After Jiang Yanyi went out, she asked the embroiderer at the garment shop next door and found out the most famous flower shop in Xizhou, so she took Qiu Kui there.
Ancient people loved flowers more than modern people. Jiang Yanyi has done a lot of market research these days and found that any restaurant with a bit of style would have a pot of flowers on the table. Even ordinary people, who are reluctant to spend money to buy them, would go to the mountains to dig a few orchids and plant them in front of and behind their houses.
Literary men and women also wrote in their poems: "Drinking and feasting are not frequent, and their names and occasions are different. When the green peach blossoms are in full bloom, we raise our glasses to admire each other, and it is called the 'Feast of Love'."
The "jiao" here naturally refers to flowers.
Jiang Yanyi thought that he could take this opportunity to buy some flowers. After all, his hot pot restaurant was currently positioned in the mid-to-high-end market, and he couldn't skimp on this detail.
When she arrived at Hu's Flower Farm, she looked at the flowers displayed outside that were blooming beautifully even though they were not in season, and she was amazed at the wisdom of the ancients.
Although it is common to grow flowers out of season in later generations, this is also due to high-tech hardware facilities and a large amount of experimental data. In ancient times, if you want to achieve this, it all depends on the ingenuity of the florist.
The manager of the flower shop was a business man. Seeing that Jiang Yanyi's clothes were not luxurious but very decent, he immediately greeted her warmly: "What flowers do you want to buy, madam?"
For a woman whose identity and age are unclear, calling her "madam" is the safest term, just like calling a man "young master".
Jiang Yanyi wanted to see other people's flower gardens, so she naturally had to show some sincerity. She said, "I plan to open a restaurant, and I came here to see if there are any suitable flowers."
When the manager of the flower shop heard that they wanted to buy flowers for opening a restaurant, he immediately realized that this was a big deal, and his attitude became more enthusiastic. He led Jiang Yanyi to see: "The red plums will bloom in a few days. Madam, why don't you buy a plum tree and plant it in the yard. This red plum is also called 'watering red banquet'. It is a good omen to use it on the opening day of the store."
Jiang Yanyi nodded, but did not show much interest.
The manager of the flower shop was a businessman who was very good at observing people's expressions. He immediately introduced the flowers next to it: "It is said that the crabapple is 'Nuanzhuang', the daphne is 'Bohan', and the peony is 'Xixiang'. Take a look. Which one do you like?"1
Begonias and peonies are not seasonal flowers.
Jiang Yanyi said, "I want to go to your manor's greenhouse to take a look. Is that convenient?"
The manager of the flower manor hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "Madam, follow me."
Jiang Yanyi felt that the manager agreed too readily. Wasn't he afraid that he would steal his skills
When he saw the greenhouse, Jiang Yanyi realized that his previous thoughts were too naive.
This greenhouse alone was larger than the entire yard she rented. It was sealed tightly on all sides and only ventilated at certain times. The roof was made of luxurious glazed tiles so that light could pass through. As soon as she walked in, the warm air rushed towards her.
The steward said with great satisfaction: "In the fall and winter, the underground heating in this greenhouse never stops. Thanks to this, the flowers inside are always there all year round. Looking across the entire Western Province, apart from the greenhouse in the Protectorate, there is no other greenhouse bigger than this one."
Jiang Yanyi pretended to be calm and nodded, but he felt very miserable inside.
Not to mention building a greenhouse with glazed tiles, just the cost of charcoal to supply the entire autumn and winter with ground heating is a considerable expense.
By that time, the peppers won’t even be grown and I’ll be bankrupt.
Jiang Yanyi was thinking about whether he could negotiate with the manager to pay for and rent a small piece of land in their greenhouse to grow peppers.
However, before she could utter a single word, an ambiguous sound came from under the cover of a Podocarpus tree in front of her.
"Master... please don't embarrass me. If the Madam knows about this, she will beat me to death..."
"My dear, I will protect you, how dare she..."
