Chapter 90 Chapter 90 "Thank you, beautiful sister!"...

Jasmine urged again, "Bring more people and move faster."

"yes!"

"This is..." The county magistrate always felt that the departure of the guards from the Duke's Mansion was not a good thing.

The old lady saw what Jasmine did, but she couldn't care less at the moment. She continued to stare at him intently, trying to compete with Mr. Xu.

Another half hour passed.

Jasmine's stomach growled with hunger. She had left early in the morning, and it was already past noon. And the old lady still stood there like a Buddha, determined not to give up.

Poor Aunt Qian almost squatted down, but her expression was as ferocious as the old lady's.

"Here they come!" Jasmine stood up immediately when she saw the people coming from the direction of the county town.

The elders leading the group didn't even glance at Mr. Xu, but rushed to the old lady and said, "Madam!"

The old lady was also moved when she saw the person coming. She was almost bursting into tears.

Several people were about to kneel, but the old lady quickly stopped them: "Don't do that! Are you Uncle Xu Long? Are you Uncle Xu Jin? Are you Xu Fangsheng?"

"It's amazing that the lady still remembers us old guys!"

"Yes, my lady, if you remember correctly, I am Fang Sheng..."

"We all know, we all support you, my lady. You should be the one to take care of the East Treasury! If the Marquis doesn't agree, we'll all quit!"

"Yes, I quit!"

"I quit!"

“We’re all quitting!”

Those who came to reminisce with the old lady were the shopkeepers of Xu's shops, and there were at least dozens of shopkeepers who came one after another.

Jasmine was surprised to hear this. It was indeed she who had sent the guards to invite them over to cause trouble. She had previously heard from the old lady that many shopkeepers were also dissatisfied with the illegitimate sons.

But there's no need to threaten a strike.

The last thing we lack these days is people without work. It would be strange if Mr. Xu was fooled; he might have been quite happy about it.

Jasmine turned around and saw Mr. Xu's frightened face. She was puzzled.

Mr. Xu seems to be scared?

Jasmine was right; Master Xu was simply afraid. With a serious expression, he waved his arms, dissuading them: "Let's talk it over."

The old shopkeeper, who was called Uncle Xu Long, shouted at Mr. Xu Erye, "You bastard, you have no ability and no vision. Over the years, the Xu family has been on the verge of collapse at the hands of you brothers!"

Uncle Xu Jin: "The East Treasury is the hard work of the old marquis. Isn't it enough for the second master to get the title? To be honest, you are not qualified to inherit the East Treasury!"

"Yes, that's right. Return the East Warehouse to the Madam!"

"Give it back to the lady!"

"You ungrateful fellows!" Master Xu blew his beard and glared, but he could only repeat one sentence in the face of everyone's shouting.

...

It was almost evening when we returned from the east warehouse.

Everyone was so hungry that their hands and feet were weak. The old lady was very happy and ordered the kitchen to prepare a big meal to reward everyone who came back from the east warehouse.

While the old lady was crying with joy while holding the wooden box containing the letter and key, Jasmine was eating her rice and gnawing on a big bone.

The old lady didn't know what Madam Qian had said, but she turned and looked at Jasmine with a kind look. "I'm so grateful for you today. Mother has always known that you are intelligent."

Jasmine was actually somewhat touched. She blinked, beaming with gratitude, "Thank you for the compliment, mother."

After eating and drinking her fill, Jasmine approached the old lady and asked her question of the day, "I wonder what's in the east storehouse that mother must get?"

The old lady, who had just been smiling warmly, suddenly glared at her coldly: "I really praised the wrong person just now! You are just a skin-peeling ghost! That's all you have to be clever."

Jasmine didn't dare ask any more questions.

Turning around, she learned more about the East Warehouse from Nanny Qian.

The Xu family mainly engaged in the soy sauce business. In Xuzhou, the soy sauce consumed by the people was produced by the Xu family. Moreover, the Xu family's soy sauce was not only sold in Xuzhou, but also sold throughout Qi State. The Xu family also exported it to foreign countries.

The scrap copper and iron as well as the paintings displayed in the east warehouse were all the things that made the Xu family rich.

Not everyone can be the shopkeeper of Xu's major stores. Except for a few capable ones, all of them have to start from a young age, and when they serve as shopkeepers, they will be arranged by the Marquis to come to the East Warehouse to observe and learn.

The various utensils in the East Storehouse are the earliest tools for brewing soy sauce, while the paintings teach the brewing process.

Therefore, most of the shopkeepers of Xu’s family have the surname Xu. They are not only the shopkeepers of Xu’s family, but also an indispensable part of Xu’s family.

Jasmine finally understood why Mr. Xu refused to allow the shopkeepers to go on strike. If they went on strike, they would be unable to do business.

The Xu family's business has been getting worse year by year, and it has been even worse in the past two years. If all the major stores were to go on strike, even for just one day, it would be a huge loss!

Madam Qian: "Over the years, the old lady has worked tirelessly to do what's best for the Xu family, but the Xu family is a hopeless case. Not to mention the successor, even the Xu family elders, they are the Xu family elders, but which one of them is truly doing what's best for the Xu family? They just want to get a piece of the pie without working. If the Xu family collapses one day, I'm afraid they will be the first to run away. They have to do everything they can to get every last piece of the Xu family's pie! Only if the old lady gets the East Storehouse will the Xu family avoid total ruin in the future."

Jasmine nodded.

Nanny Qian added, "The old lady will remember the good things about the second lady. The second lady is extremely intelligent and probably knows the old lady's temper."

Jasmine nodded again: "Well, Nanny Qian came to tell me this, the old lady must know about it." Remember her kindness, then what?

