After Manager Jin left, Huang Xiaosan chuckled foolishly.
Ever since I entered the Five Flavors Restaurant, I've been in that old fox's hands like a monkey in the palm of Buddha's hand, unable to jump out no matter what.
This time, the old fox finally got his comeuppance.
What a wonderful day!
The sky was so blue, the clouds so light, the flowers so fragrant, even the peeling paint on the pillars looked beautiful...
Huang Xiaosan, in a great mood, found everything pleasing to the eye.
A moment later, he proudly raised his head and puffed out his chest, like a victorious rooster, and strode back to the courtyard.
"Mom, wife, I'm back!" Huang Xiaosan shouted into the house before he even reached the door.
"Have you reached an agreement?" Jiang Nuan asked calmly.
“Well, old man,” Huang Xiaosan said, seeing his wife beside him, he immediately changed his words, “My father-in-law’s face turned dark, but he still gritted his teeth and agreed.”
“Hmm,” Jiang Nuan smiled gently, “This is just the beginning. I guarantee that in a few days, he will have rolled around in the stove.”
When the old fox finds out that the cabbages he sold for two cents a pound now cost five coins a pound, Jiang Nuan is certain that Manager Jin's face will be a hundred times darker than it is now.
"Mother," Jin pleaded softly, "please go a little lighter. My father is old, and I'm afraid something might happen to him."
These words made Jiang Nuan laugh.
The way she said that made it sound like she was going to kill and set fires.
"Third son's wife, he's still your father. Would I really harm him? Don't worry, I'm just teaching him a lesson."
"That's good," Jin said, completely relieved after hearing Jiang Nuan's words.
She also felt that her father did indeed deserve some lesson.
Some people, after doing business for a long time, unconsciously use these methods on their family members. If they are not taught a lesson, they will forget how to be a decent human being.
Father must be the one the old ladies in the manor call ungrateful!
Back at the Jin residence, Manager Jin was completely unaware of his daughter's complaints.
When he returned carrying a basket of vegetables, all eyes in the mansion were on him.
Manager Jin waited calmly in the front hall, confident that his master would summon him.
Sure enough, a short while later, the head maidservant of the mistress of the house, Qiao Hong, came over and said, "Manager Jin, the mistress of the house summons you. Please come with me."
"Please lead the way, Miss Qiao Hong." Manager Jin cupped his hands in greeting and followed behind Qiao Hong.
Manager Jin was led to the backyard. Through the screen, he bowed to the people inside and said, "This humble servant greets all the ladies and young ladies."
After Manager Jin finished speaking, a dignified and pleasant voice rang out, "Jin Ming, you did a very good job today."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Qiao Hong, "Here's a reward."
"Yes!" Qiao Hong replied, then took out a purse and handed it to Manager Jin.
Manager Jin accepted the purse and said respectfully, "Thank you for the reward, Madam."
After speaking, he stood respectfully in the hall, waiting for the person behind the screen to speak.
Before long, the First Madam asked, "Jinming, is it possible to continue purchasing this type of vegetable?"
"Madam, I obtained these vegetables by chance. I bought them from a woman who covered her face. I searched around but couldn't find her, so I'm afraid I can't buy them."
"What a pity," the First Madam waved her hand and said lazily, "Be more careful in the future. If you encounter that woman, remember to keep her here."
As for why she stayed and how she stayed, the First Madam did not explain.
"Yes!" Manager Jin said, then hesitated before asking, "Madam, there's an apprentice in the shop who signed a twenty-year contract. The family has scraped together five hundred taels of silver to cancel the contract. What do you think we should do about this?"
"Oh?" The First Madam was somewhat surprised. "There really are such people?"
Frowning slightly, she thought for a moment and then came up with an idea. "Since someone has offered this money, the Jin family won't be the bad guys. Once the money is deposited, you can report it to me and I'll give you the long-term contract."
"Yes," Manager Jin said, concealing his joy, and respectfully took his leave.
"Mother, there really is a fool who is willing to spend five hundred taels of silver on a contract of exchange and resale. Is he so rich that he has too much money to handle?" A sweet and melodious voice rang out.
“That’s right,” a lively and clear voice rang out, “If we had a fool like that, our family could make a lot of money just from clearing contracts.”
“Ling’er, Qiao’er, shut up,” the First Madam glanced at her daughter with distress and rubbed her forehead. “If others hear this, they will think that the Jin family are human traffickers, which will ruin our family’s century-old reputation.”
"Mother, we were wrong." The two girls looked at each other, stuck out their tongues, and immediately admitted their mistake obediently.
Manager Jin breathed a sigh of relief as he left the Jin residence.
Huang Xiaosan's affair has finally been resolved and is no longer considered a legitimate matter. He has done right by his son-in-law.
Wealthy families are not people that ordinary citizens can afford to offend. Even if you have prepared enough money, if the host is determined not to accept it, there is nothing you can do.
If the landlord has bad intentions, they might simply transfer the long-term contract to a brothel or gambling den, leaving the tenant with no choice but to swallow all the bitterness and resentment.
Fortunately, with these green vegetables as a base, the lady was willing to give me some face today.
Otherwise, given the poor management of Wuweilou these days, even if I were willing, I might not be able to make it work.
After accomplishing this task, Manager Jin tossed his newly acquired reward money around his neck and hummed a little tune as he returned to Wuwei Restaurant.
Inside the building, the waiters carefully wiped down the tables and chairs, the head chef diligently practiced the recipes, the accountant checked the books, and the managers made their rounds...
Everything is proceeding smoothly.
What a wonderful day!
Manager Jin squinted, as if he could see the endless stream of customers and the silver coins constantly jumping into his pockets...
In the backyard, the four of them worked together for two hours to pack up the things they had brought back.
Actually, there wasn't much stuff; it mainly consisted of Jin's dowry, some rice, flour, oil, and various miscellaneous items.
“Son, let’s leave the county town this afternoon,” Jiang Nuan said, taking out two taels of silver from his pocket. “Give your father-in-law six hundred copper coins for cabbage, and use the rest to buy chili peppers, coarse salt, and wine.”
"Mother, is this for making kimchi?" Xie asked cleverly.
“Yes,” Jiang Nuan nodded with a smile, “Let’s start with the simplest one, and then we can try different styles later.”
Kimchi is too simple to make, and Jiang Nuan isn't sure how long it will take for the recipe to be leaked. This way, the value can be preserved to the greatest extent.
“Mother,” Huang Xiaosan thought for a moment before speaking, “In that case, we need to hire a carriage to go back.”
“Then let’s pack it,” Jiang Nuan waved her hand. “You go ahead and get busy. The three of us will go shopping some more.”
Having finally made it to the county town and having some money in my pocket, I'm definitely going to buy a lot of things.
"Alright, I'll be going now." Huang Xiaosan looked at the three of them with a wronged expression before reluctantly leaving.
He wanted to go shopping with them, but his mother had instructed him not only to do it, but to do it perfectly!
Huang Xiaosan, clutching the two taels of silver in his pocket, left home with a face full of excitement.
"Mother," Xie Jiao took Jiang Nuan's arm and asked in confusion, "How do you still have so much silver?"
"I found it," Jiang Nuan tapped her forehead. "As long as you have money to spend, don't ask so many questions."
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