Chapter 108: Secret
"As for why Young Master He took action, perhaps they thought the woman liked him and would agree to whatever he said. However, they didn't anticipate her strong character, so Young Master He strangled her to death out of frustration."
"But by doing this, isn't that treating human life as trash? Isn't it too much to kill people for a little fame?" Zhao Yan asked.
Yu Huatang lowered his head and was silent for a moment before saying, "What's wrong with this? For a wealthy family like this, reputation is everything. A country girl has brought down their family's reputation. All their children will probably be looked down upon when they are seeking marriage in the future. How can a worthless life that no one cares about compare to the century-old reputation of a wealthy family?"
Zhao Yan looked at her in shock. He had never thought that such words would come from her mouth.
How could a weak woman like her know the dark side of these aristocratic families?
In fact, it is very simple to know the truth. He only needs to capture Young Master He and interrogate him alone for a few days, and even the stubborn criminal will tell the truth.
But now he felt that her words and her expression were particularly cold.
He asked, "So, you think Young Master He is the murderer? But if you didn't like her and didn't want her, why did you take her in in the first place? Didn't that ruin her life?"
After a long pause, she said, "Perhaps in the eyes of these people, the fact that the woman could enter their house was already a blessing. As for what happens next, it all depends on whether they are willing or not. How could they even consider her entire life?"
Zhao Yan was stunned again. He felt extremely sad when he heard what she said.
At this time she said, "Master Zhao."
Zhao Yan looked up at her, only to see the sadness and loneliness still lingering on her face. She whispered, "This is government business, so I won't get involved. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first..."
After saying that, she left indifferently without waiting for his reply.
Zhao Yan just felt that it was a mistake for him to create the opportunity today. He shouldn't have told her these things. He didn't think it through just now, but now he thought that the dead girl had the same experience as her.
So what she just said was not speculation, but her empathy.
He was only concerned about her interest in the case and wanted to talk to her, but he didn't expect that he would make her recall the past.
He didn't know if she had some unknown secrets in the past. He wanted to call her and ask if there was something that made her uncomfortable, but he didn't dare to ask because he was afraid that she would be disgusted again.
He turned away bitterly only after her figure disappeared at the end of the alley.
Arriving at the shop, Yu Huatang calmed down for a long time before taking a deep breath and swallowing the bitterness she had just felt. She walked into the inner room when Ji Guifen came over and called her, "Huatang, come here. I have something to tell you."
Yu Huatang walked over. There were already many apprentices in the hall, and they were all craning their heads to see what would happen next.
Unexpectedly, Ji Guifen didn't intend to hide the truth and said directly, "In a few days, we will cooperate with Zhouji. I believe you have heard of Zhou Xiang, the owner of Zhouji Lanterns in Fuzhou."
Ji Guifen sat down and continued, "He originally wanted to find a shop, but I thought it would be better to cooperate directly with us. This way, we can produce more lanterns and become more famous. He agreed. In a few days, ten craftsmen will come. You can also learn their Zhouji craft."
"Wow, if we are together with Zhou Ji, will we have other stores in the future?" someone said happily.
Yu Huatang just chuckled after hearing this and said, "So it's Zhouji Lanterns. Business will definitely be better in the future."
Ji Guifen pretended not to hear the sarcasm in her tone and just said, "It's best if you think so." After that, she went straight to the second floor without caring about the eyes of the people around her.
Many people knew that Zhou Ji Lanterns had moved to Quanzhou after running out of business in Fuzhou. Zhou Xiang liked to play tricks on his opponents during matches, such as using anesthetics and damaging their materials. These tricks were difficult to catch and left him at a disadvantage.
Over time, the victims found a group of beggars to spread the stories in the streets. Later, Zhouji could no longer operate, so they moved here.
The discussions among the people around became louder, but Yu Huatang didn't care and continued with his work. At noon, Xu Fu said he wanted to eat egg noodles at a restaurant on Shangtang Street, so he pulled Yu Huatang out.
After the noodles were served, Xu Fu took two bites and said angrily, "Senior Sister, this Sister Ji is so disloyal. Although your skills were taught by Master Li, you have brought so much business to the Lantern Master Hall over the years, and how much money have you made for her? I heard from the accountant that he only handles the orders from the outer areas, and he still makes a thousand taels of silver a year, not to mention the orders from the wealthy families in the inner circle."
He grew angrier as he spoke. "Look at what she did today. She said she'd hire ten more craftsmen this week. Even if a hundred came, they wouldn't be as good as you, Senior Sister. This is clearly taking advantage of your honesty. Most craftsmen rush to their employers to ask for a pay raise, but you're the only one getting the same pay as before. Who would believe this if I told anyone else?"
Most shops wouldn't hire so many artisans. Firstly, most of the skills are interchangeable, so having so many would be a waste. Secondly, for the future of the shop, there is usually a main artisan. In the past, Yu Huatang was the signature artist of Dengshitang.
Now that Ji Guifen has found Zhou Ji, it is obvious that the signature character is no longer her, Yu Huatang, so she can only be left out.
Yu Huatang said, "She doesn't want me to stay, so naturally she won't consider my opinions. When the new Zhouji Master arrives, there will definitely be publicity, and the wages will go up. Where will I be then? If I compete with the old apprentices for ordinary orders, I'll be laughed at. If I continue to take the old VIP orders, she's afraid she'll say that the Zhouji Master can handle it and doesn't need me. So she just wants me to leave tactfully."
Xu Fu also said disdainfully, "She just thinks you're too principled in your craftsmanship, and she feels bad selling them. So she's trying to work with that ruthless person in Zhou Ji. They're trying to make three lamps with the materials for one lamp, and they calculate that each lamp will break after seven days, so they can sell another one. That way, they can make three lamps for the money they originally made from one. She's happy just thinking about it. Of course, she wishes you'd just leave and stop blocking her path to wealth."
"But she forgot that Zhou Ji came here because he couldn't survive in Fuzhou. The reputation she had built up thanks to you, Senior Sister, will be gone within a year. Just wait and see, Senior Sister, it's even a question whether this Dengshitang will be able to continue operating in the future."
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