In the twelfth lunar month, every family is busy preparing for the New Year.
It's that time of year again when Manager Qian is busiest.
Although the house is small and there are not many people, he takes care of all the things, such as preparing for the New Year and decorating the yard.
He had just finished directing several servants to put away the meat and grain they had bought when he turned around and saw someone walking in from outside the gate.
In the blink of an eye, we entered the courtyard.
The man was dressed in brand-new clothes from head to toe.
She was wearing a purple-gold crown on her head, which was inlaid with gemstones and adorned with strings of beads.
A golden crown, jewels, handsome features...
It's hard to say which is more dazzling.
Butler Qian looked at it and felt dizzy.
He quickly went over and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, your arrival is truly an honor to our humble abode."
Zhao Changqing glanced at him dismissively: "Old Qian, are you really telling the truth?"
“It’s real, more real than the century-old ginseng you sent yesterday, more real than the amethyst ornament you sent last month, and more real than the tiger bone and deer antler you sent the month before last.”
Zhao Changqing, with his hands behind his back, chin raised, and eyes narrowed, said, "Old Qian, ever since you started following the new mistress, you've become quite the smooth talker."
Butler Qian chuckled, "It's all thanks to the mistress's excellent teaching. What brings Your Highness here today?"
Zhao Changqing looked back at the boxes being carried by the people behind him, his expression somewhat unnatural.
Seeing his actions, Butler Qian's gaze also shifted to the box.
"Your Highness, have you come to deliver something again?"
"Hmm," Zhao Changqing mumbled in response. "Is He Youyou here?"
"Yes, I am." Butler Qian smiled sincerely. "I'm in the hall, talking to Master Cheng."
Zhao Changqing's expression froze on his face.
"What is he doing here again?"
"It's the end of the year, and Master Cheng is bringing money to the mistress."
"What kind of money? How much?"
Steward Qian chuckled and said, "Hehe, I don't know anything about business. But I saw that you counted one silver note after another, so it must be a lot of money. The mistress is rich now, she can't even spend all her own money, so Your Highness won't need to keep sending things over."
Zhao Changqing told him to put away what was behind him, and then headed straight for the main hall without lingering.
Just as I reached a short distance from the door, I ran into Cheng Tingrui coming out.
Zhao Changqing stopped, and Cheng Tingrui stopped as well.
They looked at each other from opposite sides.
"This humble subject pays his respects to Your Highness."
In the end, Cheng Tingrui took the initiative to bow, breaking the deadlock.
"No need for formalities." Zhao Changqing straightened up. "Is Master Cheng leaving?"
Cheng Tingrui smiled slightly, his face appearing exceptionally handsome: "We've finished talking about everything we needed to, so I won't bother you any longer. After all, Youyou isn't exactly free; it's not good for her to come whether she has something to say or not."
Zhao Changqing was taken aback by his words.
"I... also have something to discuss with her today."
"Oh, Your Highness, please go ahead. This humble subject will take his leave."
Zhao Changqing nodded and brushed past him.
Upon entering the main hall, they saw He Youyou sitting at a table with a pile of account books and banknotes on it.
She was holding a pen and writing something in a notebook.
Sensing his arrival, she merely raised her head slightly without getting up.
"Your Highness has arrived. Please make yourself at home. I'll serve you when I'm done with my work."
Zhao Changqing stepped forward and sat down on the chair next to her.
His gaze swept over the items on the table.
The thick stack of banknotes was particularly eye-catching.
He Youyou wrote in her notebook for a while, then put away her notebook and pen and looked up.
The tea on the table had gone cold.
A maidservant came in and brought a fresh pot of tea.
He Youyou personally filled his cup, and the tea poured into it with a gurgling sound.
"I was reconciling accounts with Manager Cheng today, and he also brought me this year's dividends."
Zhao Changqing held his teacup and asked, feigning calmness, "Really? How much was distributed this year?"
He Youyou took a sip of tea to moisten her throat.
"Business is just starting this year, so the distribution isn't that much yet. The main branch and all the branches of Youruitang have kept enough cash, and a portion has been reserved as a risk fund. The remaining profits are distributed among the employees who hold shares, Cheng Tingrui, and the rest is mine. Manager Cheng has worked hard, so I gave him a portion of my own money as a reward. In the end, I only received 200,000 taels."
Zhao Changqing's fingers, which were gripping the cup, turned slightly white.
Two hundred thousand taels...
"In addition to the dividends from Master Cheng, I also received 50,000 from Ma Xiuyuan. The Shen family dye shop is just starting out this year, with low output and high expenses. I originally thought I wouldn't have much money left at the end of the year, but they actually gave me several thousand taels as well."
Zhao Changqing didn't know what to say.
The titles of prince and duke in the Great Qian Dynasty were not real titles, but honorary titles.
A prince's annual salary is 10,000 taels of silver and 10,000 shi of rice, paid from the local finances of his fiefdom.
As the emperor's younger brother, he received many rewards from the palace every year.
But all in all, it doesn't amount to what He Youyou earns in a year.
I feel a little panicked.
"So, Youyou, are you happy to have so much money?" He looked at her nervously.
He Youyou smiled gently: "I do like making money, it's not like I've never seen money before. My happiness isn't because I'm rich."
In modern times, she handles millions or tens of millions of dollars, and she has long passed the stage where her eyes light up at the sight of money.
"Then, what is it that makes Youyou happy?"
He Youyou put down her cup and looked at him seriously: "Do you understand the sense of accomplishment? When I achieve a goal, I feel satisfied. I wanted to invest in this business, and if I succeeded and got a return, I would feel satisfied. It's a kind of happiness that transcends money itself."
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