Song He'er was already being extremely careful, but she still managed to get noticed.
"Madam, do you have any tea here?"
"Yes, yes, please come in and have a seat, young lady." The proprietress gestured for her to enter.
Song He'er followed her to a quiet private room, where tea was served and she sipped it slowly.
The proprietress was very warm and talkative, and naturally, she wanted to maintain good relationships with the neighbors.
"My surname is Fang, and my husband's surname is Guo. You can call me Madam Fang. If you need anything in the future, just let me know, and I will definitely help if I can!"
Song He'er didn't like people who were overly attentive for no reason, so she found Song He'er's enthusiasm rather strange.
"You're too kind, madam. We're in business, so we should be friendly and polite. But my restaurant shouldn't affect your business, so you don't need to worry."
"What you're saying isn't because I'm nervous. I just see that you're young and it must be tough for you to do business in Nanzhao, so I thought I'd help you out. I also have a daughter who's about your age and is already married. I miss her a lot when I'm bored, and seeing you makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside."
Song He'er finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the business world, there is no distinction between good and bad people, only the struggle for interests and the survival of the fittest. The victor is always portrayed as an utterly wicked person.
"The proprietress misses her daughter dearly; I imagine your daughter must be very outstanding as well."
The proprietress smiled gently and poured Song He'er another cup of tea.
“There are many wealthy people in Jiangning. What they care about is not the taste or the skill of the cooking, but their own face. You must remember that you must give face to anyone who comes here, be polite and respectful, and raise their status. As long as they feel comfortable here, they will be willing to pay even if they are eating chaff and wild vegetables!”
These were heartfelt words. It was the first time Song He'er had met her, and she had said such things, which truly inspired respect.
"Doesn't Madam Fang think it's a bit presumptuous of her to be talking to me about these things with someone she barely knows?"
Upon hearing this, the proprietress burst into laughter, grabbed Song He'er's hand, and placed it in her own. "You don't need to do this. Everyone knows I'm an honest person! You'll understand me in time! But there's one thing: you can't take over this shop! I'm counting on this place to support my family!"
Song He'er certainly didn't have that intention; she wouldn't take over someone else's business for no reason.
"Don't worry, Madam Fang. We'll each do our own business. If we have any business dealings in the future, that would be great. If not, we'll still be polite to each other!"
The proprietress narrowed her eyes to slits. "That's wonderful! Would you like some more pastries, young lady?"
"No, I need to have some water before I get back to work!"
"That works."
Song He'er finished her tea, turned around and left.
When they returned to the teahouse, Jiang Huaifu had already woken up and was coming downstairs.
Seeing that his complexion was really bad, Song He'er asked, "What's wrong with you? Why don't you go buy some medicine and brew it up?"
Jiang Huaifu was already tall, and with the lack of rest these past few days, he looked pale and thin.
"No need, I'm going to see Grandma. You can handle things here yourself."
As Jiang Huaifu was about to leave, Song He'er, not wanting to be outdone, stepped forward and stopped him. Ignoring his obstruction, she rolled up her sleeve and took his pulse. "You're not doing well. Your pulse is too weak. It's a good thing you're a man. If you were a woman, you would have fainted long ago. You need to take medicine and go back to rest. I'll ask A'lu to get you some Chinese medicine."
Jiang Huaifu frowned slightly. "Since you know medicine, why don't you open a pharmacy in Jiangning instead of a restaurant?"
Song He'er curled her lips into a defiant smile, "I'm going to show that the arrogant Ruan Sanniang that I'm definitely better than her!"
Jiang Huaifu shook his head speechlessly.
However, upon closer examination, Song He'er already owns quite a few businesses. She has a noodle shop in Xiaoye City, a workshop in Jiangning, a silk shop, and now a restaurant is about to be built. If all of them operate normally, the annual income will definitely be substantial.
Even if he doesn't become the richest man, he can still be one of the top figures in Jiangning City.
“We’re short-handed here for the time being. I’m thinking of having my third uncle sell the shop in Xiaoye City and have him come over and keep an eye on it.”
"What do you want her to do? Silk shops are a business that women are good at. It's really not proper for a grown man to spend all day making clothes for women."
"I didn't say he should keep an eye on the silk shop! Fourth Aunt is idle at home. She's unmarried, has a good figure, and is beautiful. The silk shop will be under her management from now on!"
Jiang Huaifu had no objection to Song He'er's arrangements, but he currently had no other businesses besides the silkworm breeding workshop.
Could it be that he, a prince of Xizhou, is going to be outdone by a mere woman?
With that thought in mind, he had an idea.
“I’ll fund the opening of the largest herbal medicine shop for you in Jiangning, and find a few resident doctors. Hasn’t your third uncle always wanted to get into the herbal medicine business? Let him keep an eye on it.”
Upon hearing this, Song He'er thought it was a good idea. She already had too many businesses and no energy to expand further. It would be great to get Jiang Huaifu's sponsorship.
"That's great! I'll tell my third uncle when I get home tonight that he should be back today!"
"Um."
Jiang Huaifu was very obedient and did not go out to run errands. After A Lu brought back the medicine, he drank it as instructed and then went to the second floor to rest.
After a busy day, the restaurant is gradually taking shape. Although construction has not yet started, the general arrangements have been made.
When they returned to Lotus Garden, Song Xiaoyu had indeed returned from Xiaoye City and was talking to Zhang Xiue.
"Are you telling the truth? But Xiaoye City is on the border, with so many merchants coming and going. If we don't allow them to do business, it won't be good for the imperial court either. Who will come to Nanzhao in the future?"
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