Upon entering, Luo Qian first bowed respectfully to Madam Duan, saying, "Madam Duan."
Madam Duan's expression softened. "Qian'er is too polite. Please take off your outer garment."
Luo Qian was quite renowned as a talented woman in Shuzhou.
Most importantly, he is extremely polite in his dealings with people.
The Luo family had already arranged a marriage for her, so she was to marry into the capital.
But she wanted to try the provincial examination.
She was the only daughter of the Luo family and was pampered from a young age. She loved reading, so her father hired a tutor for her.
But after she turned 15, her husband was gone, and the only thing left in her life was to get married.
She went out to attend various flower shows and tea tastings, all to attract the attention of the ladies and help them find a good marriage partner.
Her marriage was arranged by her parents and the matchmaker; she had no real say in which family she married into.
But the life of the eldest brother, Luo Sheng, seemed to suddenly become much richer. He could choose to be granted an official position through his father's connections and immediately enter the imperial court.
You can choose to go out and make public appearances, do business, and make friends from all walks of life.
She envied the freedom it offered.
She needs her grandmother's permission to go out.
After she turned 15, except for going out for marriage, she never left the house again.
If it weren't for this exam, she would never have seen the outside world.
This exam was the only way for her to gain even a little bit of freedom to go out.
She wanted to catch it.
Luo Qian calmly took off her outer clothes, letting the maid examine her body.
This was somewhat humiliating. She was born to be the mistress, and when had a maid ever been allowed to touch her body except when serving her?
But she didn't say a word.
After checking, the maid shook her head at Madam Duan, "Madam, there is nothing else."
Madam Duan smiled and said, "Alright, Qian'er, put on your outer garment and take off all your accessories."
Luo Qian obediently did as instructed.
After the inspection was completed, Luo Qian left the small room and walked towards the examination hall.
Mrs. Sun nodded. "It's spotless. There's no way anything could have been hidden there. This is what an exam should look like!"
Ye Panjiu smiled; she only hoped that there would be more female voices in the court.
As Zheng Hongye Ming entered the examination hall, Ye Panjiu said, "I'm planning to visit Jinxiu Pavilion and three other shops. Father, Mother, Elder Brother, and Sister-in-law, why don't you all just stroll around Shuzhou City?"
Grandma Ye nodded. "Go ahead and get busy."
Sun quickly took Ye Panjiu's arm, "I'll go with my little sister too. Brother Lai and the others are in Shuzhou right now."
Without Ye Panjiu's explicit instruction, the group would not have continued operating the shop.
Now, the business of opening the shop can be handed over to Brother Lai and his two brothers.
They are trustworthy and capable.
Ye Erniu and Ye Guihua said in unison, "I'll go too."
Ye Taohua and Heng Tong didn't say they were going, but they naturally followed along.
"This is the closest shop to the osmanthus shop. After we've looked at it, we'll go to Jinxiu Pavilion."
Mrs. Sun nodded repeatedly, "I'll do as you say."
There was still a long queue in front of the shop, just like before I left Shuzhou.
The people in front were all sitting in line, holding sunflower seeds and chatting while they waited.
Some people come to the store just to pack up the braised food, so they can take it home and have a big meal with their whole family.
It has both meat and vegetables.
Cheng Wu, who was limping, walked very slowly, but still greeted the guests warmly at the door. He spotted Ye Panjiu and the others at a glance and immediately quickened his pace to greet them.
Ye Panjiu dared not let him walk too fast, so she quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Brother Cheng, there's no rush. We're taking you to the provincial examination today, so we'll just stop by on the way."
Cheng Wu clenched his fist and bowed again, "Greetings, Master; greetings, Sister Sun and Second Brother; greetings, Miss Guihua."
Sun smiled and waved her hand, "When have you three brothers ever been so polite?"
Cheng Wu scratched his head and gestured for the others to proceed.
Only Ye Panjiu and Guihua went into the shop and took a look.
The kitchen was still clean and tidy, with everything neatly arranged.
The tables and chairs in the shop weren't badly worn and looked quite new.
In addition, there are several potted plants in the store, which are growing very vigorously, making the store more vibrant.
"This shop is getting more and more beautiful," Ye Guihua remarked.
After all, she was the one who opened this shop, and seeing it getting better and better naturally made her happy.
Ye Panjiu smiled and said, "Then let's have some real rewards. We'll take the total profit from the shop for a month and distribute it all to everyone. How we distribute it is up to you shop managers to decide."
She spoke quite loudly, and everyone working in the shop knew the two of them.
Upon hearing this, his smile widened even more.
It's said that working at Jiujiu Lu is the best option; look at this employer, they're not stingy at all!
Ye Guihua affectionately linked arms with Ye Panjiu, smiling brightly, "My aunt is so kind!"
The two men looked carefully, and when they came out of the shop, Cheng Wu had already placed an account book and a box at the door.
"Master, these are the account books and silver for the recent period. Please take a look."
Ye Panjiu couldn't lift the box, but Ye Taohua rushed ahead of Heng Tong and lifted it with one hand, as lightly as if she were holding a piece of clothing.
Ye Panjiu took the ledger herself, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Brother Cheng. I will look at it carefully."
Cheng Wu nodded. He wasn't afraid; he hadn't changed the accounts at all.
What I seek is to be open and honest, with a clear conscience, and I have no fear of being investigated.
After seeing this Jiujiu Braised Food stall, Ye Panjiu had a better understanding of what to expect.
Knowing what a person has done in the past and how they choose in critical moments is enough to reveal their character.
The three people recommended by Su Yan were indeed extremely reliable.
I wonder how things are going at Jinxiu Pavilion.
When the group arrived at Jinxiu Pavilion, it was lunchtime.
There were fewer people at Jinxiu Pavilion than during the Lunar New Year, but it was still full.
The lobby was bustling with noise and activity.
"Are we having lunch here?" Ye Panjiu asked, looking at everyone.
Mrs. Sun nodded, "That's great, I still remember this place's signboard, let's see if it's changed."
The others nodded as well.
Just as Ye Panjiu was about to head upstairs to the private room, Feng Hongfu came out to greet her with a smile.
"The big boss is here! I've been looking forward to your visit every day!"
Ye Panjiu smiled and said, "We just stopped by for lunch."
Feng Hongfu waved his hand to invite them upstairs, "Please come upstairs quickly. The best private room is empty today, so it's perfect for the big boss."
In a grand restaurant like Jinxiu Pavilion, the best private rooms are reserved for the most powerful and influential people in Shuzhou City.
Whether they come or not, they must stay.
Ever since the day the boss took him to the street to see the prices of various vegetables and meats, he has kept it in mind and will never be deceived on this matter again.
So every day on my way home I would casually ask about the price. Fortunately, the shops that deliver to Jinxiu Pavilion are very conscientious these days, and the goods they deliver are both good and inexpensive.
To his knowledge, no other business in Shuzhou operates under this model.
From then on, he longed for Ye Panjiu to come so he could witness his efforts firsthand.
Ye Panjiu said to everyone, "Go upstairs and order whatever you want. Also, order a portion for your parents and send it over so your sister-in-law can rest too."
She could tell that Feng Hongfu had something he wanted to say to her.
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