Seeing this, Qin Qing said again.
"It's a pity I've only been open for a few days and don't have much money on hand, so I can't help you! It's a shame you have such a beautiful face; I'm quite envious of you. You're so young and so good-looking, with a great figure too. What's the point of you targeting me? No matter how outstanding I am, I'm already getting old!"
Hearing this, Bao Niangzi grew increasingly frightened. Her hand instinctively touched her face. She had been able to act so arrogantly on this entire street for years because of her stunning beauty; if it were ruined…
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became! But when she heard Qin Qing praise her like that, some of the resentment she felt towards Qin Qing dissipated... Feeling extremely anxious, she quickly pulled Qin Qing aside.
"Please, ma'am, help me! What should I do? I can't go to jail!"
Seeing this, Qin Qing sighed... her face showing a very troubled expression.
"At this point, there's only one way out: either you go to jail, or you beg your neighbors to chip in some money..."
Before she could finish speaking, Bao Niangzi frantically turned her head away. How could someone as proud as her allow herself to lose face in front of her neighbors!
"No! Absolutely not!"
Qin Qing was not annoyed and continued.
"Then there's the second option: you sell your own steamed bun shop first, then use the money you have to buy another shop. With your business acumen and skills, I believe you'll definitely make the money back in two months!"
Upon hearing this, Bao Niangzi hesitated. After all, the steamed bun shop was the only thing her deceased husband had left her, and it was in the best location on the street. What if the business didn't improve after she moved to a different location?
Seeing her hesitation, Qin Qing was not in a hurry and spoke slowly.
"If you're reluctant to sell it, then don't. It's only a difference of less than seventy taels. You can borrow from a few places and that should be enough!"
These words struck a chord with her, and Bao Niangzi quickly replied.
"Sell! I'll sell!"
Qin Qing was overjoyed to hear this, as her rice shop could now be expanded!
However, Bao Niangzi was not stupid. She still disliked Qin Qing and was not willing to sell herself to him, even if it meant selling herself to him.
As she picked up the suitcase and turned to leave, Qin Qing's expression remained unchanged...
This woman isn't stupid, but she's not smart either!
As long as she sells her steamed bun shop, I can just spend more money to buy it! After all, Bao Niangzi's shop isn't very big to begin with, and there are two walls between their two shops. If they could just knock down the walls and connect them into one shop, the space would definitely be much bigger!
Spending a little more money is nothing.
Hunger kicked in, and she realized it was already noon!
"mother…"
Upon hearing the sound and looking up, Peony happened to appear at the entrance of the rice shop!
"You're finally here! I'm starving!"
After saying that, she quickly went over to take the lunchbox and then called Wang Yan to come and eat! Peony also noticed Wang Yan's presence. After looking at the two of them in surprise, she seemed to have discovered something. After putting down the lunchbox, she smiled and left.
Soon, three different colored dishes were placed on the table, and their aromas wafted out.
Just as Wang Yan was wondering how she knew he was coming and had even prepared food for him, Qin Qing explained.
“This was originally meant for both me and Shaoyao, but now that you’re here, she has to go back to eat! She has two children at home, so she can’t stay too long.”
Wang Yan remained silent, unsure of what to say, and then turned his gaze to the food... asking in confusion.
What is this?
He picked up a potato slice with his chopsticks, his face full of unfamiliarity.
Qin Qing merely glanced at it casually, saying indifferently.
"This is a potato. Peony's technique is quite good!"
Wang Yan looked at the unfamiliar dish in his hand. Potatoes? What were those? Were they edible? Seeing Qin Qing eating with relish, he thought for a moment and then put one in his mouth!
A moment later, he looked at the glistening potato slices on the plate in surprise! He felt the potato slices emitting a very rich aroma as he chewed them, crisp and fragrant, and even more delicious with a hint of saltiness!
He had never heard of such a delicacy before! He couldn't help but look at Qin Qing with some surprise.
"Where did you get this? I've never heard of it before."
Qin Qing chuckled upon hearing this. Indeed, there wasn't much good food in ancient times. Potatoes were rarely grown, and they didn't look very appealing. Perhaps only poor families would dig them up in the mountains to eat.
"Almost no one grows this kind of potato, but it's not difficult to grow. It doesn't look very appealing either, so wealthy families definitely wouldn't eat it! Of course you've never heard of it!"
Just then, a sudden inspiration struck her! She abruptly looked up at Wang Yan, already hatching a plan in her mind!
At this time, few people knew the wonders of this thing. If she could cultivate it on a large scale, she would definitely become a potato tycoon in the future! Moreover, potatoes have a high yield and don't take long to grow. The weather in the capital is also very suitable. Although this season is not the most suitable for planting, the temperature and climate in the capital of Tianlong Kingdom are still very good!
If she could successfully cultivate it, she would definitely make a fortune! The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and she looked at Wang Yan as if he were gold!
Just as Wang Yan was about to savor the potato, he suddenly felt a burning gaze fixed on him. He instinctively looked over and met Qin Qing's excited eyes, the kind that... seemed very impatient...
His heart tightened, and his ears immediately turned red, but his expression remained serious! At the same time, he thought of the previous misunderstanding and spoke.
"Qin family! Don't do this!"
Qin Qing was taken aback when she heard this, then noticed that his ears were turning red, and immediately chuckled.
"General! I have a business idea I'd like to discuss with you. What are your thoughts?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yan quickly calmed down. He knew that this woman definitely didn't think the same thing as him!
"you say."
Qin Qing didn't care about his distraction and quickly said excitedly.
"I want to hire five hundred soldiers from the military camp!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a "crack" was heard! The chopsticks in Wang Yan's hand snapped in two! His expression turned extremely serious, and he stared at Qin Qing in disbelief!
"Qin! Do you know what you're saying? Unauthorized mobilization of soldiers and troops is a grave taboo in our dynasty! At best, you'll be exiled to the frontier and your property confiscated; at worst, your entire family will be executed, and your nine generations of relatives will be wiped out! Are you insane?!"
Qin Qing knew he had misunderstood, rolled her eyes, and quickly explained.
"What are you thinking! I'm not talking about deploying troops, I'm talking about hiring them, like borrowing them for a while! The kind where you pay them! Anyway, you're not fighting any wars lately, and the soldiers are working in the fields, right? The corn and rice have been harvested, and most of the fields are empty. Why not plant something else? It's not like I'm not paying them or doing anything bad!"
Hearing this, Wang Yan finally felt relieved... and asked with a puzzled look.
"Are you thinking of planting potatoes? But the harvest is poor this season, what if you end up losing money? I advise you to..."
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