Meanwhile, the family banquet at the Zhou residence at noon today was very joyful. Zhou Xing and Xu Shun's family had also been invited back by Zhou Quan, as well as Chu Yan, who hadn't returned to the capital for the New Year this year but stayed here to spend the holiday with her master's family. The whole family ate and drank, the adults chatted and laughed, and the children played and frolicked, creating a lively atmosphere.
Except for the youngest, Nianbao, who couldn't play with them yet, the other children gathered together in groups of several. Zhuzhu and Nannan, being older, protected their younger siblings, while the younger ones, under Dongdong's leadership, had the most fun.
After lunch, the men sat together drinking tea and chatting, while the women sat together making dumplings and chatting.
They first packed some, left them outside to freeze solid, then wrapped them in a bamboo cloth and placed them in a bamboo basket. They also packed some snacks and homemade New Year's goods, which Li Mai asked Zhou Lei to deliver to Yue Ze.
After that, the packaged food was frozen and a basket was sent to the eldest sister's family. Finally, it was the food that the Zhou family would eat when welcoming the gods in the evening.
Zhao said she would pack some for Li Mai and the others, but Li Mai said it wasn't necessary. The people in the mansion were also packing in the afternoon, including Manager Song and Zhu Qiang. They all needed to prepare these things.
That evening, Li Mai and the others did not stay at the Zhou family's place for New Year's Eve dinner. Instead, they returned to the manor and had New Year's Eve dinner with the managers and stewards, spending the New Year with everyone.
After the meal, the managers asked Li Mai about the Li family's development plan for next year and whether they needed to train more people.
If we are to cultivate new businesses, it means we will develop more shops next year. If we are not to cultivate new businesses, we will simply stabilize the situation for now and not develop any new shops.
Looking at the people around her now, Li Mai realized that the only ones who could spend the New Year with her at home were the few who managed the workshop.
Lu Ban managed the inn, Chen Qu managed the dyeing workshop, Liu Guang managed the weaving workshop, and Zhu Qiang followed Xu Changhe to manage the incense shop. During the New Year, Xu Changhe went back to spend the New Year with the Xu family head.
Qian Fugui is in charge of Yongzhou, and Jin Yulai is in charge of Xiangzhou. These two people closed their shops too late, on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and couldn't make it back in time. They will return in the latter half of the first lunar month.
Because Zhao Xiaomeng and Ma Jianiu were in charge of the flower planting in the village, they gave Zhou Tao their business along with hers when she got married.
Now, both of them work for Lu Qian. One helps manage the flower planting in the village, and the other helps manage the farm that he started building on the west side of the town this year.
The people her elder brother sent to her are now being given important positions. Even Chu Hu and Liu Yuan, who were by Zhou Lei and Zhou Lin's side, have become the most trusted people around them.
Chu Hu and Zhou Lei had a relationship that was half mentor and half friend, with Chu Hu helping to handle all the matters around Zhou Lei.
Liu Yuan helps manage Zhou Lin's shop, and Zhou Lin spends most of his time making furniture with the three carpenters and three apprentices in the woodworking workshop.
When there is work outside, we go outside to do it; when there is no work outside, we make sample cabinets in our own workshop.
His apprentices no longer include Nan Su. Nan Su followed Zhou Lin for more than a year before giving up. He knew everything he needed to know, but he just didn't have the patience and care to do those delicate tasks.
Old Master Nan was often invited by Zhou Lin to stay at the Zhou residence for several months at a time. After discussing it with his master, Zhou Lin stopped pressuring him and made him the manager of the carpentry workshop. When he was in the workshop, he would ask Liu Yuan to teach him how to manage accounts and the shop.
Nan Su liked this, and would often call Liu Yuan "Second Master" behind Zhou Lin's back.
Nan Su's marriage was also arranged; she was to be the eldest granddaughter of Manager Cui of Jin Yu Ge, who was three years younger than Nan Su.
Shopkeeper Cui's eldest son and daughter-in-law run a dried goods shop. They only have two granddaughters, a big one and a little one, and no son. He was thinking that if he could find a local boy to be his granddaughter's husband, or someone with good character, he could help his sons in the future.
Manager Cui's second and third sons each had two sons, so he didn't lack grandchildren. He just hoped that his two granddaughters could marry into the town.
He used to want Zhou Lin, but Zhou Lin got engaged to the Xu family, so he didn't dare to mention it again. Later, he took a fancy to Nan Su.
"Don't hire anyone yet. All the workshops in the village will move here in the spring, and Zhou Zhong and the others will come with them. You can lead them to work. Let's spend a year getting our workshops running smoothly and the staff settled before we continue to expand."
“Doing business isn’t something you can rush into. You can’t rush things. We’ve already grown very quickly in the last five years. If we continue to expand, our foundation will become weak and unstable,” Li Mai said after thinking for a moment.
The shopkeepers exchanged glances and smiled; they shared the same concern.
Since the employer thinks the same way, they don't need to worry.
After welcoming the gods, Li Mai gave each of the shopkeepers a large red envelope to thank them for their hard work throughout the year. She told them that if they found someone they liked and wanted to find a partner to spend their old age with, they should tell her, and she and her husband would prepare a house for them.
It might not be too big, but a courtyard like Zhou Heng's is achievable.
The shopkeepers were moved and shyly thanked Li Mai. They really wanted to start a family. Their lives were stable and they didn't lack money. They just wanted a home.
They know that at their age, they can only find women who have lost their husbands, which will definitely be difficult to find.
Li Mai could tell what they were thinking just by looking at their expressions; their work environment limited their social circles.
She smiled and said, "Don't worry about not having anyone. Once you've really made up your minds, I'll find a matchmaker to help us find suitable people. We can still have a hot meal and a warm bed. If you're in good health, maybe we can even have a child."
The shopkeepers became even more embarrassed by her words, but they nodded and said, "Then we'll have to trouble you, sir."
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