Because of this unexpected windfall, Jian Yang's bad mood after the emperor's departure a few days ago was swept away. He not only took out his treasured wine to entertain the guard, but also let him stay overnight.

The guard originally dared not do such an overstepping act, but then a torrential rain started, and he couldn't leave. In the end, he made a makeshift bed on the floor in the restaurant's main hall, and dared not go to the side rooms no matter what.

Jian Yang didn't force him, after all, even without the distinction of rank, there is still a difference between men and women.

However, she was very grateful to the guard for bringing her money from afar, and made sure he had a thick mattress to make sure he could get a good rest.

The guard left after having breakfast the following day.

Jian Yang touched the pair of cards sent by the emperor again and again, reluctant to let go of them.

Fifty thousand taels! That's fifty thousand taels!

So, diners who came for lunch discovered that the restaurant had suddenly started a grand opening promotion—everyone who dined in would receive a free, juicy chicken leg.

Everyone was very happy.

However, a very small number of people viewed it with sarcasm and malice.

However, Jian Yang was completely focused on money and didn't care about the small group of people pointing fingers at her.

"Come on, let's move this into the store, be careful not to bump it!" Yang Shichang's voice suddenly came.

Jian Yang raised her head and looked towards the door with a puzzled expression.

Yang Shichang was directing two of his servants to unload the statue of Guan Yu from the cart.

Jian Yang: "???"

Jian Yang asked, "Manager Yang, what are you trying to do?"

Yang Shichang laughed and said, "Lord Guan is the God of War and Wealth. I've got one for your shop so he can bless you with great wealth in the future!"

After seeing Jian Yang behaving intimately with her distant relative, he had given up on the idea of ​​getting close to her and was depressed for a long time, never daring to see her again.

But yesterday he suddenly heard that the man had left, and Yang Shichang instantly perked up.

Such a great opportunity should be seized to curry favor!

So he ordered his men to bring over this statue of the God of Wealth.

Jian Yang was about to refuse when she suddenly remembered the 50,000 taels she had received last night. It was hard to say whether this was the result of the God of Wealth's blessing.

Once a person develops superstitious thoughts, they will always be in a state of constant worry, fearing the worst even if it's just a matter of life and death.

Especially considering that she suddenly received a large sum of money, her disrespect for the gods at this time is truly unsettling.

So she smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Manager Yang. I'll make you some snacks another day."

Her smile made Yang Shichang's heart skip a beat. He felt that all the colors in the world had faded, leaving only her stunning beauty.

Yang Shichang's senile appearance naturally became another piece of "evidence" against Jian Yang in the eyes of those with ulterior motives.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

The next day, Sister Mei returned from the market with a worried look on her face.

Jian Yang was eating sunflower seeds at that moment.

Since receiving the 50,000 taels, she has hired a helper and has now completely become a hands-off manager.

Seeing her worried expression, Jian Yang asked with concern, "Sister Mei, is something bothering you?"

Sister Mei's eyes darted around for a moment before she finally made up her mind and spoke.

"Boss, to be honest, I heard a lot of bad rumors about you at the market today."

Jian Yang, feeling a bit thirsty from eating melon seeds, picked up her teacup and asked, "About me? What rumors are there? Tell me about them."

Sister Mei gritted her teeth and said resolutely, "They all say that the mistress is unfaithful, that she started having affairs as soon as her husband left."

"puff--"

Jian Yang spat out the mouthful of tea she had just drunk.

Are you sure they're talking about me?

Sister Mei nodded.

Jian Yang twitched her lips and muttered, "Why are you throwing mud at people like that? When did I ever flirt with other women?"

Sister Mei said, "They said that a few days ago, the owner let a man stay overnight, and he even bewitched Manager Yang."

Jian Yang: "..."

That's outrageous.

After a brief moment of anger, Jian Yang realized that she was completely helpless against such rumors.

Since mouths are on other people's bodies, she can't sew them back up.

After much thought, the best course of action was to pretend she knew nothing. After all, she was upright and had nothing to hide, so let those people gossip as they pleased.

"Sister Mei, what are you thinking?" Jian Yang looked up at her.

If this matter has caused trouble for Sister Mei, she will let her leave.

Without thinking, Sister Mei said, "Of course I trust my employer. I even had a big argument with them today because of this. But I'm also a widow, and I'm prone to trouble. In the end, they even cursed me as well."

After saying this, Sister Mei lowered her head in shame, feeling extremely annoyed that she had failed to properly protect Jian Yang's reputation.

Jian Yang stood up, patted her shoulder, and said with a smile, "Thank you for speaking up for me, Sister Mei. But don't take it to heart if you encounter something like this in the future. I have a clear conscience and I'm not afraid of gossip."

"Okay, I'll listen to the boss!"

But the rumors in the town did not decrease because they ignored them; on the contrary, they intensified.

Even someone as oblivious as Jian Yang noticed the change in the townspeople's attitude towards her.

First, fewer and fewer women came to her restaurant to eat, and the men looked at her with a hint of mockery and lewdness.

Furthermore, some people would say "bad luck" as they passed by her restaurant before walking away indignantly.

Even the most good-tempered person would find it difficult to endure living in such an environment of psychological violence for a long time.

Jian Yang could tolerate it at first, but she became more and more frustrated as time went on.

She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she had become known among the townspeople as a vixen who seduced men.

If it weren't for the dockworkers who came to eat at her place every day, she would have preferred to close down.

At noon that day, diners came to eat as usual. Jian Yang suppressed her displeasure and served each customer with care.

Everyone was enjoying their meal when suddenly a short, plump middle-aged woman with a mole on the corner of her mouth rushed into the store.

Before Jian Yang could ask her if she was there to eat or do something else, she saw the woman angrily grab a middle-aged man who was as thin as a monkey and had a mustache by the back of his collar and pull him up from his seat.

The man was enjoying his meal when he was suddenly pulled up. He was in a bad mood and was about to lash out when he caught sight of the person's face, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

"Madam, what brings you here?"

The crowd ate their rice while watching the spectacle.

Mei Jie then quietly introduced the two of them to Jian Yang.

"This couple runs a cloth shop at the east end of town. The man's surname is Liao, and the woman's surname is Li. The woman is in charge of the household. Manager Liao is a coward and is completely controlled by Li."

"I see." Jian Yang also watched the show from the sidelines.

Li said irritably, "Didn't you say you went to play cards with Manager Chen and the others? Why are you eating at that slut's place? Tell me, have you taken a fancy to that slut?"