Chapter 31 Half Moon 3
◎Will smart people be stubborn? ◎
In those days, in a village of two or three hundred people, less than five or six could read.
Nan Qing is the "direct disciple" of the second master of the Shen family. He is not only literate but also good at accounting. How could he fall to such a state?
Yan Yue's question seemed to have touched Shen Xuezhou's sore spot.
He was silent for a long time before he said, "The ancestors of the Shen family were originally officials for generations. When it came to my great grandfather's generation, the family got into trouble, and my great grandfather's father and uncle all ended up badly. Therefore, the Shen family moved to Rongshan and focused on business."
"Maybe it's because of talent, or maybe it's because of good luck, our family business is getting bigger and bigger, until we have a firm foothold in Rongshan. But my great grandfather issued a death order before he died, forbidding our family members to engage in politics, so how dare we hire those people who have made great achievements?"
Shen Xuezhou said as he looked at Nan Qing and said softly, “Maybe I got her into trouble.”
Yan Yue understood that it was normal that the new master could not trust the people of the old master. Because Shen Xuezhou passed away, people that Shen Xuezhou valued will be "marginalized".
The moon climbed up to the treetops, and the cold wind of early winter penetrated into Yan Yue's collar, making her shiver.
The lights in the restaurant were finally turned off. Nan Qing closed the door alone, without even lighting a lantern, and walked straight into the night.
Yan Yue trotted after her: "Miss Nan Qing!"
Nan Qing looked at her in surprise.
"I have suggested this to you at noon, and I hope you will consider it again. I have opened a teahouse in Linjiang City. Although the business is not booming, it is not very tiring. I really want to invite you to work in my teahouse. If the business improves, I will definitely give you a raise!"
Nan Qing nodded and said, "Thank you for your esteem, but I have no plans to change places."
Yan Yue had no choice but to coax him: "I'll let you be the shopkeeper! If my business is good, I'll give you dividends! Is that okay?"
Nan Qing remained unmoved: "Sorry, I'm sorry to have let you down." Then he continued walking forward.
Yan Yue was at a loss now. She glared at Shen Xuezhou behind her and cursed in a low voice: "Shen Xuezhou! You made me run for nothing again! From now on, I won't light any incense for you..."
Yan Yue crossed her arms in frustration, wondering angrily why she was so unlucky. Suddenly, a voice called out from behind.
"girl?"
Nan Qing, who had already walked away a few steps, came back and stood a few steps away, his face full of confusion.
Yan Yue quickly put on a smile and said, "Ah! Miss Nan Qing, have you changed your mind?"
Nan Qing walked over hesitantly, his eyes seemed to stay on Shen Xuezhou and Zhou Lin for a moment, and then he stood in front of Yan Yue and asked, "Miss, why do you insist on asking me to go to your teahouse?"
Yan Yue couldn't say it, it was Shen Xuezhou who begged her to come, so she had to say: "Ah, that, I heard that you are the direct disciple of Shen Xuezhou, the second master of Shen! I admire the second master of Shen as a business genius, so I naturally believe in the direct disciples of the second master of Shen."
Nan Qing looked incredulous, then glanced at the position of Shen Xuezhou and Zhou Lin and asked, "Did he tell you that in person?"
Yan Yue dared not say anything, so she said: "How could that be possible! I just heard that Master Shen's direct disciple is serious and down-to-earth. He is not only literate but also knows how to count. I can be at ease with you when I entrust you with anything! I see that the young lady is only doing odd jobs now, and I really can't bear to let her be buried in the dust, so I came to invite you..."
"Okay, I'll help you."
Before Yan Yue finished speaking, Nan Qing suddenly changed his attitude and agreed readily!
"Uh, ah?" Yan Yue almost didn't react: "So, you agree?"
Nan Qing nodded: "Since he wants me to help you, I will do my best."
Her eyes fell on Shen Xuezhou and Zhou Lin again. Yan Yue didn't care who the "he" she was talking about was, but couldn't help asking: "You, what did you see?"
Nan Qing retracted his gaze: "Nothing. When are we leaving?"
Yan Yue was surprised and said, "Of course the sooner the better! But, you haven't asked me about my wages yet?"
Nan Qing gestured to invite him in, then walked ahead and said, "Whatever you want, as long as you have enough food and shelter. I'll go back and pack my bags, and I'll leave the store tomorrow morning after I say goodbye."
This is really vigorous and decisive!
Yan Yue followed Nan Qing in a daze to her residence, which was a large compound with a lot of people. She occupied a small room in the back building.
The house was clean and simple, and the items were extremely simple. Apart from a few simple clothes, there was only a quilt.
Nan Qing quickly packed up her clothes and other items, took out an envelope from under the bed, stuffed the package in it and said, "I'm sorry to ask you to stay with me for one night. I'll find you an inn. Let them know tomorrow morning and we can leave."
Seeing that her residence was really simple and the windows were not sealed tightly, cold wind blew in through the gaps, Yan Yue said, "Take your bag and come with me! Let's stay in the inn together, so we can do things more conveniently tomorrow."
Nan Qing nodded and replied, "Yes."
She seemed to get into the role very quickly, and even changed her words to call Yan Yue "boss".
She was carrying two bags, one large and one small, plus a huge bedding roll that was almost half her height. Just like that, she was holding a wooden basin in her hand, which contained simple toiletries.
Yan Yue offered to help her share some of the burden many times, but she refused again and again, saying very firmly: "How can I let the boss suffer?"
When they arrived at the inn, Nan Qing asked for a lower room on her own. After Yan Yue insisted again and again, she obediently moved into the upper room next to Yan Yue.
