lcionline Chapter 43 The dowry shops are all losing money.
Chapter 43 The dowry shops are all losing money.
So that night, Su Mowan served the emperor again.
Regarding the sudden silence following Murong Jing's initially aggressive attack, Su Mowan explained that it was due to the shyness of an old virgin.
The next day, Murong Jing still didn't look happy.
Su Mowan helped him get dressed and escorted him to the study before returning to Huangfeng Garden.
As soon as Qinghe saw her, she started making a big fuss again.
"Consort Su, what time did you go to Fenghua Palace last night? This servant has no idea."
Su Mowan ignored her and lay down on the low couch, closing her eyes: "Go see if Granny Wei's porridge is ready."
Qinghe stared in surprise, then seemed to realize something, a knowing smile flashed across her face, and she vanished like a gust of wind.
Before Qinghe returned, Steward Luo from the manor arrived, carrying a stack of account books.
Su Mowan glanced at Yinshuang standing to one side, then asked Butler Luo with a puzzled look, "Butler Luo, what are you doing?"
Steward Luo immediately put the account book on the low table and said with a smile, "Consort Su, the Prince said that from today onwards, the dowry shops you brought will be under your own management."
Su Mowan sat up abruptly: "You want me to manage this myself?"
"That's what His Highness said, so this old servant has brought you the shop's account books. These are the account books for the restaurant, the clothing shop, and the jewelry shop."
As he spoke, Butler Luo pointed to the three ledgers and then added, "So far, these shops have not made a profit. The Prince said that after a month, it will depend on Consort Su's abilities."
Su Mowan gritted her teeth inwardly.
Murong Jing is clearly giving her something to do!
Turning a losing business around is easier said than done, especially when you only give her a month!
Butler Luo put down the account book and left. Su Mowan picked up one at random and frowned as soon as she opened it.
She was unaware that she also had a dowry. She thought that once a sedan chair was delivered, that would be the end of it. She never expected that the General's Mansion would also "generously" send three shops.
It's all a loss-making venture!
Seeing that she was grinding her teeth as she looked, Yinshuang said, "Consort Su, this is a good thing. If you can manage these things well, the Prince's estate will be handed over to you in the future."
It’s better not to say this.
Su Mo quickly glanced at the three ledgers, then threw them back onto the low table with a 'thud' and fell into deep thought.
A short while later, Qinghe returned with the porridge. Su Mowan was curious as to why Wei Mama was nowhere to be seen. Qinghe explained that Wei Mama had gone to the palace to see the Empress.
After finishing the porridge, Su Mowan suddenly said, "You two pack your things, we're going out for an inspection today."
Qinghe didn't know what had just happened, so Yinshuang had to tell her in a low voice. Qinghe stared wide-eyed after hearing it. On the one hand, she felt that the prince valued Consort Su very much, but on the other hand, she felt that her prince was suspected of bullying Consort Su.
With Murong Jing's 'assignment', Su Mowan could freely enter and leave the Prince's mansion, so she took Qinghe and Yinshuang by carriage and went to the restaurant located in the east of the city.
I heard that this was the dowry brought by the Grand Madam of the General's Mansion back then, and it ended up in the hands of Su Liu after the Grand Madam passed away.
Su Mowan got off the carriage and looked up at the three large characters on the plaque.
Let us be drunk tonight.
It was around nine o'clock in the morning. There weren't many customers in front of Zui Jin Zhao, but Wen Xiang Ju across the street was bustling with people.
Su Mowan glanced at the person opposite her and then stepped into Zui Jinzhao.
The restaurant's decor is decent, and there are also private rooms available on the second floor.
Unfortunately, there were hardly any guests even in the lobby.
Upon seeing Su Mowan and her two companions enter, a waiter lazily approached. Seeing their distinguished appearances and imposing presence, he dropped his languid tone and said solicitously, "Please come in, gentlemen! What would you like to order?"
Qinghe was about to speak when Su Mowan raised her hand to stop her.
She asked, "What kind of things do you have in the store?"
The waiter's eyes lit up. He led Su Mowan and the other two to their seats while quickly rattling off a list of names and prices.
Su Mowan raised her eyelids slightly.
Is this some kind of scheme to fleece the three of them?
Upon hearing the price, Qinghe's eyes widened immediately, and she couldn't help but speak up again, but Yinshuang immediately tugged at her sleeve.
Seeing that the three of them weren't in a hurry to order, the waiter added, "Is this your first time here? The food we make is top-notch in this area, so the prices are naturally a bit higher."
Su Mowan smiled.
"Really? Then why does that restaurant across the street seem to be doing much better business than this one? It's much busier there too."
The waiter's face stiffened, and he said with an awkward smile, "Sir, you don't know this, it's because they had a chef from Yangzhou come to their house three months ago. People in the capital just like novelty, you know, and after a while everyone gets tired of it."
Su Mowan nodded and named four outrageously priced dishes for the waiter to serve.
The reason the price is outrageous is that these items are just breakfast side dishes; judging by this, main meals must be quite expensive.
This level of consumption is somewhat unacceptable even for ordinary wealthy families.
Before long, four side dishes and rice porridge were served, which made Qinghe stare wide-eyed, and even Yinshuang frowned.
Su Mowan smiled.
This is blatant ripping people off!
Scallion-mixed tofu pudding, three taels of silver, a small bowl the size of a fist; cold pig's trotters, ten taels of silver, only the trotters; sweet and sour fish slices, ten taels of silver, five slices; braised duck wings, twenty taels of silver, six wings.
That adds up to forty-three taels of silver, enough for at least a year's expenses for an ordinary person in the capital.
No wonder the store is so deserted.
Su Mowan called out to Qinghe, who was still staring wide-eyed, and started eating first.
Qinghe paused for a moment, realizing there were only two fish slices left. She then headed towards the braised duck wings, which were still in decent quantity.
After they had all put down their bowls and chopsticks, Su Mowan leaned back in her chair and said to the two of them, "Tell me your thoughts."
Qinghe quickly said, "Consort Su, isn't this too expensive? And it's not even that delicious."
Yinshuang nodded as well.
"Ordinary people would never come here to eat. That bill was enough for a family to live on for a year. Unless someone is very rich, there aren't many people in the entire capital who are that rich, not to mention that the taste is just average."
Su Mowan nodded, asked the waiter to settle the bill, and then led the two out of Zui Jinzhao.
Qinghe was somewhat confused: "Consort Su, are we just going back like this?"
"Of course not, go to the other side."
Wenxiangju was almost overflowing with people.
Yinshuang and Qinghe walked on either side of Su Mowan, creating a space between them.
As usual, Su Mo ordered food later, and the three of them ate another meal. Then, looking at the empty plates in front of them, they began to summarize.
"No wonder there are so many people here, it's delicious!" Qinghe said, still wanting more.
Yinshuang pondered for a moment, then cautiously said, "Although this place isn't exactly cheap, it's much cheaper than Zui Jinzhao, so more people will choose it."
Su Mowan stroked her chin: "Yeah, any normal person would know to run this way."
"So, Consort Su, where are we going next?"
Qinghe licked her lips and asked.
Su Mowan got up.
"Go to the clothing store."