Chapter 134: Vixen
Ever since Father Chu passed away, the Chu family had been very quiet during the New Year for several years. When relatives from the next-door neighbors came to the Chu family, they either advised Father Chu to quickly pick a child from their family to adopt, or said that Chu Mingzhu was being inappropriate for a grown-up girl to show up in public.
She said that girls were no match for boys and that she didn't know how to do business. If Jiuxia Silver Shop fell into her hands, it would be bankrupt.
Chu's father was furious and simply made a harsh statement: if anyone mentioned anything unpleasant again, he would stop associating with them.
After hearing this, several relatives from the neighboring families of the Chu family became angry and made harsh remarks, saying that Chu's father refused to listen to advice and insisted on handing over the family business to Chu Mingyu, a girl who knew nothing. If he regretted it in the future, they would wait for him to come to them and beg for mercy.
Contact with the family was cut off, and the Chu family's business friends were also indifferent. In previous years, during the Chu family's New Year celebrations, Chu Mingyu would stay with Chu's father, and the two of them would spend the New Year alone.
But this year, all the relatives from all branches of the Chu family came to visit. Business friends also came.
Chu Mingzhu didn't bother to care about the relatives of the Chu family, but she couldn't offend her business friends.
Her family was in the business of running a silver shop, so they would inevitably need to use the other party's place in the future. Chu Mingyu was not in a position to explain the inside story to Jiang Tangtang, but Jiang Tangtang also understood a little bit.
Jiang Tangtang said, "I'll have people go to various shops and ask if they can buy beeswax. If they can, I'll make some for you. If not, I'll send people to look around."
"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Jiang!" Chu Mingyu said embarrassedly.
Jiang Tangtang smiled and said, "So what? I'm not giving it to you for free."
This is the truth. Even if it weren't for Chu Mingyu, she would still find a way to buy more beeswax.
Beeswax can be used not only to make scented candles, but also in cosmetics such as lipstick. Since she was planning to open a rouge shop, beeswax was a must.
Chu Mingzhu left with a heart full of gratitude, and Jiang Tangtang immediately went to various shops to buy beeswax.
As she had guessed, several shops were out of stock, and the only one that had some only had a small amount.
That little bit is not enough to do anything.
Jiang Tangtang began to think about who to send to the surrounding counties and towns to buy beeswax.
She didn't have many people around her who could help, so after much thought, she decided that Lu Shili was the only one who could do this.
It just so happened that he had already completed the task that was assigned to Lu Shili last time.
In addition to the shop on the right side of Jingfu Building, he also bought Jingfu Building. Not only did he buy Jingfu Building at a low price, but he also helped the people get rid of the evil, and sent Yan Yongshou, the scourge, to prison.
Jiang Tangtang was very curious, "How did you do it?"
She had people make trouble for Yan Yongshou, and although it caused him some trouble, it never hurt him at all.
But when his brother-in-law attacked him, he beat him so hard that he couldn't get up.
Lu Shili said vaguely, "Nothing much. It's just that his strongest backer has fallen. The county magistrate is now very disgusted with them. Knowing the evil things he has done, he naturally gave him a heavier sentence."
Jiang Tangtang asked him but he refused to tell her. It was only later that she sent someone to inquire about it. Yan Yongshou's sister had seduced the county magistrate's eldest son. The two of them were caught naked in bed by the county magistrate.
His most beloved concubine cheated on him, and the object of the cuckolding was his own son. No man can tolerate this!
The county magistrate would no longer protect Yan Yongshou.
Jiang Tangtang admired his brother-in-law's tactics, but also felt a pang of fear for him. He was daring enough to plot against the county magistrate's son and concubine at the same time. He was a master of his craft and audacious.
But that’s all for later. At this time, Lu Shili took Jiang Tangtang to see another shop with a backyard.
This shop is not far from the cake shop, only about a hundred meters away, and was originally a teahouse.
The tables, chairs and benches in the shop are all usable, the kitchen is large, and the yard and rooms at the back are larger than those in the pastry shop.
The shop is good and the price is expensive, costing five hundred taels of silver.
