Chapter 50 Chapter 50 He Wanrong is grateful...
He Wanrong shook Jiang Wan's hand gratefully. "Thank you, Wanwan. Speaking of shops, where do you plan to open your Dunhuang Mansion shop?"
The best location is naturally Xishi, which has the largest night market in the county and attracts a large number of customers.
Even though celadon was not yet popular in this era, there were four or five shops specializing in celadon in Xishi. The competition was more intense than in Xiaofangpancheng, but the profits were also huge.
Jiang Wan promised the wife of the county magistrate that if he could reach a daily income of 300 taels within a month, he would open a shop in the West Market.
She has the confidence to stand out among her competitors.
"I've already decided on a shop in the West Market. But I'm not familiar with Dunhuang Prefecture's topography, so I haven't decided on a location for the factory yet. Where do you think we could build a factory?"
After dinner, it was already completely dark. Lights began to flicker, illuminating the West Market as bright as day. The rain continued to drizzle, but it didn't dampen their spirits.
"According to Dunhuang Prefecture's plan, factories are concentrated in the open space in the western suburbs and along the river in the northern suburbs. The western suburbs have larger plots of land, so most factories are built there. The northern suburbs are closer to the city, so land prices are relatively high. Most factories there require water, like printing and dyeing plants," He Wanrong said. "The western suburbs would be the best choice, but there are so many factories there, and they're almost full. I'm not sure if I can snag a spot."
"Let's go and see if we can get it." Jiang Wan called a carriage and took He Wanrong to the western suburbs.
The planning of the western suburbs factory area was much more detailed than that of Xiaofangpancheng. The government designated the locations of each factory and built shared facilities such as worker dormitories, freight stations, and lunch stalls.
Jiang Wan walked towards the duty room, where the clerk on night duty was drowsy on the table.
"Sir, please tell me if there is any vacant land in the western suburbs. I am a merchant here to select a site for building a factory. Here is my factory construction permit." Jiang Wan handed over the permit document he had just received with both hands.
The clerk raised his head dazedly, took the document, looked at it, and yawned, "You came at the right time. There is only one vacant space left."
He returned the document to Jiang Wan and pointed out the window: "Lot 41, go take a look. If you like it, pay the deposit."
"Thank you, sir."
Site 41 is far from the entrance to the western suburbs and the freight station, which is probably why it was chosen. But if this site is not chosen, you will have to go to the northern suburbs, where the infrastructure is far worse.
He Wanrong took in the surroundings and said, "Although it's a bit far, at least it has all the necessary facilities and is close to the workers' dormitory. I think it's not bad."
Jiang Wan nodded: "I think so too. Then pay the deposit."
The two returned to the duty room, only to find a man in a cloak standing in front of the window.
As Jiang Wan approached, he heard the man flatteringly address the clerk on duty, "Sir, my shop is very profitable, and I'm planning to rent this vacant land long-term. What does that little girl have? She doesn't even have a shop. How long can she afford the rent?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the man turned and saw Jiang Wan standing beside him. He immediately turned his head away, his eyes evasive. Then he gritted his teeth, pretending not to see her, and continued to the clerk, "Look at what this little girl is wearing. Her clothes are all from last year. How can she build a factory? We can't let her ruin this remaining piece of vacant land."
The clerk looked much more awake than before, his eyes no longer squinting. He looked at Jiang Wan intently and snorted.
Jiang Wan said in a normal tone, "Sir, I've seen the vacant lot at 41 and I'm very satisfied. I'm here to pay the deposit and reserve it for a year."
Then she emphasized her tone, hinting, "Site selection is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Your job is a lucrative one. If you break the rules and lose your job, you'll lose more than you gain."
The duty officer in the western suburbs area had an easy job. Besides receiving a salary from the government, he also received gifts from merchants. Competition was fierce, and any violation of the rules was bound to lead to complaints and reports from those who were jealous.
After Jiang Wan's reminder, the clerk regained his composure and nodded, "Let me see... the annual rent is fifteen taels of silver, and the deposit is fifty taels. It will be returned after the factory is built."
"Wait!" the man in the cloak said anxiously, "Sir, I can rent it for ten years, and I can pay one hundred and fifty taels of silver in one lump sum. Also, my brother-in-law is the chief clerk in the county government. His surname is Lin. I can introduce him to you when I have time."
After hearing what the man in the cloak said, the clerk hesitated again: "Can you really pay ten years' rent in one lump sum? Which shop do you own, and how much is your income?"
The man in the cloak raised his head, his nose in the air. "My shop is in the second block of the West Market. It's a large shop with four rooms. My daily income is 500 taels. I can't compare with some little girls who can't even afford clothes."
"Besides, with my brother-in-law here, I guarantee that you will be able to sit in the duty room securely and it will not be occupied by anyone else."
The clerk excitedly slammed the table and said, "Great! This remaining vacant space is yours! Register it in this booklet and pay the money."
Jiang Wan sneered. It wasn't loud, but it was filled with sarcasm. The two excited men were stunned, their faces flushing.
The air was strangely quiet for a moment, and the man in the cloak said angrily: "What are you laughing at? Get out of here, poor bastard, before you mess up my important business."
The clerk didn't say anything, but his action of chasing the man away showed his approval of the man in the cloak.
Jiang Wan took out the permission document and said, "Sir, before you send me away, please take a look at this document."
