Upon hearing the waiter's words, Manager Xue wished he could beat this idiot to death!

"Why didn't you say so sooner!" Manager Xue said with a look of exasperation. "Get the cart ready right now and head to Tianxin Village!"

"Oh, oh, oh," the waiter nodded quickly, then ran to the backyard to have someone hitch up the car.

Watching the waiter's disappearing figure, Manager Xue rubbed his chest in anger and muttered, "You bunch of brats are driving me crazy!"

Fifteen minutes later, a horse-drawn carriage stopped at the entrance of Tianxin Village.

Shopkeeper Xue quickly got out of the carriage and was about to walk into the village when he saw five horse-drawn carriages stopped at the village entrance.

The sandstorm was dazzling, but through it all, Manager Xue could make out the people getting off the carriage.

His face immediately darkened, and he muttered angrily, "Damn it, so many bookstore owners have come!"

They must all know there's a paper mill here, and they came here specifically for the same reason.

Thinking of this, the waiter received two more eye rolls from Manager Xue.

The waiter had been scolded the whole way and didn't dare to look up. He was willing to let the boss scold him as long as he didn't deduct his wages.

Anyway, it won't cost me a penny less.

If the deal goes through and the shopkeeper is in a good mood, he might even get a tip.

He was able to marry and have children only through his reward money; with that meager wages, he was lucky if he could even support himself in Heshun Prefecture.

"Hurry up and go," Manager Xue urged his assistant, fearing that if they were a step behind, they would lose everything.

He had to get ahead of these people; he absolutely couldn't afford to lose the initiative, or he would be driven mad with frustration!

After Manager Xue led the way into the village, the five managers who got off the carriage looked at each other in bewilderment.

Manager Huang's carriage was parked closest to the village entrance. He abandoned the carriage and hurriedly led his men toward Tianxin Village.

The remaining four shopkeepers were not to be outdone and quickly followed, vying to get to Tianxin Village.

Nobody wants to be a step behind and miss a good opportunity.

Lu Qiqi sat in the reception room of the paper mill. This reception room was originally a small room next to the main room, which she had renovated.

She also planted a small row of slender bamboo in the courtyard, and had a tea table and wooden chairs placed in the reception room.

The bamboo woven items and wooden carvings, along with the green bamboo paintings on bamboo paper hanging on the wall, all exude a refined charm.

At that moment, she was sipping tea and eating pastries.

"Sister Lu, a lot of people have come to the paper mill," Zhou San shouted to Lu Qiqi inside the reception room, hugging the door frame.

"I also saw a bookstore clerk; come out and take a look!"

When Lu Qiqi heard that the bookstore staff had arrived, her eyes lit up. She put down her teacup with her left hand and her pastries with her right.

She said, "On Wednesday, you need to act calm and collected, lead the people in, and then tell the villagers not to smile too much!"

On Wednesday, he understood what Lu Qiqi meant and immediately agreed. He then went to the courtyard and invited the person in.

Lu Qiqi also took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. If someone saw that her mouth was full of pastries, her image would be greatly diminished, putting her at a disadvantage in business negotiations.

"I went first, you stand behind me."

"Don't push me, I'll go into the village first, so I'll go first."

"Stop arguing, all of you. Do you even have the strength to finish it in one bite? Let me go first, and I can share a sip of soup with you."

On Wednesday, standing in front of them, he was almost knocked off balance by their jostling, but he managed to grab the threshold in time to avoid tripping.

He bowed to Lu Qiqi and said, "Princess, we have a guest."

"Please come in," Lu Qiqi said.

Six middle-aged men were dumbfounded when they heard Zhou San call out to the village chief.

What's going on? Why is there a village head here?

However, they soon remembered that the land grab and murder case in Tianshui Village had shocked the entire Heshun Prefecture.

The one who sought justice for the people was none other than the Lord of Kangle Township, personally appointed by the Emperor.

Why didn't they realize that, in this area, besides the lord of Kang Le Township, who else had the ability to build a paper mill?

For a moment, the six shopkeepers hesitated, unsure whether they should go through the door.

After all, they don't want to do business with powerful people.

Based on their experience, doing business with powerful people is a risky business; you're lucky if you don't have to put money into your account, let alone make money.

Because these powerful people only care about collecting money and don't care whether the business is profitable or not, and you can't afford to offend them.

Shopkeeper Xue thought that the Lord of Kangle Township, who could seek justice for the people, must not be a difficult person to get along with. Driven by the prospect of profit, he was the first to step into the house.

The remaining five shopkeepers no longer hesitated when they saw Shopkeeper Xue enter the room.

Baoyu Bookstore was the smallest of their bookstores, and even Manager Xue dared to enter it, so what did they have to worry about?

At worst, I'll just lose some money; it's better than losing face in front of a small bookstore!

Lu Qiqi waited for a while before seeing someone come in from outside. She thought she was hallucinating.

Since it was a business meeting, Lu Qiqi stood up and greeted everyone, "Please have a seat, everyone."

The six shopkeepers were all flattered and bowed to Lu Qiqi.

"This humble subject greets the Lord of Kangle Township."

Lu Qiqi was stunned for a moment before she realized what Zhou Sanfang had called her.

She couldn't help but chuckle. The child must have been worried that she wouldn't be able to handle things alone and that she might be bullied, so he deliberately reminded her of her identity to deter anyone from acting rashly.

"Guests are welcome, no need for formalities, please have a seat."

Lu Qiqi greeted the six people with a smile. Seeing her beautiful and kind smile, the six people were no longer so afraid and took their seats.

The shopkeeper, who had been shouting the loudest earlier, was so frightened when Lu Qiqi poured him tea that he almost wanted to kowtow to her.

Fortunately, Lu Qiqi poured tea for Manager Xue first. Seeing that Manager Xue was calmly sipping his tea, he then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He drank it too quickly, and his tongue was instantly scalded and numb.

Not daring to be impolite in front of Lu Qiqi, he could only force himself to swallow the tea.

Manager Xue took a sip of the tea, the aroma spreading in his mouth, the aftertaste sweet and mellow, prompting him to sigh, "Good tea."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qiqi raised her eyebrows happily. This tea was a gift from Madam Zeng, and now only a small jar remained.

Fine tea paired with the spiritual spring water in this space is simply divine bliss.

Seeing that Manager Xue was so knowledgeable about tea, Lu Qiqi poured him another cup.

The six shopkeepers were all waiting for Lu Qiqi to speak, but she remained remarkably composed and didn't say a word. She simply invited them to drink tea, eat pastries, and enjoy fruit.

Manager Xue was originally hungry and hadn't bothered to eat anything before leaving home. Now that he was full, he naturally wanted to discuss business.

He said, "The village head could have made a fortune running this paper mill, so why is the price so low? Isn't this giving back to our bookstores?"

Manager Xue has been running his bookstore for many years and knows the ins and outs of the business. If he doesn't ask any questions and directly places an order, who knows what trouble might arise in the future.

It's better to ask questions clearly from the beginning, so that you'll have a better understanding of future collaborations.