Jiang Shan and Jiao's mother accepted Fu Qiyuan's kindness, but refused his money. Even for the consultation fee from Physician Xie, they only managed to scrape together two hundred taels and insisted on delivering it to Physician Xie.
In Jiang Shan's eyes, she had survived the hardest days in this world, and nothing could defeat her!
But Jiao's mother thought that after three years of living in a daze, she suddenly woke up to find that she had both smart and sensible children and a grandson to continue the family line. She was willing to risk her life to protect them!
Therefore, when Jiang Shan named the child Jiang Huai, she didn't hesitate at all. What she wanted was this blood ties; what did it matter whose surname the child bore?
Fu Qiyuan was heartbroken, but he couldn't persuade the mother and daughter, so he had to give up.
But he gave Jiangshan an idea.
The two shops next to "Jiang's Private Kitchen" were affected by the fire. Both shop owners felt it was a bad omen and intended to transfer ownership of their shops. He asked Jiang Shan to take over both shops and rebuild a larger "Jiang's Private Kitchen".
Jiang Shan was very tempted, but when she heard the price, her beautiful eyes instantly dimmed.
To buy two shops would cost at least 500 taels, and to demolish and rebuild three shops would cost at least 1,000 taels. She can't even come up with 100 taels right now.
Fu Qiyuan didn't have that much cash on hand. He needed to send someone back to the capital to get his father's token first, and then go to the money exchange to withdraw the money. If he had known that money was such a good thing, he shouldn't have pretended to be aloof and refused his father's kindness in the first place.
Just when Jiang Shan was at his wit's end, a God of Wealth fell from the sky.
A new restaurant opened in town, officially opening in three days. Knowing that the new county magistrate had taken office, the manager had to show his appreciation first. So, two invitations with gold borders were sent to the county government and Jiao's residence one after the other.
The document sent to the county government was naturally for the county magistrate, while the document sent to Jiao's residence was for Jiang Shan.
The restaurant owner's surname was Zheng, but he didn't know that Jiangshan had just given birth. He only asked the person who delivered the invitation to specifically mention that he wanted to talk to Jiangshan about cooperation.
This was like a dream come true; Jiang Shan was unable to keep his appointment, so this glorious yet arduous task naturally fell to Fu Qiyuan.
Although the banquet was purposeful, this person was of such high status and had such a powerful backer that Boss Zheng naturally showed his utmost sincerity and dared not utter a single false word.
I thought that since things had come to this point, the cooperation should naturally fall into place.
But this guy doesn't play by the rules. His thinking is quite unique. He has never done business before, but he speaks eloquently and can turn the tables in no time, leaving Mr. Zheng completely unprepared.
"Sir, I'll cover the cost of setting up the shop. Manager Jiang is probably a bit short on cash right now. We'll still split the profits 50/50, and it'll all be clearly stated in the contract, so you don't need to worry!" Manager Zheng said, wiping his sweat and looking distressed.
He genuinely didn't care about the thousand or eight hundred taels of silver; as long as the shop could open, he could earn even more money! His master was short of big money right now, not these small sums.
Fu Qiyuan couldn't help but twitch his lips as he recalled what Jiang Shan had said to him before he left.
"I've deposited a sum of money in the bank for emergencies, a full three hundred taels. If all else fails, I can withdraw it all as capital!" These were Jiang Shan's exact words. He spoke with an air of wealth and arrogance.
"Manager Jiang will invest three hundred taels, but the profits will be split 40/60, with Manager Jiang taking the larger share. What does Boss Zheng think?" Fu Qiyuan tapped the table, ready to risk his reputation to earn even greater profits for Jiangshan.
Mr. Zheng nearly choked on his breath. He stared blankly at Fu Qiyuan, his mind racing: How could you say such a thing? Just because you're the county magistrate doesn't mean you can be so great! Is it meaningful for you to bully an honest, kind businessman like this? Have you no shame?
Fu Qiyuan coughed lightly, his long, well-defined fingers tapping the table slowly and deliberately, in the same tone as his words, "Boss Zheng, I won't force you. You can think about it and then decide. Three hundred taels is just a number. Manager Jiang cares about having a say. To put it more bluntly, there can only be one person truly in charge in this restaurant. With Boss Jiang's talent, this deal is guaranteed to be a sure thing for you!"
Boss Zheng was internally ranting. Of course he knew this deal could make money, otherwise why would he have come all this way to this wretched place? Besides, this wasn't about a single penny of profit. As this guy said, what he really wanted was control of the family business, which would affect all future business dealings, and, more broadly, the master's future!
Boss Zheng was heartbroken. Only now did he understand the meaning of his master's words: stay away from that fox...
The fox has already come knocking, it's caught a whiff of the scent, and it won't stop until it catches a chicken...
Thinking of his master's grand ambitions, Boss Zheng steeled his resolve, straightened his neck, and gritted his teeth. "Sir, this can't be calculated like this. A 40/60 split of profits is fine, but... Manager Jiang is a woman after all, and she doesn't have many connections. If the business grows bigger in the future, it won't be convenient for her to travel around, right? How about this: if we open shops in other places in the future, I will still have the final say in the subsequent management. Everything in Guyang County will be decided by Manager Jiang!"
The tapping on the table finally stopped. Fu Qiyuan tilted his head and thought for a moment, then curled his lips into a charming smile: "In that case, let's do as Boss Zheng says!"
Shan'er probably doesn't care about operating rights; the six-tenths of the profits are what matters. Indeed, in business, bargaining is essential!
Boss Zheng was so angry at Fu Qiyuan's hypocritical words that he almost twisted his tongue out. He decided to take the generous gift he had prepared for the county magistrate back to the capital and return it to his master!
Fu Qiyuan ate his meal to his heart's content. When he left the restaurant, he even asked the manager to pack a serving of soft, sweet glutinous rice chicken for Jiang Shan, taking shamelessness to the extreme.
Fu Qiyuan had already walked far away, but Boss Zheng was still standing at the door, hands clasped and head tilted, lost in thought. He was wondering, what exactly was the relationship between this man and Manager Jiang? He was so protective of his own; could he be planning to get involved too? That wouldn't do. His master had said that no one, especially no one from the capital, could be involved in the cooperation with Manager Jiang!
In Boss Zheng's mind and eyes, Fu Qiyuan's name had long since been marked with a big "X".
Jiang Shan never dreamed that Fu Qiyuan would help her make such a big deal with just three hundred taels of silver and his silver tongue.
"Wow, you're amazing! I've heard Fu Shu say that this Boss Zheng is a big shot. He owns inns and restaurants in many places and makes a fortune. It's said that none of his shops lose money!"
Being looked at with starry eyes by a woman he admired, who spoke words of admiration for him (at least that's what he thought), Fu Qiyuan felt a flower bloom in his heart.
He pursed his lips reservedly, met the woman's bright, star-like eyes, and smiled gently: "As long as you're happy."
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