Chapter 180: Soft and Powerful (Two chapters in one, 4000 words)
After dinner, the Fourth Prince sat for a while and then went to do his errands. Su Ruojin also continued to work at the shop. She gradually got into the state of work, as if she had found her old feeling. She did not stop for the whole afternoon. She did not know when Su Sanlang was taken away by Hua Ping and when he was brought back.
"Sister, when are you coming home?" He was tired from playing.
Su Ruojin asked as she sorted out the manuscripts, "Will you come with me tomorrow?"
The little guy pouted: "I don't want to follow you anymore." There's no point in that.
After the work was finished, Su Ruojin breathed a sigh of relief and turned around, "Four..." She unexpectedly found Zhao Lan there too, "Little Prince, when did you come here?"
In the afternoon, Zhao Lan sent the Fourth Prince away.
Shuangrui was about to say that the young master came to the shop shortly after sending the Fourth Prince off. Seeing Madam Su Er busy, he watched her silently for a while. Seeing that she was concentrating, he went to the manager's room to handle official business and waited until Su Sanlang came back to let her come to her senses.
Stopped by Zhao Lan's eyes, he stepped aside and quietly served as a background board.
"How was the viewing?"
After being idle for a long time, Su Ruojin suddenly saw a three-story shop. She couldn't help but rush in because she was itching to do something. Many ideas flooded into her mind, "Young Prince, this is what I think..." As she spoke, she was about to open the manuscript.
Six-year-old Su Sanlang called out impatiently, "Sister, I want to go home." The little guy pouted and tears of grievance flowed out.
"Okay..." The cute little baby cried. Su Ruojin hurriedly handed the manuscript to Mao Ya. Mao Ya stretched out her hand to take the manuscript from her little master, but halfway through her hand was intercepted by Prince Zhao, who took the manuscript away.
Su Ruojin squatted down to wipe A-di's tears, "How dare you cry at your age?"
Su Sanlang acted like a spoiled child in front of his sister: "I miss my dad, I miss my mom..."
Su Ruojin: ...
I've only been out playing for half a day!
She subconsciously looked outside and saw that it was getting dark. No wonder Su Sanlang was making a fuss. Children of a few years old would look for their mothers when it gets dark. If they can't find their mother, they would feel insecure and make a fuss, especially little boys of five or six years old.
Su Ruojin didn't know why such a thought came into her mind at this moment, nor did she know how these things came into her mind. Anyway, she reached out to hug Su Sanlang, carefully and gently soothing his emotions.
Zhao Lan looked at the dozens of pages of drawings in his hand. There were more than a dozen pages for the lobby alone. From the counter to the wine cabinet, food display area, table and chair placement, partitions, etc., there were drawings for everything and every area, and the dimensions were also marked, comparable to the craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry.
He calmly raised his eyes to look at the gentle little sister who was coaxing her younger brother. When they first met, she was acting coquettishly in his father's arms, but in three years, it was the younger brother who was acting coquettishly to her.
Before they knew it, they had known each other for three years and she had grown so big!
Zhao Lan originally planned to take the siblings to Fengle Tower for dinner, but maybe because he was sleepy or it was dark in a strange place, no matter how delicious or fun the food was, it couldn't attract Su Sanlang, so he decided to go home.
In September, it gets dark early. In her previous life, Su Ruojin was born in a certain place where there was no nightlife. She felt like a bad child if she didn't go home before seven or eight o'clock, so she didn't want to go to Fengle Building for dinner and wanted to go home quickly.
Zhao Lan sent the brother and sister home.
Su Ruojin quickly declined: "The fourth steward can take us there, and Uncle Hua is with us, so we won't bother the young prince."
"I just happen to have something to ask the teacher."
It sounds like an excuse. He only goes to school half a day... No, I heard from my father that the young prince hasn't been going to the Imperial College to study all day recently. What academic knowledge does he have to ask for advice?
The two looked at each other.
Zhao Lan was determined to send it.
Su Ruojin had no choice but to let him go.
After leaving the restaurant, there were two carriages parked at the door. Zhao Lan led the young lady and her brother to the front carriage. Mao Ya wanted to follow, but was stopped by Shuang Rui, "Madam Mao, your carriage is at the back."
Mao Ya didn't move and looked at her little master.
Su Ruojin looked at Zhao Lan. During the day, Mao Ya and Qiu Yue came with the siblings in the same car.
Zhao Lan said, "Sanlang is sleepy. I opened the stool so he can take a nap."
When he heard the word "sleep", Su Sanlang yawned reflexively.
It turned out that the young prince was quite thoughtful. She turned around and said, "Then Sister Maoya, you guys just sit in the back." She hugged her brother and thought, we are all children, so it should be okay!
After the young master gave the order, Mao Ya and the others got on the carriage at the back.