The manager didn't expect the rich second-generation rich man in the house would be here. He coughed twice awkwardly to remind the people inside.
Jiang Yanyi was also quite uncomfortable, and said to the steward: "Thank you for taking me to see it this time. I have seen almost everything. I think the autumn chrysanthemums outside are more suitable."
The steward understood what she meant and knew that she wanted to leave the greenhouse quickly. He was about to lead Jiang Yanyi out, but the two people hiding behind the Podocarpus came out and said, "Since you are here to see the flowers and plants, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
The man was skinny, with dark circles under his eyes. Even in his silk clothes, he looked like a monkey.
The maid beside him was holding her clothes at the collar with her hands, her pretty face was beaming.
Jiang Yanyi just took a glance and lowered his head.
The steward knew the maid's background. She originally served in the young lady's room. Because she was quite pretty, she was probably having some affair with the young master, so she was sent by the young lady to plant flowers in the greenhouse.
Fearing that this second-generation rich man in the mansion might have some thoughts about the customer who came to buy flowers, the steward hurriedly said, "Master, this lady has already chosen the flowers. I will take her out to get them now."
Hu Baiwan stared at Jiang Yanyi, pushed the steward aside with one hand and stepped forward and said, "Madam, what flowers and plants do you like? Just take them, and the bill will be put in my name."
Although he only heard Jiang Yanyi's voice just now, he had seen countless women over the years and immediately recognized that she was a beauty. When he saw her now, he was sure that she was true.
When Jiang Yanyi heard the manager of the flower shop call the man "Young Master", he guessed his identity.
Originally, she wanted to talk about renting a place to grow peppers, but now she just wanted to leave here as soon as possible. She said, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master. I don't think there is anything I want to buy for the time being. Goodbye."
After saying that, he took Qiu Kui's hand and left quickly.
Seeing that Hu Baiwan seemed to want to chase him, the flower room manager quickly stopped him and said, "Master, that is a good family girl, not a maid in the mansion!"
Hu Baiwan was almost out of his mind, so he could not listen to the steward's advice. He wanted to chase after her but was stopped by the steward. He simply grabbed the steward's collar and asked, "Who is that young lady? Where does she live?"
***
Jiang Yanyi and Qiu Kui were still in shock after leaving the Hu family's flower farm. They found a secluded place to hide, and only felt relieved when they saw that no one was chasing them out.
The two of them visited other flower shops and found that they were all small workshops. Even if there was a flower room, the off-season flowers planted in it were half-dead, which was incomparable to the Hu family's flower room.
He only had that one pepper plant that could be used to grow seedlings, and it was extremely valuable. Jiang Yanyi didn't dare to be perfunctory about the greenhouse. If the seedlings were frozen to death, he would suffer a huge loss.
But she doesn't have the money to build a greenhouse at the moment. After what the young master of Hu Family Flower Farm has seen today, Jiang Yanyi doesn't dare to cooperate with them again.
The manager did say that there was a greenhouse in the Protectorate. Jiang Yanyi thought about the threshold of the Protectorate and Feng Shuo's inexplicable attitude that day, and he didn't have the courage to go to the Protectorate to discuss the lease.
She sighed and decided that she would just not grow seedlings this winter and wait until spring.
After shopping for an entire afternoon, Jiang Yanyi didn't bring back a single pot of flowers, but only bought a few porcelain vases for flower arrangements. She also negotiated a deal with the proprietress of a small flower shop, who would send her some freshly picked flower branches every few days at a reasonable price.
Hibiscus is in full bloom at this time of year, and later in the day the flower shop owner will also have many red plum blossoms, so it won’t cost much to buy branches.
The two returned to the shop, thinking that the unpleasantness at Hu's Flower Shop today was over. However, they did not expect that Hu Baiwan would show up at their door the next day.
Hu Baiwan was holding a pot of valuable white chrysanthemums in his hand, and the seven or eight servants behind him were each holding a pot of chrysanthemums in their hands.
