Chapter 104 Grand Opening
Yao Qingling immediately declined.
She didn't make it sound as good as she said.
If the registrar knew that the household registration documents he wrote were for those bandits whom the government was desperately searching for, Qing Ling would not be setting an example for the merchants, but would be paraded through the bustling city in a prison cart.
Registrar Han smiled and said, "Madam Yao, don't be modest. I know you're unwilling because you're afraid the merchants will ostracize you and blame you for being nosy. But the Prefect said that as long as Madam Yao is willing to show up, he will award her the government's 'Outstanding Merchant' plaque."
Yao Qingling was somewhat tempted.
Having a plaque awarded by the government is a sign of government recognition and earns the trust of the people, which leads to better business.
Secondly, by cultivating a good relationship with the prefect, she would have the support of the government, making it easier to handle any future issues and deterring others from bullying her.
Furthermore, the government's support gave her an extra layer of protection, which would prevent the Marquis's family from causing trouble. Even her uncle, who had become a Marquis, couldn't say anything.
Finally, the government wanted to use her as an example so that if the banditry were exposed in the future, she could drag the prefect down with her!
Yao Qingling quickly made a calculation in her mind, but pretended to refuse. She said, "What use is a plaque? You can't eat or drink it. Otherwise, I'll give the prefect face and ask him to make things convenient for me if I need anything in the future."
The registrar relayed the message to the prefect.
The prefect thought to himself, "Women just love to have too much. They not only want the plaque, but they also want the government to back them up."
As long as it's not too outrageous, what's wrong with giving her a promise?
The pressure of solving the problem of homeless people is just too great!
The plaque recognizing Yao Qingling as an "Outstanding Merchant" was presented by the Prefect in front of numerous large shop owners and managers during the Chamber of Commerce meeting. He openly praised her while subtly pressuring the merchants to retain the migrant workers.
After some effort, some merchants felt that since Yao Qingling, a woman, dared to use refugees, there was less worry about inviting trouble and avoiding problems with the government, so they agreed.
Some merchants were angry that Yao Qingling was making trouble for no reason and taking the lead, saying, "Madam Yao comes from the Marquis of Zhongyong's family. She is an official family with protection, so she should take on this responsibility. How can she compare to us ordinary merchants?"
Then someone else said slowly and with a mocking tone, "Why is Madam Yao, a divorced woman, still showing her face in public? She should stay in the Marquis's mansion for a few years, find a widower or marry as a concubine. It would be better than working hard, disgracing the Marquis's mansion, and having difficulty remarrying later."
Yao Qingling looked at the head manager.
Yao Qingling was, after all, a member of the Marquis's mansion, and ordinary merchants wouldn't dare to offend her. But this head manager was a member of the Prince Yu's mansion.
The royal relatives and nobles did not directly run the businesses; instead, they delegated them to head managers. These managers, relying on their masters' high status, often acted arrogantly and abusively.
There are many, not just one big manager, who have come to hold the chamber of commerce meeting at this moment.
They look down on refugees and have no desire to employ them; they prefer to use their own relatives, claiming they know them well, but in reality, it's a case of "when one person attains power, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven." The positions are passed down through the family, with relatives bringing in other relatives, ensuring no opportunity is given to outsiders.
Another method is that if someone introduces you to a business, these managers will take a cut.
When Yao Qingling was at the Duke of Zhan's mansion, she had seen many such managers and was aware of their shady dealings.
Princess Deyang taught her that as long as she didn't make any big mistakes, she should just turn a blind eye. Everyone was there to work, so it didn't matter who she worked for.
Having relatives help each other has two advantages: firstly, you know each other inside and out; secondly, if one makes a mistake, everyone is implicated. Just like the servants in the mansion, these people are afraid that their families will be implicated and lose their good jobs, so they all keep an eye on each other.
These people were also loyal. In recognition of their loyalty, their master gave them some benefits so they could taste the sweetness of success and cherish their job even more.
The same was true of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence; most of the head managers were relatives of the Ma family.
After learning about this situation, Yao Qingling replaced all the shopkeepers under her name and trained them to be her people.
But at this moment, she was facing the head manager of another important family, and she had to put pressure on them.
She smiled slightly, but her eyes were somewhat cold.
But what he said was a sign of weakness.
She said, "I am indeed a divorced woman. Precisely because of this, I should think more about my future, rather than being a burden and dragging my family down. There is nothing shameful about going out to do business, earning my own living, not stealing or robbing."
“Here’s what I think: the government maintains order and manages the city in an orderly manner. We merchants don’t usually have much to give back, but now that the opportunity has come, we can do something small to help the government and also help ourselves.”
"Migrants are people too. If they have jobs, they will have money, and with money, they will come out to buy things, which will increase our merchants' revenue, right?"
"If their lives are stable, they won't think about going to jail or being executed. Isn't that a way of protecting ourselves?"
As soon as she finished speaking, several merchants chimed in, "Madam Yao is right. Using refugees is actually helping ourselves. Why didn't we think of that..."
Moreover, the migrants were in dire need of work, and they were paid less than the original workers, and they were also hardworking.
With the winds shifting, even the head manager of Prince Yu's mansion could no longer make sarcastic objections.
After the merchants had eaten and the meeting adjourned, Yao Qingling had someone carry the plaque for "Outstanding Merchant," which was personally written and awarded by the Prefect, to her shop selling goods from both the north and south, and hang it on the left beam.
The central beam reads "Honest and fair to all, young and old"; the right side reads "Everything you could want is available".
Yao Qingling crossed her arms and looked at it for a while, then looked extremely satisfied.
After the shop was renovated, the store was three times larger than before, becoming the largest store selling both northern and southern goods in the southern part of the city.
One advantage of Nanshi is that it attracts both ordinary people to shop and nobles to make purchases.
Southern goods are expensive and unaffordable for ordinary people, but the powerful and wealthy love to try new things. Although the goods are sold in small quantities, the profits are extremely high. The southern goods are placed on the second floor, where there is a spacious area. The stewards of the wealthy families are considered to have status compared to ordinary people. With such a spacious place to receive them, they feel they are being treated well and will come often.
Northern goods are common items that ordinary people buy in large quantities. Although the profit margin is thin, the sales volume is large. The northern goods are placed on the first floor, where there are many items and many people, creating a lively atmosphere and attracting more customers.
On opening day, the store was bustling with activity.
As the shop owner, Yao Qingling felt a great sense of accomplishment seeing so many people come in.
However, none of the people from the Marquis's residence came.
I already disliked her, so why would I support her? I'd rather a bolt of lightning strike down this shop to stop her from causing trouble.
The Imperial Censor's wife brought two pots of the finest hibiscus flowers to celebrate, and Qingling personally received her.
In the backyard, Qingling returned the fifty-tael silver note to the Censor's wife: "Madam, thank you for your help. I have already calculated your share of the shop's profits. Once there are profits, I will have Taoye deliver the dividends."
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