Manager Yun kept glancing at the door, feeling very uneasy. He hoped that Yan Qingqing would arrive soon, but he also seemed afraid of seeing her.

Mr. Wen, on the other hand, appeared remarkably calm and even seemed to be enjoying his tea.

Yan Qingqing didn't keep them waiting too long. She changed into a proper dress and came to the front hall.

Upon seeing Yan Qingqing, Manager Yun immediately stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Madam. I am Yun's friend."

Mr. Wen, who was standing to the side, naturally stood up and bowed as well.

Yan Qingqing smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Manager Yun, Mr. Wen, you're too kind. Please have a seat."

After the two sat down, Manager Yun didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "I wonder if the cooperation that Madam mentioned the other day still stands?"

Yan Qingqing smiled faintly and said, "What I say goes."

Upon hearing this, Manager Yun breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked, "Can Madam guarantee that there will always be new and interesting stories to be published?"

Yan Qingqing nodded and replied, "Of course, I dare not say anything else, but I have plenty of interesting storybooks here."

Whether it's martial arts, gods and ghosts, or talented men and beautiful women, they can draw upon it with ease.

"Don't worry, Manager Yun. I, Yan Qingqing, am someone with a considerable fortune; I wouldn't stoop to getting something for nothing."

Actually, Yan Qingqing felt a little guilty after saying this, because wasn't she just trying to get something for nothing?

Manager Yun glanced at Mr. Wen, and the two nodded to each other. Then Manager Yun said, "Alright, we can sign the contract now. As long as Madam can continuously provide new stories, you can receive 30% of the profits from my Tea House."

Upon hearing this, Yan Qingqing immediately instructed Ruyi to fetch a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the study.

The document was dictated by Manager Yun and written down by Mr. Wen.

Yan Qingqing glanced at it, found no problems, and then signed her name.

After signing the documents, Yan Qingqing said, "Now that we are partners, I have a small suggestion. Would Manager Yun like to hear it?"

If Manager Yun could accept giving Yan Qingqing 30% of his teahouse's shares, what else couldn't he accept? He said, "Please speak, Madam."

Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "Although I have never run a teahouse, the general principles of doing business are the same."

This storytelling was not only enjoyed by scholars and writers, but also by some wealthy young ladies, though they were not comfortable showing their faces in public.

I noticed that the second floor of the tea house is still vacant. Why doesn't Manager Yun turn it into private rooms so that they can listen to storytelling in the rooms?

Of course, private rooms have their own pricing, and they must be differentiated from the patrons outside to encourage wealthy people to spend money.

In the future, for each story released, the shopkeeper can also have someone carve some wooden puppet figures so that listeners can buy them as souvenirs.

Of course, this will be a limited edition, the craftsmanship must be exquisite, and the price will naturally not be cheap. As for the pricing, Yun Zhanggui can decide for himself.

Yan Qingqing went on and on, leaving Manager Yun and Mr. Wen speechless. They had no idea that business could be done this way.

No wonder Canghe Liji has been able to rise so rapidly in the past year; with that kind of business acumen, it's hard not to make a fortune.

Manager Yun took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I'll go back and prepare now. I wonder how long it will take for Madam to finish writing her new storybook."

Yan Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "Half a month, I'll write it and have someone deliver it to Pinmingxuan after half a month."

Shopkeeper Yun and Mr. Wen were overjoyed to hear this. They never dared to imagine that a storybook could be written in just half a month.

They both thought Yan Qingqing was even more impressive, feeling that it was a waste of her talent for her to live in such a small mountain village.

If Yan Qingqing knew what they were thinking, she would definitely feel ashamed, since all her stories were plagiarized from others.

However, even when Yan Qingqing wrote storybooks for them, she only gave them a general framework. She couldn't possibly write out the contents of the book word for word.

After the two left, Yan Qingqing went back to playing with her mud.

A few days later, Yan Qingqing's peony garden and rose garden were completed, and Yan Qingqing invited Li Kaishan to go for a stroll.

Li Kaishan hadn't thought much of it before, but this time, seeing the vast expanse of roses and peonies, he was greatly shocked. They were just too beautiful.

Li Kaishan smacked his lips and said, "No wonder rich people all want to build a garden, it's beautiful."

I used to think that growing these flowers and plants was just a waste of money, but now I can understand it.

Look how well this garden is built. I can't quite put my finger on what's so good about it, but it just looks exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

I think it's much prettier than the gardens of those wealthy people.

Li Kaishan was a worldly man in Canghe Village, and he genuinely thought Yan Qingqing's garden was well-maintained, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "It seems that this garden has caught the eye of Uncle Village Chief, so I'm relieved."

"By the way, Uncle Village Chief, I'd like to find an auspicious day to officially open the park. When would be suitable?"

Li Kaishan thought for a moment and said, "The 26th of this month is an auspicious day."

"But the wheat harvest is coming soon, everyone will be busy then, and we might not be able to help you much."

In previous years, harvesting wheat would have been the top priority in Canghe Village. Some villagers would even start harvesting before the wheat was fully ripe, because they needed to have enough food to eat.

But it's almost the end of May this year, and none of the villagers seem to be in a hurry. They all say they'll let the wheat grow a little longer so they can harvest more later.

Ultimately, it's because people have money in their hands now and don't rely on wheat to save their lives.

Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "Harvesting wheat is a big deal, let everyone keep busy."

I've already hired a few farmhands for this garden, and I have a few servants at home, which should be enough.

I estimate that many students will come this time the park opens, and there will be plenty of writing implements, ink, paper, and wine. This is also a business opportunity for the villagers; it just depends on whether everyone can seize it.”

In fact, Yan Qingqing could have earned this money herself, but that would have violated the ethics of doing business. She should at least let others have a sip of soup when she gets the meat.

Li Kaishan's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Yan Qingqing's words were clearly a reminder for him to seize the opportunity.

It's a fool not to make money when you can. Although he is the village chief, he's not really among the wealthiest people around right now.

So he said, "Qingqing, I won't say thank you."

I'll go back right away and have your aunt and Da Kui's wife get ready."

After saying that, Li Kaishan left. Yan Qingqing was quite satisfied with the two gardens. Whether she could make a profit depended on the success of the opening day.

Yan Qingqing had already planned that she would charge each visitor two taels of silver to enter the park, and that visitors could tour both parks.

Yan Qingqing's price wasn't low; ordinary people certainly wouldn't spend two taels of silver to come and see the flowers. But those students all came from wealthy families and didn't care about spending two taels of silver.

After Yan Qingqing returned, she asked A'da to spread the word in the county town that the peony garden and rose garden in Canghe Village would open on May 26.

Yan Qingqing chose two ways to spread the word. One was through the tea house, and the other was to have Chen Liu find people to spread the word.

Those students who had been itching to go had already gone to Canghe Village to inquire about the two gardens. However, due to various reasons, they hadn't been able to get in touch with them, so they were all determined to gain an advantage when the time came.