Nanny Qian was extremely happy.

"To prevent any further complications, we should set off for Beijing early tomorrow morning," the old lady said at the dinner table.

Jasmine raised her hand: "Mother, I want to spend two days in Xuzhou, no, just one day will do. We came to Xuzhou and have been so nervous for a few days, and we haven't even seen the scenery of Xuzhou. Mother grew up here, but we still..."

"Alright. Enough of the nonsense. Just one day. We'll leave early the next morning."

"Thank you, mother!"

...

When they set out on the third day, the old lady and her companions' carriage was blocked by the marquis's carriage.

The one who came back this time was not Mr. Xu, but Xu Fangshi.

"What are you doing?" The old lady looked solemnly at Xu Fang who got off the carriage.

Xu Fangshi didn't even look at the old lady, but walked quickly towards Jasmine.

Jasmine was just coming out of the gate and putting a bag of food into the carriage. When she heard the noise and turned around, Xu Fangshi was already in front of her.

She knew what Xu Fang was going to do and raised her hands to cover her face.

Xu Fangshi did want to hit her, but she missed.

Jasmine turned around and saw that it was the Fourth Young Master’s wife who pulled her.

Jasmine felt that the Fourth Young Master's wife was a bit nosy, but she let it go because she meant well.

The Fourth Young Master's wife asked Xu Fangshi with an indifferent expression, "What are you doing? You even dare to hit the Duke's wife?"

At this time, the old lady also reacted. She was supported by Madam Qian and came to Xu Fangshi. She said sternly, "Who gave you the courage to commit such a crime?"

Usually, Xu Fang was very polite to the old lady. Even if she was not convinced in her heart, she would pretend to be so on her face.

But the Xu Fang in front of her was completely different from before. The old lady couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart when she saw Xu Fang's face clearly.

Xu Fangshi's eyes flashed with ferocity, her teeth bared, and the veins on her skinny, pale neck bulged. She looked like she was utterly furious.

Xu Fang glared at Jasmine fiercely: "This bitch harmed my daughter, I will kill her!"

With that, Xu Fang and two maids rushed towards Jasmine again. Previously, the guards, seeing that she was a well-dressed woman, had assumed she was coming to say goodbye to the old lady and had not stopped her. But now, the guards quickly moved to push her back.

After all, Jasmine had a criminal record, and everyone in the Duke's Mansion actually believed Xu Fang's words. The old lady turned around and asked Jasmine, "What good deed did you do?"

Everyone looked at Jasmine.

Jasmine said innocently, "I didn't do anything."

Then it dawned on her: "Oh, it must be because of an old grudge."

Jasmine leaned close to the old lady and whispered something in her ear. The old lady glanced at her sideways, said no more, and turned to get into her carriage.

The six guards waited until their master's carriage had gone far away before releasing Xu Fangshi and riding their horses to catch up.

Xu Fang stared at the direction where the Duke's carriage disappeared for a long time, then said after a moment, "Let's go."

Jasmine was incredibly proud. She had bullied her daughter, and now Xu Fang had retaliated, and the matter was settled.

Xu Fangshi is incompetent, so it’s not her fault.

At noon, the Duke's carriage stopped at a restaurant in front of the county town.

The entire table was filled with dishes, but the old lady hadn't touched a single bite. Jasmine sighed, looked outside the restaurant, and said, "Those little beggars are quite pitiful. Mother, why don't we give them some?"

The old lady was somewhat reluctant. She didn't care at other times, but now, she had set out early in the morning and had only eaten half a dry cake on the road. Now the food was finally served.

The old lady resented her meddling. She had never been known to be kindhearted, and she certainly didn't look like a benevolent bodhisattva. Was she full now?

But she wanted to refuse. This was going on outside, in public, and if she was recognized, it would be bad news if the news got out.

The old lady nodded with a serious face.

"Mother is such a kind person!"

The old lady's expression eased a lot after hearing this.

Jasmine asked Shancha and the others to carry the bowls. The Fourth Young Master's wife wanted to help, but Jasmine refused: "I can handle such trivial matters. The Fourth Young Master's wife can just sit and eat with the old lady."

The Fourth Young Master's wife thought to herself, "Eat? Didn't you take all the food?"

The two little ones, Five Rabbit and Six Rabbit, were jumping and clinging to the doorframe of the restaurant with great joy. The waiter was chasing them away with a bamboo broom. Jasmine scolded him, "Stop it. They are so small and pitiful. If you don't give them some leftovers, why are you hitting them?"

Jasmine's eyes were cold and stern.

The waiter nodded and bowed to show that he knew he was wrong, but in his heart he was very unconvinced.

Turning around and seeing the other customers looking at him with disdain, the waiter got even angrier. He thought, who doesn't hate stinky beggars these days? Don't you hate them too?

When he returned to the counter, the waiter was scolded by the shopkeeper again by poking his forehead.

Except for Jasmine Tea, the other maids didn't know about Liutu and thought that all beggars had a share.

Jasmine: "Don't move, I'll divide it."

Only then did the maids stop moving.

Jasmine placed the marinated duck, prawns, and pork knuckle into the pockets Big Rabbit and the others had prepared. The six rabbits beamed and said in unison, "Thank you, pretty sister!"

The other beggars looked at the cabbage buns in their own bowls, then glanced at the meat dishes next to them, and most of them buried their heads in their food. They didn't mind, they were happy to have something to eat.

But there were still some who protested. One with yellow teeth, a black face, and mixed hair shouted gruffly, "Why do they have meat to eat, but we don't?"

Jasmine glanced at him and said rudely, "They called me sister, did you? You're not sweet enough, and you're picky. If you don't want to eat it, give it back to me."