Chapter 35

Chapter 35:

The young man was composed and respectful, which put Yu's mother at ease.

However, Yu's mother still felt insecure, and it took Yu Wan a lot of comforting to finally convince her.

Since Yu's Restaurant became popular, some of the surrounding vacant shops have also benefited. The restaurant is closed, but there are still quite a few people coming and going on weekdays.

The owner of the pancake shop next door was a woman in her fifties. Having nothing better to do, she kept glancing at the luxurious carriage outside the Yu Family Eatery, and then staring intently at Jin Yifei.

"Whose wealthy young master is this? He's so handsome. Could he be Lady Yu's future husband?"

This statement was like a raging storm, attracting the attention of many.

The boy leaning against the door frame felt inexplicably annoyed upon hearing this, staring intently at Jin Yifei's face, wishing he could kick him to the ends of the earth.

His arm was bumped hard; it was Xue Xiujun, who had just finished sneaking a bite of food from the kitchen.

Xue Xiujun asked in a low voice, "Who is this person?"

He Jing remained silent with a dark expression.

Jin Yifei cupped his hands in greeting to the pancake shop owner, saying, "My surname is Jin, and I am a friend of Madam Yu."

The pancake shop owner, munching on sunflower seeds, said, "Oh! Is that so? You two seem quite well-matched. Has Young Master Jin arranged the marriage yet?"

Yu Wan didn't have a close relationship with this boss, but they would chat for a few minutes when they met. She knew that he was particularly fond of gossip and loved to inquire about other people's private lives. It was said that he had also helped people find a spouse a few times.

Seeing Jin Yifei's embarrassed expression, she smiled and helped him out of the predicament.

"Auntie, we have something to do. We'll talk when we get back."

Jin Yifei lifted the car curtain with one hand and extended his other arm to her, indicating that she could use it to help her get into the car.

Yu Wan smiled at him. She was used to doing a lot of work, so getting into the carriage was easy for her, and she didn't intend to help.

"Thank you, I can manage on my own."

Jin Yifei returned a polite smile and offered a helping hand.

Yu Wan had barely settled into the carriage when she felt it suddenly sway, and then she saw two boys squeeze in one after the other.

Why are you following us?

These two usually bicker and joke around, but they acted in unison on this matter.

He Jing said coldly, "Your aunt was worried and asked me to protect you."

Xue Xiujun pointed at him, "If he can't make it, I'll be your substitute. Boss lady, don't worry, we will protect you with our lives."

Jin Yifei smiled without saying a word, lowered the curtain, leaped onto his horse, and then spoke through the carriage window:

“Madam Yu, since your aunt is worried, I will accompany the carriage and personally escort you to your destination.”

Yu Wan: "..."

She could roughly guess what the magistrate wanted to do, so there shouldn't be any unexpected problems on this trip. However, she needed to carefully consider her wording and express her needs appropriately.

I silently went over the script in my mind, and feeling more confident, I relaxed a lot.

The features of this luxurious carriage are impeccable; the interior is top-notch, and the materials are of the finest quality. The seats are also incredibly soft, so you won't feel tired at all.

The fruit platter and pastries were fresh, indicating that the arrangement had been made before departure.

The two boys were whispering to each other, but their voices were too soft for her to hear clearly.

The two men stopped talking and looked down at her when they felt her gaze.

He Jing's ears turned bright red. He pursed his lips, avoided the girl's gaze, glared at Xue Xiujun, lifted the curtain and saw the young man riding a horse outside. He then lowered the curtain in annoyance and simply closed his eyes.

Xue Xiujun picked up a pear from the fruit plate, took a bite, and a crisp sound rang out in the carriage.

"Wow! It's so sweet! Boss lady, it's free anyway, we'd be missing out if we didn't eat it. I've been a beggar for so long, and now I'm finally living a good life. From now on, I'll follow you around."

They finally arrived at the magistrate's residence and the three of them got off the carriage.

Jin Yifei led everyone to the entrance of Magistrate Zhu's study.

“Madam Yu, my uncle is inside. You may go in now.”

He Jing and Xue Xiujun were about to follow when he stopped them with his hand.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, please go and rest first. The matter that the magistrate and Madam Yu were discussing is confidential, and even I cannot listen to it casually."

The two men ignored him and tried to barge in.

In the end, Yu Wan stopped them: "You guys find a place to stay for a while, I should be able to come out soon."

Jin Yifei helped close the door and was about to strike up a conversation with the two of them, but neither of them wanted to talk to him, so he smiled and left.

When Yu Wan entered the study, she found it filled with books, many of which were related to governing the country. There were also some case files on the desk. Lord Zhu wrote with determination and quickly resolved several cases.

To avoid suspicion, she sat quietly at a distance, so she didn't know what case Lord Zhu was handling, and she didn't disturb him, just waited quietly.

