Chapter 8: Most of the shops on Qibao Street belonged to Xiao...

Chapter 8: Most of the shops on Qibao Street belonged to Xiao...

Most of the shops on Qibao Street belong to the Xiao family, including the Zhenxiulou, a three-story detached building with four rooms, the financially powerful Xiaoji Pawnshop, and Xiaoji Silk Shop, which is closely related to the core business of the Xiao family, and so on.

Besides those run by the Xiao family, there were also numerous other businesses on Qibao Street, such as carriage shops, pharmacies, incense shops, cosmetics shops, teahouses, restaurants, dried fruit and pastry shops, and so on.

The entire street is built along the river, generally running east to west. The shops at the east end are mostly built tall and spacious, while those at the west end are more numerous and varied. The quality of the shops along the street is roughly reflected in this east-west orientation.

Master Xiao provided three shops in total. Xiao Yan looked at the blueprints and marked the one located in the eastern section next to the silk shop with a red circle. It was clear that Xiao Quexian had chosen this one.

The remaining shops for Liang Jian were located in the middle of the street and at the end of the street. Although the one at the end of the street was the largest, it was immediately ruled out because it was right around the corner from the carriage and horse shop.

“The location near the bridge is better, but at the end of the street, one room is almost as big as two of the other rooms.”

The First Madam looked at her daughter with a questioning gaze: "Yan Hui, which shop do you want? With your father's personality, he won't let you build up the business and then take the shop back. Nine times out of ten, this shop will have to go with you."

"There's not much to choose from, so we'll just go with this one by the bridge." This place has a bridge connecting it to the other side, so in terms of location, it might be better than the one in the east end. However, the shops in the middle section are smaller, and overall, it doesn't have the same grandeur as the one in the east end.

“The one on the east side is still better after all.” The first wife’s tone was a little resentful. “Your father felt that after giving me the garden, he was afraid that his second wife would be wronged, so he came here to make up for it.”

"Although these three shops have their advantages and disadvantages, in terms of value, they don't seem to be that different."

Since she had said that day that they could choose their own shops, Xiao Yan Hui would naturally not go into battle unprepared.

Before coming to the First Madam's courtyard to see the shop layout plans, she had already asked her maid to inquire about Qibao Street. At this moment, she had roughly calculated the selling price in her mind.

Indeed, the room Xiao Quexian chose was slightly more expensive, but only by a limited margin.

"My silly girl!" The first wife patted her daughter's head, looking at her as if she were a pitiful little thing who could be schemed against at any moment.

"Look over there, what's that next door on the east side?"

"What happened to Xiaoji Silk Shop?"

“What else? He’s giving us the shop next to the silk shop now, but for a family like ours, is a dowry only one shop? When Xiao Quexian gets married, wouldn’t it be perfectly reasonable to give her the shop next door as well?”

The first wife had laid everything bare, but seeing that her daughter still seemed indifferent, she couldn't help but gently poke her forehead a few times, wishing she could finally enlighten her.

"Mother, the dowry thing is just your guess, and even if it's true, that's a matter for the future. There's no point in thinking about it now; we should focus on managing things properly."

Xiao Yan was flipping through the shop's brochures listlessly, showing little enthusiasm for discussing the topic.

Since transmigrating, Xiao Yan Hui thought carefully about all the major events that had happened these past few days, and it seemed that they all revolved around the matter of getting married, which made her feel somewhat resistant.

She was originally only in her early twenties and considered herself a beautiful young woman. This body was even younger, not even fifteen years old yet.

Even knowing that people in ancient times married early, some ideas cannot be changed so easily. At least in Xiao Yan Hui's mind, marriage seemed to be a very distant thing for her.

Listening to the First Madam talk about these things now is like experiencing firsthand the pressure of a mother urging someone to get married that I've never experienced in modern times. And not many people like being pressured to get married.

Seeing her daughter's absent-mindedness, the first wife was filled with disappointment and frustration.

How come her daughter developed such a heartless habit after falling into the water? When she tells her the most important things, she doesn't care at all.

