Chapter 30 Half Moon 2
◎Don’t make trouble if you’re a half-baked person! ◎
Mr. Jiang was a gentle and kind old man who had never caused any trouble to anyone in his life. Unexpectedly, after his death, he would take his old friend to live in a girl's house and receive incense from her.
Mr. Jiang felt very embarrassed, so he always wanted to help “to the best of his ability.”
There was nothing he could do but to turn his body diligently, creating a little wind and helping Yan Yue to blow the dust and fallen leaves out of the yard.
Later, the night watchman came to the door and said that he was passing by outside and was splashed all over!
Yan Yue was accused of "dumping garbage outside the wall at will" and was scolded for a quarter of an hour by the night watchman. She couldn't stop the diligent Mr. Jiang, so she had to ask him to roll up the dust and fallen leaves together so that she could sweep them into the dustpan.
Chu Zhirong adjusted quickly. In just a few days, she had gotten used to the fact that the dust in the yard automatically returned to its place, and that a ghost helped her peel the fried peanuts. Even if she couldn't hear the responses from Zhou Lin and Mr. Jiang, she could still talk on her own, adding a lot of vitality to the courtyard.
The only worrying thing is Chu Zhi’s identity as a “storyteller”. As expected, the customers didn't recognize it, and business became even worse.
Yan Yue fired another waiter and only kept one to make tea and add water. After work every day, he would personally clean up the place with Chu Zhi.
Old Jiang was worried, and that day he thought of the chestnuts that were ripe in this season, so he asked Yan Yue to go pick wild chestnuts and roast them to add new products to the shop. Yan Yue thought that as the weather was getting cold, adding some hot roasted chestnuts might really help increase customer flow, so she went to the address pointed out by Mr. Jiang.
Winter is approaching and it’s getting dark earlier and earlier.
Yan Yue returned to the city carrying a sack of chestnuts she had just harvested. She and Zhou Lin were discussing how to use the chestnuts to attract customers, and neither of them paid attention to what was behind them.
Yan Yue said: "Let's roast it and put it on the table. The aroma will spread everywhere. I don't believe they won't order it!"
Zhou Lin thought it wouldn't work. "The chestnut shells are so thick! The customer's hands will hurt from peeling them. He will definitely not order them next time. This is a one-time deal!"
"That's right!"
A voice of recognition suddenly came from behind, which scared Yan Yue and even Zhou Lin, the ghost, jumped a little.
He frowned and scolded: "Who are you? How dare you eavesdrop on others' conversations? How rude!"
The ghost behind him was wrapped in silk and satin, and looked to be in his early thirties, with plump cheeks. It was obvious at first glance that he was not a sickly poor man. He bowed and said, "I was in Shen Xuezhou and happened to hear you two discussing business matters. I couldn't help but want to join in the discussion."
Zhou Lin frowned and said, "Why are you joining in the fun..."
Yan Yue thought that the other party was a wealthy man and might have some good suggestions, so she interrupted Zhou Lin and asked, "Do you know how to do business?"
The ghost named Shen Xuezhou spoke modestly, but his tone and expression were full of arrogant confidence: "I am just a humble person, but I am the second son of the Rongshan Shen family." After saying this, he emphasized: "You have heard of the Rongshan Shen family, right?"
Yan Yue shook her head and answered honestly: "No!"
Shen Xuezhou's smile froze. Fortunately, Zhou Lin had heard of it. "Rongshan Shen family? Rongshan wealthy Shen family?"
Shen Xuezhou smiled very politely: "That's right."
Yan Yue's eyes widened instantly, and she said quickly as if she had met a savior: "Help me, sir! As long as you can help me make my business prosperous, I will definitely help you fulfill your wish!"
"I have no wish."
Just when Yan Yue thought he was going to refuse, Shen Xuezhou waved the fan in his hand and said, "But I'm very happy to serve."
Shen Xuezhou moved into the third back room of Yan Yue's house.