When he saw Jiang Yanyi, his eyes widened and he could hardly move his eyeballs: "I heard that the young lady loves chrysanthemums, so I specially sent some over today."
Hu Baiwan is a well-known playboy in Xizhou City. He is so ostentatious today that many people have gathered at the door of his store to watch the fun.
Jiang Yanyi opened the shop today, and the plaque he had ordered earlier arrived. The carpenter would come to deliver the plaque soon, but he didn't expect Hu Baiwan to do this.
She was not like an ordinary decent girl who was ashamed and angry when encountering such a thing. She glanced at the crowd watching the excitement outside, her eyebrows and eyes were always cold and cold, and she even said to Hu Baiwan calmly: "Please help me, Mr. Hu."
Hu Baiwan originally thought that she would still be hesitant and refuse, saying that she didn't want the flowers, but unexpectedly she asked him for help as soon as she opened her mouth. He thought that she was indeed a young lady who could open her own business, and her personality was indeed much more generous.
He said earnestly, "Young lady, if you have any instructions, just tell me."
Jiang Yanyi said, "My shop is small and cannot accommodate so many people. Mr. Hu, please ask your people to move out first."
Hu Baiwan thought that the shop was not small and there was no way seven or eight people could not fit in it. But he didn't want to offend the pretty young lady, so he gestured and asked his followers to leave.
His followers were just about to put down the potted plants in their hands.
Jiang Yanyi said, "Bring the potted plants with you."
The followers looked at each other, waiting for Hu Baiwan to speak.
Jiang Yanyi smiled at him and said, "Thank you for your help."
Hu Baiwan was dazzled by Jiang Yanyi's smile and didn't even remember what day it was. He just ordered his men with dazed eyes: "Do as you say! Do as the young lady says!"
The followers he brought with him all retreated with the potted plants in their arms.
Jiang Yanyi looked at him and continued to smile, "Please, Mr. Hu, please stand outside as well."
Hu Baiwan couldn't guess what she was up to, but with his ability to spend money lavishly, there was no woman in the entire Xizhou City that he couldn't handle. This young lady was generous and generous, and more interesting than any woman he had seen before, and he was willing to accompany the beauty to make trouble.
He stood at the door of the store and asked, "Like this?"
Jiang Yanyi said, "Step back a little further, and go under the stairs."
Hu Baiwan was a little confused: "Why retreat downstairs?"
Jiang Yanyi's smile deepened: "Mr. Hu will know in a while."
Hu Baiwan was so mesmerized by Jiang Yanyi's smile that he asked as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, "Is that so?"
Jiang Yanyi smiled and nodded, then closed the door with both hands.
With a "bang", the shop door closed, and even the sound of a bolt could be heard from inside.
The people watching on the street burst into laughter, and Hu Baiwan finally realized that he was being fooled. His face turned blue and red.
Feng Shuo was riding a carriage back home today. When he was almost at his doorstep, he found that the road was completely blocked. He was forced to stop the car and witnessed this farce.
The corners of his lips curled up unconsciously.
Ever since Xing Yao knew Feng Shuo's feelings for Jiang Yanyi, he has started to pay more attention to everything related to Jiang Yanyi.
He immediately asked a few questions to the onlookers and found out the identity of Hu Baiwan.
He quickly reported to Feng Shuo: "This rascal is the young master of the Hu Family Flower Shop in the west of the city. Although the Hu family is a merchant, they are considered a local tyrant in Xizhou. The pot of chili peppers was given by the Hu family."
Feng Shuo glanced at the closed door of Jiang Yanyi's shop, his eyes stayed on Hu Baiwan for a few seconds, and then he lowered the car curtain.
A clear voice came from the carriage: "Check how she was entangled by the Hu family ruffians."
Hu Baiwan knew that he was embarrassed, and in front of so many people, he vowed to get back at his foes. He immediately shouted to his seven or eight followers, "Break the door open! You shameless bitches!"