"What do you mean by 'later'! Do you want to become an old maid if you keep delaying? I'm definitely going to arrange your marriage this year. If it weren't for the half year of delay, you'd probably be getting your clothes made by now. It's all that good-for-nothing's fault. I don't know what he did wrong."

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan finally understood that the First Madam meant wedding clothes when she said "making clothes." As for the half-year delay, she could only say that her luck wasn't actually that bad.

At the end of last year, the original owner actually had a marriage that was almost finalized with the other party, a member of the Chen family in the east of the city.

The Chen family can be considered a family that values ​​both farming and scholarship, and the eldest son of this generation is particularly gifted in his studies. After passing the imperial examination two years ago, he became an official in the capital. Although he is only a sixth-rank official, he can still be considered a promising young man.

Since such a talented young man had expressed his desire to marry the third daughter of the Xiao family, the Xiao family was naturally willing to offer a generous dowry to form a marriage alliance with him.

But it just so happens that Xiao Fuyan came to the capital this year on business! He probably saw or heard something in the capital, but no one has revealed the specifics to Xiao Yan Hui. Judging from the tone of the First Madam's voice, she probably doesn't know the specific reason either.

But in the end, the marriage, which was almost finalized, was called off.

The first wife wasn't disappointed that the marriage had fallen through; it was far better than marrying into a den of wolves.

However, she harbors resentment towards the half-year that her daughter wasted, and she will secretly curse whenever the matter is mentioned.

I'm always worried about my daughter's marriage. She used to be very enthusiastic, but now she seems indifferent.

"Sigh!" The first wife sighed heavily.

"Mother is just worried that she didn't choose the right person and that you'll end up with the wrong one, and that your dowry won't be as generous as your sisters', so your in-laws will look down on you." The First Madam's voice trembled with emotion as she spoke.

She was worried about more than just her daughter.

Although Xiao Fuyan appeared to treat both families equally over the years, this equality was only in the eyes of outsiders; the real feelings between them were felt by the First Wife herself.

Having experienced so many things over the years, the First Madam had long since seen through and understood everything.

Although both wives were legitimate, she was truly Xiao Fuyan's legitimate wife, and as the elder sister-in-law, she was more legitimate in the eyes of the family.

But she's not stupid; she can tell which man cares more about her.

The jewelry was equally expensive, but the second wife's was personally chosen by the master. The fabrics were equally gorgeous, but the second wife's colors were brighter and suited her better. These everyday details are countless.

Just like this incident, no sooner had Liu Mama been convicted of negligence than the First Madam returned to her courtyard and discovered that Liu Mama, whom she had ordered to be brought to her own courtyard and interrogated later, had already been taken away by the front courtyard steward.

Why is this the case?

It's because the master is afraid that Granny Liu might actually confess something.

He could punish or reprimand the second wife for her outrageous behavior, and he would also provide compensation, but he would not allow the matter to be brought up publicly, nor would he openly hold the second wife and her daughter accountable.

In the eyes of the first wife, this reprimand was also quite limited.

“I originally thought he was really going to teach Zhao Zhenzhu a lesson this time, but I didn’t expect him to turn around and give the second branch of the family benefits in the shop matter. Anyway, I see through it. I’m just doing this for appearances. Zhao Zhenzhu is his heart and soul. I can tolerate things on the surface, but you can’t suffer losses. Yan Hui, do you understand?”

The First Madam stared intently at Xiao Yan Hui, her gaze like a burning flame, completely different from her usual gentle and graceful demeanor. Meeting that gaze even made Xiao Yan Hui's heart tremble involuntarily.

"Mother, I understand." Faced with that look, she had no other answer.

"Madam." With Kaori's soft call from outside the door, the somewhat strange atmosphere in the room was broken.

"What is it?" the First Madam asked softly.

Xiang Sui lifted the curtain and entered, bowing respectfully: "Reporting to Madam, the matchmaker has arrived with her people. Wu Ma has come to ask if you would like to see her now or later?"

Xiao Yan got up and was about to leave: "Mother, you're busy, I'll go back first."

"Stop! What's the rush?" The First Madam also stood up and pulled Xiao Yan back towards the flower hall.

