it, and we will settle the matter, so that I can return home early tomorrow!"
Mei Niang was stunned: "Brother didn't tell me how much money this restaurant would cost, and I didn't bring any banknotes with me!"
Cen Guiquan pondered for a moment and said, "The twin towers of Xiankelai, the large compound behind them, and the large compound in the east of the city where I live are all handed over to you, brother. Just give them to me as you see fit!"
Mei Niang said awkwardly: "Brother, please tell me. I don't really understand this. How about you, Mr. Zhang?"
The two looked at Zhang Jingyun together, and Zhang Jingyun waved his hands: "I don't understand this either. You brothers should settle the accounts clearly. Brother Cen, give me a number!"
Cen Guiquan looked at Mei Niang and said, "Brother, I am being unkind. Just give me 500,000 taels of silver. If you take good care of the xiankeliai, you can come back in a year or two!"
Mei Niang lowered her head and thought: According to the account books of the Hou Mansion, the amount of silver collected at the end of the year was more than one million taels, but she embezzled 500,000 taels at once. It could be concealed for a month or two, but not for a year or two. It would be troublesome if they traced it later.
Seeing Mei Niang remained silent, Cen Guiquan thought that she could not raise so much money all at once. However, the more he looked at this young man, the more he felt that this young man from his family was the best candidate to take over Xiankelai. He was unwilling to let him go. He gritted his teeth and said:
"If you are in trouble, please be understanding. Three hundred thousand taels! Sign the document tonight, sign and seal it. Bring the banknotes tomorrow morning, and we'll settle it!"
Mei Niang was stunned: she seemed to have got a good deal with 500,000 taels, and the old man wanted to reduce it to 300,000 taels. She was simply picking up golden eggs!
He immediately agreed: "Brother, you are so considerate of me. I am very grateful! It is settled. I will give you the banknotes tomorrow so that you can return home as soon as possible. When I make more money in the future, I will return the 200,000 to you!"
Cen Guiquan nodded: "You and I have the same surname, we are from the same family, we are brothers, no problem, no problem!"
They immediately invited a legal advisor to write the document, and another respected middleman came to witness it together with Zhang Jingyun. They signed and stamped the document. Zhang Jingyun saw that the name signed by Mei Niang was: Feng Wanjing.
Mei Niang smiled and said, "This is my wife's name. My wife is from the capital. If I use her name, it will be easier for me to do things in the future!"
Cen Guiquan was a wise man. He believed Mei Niang and no longer hesitated. He just smiled and said, "Brother, you are so lucky to have a family at such a young age. I didn't get married until I was twenty-six or twenty-seven years old!"
Mei Niang asked, "Did your brother marry a girl from the capital?"
Cen Guiquan shook his head: "She is the girl next door that my mother sent from her hometown... Alas! My mother had already made plans and didn't want me to stay in a foreign land for a long time!"
A few people sat and drank a few cups of tea, and then Zhang Jingyun took Mei Niang out to say goodbye. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)