Cat Tea House (1)
"Miss Yan, Miss Deng has arrived, and everything is ready in the courtyard. Let's go over there," Fangbi said as she approached Yan Qing.
Rong Xuan had sent Fang Bi over long ago, ostensibly to offer assistance.
At a time when manpower was scarce, Yan Qing didn't pay attention to his little schemes.
Yan Qing was quite happy to have Fang Bi with her. Fang Bi was over 1.7 meters tall, with a slender figure and a rather expressionless, aloof demeanor. Putting aside the fact that she was Rong Xuan's spy, having Fang Bi by her side gave her a strong sense of security.
In the days leading up to the opening of Cat Tea House, Fangbi learned from Yan Qing how to care for cats and play with them. She picked it up quickly, saving Yan Qing a lot of effort and giving her plenty of free time to study how to make Cat Tea House a hit in the capital.
Yan Qing's Cat Tea House was opened specifically for the wives and concubines of powerful and wealthy families. She intended to use the Cat Tea House as a springboard to gain insight into the court through the paws of cats, and this group of people was undoubtedly the best source of information.
She couldn't improve people's happiness by herself alone; her understanding of this task was to find a wise ruler and help him ascend to the throne.
It now seems that only the King of Qi is barely capable of the job.
As for how to secretly provide assistance to the Prince of Qi under Rong Xuan's nose, that was also a difficult problem.
Let's take it one step at a time.
Yan Qing renovated the front yard with style without being vulgar. There were three or five private rooms in the yard, and the rest of the elegant seats were separated by plants. Looking up, one could see elegant flowers and plants, and reaching out to touch the leisurely cats, making one feel relaxed and happy.
Considering that not everyone likes cats, another thing Yan Qing needs to do is to make cats a new trend in the capital, firstly to ensure the smooth implementation of subsequent plans.
Secondly, it's Yan Qing's little selfish motive: she wants to turn the capital into a cat's world!
Unable to leave the capital, she could only transform it into the kind of place she wanted.
But that's all for later; the important thing right now is to successfully open the Cat Tea House.
In the days leading up to the opening, Yan Qing, through Cheng Changfeng and Deng Chan, revealed the rules for operating the Cat Tea House.
It is only open for two hours a day and only accepts five people per day.
For these VIPs, scarcity marketing is often the most effective strategy; they are not concerned about scarcity but about inequality.
After Deng Chan announced that this place was worth visiting, the noble ladies of the capital no longer had to consider whether or not to go, but rather how to become one of the five.
Although Deng Chan was known for her arrogance in the capital, as the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel, she was deeply favored by the current imperial concubine, Consort Shu, and was highly likely to become the future Princess Consort of Ning. This was enough to make her the object of countless people's adoration. Wherever she went, her doorstep was always thronged with noble ladies from the capital.
Yan Qing didn't see any arrogance in her, nor did she know how these rumors had become so rampant. In her presence, Deng Chan seemed more like a willful and innocent child.
After she suggested that Deng Chan be the first customer of Cat Tea House, Deng Chan was overjoyed for several days and kept showing off in front of Cheng Changfeng, which made people both laugh and cry.
Yan Qing had informed Rong Xuan in advance, asking him to find some capable people to help him make the situation even better, but he didn't know if Rong Xuan was reliable.
Yan Qing put on the veil that had been prepared in advance, leaving only her pair of clever almond-shaped eyes exposed, and the small mole on her earlobe was also hidden under the blue veil.
To stay in the capital for a long time, Yan Qing had to consider the issue of exposing his identity. Therefore, he only referred to himself as Boss Yan and did not reveal his name or face. This added to the mystery of Cat Tea House, which was a good thing.
She led Fangbi into the front yard and summoned the cat army.
Yan Qing called out, and the junior employees rushed over from all directions.
Snowball walked over unhurriedly with her four cubs. The little leopard was the most playful, running around the two of them for a long time before finally stopping. The princess was as elegant as ever, slowly walking up to them and meowing softly, indicating that Yan Qing should pick her up.
The four kittens haven't been named yet, so they're just called Yi Yi, Er Er, San San, and Wu Wu. There's also a kitten named Si Si, who climbed onto Cheng Changfeng's lap that day and "marked" him, successfully winning Cheng Changfeng's heart. For several days in a row, he asked Yan Qing to let him take care of Si Si.
To be honest, Yan Qing didn't want to give Si Si to him at first, because he had made it clear from the beginning that he didn't like soft little animals, and she was afraid that it was just a passing fancy.
Furthermore, in Yan Qing's opinion, if Cheng Changfeng were to raise a pet, he should raise a lively and agile kitten like a leopard, with cheetah stripes that look majestic. But he was determined to take Si Si away, and Yan Qing had no choice but to give him some difficult challenges to make him back down.
The challenge was to take perfect care of the kittens. However, with Yan Qing's approval, Cheng Changfeng spent all his time at the cat tea garden, meticulously imitating Yan Qing's actions. Occasionally, when tested, he would actually answer the questions correctly.
Seeing Cheng Changfeng's determination, Yan Qing held Si Si in her arms and asked it for several days if it wanted to go with Cheng Changfeng. Every time, it answered "Yes!" without hesitation. This made her feel a little disappointed and somewhat frustrated.
Now Yan Qing had no choice but to reluctantly give Si Si to Cheng Changfeng, and it thus received the prestigious name "General".
