In the following period, the children lived a very regular life.
Every day, he went to Zhaohua Academy to study and then practiced martial arts with the Crown Prince.
With Han Shulan managing the household affairs, the kitchen and other matters were left to Grandma Gou Dan and Granny Hua to take care of.
Li Lanzhen took the time to go and check out the grain shop.
She plans to open and get the grain shop up and running as soon as possible.
After taking another look at the estate on the outskirts of Beijing and making all the arrangements, she prepared to return home.
Seeing Li Lanzhen about to leave, Han Youtian and his wife, along with Erniu, came out.
"Auntie, are you going out? We'll go with you."
Li Lanzhen waved her hand, "No need, you guys rest first today. I'm going out for a walk. I'll let you know when I need you, and we'll go out together."
Li Lanzhen can't take them with her these next few days.
When they bought the shop in the capital, Li Lanzhen told Han Minghai that the shop was to be a grain store.
According to a sketch that Li Lanzhen gave him for decorating his grain shop.
Han Minghai has already prepared everything for the grain shop. As soon as someone arrives and brings the grain, the shop can open for business.
So Li Lanzhen went to this shop to release all the grain in her space, and it wouldn't be convenient to call them along.
As Li Lanzhen strolled leisurely through the street, she felt the bustling atmosphere on both sides of the street.
I couldn't help but admire it; it really is the capital city, with so many people and shops, it's so lively!
She walked past the Sifang Restaurant without stopping, continuing forward.
This shop is located in the east of the city. When you arrive at the entrance of the grain shop, look up and you will see a small door on the right.
There are nine door panels next to it.
Li Lanzhen had heard Li Erhan explain that in those days, shop doors were all made using this kind of mortise and tenon joint.
When opening for business, you can remove three or more door panels depending on the store's needs.
When it's time to close, they put the door panels back on one by one, and the shop is shut down.
Li Lanzhen took out a key from her spatial storage, opened a wooden door on the right, and went through to the front hall.
In the middle of the lobby is the cashier counter, and on both sides of the counter are wooden boards with squares.
Each square contains a square box, with the front of the box lower than the back.
Li Lanzhen knew these were containers for grain samples.
Each type of grain or bean/millet was packed in these wooden boxes.
Anyone who enters a grain shop can immediately tell what kinds of grains it carries.
There is a square board about one meter in size standing in front of the cashier.
Li Lanzhen knew that this was a notice board that was hung outside and posted on the grain rack every day.
The entire shop was spotless, and the plaque of "Peach Blossom Spring Grain Shop" was placed next to it, covered with a red cotton cloth.
The words "Peach Blossom Spring Grain Shop" were written by the Crown Prince.
It was sent to Li Erhan and carved into the shop sign made of this piece of wood.
Behind these two lattice walls is the grain storage area, which is much larger than the front hall.
The shelves for storing grain have all been made and are arranged neatly.
Li Lanzhen went up to the second floor via the stairs on the left.
All the rooms on the second floor face the street, while the corridor is at the back.
Li Lanzhen looked up and saw that there were four rooms upstairs.
Han Minghai said that a room was reserved for her, with an office outside and accommodation inside.
The other rooms also have desks, bookshelves, and chaise lounges.
Li Lanzhen walked around and went down to the backyard.
The backyard wasn't big, but it was small yet complete.
There is a well, a toilet, a woodshed, and a small kitchen.
There are four more houses that people can live in.
The room wasn't big; it contained a heated kang bed, a table, and two stools.
Simple, but very practical.
The backyard door is a double wooden door, sturdy and durable.
There is a tree next to the well. The leaves have all fallen, but you can tell that it is tall and must be lush and leafy when the weather is warm.
Li Lanzhen looked around and was very satisfied with the place.
I discussed it with Erniu yesterday. He wants to come and live in the backyard, firstly to keep an eye on Liang Suzi, and secondly because it's convenient for him to live here.
Later, Han Youliang and his wife also wanted to come and live here.
Their son, Han Dezhi, lived in Han Mingxiang's courtyard. He went to school with Han Yinan and the others, and ate and slept there after school.
He comes here to be with his parents during his break.
