Chapter 33 The young couple working together seamlessly in the flower sea behind the mountain
Zhong Qian thought to himself how to seize this opportunity, then bowed and extended his arms, saying, "Young Master, Young Madam, please. I will lead the way for you today." With that, he stepped forward and led the two inside.
Inside the hexagonal hall, the plants by the window are all pink orchids, three plants in the same pot, their slender green necks drooping down, with a few flower heads hanging down, like a beautiful woman bowing her neck, shyly half-hidden.
The flower stands of varying heights are arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner, some displaying fruit platters, others adorned with vases, creating an exceptionally elegant atmosphere.
Chen Junbo turned to Li Yang and asked, "How is it?"
The young woman pursed her lips slightly, without even raising her eyelids, and said indifferently, "Very beautiful." After saying that, she followed Zhong Qian away.
Chen Junbo tucked his sleeves and followed the two.
Zhong Qian explained attentively, "This flower shop has changed managers several times, and I, the youngest, have been there the longest. It's been two years now."
He secretly pondered: The steward hasn't informed everyone yet, this matter might be what was just decided... The young master brought his wife along now, probably because he's worried that she might be bullied since she's just starting out in charge, and he's come to establish his authority and support her...
Thinking of this, he became even more enthusiastic towards Li Yang, leading her through the back door, "Young Madam, this building is cramped, please move to the backyard to take a look."
"Look, this place is spacious, displaying all sorts of landscaping trees. Customers can choose from various options here, and even have custom orders made. One transaction here is equivalent to five days' worth of business upstairs." He gestured with his hand, quite pleased with himself.
Continuing forward, we arrived at the white wall. The wavy eaves were decorated with black tiles, and four blue bricks were inlaid with the words "Springtime Fragrance". Below, strange rocks were stacked to form a mountain shape, adorned with green and yellow bonsai, and clusters of green bamboo grew against the rocks, creating a serene and unique atmosphere.
Li Yang stopped and asked, "What is this?"
Zhong Qian smiled and replied, "Young Madam, this is landscaping. The literati and scholars in Songshan Town love to build artificial mountains in their gardens. Therefore, as requested by you, we have set up this landscape to cater to their tastes."
Li Yang said "Oh," and looked around. "But I don't see any scholars in this shop." With that, his bright eyes turned to the clock.
The latter hurriedly bowed, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, and repeatedly nodded, leading the two into the courtyard, "Young Madam, this way please."
The group strolled around the courtyard, visiting pavilions and terraces, which were either piled with strange rocks or covered with blooming flowers.
Li Yang rubbed his temples, barely managing to stop yawning.
Chen Junbo paused slightly, looked at her, and asked a question in his eyes.
Li Yang took a deep breath, shook his head, and looked at the clock.
The man was getting carried away, pointing out and commenting on the parts of the courtyard that he was most pleased with, completely unaware that the owner behind him was becoming increasingly sluggish.
Chen Junbo spoke coldly: "Manager Zhong, why don't we have a cup of tea before we talk?"
"Yes, yes." Zhong Qian turned around, but saw that the young mistress's face was no longer smiling, and the young master beside her was even more somber. His heart skipped a beat. He had actually annoyed his master!
Originally, being able to see Chen Junbo in person today was a stroke of good fortune for Zhong Qian.
In his eyes, the Chen family's carriage carried his bright future. Little did he expect that their mere meeting would cause the owner to show displeasure.
He felt a pang of regret, as if he had slapped himself in the face. He quickly lowered his voice and apologized, saying, "I was out of line and spoke rudely. I hope you two will forgive me. There is tea and refreshments upstairs. Please come and rest for a while."
The two were led to the second floor of the hexagonal pavilion, which was originally a place for distinguished guests to enjoy tea and discuss orders.
Today, business doesn't seem very busy. Although there are many people on the first floor, the second floor is quiet and deserted, with only a few empty square tables and no other guests.
Zhong Qian personally led the guests upstairs, whereupon a waiter appeared out of nowhere to greet them, diligently wiping the tables and chairs and quickly serving tea, fruit, and snacks, treating them with utmost care.
"Does the young mistress have any further questions?" After ordering the tea, Zhong Qian bowed to Li Yang and asked with a smile.
Manager Zhong was a very perceptive person; she had already noticed that the young master intended to treat the young mistress with the utmost respect today. Her question was also meant to probe her intentions.
