A glimpse of the five
If she wants to be able to dine at the Chamber of Commerce as soon as possible, expanding her shop needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible; in addition, Su Lingzhao gave the same opinion, and she can also take the opportunity to prove with her actions that she takes Su Lingzhao's advice seriously.
She came from Da'an Town. When she left, many diners wanted her to stay, so opening the first branch here was the perfect choice.
The silver I have is more than enough to open a shop in town; the tricky part is how to manage the branch.
Although there are many young women at Qianji Wanying Pavilion, very few are experienced and adept at handling affairs; they still have much to learn. Da'an Town is quite a distance from Jinzhou Prefecture, taking more than half a day even on horseback. She is too far away to supervise and intervene in a timely manner. If the staff becomes lax, the shop will be finished.
After much deliberation, Wang Pan'er decided that finding merchants she could cooperate with was the best solution, and she set her sights on Manager Yao.
Shopkeeper Yao had made a name for herself with her Qi-boosting beef tendon in Da'an Town, and the number of medicinal broth packets that she asked the escort agency to bring to Shopkeeper Yao was increasing. Coupled with her own reputation in Jinzhou Prefecture, seeking out Shopkeeper Yao, who had already tasted success, would surely lead to a win-win situation.
No sooner had she arrived at the Eight Treasures Pavilion than a servant announced her arrival, and Manager Yao, beaming with joy, came out to greet her: "Young friend Wang, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
"Very good." She followed Manager Yao to a private room and sat down. "I haven't eaten yet, how about you recommend something?"
Manager Yao instructed the waiter to serve the dishes and poured Wang Pan'er a full small cup of wine: "I wonder what your plans are for returning to Da'an Town this time, young friend?"
Wang Pan'er raised the cup, supporting the bottom with her other hand, and said, "To be honest, Manager Yao, I'm thinking of opening a branch of Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant in Da'an Town."
Manager Yao rolled his eyes around.
If Wang Pan'er is planning to go it alone, she can simply take over a shop. If she approaches him, she most likely wants to discuss a partnership, with him taking charge of the shop in Da'an Town.
Shopkeeper Yao's already smiling face creased with even more wrinkles: "Semiconductor, this is great news! Is there anything I, your old friend, can do to help?"
"To be honest, Manager Yao, I really can't trust anyone to run a shop in such a remote place. That's why I've come to discuss this with you."
"Thanks to you, young friend, my business at Bazhen Pavilion has improved considerably since we started selling this pot of braised dishes. Moreover, your Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant is renowned throughout Jinzhou Prefecture. I'm the one who benefits from your willingness to discuss this with me."
"Manager Yao, there's no need to be modest. I'm relieved that you're willing to cooperate."
The two hit it off immediately and agreed to jointly invest in a shop. Wang Pan'er would provide the braising ingredients and recipe, while Manager Yao would provide the manpower, and the profits would be split 50/50.
Discussing matters with intelligent and honest people is so refreshing. Over the course of a meal, the shop deal was finalized.
Manager Yao saw Wang Pan'er out of the Eight Treasures Pavilion: "I will start looking for a suitable shop tomorrow!"
Wang Pan'er nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, shopkeeper. I'll go to Hui Ren Tang again."
The doctor from Huirentang had met Wang Pan'er before and became interested upon hearing her purpose. However, there were only three doctors there, and with so many patients, it was impractical to have one doctor go to the medicinal cuisine restaurant to see patients every day. So he discussed with Wang Pan'er whether apprentices could accept the offer, with the price halved, which would also allow the apprentices to gain experience.
Taking the pulse to diagnose a person's constitution is a fundamental skill in traditional Chinese medicine. Huirentang is people-oriented, and since they dare to send out apprentices, Wang Pan'er naturally dares to use them.
And so, the doctor resolved the issue, incredibly smoothly.
It was still early, and the donkey cart she was hitchhiking on would take another hour or so to return. She might as well take advantage of the free time to visit some old friends.
She arrived at the market.
The market hadn't changed much. After noon, there weren't many people. Zhao Niangzi was dozing off on her shop front. Her original stall had been replaced by a vendor selling cat ears.
