"If you have something to say, please speak freely."
Gu Yaoniang had a smile on her face and was very approachable.
Mr. Li, feigning desperation, said with a heavy heart, "Master, you have many people here, so business should be good in the future. But Master! How can you not give me a reward today?"
He was very heavy-hearted.
With so many guests, even if each person only received one copper coin, it would be enough to kill him.
But this young lady before me! This manager of Jin Yu Lou! She actually took it upon herself to refuse today's reward!
Wasn't this young lady supposed to be a shrewd businesswoman? Why is she refusing the money that's been offered to her at the door?
He's so angry!
Seeing his indignant expression and distressed look, Gu Yaoniang found it quite amusing. She calmly handed him a cup of tea, saying, "Sir, you must have exerted yourself quite a bit; your lips and tongue must be a little dry. Why don't you have a sip of tea first?"
Mr. Li reached out and took the cup, downing the tea in one gulp, then smacked his lips with a hint of lingering satisfaction. He continued to look at Gu Yaoniang, his eyes filled with displeasure.
Seeing his insistence, Gu Yaoniang smiled wryly and said, "Mr. Li, you haven't paid the venue fee to Jinyulou today either."
They had an agreement. Mr. Li did not want to be hired by Jinyulou; he only wanted to tell stories there. He considered it as Jinyulou lending him their venue so that he would have a place where he could tell stories in peace.
Of course, the venue wasn't given away for free.
Mr. Li was required to give 30% of his daily tips to Jin Yulou as rent for the venue.
Mr. Li loves money and is also very eloquent.
Initially, Gu Yaoniang proposed two rental methods. One was a fixed amount, with Mr. Li paying Jin Yulou a sum of money each month as rent; the other was based on tips, with Jin Yulou and Mr. Li splitting the profits 30/70.
Before he began, Mr. Li was really unsure how much he could earn from storytelling at Jinyulou. So he chose the second option: a revenue-sharing arrangement.
At this point, he spoke with a rather self-righteous air: "I didn't pay the venue fee today because you took it upon yourself to waive the guests' tips, didn't you? We agreed on this beforehand, Madam Gu. Now that I have no income, you can't go back on your word and ask me to pay the rent!"
Tell me, if you don't want to earn this money yourself, why did you bring me along? With so many people here today, if each person gives me a copper coin, I can live comfortably for a month..."
Seeing that he seemed to be getting more and more carried away with his words, Gu Yaoniang frowned her beautiful eyebrows, almost wanting to laugh.
This person was just as I had sensed when we first met. He was just as greedy for money.
She said helplessly, "Mr. Li! This is your first time performing on stage. Nobody knew you before. This is also your first time telling stories in the lobby of a restaurant in Shuojing City."
If we hadn't invited them to listen today, and they hadn't immediately asked for tips, would there have been so many people here? Jin Yulou has spent quite a bit on tea and fruit today.”
Mr. Li knew she had a point, but he was still reluctant to part with the money. His eyes darted around, and he smiled rather obsequiously: "How about this? Let's make a deal, boss. We'll start collecting the money tomorrow, okay?"
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Gu Yaoniang glared at him: "No way!"
Seeing that Mr. Li still wanted to speak, she raised her hand and then lowered it again. If Mr. Li were someone close to her, her finger would probably have already touched his forehead by now.
Gu Yaoniang gritted her teeth and glared at Mr. Li: "Can't you think more long-term! I said three days, and that's it! You can't make big money by trying to get something for nothing! Listen to me!"
-
The streets where the Jingzhao Prefecture government office was located were usually very orderly, and the pedestrians were mostly well-behaved and polite.
At this moment, several strong men were carrying a person, parading through the streets.
The man on the stretcher kept groaning "ouch," "ouch," his voice so loud that it rang out in the otherwise cold and solemn street, reaching everyone's ears.
They finally stopped in a corner not far from the Jingzhao Prefecture government office. The man was still groaning loudly, as if he had suffered some injustice, and kept glancing in the direction of the Jingzhao Prefecture government office.
But he just watched without going forward.
A man lay groaning on a stretcher, neither at home nor going to a clinic, but shouting loudly in the street.
This scene would be extremely jarring no matter which street it takes.
Moreover, this was at the entrance of the Jingzhao Prefecture government office, a place that was usually extremely orderly and where no one dared to act recklessly.
Soon, a crowd of onlookers gathered, pointing and whispering among themselves.
Those who were bolder began to inquire what had happened.
The man lying on the stretcher began to groan while hugging his legs, and muttered to those around him, "Today I went to the entrance of Jin Yu Lou just to listen to some excitement, but the owner of Jin Yu Lou is heartless! Seeing that I was unwilling to pay to go into a private room, he refused to let me into the main hall to listen!"
Someone asked, "Was your leg injured at that time?"
"Were the people from Jin Yu Lou injured?"
Incredulous murmurs arose from the crowd.
Some people didn't believe it: "I know the owner of Jin Yu Lou; she's an extremely kind woman! How could she hurt someone?"
Some people firmly believe: "Business people are all ruthless! If you're not ruthless, you can't stand firm. Jin Yu Lou has grown to such a large size, so it must be no ordinary company!"
The man lying on the stretcher glanced at her, neither confirming nor denying. He simply continued to groan.
The people on duty at the Jingzhao Prefecture noticed the commotion and soon a small group of people came out to inquire what had happened.
Then, some enthusiastic onlookers saw the officials arrive and indignantly explained to them, "This young man said he went to Jin Yu Lou today, but the staff there wouldn't let him in and even beat him up!"
The officials knew about Jin Yu Lou, knew that private rooms at Jin Yu Lou required an extra fee, and knew that Jin Yu Lou always conducted business according to strict rules, so they didn't really believe what this person said.
The head officer looked at the man lying on the stretcher, groaning as if no one else was around, and asked suspiciously, "Is what he said true?"
When the man saw the officials arrive, he became nervous and groaned louder, but he stammered and couldn't explain himself clearly.
Someone said, "Didn't someone carry this young man over just now? He must be a companion. Why don't we ask them together?"
Only then did everyone realize that the few strong men from before had disappeared into the crowd and were nowhere to be seen.
The official suddenly felt something was amiss and said to the group behind him, "Since he has no companions and it's inconvenient for him to walk, let's take him to the government office to rest and get a doctor to take a look at him."
His words were cleverly chosen, and several of his men arrived behind him. Without further ado, they lifted the man up and headed towards the Jingzhao Prefecture government office.
The man lying on the stretcher paused in his groans, inwardly cursing the strong men who had sneaked away earlier as scoundrels.
The onlookers, unaware of the truth, praised the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture for their compassion for the people.
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