After listening to Shen Yu's plan for cooperation between the Shen and Cui families, Wan Xueying nodded in agreement.
"I think this is a good idea. After all, the situation in both Dayan and Xijiang will be very complicated in the future. It's better to leave a way out for yourself."
"You also think it's feasible?" Wan Xueying's approval was a great surprise to Shen Yu.
"Of course it's feasible." Wan Xueying nodded. "But where should this city be built?"
"Build it in a wasteland that's not under the control of either Dayan or Xijiang." Only a city built in this way would be free from control from all sides. This was the result of a joint agreement between Shen Yu and Cui Jinhuan.
"Who will be in charge after it's built?" One of the two families must have the final say, otherwise what should they do if a disagreement arises?
Shen Yu smiled and said, "Of course, whoever has the bigger fist will be the boss." This has always been the case since ancient times.
"So what do I need to do?"
"You need to help us find water sources and make plans. There are many things we can rely on you to help us with." Shen Yu discovered that Wan Xueying was very talented in drawing maps and had a lot of ideas when renovating the house. Coupled with her special skills, she could help them far beyond his imagination.
"Okay." Wan Xueying did not refuse and agreed very readily.
She is now almost one with Shen Yu, if not the same. Since a new city is to be built, it is necessary to plan it well first.
The Cui family will face a great disaster in the future, and their early preparations are a sign of their wisdom. But if the Shen family seizes the opportunity to save them, they will undoubtedly submit.
When Wan Xueying and the others left Ningyang County, Pei Xuanqing still hadn't figured out who was behind the thieves' arrests. He also hadn't figured out why they had captured so many women. And whose children were those women holding? Mysteries after mysteries forced Pei Xuanqing to report to Lian Zong immediately.
As spring returns to the earth, the northern border, which had been shrouded in haze for a whole year, finally shows new vitality.
Farmers toiling away in the fields can be seen everywhere. What once seemed like tedious and arduous work now feels filled with hope.
The villagers who had left their homes to escape famine returned one after another, and Yushu Village became prosperous again, filled with laughter and joy everywhere.
Since collaborating with the Cui family would allow Wan Xueying to avoid many detours, she planned to officially open her warehouse in the county town in the first half of the year. This meant her guards were busy transporting goods back and forth between locations. This meant her wasteland remained uncultivated and uncultivated. Honestly, the guards weren't very good at this either; it would be better for them to stick to their traditional duties.
Wan Xueying had no choice but to let An Dayong take charge and hired some permanent and temporary workers.
She paid generously and arranged a filling lunch every day. Not only people from Yushu Village, but also people from several surrounding villages rushed to help when they learned that she was going to hire people.
In the end, it was her family's land that was reclaimed the fastest and planted the fastest, and the seeds planted were the ones she had planted early on.
Wan Xueying also set aside a large piece of land near the mountain to grow medicinal herbs. She planned to open a medicine shop by the end of the year, so she needed a large amount of medicinal herbs.
Aunt Chen and Madam Wu were also busy all the time.
Wan Xueying handed the restaurant business over to the two of them. Even though Wan Xueying hired a few servants to help them, they still had to do everything by themselves. They were afraid of losing money if they didn't do it well, so they had to ask Wan Xueying for advice from time to time.
Just then, Aunt Chen and Nanny Wu came to see her again.
"Xueying, Madam Wu and I have discussed it over and over again, but we still can't decide what the main feature of our restaurant should be. You are knowledgeable and experienced, so could you give us some suggestions?" Aunt Chen's words were true. Since Madam Wu knew too much, the two of them couldn't make up their minds.
Wan Xueying had recently been traveling extensively with her business partners, visiting restaurants quite a bit, and by comparison, she was quite knowledgeable. If her past life experiences were factored in, she definitely had more say in this area than Aunt Chen and Madam Wu.
There are several restaurants in the county. If you do the same business as them, maybe they will just make some quick money for the sake of novelty at the beginning. How the business will be in the future will depend on the dishes and services, as well as the forces behind them.
Although Aunt Wu knows a lot and the food she makes is delicious, it is difficult to satisfy everyone. She is not a professional chef, so she may not have an advantage in this regard.
As for the power behind them, the person they rely on is undoubtedly Shen Yu.
I have a good news to announce here. Not long ago, Shen Yu was promoted by the emperor to the garrison of the Ningjiang County reserve camp.
The former garrison commander Sun Jianzhang was promoted to deputy commander of the Northern Frontier Reserve Battalion and is now Pei Xuanqing's deputy.
Although Shen Yu's promotion speed was astonishing, he was only the commander of the reserve camp and had no control over the governance of Ningjiang County. The other restaurants were either sponsored by the county governor or the deputy governor, and one restaurant even had a power from the capital.