Jiang Yanyi and Qiu Kui hid in the backyard, listening to the sound of people banging on the door in the shop in front. Qiu Kui was so scared that she clutched the corner of Jiang Yanyi's clothes tightly.
She said in a trembling voice: "Huahua, they...what if they come in?"
Jiang Yanyi was also afraid, but she was much calmer than Qiu Kui. She said, "Damn it, he smashed my door, and he is in the wrong if we take it to the government!"
If this wasn't on the main street of the Protectorate, Jiang Yanyi wouldn't have dared to be so arrogant.
However, the Western Prefecture dignitaries gathered in the area around the Protectorate Street, and the prefecture government also paid attention to patrolling this area. Basically, people from the government passed by every half an hour. With so many people gathered outside, the people from the government would definitely be attracted here soon.
However, the first people to arrive were not from the government office.
Hu Baiwan was just ordering his followers to break down the door when a group of armored guards suddenly burst into the crowd. The common people had never seen such a scene before, and they dared not watch the excitement anymore and scattered like birds and beasts.
Hu Baiwan's followers wanted to kick the door, but were kicked to the ground by the guards.
"Damn it, do you know who you are beating up?" In the scuffle, Hu Baiwan fell on his butt. He opened his mouth to curse, but when he found that it was a group of armored guards standing in front of him, he shut up in panic.
"Misunderstanding! Sir, it's all misunderstanding!" Hu Baiwan's expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book, and he bowed and smiled at Xing Yao.
Xing Yao looked at him coldly: "□□ is looking for trouble in front of the Protectorate. Come, take them all to the Xizhou government office!"
Hu Baiwan and his followers were tied up like pigs being taken to a butcher for slaughter, and were taken to the Xizhou government office by the soldiers of the prefecture.
Xing Yao then returned to the carriage and said, "Your Majesty, why did you have to send him to the government office? Wouldn't it be easier to let the government soldiers teach this rascal a lesson?"
The military camp doesn't care about trivial matters like those in the market. This is the rule.
But the palace guards can take care of it.
Feng Shuo was leaning his elbows against the wall of the carriage, flipping through a military book, his eyelashes sweeping out a cold arc: "Since the Hu family is a local tyrant, I think they have businesses everywhere. Let's see how the governor of Xizhou Prefecture handles this matter."
After Feng Shuo said this, Xing Yao immediately understood what he meant. By looking at the severity of the crime imposed by the prefect, he could find out what the relationship between the Hu family and the Xizhou government was.
He had reorganized the Xizhou military camp in less than half a month after taking office, and now it was time to reorganize the government office.
When Feng Shuo returned home, his subordinates had almost found out the news about Jiang Yanyi's visit to Hu's Flower Farm yesterday.
Xing Yao looked at the man writing at the desk, and told Feng Shuo the news reported by his subordinates: "That cook... No, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family went to the Hu family flower shop yesterday, seemingly to buy flowers, but left in a hurry. She went to many flower shops, but didn't like many flowers. Instead, she asked if they had a greenhouse. It seemed that she wanted to rent a greenhouse to grow something herself."
When Feng Shuo heard this, his writing hand paused slightly.
Anfu on the side said quickly: "The flower room in our house is idle."
Feng Shuo raised his eyes and glanced at An Fu, who immediately shut up.
The author has something to say: 1. "Yuan Shi Ye Ting Ji" wrote: Banquets are not frequent, and their names are also different. When peach blossoms are in full bloom, people raise their cups to appreciate each other, which is called "Love the Beauty Banquet". When red plum blossoms are just blooming, people bring cups to drink together, which is called "Watering the Red Banquet". Begonia is called "Warm Makeup", Daphne is called "Dispelling the Cold", Peony is called "Cherishing the Fragrance". As for the drink for falling flowers, it is called "Love the Spring", and the setting for urging the flowers to bloom is called "Seizing the Beauty".
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