Chapter Nineteen: Things in the Imperial City 1
"Master, you are back. Our hearts have been hanging over the past two days. It is said that it is easy to get in and difficult to get out of Yanwai Castle. If you change the place, the old lady has taken us there long ago, but no one dares to go to the castle." Zhen'er said wailly.
"It's not as evil as you said. My master and I came back last night and went to Yuanwai Villa to help deliver the baby."
"Yuqing, what is Yanwai Ancient Castle like? Is there many secrets in that place? Two years ago, Yuanwai Villa married the ancient castle, but I envied many girls and ladies." Ye Xuan asked curiously.
"That's it. The house is taller than ours, the yard is bigger than ours, and everyone is the same, with two eyes and mouths. As for the secret, we didn't see it. The master is busy treating diseases and saving people, and I am also busy learning some skills. The time is over. What are you two going to do?" Yuqing vaguely changed the topic.
"Oh, there is nothing big in the villa today. We both thought of going to the shop in our yard. In the past, my father and elder brother were in charge of the shop, so now it's up to me. There is nothing wrong with men, and we have to learn to understand if we don't understand."
"Yes, our courtyard used to be a big house to manage shops, but now the eldest lady has no idea about it, so I have to push this matter to me. Actually, I don't know how to do business. I'm more worried about getting the monthly money on time every month. Before the Palace Changes, our shop received a batch of goods, and was dispersed by both sides of the fight on the way. This month's shop was in a big loss." Zhen'er and Ye Xuan both said bitterly.
"Yes, not only your own yards, but even your villa has more than a dozen shops, which is also the source of income for the villa. Let's start with our own shops, and in the future we will have to manage the shops in the villa. Wait for me, I'll go with you."
"Wait, my old man will go with you. Now the imperial city is in chaos. How can you three girls do?"
"Old doctor, when we go to our shop, nothing will happen."
"I'm disgusted with me for being old and regressed for twenty years. I am also a famous person in the Imperial City. My old man also has a pharmacy shop. He used to be managed by his apprentices, but now they are all dead, so I should go to the pan account."
"Master, then you sit in the carriage and rest. When you arrive at the medicine shop, you are coming down." Yuqing said, thinking of a trip to the ancient castle in his mind, which aroused the old doctor's fighting spirit. In my memory, the old doctor rarely leaves the villa, and even he followed the nurse to the imperial city.
Imperial City looked the same as the last time I came with the old owner's wife. At this time, the shops of each store had just opened and the shops were very deserted. When I arrived at the imperial city, the girls separated and made an appointment to meet in the villa's restaurant for a while. Yuqing first sent the old doctor to see his medicine shop, and then rushed to the grocery shop that his uncle opened next to the imperial city.
The grocery store is large in area and sells all kinds of things in life. Although the abortion is good at the edge of the imperial city, it is a place where the poor and rich people have to visit, because those little things in life do not necessarily have to be loud, as long as the things are convenient and easy to use. Yuqing admires his uncle very much for being a smart person. No wonder a grocery store supports the old and young people in the yard. The shopkeeper is an old man, with two friends and a accountant. When Yuqing arrived, several people were eating porridge and pickles, and were talking about things.
"Shopkeeper, the boss and your son have both died in the palace, and there are only two ignorant dolls left in the Sixth Courtyard. What should I do in the future?" a guy asked.
"You both have put your mind right, and there are only two roots in the home yard. This shop is their entire fortune. The home has always been generous to us, so we have to guard this grocery store."
"Shopkeeper, this month's Imperial City is in chaos, and it's allocated money every few days. The good business can be maintained. Many shops closed down and stopped doing business. A few days ago, so many goods were smashed. There was not much money on our books. The people from the Sixth Courtyard have not come to reconcile the accounts. The New Year is about to be over, and I don't know how the two young masters in the Sixth Courtyard live."
"Mr. Accountant, we must guard this shop no matter what. But we can't be like those maids and servants. When the master died, he took other people's things and ran away. There are only two children left in the Sixth Courtyard. I heard that the lady who lives in the residence is also alive. If the lady is a child who knows how to be grateful, she will not leave her two cousins."