When Lord Zhu put down his pen, let out a long sigh, looked up and saw the person, he was stunned.

He quickly stood up, his brows furrowed with apology: "Madam Yu, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to neglect you, please don't mind. I've been dealing with some rather tricky official business lately, and I was just too engrossed in it."

Yu Wan stood up and bowed. "This humble woman greets Lord Zhu. May I ask why you have summoned me?"

"No need for formalities, please sit down." Lord Zhu hurriedly helped him up. "I shouldn't have consulted you about this matter, but I've thought about it for a long time and talked to several friends I know, but we still don't have any ideas. In the past few months, I've come to realize that you're a quick-witted young lady. But don't feel pressured, I'm just trying my luck. If you don't have any ideas, that's fine too."

Yu Wan nodded: "This humble woman will do her best to relieve your worries, sir. May I ask what specific matter you are referring to?"

Lord Zhu sighed bitterly and recounted the hardships he had endured in his official career over the years.

In his earlier years, when he served as the county magistrate here, although he didn't have any particularly outstanding achievements, he governed the area quite well. However, after the new emperor ascended the throne, war soon broke out, and since this place was located on the border, life naturally became difficult. Enemy countries frequently came to harass the area, causing widespread panic, and many people moved away from the place.

The population here is dwindling, and the economy is increasingly depressed. Many shops are either closing down or going bankrupt, as most people are afraid of losing their money and their investments going down the drain. With the economy failing to develop and the population loss severe, the county magistrate doesn't have much official business, which is why he rarely has the opportunity to hold court.

That's not the worst part. Because war requires soldiers, food, and even more money. Every region has to contribute something. It's easier for wealthy places to manage; even if they suffer heavy losses, it won't damage their foundation. But this place is different.

The population was already small, and with the large number of conscripted men and the large sums of silver and grain paid, the entire county is now short of people, grain, and money.

A few days ago, the imperial court sent another message: a new round of tax collection quotas was coming.

Lord Zhu was extremely distressed. If he failed to complete the task, he would lose his official position, but he really had nothing to offer.

He asked several close classmates for advice, and they all felt that this was a dead end, and that only an unconventional person or event could break the deadlock.

Lord Zhu then thought of Yu Wan, who had recently gained some fame.

“Madam Yu, your deeds have spread throughout the county in the past two or three months. While everyone else is fighting for their lives and their money, you have managed to run your restaurant with great success, and even have customers traveling long distances to queue up and pay for a meal. This is not an achievement that ordinary people can make, so I think you might have a way to break the deadlock?”

"I have it!" Yu Wan said decisively.

As she expected, Lord Zhu did indeed come to her about this matter.

Having lived in this era for several months, she had already felt some of the realities of life.

If you want to live a good life, besides changing yourself, you also need to do your part to change your environment.

Lord Zhu's eyes lit up. "Oh? What's your plan? Tell me in detail."

"My lord, I would like to ask first, is the deadline for completing the quotas set by the imperial court the end of the year?"

Lord Zhu's face showed appreciation. "That's right. It's early spring now, and the fields haven't been sown yet. It's the same in our county and the surrounding towns. In previous years, the harvest was collected at the end of the year."

Yu Wan smiled slightly, "So we have about a year. More than two months have already passed this year, and we have to submit the task two months in advance at the end of the year, so there are still eight months left."

It wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't calculated it, but the calculation itself gave Lord Zhu a fright.

Lord Zhu wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, feeling immense pressure.

"So, what should we do?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Yu Wan directly stated her conditions.

"Lord Zhu, I would like to rent that mountain in our county."

That was actually an unclaimed mountain, and it didn't have a name. Everyone just called it the back mountain.

Just because it's unclaimed doesn't mean she can develop it at will. After discovering that fertile land on the mountain last time, she's been looking for an opportunity to turn it into her legal property.

Isn't this the opportunity?

I hope you understand why we're having such a serious business conversation. How did the conversation suddenly turn to the mountains?

He wasn't an idle official; he quickly realized she was useful.

She's a clever girl, and very direct, without beating around the bush at all.

"Sure, all I need is a document. Is there anything else you require?"

Yu Wan stood up, bowed, and thanked him, her bright eyes revealing her ambition.

"I also want to open a larger restaurant in the county town. Don't worry, sir, I have enough money and I will choose the location myself. It's just that I hope you can approve the paperwork as soon as possible."

She didn't intend to beat around the bush when she came, so when she states her conditions, she only mentions the most important ones.

These matters posed no difficulty for Lord Zhu.

Lord Zhu was well aware that the young girl was simply doing him a favor; he didn't need to do anything, just provide official support and avoid causing trouble. The more money the restaurant made, the more taxes it paid—a win-win situation.

"That's great! Your restaurant is doing so well, causing such a stir even in a small town. If it came to the county seat, it might become the next Fu Man Ju. No, it would definitely be even more popular."