Yan Yuemao was in the room, analyzing with Shen Xuezhou and Zhou Lin, why did Nan Qing suddenly change his mind?
Zhou Lin said, "Why do I feel that Nan Qing is weird? Is she too obedient?"
Shen Xuezhou recalled: "This girl has been like this since the first day she appeared. In fact, I have only kept her for about three years. She came to me on her own and insisted on learning how to do business from me."
"At that time, this child was very stupid and straightforward. She was dumb and stupid, and she was a girl. I really didn't want to take her in. But she kept pestering me and kept serving me every day. I had no choice but to start teaching her."
"I didn't expect this girl to be so smart. She learned to read and count very quickly! She can learn many things after being taught once, and she remembers them better than I do. I have never seen anyone with such a smart brain! Her weak points are still stubborn and she is not very flexible."
Zhou Lin was puzzled: "If he is a smart person, why would he be so stubborn?"
Shen Xuezhou said: "There was one time when it was drizzling and she came over to hold an umbrella for me. I thought it was a light rain and it was okay to get wet, so I told her that there was no need to hold an umbrella and that it was quite comfortable to get wet. Hey, guess what?"
Seeing that the two of them didn't say anything, he continued, "It rained heavily the next day, and she dragged me out into the rain, saying it would make me more comfortable! My goodness, it drenched me to the bone, and I caught a cold and a fever that night!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The two laughed heartily, and Yan Yue chuckled and said, "She's so funny!"
Shen Xuezhou sighed helplessly, "Don't mention it! For the past three years, I have been teaching her step by step, no matter how big or small. It's really exhausting! I finally taught her how to be versatile, and the store she managed finally became prosperous. But before I could taste the sweetness, she passed away! Alas!"
Yan Yue said: "No matter how good you are at dealing with people, won't you still be excluded after your death?"
The three of them were chatting animatedly when suddenly there was a knock on the door and Nan Qing came in carrying a basin of hot water.
She glanced around the room, looked away and said, "Boss, I've got you a basin of water to wash your feet."
Yan Yue was flattered and quickly took it: "Hey, you don't have to do these things! I invited you to be the shopkeeper, not a servant!"
Nan Qing nodded respectfully and said, "The shopkeeper is also a servant of the boss."
Yan Yue glanced at Shen Xuezhou and thought: He is really stubborn!
After coaxing Nan Qing away, Yan Yue sighed and said to Shen Xuezhou, "What weird things did you teach her? I even felt that she was going to wash my feet just now! You are not going to take advantage of the young and beautiful girl?!"
"Heaven and earth, conscience!"
Shen Xuezhou raised his hand and swore: "I don't have the slightest dirty thought towards her! I am the second master of the Shen family. If I am obsessed with beauty, I would have all kinds of women. Why would I attack someone close to me? What's more, she is my personal apprentice!"
Yan Yue snorted, "Don't let me know that you bullied her, or I will make you disappear into thin air!"
*
The next morning, Yan Yue followed Nan Qing to the restaurant again.
The restaurant does not serve customers in the morning, but the kitchen starts preparing food and other matters early. Nan Qing opened the door of the shop, and a fat woman in the kitchen said to her, "Come on, go unload the cart of taro in the backyard."
Nan Qing did not move for the first time in her life. She only replied, "Auntie Pang, I'm quitting my job today. When the shopkeeper comes, I'll tell him and leave."
The fat woman was shocked: "You, you want to quit your job?"
Nan Qing nodded and sat quietly in his seat waiting.
When the shopkeeper came, the kitchen staff and the waiters were all standing in the store. He frowned and said, "Why are you all standing here when you are not busy in the kitchen?"
The waiter hurried forward: "Boss! Nan Qing said she wants to quit her job!"
The shopkeeper had just taken off his hat when he suddenly tripped over his left foot and almost fell to the ground!
He took two deep breaths, came to Nan Qing, looked at Yan Yue suspiciously, and showed Nan Qing a rare smile: "Nan Qing, are you dissatisfied with your salary? How about I talk to the boss and ask him to increase your salary?"
Nan Qing had already stood up and nodded respectfully, saying, "Boss, you are worrying too much. Nan Qing is not dissatisfied. I just found another place to work. I can't hold two positions at the same time, so I have to quit."
The shopkeeper's forced smile began to falter: "Nanqing! I understand that you may be tired recently, so I'll allow you to take a two-day break. But I won't allow you to quit your job."
Yan Yue said angrily: "Why don't you allow it? I asked her, you didn't even sign a work contract with her, she is just a handyman, it's not like she was sold to your family!"
The shopkeeper's fat face turned red, and he glared at Nan Qing and said, "You begged and pleaded to stay in the Shen family, so the boss pushed you to me!" He glanced at Yan Yue and continued, "Why? Now that you've found a new employer, you feel more confident?"
Nan Qing looked at the shopkeeper and said calmly, "I stayed in the Shen family to repay my gratitude."
“Now, it is the same.”
The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then suddenly started jumping up and down: "What do you think this place is? You can stay and leave as you please? If you dare to step out of this door today, you won't get a penny of your wages for the past two months!"
Nan Qing remained calm, "I quit my job suddenly and have no intention of asking for my wages. I just came to inform you. It's still early today, so go find three odd jobs and don't delay the lunch reception."
Yan Yue almost didn't think straight, and interrupted to ask: "They are holding back your wages for two months? And they are letting you do the work of three people?"
Nan Qing turned around and was about to leave. The shopkeeper was furious and threatened: "Nan Qing! Think it over!"
He stared at Yan Yue fiercely and warned the two of them, "What will be the consequences if you offend the Shen family?! As long as the Shen family gives the order, no matter what shop you run or what job you do, you will never be able to gain a foothold in Rongshan City!"
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