"Grandpa, the shopkeeper, let me talk about me again. Jing'er and Wen'er are my brother, and I will not leave them behind." Yuqing's voice sounded at the door, and the four people who were eating were shocked to look up.
"You, are you Miss Yuqing? You were so tall when you saw you a few years ago."
"Grandpa of the shopkeeper, I was less than ten years old a few years ago. Of course I have grown taller and older. You haven't returned to the villa for a long time. I didn't see you when I was cremated the last time I was cremating the dead. You are still so smart and sophisticated."
"Miss Yuqing, everyone is dead, and it's just a little sad after being there. It's better to keep this grocery store for the boss." The shopkeeper felt the pain.
"Miss Coffin, are you here to inspect and check the accounts today? Our shop has not made any money this month, so let's take a look at the account book for Miss Coffin." The accountant said as he looked at Yuqing.
"Old man, Yuqing is here to check out the shop today. I will bring the eldest master here. You, the shopkeeper, take him. I heard that the streets were very messy when the palace changed, and our shop was not affected much, right?" Yuqing waved his hand and said.
"Miss Cousin, the eldest young master is only nine years old. Are you still a little younger when you are learning to manage the shop?"
"The shopkeeper's grandfather, the property of the Sixth Courtyard is always handed over to the eldest and second masters. The old saying goes that poor children are already in charge, so you always have to teach him."
"Miss Yuqing, it's not in vain that you can think so. When the palace changed, the streets were not just chaotic, and people from all sides were killed red and stabbed everyone. Many innocent people lost their lives in vain. That day, we rushed into a batch of pots and pans from the countryside, but they were dispersed and smashed by the fighters. Fortunately, the legs of the two guys were almost escaped. There were not many good goods in that truck. These days, the people kept everything at home, and we were too busy to count it."
"Shopkeeper, everyone is uneasy in troubled times, and things are safe only when they are under their noses. It is not easy to do business in troubled times. Yuqing is grateful to you for being able to guard the shop for the Sixth Courtyard. After a few days, the New Year is coming, and the aunts are not there. Yuqing is in charge of the family. This month, Yuqing adds fifty taels of silver to each of you, which is somewhat of a part of Yuqing's wish. After the New Year, there are still several people who need to take care of the shopkeeper. This is the source of life for the two young masters in the Sixth Courtyard." Yuqing said and took out a few silver notes and handed them over to the shopkeeper.
"Miss Cousin, you are such a good person, as kind as the old boss. Life in the Sixth Courtyard is not easy, and you are still thinking about our New Year's Day. The shop is not busy now, so I will take Ms. Cousin to see the cart of groceries." A guy carefully put the fifty taels of silver notes and said gratefully.
"Account, stay in front of him and I will take Miss Yuqing to the backyard." The shopkeeper also smiled and put away the silver notes.
A carriage with unloaded horses was parked on the open space in the backyard of the grocery store, covered with straw. An old horse in the stable was gnawing on the hay, and several rooms.
"Miss Yuqing, this is your first time here. One of the rooms in our backyard is owned by two friends, and the other ones are warehouses. The car frames are the things that were broken when they purchased the goods last time. One is busy, and the other is that the owner has not come, so we can't count them privately. Just this cargo is almost the profit of the month. Oh, it's unlucky!"
"The shopkeeper's grandfather, as long as the person is fine in troubled times, as long as the money is fine. If you lose money, you can make another profit. Let's see if there is any intact." Yuqing said as she reached out to pull out the covered straw. She bought it a little strange. It turned out to be a silk bag. She calmly put the silk bag into her arms, and then she counted the goods on the car frame with the shopkeeper. She thought that it must be that someone hid the silk bag here during the chaos. She didn't know if it was a heirloom or something valuable. Did the hidden things die or escape?
The top bowls and plates on the car frame are broken, and the iron pots below are still sold, and there is no big problem with bamboo chopsticks below. The worst thing is that the incense candles and miscellaneous things have become powder...
