At the end of every year, shops change owners. After some inquiries, Jiang Yanyi finally chose a teahouse that originally belonged to the Hu family.
The Hu family was once a local tyrant. After they were raided for colluding with the Turks, a considerable amount of silver was seized. Almost all the best locations, shops and houses in Xizhou belonged to them.
Some of the land deeds have been resold by the government, but some large deeds are still in stock.
After becoming the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Shopkeeper Xu has been trying to encroach on the Hu family's property. Chu Changping bought the Hu family's house, and he also had a grudge with Shopkeeper Xu. The Hu family's main house is attached to a flower shop. Shopkeeper Xu wanted to take over the flower shop business, but the house was bought by Chu Changping. Merchants should not fight against officials, so he could only swallow his anger.
As luck would have it, the teahouse that Jiang Yanyi had his eyes on was also coveted by Manager Xu.
Jiang Yanyi had been sending people to follow her, and Shopkeeper Xu had also been on guard against her, knowing that she was the daughter of the Chu family and was wary of Chu Changping being an official, and also afraid of the power of the Liaonan Palace behind her. Shopkeeper Xu planned to use courtesy before force, and took the lead in handing Jiang Yanyi an invitation, inviting her to join the Chamber of Commerce.
Many trade news would only be communicated within the Chamber of Commerce to avoid having their cake and eat it. Whenever there was a natural disaster or man-made disaster, merchants would donate money, and the Chamber of Commerce would collect the money and then negotiate with the government.
If the government issues any new decrees, the Chamber of Commerce will be informed in advance. The more say a person has in the Chamber of Commerce, the more benefits they will gain, because they will take over all the lucrative jobs, and other people in the Chamber of Commerce will be able to make a fortune by taking advantage of this opportunity.
Merchants who are not members of the association have no way of knowing this information and can only guess blindly.
"As long as Manager Chu doesn't compete with me for the teahouse land, I guarantee that after Manager Chu joins the Chamber of Commerce, he will also be able to get 10% of the Chamber of Commerce's dividends." Manager Xu is a businessman, shrewd and calculating from head to toe.
Jiang Yanyi now claims to be surnamed Chu. She did not change the name of the shop "Jiang Ji" at first. Firstly, she had finally gained a reputation, and suddenly changing the name might cause customers to lose. Secondly, "Jiang" was her surname in her previous life. She wanted to use this surname to promote the traditional hot pot here, which was also the only bond with her previous life.
But when Chu Shubao asked her why the signboard of the antique soup shop was called "Jiang Ji", Jiang Yanyi could only use the previous reason to prevaricate. If she didn't change the name of the shop, the Chu family would always be suspicious. Jiang Yanyi thought about it all night and finally decided to rename the shop when she changed the restaurant.
Hearing what Shopkeeper Xu said, she smiled and said, "I'm afraid Shopkeeper Xu will be disappointed."
Shopkeeper Xu's elegant face was no longer smiling, and only the indifference of a businessman who is only interested in profit remained: "Shopkeeper Chu, why are you trying to fight a rock with an egg? How can a small antique soup shop like yours really compete with the entire Xizhou City Chamber of Commerce?"
Jiang Yanyi said: "Of course I can't win."
Shopkeeper Xu's expression eased a little, but he heard her say, "But since Shopkeeper Xu started by learning from me to open an antique soup shop, and now he's learning from me to run a noodle shop, it proves that my method is still profitable, isn't it?"
Being exposed so ruthlessly by her, Manager Xu looked unhappy. He said "goodbye" and got up to leave.
After the people left, Aunt Guo asked, "Boss, if you humiliate him like this, aren't you afraid that he will bear a grudge and seek revenge?"
Jiang Yanyi took a sip of tea and said, "As long as I don't let him leave the teahouse, he will definitely hold a grudge against me. But if you bow your head once, you will do it again. The business world is like a battlefield. If you are too easy to talk to at the beginning, you will only be treated as a soft persimmon later."
Manager Xu was willing to make this trip in person because he knew that he might not be able to take over the teahouse, so he wanted to let him let go.