The clerk glared at her and grabbed the document: "Okay, I'll see what tricks you have up your sleeve."
However, as he watched, the clerk's lips began to tremble and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Jiang Wan sneered: "Sir, your eyesight is not very good."
The clerk carefully closed the document, opened the door, walked to Jiang Wan, handed the document with both hands, and bowed, saying:
"I was blind and didn't recognize a great man. I deserve death. I hope you will forgive my sin. I am willing to use my salary to pay the rent of fifteen taels of silver as an apology."
The man in the cloak stared at this bizarre scene with his eyes wide open. It took him a while to find his voice and hurriedly tried to stop him:
"Sir, what are you doing? A little girl is not worthy of your..."
"Shut up!" the clerk interrupted him, angrily saying, "Are you trying to kill me? This girl's document was signed by the prefect himself. It's a special permit! Did you know that she's only the third person to receive a special permit in the past ten years?"
The man in the cloak was stunned: "How is it possible... How could a poor girl who doesn't even own a shop have..."
Before he could finish, the clerk punched him in the face. Blood immediately oozed out from the left side of his cheek and he screamed in pain.
The man in the cloak covered his face and stared at Jiang Wan hatefully, but he didn't dare to take action.
Anyone who could obtain the governor's special permission must be either very powerful or have strong connections. Either way, he couldn't afford to offend them.
"Get out of here!" the clerk shouted. Seeing that the man in the cloak was lingering and refusing to leave, he directly called the guarding soldiers to drag the man out.
After a burst of wailing, shouting, and chaotic footsteps, the western suburbs finally quieted down. The clerk bowed and scraped as Jiang Wan registered and personally called a carriage to take her back to Xiaofangpan City.
After leaving the duty room, He Wanrong quietly asked, "Do you have enough money? I just spent four hundred taels to redeem myself and paid a deposit. Building a factory also requires money. If it's not enough, I'll go and ask my wife."
Jiang Wan patted her hand soothingly. "Don't worry, I'll make some money selling porcelain in a few days. The county magistrate's wife has already helped us a lot, so don't bother her anymore."
He Wanrong still refused to give up: "Then I will get the hairpin back for you."
Jiang Wan was stunned and asked, "Did you see it?"
When she thought of that gorgeous gold hairpin, she remembered her grandmother holding her hands tightly on her deathbed, and she remembered that she pawned the only relic left to her by her grandmother in order to save her mother.
She believed that with her abilities, she would one day be able to become the hairpin again and would not let down her grandmother or the original owner.
More than two months after she traveled through time, her business was booming, but she never had the chance to be the boss again.
Even now - Jiang Wan touched his empty pockets after paying the fifty-two taels deposit, calculating the rent of the new store, the factory expenses, the wages of the employees... a sense of guilt arose spontaneously.
"Well, Xu's Pawnshop? I talked to the owner and found out you used to work there," He Wanrong said. "I understand how much that hairpin means to you. Let me help you get it back."
Jiang Wan shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to be a slave, but He Wanrong had no property of her own as a convict. She could only ask the county magistrate's wife for help in getting her back.
But she didn't want He Wanrong to owe her any more favors for her, especially since the county magistrate's wife was the first key point in He Wanrong's journey to overturn the case.
As Jiang Wan walked out of the western suburbs, he heard the system prompt:
"Congratulations to the host for expanding the shop to Dunhuang Prefecture and completing the mission [Business is booming], earning thirty points."
After confirming that the remaining points were 262, Jiang Wan suddenly remembered something.
She asked He Wanrong behind her, "By the way, Rongrong, I have a little apprentice named Chen Xi. I think she's quite talented in weaving, so I found a weaving tutorial for her. But I only know how to make porcelain, not weaving. Your embroidery skills have always been good. Could you please be her master and give her some guidance?"
He Wanrong covered her mouth and smiled. "Now that you've spoken, of course there's no problem. But I haven't seen that girl before, so I need to see how good her skills are first. And you know, I can't leave my wife's side."
"That's easy. After I ask Xixi's opinion, I'll send her to Dunhuang Mansion. She'll just be there to help my brother run the store." Jiang Wan stuck out his tongue playfully. "Teacher He, Mr. He, how much tuition should I give you?"
"You little bitch, you just like teasing me." He Wanrong pretended to twist Jiang Wan's arm, but the latter shook and dodged. For a while, there was a mess, and he seemed to have returned to his childhood days in Lin'an.
At that time, the He family enjoyed the trust of the emperor, and the Duke and his wife lived in harmony. They grew up carefree under the protection of the Duke's Mansion and played around every day.
Later, fate made them go their separate ways. After not seeing each other for several months, both of them had changed a lot.
Of course, Jiang Wan hadn't changed, but rather, her soul had been replaced. However, it was normal for a girl to experience a sudden change in her personality. Even her mother and brother hadn't suspected anything, and He Wanrong, who hadn't seen her for a long time, certainly wouldn't have noticed.
The sound of rain was dripping. Jiang Wan got on the carriage and looked back. He felt a myriad of emotions from the exchange of glances.
"After we say goodbye today, I don't know where we will be when we meet again." He Wanrong said.
Jiang Wan was stunned, a chill running through her heart like a thin stream of water, adding a touch of melancholy to the night rain in the Western Regions. She had always been a practical person, and even though she felt bitter, she couldn't express it. She simply promised word by word, "Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you achieve what you want."
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