Manager Zhou figured that with the current buzz and this being the last big event of the year, the show would attract a large crowd, including many from neighboring cities.
But he only had one large hall available at his Shengfu Restaurant. How many people could that hall seat? Even if you squeezed in, it would only be about a hundred people. Since that was the case, he simply planned out and numbered all the seats, releasing only four numbers each day for a total of thirty days.
He will draw lots to determine the number. The number will be drawn from a hundred small slips of paper, and only those who dine at the restaurant can draw lots. Wouldn't that be the best way for everyone?
Manager Zhou was increasingly pleased with himself and immediately rolled up his sleeves to make arrangements.
**
The "Zhaoyeqing" women's fashion show, which was highly praised by the daughter of the military governor, will hold its final runway show of the year in the lobby of Shengfu Restaurant the day before autumn arrives.
Shengfu Restaurant will use a lottery system to determine who will enter, with only four numbers drawn each day.
The young women who attended the fashion show all declared that it was the most unique place they had ever seen, the place that best showcased the charm and elegance of women, and that it was unforgettable!
Hearing Yun Chunian reciting the latest hot news from the city, Yun Ruoxia quickly nudged Yun Ling, who was lying on the recliner.
“Ling’er, you don’t know what I’m talking about if you haven’t been to the city. When I went to Shengfu Restaurant to deliver mushrooms, there were so many people there, it was like there was gold to be found. I couldn’t even squeeze in. The manager said that you could bring anything to sell, even wild vegetables could fetch a good price. It’s crazy.”
"To be honest, Manager Zhou really knows how to do business. We don't charge any copper coins for our show; it's free for everyone to watch. But he's different. He doesn't even dine at the restaurant, and he won't let anyone draw lots. It seems like he's making all the money."
"But some people are lucky. One family drew three numbers just from their table. People immediately asked them if they would sell them, and the price went from ten coins to a string of copper coins."
Yunling frowned. This one ticket had already gone up to one copper coin. There were still more than twenty days until the performance. Who knew how many times it would change hands and how many copper coins it would fetch? Putting aside the fact that this went against their original intentions, if things continued like this, outsiders' impressions of them would also become bad. This was unacceptable.
"Aunt, if you say that, and it's just a matter of drawing lots to get a number, with just a little piece of paper, wouldn't there be a lot of people who forge it? What if they all cause trouble for Lingniang?"
Yun Ruoxia smiled and said:
"You don't know, do you? Manager Zhou is quite shrewd this week. If a man draws the winning number, he will take it back on the spot and give him five hundred copper coins."
"If a woman draws the winning number, she needs to dip her thumb in indelible ink and press her handprint into the middle of the wooden board. Then the board is broken in two, and each half is marked with a number. Later, the handprints of the woman and the board, as well as the patterns on the board, must be matched before she can enter."
"If you want to resell this, you must go to Shengfu Restaurant in person to make the transaction. It costs one string of copper coins for one transaction, two strings for two transactions, and five transactions will invalidate the number."
"Manager Zhou said that although he wanted to make money, he didn't want to ruin the good reputation of our 'Zhaoyeqing', so he came up with this idea."
Yunling nodded. Manager Zhou's idea was undoubtedly a good one. It would reduce people's complaints and also elevate the quality of their "Zhaoyeqing" products, preventing them from losing their value as they did during the first exhibition.
Thinking back to the first exhibition, Yunling really had to thank Qinglan Music Workshop. If they hadn't saved the day in time, they might not have been able to attract the daughter of the military governor. Moreover, she was thinking of hiring Taoyao to play for Tangling, so she brought some snacks to Qinglan Music Workshop the next day.
I only met Lu Yinghuai at the entrance of the music hall. He was standing there, with no one beside him, and I didn't know what he was doing.
Yunling immediately tightened the reins, wanting to turn around and leave, but since she had been seen, how could she easily get away?
“Lingniang.”
Yunling took a deep breath and smiled, "Young Master is here too, what a coincidence."
Are you angry?
"That's a strange thing to say. Why would I be angry? I've already forgotten about what happened last time."
"It's not about the last time, it's about what you overheard outside the Mei residence."
Yunling's heart skipped a beat. How did this person know she was waiting outside the Mei residence? Could it be that he saw her back then and came to Qinglan Music Hall to inquire about her now? Oh no, oh no, even if he makes up a story, he won't be able to explain himself now.
"I...I...you...you..."
Lu Yinghuai hadn't missed that fleeting look of panic in her eyes. If only he had noticed it then, he could have spoken up in time and avoided leaving a lingering resentment.
"On the ninth day, Minniang and her mother went to Shengfu Restaurant to watch the show. They saw the owner of Qinglan Music Hall and the musicians talking to you and playing music for you. While the young ladies were walking the runway, there was also a musician playing the pipa."
"When Minniang came to the Yun family to paint on the fourth day, there was no musician playing music beside her. Considering what the shopkeeper said on the ninth day that he had received your money some time ago, you must have invited this musician between the fifth and the eighth day."
"The sixth day of the month was Master Mei's birthday. When he celebrated his birthday, the head of the brothel said that all the musicians in the Qinglan Music Hall were married off, so you hadn't hired them yet."
“But the musicians and the young ladies who walk the runway need to get used to each other, and the performance is just around the corner, so you must be very anxious. You’re probably even looking everywhere for news about the musicians and the music hall, and you’re most likely waiting outside the Mei residence to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity.”
"With this guess in mind, I asked the shop owner..."
As Yunling listened to Lu Yinghuai recount the timeline and reveal her thoughts, she was both surprised and somewhat angry.
"You... if you have such abilities, why don't you just go to the county government and become a constable who solves cases? Why bother being the young master of a merchant house?"
Lu Yinghuai smiled and walked over to the horse, looking up at Yun Ling as he explained:
"I'm not going to arrest you. I just don't want you to misunderstand me. I didn't say those things. I didn't mean it that way. Just believe me, okay?"
Yunling was somewhat surprised that Lu Yinghuai would explain to her, and when he said the second half of the sentence, he looked so innocent, like a little idiot. But he was not an idiot; he was a wolf, the most cunning wolf.
"If you want to blame someone, then blame Zifu. If you want to kill or beat someone, then beat Zifu. He's the one who said those words. I cursed him twice. Did you hear me?"
"I...I didn't. I was asleep in the car. I didn't hear anything you said, nothing at all."
"But when I saw the young lady, I was full of energy and vitality."
Seeing Yunling's hesitation and remembering Lu Yinghuai's good intentions, the shopkeeper, who had been waiting inside for a long time, couldn't help but come out.
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