The driver looked at the stone tablet at the village entrance and said, "Boss, we have arrived at Canghe Village."
Upon hearing this, Manager Wu excitedly said, "Go and ask Sister-in-law Yan how to get to her house!"
Fortunately, Yan Qingqing left detailed information for Manager Wu before she left, telling him to come to Canghe Village to inform her as soon as he had any news.
Following the villagers' directions, the driver quickly arrived at Yan Qingqing's house.
When Manager Wu got out of the car and saw the dilapidated house, he was dumbfounded. Could it be that Yan Qingqing really lived here? But this place was too run-down.
Manager Wu always felt that someone as spirited as Yan Qingqing shouldn't be living in such a run-down place.
Therefore, Manager Wu once suspected that the driver might have gone to the wrong place.
It is said that heroes come from all walks of life, and fortunately, Manager Wu did not dwell on it too much. He raised his hand, knocked on the courtyard gate, and asked, "Excuse me, is this Sister-in-law Yan's house?"
Manager Wu shouldn't have been addressed that way, but Yan Qingqing only told him that her mother's surname was Yan, so Manager Wu had no choice but to address her that way.
Yan Qingqing came out of the room when she heard the sound, and Li Xinniang had already opened the courtyard gate.
Upon seeing Li Xin's mother, Manager Wu said happily, "Little girl, we meet again. Is your mother here?"
Li Xinniang: ……
Her mother was a widow. If she knew that Manager Wu was there to discuss business, she would have thought that her mother's lover had come knocking on the door.
Li Xinniang had already noticed villagers peeking around her house.
Li Xinniang was torn between letting the person in. Although she really wanted to close the deal, she cared more about her mother's reputation.
Seeing that Li Xinniang was reluctant to let Manager Wu in, Yan Qingqing said, "Xinniang, let Manager Wu in!"
Turning to Li Yueniang, he said, "Yueniang, go next door and see if your grandfather or third uncle is home. Tell them that we have guests and ask if it would be convenient for them to come over and help entertain them."
Li Yueniang was already a young lady of eight or nine years old. Naturally, she understood some of her older sister's concerns and quickly agreed.
Only then did Li Xinniang let Manager Wu into the courtyard.
Shopkeeper Wu was overjoyed to see Yan Qingqing. He said with a smile, "Oh dear, not only was it hard to find your house, sister-in-law, but I almost got turned away. Why is your girl so wary? We know each other."
Yan Qingqing smiled and offered Wu a seat while explaining, "Please forgive me, Wu. All the children have gone to the city to do business, and there are no men left in the house. There's always gossip around a widow's house, and Xinniang is just afraid of getting you involved in the rumors."
Upon hearing this, Manager Wu immediately stopped laughing. It turned out that Yan Qingqing was a widow.
No wonder, these days there aren't many women going out to do business.
But he truly admired Yan Qingqing for being so capable despite her circumstances.
So Manager Wu cupped his hands and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, I really didn't know the situation. I hope you can forgive me."
How could Yan Qingqing possibly take this to heart? It's just that Li Xinniang's behavior was a bit too much, and it wouldn't be right for her not to explain.
After Yan Qingqing generously expressed that she didn't care, Grandpa Li and Li Sanniu arrived.
As usual, Old Master Li held his pipe, which never smoked, and looked at Yan Qingqing, asking, "Is this the distinguished guest from the city?"
Yan Qingqing nodded and introduced herself to them. She then briefly explained her intention to do business with Jinsheng Pavilion.
It wasn't that Yan Qingqing insisted on reporting to Old Master Li; it was simply that there were many things that were difficult for her, as a woman, especially a widow, to handle in this era. This was a limitation of the times, something Yan Qingqing couldn't change.
Grandpa Li knew that his second daughter-in-law was quite something now; not only was she running a profitable business in the city, but she was also very decisive in handling matters.
The reason he was called over today is simply because the boys in his family aren't home. Ultimately, it's because he cares about the reputation of the Li family.
Thinking of this, Old Master Li's gaze softened a bit more as he looked at Yan Qingqing and said, "I'm an old man and I don't know much about your business matters. You two talk, and San Niu and I will just sit here and have a drink of water."
After saying that, he sat down on the stool without saying a word, and Li Sanniu did the same, squatting down next to the old man without making a sound.
Yan Qingqing found it somewhat amusing; anyone who didn't know better would think these two were there to encourage her.
Fortunately, Yuan Huiniang was quick-witted and brought over some sweet soup, which diverted their attention.
Seeing this situation, Manager Wu didn't bother with pleasantries with Yan Qingqing. He took out a draft document from his sleeve and handed it to Yan Qingqing, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is the document that our young master revised according to what we agreed on beforehand. Please take a look."
Yan Qingqing took the document from Manager Wu and read it carefully. The contents were very detailed and could be roughly divided into three parts.
Firstly, Jinsheng Pavilion collaborated with Yan Qingqing. Jinsheng Pavilion was responsible for all materials, while Yan Qingqing provided manpower. All profits from the decorative designs produced by Yan Qingqing were split 50/50.
Secondly, Yan Qingqing must produce at least two new decorative designs every month, with the agreement tentatively set for a three-year term.
Thirdly, the hair accessories designed by Yan Qingqing shall not be sold to anyone other than Jinshengge. Of course, Jinshengge will guarantee that the minimum sales volume of new products each month shall not be less than three thousand.
There is also a supplementary agreement that if Jinsheng Pavilion uses these headdresses as gifts, it will settle accounts with Yan Qingqing at the market price.
After reading the contents of the agreement, Yan Qingqing felt that it was reasonably drafted. At least according to this agreement, it would be no problem for them to earn a hundred or so taels of silver a month.
Of course, this was Yan Qingqing's calculation using the most conservative method. If this kind of hair accessory could become popular in the upper class, then it would be impossible to estimate.
After Yan Qingqing finished reading, Manager Wu asked with a smile, "I wonder if Sister-in-law has anything to add? Our boss said that if you feel there is anything unreasonable, we can make changes."
Yan Qingqing shook her head and replied, "Your employer is very thoughtful, I think it's great."
Manager Wu quickly said, "Then please sign and stamp here, and I'll take it to the government for filing. That will make our contract valid."
After saying that, he had the coachman take the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone from the carriage. Yan Qingqing could tell from Wu's demeanor that he had come prepared. It seemed that the profit from this headdress was much greater than she had imagined.
Yan Qingqing took the pen, signed her name on the document, and pressed her fingerprint on it.
After seeing Manager Wu off, Yan Qingqing noticed that Old Master Li was looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze.
It is said that old people become wiser, and although Yan Qingqing was not afraid that Old Master Li would see through her, she still explained, "After so many years, you should be able to learn those classical Chinese phrases even with your eyes closed."
Old Master Li paused, holding his pipe. Could it be that all those years of persistence had been a mistake, or was his eldest son simply not cut out for this?
Yan Qingqing ignored Old Master Li and went inside to take out the tobacco leaves she had bought a few days ago and handed them to him.
After a moment of silence, Old Master Li took the tobacco from Yan Qingqing's hand and left without saying a word.
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