Chapter 123 Journey to Jizhou
Two days later, the streets of the county were much more lively than usual. There were vendors selling red lanterns, red candles, and red paper for writing couplets; all kinds of New Year's supplies were available.
The restaurants and shops will be closed for the holiday tomorrow. He An purchased a batch of holiday gifts. After the employees finished cleaning in the afternoon, they received their bonuses and holiday wine and can go home for the New Year.
Inside Mingyue Tower, the guests had all left, leaving only the staff whispering among themselves.
"It's great that we can still receive holiday gifts!"
"They've always given out gifts. The restaurants in Guangyang County open later, but I heard that Shangyang County used to give out gifts during festivals too!"
"They send them on every holiday?"
"You're one of the new guys who've been here these past few days, right? We get paid pretty much everyone here except for the Ghost Festival. Last time it snowed heavily, even though it wasn't a holiday, we still got a hundred coins!"
“We’re not at a disadvantage compared to those people from Shangyang County. Many people are desperate to work at Mingyue Tower but can’t get in. My parents are overjoyed that I’ve found such a good job.”
"The head manager is indeed exceptionally kind and generous to people."
"I heard that Manager He purchased the gifts for this holiday, but I don't know what they are."
As they were talking, someone shouted, "Line up!" and everyone immediately stood up straight and formed a line.
The accountant sat at his desk and turned to a page in his ledger: "Fu Chunmiao."
The girl whose name was called was a worker at the teahouse next door. Upon hearing this, she walked out of the crowd.
Taking the two packets of pastries handed to him wasn't the end of it.
The accountant stroked his beard and said loudly, "His work performance was excellent, and he received two commendations from the manager, plus an additional two hundred coins as a year-end bonus, for a total of three hundred and twenty coins."
The girl named Fu Chunmiao was stunned, then overwhelmed with surprise and didn't know where to go for a moment.
Speaking of the manager's praise, she had indeed been verbally praised by the teahouse manager twice. With such a high wage, it was only right that she did her job carefully. She was already very happy to be praised by the manager, so she didn't think too much about it.
Unexpectedly, it wasn't just verbal praise; two commendations totaled 120 coins, meaning each instance of praise would earn 60 coins. That's quite a sum.
"What are you standing there for, young lady? Hurry up and collect your money, there are people waiting behind you!"
Fu Chunmiao looked up and saw that their manager was standing behind the accountant. Seeing that she hadn't made a move, he couldn't help but urge her.
Fu Chunmiao quickly lowered her body: "Thank you, Manager. Thank you, Manager." She had met the manager several times. He had a face like jade, eyes like blue waves, and a faint smile on his lips whenever he saw someone. He was like an immortal, unforgettable to anyone who saw him. She felt that there was no one more handsome than him in the world.
Although it was a pity that he was not present, Fu Chunmiao still expressed her gratitude.
With her leading the way, things will be much faster later on.
"Li Jin, you have received a commendation, plus a year-end bonus, for a total of 260 coins."
"Li Youbao has received a year-end bonus of two hundred coins."
After calling out to the last two people, the accountant took a sip of tea to soothe his throat and said, "Wishing everyone a happy new year. Don't forget to open the restaurant next year."
The employees received money and holiday gifts, and most of them had smiles on their faces, creating a joyful atmosphere.
Some were not so happy. Li Youbao and Li Jin were cousins. One of them received an award, but the other did not. Although he had two hundred coins in his hand, he was still not happy.
It wasn't that he was short of a few dozen coins; it was just that their parents were always comparing themselves to each other at home, and he always felt inferior to the other person, even during holidays, unless he received a reward from the shopkeeper.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to look. It was his best friend from the restaurant, who had also received an award and couldn't hide his smile.
"It's normal that you didn't receive an award because you came late. There will be plenty of opportunities next year."
Li Jin felt bad and could only nod in response to his friend's comfort. At the same time, he secretly vowed that he would do a better job next year and strive to win the shopkeeper's reward.
Many people share his thoughts; those who didn't receive an award feel regret, while those who did want more.
Even though Fu Chunmiao received two commendations, drawing envy from everyone, they couldn't help but think that if she had been more meticulous and attentive in her work, wouldn't she have been even better...?
In short, even though it's already a holiday, everyone's enthusiasm is higher than ever. They're all determined to do their best next spring and get a commendation to show for themselves when they go home.
Zhu Mingyue stood sideways at the third-floor window, looking down.
He An laughed and said, "The waiters have all left, and the restaurant is empty. I'm not used to it."
Zhu Mingyue: "You've been busy for so many days, it's time to go back and rest."
He An: "The holiday was too long."
Zhu Mingyue glanced at him and asked in return, "Isn't it good?"
"You can also take this time to go back and spend some quality time with your mother."
He An fell silent.
After a while, He An tentatively asked, "Shopkeeper, will you be spending the New Year alone at home this year?"
"Why don't you come to my house? I don't have many family members, so we can have a New Year's Eve dinner together."
