Shen Ning knew that Shen Shu had gone out, but she was too lazy to care and went out with her people to inspect the shops.
The area under the emperor's nose is undoubtedly the most prosperous place in the land. You could throw a steamed bun and hit a third-rank official, not to mention wealthy merchants with abundant resources.
The Shen family's wealth may seem substantial to the average person, but when it's taken out of the family, it's actually not much.
The Shen family was an official family, and they had accumulated some wealth over several generations. When the grandfather died, everything outside the family had been distributed, except for what was left undivided within the family.
The eldest son's family received five shops and one estate, while the second son's family received three shops and one estate.
Her parents were not good at managing things, but her father was a kind-hearted man who casually saved a beggar, who turned out to be very good at business.
The Shen family's wealth increased from five shops to ten, and their farmland and estates outside also doubled.
Of course, this is only what's out in the open. There are some things hidden in secret, which no one knows except for Shen Ning and Uncle Liang.
If an official is rolling in money, who would believe that he is innocent?
However, before the court could settle accounts, her father died in the line of duty. The court bestowed honors upon him, and since no one in the family held an official position, no one impeached him for the money.
Compared to the great success of the first wife's family, the second wife's family fortune had dwindled to almost nothing due to various reasons. Meanwhile, the first wife's family was not only wealthy but also had lost an adult. How could they not be envious?
"Ah Ning, over here!"
As Shen Ning and Yu Zhu entered the restaurant, a woman dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) waved to her from the second-floor railing.
The restaurant owner's daughter, Du Yunzhi, is the daughter of Du Sande, the wealthy businessman who helped the Shen family a lot. However, her father gave the restaurant to him five years ago, and now he is no longer the manager, but the owner.
Du Sande married Du Yunzhi's biological mother. Although it was his second marriage and he had a daughter with him, he treated the mother and daughter very well.
The couple were very close, and Du Sande treated Du Yunzhi as his own daughter. They didn't have any more children after that.
Although they are not biologically related, Du Yunzhi is very much like Du Sande, and she loves doing business.
Shen Ning had a good relationship with Du Yunzhi since childhood, and learned a lot from Du Sande with her, which is why she dared to support the Shen family.
"Yunzhi".
As Shen Ning walked upstairs, she was immediately embraced warmly.
Du Yunzhi was always warm and cheerful towards Shen Ning: "I'm so glad to see you out here. You've been hiding at home for so many days, growing mushrooms!"
"I'm out now, I'll spend the day with you."
As they were talking, they caught a glimpse of someone sitting next to the table. He was a young man in white robes, with handsome features and an elegant demeanor. At first glance, he seemed quite good, but unfortunately, he had a pair of fox-like eyes.
Even a slight smile from him can make people feel that he is plotting something with ill intentions.
Of course, this person was indeed as shrewd as a fox.
"Young Master Ye." Ye Feiyan, the second son of the Minister of Rites.
Ye Feiyan nodded: "I heard that Miss Shen is getting married soon, congratulations."
Du Yunzhi took Shen Ning's hand and sat down, pouting in disdain: "It's only because you got engaged early that Wei Congwen is worthy of you."
She was the first to disapprove of her best friend's marriage.
Shen Ning poured her tea: "Alright, I know my Yunzhi cares about me."
Du Yunzhi snorted coldly: "What's the use of knowing? You still have to get married, don't you? The Wei family is dirt poor, they're all eyeing your dowry. And Wei Congwen is so cold to you, like someone forced him to do so. How will you live your life after you get married?"
Only those who truly care about you will see these things. Shen Ning didn't refute her at all, but simply comforted her.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry, have some tea to calm down."
When the gaze from the other side fell on her, Shen Ning looked up and saw that Ye Feiyan's fox-like eyes saw through everything.
An outsider's perspective is clearer.
Du Yunzhi, as a close friend, only saw that Shen Ning was about to jump into a fire pit, while Ye Feiyan, standing outside the situation, could understand why Shen Ning wanted to marry into the Wei family.
While it's frustrating to be misunderstood, it's not something to be happy about to be seen through either.
Shen Ning and Du Yunzhi have been friends since childhood, while Ye Feiyan was someone Du Yunzhi met two years ago and who later introduced Shen Ning to him.
Du Yunzhi said that she and Ye Feiyan were just friends, but Shen Ning knew that this person had ulterior motives.
These two sisters are so carefree; they didn't notice anything amiss at all.
However, the two eventually got married and had a lovely daughter.
Before she died, Ye Feiyan was already the Vice Minister of Rites. During that time, he accompanied a delegation to the border for peace talks, and it is unknown whether he returned safely.
She lived a life of hardship, but she also hoped that her best friend could have a good life.
Although she strongly opposed the marriage, knowing that the matter was already settled, Du Yunzhi was still generous and asked Shen Ning to reserve a spot in her hair, as her good friend had to provide her with a gold hairpin and hair ornament.
Shen Ning couldn't possibly refuse, so she nodded and said yes.
Having dealt with Du Yunzhi perfunctorily, Shen Ning then met Ye Feiyan's gaze. "..."
Fortunately, she didn't meet a man like Ye Feiyan, who could hide anything from her and whose mere thought was suffocating.
After a quick meal, Shen Ning had to get back to work.
Inside the cloth shop, the shopkeeper showed Shen Ning the newly arrived fabrics one by one. The quality of the fabrics did not determine the price, but rather who they were sold to.
Expensive fabrics are only affordable for wealthy families, and your shop is frequented by wealthy people, which makes your shop seem much more prestigious.
This is not vanity.
In this world, the real money to be made is never the meager sums of the poor, but the wealth accumulated by the nobles in the court.
In such a prosperous land under the emperor's nose, those who only think about making money off the poor will never get rich, even until they die.
Shen Ning took several bolts of fine cloth, with fresh colors and unique patterns. After selecting each bolt of cloth, he would designate a specific household to have his shop assistant deliver it to their door.
Those were all noble ladies who were on good terms with Shen Ning. The fabric was very expensive, and giving away so much for free was still a considerable sum. But these ladies benefited from it. After the clothes were made and praised, people would always mention Shen Ning's name and her shop.
No matter how well an ordinary shop is run, it's not easy to catch the eye of real noble ladies without an introduction.
With the introduction, the shop is officially registered, and people will always think about what that VIP used, and they will want to use it too, especially the special colors and excellent quality, which will always make people willing to spend the money.
And those who received fabric for free—a single piece of fabric doesn't make much clothing—would naturally come to buy it themselves if they wanted other patterns.
Give away a small portion, make the big profit – that's business.
After finishing her work, Shen Ning suddenly saw a wonton stall by the roadside. She wasn't very hungry, but she was a little tempted.
"Let's go get some wontons."
Yu Zhu: "......" Miss didn't eat enough?
"Boss, two bowls of wontons."
"Alright!"
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