When they got on the carriage, they saw that the bench they usually sat on had become wider. Su Ruojin sat on it and held Su Sanlang in her arms. The little guy soon fell asleep while being rocked. She fell asleep while holding him in her arms.
Zhao Lan reached out and took the small blanket to cover the siblings.
As they walked forward, the road became bumpy at times. Su Ruojin hugged her brother, and the bumpy road accidentally loosened her hands. Seeing that Su Sanlang was about to fall out due to inertia, Zhao Lan reached out to catch Su Sanlang, put him beside him, and hugged him with one hand.
With his other hand, he protected Madam Su Er, who had also fallen asleep. When the inertia of the next turn was about to throw her out, he caught the young lady with his other arm and gently placed her on the other side of his side.
On the left and on the right, Zhao Lan was surrounded by the small and soft bodies of the Su siblings. His eyes naturally moved to the sleeping face of the young lady on the left, and he felt the incredible softness in his arms.
So amazing!
It turns out that holding a child feels so good. No wonder the teacher used to hold Ajin and now holds Su Xiaomei. It makes people's hearts feel soft and tender. It is an incredible experience, as if life has been continued with joy and happiness.
I don't know how long they looked at each other, but suddenly there was a bumpy ride. Zhao Lan came back to his senses and subconsciously hugged the siblings tightly. He turned to look at Su Sanlang, who was also hugging a little kid. Why didn't he have the same feeling towards Su Sanlang?
He looked up and thought carefully, has the teacher ever hugged Su Sanlang?
In the first year of their acquaintance, the teacher held Ajin and the steward of the Su family held Su Sanlang. Later, when Ajin grew older and no longer needed to be held, the teacher held Su Silang, and this year it was Su Wumei. In other words, the teacher basically treated his children equally. When both the young man and the young lady needed to be held, he doted on the young lady more.
So he also likes young ladies more?
Zhao Lan found comfort in his preference for the young lady. Yes, he also liked daughters like his teacher.
How come the soft, sticky and fragrant young lady isn’t from his family?
No matter how big her heart was, it was useless. Her body was that of a child. After a busy day, Su Ruojin was so tired that she fell asleep in the carriage. When she woke up, she was already in bed. Chunxiao heard the noise and pulled open the bed curtains. "Jinniang, are you awake?"
"What time is it?"
Chunxiao turned around and looked at the hourglass. "It's the beginning of midnight."
It was eleven o'clock at night, and Su Ruojin was awakened by hunger. Chunxiao knew it, of course, and had prepared delicious food long ago. She hurried to the kitchen to bring the food that was warm in the pot, helped the young master to wash up, and then ate the late dinner on the table in the middle of the room.
After eating, Su Ruojin rinsed her mouth and continued to sleep until dawn.
This morning, only Mao Ya and Hua Ping practiced their skills. The Su siblings slept until nine o'clock and ate. Only then did they realize that Si Ping had been waiting for more than an hour.
This time, Su Sanlang didn't follow the road and ran to the alley to play with his friends.
Su Ruojin still took the three of them with Siping to work in the shop.
Cheng Yingzhen asked her, "How long will it take?"
Su Ruojin estimated that the two shops were all designed by hand, "It will probably take until the end of the month."
When I came back last night, I fell asleep before I even touched the bed. Cheng Yingzhen felt sorry for me and said, "You kid... The young prince has many capable people under him. Why are you joining in the fun?"
Siping heard this and immediately said, "Yesterday was a small mistake. Let Second Lady rest and take a nap after lunch today. Also, send Second Lady back early in the evening to make sure she doesn't get tired."
That's more like it. Cheng Yingzhen wanted to prevent her daughter from getting into trouble, but she also knew that she couldn't help in any way. The only thing she could do was to let her daughter do whatever she wanted.
"Come back soon, Jin."
"I know, mother."
When Su Ruojin entered the shop again, a middle-aged man who looked like a shopkeeper was waiting with a charcoal pencil and paper. Siping introduced, "This is Mr. Shen. He is good at drawing straight lines like the young lady. The young master asked him to come and help you."
"Madam Jin, just tell me and I will draw. If the drawing is not good or there is something wrong, please point it out."
He actually got an assistant? Zhao Lan is great!
Su Ruojin accepted it with a smile, "Thank you sir."
"You're welcome, Madam Jin."
The two of them hardly had any time to get used to each other, they just talked and drew at the same time, with such a magical tacit understanding that even Su Ruojin couldn't believe it.
"Sir, that's awesome."
Being praised by a young lady, Shen Mingqing shook his head and laughed: "The young lady is the real amazing one."
A nine-year-old girl's knowledge of restaurant renovation is so limited that even an experienced expert would not be able to do more than this.
This young lady who appears in Hua Ping's mouth all day long is indeed extraordinary.
After being praised in return, Su Ruojin realized that she had over-exaggerated herself. Isn't it strange that a 'nine-year-old' girl could know these things?