Zhu Mingyue shook her head and refused: "You and your mother enjoy the festival. I won't disturb you two."
The New Year's Eve dinner is all about family reunion. It doesn't have to be a lively affair, but at least the family should gather together for a warm and cozy meal.
It seems General Xie won't be coming back this year, leaving the shopkeeper all alone at home, so lonely and pitiful.
He An wanted to persuade her again, but Zhu Mingyue stopped him, saying, "Don't worry, I'm not alone."
He An's mind raced: "Brother Zhengyang also invited you to his house?" Indeed, their two families live in the same village, so it's very close and convenient. It would be more appropriate to have the New Year's Eve dinner at Brother Zhengyang's house.
Zhu Mingyue nodded absentmindedly, gazing into the distance.
He An, who was standing beside him, noticed this very clearly and asked softly, "Shopkeeper, what are you thinking about?"
Zhu Mingyue snapped out of her reverie and, instead of answering him, posed a question: "What do you think would happen if I opened Mingyue Tower in other prefectures and counties?"
He An followed his gaze and asked knowingly, "Does the manager intend to open a restaurant in Tongzhou?"
He pondered for a moment, then said carefully, "It's not impossible to open a restaurant here. I remember once hosting a group of people at a restaurant in Shangyang County. They claimed to be from Tongzhou and came to Ganzhou to pick up goods. I chatted with them out of curiosity. They said that the name of Mingyuelou was somewhat well-known in Tongzhou. If they wanted to open a restaurant in Tongzhou, it probably wouldn't be bad."
Zhu Mingyue nodded, seemingly lost in thought.
After a long pause, he asked again, "What if I open a restaurant in an even more distant place?"
"Further?" He An asked in confusion, "Bingzhou?"
Zhu Mingyue shook her head, not wanting to keep him in suspense, and said directly, "What I mean is, to open a restaurant in Jizhou."
He An was so surprised that he opened his mouth slightly but couldn't utter a word for a long time.
"What's wrong? Are you surprised?" Zhu Mingyue asked, puzzled.
It wasn't just surprise, it was downright shock.
"You...you mean you want to open a restaurant in Jizhou?" He An's voice unconsciously rose. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
“Jizhou is not a wealthy place. Moreover, although there are Jizhou troops stationed here, the Southern Barbarians have lost a city and must be resentful. If war breaks out, it will still be dangerous.”
He An had no idea what the manager was thinking. Wasn't the north a better place? While they couldn't afford to go to the capital, where land was incredibly expensive, opening a restaurant in Tongzhou would be fine, or at the very least, Bingzhou. It was better than Jizhou, and safer.
He knew Zhu Mingyue was very stubborn, and once she made up her mind, nothing could change it. So he could only try to persuade her in a different way: "We can drive south, starting in Tongzhou, and then slowly head towards Jizhou later."
Zhu Mingyue's eyes lit up: "You're right."
He An thought his words had been accepted and was about to be happy when...
Zhu Mingyue then suggested, "We can start by opening up Jizhou, and then slowly head north."
He An: ...
How could he so easily believe that he could persuade Zhu Mingyue?
He was oblivious to his inner turmoil, but Zhu Mingyue was overjoyed and said, "Let's open a restaurant in Jizhou! You said it yourself, Jizhou is not a wealthy place, so it's cheap to buy or build a restaurant. We can test the waters, and if it doesn't succeed, we won't feel bad about wasting our time."
He An: ...
That was a good reason, and he was speechless.
Zhu Mingyue looked at him expectantly, trying to gain his approval: "Don't you agree?"
He An replied with difficulty, "Yes."
So what if he's wrong? Does Zhu Mingyue think he'll change his mind just because he's wrong?
Zhu Mingyue had been waiting for him to say that, and immediately beamed with joy as she made the decision: "I will open a restaurant in Jizhou in the spring. I want the name of Mingyue Restaurant to be known throughout the country."
He An chuckled dryly: "Good ambitions, shopkeeper."
I just had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
However, two days later he realized what was wrong.
Zhu Mingyue usually appears lazy, especially in winter, when she's listless and unwilling to do any work. Why would she suddenly think of expanding her business at this critical juncture?
And there's that line, "Let Mingyue Tower resound throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River."
Wasn't that his old slogan? How did it end up in Zhu Mingyue's mouth? He remembered how he used to often talk about this ambition, and Zhu Mingyue would even advise him that young people shouldn't be impetuous and should let things take their natural course.
In such a short time, Zhu Mingyue seems to have completely changed her personality.
Something unusual must be going on!
By the time he realized what was happening and rushed to the Xie family's door, it was already too late.
He knew something was wrong, so he immediately turned around and went to Li Zhengyang's house.
Recently, the weather has finally warmed up and the sun has been shining brightly. Li Zhengyang sat in the yard with a book in his hand, feeling drowsy in the sun.
