Chapter 403 You've Misunderstood

Yao Man helped her a lot, but she hadn't given her anything in return, since the family didn't lack meat or vegetables.

When she passed by a rouge shop, she went in and picked out some of the finest rouge and face powder.

This time, she had no intention of buying anything for herself.

I bought it a few years ago, but I've only used it a few times. I've gone through several bottles of face and hand cream though.

She bought herself two boxes of wood-scented perfume balm, mixed with a faint apricot blossom scent, bittersweet.

"Oh, Sister Song is here." Yao Man said as if she was about to leave. "If you had come any later, I would have left."

"You've come all this way, and you even brought me these things. You're such a great benefactor to me." Yao Man placed the items on the table. "Sister Song is so generous. She bought things that I wouldn't normally buy for myself. Thank you so much, Sister Song."

But she seemed a little anxious, pulling Song Chunxue's hand and leading her outside, "I was just thinking of going to check if the inn was ready first, and then I'd ask you to come with me tomorrow, but you just happened to be here."

"Then I won't wait until tomorrow. The accountant also said he would bring the ledgers today so we can take a look at them together."

"Oh, and also, we haven't come up with a name for this inn yet. I thought I'd have to trouble you with this. I'd like to ask you, Taoist priest, to come up with one. I've heard that the name should match the innkeeper's attributes, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain."

"By the way, I haven't decided what to hang in that room yet. Calligraphy and paintings can also bring wealth. I don't know if you've learned how to do it yet, so I'll have to trouble you, Master."

Along the way, Yao Man chattered on and on about everything, big and small, and Song Chunxue could only respond with "uh-huh," "ah," "oh," and "okay."

Upon arriving at the inn, Song Chunxue's eyes lit up.

The unique decorations, the huge treasure basin on the counter that catches the eye, the patterned floor tiles that are easy to clean and light in color make the whole first floor feel spacious and bright.

The rosewood table was also brightly colored, and the wall was coated with a special substance that made it very similar in color to the rosewood.

"Isn't it bright?" Yao Man laughed. "It's said that only high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital can afford this kind of wall paint. I won't use much of it. The lobby on the first floor is the facade, and it has to be eye-catching."

"The kitchen is also very clean, and I have also selected the chefs. They are all from out of town, and their dishes are much better than those in my tavern, and even no worse than those in Zuiyunlou."

Yao Man leaned close to her ear and said, "Of course, the wages aren't bad either, otherwise they wouldn't have used their best skills. If you have any objections, we can discuss it."

"I have no objection. Don't drive people away. I'll listen to you on this." Song Chunxue couldn't wait to go upstairs. "Are all the rooms new? The bedding, the sheets, and the furniture and decorations?"

“Of course, otherwise how would I spend the fifty taels of gold you gave me? It has to be used for something practical.” Yao Man lowered her voice. “There’s something I didn’t discuss with you beforehand, so please don’t refuse.”

Song Chunxue raised an eyebrow. "What is it? I will naturally refuse to do things I don't want to do."

"Of course I won't harm you. I just want to trouble you to come here often, or draw some talismans." Yao Man smiled ingratiatingly. "These days, many people have come to me to find out who brought me back from the dead and made Xue Xingyuan slink back to Jincheng and never threaten me again. I just told them it was you, Sister Song."

"..." From this combination of flattery and bluff, Song Chunxue understood that Yao Man had used her to her advantage quite a bit.

“This room is too small and cramped for people to live in. But I was thinking, if you could come here and tell fortunes or draw talismans for the people who come to eat and drink, and if you could show the Taoist priest around, then our inn’s reputation would definitely surpass that of Zuiyunlou.”

Yao Man pressed her down into a chair. "There are tables and chairs, a soft couch, and a bookshelf in this room. Sister Song can meditate here. I'm afraid the guests will disturb you, so the doors and windows are very secure."

As expected of someone in business, they have a quick mind and come up with a good gimmick to attract attention.

However, Song Chunxue doesn't like interacting with people.

In recent years, many people have come to sell talismans, but they are all after wealth-attracting talismans. After all, some people are indeed not lucky in terms of wealth, and they have to pay a price to attract wealth. For example, if someone bumps into them and breaks their head, the other party will pay them money, which is considered a financial gain.

Over time, everyone came to know that her talismans were indeed spiritual, but they also understood that things cannot be forced.

Some people have excellent fortune, and when they seek talismans, they are like fish in water, with a constant flow of wealth. They dare not be greedy and one or two talismans will be effective for several years.

"This is a crowded place, after all, I don't like meditating here..."

"Sister Song, don't be so quick to refuse. How about coming once a month?" Yao Man shook her arm. "Just think of it as taking care of your own business and contributing to its growth, okay?"

"At other times, you can draw the talismans at home and sell them here, how about that?"

Yao Man pulled her to sit on an octagonal chair, with a soft cushion made of silk and cotton underneath.

“I know that you Taoists have rules. Auspicious talismans are not like writing, where you can draw as many as you want. We can only sell a maximum of five a day. On the day you come, you can draw a few more to help people with their affairs, okay?”

Song Chunxue didn't hide anything from her, "You should have thought that this matter still needs your senior brother's permission. I rarely do fortune-telling for others, and if I make a mistake, I will suffer the consequences."

Yao Man nodded, "I understand, I understand."

"Sigh," she sighed, "To be honest, I rarely have any regrets. The thing that makes my scalp tingle and that I don't want to recall is that I was drunk and actually bewitched... Shouldn't the Taoist priest tell Sister Song to stay away from me?"

"No, if the Taoist priest really said that, I wouldn't have spent so much money to open an inn with you in the first place."

Yao Man closed the door. "Should I find an opportunity to apologize to the Taoist priest?"

Bringing up old stories?

Moreover, it involves matters between men and women; my senior brother would probably be so angry that he'd run away.

"No need, no need. Just pretend that never happened. It's best to play dumb about this kind of thing. Don't let your senior brother remember it. He hates this kind of thing the most."

Yao Man nodded, "That's good. We're just nodding acquaintances now. He should be here on the opening day, right?"

Song Chunxue laughed, "You wouldn't still be craving your senior brother, would you?"

"No, no, no!" Yao Man quickly waved her hands. "I must have been incredibly audacious to do that back then. I wouldn't dare to have such thoughts again. He's no different from a deity in a temple. If I still dare to have those thoughts, do I expect to have a good life in the future?"

Mentioning the Taoist priest reminded Yao Man of the day he spent with Lord Xie at the Jiang family's residence.

She sat down and lowered her voice, saying, "Sister Song, you don't know how lucky you are. Do you know how envious and jealous the women who came to drink that day, no matter how old they were, were of you that you, despite being a widow, had two outstanding men to entertain your guests?"

Song Chunxue nodded, "I know, but..."

"I know I'm just an ordinary person, not entirely pure of heart. But do you really think they're like you, completely selfless?"

"Haven't you noticed that Lord Xie's gaze always seems to fall on you?"

Song Chunxue remained calm. "You must have seen wrong. Let's go outside and check the guest rooms."