Meng Zhao unloaded all her belongings from the carriage into the courtyard, and then had the coachman take Shen Yun and the others home one by one. They had followed her out to make their way in the world for so long, and they must be just as eager to return home as she was.
Then there's Su Meng. Meng Zhao originally wanted to arrange for her to stay at the Treasure Pavilion, but she really didn't want to go out right now, so he let her stay at home for the time being and would make arrangements later when he had some free time.
"It's so much more comfortable at home. Even the bed is softer than outside." Meng Zhao lay on the bed, stretched, and squinted her eyes slightly, enjoying this moment of tranquility.
While checking if anything was missing in the house, Xu Yunrong kept nagging, "You were coming back and didn't even give me a heads-up. Luckily, it's usually nice to air out the blankets in the sun, so I remembered to air them out for you too. Otherwise, when you come back, you won't even have a soft blanket to cover yourself with."
She hadn't been home for so long, yet her mother remembered to air out her blankets every time, probably thinking about when she would come back each time she aired out the blankets.
A warm feeling washed over Meng Zhao, and she said with a hint of coquetry, "I just wanted to give you a surprise. Besides, I don't know what the weather will be like on the way, so I can't be sure when I'll get home."
"Didn't I send you some pigeons? I sent ten in total, and only six came back. Aren't there four left?" Xu Yunrong stopped what she was doing, turned around, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I left three more in Quyang, just in case something happens at the shop, so it will be easy to send a message.” She paused, then added, “It seems that the person Xiao Youzhi sent over is quite skilled at training pigeons. I released a total of seven pigeons, and six of them flew back.”
“It’s not just that he’s good at it. When the Xiao family first sent him over, I asked him how much he was paid before. Guess how much he said.”
Meng Zhao shook his head, indicating that he did not know.
Xu Yunrong held up two interlaced fingers and raised her voice, saying, "Ten taels of silver a month! Moreover, the Xiao family not only pays him wages, but his family also lives in the Xiao family's courtyard, with food and lodging provided. The monthly expenses are not small."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao was also a little taken aback. The cost was indeed not low, but considering that the information transmitted by carrier pigeons often involved confidentiality, she understood that such an expense was worthwhile. Why would they keep your secret if you don't pay enough money?
Moreover, sending a message manually involves sending someone on a special trip, which incurs considerable expenses along the way. Sending a message through a security escort agency or merchant also requires a significant amount of money for bribery and other favors. All things considered, the money spent is not a bad deal.
"What about his family? Have they been brought over?" Meng Zhao couldn't help but ask.
Xu Yunrong nodded, "Of course we brought them over too. They're settled in the courtyard next to ours. Since he works for us, there's no reason for him to leave his family in the hands of outsiders."
Meng Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Youzhi probably had the intention of keeping the hostage in his hands because he had let his family stay at the Xiao family's house. Now that his family had been brought over, the hostage could work for them with peace of mind.
"It's fine as long as we live nearby. I'll prepare more New Year's gifts and send them to his family during the Spring Festival. We'll keep this person around for future use."
Carrier pigeons can only return to their nests and cannot travel back and forth. Meng Zhao can use carrier pigeons to send messages to his parents, but letters from Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong to Meng Zhao still need to be carried by hand. He needs to train a batch of pigeons in Quyang so that messages can be transmitted in both directions.
While helping Meng Zhao unpack the things he brought back, Xu Yunrong also talked about the recent situation.
She mentioned that the braised pork shop has added many new franchisees this year, especially Manager Zhou. After making a name for himself in Qinyang, he got a taste of success and started to have other plans. He took over the franchise rights of two surrounding counties. At this point, he alone had opened four shops.
As more and more stores were opened, Mengji's popularity also increased, and the number of people seeking franchisees increased significantly. As a result, Xu Yunrong became more stringent in her screening of those who came to seek cooperation.
At the same time, the more franchisees there are, the greater the supply pressure on the braised food workshop. In addition, there is also the cooperation with Chunfenglou. In one year, Chunfenglou's orders have almost doubled, so Xu Yunrong had to expand the recruitment of the braised food workshop.
Song Yuniang worked in a starch workshop. When the Shenjia Village School opened, she thought of sending her eldest daughter to school as well. At that time, her parents-in-law, uncle, and sister-in-law all said that she was selfish and self-serving. They said that she would not let her daughter stay at home to do housework and cook, but insisted on sending her to some lousy school. She could not even take the imperial examination. It was a waste of time.
The villagers also gossiped and laughed at Song Yuniang for her wild idea. They said that Da Niu was already so old, and in two more years she would be old enough to be married. They would send her to school, and after she finished her studies, she would get married. She would get nothing and all her efforts would be in vain.
Song Yuniang remained unmoved and sent Da Niu in despite everyone's objections. Now that the braised food workshop was gradually expanding, Xu Yunrong was having trouble managing it all and urgently needed a helper who could write and calculate. She was a little uneasy about hiring someone from outside, so she went to the school to take a look.
As it happened, Da Niu was the oldest and excelled in her studies, so Xu Yunrong took a liking to her and brought her along. She was responsible for collecting the needs of each franchisee and arranging supplies for them. Her monthly wages were even higher than Song Yuniang's.
Xu Yunrong seemed quite satisfied with Da Niu, and said with a smile, "That child seems like a reliable person. After coming to me, she said she didn't like her own name, so she chose one herself, Qionghua."
Meng Zhao nodded. "It's a beautiful name, as precious as jade."
Ever since Qionghua started dating Xu Yunrong, the aunties and grandmothers in the village have been trying to marry her off to their own nephews and nieces. They've all come to her door to make matchmakers, but Qionghua says, "My mother only has one daughter, and I won't leave her. If you want to arrange a marriage for me, see if your own nephews and nieces are willing to be live-in sons-in-law before you start talking."
Upon hearing this, the number of people coming to visit immediately decreased by more than half. As for the remaining people, Qionghua did not refuse them. She would keep an eye on them and if a suitable one came along, there would be no problem with hiring a son-in-law to live with her.
At this point, Xu Yunrong's eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint as she looked at Meng Zhao. Meng Zhao instantly understood, pulled the blanket over her head, and muttered, "Oh dear, Mom!"
Xu Yunrong knew that pressuring someone to get married shouldn't be forced, so she stopped there and didn't say anything more. The two talked on and off for a while longer. When Meng Dashan brought the food into the house, Meng Zhao had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. Xu Yunrong told him to be quiet. "After such a long journey, our daughter must be exhausted. Let her get some sleep first. Put the food in the pot to keep it warm, and she can eat whenever she wakes up."
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