Aunt Guo has been with Jiang Yanyi for so long. Before, she only thought that Jiang Yanyi had many business ideas. This is the first time she has seen her talents. She said, "The boss still has a long-term vision."
Jiang Yanyi said, "People with different ideals cannot work together. How is the noodle shop going?"
"Before, Bing Shao was the only one who was in charge of the purchase of flour and the sale of flatbreads. He had no time to go to the kitchen to keep an eye on the guys. Occasionally, one or two of them would falsely report the number of flatbreads, and it was difficult to track them down. Now that blacksmith Luo is watching the kitchen, the guys under him have become much more honest." Aunt Guo said.
Jiang Yanyi rubbed his brows and said, "The accounts at the noodle shop are too complicated. We still have to hire another accountant."
Moreover, due to technical limitations, the noodles made by the noodle shop are not uniform in size, and a lot of them are wasted when they are cut with a chopper.
Instant noodle factories in later generations have special mechanical noodle presses that can squeeze the kneaded dough into thin sheets and then cut it into thin strips with a roller cutter. This can not only solve the problem of uniform noodle size, but also achieve a soul-infused curvature.
Jiang Yanyi did draw a sketch, wanting the blacksmith to make a manually operated noodle press and roller cutter, but the sketch was different from the actual object. In addition, the blacksmith had never seen the instant noodle factory of later generations, so he didn't understand what she was drawing.
After Jiang Yanyi's explanation, the blacksmith roughly understood what she wanted. He said frankly that it was too difficult to make. He only said that when he had time, he could try to see if he could make it.
If this thing can be made, it will save the effort of rolling the noodles on a plate, and the efficiency of making instant noodles will be greatly improved.
***
When the bidding for the teahouse started, not only Jiang Yanyi and Manager Xu took a fancy to this prime location, but other merchants were also eager to try, and many of them used their connections to give generous gifts.
Jiang Yanyi took advantage of the opportunity to fish in troubled waters and asked Chu Shubao to be the middleman. She sold two pots of peppers that she grew, which had few fruits, at the sky-high price of eight hundred taels each. She was very happy.
Chili peppers were introduced from outside the Great Wall and were considered rare flowers and plants. It was even rarer to see them bearing fruit in the middle of winter, so many wealthy families who loved famous flowers liked to collect them.
To her surprise, the two pots of peppers went around and were finally given to Feng Shuo as a gift, who then planted them back in the field for her.
Jiang Yanyi made 1,600 taels of silver out of nothing, and in the end the teahouse was sold to her.
She felt a little guilty, so she cooked a dish of spicy chicken and went to find Feng Shuo. After talking about this and that for a long time, she finally talked about the teahouse: "Um... someone gave you a big gift, and you gave me the teahouse. Is that not good?"
Feng Shuo handled the documents without looking up and said, "I don't have time to deal with these trivial matters. The two pots of peppers were also presented by the people below. You don't have to feel sorry for these merchants. Most of their money is taken from the lower-class people. There are not many opportunities to get them to pay voluntarily. The money will be spent on the people in the future."
When he said that, Jiang Yanyi understood. The gifts were sent up layer by layer. When the two pots of peppers reached Feng Shuo's hands, the officials at all levels in between must have also been given a lot of benefits.
After Feng Shuo took over Xizhou, he did not suppress this bad habit in time, but wanted to let the merchants pay out of their own pockets first.
However, the money did not go into the hands of individual officials, but was centrally managed by the government.
This is a warning from the government to the merchants.
After he finished speaking, he raised his head and said with a smile, "Why, are you afraid that I will use my power for your own benefit?"
Before he said these words, Jiang Yanyi still had this illusion.
She nodded.
Unexpectedly, Feng Shuo's next sentence was: "Then consider it as me showing partiality to you this time."
He leaned back in his chair, half-raising his narrow eyes: "What benefits are you going to give me?"
Jiang Yanyi: “…”
Is it possible
She thought for a moment, took out the spicy chicken from the food box, and placed it in front of him: "Here, good stuff."
