Chapter 108 General Lin as a laborer?
Yao Qingling's general store is called "Hui Ba Fang" (meaning "Gathering from All Directions").
The valuable items on the second floor were stored in pine boxes.
The three characters "Hui Ba Fang" on the box are inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which is exquisite, beautiful and eye-catching. Even without looking at the contents, just looking at the box is enough to make people like it.
Prince Xin and the others looked at the box, their forehead veins bulging.
Good grief, is this an insult to them? They can't bear to leave for such a small thing?
What's even more ingenious is that they took these things to their wives and concubines, which was tantamount to introducing them to a famous brand!
Prince Xin picked up a pearl, examined it, and chuckled, "This is what you call top-grade? If I gave it to my concubine to grind into powder for her face, she'd complain it would roughen her skin. So... grind it into powder and feed it to the pigs?"
He glanced at Tao Weixian and Shao Wenchou, who both smiled. Tao Weixian even chimed in, "I wonder if the pork would be more tender after eating it?"
He tossed the box to the servant who was with them and accepted it.
Things that you look down on, you despise, and then you collect.
This reveals his greedy nature.
Yao Qingling watched coldly. These three people looked down on even the finest pearls, so they must have already accepted the tribute.
Tribute was reserved for the emperor; it was a serious crime for anyone to accept it privately unless it was a gift from the emperor.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, suppressing her suspicions for the time being.
Looking back at Lin Shiyuan, he also had a meaningful expression on his face as he watched the three people's backs.
It should be similar to what she thought.
Perhaps that hidden ledger records these even more deadly things.
"There were a lot of people in the store today, so I felt safe and gave Lin Qiao the day off. She didn't come to the store."
Lin Qiao disliked crowds, and Qing Ling assumed she had gone to see her brother during this rare holiday.
Lin Shiyuan replied, "I'm not here to see her."
Qingling blinked, invited him to sit down, and then ordered tea to be served.
Lin Shiyuan looked down at the packed crowd downstairs, focusing on the young waiters who had been transformed from bandits.
He is hardworking, has great stamina, and is patient with difficult customers. He doesn't show any violent side, but he can be a little impatient.
Yao Qingling arranged for them to entertain ordinary guests, rather than VIPs, suggesting that she had already made careful arrangements.
Lin Shiyuan withdrew his gaze.
Yao Qingling smiled slightly and said, "I trust these people. As long as they see the money, they will work even harder."
However, she also had her own concerns.
Her progress is going fairly smoothly, but I wonder how things are going with Big Beard Ruan.
If his canal transport business fails, her orders will have to be outsourced to others.
Business is so good, the inventory will be gone soon.
The goods she has now are inventory from several previous shops.
Lin Shiyuan's expression, however, was somewhat unnatural.
Yao Qingling noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"
The man paused for a moment, then turned to the side and asked seriously, "Madam Yao, I want to work for you. I wonder if you'll accept me?"
Yao Qingling: "..."
She had just thought he was noble and had an air of dominance, but it turns out he came to her looking for a job?
She didn't know what to say.
These two siblings are so alike!
“Young Master Lin, you were General Lin before.”
Yao Qingling felt that Lin Shiyuan's motives for lowering himself to do odd jobs were not pure.
He was someone who could be employed by the imperial court at any time.
Lin Shiyuan said, "To be honest, it is precisely because of my identity as 'General Lin' that it is even more difficult to find a job."
He was famous and had the support of the people; but the people would not hire him to guard their homes, much less ask him to chop firewood at a wonton stall.
Those merchants were afraid of being scolded by the people and did not want to cause trouble.
As for high-ranking officials and nobles... there is an insurmountable chasm between aristocratic families and commoners, making such a possibility impossible.
Yao Qingling: "Have you thought it through?"
A dignified general, taking off his armor to work as a merchant's daughter's subordinate, what kind of ridicule would he face in the future? What a huge difference that would make him suffer.
Lin Shiyuan smiled faintly: "Before I became a general, I was just..." He paused, and as his smile faded, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, "...just a lowly soldier guarding the city gate."
Yao Qingling did not answer immediately.
