Madam Qin looked at Mei Niang, and Mei Niang asked calmly, "Who is coming?"
Tao Er replied: "To my aunt: It's still the elder brother from this morning."
"Bring him over here and answer the call outside this door!"
"yes!"
Tao'er went downstairs, and Madam Qin said, "At least let him in. How can we let him answer questions outside the door when he is from the mansion?"
Mei Niang picked up a dish with chopsticks and put it into her mouth, chewed it and swallowed it: "Aren't we eating? It's good enough to let him answer at the door, otherwise wait until I finish my meal - this is the rule of the Hou Mansion!"
Madam Qin looked at her daughter helplessly, sighed and shook her head. Feng sat aside without saying a word, just kept adding food to Madam Qin and Mei Niang's bowls.
Mei Niang did not bother to invite Feng to sit down and eat together. She was thinking in her heart: It is very appropriate for Bai Zhan to come to pick me up at this time. She had to go back to the Hou Mansion and find a pretext to quietly withdraw the banknotes so that she could go and hand over the Xiankelai Restaurant to her ancestor Cen Guiquan tomorrow.
She was not unfamiliar with the modern hotel operation model. In her previous life, the company she worked for had several five-star hotels under its umbrella, and she had been involved in that business. In ancient times, the wine shops and inns, from business philosophy, environmental facilities to management methods, could not be compared with modern ones in any way. Mei Niang knew that what she had learned might not be useful, but at least she would not be blind. Her ancestor left everything intact. She would first follow his business model, slowly adapt, and change at the right time. She did not believe that she could not manage this old restaurant well.
Bai Zhan followed Tao'er into the inner courtyard and stood in the corridor to answer Mei Niang's questions honestly. Mei Niang was silent for a while and said:
"Wait outside. I'll be back after I eat!"
Bai Zhan secretly breathed a sigh of relief: the gentle and graceful grandma could be scary when she got angry. He had experienced this in the morning. Lord Hou did not come to pick up the grandma himself, but sent him on this difficult mission. The grandma had finally returned to her parents' home, but could not even stay for a night. He was really afraid that she would be unhappy and get angry again, and then he would be in trouble.
Fortunately, the eldest lady was not angry and was willing to return to the Marquis' Mansion. That was the best thing that could happen!
In the morning, I was sent back to the mansion by the grandmother. The Lord had already left the house. I didn't know whether he went to court or somewhere else. I searched for him in several places but couldn't find him. Later, I saw Baoju. Baoju had been wearing a military stick and his buttocks were swollen and painful, so he couldn't ride a horse. The Lord went out without him. I asked another attendant and found out that he had gone to the palace. The emperor had summoned him for something, and I was afraid that he would not be back for the whole day.
Unable to find Mr. Hou to reply, Bai Zhan did not dare to go back to Qin's house for fear of being scolded by the grandmother. So he had to go back to Dongyuan with Baoju and waited for Mr. Hou to come back. It was not until it was completely dark that Bai Zhan was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks. Finally, Mr. Hou came back.
After listening to Bai Zhan's report, Xu Junying didn't say much, just one sentence: "Immediately take someone to pick up the eldest grandmother and bring her back to the mansion. If they ask, tell them that according to the rules of the Hou Mansion, the wife of the Hou is not allowed to stay overnight!"
Unless she is no longer his wife in name and is involved with him, she must obey his arrangements!
He tried his best to be patient and tried to cover up the scandal she and Lao Qi had done, not for anything else, but for the good name of this family. He used both kindness and force to warn Zheng Meiyu that if she dared to speak nonsense, there would be no good results. Madam Zheng would not leak any news. Heng'er was her only hope and reliance now, and she would never let him make any mistakes. Xu Junying was now on guard against Mei Niang. As long as she did not attract attention and stayed in the Hou Mansion in obscurity, he would let her live out the rest of her life without worries about food and clothing.
But if Mei Niang wanted to be as free and casual as other noble ladies, go out whenever she wanted, visit friends whenever she wanted, and stay at her parents' home when she returned, then that would absolutely not be allowed!
Xu Junying sat in the study until dusk. Bai Zhan came back and said that the eldest lady had returned home. His expression relaxed a little. He nodded, and told Ruibao Ruizhu to make the bed and prepare to rest. He had accompanied the emperor to Guiyun Villa today, and he had to get up early tomorrow to accompany the emperor and the empress dowager to Leiyin Temple a hundred miles outside the city to ask for a peace amulet for the pregnant queen and the injured Prince Qi.
Mei Niang returned to the upper room, and Cui Si reported a few things to her. They were nothing more than affairs in the mansion, which Ning Rulan had handled. Mei Niang was worried about Heng'er. Cui Si said that Xia Lian sent a little maid to report back: Heng'er cried for a while in the morning and refused to eat properly. He was happier after a nap and was willing to eat some porridge.