The second master of the Shen family always speaks in a pretentious manner. Zhou Lin doesn't like him very much. On the other hand, Mr. Jiang is always easy to talk to, never finds fault with others and is lenient to others.
As soon as he entered Banzhangmingyue, he started pointing and saying this was not right and that needed to be changed. Yan Yue took it as an imperial order and filled three sheets of paper with notes. Second Master Shen said again: "This shop is not suitable for a teahouse at all."
He asked Yan Yue to shell the chestnuts, take out the flesh, and make chestnut cakes to serve to the guests.
But now there are only a waiter who pours tea and Chu Zhi who tells stories and cleans the shop, and no one else. Yan Yue's fingers were sore from peeling chestnuts. She baked a whole pot of chestnut biscuits, but no customers ordered them. They didn't sell as well as her crispy candies.
After a week of chaos and turmoil, Yan Yue looked at the list of items that needed to be purchased and replaced and began to doubt her life.
"Are you sure a teahouse needs to hang famous paintings and calligraphy?"
Chen Xuezhou said as a matter of course: "Of course! Since you are unwilling to turn it into a restaurant or an inn, then we can only turn this place into the most elegant and stylish place in Linjiang City. An elegant place naturally needs to have famous calligraphy and paintings to keep it in place, and famous porcelain to decorate it..."
"Wait, wait," Yan Yue couldn't help but interrupt him, "Do you know that the paintings and calligraphy and porcelain you listed are almost enough for me to buy all the shops on this street?"
Chen Xuezhou didn't care at all: "There's nothing we can do! This street is really remote, and there are few customers. If you want to make this teahouse a famous one that is admired by the people of the whole city, you have to do this! By then, I don't know if it's just this city, or maybe all over the country, there will be writers and poets who come here to admire its reputation! You have to leave their calligraphy..."
“I mean!”
Yan Yue interrupted Shen Xuezhou who was talking nonstop again, and couldn’t suppress her anger and roared: “If I had so much money, why would I open a teahouse!”
As the last few words were roared out, several pages of paper, booklets and brushes in his hand were thrown at Shen Xuezhou at the same time. Fortunately, Shen Xuezhou was a ghost, and those things just passed through his body without causing any real harm.
Even so, he still hid his head out of habit, and then said flatteringly: "Don't be angry! If you want your business to be prosperous, I am just helping you think about how to make your business prosperous. If you have other requirements, I will help you think about it!"
Yan Yue thought that God was blessing her and that a wealthy man would come to help her turn the tide.
Everything proves that there is no free lunch in the world. Zhou Lin was right. Mr. Shen was too ambitious. He had a lot of theories, but none of them could be put into practice.
Old Jiang also spoke for Mr. Shen, saying that perhaps because the Shen family was wealthy and powerful, Mr. Shen was used to doing business in the way of wealthy families. His heart was good, but his methods were not suitable for a small teahouse like Banzhan Mingyue.
Yan Yue thought so too. Although there was still a lot of money left by the madam of Zui Xiang Lou after buying the house, it was just a drop in the bucket given the way Chen Xuezhou used it. Forget it, maybe she isn’t destined to have this fate!
She sent Chen Xuezhou away, but she didn't expect that "it's easier to invite a ghost than to send it away".
Shen Xuezhou is a new ghost. He has been dead for almost a year, but he still claims that he has no wishes and no obsessions. He desperately clung to the door of Yan Yue's house, begging for another chance, and he would definitely be able to save the teahouse.
Yan Yue had never seen such a rogue ghost, and she didn't have the heart to use the talisman given by Qi Zhaoyang on him. She had no choice but to give him another chance.
As Shen Xuezhou said, she went to the neighboring Rongshan City to pick up one of Shen Xuezhou's "disciples".
According to Chen Xuezhou, his apprentice is serious and down-to-earth. Not only is she good at calculating, but she is also decisive and efficient in her actions. He can rest assured when leaving things to her! If his little apprentice were to carry out his plan, it would surely be successful!
Shen Xuezhou also repeatedly promised that his apprenticeship would be paid very low wages and would definitely be good value for money.
