"Sister, your business is so booming, you must work very hard every day, right?"
The woman laughed heartily, "That's right. I'm busy from morning till night every day, especially around mealtimes. I'm so busy that my feet barely touch the ground. It's only after mealtimes when there are fewer people that I can sit down and rest for a while."
Seeing that she always had a smile on her face despite saying she was tired, Meng Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "It's really rare for you to be able to maintain such good energy and spirit despite working so hard."
"Hey, that's just how it is in our line of work! You think about it, if a customer walks in and sees us all looking so gloomy, wouldn't they just turn around and leave?" He couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.
You can get a glimpse into the business philosophy of a shop just by looking at the employees. When there were few people around, Meng Zhao noticed that the employees in the shop would chat and laugh from time to time, looking relaxed and natural. He knew that this was definitely not a place that exploited its employees.
As they were talking, a young woman of about sixteen or seventeen years old came in from outside. Although her face was young, she had a calm demeanor that was not commensurate with her age. She went straight to the counter, seemingly checking something. After confirming that everything was in order, she turned around and headed to the backyard.
Just then, the girl inadvertently looked up and met Meng Zhao's smiling eyes. She was startled at first, then her eyes widened in surprise.
"Sister Meng, Sister Meng Zhao?"
Meng Zhao nodded with a smile: "Yes, Xiao Yun, I came to see you."
The girl, who had been so composed just moments before, immediately ran over cheerfully and grabbed her arm. "Sister Meng Zhao! I haven't seen you for almost a year! I've missed you so much!"
Meng Zhao carefully examined the face that had lost its childishness. "When you were with me before, I always thought you were still a child. But it's only been a short time since we parted, and our Xiao Yun has grown into a young lady. When you came in just now, you looked so capable that I almost didn't recognize you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yun smiled shyly, "Sister Meng Zhao entrusted me with managing the shop in Huainan, so naturally I have to put in my best effort. If I were still like before, how could I keep the staff in line?" She then winked playfully, "Besides, I learned all of this from Sister Meng!"
That's true. When Meng Zhao opened the shop, she was sixteen or seventeen years old, just like Shen Yun. No wonder her every move seemed strangely familiar. She was imitating her own back then.
The intimate interaction between the two drew the attention of the shop assistants. The usually calm and capable shopkeeper was now acting like a spoiled little girl, which was quite surprising. Shen Yun realized her lapse in composure and quickly straightened her clothes, regaining some of her composure as the shopkeeper.
She cleared her throat and solemnly introduced to everyone, "Since everyone is here, you should all come and meet him. This is the head owner of Mengji Braised Pork, Manager Meng Zhao."
Upon hearing this, the men exchanged bewildered glances, and the woman who had just greeted Meng Zhao covered her mouth in shock, trying to recall if she had done anything wrong.
Seeing the tense expressions on everyone's faces, Meng Zhao smiled gently and said, "Don't be shy, everyone. You did very well just now. Just keep it up in the future." After saying that, he let them continue with their work.
Shen Yun welcomed Meng Zhao to the backyard, brought over the account book, and began to report to her on the situation in Huainan. Just as she was finishing, seven or eight people came in from outside; they were the ones Shen Yun had just notified to come.
Meng Zhao looked up and saw that most of the people who came were unfamiliar faces. The oldest was only in his early twenties. She vaguely remembered seeing two or three of them in the school in Shenjia Village.
Looking at these energetic faces, Meng Zhao couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. When she first opened the school, she had invested a great deal of money, with the returns far exceeding the initial investment. She didn't even see any returns for a year or two. Now, it seemed that her hard work was finally bearing fruit.
Shen Yun introduced them to Meng Zhao one by one. Some of them were in charge of the production of the braised food workshop, some were in charge of the management of franchisees, and some were in charge of distribution and transportation.
Meng Zhao chatted warmly with everyone, sometimes asking about work details and sometimes giving advice. After finishing the round, his eyes were filled with satisfaction: "The business in Huainan is so successful because of your hard work. You have all left your hometowns to work hard here. It must have been really hard for you."
A girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old said gratefully, "Please don't say such things. Which of us hasn't benefited from your kindness? If it weren't for the scholarship you set up at the school, I wouldn't have been able to study so much. Now I can send two taels of silver home every month. Even my grandfather says that it's more useful for a girl to study well than to marry a good husband!"
Meng Zhao smiled upon hearing this, patted her hand, and said, "When you're out in the world, you should take care of yourself. If you earn money, save some for yourself."
Another man in a blue robe stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said politely, "I am also deeply grateful to Madam Meng, but my aptitude is limited, and I have made no progress in the imperial examinations. I am truly ashamed."
Most of the male students who graduated from the academy still prioritized the imperial examinations, so there were many women under Meng Zhao's command. However, there were also those like him who gave up after trying once or twice and finding no hope.
Meng Zhao also comforted him, saying, "Studying is for understanding principles, not just for fame and fortune. You are now using the skills you learned in school to run businesses, and aren't you doing quite well?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Meng Zhao had shown them kindness in the past and later gave them generous wages. With this combination of kindness and reward, they worked even harder.
After meeting with Shen Yun and the others, Meng Zhao went to meet with Gu Changwu. Then, they purchased a batch of goods that could be stored for a long time, mostly tea, many of which were top-grade teas that were almost ready to be used as tribute. Of course, Lu Yusheng, the host, helped with this.
With everything arranged, Meng Zhao began preparing to return to the capital. However, every time she set a departure date, unexpected events would always prevent her from leaving. At first, she endured it, but later, unable to bear it any longer, she sought out Xiao Youzhi.
"Can you just stay still? I have important business to attend to back in the capital!"
Xiao Youzhi wasn't afraid of being seen through. He calmly put down his teacup upon hearing this. "What is so important that you have to go back personally? If you're worried about the goods, I'll send a team of servants to escort them and ensure their safe delivery." As he spoke, he strolled over to Meng Zhao, his eyes gleaming with a seductive light. "Since we're already in Huainan, wouldn't it be a pity not to go to Jiangnan? Let's simply go downstream and travel around. It won't be too late to return to the capital at the end of the year."
Meng Zhao, his face contorted with rage, cursed, "Not too late my ass! I can go to Jiangnan anytime. My herbal medicine shop is about to open, and this is the perfect time for me to establish my reputation. How could I not personally oversee it? If you try to trip me up again, get the hell out of here!" With that, he turned and left without looking back.
Without Xiao Youzhi's obstruction, Meng Zhao set off smoothly back to the capital. The caravan had just left Huainan when it encountered Xiao Youzhi, who was also preparing to return to the capital. Meng Zhao sighed inwardly; there was nothing he couldn't understand about why Xiao Youzhi was so persistent in his pursuit.
But she had no way to cut off contact with him, nor could she split her heart in two. She could only pretend not to see him and hope that he could let go of it soon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
