Chapter 322 The Ultimate Weapon
The Grand Secretary was just as Su Wan thought. He looked intimidating just by standing there. He had a beard, but the scholarly temperament around him was undeniable. The children in the Grand Secretary's Mansion were all cultured people who were well-read in poetry and books.
They pay great attention to etiquette, but they don't put too much pressure on others, making it very comfortable to get along with them.
Mrs. Shen kept talking to her, and the more she looked at her, the more she liked her. She even joked that it would be nice if she had another son.
But she was just joking, so Su Wan didn't take it seriously.
Earlier, Su Yi drew several pictures for Shen Qingli. There were two portraits of her. As Su Wan said, one was sent to You County to his eldest brother, and the other was sent back to his hometown in Xiangzhou for his parents to see.
There is another painting, which is a picture of Su Wan and her together. The two are learning how to make tea. Su Yi doesn't know what to do next to them, so he recorded this scene. Then Shen Qingli took it back home and hung it in the hall of her yard.
Unexpectedly, the Grand Secretary saw it. He had never seen such a lifelike and vivid portrait, which captured the girl's expression and even every strand of her hair clearly.
The Grand Secretary found out that the realist's skills were the work of Su Jing's younger brother after asking.
Mrs. Shen also asked Su Yi to paint a picture for her. She sat in her seat very dignifiedly and dressed up specially, wearing the clothes and hair crown of her noble lady.
She was a person who loved to tell the truth. The court painters who painted portraits of the emperor and the concubines were not as good as Su Yi. They could not depict the expressions of the people, and they only looked somewhat similar.
All in all, the experience of being guests at the Grand Secretary's for a day was very good. The Grand Secretary and his wife were kind and polite, always with smiles on their faces, and treated them like their own juniors.
Even the concubines in the mansion would not act like a demon or show displeasure. Madam Shen managed them very well, and they were well-behaved and respectful to her, and they did not dare to overstep her bounds.
It was already night when she returned from the Grand Secretary's Mansion, and Madam Shen was still holding her and was reluctant to let her go.
Afterwards, he stayed in Kyoto for another twenty days. After finishing the work of the Yuyantang team, Su Wan had to rush home to celebrate the New Year with his family. He must not be absent this year.
Nanny Yang took charge of Yuyan Hall in Kyoto. She immediately reorganized the workshop with great vigor, added a group of people, and formulated a series of rules. She was decisive in her methods and showed the aura of a female official in the palace. No one dared to disobey her.
She said, I cannot tolerate any grain of sand in my eyes, I will not be as gentle to you as my boss. My boss gave me your indentures, if anyone dares to commit a crime, I will sell you without mercy.
As an old lady from the palace, everyone believed that she could do it. Wherever there are women, there is competition. She had worked her way up in the palace by stepping on others.
Moreover, Nanny Yang arranged several people to work in the workshop. They were all young ladies she knew in the palace. Even if they were not ladies-in-waiting, they were senior maids in various palaces. She arranged them to look after the workshop and keep an eye on these people when she was not around to prevent them from causing trouble.
She is old, so it is impossible for her to leave the city every day to inspect the workshop, right?
Su Wan approved of her approach. After watching her series of operations, she understood that the workshop in Xiangzhou was okay and she didn't need to worry about any problems.
Su Wan also paid high monthly wages to the retired senior palace maids that Yang Ma Ma had found, fifteen taels of silver a month. There were three of them in total. Those with ability should be given important positions and kept with high salaries.
When Yuyan Hall opened, Madam Yang used her connections, and Madam Shen also promoted the business in her circle of noble ladies, and business was booming on the first day of opening.
Moreover, the prices of all goat milk soaps have increased. There are no basic models. The dyed models are directly sold. They are bought for washing clothes and provided to grassroots people. Each piece sells for 38 wen. The floral goat milk soap, used for bathing and washing hands, sells for one or two taels of silver each. Hair soap is even more expensive, selling for 188 wen each. In Kyoto, many people are willing to buy it. As Nanny Yang said, just raise the price. The prices in each place are different.
The wives of officials bought them for a few dollars each and took them home. They loved them very much. In an instant, Yuyan Hall became popular in Kyoto, and soon the news spread to the palace.
Seeing that it was almost time, Su Wan planned to go back to her hometown with Su Yi. Shen Qingli was very reluctant to let her go when she heard that she was leaving.
It snowed in Kyoto half a month ago, and there was white snow everywhere. The snow was heavier than in Zhongzhou. It snowed for two days in a row, and everyone had to wear thick fox fur cloaks and carry umbrellas when going out.
However, despite this, it cannot stop the people of Kyoto from going out for a walk.
Su Wan was looking at the fallen snow on the ground in the courtyard of Furong Cottage, and suddenly she understood why Jiang Yu said that the snow in Beijing was beautiful.
…
On the day she left, it snowed again the night before. Shen Qingli came to the city gate of Kyoto to see her off, holding her hand reluctantly.
During the two months that Su Wan was here, Shen Qingli was really happy. It seemed like she had something to look forward to every day. It was very pleasant to be with Su Wan. She could talk loudly and smile with her teeth showing, feeling free and unrestrained.
In the past two months, Su Wan has learned how to make tea, arrange flowers, and play the guzheng, thanks to Shen Qingli. After she returns, she will find a teacher to continue teaching her. When Jiang Yu comes back, she will amaze everyone.
Nowadays, her business empire has almost expanded. Anyway, she will not rely on Yuyan Hall to make money in the future. This is her ultimate weapon to consolidate her future status and ensure the stability of the Su family.
Now that the management has been found, she doesn't need to worry about it. She just needs to take time every year to inspect it, which doesn't take long.
"Sister Chen, it's cold, let's go back quickly, don't catch a cold again!" She held Shen Qingli's hands, which were cold.
"Wanwan, when will you come to see me next time?" Shen Qingli was really reluctant to leave.
"I'll come visit you next year, when the hibiscus flowers bloom, okay?"
Next year, Su Wan will go to see the hibiscus flowers bloom in Jiang Yu's Hibiscus Cottage, which will definitely be more beautiful than the one in Xiangzhou.
"Okay, then I'll wait for you. Don't break your promise!"
Shen Qingli grew up in Kyoto and found that she had never had a true good sister with whom she could confide in. Su Wan was the first one.
"Okay, I will never go back on my word!" Su Wan said with a smile, his eyes firm.
"Well, I wish Wanwan and the Fifth Young Master a safe journey. Return to Xiangzhou soon. Remember to write to me!"
Su Wan nodded, and Su Yi bowed to her and said goodbye. The brother and sister got on the carriage. There was a blanket inside, and Su Wan planned to lie down like this all the way back.
The Chinese New Year is only a month away, so half a month is enough for me to go back. I’m sure my family must be waiting anxiously.
She brought some things for everyone in her family, including the one prepared by Shen Qingli.
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