He An knocked on the door a few times, and Li Zhengyang's mother heard it first. When she saw it was him, she quickly invited him in to sit down.
"Phew, Auntie, I'm not coming in." He An was panting as he ran. "I just came to ask if the shopkeeper is home."
Li Zhengyang's mother rolled her eyes. "You mean Mingyue?" She turned to look at Li Zhengyang. "Wake up! Xiao He is coming to find you."
Then she said to He An, "Something happened at my aunt's house, and she hasn't been home for the past two days. She just got back, and I didn't know about Mingyue either! I was thinking of sending a basket of vegetables over later. Since it's almost Chinese New Year, I'll invite him over for our New Year's dinner."
Li Zhengyang walked towards us, leaning on his cane. "I went to see him the day before yesterday. He was still at home at the time!" He licked his lips as he spoke. "I even got a free meal from him. He said he was going to go see Wang Zongxiu, saying that he was going to open another restaurant and needed to go and check it out in person."
"In-person inspection!" He An's eyes darkened, and he almost fainted from anger. "Didn't you try to persuade him?"
Li Zhengyang asked doubtfully, "I was eating at the time and didn't ask in detail. Besides, didn't you always complain that he lacked ambition? Isn't he showing some backbone now? You should be happy!"
Happy?
How could He An be happy?
The manager, who rarely makes a fuss, suddenly becomes incredibly enthusiastic about opening a restaurant as the year draws to a close. Is this really appropriate?
He An was speechless at the other person's nonchalant attitude and couldn't help but say, "Do you even know where he's going? You're just being overly excited."
Li Zhengyang's mother gave him a handful of dried dates and left without disturbing their conversation.
He An stuffed a date into his mouth, the pit crunching as he bit into it.
Li Zhengyang rubbed his numb ears and said weakly, "Aren't we going to Tongzhou?"
With the Lunar New Year approaching, I can't go too far. Tongzhou is just right; if I drive fast, I can be back the next day.
"Jizhou? The shopkeeper went to Jizhou?" He An seemed numb.
Li Zhengyang's face went blank. He had a long reaction time and was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening. "What!"
Li Zhengyang's mother poked her head out of the house and asked, "What happened?"
He An put on a smile and explained, "Auntie, we're fine, just chatting!"
Li Zhengyang lowered his voice: "If we go to town to find Wang Zongxiu now, he might not have left yet! Isn't that ridiculous?"
The two went to the county together. Not only Wang Zongxiu, but even Guan Jing left. However, there was still one person left in the courtyard that Guan Jing shared.
Upon inquiring, it was discovered that Guan Jing had packed his things and run away yesterday, saying he was going out of town with the boss and the shopkeeper, and might not return until after the New Year.
Most of their original caravan members had deserted. Wang Zongxiu had originally said he would go with them voluntarily, but everyone wanted to go to Jizhou to see what it was like, since they still had some feelings for that place. They had heard that the Southern Barbarians had been driven back to Ningjiang, and Jizhou was currently considered safe.
The few who stayed behind weren't unwilling to go, but Wang Zongxiu wouldn't allow so many to go; food and drink on the road would be expenses, which wasn't worthwhile. Sending a few skilled martial artists to protect the innkeeper's safety would be enough.
Li Zhengyang said worriedly, "What should we do?" He now regretted that he had only focused on eating and hadn't asked any more questions.
If he had known that Zhu Mingyue was going to Jizhou, a thousand miles away, he would have crawled to find her, even if he had lost both legs, let alone one.
He An was helpless. The shopkeeper didn't say a word or even greet him, clearly convinced that he would try to dissuade him, so he simply ran away.
Once someone sets their mind to something, it's impossible to stop them.
He An sighed, "I hope we don't encounter any bandits on the road, and that the shopkeeper can reach Jizhou safely."
Zhu Mingyue's situation was indeed going quite smoothly. Wang Zongxiu's business acumen kicked in, and he thought that since escorting him alone was the only option, he might as well transport some grain to Jizhou along the way, since this stuff would definitely sell well in Jizhou these days.
Zhu Mingyue looked at Wang Zongxiu, who had been so eager to get his rice and flour along the way, and sneered, "You promised to do your best after taking my money, and this is how you escorted me? You're using me as a live target while transporting all this grain!"
Wang Zongxiu said awkwardly, "Didn't you also go to Jizhou with our caravan the first time? In the end, we still delivered you safely."
Zhu Mingyue: "Things are different now. This time, I paid you a hefty sum to hire you."
This time, Wang Zongxiu remained silent; whoever pays is the boss.
"What do you suggest we do?"
Zhu Mingyue maintained her sneer: "Deduct the silver." Who could tell whether Wang Zongxiu was escorting the grain and transporting him along the way, or escorting him and transporting the grain along the way?
Wang Zongxiu said with a pained expression, "Can't you not deduct the penalty?"
Zhu Mingyue glanced at the carriage: "When we arrive in Jizhou, sell me the grain at cost price."
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