Wang Pan'er walked in and said to Zhao Niangzi, who was dozing off, "Boss lady, bring me a bowl of mutton soup."
"Alright!" Madam Zhao immediately looked up, and upon seeing the person who had arrived, her eyes widened in surprise, "Pan'er!"
She cheerfully filled a bowl and led Wang Pan'er to a seat: "Why are you back?"
Wang Pan'er smiled and said, "I've now joined the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce and am planning to open a branch in Da'an Town."
"Heavens!" Zhao Niangzi exclaimed softly, "It hasn't been that long, and you've already done so much! I was so proud of myself for almost saving enough money to rent a small shop. Did God send you here to remind me not to be too complacent?"
"There's also an element of luck involved. I've met many helpful people and friends along the way, and my current achievements are not the result of my own efforts alone."
"To run into such helpful people and good friends shows how lovable you are!"
Wang Pan'er finished another bowl of mutton soup and felt full. She took out some silver to pay.
Zhao Niangzi refused to accept it: "With our friendship, why be so formal? When you come back to Da'an Town, do you think I'd skimp on a bowl of mutton soup for you?"
When she left Da'an Town, Zhao Niangzi was still talking about hiring a shop assistant. Now, the assistant is nowhere to be seen, but they've almost saved enough money for the shop, a sum that has been built up through the blood and sweat of the couple.
Wang Pan'er asked, "How much silver do you still need for your shop, sister?"
"Not much, still 20% short. It should be enough after summer."
“I’d rather contribute 20%. Summer is here, and the sun is scorching. Having a shop would make things much better. If you’re willing to let me contribute, give me 10% of the profits. If you want to run it yourself, just wait until you have more money and then pay me back.”
Just like someone offering a pillow when you're dozing off, Zhao Niangzi readily accepted Wang Pan'er's offer: "Then I won't be polite!"
When I was setting up my stall, I received a lot of help from Madam Zhao. Now, I'm helping Madam Zhao out; it's the good karma that Madam Zhao sowed.
After finishing the mutton soup, Wang Pan'er gave Zhao Niangzi the 20% of silver she was short and then prepared to leave.
Zhao Niangzi pointed to the other end of the market: "Are you going to meet your husband? I just saw him go in that direction."
Mu Chuan?
Why did Mu Chuan also come to Da'an Town?
However, if Mu Chuan were here, it would be much more comfortable to hitch a ride back to Jinzhou Prefecture in his carriage than to hitch a ride on an oxcart.
Wang Pan'er bid farewell to Zhao Niangzi and walked in the direction she had indicated.
Mu Chuan's figure was easily recognizable. Tall and upright, she walked with a light yet steady gait. She spotted the person from afar, quickened her pace, and prepared to give Mu Chuan a surprise.
Suddenly, several flashes of cold light appeared behind Wang Pan'er, and a group of men charged out amidst the clash of swords, heading towards Mu Chuan. Wang Pan'er was violently struck by them and fell heavily to the ground.
Mu Chuan turned around sharply and frowned when he saw the group of people and the fallen civilians.
Among the common people, the woman in the green robe was the first to raise her head, her worried eyes meeting his.
Mu Chuan's pupils trembled; why is Wang Pan'er here?!
There's no time to think!
Mu Chuan's pupils flickered, signaling Wang Pan'er not to act rashly, then he turned and ran away.
The team leader, with his sharp eyes, clearly sensed the signal from the target's expression. He turned around abruptly and saw a woman cursing and flicking dust off her clothes, and villagers carrying bamboo houses, looking dejected as they picked up scattered fruits and vegetables.
The squad exuded a menacing aura, and the common people dared not provoke them, so they could only accept their misfortune. The leader, oblivious to the danger, followed the others and chased after Mu Chuan in the direction he had fled.
Wang Pan'er's heart pounded wildly, and she immediately realized that something extremely serious had happened—Mu Chuan had been exposed.
Fortunately, after receiving Mu Chuan's signal, she didn't lose her mind. She immediately got up, started cursing, and went to brush off the dust. She wasn't discovered by the group of people. Otherwise, without martial arts skills, she would have only become a burden to Mu Chuan.
