Meng Zhao nodded and gestured for Huang Cui to stop the carriage. After Su Meng got out, Huang Cui and Yin Chun leaned out of the carriage window, one of them pressing their eyes against the outside, afraid of missing any details.
Yin Chun lowered her voice, "Hey, do you know this person?"
Huang Cui squinted, looked him over carefully, and hesitated before saying, "Um, it seems to be the person who bought 100 cow bone toothbrushes last time."
"Really? This looks like the same Mr. Zhang who bought up all the remaining honey soap last time."
Meng Zhao hadn't originally intended to interfere, but after hearing what the two women said, she couldn't help but gently lift the carriage curtain and look outside. She saw the man was agitated and saying something to Su Meng, but Su Meng only said a few words calmly, and the man's emotions gradually calmed down.
Not long after, Su Meng turned around and went back to the car. The man did not chase after her, but just stood there. Meng Zhao gestured for Huang Cui to continue driving, but he was a little hesitant.
Since the beginning of the year, Treasure Pavilion has implemented a performance-based system. Whoever sells the items gets the sales revenue, and commissions are settled at the end of the month based on sales volume. Those with the highest performance will also receive bonuses.
Su Meng had only been there for a few months when her sales performance soared to the top. When Meng Zhao checked the accounts, he asked her a few questions. He Jianxia hesitated and said that unlike the other people in the shop, most of the customers who bought things from Su Meng were men.
However, they also mentioned that Su Meng had been living in the backyard of the shop, and they hadn't noticed anything unusual about her. They all assumed it was because Su Meng was pretty, so they didn't report it.
Meng Zhao immediately understood. Although the items in the Treasure Pavilion could be used by both men and women, they were currently used more by women. Su Meng must be different from others to be able to attract a group of male customers in such a short time.
So Meng Zhao brought her along this time, not only because of her strong sales skills, but also to let her lay low for a while. After all, with her sales methods, she was bound to run into trouble sooner or later. Unexpectedly, someone even chased her to the city gate.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was somewhat tense. Even Huang Cui couldn't help but turn around frequently. Su Meng sighed and broke the silence: "That's Young Master Zhang from the east of the city. He heard that I was going to the capital and specially came to ask me if I would be willing to marry him."
Meng Zhao frowned. "Then what do you say?"
"Of course I refused! That shameless bastard has a wife and three concubines in his household, and he still has the nerve to say he'll treat me well? It's ridiculous."
Meng Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. "Since you already knew, why did you get out of the carriage and waste your breath talking to him? Just let the carriage go."
Su Meng shook her head, her tone tinged with helplessness: "He bought a lot of things from the Treasure Pavilion. I was afraid of offending him, so I left, only to have him cause trouble for the other girls in the shop."
Meng Zhao was somewhat dismissive: "What's the big deal? There are people watching over the shop. If he dares to cause trouble, someone will kick him out."
Su Meng smiled and softened her tone: "Shopkeeper, I know you mean well, but no matter how bad he is, he has bought a lot of things from me and is a big customer. If I go back to Treasure Pavilion in the future, we will still have to meet. There is no need to fall out."
Meng Zhao sighed and said nothing more. After all, Su Meng's good performance was actually a good thing for her. As for the rest, she could only talk about it later.
Meng Zhao deliberately waited until August to come out because the summer heat would have made the journey unbearable. Now that it was just the beginning of autumn, there was a slight coolness in the air, and the scenery outside the carriage was not completely withered. Apart from the occasional light rain in the morning, it was extremely comfortable.
They traveled during the day and stayed overnight, always booking the best rooms to ensure a comfortable sleep. Finally, on August 17th, the majestic city gates of the capital came into view.
Compared to the last imperial examination, there weren't as many people queuing at the city gate today. Meng Zhao and her party were well prepared. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, they had already opened the boxes and waited for inspection. The guards saw that they were all women and were so cooperative, so they didn't make things difficult for them. After a brief inquiry, they waved them through.
In order to reach the capital as soon as possible, the group set off before dawn. Huang Cui and Yin Chun skipped lunch in order to wait for a good meal in the capital and only drank some water on the way. Therefore, when they first entered the city, they all looked a little tired.
Yin Chun asked, "Manager, shall we find an inn to rest first, or go to the brokerage firm to find someone to watch the courtyard?"
"Let's find an inn first. It's probably not something we can find in a day or two. Let's find a place to rest first. These horses have come so far with us, they deserve a good rest."
Although they had been here before, the group was still not very familiar with the capital. Instead of finding an inn, they found a restaurant first. They handed the carriage over to the restaurant's waiter and went inside with their personal luggage.
The first floor was full, and they were ushered to a window seat on the second floor by a courteous waiter. Meng Zhao sat down first and took the menu handed to her by the waiter to look at it.
After ordering a sour fish soup and braised pork rolls, Meng Zhao handed the menu to Su Meng and asked them to see if there was anything they wanted to eat. The three of them also ordered a few side dishes. While waiting for the food, Meng Zhao was not idle. He beckoned to the waiter and asked with a smile.
"Brother Er, we've just arrived in the capital and would like to ask you about something."
The waiter seemed quite quick-witted, not at all annoyed. Instead, he said warmly, "Madam, please feel free to ask. I've lived in the capital for so many years. I dare not say about other things, but I do know a bit about what's going on in the streets."
"We'd like to find a place to stay in the capital. Which brokerage firm here is fair? Also, which neighborhood in the capital has better security? We're new here and afraid of being ripped off."
After a moment's thought, the waiter replied, "You've come to the right person. There are many people coming and going in the capital, and brokerage firms are everywhere, but if you want to talk about fair dealings, you have to choose 'Anshun Brokerage Firm'. Their manager's surname is Li. He is honest and never cheats newcomers. Their prices are also reasonable. As for the courtyard..."
After saying that, he glanced at Meng Zhao and the others and continued, "If you have little money, go to Qingliu Lane in the west of the city. If you have a lot of money, go to Qingshui Lane in the east of the city. Many people from other places come to the capital to serve as officials, but their official rank is low and they don't live in the inner city. They rent a small courtyard there. Over time, the yamen runners patrolling there at night will patrol more often. Ordinary hooligans and thugs won't cause trouble there. It's a good place for girls to live."
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