Li Xiang'an drove the carriage straight to Chengyang County. When Yan Qingqing and the others arrived at the shop, it was just dawn. The surrounding shops had not yet opened, but the Canghe Li Ji shop was dimly lit.
Voices could be heard coming from inside from time to time. Li Xiang'an drove the carriage directly into the courtyard through the back gate. As soon as Wang Dong saw Li Xiang'an, he quickly smiled and wiped his hands, saying, "Brother Xiang'an is here. We just finished dealing with things here. Last night, the business at Zuishenglou was so good that we didn't have enough chickens and ducks left over. The people there said that we should at least leave some more today, so that even if the customers can't finish it, they can still pick up some leftovers to taste."
Li Xiang'an smiled as he alighted from the carriage, saying, "Alright, but if we increase the quantity, it'll probably be tomorrow. You can try promoting our braised dishes to them; ours are just as good as theirs, and it saves them the trouble."
Wang Dong readily agreed, saying he would have a good talk with the pimp who came to ask for food and drinks that evening. At this moment, Yan Qingqing lifted the carriage curtain and said with a smile, "Looks like you've really made something of yourself, even knowing how well or poorly the Drunken Life Pavilion is doing."
Upon seeing Yan Qingqing, Wang Dong felt even closer to her and quickly went forward to help her out of the carriage, saying happily, "Oh, it's Auntie! What brings you here? Were you tired from the journey in the carriage?"
Li Xiang'an felt a little nauseous at Yan Qingqing's attentive manner, but she was very happy for Wang Dong. The boy had become much more cheerful. After the Tie Tou incident, Li Xiang'an was worried that Wang Dong would be the next Tie Tou and secretly observed him for several days. He was relieved to find that Wang Dong was indeed wholeheartedly thinking about the shop.
Yan Qingqing also said that Li Xiang'an was being too paranoid, and that Tie Tou was just an isolated case. They must not let Wang Dong lose heart.
Seeing Wang Dong's expression, Li Xiang'an chuckled and teased, "I think you were born into the wrong family; you should be my mother's son."
The two had probably gotten to know each other well from eating and living together in the shop, so Wang Dong replied with a smile, "I will definitely cultivate myself properly in front of the Buddha in the future, and try to be reborn into your belly in my next life."
Wang Dong's words made the people working in the yard burst into laughter again. They felt that although it was hard work, it was all worth it.
Li Xiang'an then introduced Yan Qingqing to the three newly hired young apprentices in the shop, one of whom was Xue Xiaowu. When Xue Xiaowu saw Yan Qingqing, he insisted on kowtowing to her, but Yan Qingqing refused and jokingly said, "It's already past the New Year, and Auntie hasn't prepared any red envelopes."
"Alright, from now on you can call me Auntie, just like Wang Dong does. If you encounter any difficulties in life, you can ask Brother Xiang An for help. But the most important thing is that you work wholeheartedly for me. I believe you've all heard about what happened to my family recently. If you are truly loyal, I won't treat you unfairly; if you have ulterior motives, I absolutely won't consider past relationships."
After hearing this, everyone said that they would definitely work hard and would never have any ulterior motives.
Yan Qingqing then led Yuan Huining and Xiao Mochen into the house. The three of them didn't sit idle either, helping to clean the shop thoroughly.
Soon it was bright daylight. Li Xiangping bought breakfast for everyone. Yan Qingqing and the others had things to do after eating, so they ate heartily without delay.
After breakfast, Li Xiang'an led them straight to the brokerage firm. Li Xiang'an had already informed the brokerage firm in advance, and since Yan Qingqing and her group were big spenders, the brokerage firm owner was personally waiting for them there.
After exchanging pleasantries, Boss Jiang led them to the backyard, where dozens of servants awaited sale.
Yan Qingqing first let Yuan Huiniang take a look and see if there was anything she liked; if so, they could buy it directly. After looking around, Yuan Huiniang returned to Yan Qingqing's side.
Yan Qingqing glanced at her and asked in confusion, "With so many people, didn't anyone like you?"
Yuan Huiniang replied softly, "Mother, I think they are all good. When I was at home, I was thinking about what kind I wanted, but after coming here, I found that they are both similar to and different from what I imagined. So you should choose. The one you choose will definitely be more suitable than the one I choose."
Seeing that Yuan Huiniang was at a loss, Yan Qingqing told her to stand aside. She first glanced at the people and realized that it was no wonder Yuan Huiniang couldn't tell them apart. They were all wearing the same clothes and looked like they had received professional training.
Yan Qingqing first selected four or five young girls and four or five servants, all of whom were pretty and had clever eyes.
As Yan Qingqing passed by a tall, burly middle-aged man, she paused briefly before continuing on her way. The man, realizing Yan Qingqing hadn't taken a liking to him, became somewhat agitated, but couldn't show it. He could only inwardly curse Yan Qingqing for her poor taste.
After looking around again, Yan Qingqing asked, "Does anyone among you know how to cook?"
Four or five women stepped forward. Yan Qingqing glanced at them and saw that they were all around thirty or forty years old. She then asked Boss Jiang for their information and selected two of them.
Immediately afterwards, Yan Qingqing selected two maids of similar age for Xin Niang and Yue Niang. The one she chose for Xin Niang was obviously clever, while the one she chose for Yue Niang was a maid who looked steady.
Watching from the side, Yuan Huiniang whispered, "Mother picked these two girls well. Their personalities complement those of my two younger sisters, so they'll be able to take care of each other better." Yan Qingqing agreed.
Actually, these people aren't hard to find. What's rare is a housewife who can help Yuan Huiniang manage the household, someone who is literate and has impeccable manners. But such people are usually trained by wealthy families, and unless they've committed a serious offense, no one would sell them.
Seeing Yan Qingqing's predicament, Boss Jiang asked her what she needed and then thought for a moment before saying, "There are indeed very few people like that, but I do have someone here who can read and write and seems capable, but there is one requirement."
Yan Qingqing asked, "What are your requirements, Mr. Jiang? Please tell us."
Yan Qingqing might agree if it wasn't too outrageous.
Mr. Jiang didn't keep them in suspense and said directly: "She had a son and a daughter with her, both of whom were still young. They asked to be sold to the same owner, and I agreed because I felt sorry for the three of them."
Yan Qingqing thought it wasn't an unreasonable request, so she asked Boss Jiang to bring the person out for a look.
Soon, a woman leading two thin children emerged. The three of them were nothing but skin and bones. Upon seeing Yan Qingqing, they quickly bowed and said, "If Madam would be so merciful as to buy us, we will serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion."
Yan Qingqing scoffed and said, "I'm here to buy servants, not to listen to your showing off."
Yan Qingqing wasn't blind to the arrogance in the woman's eyes. Although she appreciated talented people, she was buying servants, not choosing a master.
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