Meng Zhao, in particular, had lived with Shen Qinghe for nearly two years and knew that his current achievements could not be easily summarized by the phrase "gifted talent". She had witnessed his hard work through spring and autumn, regardless of the cold or heat, and his days of studying late into the night and writing tirelessly. Fortunately, his efforts were not in vain. Although things were not always smooth sailing, he had at least taken the most important step.
After his initial excitement, Meng Zhao asked, "What about the silver?"
Yin Chun patted the two boxes on the carriage. "They're all in here, shopkeeper. I'll carry them up for you." The boxes weren't all gold; there was also a lot of silver in them, and they were too heavy to lift without some strength.
Meng Zhao shook his head, a decisive glint in his eyes: "No need to move it, let's go directly to the county government to sign the deed."
If you've found a shop you like, you should act quickly. Otherwise, it will be too late to regret it.
Inside the carriage, Huang Cui stared intently at the silver in the box, exclaiming in amazement, "My God! This is the first time I've ever seen so much silver! No wonder so many people risk their entire fortunes to gamble; if they win a few times, they can multiply their money so many times over!"
Yin Chun curled her lip, somewhat disdainfully, "Tch, it's not that easy!" Then she began to recount her experiences in the capital.
The day she arrived in the capital happened to be the day the results of the imperial examination were announced, and the whole capital was bustling with activity. As Meng Zhao had instructed, she changed her clothes and used the refurbished gift box to dress up a little. Although her height could not be hidden, it was still quite different from her usual appearance.
She waited for news in the casino with the other bettors until a servant ran over to announce, "The results are out! The results are out! The person who topped the list this year is named Shen Qinghe! He's from Qingshi County, Pingyang Prefecture!"
Yin Chun immediately exclaimed in surprise, but then suddenly remembered that she should keep a low profile, so she quickly covered her mouth. Fortunately, ever since the messenger said his name, there had been a chorus of groans in the casino, so no one noticed her.
She grinned and said, "You didn't see it. Ever since they found out that the champion was Shen Erlang, the casino was filled with wailing and cursing. Everywhere people were asking, 'Who is Shen Qinghe?' 'Where did Shen Qinghe come from?' Some people even fainted when they heard the news. I also saw someone smashing things in the casino. I heard from the people next to me that the person gambled away half of his family's wealth and lost it all at once."
Huang Cui was stunned and couldn't help but sigh, "That's true. We usually hear about people who lose everything because of gambling, but we've never really seen many who actually make a fortune through gambling. Our manager is really lucky!"
Meng Zhao said, "It's not entirely my luck. I also believe that Shen Qinghe's knowledge will not be buried."
Huang Cui's eyes lit up, and she suddenly thought of something: "Hey, Shen Erlang has already passed the provincial examination with top honors! Could he also become the top scholar? If we bet on Shen Erlang to become the top scholar now, wouldn't we be able to make a fortune?"
Yin Chun rolled her eyes. "Do you think I didn't think about it? I already asked, but ever since Shen Erlang passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar, he has become famous in the capital. Now, in the betting game to guess the top scholar, Shen Erlang's odds are only 1 to 5. Even if we bet all our money, we won't make much. Besides, if Shen Erlang doesn't pass, we'll lose everything and not have a penny left."
Meng Zhao nodded. "Yes, betting now, even if you win, can't be like the imperial examination betting, where you can win so many times over. On the contrary, if you lose, you have to lose everything. The risk is too great, and it's really not appropriate."
Such a windfall can't happen every day. Besides, those who can run casinos all have a foothold in the capital. It's okay if they earn a little, but if they earn a lot, they will inevitably attract attention. Even if they win and make a little money, they will make a few enemies. It's really not worth it. It's more reassuring to run a braised pork shop.
Under the broker's arrangement, Meng Zhao transferred ownership of the two shops he had previously selected, which cost him a thousand taels of silver.
Afterwards, she bought two plots of land and a courtyard outside the city. The price was cheaper, costing less than a hundred taels of silver.
Of the remaining silver, Meng Zhao kept two hundred taels as working capital and deposited the rest in a local money exchange, exchanging it for deposit slips for safekeeping.
Once the shops were ready, Meng Zhao wrote two recruitment notices and had Shen Yun and Huang Cui post them at the entrances of the two shops respectively.
Huang Cui was a little puzzled. "Manager, there are already thirty or forty girls in the courtyard. Even if we open a few more shops, that would be enough. Why do we need to recruit new girls?"
Meng Zhao patiently explained, "Right now, everyone is supporting each other and working together because of external risks. But when things get better in the future and the risks are gone, conflicts will inevitably arise for other reasons. Rather than having unpleasantness later, it's better to separate them from the beginning. This will actually make them more united."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, we business people deal with different people every day. It's not good for them to have less contact with outsiders now. We should bring in some new people and let them interact with outsiders more during their training period so that they won't be too nervous when the business opens in the future."
The two obediently followed instructions, posted the notice in front of the shop, and once enough people had been recruited, they gathered them together and had Shen Yun train them all.
Although Shen Yun is not very old, she has been by Meng Zhao's side since she was a child and later visited many franchise stores. She knows Meng Zhao's standards best, so Meng Zhao is at ease teaching her this.
The girls gradually moved out of the courtyard they used to live in, which was rented by the government. Those who were bold, articulate, good at cooking, and willing to work in the shops were assigned to two shops in the city.
Introverted and not good at speaking, her family used to be farmers, so they were assigned to a courtyard outside the city, which included Li Niang and two other women with injuries.
When they first came down the mountain, they were all injured. The government hired doctors for them, and their superficial wounds gradually healed. However, those that had broken their bones were not so easy to heal.
Among them was Li Niang, whose ankle injury had been long-standing and had not been treated. Now she couldn't even stand up, so Meng Zhao helped her find a doctor specializing in orthopedics.
The doctor said that if Liniang's ankle was treated properly, although it could not be fully restored, she would be able to stand and walk normally without much problem. However, it would require spending more money. When Liniang heard that it would cost money, she immediately lost hope. After hearing about this, Meng Zhao asked Huang Cui to inquire about Liniang's family background.
Li Niang was kidnapped to the mountain stronghold along with her father and brothers. Her father and brothers were killed before they even reached the stronghold because they resisted, and she herself had her ankle broken. She originally had a mother at home, but after this tragedy, she was severely injured and passed away in less than a year.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao sighed. It was truly a pity. If they could have held on for another six months, when Liniang returned, the mother and daughter would have had someone to rely on.
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