The workshop moved to the capital, and the purchase of the residence and servants were all reported to the Old Madam by Qi Zhenzhen. The residence was chosen with the Old Madam's help; the business was to be expanded, so the place couldn't be small. The selection of servants also couldn't be flawed. The Old Madam had a sharp eye and chose thirty maids and ten robust and capable young men.
"Before you returned, I had already eaten the spicy cabbage, and I never expected you to be the one who figured it out. Back then, Madam Qian sent some to families she was friendly with, and it was never enough to eat; they all sent people to inquire." The Old Madam said with a smile, "Guess how much that small jar sold for? Ten taels of silver!"
Qi Zhenzhen clicked her tongue, "The Qian family truly has impressive methods. No wonder their business is all over Da Feng."
"Do you regret cooperating with the Qian family? With your current conditions, you could entirely do the spicy cabbage business yourself," the Old Madam added.
Qi Zhenzhen shook her head, "Grandmother, this business is highly profitable. Looking around, there is no other family besides the Qian family that can handle this business. If I were to take it back, not only would it affect my relationship with the Qian family, but if someone with higher power and status than our Marquis's mansion were to interfere, we would be unable to refuse. However, with the Qian family, no one dares to have such ideas. After all, with Da Feng's foremost figure as their backer, who would be so blind?"
"Grandmother indeed did not misjudge you; you are far-sighted and have your plans in mind." The Old Madam smiled with gratification, "Prosperity can blind the eyes, and wealth can stir the heart. Driven by profit, one sometimes makes wrong decisions. It is truly good that you can see the advantages and disadvantages clearly."
Qi Zhenzhen blinked playfully, "The Qian family has not treated me unfairly. To do this business, a large amount of manpower and material resources are required. The wholesale price I give to the Qian family allows me to earn some. Furthermore, the Qian family has given me an additional ten percent profit, which amounts to over four thousand taels annually."
"If that's the case, it is indeed benevolent," the Old Madam said with a satisfied expression.
Qi Zhenzhen then recounted the events of saving Gu Sinian and Qian Yuanbao, which led the Old Madam to exclaim, "It seems this is all fate. Good, good, good."
Fate? Perhaps it could be counted as such, but not the fate between a man and a woman, rather the fate between friends.
"Good child, you have worked hard." The Old Madam patted her hand, "For a young lady to make a living, she has to do the work of hunting!"
"Actually, our family wasn't that tight on money back then; it was my greed, I liked eating wild game from the mountains." Qi Zhenzhen said sheepishly, "There were few hunters, and it was not easy to buy. I learned a few tricks from an old hunter, and it would be too wasteful to let the learned skills go unused."
"The noble ladies in the capital eat as if they are counting grains of rice; eating a few more bites of meat is considered a sin. Second Miss doesn't care about these things, just like the Old Madam when she was young. I observe that among the young ladies in the family, Second Miss is the most like the Old Madam," said Nanny Fang.
The Old Madam's eyes were filled with smiles, "You think so too? This is probably the fate between us grandmother and granddaughter."
Whether they were alike or not, Qi Zhenzhen didn't feel much, but if the Old Madam was happy to think so, then they were alike.
Song Zhili and Madam Yu, after receiving the letter from Song Mingyue and obtaining the consent of Song Lizheng and his wife, tidied up and took the carriage sent by Song Mingyue to the capital.
Qi Zhenzhen specifically asked the Old Madam for a出门牌 (chumen pai - a pass for going out) to host a welcoming banquet for the Song couple.
Song Zhili remained relatively calm upon reaching the capital's territory, but Madam Yu's eyes were not enough to take everything in. "So many people, so many shops, so many people selling goods. Wow, the people selling goods are all dressed so well. Oh, and the things they sell look much better than in our town."
"Why don't you also mention that the prices of the goods are also expensive? Clearly, the things look similar, but the prices are several times higher than in our town!" Song Zhili grumbled.
When Song Mingze was receiving medical treatment at Baicaotang, Song Zhili and Song Zhishu accompanied him. Song Zhili was lively and handled all the arrangements for food and drink, so he had some understanding of the prices in the capital. Seeing his wife's astonished look, he couldn't help but complain.
"This is the most prosperous place in Da Feng, so it's normal for it to be a bit expensive. The Son of Heaven and all the officials and nobles are gathered here," Madam Yu said as if it were natural.
Qi Zhenzhen and Song Mingyue exchanged glances and remained silent, letting the two of them bicker.
Passing through the bustling West Market, they arrived at the Zhang family's residence. It was a small courtyard with two entrances. The place wasn't large, but it was exquisite. It was close to the Duke's mansion and the martial arts training grounds, and also not far from the West Market, making living conditions very convenient.
This small residence didn't seem small to the Song couple, as residences in the countryside were at most one entrance, with only a slightly larger courtyard. With the whole family living together, in reality, the Zhang family's residence was more spacious.
Madam Yu knew that this residence was a gift from Gu Sinian, and at this moment, she couldn't help but mention it, "When we have the chance to meet the Young Lord, we must thank him properly. Such a large residence, and he just gave it away."
"Little Niu is highly valued by the Young Lord, so it's nothing," Qi Zhenzhen said. "This is all Little Niu deserves."
"Father, Mother, Zhenzhen didn't deceive you. Although Little Niu is not old, in that martial arts training ground, many people older than him don't have his skills. Many of those people have practiced martial arts since childhood and have specialized instructors, while Little Niu figured it out himself before! Zhenzhen, there's a word for it, what's that word to describe how capable Little Niu is?" Song Mingyue's eyes and brows were filled with joy.
"Talented beyond compare. Your Little Niu is a natural prodigy for martial arts," Qi Zhenzhen said.
"Yes, yes, yes, Father, Mother, that's exactly it. Little Niu said the Young Lord praised him like that. Those seniors in the martial arts training ground also said so!"
Madam Yu became even happier and glared at Song Zhili, "Listen, even the Young Lord praises him, do you still have anything to say?"
"No matter how good he is, he still left his wife at home right after getting married?" Song Zhili grumbled. He knew in his heart that Little Niu was a good child, but for some reason, the thought of him taking his daughter away made him feel uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but want to give him a hard time.
?
"Why did Little Niu leave home? Isn't it to pursue a better future? And it's your daughter who will enjoy the benefits later, so have some sense!" Madam Yu raised her voice. "If it weren't for the good fortune of our daughter and son-in-law, could we come to the capital to live in such a good house? When I left, I saw the envy on my eldest sister-in-law's face. Before we even left the village, when the villagers asked you, didn't you proudly tell them you were going to your son-in-law's place in the capital?"
Song Zhili was rebuked into silence and turned his head away, "You woman, why have you become so talkative since coming to the capital? I can't argue with you, so I won't say anything, alright?"
Madam Yu took Song Mingyue's hand and Qi Zhenzhen's hand, "Let's go inside, I can't be bothered to argue with him."