Yan Yue had no other choice but to try his luck and finally found his disciple, Nan Qing, who was "good quality, inexpensive", hardworking and capable.
However, as Shen Xuezhou's direct disciple, Nan Qing had actually been transferred away from Shen Xuezhou's former shop and went to work as a handyman in a restaurant of the Shen family.
When Yan Yue saw her, she was hurriedly carrying a large basin full of used bowls, plates and chopsticks. He finished cleaning the table next to him, and before he could spread out the rag, someone shouted from behind the kitchen curtain, "Nanqing! Serve the food!"
"Hey!" She wiped the table clean with swift hands and feet, picked up the wooden basin filled with soup, and quickly ran back to the kitchen.
After a few breaths, he brought out three more dishes and presented them to the guests one by one.
Yan Yue originally wanted to talk to her, but seeing that she was so busy, she didn't want to disturb her at this time, so she found an empty table and sat down.
After the waiter took her order, Yan Yue watched Nan Qing spinning around the restaurant like a top.
Two waiters are responsible for welcoming guests, and the shopkeeper is responsible for settling the bill. In the entire restaurant, Nan Qing is almost the only one who serves food and cleans up. Only when he is too busy will the waiters help serve dishes and wine.
By the time lunchtime came, most of the guests had left. The people from the kitchen brought out a large pot of food. The shopkeeper, the waiter, and a few people from the kitchen each had a white steamed bun and a corn cake and started eating from the large pot. Yan Yue still didn't see Nan Qing.
After they finished their meal, they each took their bowls and left. Yan Yue heard what seemed to be a cook say, "Okay, go eat first! Wash up after you finish your meal."
Then Nan Qing came out from the kitchen. The corners of her sleeves rolled up high were still wet. Yan Yue felt cold for her when she saw her.
She took two pancakes, poured the leftovers from the vegetable bowl into her own bowl, and buried her head in her mouth.
Yan Yue felt a little uncomfortable and called her, "Girl, I can't eat this roast chicken. How about..."
"Hey! Coming right up!"
Nan Qing put down his chopsticks and pancakes, turned around and got two pieces of oil paper from the counter, and walked swiftly to Yan Yue: "Then I'll wrap it for you?"
Yan Yue was stunned: "No, I want to give it to you."
Nan Qing looked at her in surprise, then looked back at her meal, smiled and said, "Thank you, guest! I've had enough. Is there anything else you need? Do you want some more hot water?"
She was wearing a thin coarse cloth dress, which made her look thin. She had delicate eyebrows and eyes on her small face, and a slender neck under her pointed chin. Her voice was crisp and clear, and she declined the good intention directly without any hesitation.
Yan Yue didn't know what to say, so she quickly said, "No, no. I just think you're working very hard. Do you want to change to an easier job? Although, the salary may not be high..."
Nan Qing smiled and declined again: "No, I'm fine here. If you don't tell me, I'll leave first!"
Nan Qing went back to continue eating, and in just a few moments, he had stuffed all the food into his stomach. It seemed like she was not eating at all, but just completing some "work".
She picked up the dish and bowl, swallowed the unchewed food in her mouth, and said to Yan Yue respectfully, "Sir, I'm busy in the kitchen. If you have any instructions, just give me a shout."
She was the only customer left in the place. Yan Yue felt as if she was causing more trouble for others, so she had to pay the bill in a hurry and leave.
As it got dark, Yan Yue, Shen Xuezhou and Zhou Lin sat in a noodle restaurant to eat noodles.
The restaurant where Nan Qing works is just diagonally opposite the noodle shop. Yan Yue continued to watch her spinning like a top and couldn't help but say, "She is indeed a capable person."
She changed the subject and couldn’t help but ask Shen Xuezhou: “But why is such a capable person doing the lowest level of odd jobs? Just because she can read and do accounting, she shouldn’t be allowed to do this, right?”
"Could it be that all the waiters hired by your Shen family are scholars?"
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