Chen Qingqing nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, "In the next few days, have someone count the number of beggars and vagrants in each town and village."
Zhou Jingyuan dared not try to fathom Chen Qingqing's thoughts any longer. "What does the princess mean by this?"
"Who would want to be a beggar if they can have enough to eat? I plan to manage beggars and vagrants in a unified manner. Young people can be taught survival skills, and the elderly who are willing to farm can be allocated fertile land."
"Yes, I understand."
Zhou Jingyuan looked at Chen Qingqing with a more thoughtful expression. For a woman to possess such insights had already overturned his previous opinion of her.
If these ideas can be implemented, it would be a tremendous benefit for Anyang.
"Princess, the Anyang mansion bestowed by His Majesty has been renovated by my men. In accordance with your salary, I have already provided you with servants, maids, and a steward. You may move in at any time."
"Okay, send someone to take me there to take a look."
Led by the constables, Chen Qingqing arrived at the mansion bestowed upon her by the Emperor.
It was a courtyard with three entrances and three exits, and the decoration was quite nice. It was spotless and had servants and young men.
Chen Qingqing was very satisfied. Although living in Nanshan Village was nice, it was too far from Anyang and inconvenient to travel to and from. With this house, many of the inconveniences were reduced.
"Greetings, Princess! May Your Highness live a thousand years..." A dozen servants and maids knelt down and bowed.
Chen Qingqing smiled slightly, "Everyone, please get up."
"Thank you, Princess."
Although Chen Qingqing likes to do everything herself, she is a princess, and how can her household function without servants?
Looking at the people in front of him, he felt it necessary to say a few words, so he cleared his throat.
"I'm not a picky person, but I can't tolerate any wrongdoing. Since you're working here, I certainly won't treat you unfairly."
Go ahead and focus on your work. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to tell me. I will certainly not stand idly by if I can help you.
"Thank you, Princess. We will certainly serve you with all our might," the dozen or so people replied in unison.
"Okay, everyone get back to work!"
Chen Qingqing dismissed the servants, but seeing a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old still remaining beside her, she said, "You can go down now!"
"Your Highness, I was chosen by Lord Zhou to serve you personally," the young girl said timidly.
"Alright, you'll come with me from now on." Chen Qingqing didn't try to send her away anymore. In this feudal era, not having a maidservant by one's side would indeed seem out of place.
This little girl is quite cute and seems very clever. I'll just treat her like another little sister.
"May I have your name?"
"Your Highness, this servant does not yet have a name. Please bestow one upon me."
"If you don't have a name, what do your family members call you?"
“I have no family. I’ve been sold from one master to another since I can remember. All the masters thought I was too young to do much work and that I ate too much, so they didn’t want to keep me. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been sold.”
Hearing the little girl's words, Chen Qingqing couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She gently patted her shoulder and said, "From now on, your name will be Kexin, meaning everything will go smoothly and according to your wishes, okay?"
"This servant likes it, thank you for bestowing a name upon me, Princess." Kexin grinned, revealing two adorable dimples on her face.
"Kexin, from now on, don't refer to yourself as a servant in front of me. Just answer with 'I understand, I know.'"
Kexin shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, a servant is a servant. How can I refer to myself as 'I' in front of the princess? Insubordination is punishable by death."
Chen Qingqing really couldn't stand being called a servant, and she really wanted her to change, but seeing how resistant she was, she didn't force her.
"Fine, say whatever you want!"
"Yes, Princess."
What a timid girl.
Chen Qingqing ignored Kexin and walked around the princess's residence before taking Kexin to Ruyi Tower.
These past few days, she's been preoccupied with the Ruyi Lou franchise opportunity.
Now that Anyang has his own residence, he can help Chen Feng with his selection process.
Finalize the contract details and expand Ruyilou's business.
At this moment, the hall of Ruyi Tower was bustling with activity, people coming and going, and the food on the tables emitted an enticing aroma.
"Princess, it's too chaotic here. Let's leave quickly. What if we run into bad guys?" Kexin's eyes darted around as she looked around, and she shielded Chen Qingqing behind her slender back.
Chen Qingqing was touched by her actions and smiled with raised eyebrows, "Kexin, don't be afraid. I own this shop. There are no bad people here. I'll let you try our signature dish in a bit. I guarantee you'll love it."
Mala Tang, with its numbing and spicy flavor, is a favorite among young girls of this age.
Kexin lowered her head and said, "Princess, this servant dares not."
Chen Qingqing suppressed her smile and pretended to be angry, "What's there to be afraid of? I'll tell you to eat, so eat. Otherwise, if you upset me, the consequences will be severe."
Seeing that Chen Qingqing was angry, Kexin quickly said, "Yes, yes, this servant will obey the princess."
She won't listen to kind words and only likes harsh ones. This princess title is indeed impressive; at least it can intimidate people.
As the two were talking, Chen Feng walked over with a happy expression.
"Little sister, when did you come to Anyang? I was just about to go back to Nanshan Village to invite you. Come on, come inside with me, I have good news to tell you."
"What's up? Has someone come to discuss franchising?" Chen Qingqing asked with a smile.
Chen Feng immediately gave a thumbs up and praised, "Look, my little sister is so smart, she can't hide anything from you."
The two walked and talked, with Kexin following closely behind.
When they arrived at the door of the room reserved for Chen Qingqing, Chen Feng noticed Kexin following behind him. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing following us siblings?"
Chen Qingqing quickly said, "Brother, she is Kexin, the maid that Lord Zhou chose for me."
"You startled me! I thought you were someone's daughter!" Chen Feng smiled sheepishly. "Kexin, right? Come on in!"
Once inside, Chen Qingqing briefly told Chen Feng that the princess's residence had been renovated and was habitable, and then told him to go there to find her if he needed anything in the future.
When Chen Feng heard that Chen Qingqing would be living in Anyang from now on, he was so happy that he almost jumped up. "That's great! Now I don't have to travel back and forth anymore. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know which of you, Da Bao or me, is your real brother."
Chen Qingqing tilted her head, a playful look on her face, "Big brother, from what you're saying, it sounds like you're jealous of Da Bao!"
“I was already jealous. You care more about the sugar mill than the restaurant. Da Bao’s business has spread all over the Great Ning Dynasty, while I only have a few restaurants. In my opinion, you put all your energy into the sugar mill and don’t care about the development of Ruyi Restaurant at all.”
Chen Feng was anxious. He felt he was always lagging behind Da Bao in everything and wanted to surpass him so his younger sister would look at him differently...
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