Cheng Changfeng and Deng Chan are quite similar in their names; one is a general, and the other is a princess.
Deng Chan hadn't been here for several days, and when she heard about this, she was quite alarmed.
With her hands on her hips, she rushed up to Yan Qing, insisting that she give her a kitten. The Cat Tea House was a small business and couldn't afford to lose another employee. Therefore, Yan Qing appointed Deng Chan as a supervisor, responsible for watching Cheng Changfeng's every move. If she discovered he was mistreating the general, she was to immediately bring him back to the Deng residence to be cared for.
Fortunately, Deng Chan didn't lack the little cat. She was just competing with Cheng Changfeng for dominance, and now that she heard she could keep an eye on him, she was overjoyed and stopped mentioning wanting a kitten. Whenever she had free time, she would come to the cat tea house, ignoring the plays, and keep a close eye on Cheng Changfeng. Any small mistake he made would earn her a few words of criticism from Deng Chan.
That's how the two of them get along: bickering and teasing each other, but they can't tolerate anyone else interfering. Recalling Cheng Changfeng's description of Deng Chan when they first met, Yan Qing couldn't help but sigh for them. One was clueless, and the other was always being difficult; they probably had a long way to go.
Yan Qing picked up the princess and led the group of employees toward the courtyard gate.
As we got closer, the noise gradually grew louder, indicating that there were quite a few people outside, and the publicity was very effective.
Currently, only Yan Qing and Fang Bi are at Cat Cat Tea House. To avoid suspicion, Cheng Changfeng and Deng Chan haven't visited since the tea house started advertising, but they're waiting to come together today.
The tightly closed door slowly opened. Yan Qing held the princess in her arms, while Fang Bi stood to one side, looking down. The little leopard, showing no fear, stood in front of the two, looking just like a brave little leopard guarding the whole family of the Cat Tea Garden. The four little ones hid inside the threshold, while Xue Tuan lay on the threshold, her tail gently brushing against them, comforting them.
Outside the courtyard, several ornate sedan chairs were parked not far away, while others were parked beside the quiet garden, seemingly not there for the Cat Tea House. Many women stood in groups, observing the unremarkable little courtyard up close.
As the courtyard gate opened and the conversation gradually quieted down, Deng Chan stepped forward under everyone's gaze, secretly winked at Yan Qing, and stopped a short distance away.
"Cat Tea House officially opens today. Thank you all for your patronage. The tea house is small and cannot accommodate everyone. Please forgive us. We are only waiting for five distinguished guests today and will close at 3 PM. If you are interested in visiting, please follow me."
As soon as Yan Qing finished speaking, Deng Chan lifted her skirt and followed behind him. Miss Jiang also stepped forward and walked towards the inner courtyard of the Cat Tea Garden.
The others watched, most curious but still hesitant. After a long while, no one stepped forward. Fangbi then closed the courtyard gate, shutting out the gazes of those outside. As the scene inside the courtyard disappeared from view, the discussion outside gradually grew louder.
After Deng Chan entered the Cat Tea House, she picked up Xue Tuan and started playing by herself. The young lady from the Jiang family, though looking dashing, seemed somewhat lost. Yan Qing led her to a private seat, served her a cup of tea, and introduced, "The Cat Tea House is all about relaxation. Here, you can let go of everything and enjoy leisure time with the cats. You can play with every cat you see, pet them, and even hug them. They won't scratch you. You can also invite a cat you like to enjoy tea here. Please feel free to do so."
Immediately afterward, Little Leopard, the most proactive employee of Cat Tea House, leaped onto the table, approached Miss Jiang, and tapped her shoulder with his paw, signaling her to follow him. Unfortunately, Miss Jiang didn't understand his intention. Seeing that she didn't follow, Little Leopard went back and tapped her again, meowing.
The little leopard is not afraid of strangers at all and is very friendly. Ever since it entered the cat tea garden, it has been trying to rub against everyone it sees.
Yan Qing stepped forward and suggested, "The little leopard is inviting you; why not follow it and find out what's going on?"
Upon hearing this, Miss Jiang, supported by her maid, followed Little Leopard to the open space in the courtyard.
The little leopard is about to show off its amazing skills!
It meowed softly at Miss Jiang and then darted up the pear tree in a flash. The branches were still covered with snow from the previous days, and the little leopard pounded on the branches, causing the snow to fall around Miss Jiang.
Having had its fill of play, the little leopard leaped forward, heading straight for Miss Jiang. Miss Jiang was startled, and the maid beside her stepped forward to try and stop the little leopard, fearing it might hurt her. But the little leopard leaped over the two of them and landed steadily on the cat tree behind them.
The little leopard leaped lightly from behind onto Miss Jiang's shoulder, a sprig of red plum blossom in its mouth. Snowflakes falling, plum blossoms appearing—it was unclear where the little fellow had learned this technique, but it was remarkably effective.
Miss Jiang's eyes crinkled with delight as she took the plum branch from its mouth and reached out to pet it. The little leopard then nestled into her arms and began to purr softly.
Miss Jiang was completely captivated by the charming little leopard, and carried it towards the private room. Fangbi brought some dried fish, the little leopard's favorite, and followed them to teach her how to pet and feed it.
"Sister Yanqing, is Cat Cat Tea House really going to work? We haven't had a single customer in so long. There's never been a shop like this in the capital before. Can it really attract them?"
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