Li Lanzhen didn't interfere with them; it was their own choice.
Even if they all stayed in that courtyard, there would be enough room.
Let's buy a few more servants here.
Li Lanzhen first went into the three houses in the backyard where people lived.
They took out a kang mat, a thick mattress, a quilt, and a blanket from the space.
Then I went to the small kitchen and put away a set of pots, pans, bowls, and water tanks.
After thinking for a moment, I put down some cornmeal, white rice, white flour, and some brown rice here.
Xue Laohu followed Han Mingjiang to the southwestern border.
Li Lanzhen planned to prepare the grain shop first, so that it would open just before the New Year when Xue Laohu arrived.
The grain shops here were handed over to Xue Laohu for full management, and he was also put in charge of the estates outside the city.
Therefore, it would be best for this grain shop to find a manager to handle the accounts and other supplies.
It seems I'll have to go to the human trafficking shop again to see if I can find a suitable person to buy it back.
After locking the grain shop door, since we were in an unfamiliar place, it would be best to find a local.
Li Lanzhen strolled leisurely to Sifang Restaurant.
The waiter warmly welcomed her inside.
Li Lanzhen walked directly to the shopkeeper.
He took out the black wooden plaque that Xuan Shen had given her from his sleeve.
As soon as the shopkeeper saw the sign, he immediately nodded and smiled at Li Lanzhen.
"Are you Mrs. Li?"
"The young master has already given instructions; please speak if you have something to say."
Pointing to the table beside him, he said, "Madam Li, please sit down. Waiter, bring some tea."
Li Lanzhen sat at a table, and a waiter brought her tea.
The shopkeeper, sitting opposite her, glanced at Li Lanzhen.
He thought to himself, "This must be Madam Li, the God of Wealth from all directions!"
Last winter, Sifang Restaurant in Beijing was facing a slump in business when, unexpectedly, Manager Hua delivered a batch of lush green vegetables.
Not only did it revive the business of Sifang Restaurant, it also made them a fortune.
In winter, even a small plate of garlic spinach costs two taels of silver and requires queuing.
Next came green corn, and then glass noodles...
Everything is a good thing.
Not to mention the hot pot broth recipe that this lady gave.
Hot pot became incredibly popular in Beijing after it entered the restaurant industry.
A month ago, Manager Hua repeatedly instructed him that if this Madam Li came looking for him, he must treat her with respect and offer her unconditional help.
A few days ago, the young master also came to the restaurant and told him about this matter.
Li Lanzhen knew that the shopkeeper was sizing her up.
She wasn't afraid at all, because she knew that the shopkeeper meant her no harm; on the contrary, he admired her.
He chuckled to himself, guessing that Manager Hua and Xuan Shen had given him some instructions.
Li Lanzhen looked up at the slightly overweight shopkeeper in his thirties.
He had the shrewdness of a businessman, but Li Lanzhen also saw his kindness and intelligence in his eyes.
"Shopkeeper, what is your surname?"
“Madam Li, my surname is Zhang, please call me Manager Zhang.”
"Alright, Manager Zhang, I have a favor to ask."
"Madam Li, please speak. I will definitely help you with that."
Li Lanzhen was thinking to herself, "I haven't even told you what I want you to do, and you're already doing it? If I asked you to kill someone, would you do it? Heh."
“I’m planning to open a grain shop next to your restaurant, but I don’t have enough staff.”
I'd like to buy a few servants. It would be even better if they had experience as managers in a grain shop.
So I came to ask you about that family of brokers; they're known for being honest and reliable.
Manager Zhang breathed a long sigh of relief; it turned out to be such a small matter.
He was still wondering what important matter Madam Li wanted him to do.
He immediately smiled and said, "Okay, Madam Li, please wait a moment."
"Please forgive me, I'm too busy at the restaurant to leave. I'll have my waiter take you to this brokerage firm we often deal with."
"Okay, shopkeeper, please get back to work."
After Li Lanzhen left the restaurant with a waiter who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, she walked across the street.
“Madam Li, this family’s business is not far away, so we will not take the carriage.”
Li Lanzhen nodded, "Alright, we'll walk. Brother Er, lead the way."
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