Fortunately, Mr. Shen did not dwell on this topic, but reminded her in time whether it was time to drink water and have lunch. This time, lunch was behind the shop, across an alley, in an elegant and exquisite courtyard, and the food was already on the table.
"Young lady, please—"
Su Ruojin felt like an important guest and was treated very well.
Most of the dishes on the table were those that Su Ruojin had cooked before. It was estimated that the chef was from Prince Jin’s Mansion, and these recipes were probably stolen from her by Mrs. Xu.
Thinking of Mrs. Xu, it felt like a long time had passed since the Su family once lived in poverty.
The taste is okay!
After eating, Su Ruojin was urged to take a nap. She had work, food and drink, and a nap. But she was urged to leave work before five in the evening. How could her life be so comfortable!
Su Ruojin worked on the renovation of the two shops until the end of September, when she worked out all the drawings and required materials with Mr. Shen and gave them to Siping.
At night, in the secret courtyard of the Exploration Department, Mr. Shen took the drawings for Siping and looked at them carefully again, and sighed, "It's a pity that I am neither from the Ministry of Revenue nor the Ministry of Industry. Otherwise, with this skill alone, I would definitely be an expert in accounting in the Ministry of Revenue. With these drawings, I can walk sideways in the Ministry of Industry."
Zhao Lan glanced at him and brushed the blueprints and material budget sheets on the table. "Stop talking nonsense here. You drew all these and calculated them. If you want to be a good hand or walk sideways, you can find my father now and ask him to put you in."
It was just a disguised way of praising the young lady. Not only was the young master unhappy, he was also very serious.
Mr. Shen immediately understood why the young master was so sensitive. Dr. Su's eldest daughter was only nine years old, and she was a young lady. She was simply a child prodigy. If this were to get out, it would certainly help her future if she was a young man, but a young lady...
If you want someone to be good and treat someone well, the best thing is to protect her silently. Mr. Shen immediately shut up and never mentioned it again.
Zhao Lan asked Santai to collect the drawings and budget. "Give them to Siping tomorrow and have someone find a craftsman to start the renovation. If anyone asks about the drawings and other things, just say that I found the skilled craftsman."
"Yes, young master."
Santai backed out.
Zhao Lan put his hand on his forehead. "My fourth brother asked how we can avoid the Ministry of Revenue and repair the house of Loudianwu for the winter. He asked me to think of a solution for him."
Mr. Shen asked back, "Didn't His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan ask you to come up with a solution for him?"
The fourth prince’s title was Yan.
Zhao Lan raised his eyes and said, "Last year, when we investigated the Ministry of Works' spies, although I informed my fourth brother in advance, the King of Wei and the King of Qi still caught me and I ended up in a bad light in front of His Majesty. Sir, you have a wide range of knowledge and insights, so please help me think about it. It can be considered as repaying a favor."
Mr. Shen did not comment.
Although the crown prince has no backers, he is still the crown prince after all. Several princes actually treat the crown prince as if he does not exist and fight among themselves. But since the young master brought it up, he had to analyze it: "If you want to repair the house of Loudianwu, it's nothing more than money, and the money is not from the Ministry of Revenue, but such a large amount of money, where else to go if not the Ministry of Revenue? The King of Yan will definitely face the King of Wei head-on."
There are two possible outcomes. One is that the King of Qi will find all kinds of excuses not to give him money and prevent him from completing the repairs. The other is that even if he gives him money, it will probably be a drop in the bucket and he will still fail to complete the repairs. Once winter comes, if there are any problems, those guys in the Censorate will make another appeal, and the King of Yan will be afraid of losing his position as the Ministry of Works.
The weather is cold in winter, which is not a good time to renovate a shop. However, a restaurant shop is different from an ordinary house. If it is not decorated and used quickly, the loss will be great. Fortunately, most of the ancient decorations were made of wood, so even if it is cold, it will not have much impact.
In order to thank Su Ruojin for drawing the decoration blueprints and calculating the materials for the two shops, Zhao Lan took a day off on the first day of October and invited Su Ruojin and his family to have dinner at Fengle Tower.
It was so cold that even the No. 1 Restaurant in the World had lost its appeal. Su Ruojin really didn't want to go out, but Zhao Lan came to pick her up in person. Su Ruojin had to go even if she didn't want to. It was hard to refuse such a kind invitation!
It was always this private room. Su Ruojin suspected that this room in Fengle Building was booked by Zhao Lan.
She moved closer to him and whispered, "Is that right?"
Zhao Lan smiled and nodded, "Yeah."
It’s true!
"A whole year package?"
"Um."
Su Ruojin took a breath, "How much does that cost?"
Zhao Lan smiled and didn't reply. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell the young lady some things, but the weighing of pros and cons and intrigues in the man's world were really unnecessary.
This week's update will be in the evening, dears, support Binghe!!!
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