Feng Shuo: “…”
The chicken on the plate was shredded and drizzled with dogwood pepper oil, which gave it a bright orange color. The chicken was garnished with chopped green onions.
The sauce is very spicy and will whet your appetite.
For the time being... it can be considered a benefit.
He had been reading official documents for a long time and felt a little hungry. He took the gold-inlaid ebony chopsticks, picked up a piece of chicken and put it into his mouth. The sesame aroma first bloomed on his taste buds. The chicken was very tender and tasted boneless and without residue. The fragrance of the meat itself was more obvious under the sesame oil.
Jiang Yanyi smiled and said, "Isn't it delicious? The chicken is cooked in bone broth and then served cold. The original flavor has not been lost at all."
It was delicious, but it wasn’t what he wanted to eat the most.
Feng Shuo put down his chopsticks, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Your uncle will be back soon."
Jiang Yanyi was stunned for a moment before he realized that he was talking about the marriage proposal that they had discussed before.
Feng Shuo raised his hand and pinched her earlobe, rubbing it gently with a little force, his voice slightly hoarse: "It will be fine by next year soon."
Jiang Yanyi's earlobe felt a little itchy when he pinched it. She tried to hide, but Feng Shuo grabbed her hands and pressed them in front of the desk.
Jiang Yanyi panicked a little, lowered his voice and scolded: "Stop making trouble."
"I told you before, I'll keep the debt for now. Jiang Yanyi, you have to pay it back now."
He seemed to be joking with her, but his breath was not as steady as his tone.
The rough fingertips slid down from her earlobe, across her snow-white, slender neck, causing her to shudder.
His eyes fell on the porcelain-like skin on the side of her neck, his eyes darkened completely, he pushed aside the thick black hair that was scattered on the back of her neck, and kissed her hard.
That night, Jiang Yanyi lit three candles before going to bed. She pushed aside her long hair and looked at it in front of the bronze mirror. She found that the area near the back of her neck was covered with red spots and a faint tooth mark.
It didn't hurt, but when she thought of Feng Shuo's wild yet restrained look at that time, her heart beat faster for no reason.
This guy... I don't know how to deal with him in the future.
***
When Jiang Yanyi started to renovate the teahouse, Chu Changping also brought Chu Chengmao and Chu Chengbai back to Xizhou. Also coming to Xizhou was Xing'an Hou, who had just formed an alliance with Feng Shuo.
After the servant of the Chu family came to report the news, Jiang Yanyi took Chu Yan back.
The Chu family had done a good job of keeping the matter secret from Madam Chu. Chu Chengmao and Chu Chengbai were also briefed after returning home, and they never mentioned the incident of being captured in front of the old lady.
When Jiang Yanyi and Chu Yangui entered the house, Mrs. Chu saw her eldest grandson and her new great-grandson crying with joy. Seeing them, she said to her grandson and his wife, "Your aunt is gone. Now your cousin Yanyi and cousin Yangui are both adopted by Changping. You are all brothers and sisters."
The tall young man with a military air is Chu Changping's son Chu Chengmao. The thinner and more haggard young man is Mr. Chu's son Chu Chengbai. The young woman standing next to him is his first wife, Xue.
Jiang Yanyi greeted them one by one. This time, Mrs. Chu mentioned it, so she remembered to change her words, "Brother, sister-in-law."
Chu Yangui also called for help. His leg had not yet fully healed, so Jiang Yanyi asked a carpenter to make him a custom wheelchair. Now he didn't need Chu Zhong to carry him wherever he went.
Chu Chengmao glanced at the brother and sister, nodded, and his eyes were indifferent.
In the original body's memory, this cousin didn't like the original body's brother and sister very much because they did a lot of stupid things. Jiang Yanyi was not surprised to see Chu Chengmao's reaction now.
Chu Chengbai looked haggard and didn't even look over here. Instead, it was his first wife, Xue, who returned the gift to Jiang Yanyi.
Chu Yangui looked at this scene, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he lowered his long eyelashes to hide all the emotions in his eyes.
