Besides the materials, the most important thing is, of course, the craftsmanship of the artisans.

As a result, skilled craftsmen became highly sought after, with wages rising higher and higher, and some shops even secretly poaching them with high salaries.

If you take from me, then I'll take from you too.

Over time, their resentment deepened.

The shop owners started fighting, none of them willing to back down, and for a time even Song Yi couldn't resolve the matter. In the end, it was Jiang Shuwan who stepped in to mediate.

To prevent this from happening again, Jiang Shuwan specifically copied over a modern labor contract.

For example, craftsmen can switch jobs for higher salaries, but they cannot disclose their former employer's trade secrets to their new employer, nor can they simply leave; they must give the employer a month to find a replacement.

Employers also have strict standards for hiring craftsmen, with salaries and bonuses clearly written down in black and white, and no unjustified salary reductions or dismissals allowed during the contract period.

Thus, the contract was concluded.

Everyone has limitations, and everyone has advantages.

Both parties were satisfied and went their separate ways.

As Jiang Shuwan was about to leave, a shy little girl of about three or four years old with her hair tied in a topknot stuffed a fried dough stick into her mouth.

"This is?"

"Young mistress, here you go. My mother said thank you."

After the little girl finished speaking shyly, she ran across the street in a flash. Jiang Shuwan looked up and saw a woman with a weathered face and wearing coarse clothes selling fried dough cakes across the street.

Seeing her looking over, the woman gave her a graceful curtsy and gestured.

Song Yi also saw the woman and translated, "She said if you think the fried dough is delicious, you can come and eat it every day without paying."

"But I don't know her either?" Jiang Shuwan asked, puzzled.

"That's Zhang Longzi's wife. Zhang Longzi is the jewelry craftsman who was just fought over by the shopkeepers. He was struck by lightning when he was five years old while herding cattle, and he has been deaf ever since."

Song Yi said with emotion, "His family also felt that he was a burden. They made him do the work but didn't give him any food, so he went out to work on his own. He finally learned a skill, but craftsmen had low status and little monthly salary. He married a woman who was born with disabilities, deaf and mute. His family was poor, and they had several children, but none of them survived."

"Now it's all good. Since we started doing business on Donglai Street, even though he can't hear, he doesn't have to worry about making a living because of his superb skills."

"Not only are their lives getting better and better, but they also opened a fried dough stick stall with his wife. The person who just delivered the fried dough sticks to you is their daughter. She fell ill in the summer, and the doctor said she wouldn't survive, but they told them to feed her with fine food and rice little by little."

"She's thanking you. She's thanking you for giving them a better life, for saving her daughter, and for saving her whole family."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuwan grinned and said, "There's nothing to thank me for. We're all tech people. If you trace our roots, we might even be my ancestors."

"?" Song Yi didn't understand; Jiang Shuwan had already left.

Left alone, Song Yi watched him leave, the man's gaze filled with admiration and respect, an intense and unwavering mix.

He was still holding the copy of the employment contract that Jiang Shuwan had just taken out.

"Such a contract is truly unheard of; Miss Jiang is indeed a remarkable talent."

Song Yi held the contract with great care. Since cooperating with Jiang Shuwan, he had gained a lot of knowledge.

In particular, their family's Treasure House mainly sells various jewelry and accessories. Since the establishment of Donglai Street, he has followed Jiang Shuwan's advice to start building his own brand and training senior craftsmen.

After doing this, he discovered that, just as Jiang Shuwan had said, even some unremarkable pieces of jewelry were priced several times higher than those in other stores because of his brand's promotion.

More importantly, he has his own workshops and artisans, and he has completely integrated the upstream and downstream industrial chain of the jewelry industry, from raw stones to production techniques and sales channels.

He will never be controlled by others again.

Unlike before, when even with money, it won't be impossible to get goods.

Of course, he also discovered that the artisans he had painstakingly hired or trained were easily snatched away by other merchants.

That was his only worry.

Now that he has this contract, his worries have been resolved.

Undoubtedly, this is a win-win situation for both the craftsman and the employer.

Staring at the carriage that had disappeared into the distance, Song Yi suddenly clenched his fist.

"No one can take it away!"

"She must belong to the Fourth Prince!"

Inside the carriage, Qingxing also looked curiously at the contract in her hand.

“Miss, it’s fine if the craftsmen on Donglai Street want to sign this so-called ‘contract’. They’re in high demand right now, so of course we have to give them benefits to keep them.”

"But why do all the waiters and clerks at our food stall have to sign this?"

"Our kind of shops always hire people when we're short of staff, and fire people when we're not—that's how all merchants have done it for thousands of years."

"Your contract is ridiculous. The employer is firing the employee and is demanding compensation based on years of service. Isn't that just giving money away for nothing?"

"How could it be given away for free? Labor law, everything is done according to the rules, don't worry, I didn't lose out."

Upon hearing this, the little girl frowned. "What is a labor law?"

"..."

It's a long story, so I won't go into details.

Jiang Shuwan waved her hand, telling Qingxing to give her an orange to eat.

Oranges aren't too expensive now, but they'll be more expensive than meat in winter.

She needs to eat as much as she can while it's cheap; she doesn't know if she'll be able to afford it in winter.

After all, she earns a lot and spends a lot.

The perfume and sugar workshops have already cost a lot of money, and now they want to set up an eyeglasses production line...

Jiang Shuwan looked miserable.

"Qingxing, do you think I shouldn't have cooperated with His Majesty? I feel like I'm getting poorer and poorer ever since I got in touch with His Majesty."

Qingxing rolled her eyes at her.

"You're still poor!"

"If you are poor, how can others survive!"

"You haven't even calculated how valuable your properties in the North are."

Comforted by the green apricot, Jiang Shuwan generously ate two oranges.

Although we have little cash, we still have our businesses!

"Young mistress, we're home."

Upon hearing the coachman's voice, Qingxing quickly helped Jiang Shuwan down.

It was almost dark when Jiang Shuwan returned. A maidservant told her that she would be having dinner at the old lady's house that night.

"knew."

When she arrived at the old lady's room, she found that everyone from the main branch of the family had arrived, including the old Marquis, Pei Yanzhi, and Liu Yunyan. All these people were waiting for her.

"old lady……"

She spoke apologetically, but the old lady waved her hand and said, "It's alright, our Wan'er has worked hard."

The old lady was very tolerant of her, and even affectionately asked Jiang Shuwan to sit next to her and let Chang Mama scoop porridge for her, which made Jiang Shuwan quite touched.

She and the old lady used to be a new employee and the big boss.

Now, as they've spent more time together, feelings have developed.