It can only be said that for the sake of Shen Yu and even Pei Xuanqing, those restaurants will not easily take action against them, but whether their business is successful or not depends on their own abilities.
Since Aunt Wu knows a lot, the most suitable place for them would be the Food City.
The prices are also affordable, making it accessible to ordinary people. Another point is that northern Xinjiang is mostly populated by exiles, with people from all over the country and a wide variety of tastes. Opening a food court like this, offering both northern and southern cuisine, can satisfy diverse tastes.
Their customer base will be different from that of other restaurants, and their competitiveness will be greatly reduced.
So she told her idea to Aunt Chen and Madam Wu. In order to give them a more intuitive understanding, she also drew a rough sample map and showed it to them.
"That's good," Nanny Wu said with a wry smile, even though she was moved. "But it's impossible for me, an old servant, to take care of so many stalls by myself!"
Wan Xueying smiled, "I've thought about this for you too." After the two looked at her curiously, she continued with a smile, "Madam, you can take in a few more apprentices."
"Take in a disciple?" Madam Wu was filled with surprise. "Can this old servant do it?"
"Why not? Madam, you're not young anymore. It would be great to have a few disciples to honor you from time to time." She had brought Aunt Chen and Madam Wu to the Northern Frontier, not intending to let them suffer with her. Since she had this opportunity, why not make good use of it?
"That's fine, but what kind of disciple should I accept? What if he becomes ungrateful and passes on what I taught him to outsiders?" Recipes from past dynasties are like martial arts secrets, which are kept in the master's closet and will not be easily passed on to others.
"So I suggest that we still buy people and choose the right one to be the nanny's apprentice from among them." It was the same principle as when she bought a lot of servants before.
Compared to hiring someone, buying someone is definitely more reassuring, and this is even more secure than in her previous life.
"Okay," Madam Wu nodded, "I will obey you, young lady."
"It would be best to buy some childless and miserable women." Firstly, it would help them, and secondly, they would be free from any burdens and could concentrate on serving the master. This was also Wan Xueying's usual principle for selecting servants.
"Okay, I think this is a good idea too." Perhaps because she felt the same way, Nanny Wu also wanted to help the poor woman who had no children like her.
"I also know some snack recipes. I'll write them down and send them to Mammy later."
"That's great." For someone who loves to cook, no gift is more delightful than a cookbook.
Wan Xueying then said to Aunt Chen, "Aunt Lian, don't worry too much. When you run the restaurant, just like you're managing our family. First, make a clear division of labor, and then check on everyone's progress according to the division of labor."
Since Wan Xueying was quite busy, the management of the mansion fell almost entirely to Concubine Chen. She had seen how Wan Xueying's mother managed the household affairs, so she picked up the skills quickly.
In addition, Wan Xueying taught her some modern management concepts, which made her more adept at managing the inner house.
After she reminded her, Aunt Chen suddenly understood and nodded heavily, "I understand."
"It's okay, take your time, you can do it." This was the first time for the two of them to do business, so they needed more encouragement, which was also Wan Xueying's usual practice.
While everyone on their side was busy, the An family encountered a difficult problem. As a last resort, An Dayong called Wan Xueying over.
"Dad, what happened? Why are you so anxious to call your daughter here?" When they arrived at the An family, Wan Xueying asked straight to the point.
An Dayong sighed heavily, "Alas! It's all because of your elder brother."
"My eldest brother?" Could it be that he fell in love with a girl and his parents didn't agree?
An Dayong's answer was, "He said he didn't want to study anymore, but we disagreed. He locked himself in his room and refused to come out. He hasn't eaten a single bite since yesterday."
"Brother, wasn't he studying hard? Why did you suddenly stop wanting to study?" Gu Ming had previously praised An Ping and An Fan for their diligence and talent. He especially praised An Fan, saying he was the incarnation of Wen Quxing, and that if he could find a good teacher, passing the imperial examinations would be a piece of cake.
"Who knows?" An Dayong was confused. "Before, he wanted to study, but we couldn't afford it. Now that things are finally better, he doesn't want to study anymore." This year, the An family's land was not cultivated by the An family members. Wan Xueying hired people to cultivate it. This was so that An Ping and An Fan could study without worries.
"Then I'll go see big brother?"
"That's why I called you back. We two rough guys don't know how to say it, and he's a grown man now. We can't just beat him up like we did when he was little."
"Okay, then I'll go see my brother now."
Wan Xueying knocked on the door for a long time before Anping opened the door and let her in.
Wan Xueying felt relieved to see that apart from his unsightly complexion and dry lips, he didn't look too depressed.
"Did Dad and Mom ask you to come?" An Ping asked first without waiting for Wan Xueying to speak.
"yes."
"Then I don't need to look for you again."
"But why?" Wan Xueying looked up at him, just for an answer.
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