Mrs. Chu held her great-grandson in her arms and asked Chu Chengbai, "Brother Bai, have you named the child yet?"
"The full name hasn't been chosen yet. It's waiting for my father and grandfather to decide. The nickname... is Ping An..." Chu Chengbai said, his voice choking with sobs.
His biological mother, Liu, who was watching from the side, scolded him, "Bo, why are you crying in front of your grandmother?"
Madam Chu asked, "What happened?"
Liu rushed to say, "Yue Niang in his room gave birth on the way and didn't make it."
Chu Chengbai's concubine had a difficult delivery on the road and was later captured by the court. She did not take good care of herself during the confinement period and died on the road.
Madam Chu sighed and said, "He is also a child with a miserable life."
Then he asked, "Have you found a wet nurse for the child?"
Chu Chengbai's first wife, Xue, replied, "I found one on the way."
Madam Chu nodded: "This child lost his mother when he was born, so you should raise him as your own child from now on."
Xue should be the one.
Seeing that Chu Chengbai was in a very bad spirit and feeling sorry for her grandson, Old Madam Chu handed the child to Xue and asked Liu to take them back to the yard to rest.
Chu Chengmao was raised by Chu Changping. He is good at martial arts. While escaping, he was cut on his face while trying to protect Chu Chengbai. The cut has not yet scabbed over, making his already handsome face look even more wild.
When Madam Chu asked about the wound on his face, he smiled nonchalantly: "The south is in chaos, and the roads are not peaceful."
"You, child, should be careful in everything." Madam Chu said earnestly, "Your appearance is disfigured. In the future, girls will be afraid of you when they come to get married. Look, Brother Bo already has a child, but you are still alone. Wait until the New Year, and your grandmother will find you a wife."
Chu Chengmao said, "It's a minor injury. The scar won't be visible after a while. Grandma, there's no rush for my grandson's marriage. The world is in turmoil right now. I have no intention of getting married. I want to build a career with my father."
“You…” Old Madam Chu said helplessly.
He talked to Old Madam Chu for a while, and then Old Madam Chu let him go down to take a bath and change clothes.
The younger people in the room also went downstairs.
Jiang Yanyi helped Chu Yangui push the wheelchair out. Chu Shubao now wished she could stick to Jiang Yanyi all day long. She simply left her own brother and her favorite second cousin aside and followed Jiang Yanyi.
Chu Huibao was Chu Shubao's little follower, so she followed him and said to Jiang Yanyi, "Second sister, do you want to eat pickled fish tonight?"
Chu Chengmao, who was waiting to reminisce with his sisters, finally realized that something was wrong and he looked around.
Fortunately, Chu Jiabao was still in the room, holding a freshly embroidered purse in her hand. Although the purse was lake green and looked a bit feminine, Chu Chengmao was comforted to finally have a sister who remembered him and even prepared a gift.
He deliberately lagged behind half a step to wait for Chu Jiabao, and Chu Jiabao really stopped when he reached the door.
Chu Chengmao looked back at her.
Chu Jiabao held the purse in his hand and said expressionlessly, "Second brother, make way. You are blocking my way."
Chu Chengmao took half a step back, and Chu Jiabao ran away holding his purse.
Well, it was heading in the direction where Jiang Yanyi and his sister left.
The author has something to say: Chu Chengmao (confused): What did I miss, what happened to my sisters
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2021-01-03 23:59:59~2021-01-05 00:17:08~
Thanks to the little angel who threw the rocket launcher: pp 1;
Thanks to the little angels who threw grenades: Jinxi 1;
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: o?zzy 5; habitual toothache 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Yizhi Squirrel 75 bottles; Qiao Yan 59 bottles; Ruyuanhy 30 bottles; Ailin 20 bottles; Wenhe 15 bottles; Honey Caramel, 37809986, Jinxi, o?zzy 10 bottles; Banye Zhuiwen 7 bottles; Ouhuang Xinzhizhu, 25820064 5 bottles; Zhou Baozi, Haoshu 2 bottles; Fiona 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!