"Have you been wronged?"

“Ah,” Jiang Qianqian hurriedly shook her head, “The old teacher is so good to me. He praises my good memory and quick reaction every day.”

Xu Yuehuai, as if completely baffled, patiently and persuasively asked, "So what happened?"

"I……"

After hesitating for a long time, Jiang Qianqian slowly said, "I've thought about it. Grandma, please don't let me go to school. Wouldn't it be a waste of your money for a girl like me?"

"This is a long-term investment for me, and you will definitely make money in the future."

Xu Yuehuai pointed to herself and said, "I'm just like your Zhou Niang, such a good person, what a waste, married to those two scoundrels. If you had studied, you would have become a learned and knowledgeable female scholar in the future, and it wouldn't be others choosing you, but you choosing them. Besides, today Brother Qi tested you, and I saw that you answered fluently. You are much better than A Qi. You are a good prospect."

"As for money," Xu Yuehuai smiled, "that's not something you need to worry about. Your grandmother is a magician, she's the best at turning money into cash."

Jiang Qianqian witnessed and understood this firsthand.

But looking at Jiang Qianqian, it seems she still has something to say.

"Do you have some unspeakable secret?"

"Grandma, I have another favor to ask."

Jiang Qianqian seemed to have prepared what she was going to say in advance. Xu Yuehuai respected individual differences and placed the little one in the category of adults, so he listened carefully to her explanation.

Jiang Qianqian said, "It's something many people can only dream of for a girl like me to be able to study in the capital. It's not easy to come here. I'll listen to you and study hard, but I won't be coming back. Could you find me a job outside so I can come and see you once a week?"

"Stop talking nonsense, alright, alright," Xu Yuehuai pressed her throbbing temples. "Don't whine about nothing. Goodbye."

I saw Jiang Qianqian out.

In fact, Jiang Qianqian encountered a roadblock this afternoon.

Jiang Mingfu and Zhou Qionghua had been lying in ambush at her usual route for a long time. Just as Aqi and Jiang Shichen walked away, Jiang Mingfu appeared in front of the little girl like lightning.

Having not seen her parents for a long time, Jiang Qianqian assumed they hadn't arrived in the capital or had already returned to their hometown. Little did she know they would appear here.

At that moment, Jiang Qianqian was slightly stunned.

Zhou Qionghua, on the other hand, was completely different from her previous expression of clenching her teeth; she was all smiles now.

"Qianqian, it's been so long since I've seen you."

Jiang Qianqian became timid when she saw Zhou Qionghua reach out her hand.

Who knows if that outstretched hand is a preparation for a punch or a caress?

Seeing the other person dodge, Zhou Qionghua grabbed her shoulder. As for Jiang Mingfu, he was looking into the distance, and soon Ah Qi would turn around when he could no longer see Jiang Qianqian.

Ah Qi is highly skilled in martial arts, as Jiang Mingfu witnessed firsthand.

“We’ve arrived in the capital now, but we’re in dire straits. You can’t just stand by and watch us die, can you?” Zhou Qionghua cried, her face contorted with grief. She grabbed Jiang Qianqian’s hand and burst into tears.

"You should at least give us some consideration, even if you don't care about the monk. We can go without food, but you have a younger brother."

"I don't know how to make money."

Jiang Qianqian said firmly.

But Zhou Qionghua had already planned ahead. "You may not be good at making money, but your grandmother is incredibly capable. I know everything about what happened at Tianxiang Pavilion. Not only did your grandmother cook for the little princess, but she's also gotten involved with His Highness. Even the meager meals she provides are enough for us to eat for a while. Qianqian, you're a piece of my flesh, and I'm still your mother. You can't just ignore me..."

When she got emotional, Zhou Qionghua burst into tears.

In fact, Jiang Qianqian had seen through the fox's true colors long ago.

Isn't this hypocrisy, feigned benevolence, and fake weeping?

After Zhou Qionghua finished her performance, he approached Jiang Qianqian in a sinister manner, giving her a warning that was also an order, and said something that made Jiang Qianqian feel uneasy all day.

Soon, Jiang Qianqian's determination to continue her studies wavered.

The ghosts of Jiang Mingfu and his wife are haunting them.

She knew all too well that if she was being followed, her parents would contact her every few days, which would only create more problems.

But how could Xu Yuehuai let her live alone outside? It would be terrible if something happened. Jiang Qianqian had just told Xu Yuehuai about her parents, but Xu Yuehuai only said one sentence.

“I suggest you stay here so you can make something of yourself in the future. We’re not talking about bringing glory to our ancestors, but at least you should live a better life than Zhou Niang and me. But you can also refuse my advice, suffer a lot, and go back to them.”

"I see."

Jiang Qianqian naturally couldn't go back.

Early in the morning, Xu Yuehuai chatted with San Niang and Zhou Wan.

“Whether it’s the stinky tofu, hairy tofu, blood tofu, or fermented bean paste I made for you yesterday, they all have a shelf life. It would be terrible if they couldn’t be sold after half a month. As for the Fu tea, it can be stored for many years. So the most urgent thing is to find people to eat it.”

"Eat?" Third Sister frowned. "Go to the door and shout to invite people to eat? That would be beneath us. We're a fine restaurant, after all."

Xu Yuehuai shook her head, "We can find actors, we can... go out and find some shills."

What is a shill?

Zhou Wan was a kind-hearted person, and she failed to figure out Xu Yuehuai's purpose.

Xu Yuehuai then gestured for the three of them to come closer.

Then, San Niang's husband started beating gongs and drums, and a group of strong men from the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) came to perform fire-breathing and lion dancing. San Niang's husband was a smooth talker, and he stood on the drum and boasted about hairy tofu and stinky tofu without restraint.

A crowd of onlookers gathered.

With the addition of extras hired by Xu Yuehuai, the crowd quickly grew to a massive size.

"Our new dishes are 30% off today, come and try them!"

People gradually entered the store. As the saying goes, "throwing out a brick to attract jade," with Xu Yuehuai's shill, the rest of the people quickly surrounded the store, and everyone ate to their heart's content.

In the afternoon, Zhou Wan's hands cramped from counting money. "We're rich now."

Xu Yuehuai looked at the few scattered people below and said, "It's already this late, there probably won't be any more guests. Alright, pay the extras."

A man appeared behind Xu Yuehuai. This man had a pointed mouth and monkey-like face. He was the organizer of the group of actors. Xu Yuehuai looked at him.

"Don't let them suffer, Monkey. We'll come back to you if we need anything in the future."

Yes, yes.

Business was good today, and Xu Yuehuai was making a fortune. Firstly, he was in high spirits because of the happy occasion, and secondly, he wanted to support the monkey, so he gave him an extra two taels of silver.

"Please buy some strong liquor and snacks to go with it. Thank you for your hard work."

"What's the big deal? It's all just what we should do."

But you could tell the monkey was very happy.

San Niang and Zhou Wan were doing accounts together, which went on until late at night.

The next day, the number of extras had decreased by half, but the number of people eating had increased significantly. By the third day, the leader no longer needed to come and support the event; everyone would just order things like hairy tofu and stinky tofu.