Song He'er wasn't necessarily in a rush to open a restaurant, but the market wasn't doing well right now. If, as Jiang Huaifu said, things were turbulent and the court was imposing taxes, land rents would soon rise. She needed to take over the restaurant before the rents increased, and then figure out how to run it.
After taking the medicine, Jiang Huaifu did not lie down to rest. Instead, he stared at Song He'er and carefully examined her, as if trying to find something out about her.
What are you looking at?
"How has the workshop been these past few days?"
"It's all right, there's nothing for you to worry about. You should lie down and rest. I'll have your mother stew some chicken for you later."
After saying that, Song He'er turned to leave.
Jiang Huaifu was perhaps a little anxious, because before he could speak, he coughed violently twice.
"What’s wrong with you?"
"No...it's okay. Don't go anywhere else except Jiangning City for now. We'll talk about everything after I'm better."
Song He'er nodded, turned around and left the room.
Jiang Huaifu lived here, and Qin Xiaoniang took care of all his daily needs.
These past few days, Song He'er has had to travel back and forth between Jiangning and Xiaoye City, both to inquire about the shop's affairs and to frequently check the workshop's output.
Having finally found some free time, I still had to take Zhao Ru to the silk shop to have a look.
It was Zhao Ru who first suggested this shop, because at the time she was living in Xiaoyangzhuang and busy with her business there, and had no time to take care of this one. Now that Zhang Xiu'e is managing the workshop, she can also learn to run it.
From the workshop to the silk shop, Zhao Ru didn't say a word, perhaps because of excessive guilt, and rarely even raised her head.
"Madam Zhao, the matter is now resolved. You don't need to hold a grudge. Relax. I will give you some money so you can live out your old age in peace."
Zhao Ru's voice was low and deep. "Yes, I understand."
Song He'er noticed something was wrong with her voice and stopped, turning to look at her. "Madam Zhao, raise your head..."
"Do...what to do..."
"I'm telling you to lift your head."
Zhao Ru sighed and slowly raised his head, the dark circles under his eyes particularly noticeable in the sunlight.
Judging from the looks of it, it seems like it was beaten up, and quite badly at that.
"What's going on? Don't you spend all your time in the workshop? Who would dare to hurt you!"
Song He'er's words that day were merely meant to scare Zhao Ru. She would never get involved with those people from the Tiger Head Inn, much less tip them off about Zhao Ru's whereabouts...
But if she didn't do it, who in the workshop would have the guts to hit someone in charge?
“Although my third aunt has a quick temper, she would never hit someone for no reason. She did come back last night and told me a lot. You also carefully taught her things, so your injury... definitely wasn't caused by her. Now tell me the truth, what exactly happened?”
Zhao Ru hesitated, as if he had something difficult to say.
After Song He'er pressed her repeatedly, she finally told the truth...
"I've been living alone in Jiangning for so many years. A few years ago, I had a lover who lived with me, but he didn't have a job and was supported by the money I earned. A few days ago, he learned that I had been fired by you, and he turned against me. He refused to be with me anymore and even beat me up in an attempt to force me to buy him a house."
Song He'er was speechless. Were all the men in the world dead? Why would anyone want to marry a man who lives off a woman?
"So, when Young Master Jiang discovered the discrepancy in the accounts, it was probably all taken by you to subsidize that man, right?"
Zhao Ru lowered her head in shame. "Yes, I'm sorry."
Song He'er didn't want to meddle in her affairs anymore, and only wanted to finish her business as soon as possible. But now that she couldn't get rid of Zhao Ruyou, it wasn't a problem. What if he came to the workshop one day? Wouldn't that cause a huge uproar?
Thinking this, Song He'er replied, "I'll give you the money in advance. You should take care of your own affairs first. After five or six days, when there are no more problems with my third aunt, you should take your lover and leave Jiangning as soon as possible. Don't let him come to my workshop to cause trouble."
Zhao Ru nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I know, I certainly won't cause you any more trouble."
How much do you want?
"......I......"
Song He'er wasn't one to mince words. She reached out and pulled a gold bar from her waist, handing it to Zhao Ru. "Consider this my way of thanking you. You've done your best for me over the past month. From now on, we're even. Take it. Whether you use it to settle your niece or give it to your lover, it's none of my business. But one thing you need to understand: your wages are with me now. They're all settled. Don't come asking for them again. This workshop has nothing to do with you anymore."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Zhao Ru hesitantly accepted the gold bar, sobbing uncontrollably, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"Let's go, the silk shop is just ahead. You need to tell me how many employees there are, how much money is in the account, and how much stock is in the warehouse."
"yes."
With that, the two walked into the shop.
This is a medium-sized clothing store that mainly sells silk garments.
Although Zhao Ru is bad at judging people, he is really good at doing business. The location of this shop is excellent, with a theater in front and a lakeside park behind.
If a high-ranking official or nobleman, drunk, wanted to relax in the lake, he would definitely pass by here. If he was good-tempered and willing to spend money, he would definitely buy a dress or cape for the girl beside him. At the very least, he would buy her a hood.
After a while, business improved.
In addition, the girls in the entertainment district love to dress up. As long as the clothes are nice and made of good material, they don't care about the price or how much money they can afford.
"This place is nice. I wonder how much the rent is for a year?"
Zhao Ru pondered for a while before replying, "Fifty-six strings of cash for half a year, and one hundred strings of cash for a year."
"The rent isn't cheap."
"Don't say it's expensive here, young lady. Our clothes are not like those of ordinary families. Even if we sold them to nobles in the capital, they would still be acceptable. A top-quality silk coat can sell for hundreds or thousands of coins!"
Song He'er naturally knew this, but although the location was good, the area was not large. If she wanted to expand the shop, she would probably have to occupy a small bamboo grove behind it.
"I appreciate it for choosing such a suitable shop."
Zhao Ru gave an awkward smile, "It's what I should do."
After saying that, Song He'er walked directly to the counter. The shop assistants inside only recognized Zhao Ru and had never seen Song He'er before. Moreover, the shop was not officially open for business, the storefront was not attractive, there were few customers, and several embroiderers were idle in the shop.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