"I called the matchmaker here to add someone to your room, why are you leaving?"

The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue, but Xiao Yan swallowed them back.

Now that the matchmaker has brought people in, it seems that the First Madam has already decided to fill the vacancy for her, Liu Ying. She can refuse after seeing it because she is not satisfied, but she cannot refuse to even look at it.

Moreover, for Xiao Yan Hui, she would definitely need to have maids serving her in her courtyard. In that case, choosing a few strangers and marrying off her original personal maids might be a safer option.

......

Inside the Xiao family's side gate, Granny Wu was waiting there with about a dozen little girls.

She was a woman in her thirties, short and thin with slightly dark skin, but with a pretty face and kind eyes when she smiled. Because she was from the same hometown as Wu Ma, the steward of the second gate of the Xiao family's main branch, the Xiao family's main branch had hired more people over the years, and nine times out of ten, they would come from her.

Looking at the group of little girls huddled together, their eyes filled with timidity like a flock of chicks, Granny Wu composed herself and whispered her instructions to them once more.

"Watch out, all of you. Don't look around or talk nonsense. If anyone asks you questions, don't pretend you're mute. Answer them properly as I taught you before, understand?"

"Yes, Mama Wu." The group of girls, though timid, were clearly well-trained and answered in unison.

Her gaze swept over the faces of the girls, ranging from six or seven to eleven or twelve, once again, and Granny Wu nodded inwardly. Her careful selection had not been in vain; each and every one of them was indeed well-proportioned.

I heard that the Xiao family is not only buying a few low-ranking maids to clean the garden, but if they're lucky, they might even be able to enter the courtyard of the Xiao family's daughter. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If it weren't for the fact that her daughter is too old, Wu the matchmaker would have even wanted to take her along.

These young girls are lucky. Everyone knows that the Xiao family is extremely wealthy. Their servants live better than those of moderately wealthy families. Moreover, the family has a clean and upright tradition. Over the years, there have been no rumors of mistreating the servants or maids. It is the best that these pretty girls could end up in such a family.

If a girl with some looks isn't chosen by a wealthy family, she'll most likely end up in a shady place, since they can afford the price.

Wu the matchmaker felt that she was one of the more conscientious people in the business. For example, the people she worked with all came from clean channels, and she would give them a few days of rough training so that they would be roughly presentable before she would sell them.

She would give any opportunity she could, but if she couldn't seize it, she was, after all, a matchmaker, and often her conscience had to give way to money.

Wu Ma's gaze fell on the most beautiful face among the group of maids. She knew very well that if such a face were taken to Chunmian Tower, the price offered there would be at least two or three times higher than that of the Xiao family.

After all, the Xiao family wanted maids, while Chunmian Tower wanted "ladies," but she still brought them over for them to choose first. This time, she really showed a lot of conscience.

As for the previous agreement that if the girl was chosen by the Xiao family, she would pay Wu the matchmaker five times her original price over the next three years, Wu the matchmaker had completely forgotten about it.

As the saying goes, without money, there's no conscience. The fact that she agreed to this is already an act of mercy.

The little girl, who was being given special attention, lowered her head deeply after feeling Wu the matchmaker's gaze. She felt a chill run down her spine under that scrutinizing gaze.

"Kitty, don't be afraid." A very low voice sounded in her ear, and the girl called Kitty felt much more at ease, and nodded her head, which was already hanging down.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman who had been respectfully called "sister" by Wu the matchmaker earlier come out again.

"Let's go, the eldest madam instructed that you can go in." Wu Ma gave Wu Ya Po a look, signaling her to greet everyone.

"Sister, is it the First Madam herself who is inspecting this time?" Wu the matchmaker asked cautiously as she approached Wu Ma with an extremely ingratiating smile.

Aunt Wu glanced at her but didn't answer, though she nodded.

Upon receiving this answer, Granny Wu knew that the news that the girl's courtyard was going to have an extra person was probably true.

He glanced again at the little girl whose head he could only see, and sighed inwardly: perhaps she really is lucky.

......