Mu Chuan has been ambushed and killed; she needs to hurry and inform Tong Xianying and the others.
The donkey cart was too slow to wait, so Wang Pan'er went to great lengths. She ran to the post station and lied that she had received a letter from home, saying that her father had suddenly fallen seriously ill and needed to rush back to Jinzhou Prefecture. She rented a fast horse and a cart.
Wang Pan'er didn't know how much they had exposed, or whether the teahouse in the cherry blossom grove was still safe. After much deliberation, she decided that sending a letter through the money exchange was the safest option.
Fearing the coachman would notice something amiss, she alighted from the carriage at the street corner, maintained her composure, and walked towards the money exchange at her fastest pace.
It was an extremely urgent matter, so Manager Xu put down the customers he was receiving and went into the inner room.
Wang Pan'er tightened her facial features and said seriously, "Mu Chuan was ambushed and killed in Da'an Town. Manager Xu, please contact their people to rescue him. I will have Tao Shuo come to the manor today. If Mu Chuan is injured, tell Mo Feng Xianying to send him directly to the manor."
Manager Xu was also on high alert, so he quickly got up and went to the backyard to blow his whistle.
A little while later, a carrier pigeon flew over. Manager Xu pinned the note to the pigeon's leg, fed it some millet, and then shooed the pigeon away.
As the pigeons flew away, Wang Pan'er gasped for breath. Suddenly, her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, seeing stars and sweat pouring down her face.
Stay calm, you must stay calm.
Wang Pan'er reminded herself.
She had done everything she could. Now the most important thing was to maintain a normal state and not let the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce or the government notice anything unusual about her. She absolutely could not cause trouble for Mu Chuan and the others. Then she would take Tao Shuo back to the manor and wait for Mo Feng and the others to bring Mu Chuan back.
Wang Pan'er, panting heavily, took a while to catch her breath. With the help of Manager Xu, she slowly got up, took the handkerchief he handed her, and wiped the cold sweat from her face and neck.
"Thank you, Manager Xu." She looked up and saw that Manager Xu looked worried, so she comforted him, "I'm fine now. I was just a little stressed. I'm going to the medicinal cuisine restaurant to find Tao Shuo now."
She stepped out the door, only to bump into Su Lingzhao, who was coming excitedly: "Miss Wang, I just went to the medicinal cuisine restaurant to look for you, but you weren't there. A waiter said he saw you heading in the direction of the money exchange, and sure enough, you're here."
Of all times, why did they have to come looking for us at this crucial moment?
Wang Pan'er put on a fake smile and caught her breath: "Young Master Su, what a coincidence! I was just about to open a branch and came here to withdraw some banknotes."
Are you free later?
Wang Pan'er cursed her father inwardly, but smiled and replied, "My sister is still waiting for me at home. I'm afraid I won't be able to play with Young Master Su today."
"It's alright, it's alright. Shall I offer you a ride?"
The muscles in her cheeks were almost cramping: "Wouldn't this be too much trouble for Young Master Su?"
"I came here specifically to find you."
"Then I'll go to the medicinal cuisine restaurant first."
"I'll stay with you."
Wang Pan'er controlled herself and didn't roll her eyes. This Su Lingzhao, why is he like a piece of dog skin plaster today, impossible to get rid of?
No, he's from the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce. Could he be here today to probe her?
To prevent any potential problems, she summoned Tao Shuo from the medicinal cuisine restaurant, frowned, glanced several times in the direction of Su Lingzhao behind her as a signal, and then said, "Doctor Tao, let's go back together."
Tao Shuo understood immediately, slapped her forehead, and pretended to be annoyed: "Oh, I was so busy that I forgot. Today is the day for the Third Miss's follow-up appointment."
Wang Pan'er turned to Su Lingzhao with a smile and asked, "Young Master Su, you don't mind if I bring one more person, do you?"
Su Lingzhao was taken aback. He had originally planned to give Wang Pan'er some private time to get closer to her.
Realizing he had overreacted, he chuckled awkwardly, "No, please, Dr. Tao."
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