Of the ten percent of what he heard, Li Yang was seventy percent confused. Just as he was about to give a few perfunctory replies, Chen Junbai spoke up: "Manager Zhong, has Mother come to the shop today?"
Zhong Qian, puzzled, replied truthfully, "Young master, Madam doesn't usually come to the shop. At the end of each month, I deliver the shop's account books to the Chen residence for Madam to review."
Chen Junbo nodded slightly: "I've heard that the flower business has been losing money year after year, which is not a long-term solution."
Hearing him say this, Li Yang lowered his eyes, paused in the hand holding the candied fruit, and listened intently.
"Now, the old master has learned of this matter and intends to place the flower business under the young mistress's name. However, she is new to this business and is not yet familiar with many things..."
Zhong Qian hurriedly bowed and scraped, saying, "This humble servant will do his utmost to assist the young mistress."
Chen Junbo chuckled lightly: "Manager Zhong, now that this shop is under the young mistress's name, she should make all the decisions. I'm afraid you don't know my wife's temperament yet—if the losses continue, not only you, but even I, will be unable to keep it."
Thump—
The candied fruit in Li Yang's hand fell back onto the plate. He turned down at the corners of his mouth, clearly disgusted. "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Seeing this, Zhong Qian lost all interest in the usual back-and-forth banter between the two. His tone was weak, and his respectful manner revealed a hint of urgency: "Young Master, please understand; Young Madam, please understand. Although the flower shop has not fared well this year, since I took over, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to its management..."
He inwardly groaned. As a seasoned manager, he knew all too well that the flower shop's continuous losses were unsustainable. But with his wife's numerous arrangements, he was powerless to do anything about it.
Moreover, the lady made it clear at the time that the Chen family did not rely on this flower shop to make money.
How come everything changed as soon as the young mistress took over?!
If this flower shop closes down, where will he and his employees find work in the short term?
His wife had just bought a house in town, and she was waiting for the money every month to repay the loan.
On a whim, he quickly bowed to Li Yang and said, "Young Madam, look, the shop is packed with customers. Please give me a little more time, and I will do my best..."
Seeing that Chen Junbai had laid the groundwork, Li Yang cleared his throat and said, "Manager Zhong, how long do you think it will take for this shop to turn a profit?"
Zhong Qian dared not give an accurate answer, and could only reply in a low voice, "Young Madam, this flower arrangement has been plagued by problems for a long time, and it is not something that has been done overnight."
Li Yang glanced at the clock face, then turned to look at Chen Junbai.
Young Master Chen asked slowly, "How about January?" Li Yang's eyes flickered, and he looked at Zhong with a steady expression.
Manager Zhong felt a bitter taste in his mouth and quickly said, "Young Master, a month is really not enough."
Seeing this, Li Yang chuckled and said, "Manager Zhong, he's just trying to scare you."
Before anyone could catch their breath, he continued, "Let's set a three-month deadline. If this shop can't turn a profit within three months, not only you, but even I won't be able to keep the Chen family."
Seeing that her expression was not joking, and that she had calmly and casually decided the fate of this flower arrangement, Zhong Qian dared not say anything more.
Li Yang then said, "Manager Zhong, we're leaving now. Please trouble you to load all the shop's account books onto the carriage."
When she accepted the bet, she thought of using the account books as a starting point, and this cut had to be quick, so quick that no one could tamper with them in order to be effective.
She had never been involved in the affairs of the flower arrangement business, but now her accounting skills should be comparable to those of Bi Fang.
On the return journey, Li Yang leaned against the cushions and flipped through the account books when he heard Chen Junbo casually say, "What do you think of this flower arrangement?"
Li Yang's gaze remained fixed on the ledger in his hand, and he casually replied, "The manager said that one order of landscaping trees could equal five days' worth of revenue for the flower hall, but I think we might not be able to close a single landscaping deal even in ten days."
As she spoke, she put down the book in her hand, looked up at the other person, and said, "They say that no matter what you do, you should never do a business that loses money. But look at this flower market, it's not a place to do business at all. It's more like a garden, a courtyard, a place for people to stroll and enjoy."
Chen Junbo ignored her words and instead teased, "I thought you were going to lose your soul as soon as you entered this place full of flowers."
“Me?” Li Yang’s lips curled up. “I grew up in the back mountains. My mother never restricted me. The flowers in the back mountains covered the whole area. That was truly beautiful. These flowers picked and put in pots are pretty, but they always seem to lack a certain spirit.” As he spoke, he shook his head, but he didn’t see the glint in the other person’s eyes.
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