"Miss Yuqing, we lost 500 taels of silver to this truck. We originally wanted to sell them before the New Year, but it turned out like this."
"It's difficult in troubled times! Who is the one who dispersed us?" Yuqing asked casually.
"Who knows, either the new emperor or the new emperor's people, they are all the sons of the old emperor. Why do you kill me and I kill you? That position is so important and you don't even want family affection." The young man said.
"What do you know about this child? Even the brothers of wealthy families compete for the sake of their own affairs. The legitimate family members can clearly distinguish between the legitimate family and the illegitimate family."
It was noon when I was busy at the grocery store. Yuqing had no chance to open the silk bag in his arms to see what it was. After talking to the people in the shop, Yuqing rushed to the big restaurant in the villa to meet with Ye Xuan and Zhen'er. There were more people on the street, and they all looked in a hurry. The villa's restaurant was in the center of the imperial city, and the cloth cover was on the Qi family restaurant. Looking at the signboard of the restaurant that was dancing in the wind, Yuqing was sure that the original one must have been Ye family restaurant.
This time was the time when the restaurant had the most diners. Yuqing found Ye Xuan and Zhen'er inside. The two ladies sat in the corner of the lobby and were talking, and they seemed so alternative in a place where a group of big men gathered.
"Why don't you go to the back and wait?" Yuqing sat down and asked.
"We have just arrived not long ago. The guy is so busy that we haven't come yet. We sit here to see how the business is." Ye Xuan said while tidying up her face towel.
"Master Yuqing Manor, the business here is very good, but some people look at the dishes. I came earlier, and the guys walked around to greet those people, but no one came to greet us." Zhen'er said angrily at the men who were playing the wine.
"It's not surprising, after all, a lady like us just wants to have a meal and can't make a lot of money from us. Zhen'er, how do you see that the business here is good?"
"When I came, my mother and the others told me that there is a small restaurant in my house. I was secretly observing the number of diners for a long time, estimating the income of each table of silver."
"Zhen'er, you really have a business mind. The two shops in our third yard sell rouge and water powder. After looking around, my head hurts. Several shops said they lost money this month, and I can't understand the accounts. Oh, I'm worried. I think I'm still looking at the money, but I don't know how to make money."
"Ye Xuan, you have to learn even if you don't understand. The villa is not a shop of two families. We have to come here a few times a month. How can we not know anything?" Yu Qing was speaking and finally saw a guy coming to this table. At this moment, several guests in the lobby started arguing.
"What are you? You are just a wild child who came out of the Great Princess's Mansion. You deserve to talk to me like this."
"I don't even look at my origin. Even if the dog's pee moss grows in the princess's mansion, it's shameful. In other words, we can still sit on the same table with you, and we really treat ourselves as a person."
"Don't talk about useless things, please invite this meal. The waiter will give you a pot of good wine."
"Brothers, let's stop arguing. Today is different from the past. Which of us is not a person with a tail between our tails? Mr. Yuning, they are just resentful here because they are drunk. When they go out, they have to bow down to the upstarts. Only our brothers are friends."
"If you drink wine, you will still drink wine in the belly of a dog. What else can you do besides playing tricks with your own brothers?"
"You are just as good as you, you're beaten and carried back. Forget it, you're both a man from Tianya, can you say the wrong thing just now?"
"Yes, I'm really frustrated." I thought that the young people at this table had a disagreement, but in the end it was left unresolved. The diners in the restaurant watched for a while and continued to eat and drink. This situation is often common in troubled times.
"You guys continue to eat and drink, I'm leaving."
"This bad temper, I see that the injury I was beaten last time has not healed, but I just don't have a memory." Looking at the young master who was leaving the table, the young master who was still noisy just now said helplessly.
The boy who left was only about twenty years old. The last time Yuqing punished those gangsters in the imperial city, he heard that a young man was beaten and carried back when he refused to give in. Unexpectedly, he met this backbone man here. Yuqing couldn't help but look at him a few more times, and admired the young man's backbone in his heart. The young man also saw him, and Yuqing immediately felt familiar.
Chapter completed!