Mei Niang felt a pain in her heart and could only sigh. Even if she went to Qiuhuayuan now, Madam Zheng would not let her see Heng'er.
When I was concentrating on doing other things, Ping'er came to report that the light in the Dongyuan study was out, and the light in the Houye bedroom only lit up for a moment and then went out.
Mei Niang then instructed Mother Wang to take out the key chain and asked Cui Xi to get a cloak. She had to go out for a while and asked Cui Xi to follow her. She also told Cui Lian to go to Third Grandma's yard and say that Grandma had caught a cold and had a headache after returning to her parents' home. She was afraid that she would not be able to come to Ziyun Hall tomorrow. She hoped that Third Grandma would understand and endure one more day of hard work, and come to manage the affairs after Grandma was better, so that Third Grandma could have a rest.
Mei Niang was gone for nearly an hour, and when she returned to Qinghua Courtyard, the lights in the East Garden had already been turned off, and it was obvious that everyone was asleep. She raised a slight smile at the corner of her lips and touched the banknote in her sleeve, which was 350,000 taels. She signed the note herself, telling the accountant not to spread the news, saying that the Marquis urgently needed the money, and would return it to the treasury in full after three to five months.
Of the 300,000 taels of money that were used as the restaurant's transfer fee, 30,000 taels were given to Cen Guiquan as favors for weddings and funerals between relatives and friends, and the remaining 20,000 taels were used for the restaurant's operating expenses and other various expenses.
Mother Wang and Cui Si had prepared hot water. Mei Niang took a bath and changed her clothes. She came out to get the Ice Spider Mask and beckoned Mother Wang, Cui Xi, Cui Lian, and Cui Si to come over. She put on the mask in front of them and instantly turned into another person, shocking them. Mei Niang said:
“I will often look like this in the future. You have to recognize that Mother Wang is old and should just stay at home. I will take one of Cuixi, Cuilian and Cuisi out from time to time. This mask is very precious and there are not many. You will have to put on makeup and change your faces... Just watch, follow and help me with what I do. Don’t ask too many questions. I will be careful and do things well. In the future, none of us will have to rely on others to support us. Mother Wang needs money to prepare for her old age. Cuixi, Cuilian and Cuisi need to marry someone they like and each get a generous dowry. We can definitely do all these!”
Mother Wang looked worried and extremely uneasy. The three maids were young after all, but they were half excited and looked at Mei Niang's mask with curiosity until Mei Niang dipped her hands in water and took off the mask, put it on her palm and let the three people touch it, and then she put it away with great care. Cui Xi, Cui Lian, and Cui Si rushed to make the bed, took a hot water bottle to scald the quilt, and then helped Mei Niang to lie down on the bed. Mei Niang had been running all day, doing things and talking without feeling anything, but now she felt exhausted when she lay down. As soon as her head touched the pillow and her eyes closed, she knew nothing.
At yin hour, lights were turned on in the East Garden. Soon, Xu Junying, Baizhan and Baoju went out from the small corner gate of the martial arts training ground. Cheng'er watched secretly from the dark, and hurried back to the upper room to report to Mei Niang. Mei Niang had already gotten up, washed and dressed, and was waiting. Of course, she couldn't run around in the inner courtyard of the mansion in men's clothes, so she asked Cuixi to comb her hair into a double bun, and dressed as a maid first, and then sneak out of the mansion.
Mother Wang came in hurriedly from outside and said to Mei Niang, "The carriage is ready and in Pingxiang. The one driving it is Mrs. Lin's nephew. Mrs. Lin is guarding the door leading to Pingxiang from the west courtyard. Old man Yu is on duty at the side door leading out of Pingxiang. Mrs. Yu has told him that when the eldest lady goes out through the side door, when she comes back, she should knock on the door seven times in a row and it will open naturally!"
Mei Niang nodded and said, "Those old women who kept vigil for me will be of use to me!"
Mother Wang turned her head and said, "Good luck! Grandma, please be careful. Don't say such things again!"
Mei Niang smiled: "Yes, yes! Good luck! We have to go smoothly today, and things will be much better in the future!"
Mother Wang said, "It's still early. There's no one walking around in the garden except the old woman sweeping up the dead branches and leaves. Grandma, take Cuixi and Cuisi out quickly... I'm very nervous. Grandma, please be careful and come back early after you finish your work!"
Mei Niang patted Mother Wang's hand and said, "Good mother, don't worry, I will be back by noon at the latest!"
At the hour of Mao, a carriage drove to the door of Xiankelai Restaurant. Mei Niang got off the carriage. She had changed her appearance. She was wearing a lake green brocade robe, a green jade silk belt around her waist, deerskin fur boots on her feet, and her hair was still tied with a ribbon and fastened with a jade ring. Her slightly ordinary face replaced her peerless beauty, but her pair of bright and clever eyes were unforgettable. Her temperament was elegant and refreshing, and her smile gave people a friendly and sincere feeling. When she was not smiling, her expression was a little indifferent.
