These days, Xi Chun has been keeping an eye on the affairs of the county government, while also dealing with business matters. Since the Long family fell from power, all of their shops have been closed, so Xi Chun and his family naturally no longer need to engage in price wars.
Therefore, the prices of all items were reduced to the same level as those in Pingnan County. Even so, this was much more cost-effective than what the Long family had sold before. Those who had been hesitant at the time now regretted it. They wished they had bought earlier. Now that the prices had been restored to their original levels, they had no choice but to buy at those prices.
"Sister Xichun, the shopkeepers from the Long family have come to me. All their shops are closed now, and they have nowhere to go. They want to come and seek refuge with me. What should I do?"
"That's simple. We're short-handed right now anyway. We just need to ask around and keep the managers with good character to work for us. That way, the managers we brought can go back to their hometowns and continue working. It's not a good thing to separate people from their wives and children."
"I understand. We'll just find a reason not to use those people with bad character. I'll take care of it right away." Taozi felt reassured after receiving Xichun's reply and went to carry it out without hesitation.
Among the managers of the Long family, there were also those who participated in the evil deeds of the Long father and son. Those people have already been sentenced. The rest of them are just in charge of the business. Although some of them have a bad attitude, at least they have not started any fights.
When Taozi returned to the shop, he saw that all the shopkeepers were waiting for news at the door. When they saw him, they all crowded around, wanting to hear the results.
"Manager Zhang, I don't know what the boss said. We are all law-abiding citizens and have not done anything wrong. Now that the Long family's shop has been shut down, we can only come to you to make a living. We hope you can give us a way out."
The shopkeeper, who was in the lead, spoke the words of the others, and they all nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry, everyone, let's talk inside, let's talk inside." Seeing that they were eager to know the result, Taozi called everyone to the courtyard.
"The employer said that you've had a tough time too. Our Zhang family isn't the kind of family that mistreats people. We're willing to hire some of you, but we still need to investigate the candidates. Write down your names and the shops you've worked at before, as well as your current residence. We'll come and notify you when the investigation is over."
"How long will this evaluation take, and what are the criteria?" someone asked anxiously, worried about not being selected.
"The investigation will take about ten days. The boss hasn't said what the specific basis will be, but don't worry, everyone go back and wait for news. Our boss is not the kind of person who wants to take any benefits. Don't do anything else in the meantime, or the boss will be displeased."
"Yes, thank you, Manager Zhang. We'll wait at home for your good news." Hearing this, they all guessed what was going on and didn't dare to ask any more questions. They left immediately.
Over the next few days, Taozi investigated the shopkeepers who had signed up through various channels before sending the list of approved shopkeepers to Xichun.
"Taozi's here! Perfect timing, the food's ready. Come and eat." Fu Changfeng came out and greeted Taozi with a smile.
"Brother-in-law, I haven't eaten yet. I'll just mooch a meal here. I heard you've been busy these days. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know." Taozi hadn't seen Fu Changfeng for a long time either; everyone had been busy with their own things.
"That's great. There's something I need your help with." As soon as Fu Changfeng said this, Xichun stood at the door.
"You two should talk about whatever you want after you've eaten. What time is it? Don't you know you should eat on time? I think the child knows better than you do. Don't let him get a stomachache from hunger. That would be a real loss."
"Hehe, Madam is right. Come, let's eat first and then talk." The three of them ate their meal in silence before they began to talk.
"Sister Xichun, this is the list of shopkeepers who passed the evaluation. I wrote down the reasons for their approval. Take a look." Taozi took out the list first, and Xichun also looked at it.
"Brother-in-law, is there anything you need my help with?" Taozi asked Fu Changfeng, who was standing next to him.
"Here's the thing, the autumn harvest has already begun, and I need to go to various villages and towns to inspect. For the next few days, you, Sister Xichun, will be home alone during the day. I want you to take good care of her and make sure no one hurts her."
"Is that so? Okay, I'll put aside what I'm doing these days and stay home to take care of Sister Xichun."
"Alright, alright, you two, I'm not being that dramatic. You should go do what you need to do. There are so many guards at home, how could there be any danger? Besides, you'll be back every night, so if anything happens, I can handle it."
Taozi, if the place you've chosen seems suitable, have someone notify these people to come to the shop and familiarize themselves with it. However, they should mainly familiarize themselves with our service methods. Don't let them bring their bad habits from the Long family's shop. If anyone comes to buy something, whether they buy or not, their attitude must be good. That's how we get repeat customers. Our shop is a business of integrity, not one of forced sales.”
"Hehe, Sister Xichun's temper is getting worse and worse. Well then, brother-in-law, I'll go back and get busy first." Seeing Xichun's imposing manner, Taozi hurriedly ran away. He was Sister Xichun's apprentice, so he naturally knew how formidable she was.
“Look at you, why have you been so irritable these days? I bet you’d even scold a passing ant. Have you been feeling restless because you haven’t seen the children for so long?” Fu Changfeng stepped forward, took her hand, and gently comforted her.
"Hey, I don't know what's wrong with me lately, I just feel like cursing and I'm not happy. Don't worry, the autumn harvest is a big deal. We still need to transport grain to the prefectural city. Each and every task is not easy, so we can't be careless."
Although you've won over those yamen runners with your salary, you can't judge a book by its cover. You still need to be wary. It's better to wait until things have worked out before making any further moves.”
"Then I'll have someone fetch a doctor for you later. Now that we've just dealt with the Long family's matter, I'm worried that there might be someone else trying to retaliate. For this grain harvest, I plan to have people from other families send some to help, which will also serve as a way to supervise the officials. This way, the people will know that I, as their magistrate, am truly doing my job and not just here to amass wealth."
As for those families, they also felt valued, as long as they did their businesses well and didn't have to live in constant fear like the Long family.
"Yes, it's good that you understand. Then I'm relieved. I'll support whatever you do."
“My dear wife, in a few days we will be able to write to our parents and bring the children over.”
"good."
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