After seeing it, Jiang Tangtang was very satisfied and didn't hesitate to spend money, so he bought the shop immediately.
After the title deed was completed, Jiang Tangtang immediately told Lu Shili to go to the surrounding county to buy beeswax.
Jiang Tangtang said, "Let's buy another carriage! A carriage is fast, and our family only has a donkey cart which is not enough."
After the spring, the cattle would stay in the countryside for He Qiuniang and the others to use for plowing. And now they didn't have to worry about being too conspicuous; buying a carriage was probably on the agenda.
Lu Shili nodded to show that he understood.
Jiang Tangtang thought for a moment and then said, "Take Zhao Xun with you! See if he can be used. If so, give him some training. If not, just do with him as you please and don't bring him back."
She had kept him because of his keen sense of smell, but after leaving him to do odd jobs in the yard, although he was an honest man and did what he was supposed to do, he always seemed to have lost his energy.
Let’s see if it works!
Lu Shili said he understood what she meant, so he went to buy a carriage that day and took Zhao Xun out the next day.
Jiang Tangtang went to a porcelain shop and ordered a lot of bowls, plates and other tableware in preparation for the opening of the second shop.
At the same time, the cake shop reopened.
As soon as the shop opened, people were thronging outside. They hadn't eaten it in days, and everyone was craving it.
Those who originally thought that the rose pastries and egg yolk pastries were too expensive and were thinking of gritting their teeth and buying two more boxes this time, immediately got angry when they heard that the store did not sell these foods today.
"Don't worry, everyone. These foods won't stop being sold in the shop anymore, but we'll only sell them on an irregular basis. We've prepared some fresh food for you now. Not only are they delicious, they'll also fill you up, and the prices aren't expensive..."
As Li Xiangchen spoke, he placed the bread on the white porcelain trays on the shelves one by one.
After the New Year, Zhao Jia and Xiao Wang, who came back to work, also took the bread and cut it into small pieces and handed it to everyone to taste.
Then, people stopped making noise, started asking about the price of bread, and started buying it in large and small bags.
Seeing that the cake shop had released new products and business was better than before the New Year, the owner of the cake and candied fruit shop next door was so angry that her face was twisted.
He cursed and said something sour, "I don't know where that vixen got such good luck, she bought so many talented people, they have such bright heads, and they come up with one brilliant idea after another!"
The vixen naturally scolded Jiang Tangtang.
Her husband used to curse the cake shop just like her, but after seeing Jiang Tangtang a few times while passing by, he never cursed again.
She originally thought that Jiang Tangtang was too pretty and that her business was not a legitimate way to go. Now, she felt even more that Jiang Tangtang was a seductive vixen.
She was not satisfied with just cursing herself, so she went to talk to the woman in the next shop, hoping to gain a sense of recognition.
Zhou Jiuniang's husband was a womanizer, and her parents-in-law were vicious. They used to get together and complain to each other when they had nothing to do, and they had a very good relationship.
But at this moment, Zhou Jiuniang did not agree with him. Instead, she said, "I think the Jiang family is quite decent, not like what you said! Sister Wang, don't slander them just because their business is better than yours."
"How is that decent? Look at those two mountains on her chest. Who wouldn't wear loose clothes to cover them up? The tight clothes she wears make her chest, waist and butt so obvious. Isn't she deliberately trying to make people look at her?"
Wang Mingfeng spat on the ground and said, "There are no good people in her family! Her mother-in-law is an old witch, and her sister is a little vixen! If a man comes into her shop to buy a cake, she will touch his hand! If he buys two more, she will draw the curtain and sleep with him."
Zhou Jiuniang immediately said in a stern voice: "Wang, you yourself have a daughter, and you are ruining her reputation like this. Doesn't your conscience hurt?"
She was even thinking of marrying the Lu family's daughter to her brother! If people knew that she and Wang were badmouthing them together, would the marriage still be possible?
Thinking of this, Zhou Jiuniang's face became even worse. "Wang, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person. Just because your business is not as good as theirs, you slander their innocence. Let's not have any contact in the future. Otherwise, others will misunderstand me and think I'm the same as you."
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