Just as she stepped onto the steps, Cen Guiquan came out from the gatehouse, greeted her, and welcomed her in. It was still the same private room as last night. Zhang Jingyun was sitting there, still wearing a mask. Mei Niang was stunned:
"Mr. Zhang, didn't you go back to the villa last night?"
Zhang Jingyun smiled slightly: "I'm back. I'm going back to the city early. I should be present from beginning to end for the handover between your two brothers!"
Cen Guiquan smiled and said, "With Mr. Zhang as a witness, I will now formally hand over Xiankelai to you, little brother. The transfer documents, house contract, restaurant account books, various notebooks, the list of stewards, waiters and cooks, etc. are all here."
Mei Niang took off the plain cloth bag on her back and took out the banknotes from it: "I have raised 350,000 taels of silver, leaving 30,000 taels for operation. This is 320,000 taels, of which 20,000 taels are my sincere gift. Brother, please don't despise it! When we return to the village, please light a stick of incense and burn a few more strings of paper money in front of the coffins of my uncles and elder brother."
Cen Guiquan looked at her, nodded repeatedly, and took the banknote without refusing. He then pushed a piece of white rice paper in front of Mei Niang:
"Brother, please write down your name and I will do it!"
Mei Niang paused, took a deep breath, picked up the brush, and wrote "Cen Mei" on the rice paper. Cen Guiquan and Zhang Jingyun were both stunned for a moment. Mei Niang looked at the three words, her eyes became hot and tears almost rolled down.
Cen Guiquan looked at her carefully for a while and said, "Since you are a descendant of the Cen family, I will not be polite to you. I am much older than you, and I can bear to be respected by you as your brother! I will take you around and bring everyone in the restaurant to meet you. By the way, I will tell you something that outsiders don’t know. All the affairs of the restaurant are recorded in the book. You can look through it carefully... You must run the business carefully from now on, and don’t waste my hard work!"
"Don't worry, brother. I will do my best to run the restaurant well!"
Cen Guiquan let out a long sigh: "Okay, I believe you! If I have the chance in my lifetime, I will definitely come to the capital again. You can't let me down!"
Mei Niang replied solemnly: "Brother, you can come anytime! Xiankelai always treats you as a proper master, and I will definitely not let you down!"
Cen Guiquan was eager to return home, and just as he had said yesterday, he was going to say goodbye and leave as soon as he finished dealing with the restaurant affairs. Mei Niang and Zhang Jingyun only then realized that he had already made preparations, and all his belongings and relatives were already on the ship. There was no time to do some false ceremonies for him, so they only sent Cen Guiquan on the passenger ship. Cen Guiquan gave Mei Niang some earnest instructions again, and only got on board and set sail after the urging sounded on the boat again. They waved goodbye to the shore across the river.
After sending Cen Guiquan away, Mei Niang turned back to thank Zhang Jingyun again: "Mr. Zhang, you have worked so hard all night for this matter for me. I am really sorry! If it weren't for Mr. Zhang, I wouldn't have been able to get Xiankelai. How about you take half of the shares, and we can run the business together and split the profits in half? What do you think?"
Zhang Jingyun smiled and waved his hand: "I don't understand this, and I don't have the time. But I can invite a few diners or lodgers for you, and then you just need to waive my tea and food fees!"
Mei Niang smiled: "That's fine! You and Lingxuzi, come on, I won't take your money! If anyone else comes, I will take their money, no matter if I know them or not, not a cent less!"
Zhang Jingyun smiled: "Do you accept people from the Xu Mansion? Junying often invites guests to dinner and tea at Xiankelai!"
Mei Niang said, "You can take it as you wish! I would like to double Xu Junying's money! But one or two people from the Xu Mansion can take it for free."
Zhang Jingyun asked curiously, "Who is it? How could he be treated better than Lord Hou?"
Mei Niang smiled and said, "One is Xu Junya and Ning Rulan, and the other is Sixth Master Xu Junxuan. They treat me sincerely and well, better than Master Hou, and they deserve preferential treatment!"
The two returned to the Xiankelai Restaurant while talking. Mei Niang saw that her carriage was still parked at the corner of the street, so she walked over and told the coachman Lin Amao to park the carriage in the large courtyard at the back. She asked Cui Xi and Cui Si, who were in the carriage, to get out and follow her and Zhang Jingyun into the restaurant.
After going back and forth, upstairs and downstairs, and taking a closer look, Mei Niang had a rough plan for the operation of Xiankelai. She knew that she couldn't do anything yet, and she had to wait until after the Chinese New Year, and then she could do it slowly, step by step. She was very confident that after the renovation, the number of customers at Xiankelai would double, and the business would be more prosperous. (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)