Chapter 51 Closing the Shop

"Let me guess, I heard you made steak today when I got back. Did you save some for me?"

Wang Xifeng guessed with a smile.

"In this kind of weather, how can good beef stay fresh until the evening without going bad? If you want to eat it next time, bring your own fresh beef!" Yuan Hongqu rolled her eyes at her.

"Oh, that must be ice cream! They said they've all eaten it, so how could there be none for me?"

"With a body like yours, you still want to eat ice cream?"

"well......"

The leftover ice cream from lunch was distributed among the staff by Yuan Hongqu; she didn't keep any for herself.

The two walked and talked, laughing as they went. Yuan Hongqu led Wang Xifeng into the dining room.

Yuan Hongqu took a porcelain bottle from the display cabinet next to the dining room and handed it to Wang Xifeng.

Because the bottle had no labels or decorations, Wang Xifeng noticed the unusual wooden stopper as soon as she received it.

"Red... wine?" she asked, somewhat unsure.

"It's a bit better than what you usually drink at home. A small glass before bed will be good for your health," Yuan Hongqu said. It's more than just a bit better; this is the first batch of wine produced by pure space brewing.

From raw materials to water, everything is produced by the space. After the wine was made, Yuan Hongqu tasted it several times and found that its appearance, taste, aftertaste, and aroma were all superior to the best wine she had ever tasted.

I've finally found the perfect wine container: a translucent white porcelain bottle, which is ideal for holding wine.

Wang Xifeng held the wine as if it were a priceless treasure.

"Sister Yuan, I knew it, you understand me the most... I felt so frustrated going to the Wang family today, it was only when I saw you that I felt a little better."

"Although your Wang family no longer holds a title, it is still at its zenith. Your uncle wields real power, no less than the empty shell of the Rongguo Mansion. Did you suffer any injustice when you went back?"

"Being wronged is a small matter. It's all because of my aunt. A few days ago, when she went back, she went around badmouthing me to them. She said that I've become too independent and don't care about her anymore, treating her like an outsider. That's bad enough, but when Jia Lian led people to investigate the accounts, they even found her people..."

Wang Xifeng was very disdainful.

"This time, Jia Lian is really determined to sort out the affairs of the family. Not to mention her own people, she has also dealt with quite a few of the old lady's people."

"I never expected Jia Lian to have such courage," Yuan Hongqu said with a smile.

"He received a single word of praise from the Emperor, and he was so eager to offer his heart to the Emperor to show his loyalty, hoping that the Emperor would praise him even more!"

Wang Xifeng didn't take it seriously. She couldn't understand Jia Lian's fanaticism. The sense of honor from that one sentence completely changed Jia Lian.

However, this is also a good thing. Jia Lian has a good reputation with the Emperor, which gives him more confidence when it comes to managing the household affairs.

If things were still the same as before, he himself wouldn't have the face to care about the dirty business at home.

The next day, after Daiyu went to school, Yuan Hongqu left the Rongguo Mansion.

Last night, Wang Xifeng brought her some jackfruit to share. Although she was certain that it came from her own shop, she still needed to confirm it today.

Wang Xifeng said that the jackfruit was a gift from the palace. Could it be that it was bought by the Prince Xian's mansion and sent to the palace?

Yuan Hongqu brought nothing this time and went directly through the side street.

She walked to the door of the small shop and saw that it was open. Wu Tian was diligently wiping the counter. The shop was clean and the shelves were also clean and empty.

Upon seeing Yuan Hongqu enter, Wu Tian was surprised for a moment, then immediately bowed.

"Master, you've arrived."

It's been a while since the last time jackfruit was placed here, and the owner hasn't shown up or come to restock. Wu Tian is starting to wonder if he really has an owner or if he's just dreaming.

After all, he had grown up in Kyoto and was quite knowledgeable about the things he was selling, but he had never heard of or seen these two items before.

And this female owner, bringing out such a rare item, should logically be very concerned about its sale.

But that's not entirely true. She doesn't seem to care whether the products sell or not, and the prices she asks for get higher and higher each time.

But some people are willing to buy it!

That jackfruit costs five hundred taels of silver each!

Although it was as big as a winter melon, a whole winter melon only cost ten coins.

The price of one jackfruit could buy enough winter melons to fill the entire capital city.

If the price is too high, then the female owner is too greedy and unscrupulous in her pursuit of profit.

But she didn't even look at the ledgers, and the jackfruits were sold out the day after they were put on the shelves, and the owner didn't come to collect payment.

He was a single employee guarding over a thousand taels of silver, and he was afraid of losing it.

Wu Tian felt that something was off about everything.

As soon as Yuan Hongqu entered, he hurriedly handed over the account books and banknotes to her.

"Boss, we'll go with the prices you quoted. As for how they bid after they go out, that's none of our business."

Two jackfruits, a thousand taels of silver, and the silver notes lay quietly on the counter.

"Was it someone from the Prince Xian's residence who came to buy it?"

"How did the boss know?" Wu Tian asked in surprise.

"It was someone from the Prince Xian's mansion. The day after it was put up, as soon as the store opened in the morning, Steward Xu from the Prince Xian's mansion came and bought it."

"Didn't say anything this time?"

"No, they only said 'the money and goods are settled'."

Yuan Hongqu snorted inwardly:

It's likely that people from the Prince Xian's residence are watching from all sides right now!

“My friend hasn’t been out to sea lately, and there’s nothing new to sell, so let’s close the shop for now,” Yuan Hongqu said.

"Master, what should I do?" Wu Tian was terrified. He was an orphan, and his indenture was now in the master's hands.

The shop is closing down; is the owner going to sell it to someone else?

Wu Tian was very uneasy.

This period must have been the most comfortable time of his life, but unfortunately it was so short.

“You,” Yuan Hongqu thought for a moment,

"Go to the farm and help me train people to grow vegetables. I have a batch of overseas vegetable seeds. Once the seedlings are grown, you can take them to E'er Village on the outskirts of Beijing to grow vegetables... If the vegetables grow well, our shop will mainly sell vegetables from now on."

Yuan Hongqu dared not put the rare fruits from her space in her shop for sale in such a high-profile manner anymore. These two times alone, she was afraid that they had already attracted the attention of many interested people.

To avoid causing trouble, she decided to suspend business operations.

A sign reading "Owner has something to do, business is temporarily closed" was hung on the shop door, and the door was locked.

Wu Tian temporarily resided in the backyard of the shop. Yuan Hongqu made an appointment with him to wait for her at the city gate three days later.

With everything arranged, Yuan Hongqu took another stroll around the small street before returning to Rongyue Courtyard through a small side gate of Rongguo Mansion.

Meanwhile, Steward Xu of Prince Xian's residence was reporting to Prince Xian:

"Your Highness, that woman has entered the Rongguo Mansion, so she must be one of the Rongguo Mansion's people."