Regardless of Lin Shiyuan's purpose in coming to her shop, having another martial arts expert at her shop is advantageous to her.
As for his attitude towards those bandits, so far, he has never taken any action against them.
Perhaps if he sees the changes in these people, he will change his opinion of them.
Furthermore, he has joined this big family, and he himself has become "associated with them," so there is even less to fear.
Externally, her conflict with Prince Xin and his group will not be resolved, and they will continue to cause trouble in the future. She needs a powerful, domineering, and well-reputed person to manage the business.
Furthermore, Hui Ba Fang's business is doing well, which has affected the interests of those powerful and influential people. They don't like her and will come to cause trouble.
Yao Qingling weighed the pros and cons in her mind and felt that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, so she agreed.
She appointed him as a first-class manager, second only to the head manager. He was not required to participate in the operation of the shop, but only to handle matters when someone caused trouble.
Lin Shiyuan nodded in agreement, and the two raised their teacups to toast each other, thus reaching an agreement.
...
Lian Chengtian, Tao Weixian, and Shao Wenchao left the shop and found another brothel.
The anger he felt towards Yao Qingling needed to be released elsewhere.
He invited several beautiful girls to accompany him, and also had the girl with the best piano and dance skills perform.
The three of them drank fine wine, listened to dance music, and couldn't help but discuss Yao Qingling's heartlessness.
"...That heartless wretch, she actually got away with it. Xingzhuo can't find out. If he finds out that Yao Qingling has completely forgotten his kindness and forgotten everyone else, how heartbroken he would be."
At this moment, Shao Wen-Chu suddenly said, "Zhou Zhi-Ning has already served as a slave, which can be considered as paying the price for that matter and being punished. It's time to bring her out of the Ministry of Agriculture."
Tao Weixian nodded, a hint of heartache in her expression.
Since the incident involving the Zhou family, Zhou Zhining has endured too much suffering and hardship.
If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have let Zhan Xingzhuo take care of her; his wives and concubines weren't as domineering and cunning as Yao Qingling, and things wouldn't have come to this.
However, he was never her fiancé; and Zhou Zhining didn't have feelings for him either.
Tao Weixian recalled the beautiful music he had heard on those nights.
He was momentarily stunned, and when he came to his senses, Prince Xin had already agreed to let him go to the Ministry of Agriculture to buy Zhou Zhining back to the palace as a slave.
During the Li Dynasty, government slaves could be bought and sold.
In this way, Zhou Zhining no longer had to do menial work at the Ministry of Agriculture. Upon arriving at the Prince's residence, although she was still a slave, she served Prince Xin as if she were a young lady.
She remained a slave, so the court officials and common people had no grounds for criticism.
Tao Weixian, however, said, "I'll buy her myself."
“After all, Prince Xin is a member of the royal family, and with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor watching, it is quite inconvenient. Furthermore, the Princess Consort comes from a prominent family, and her maternal clan may have something to say about her.”
After thinking it over, Lian Chengtai gave him the opportunity.
Shao Wen-Chu gave Tao Wei-Xian a deep look. Tao Wei-Xian picked up his wine glass and said with a smile, "Then let's wish each other success in advance, and together with Tong Zhuo, reunite in the capital soon."
After returning home, Lian Chengtian wrote down Yao Qingling's words in a letter overnight and sent it to Zhan Xingzhuo.
In his letter, he also deliberately emphasized that Yao Qingling was very indifferent to their past.
He also wrote about the look in Yao Qingling's eyes when she saw Lin Shiyuan.
"...He shines like a bright star. With his arrival, I, Brother Wei, and Brother Wenchu were all forgotten; she only had eyes for Lin."
The gossipy prince wrote a detailed account of Yao Qingling's crimes, and also mentioned that they were ready to bring Zhou Zhining out of the Sinong Temple.
Zhan Xingzhuo received the letter and couldn't believe that Yao Qingling could be so heartless.
Ha, she's doing so well without him?
How could those people in the Marquis's mansion allow her to show her face in public and bring shame to the mansion?
Yao Qingling was blinded by greed and disregarded principles.
She certainly wasn't relying on Lin Shiyuan; was there some important figure behind Lin Shiyuan that made her so close to him?
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