Too high to reach

Chapter 148 Viewing lotus flowers is a pleasure
The next day, when Mo Yi arrived.

Manager Zhao and the two craftsmen were already downstairs.

The man opened the door; the hut was full of clutter and covered in thick dust.

The craftsmen looked inside and out and said that rebuilding was easy. If they could use the walls of the Fragrance Pavilion, it would be even simpler: just build up the front and back walls, stack a few slabs, and add a roof.

The house will be ready in a few days. Ten days, and everything will be settled.

After listening, Manager Zhao asked Mo Yi what she thought.

Mo Yi shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea about building a house. I just hope it will be bright and pretty."

Manager Zhao, however, was quite capable: he asked a lot of questions about the foundation, rainwater, stability, and the impact on the two houses.

That evening, Manager Zhao treated the owner of Wenxiang Pavilion to a big meal and promised him benefits, and the owner agreed to use his wall. After preparing materials and labor for a few days, construction began.

That day, as Manager Zhao was standing there, gesturing with the craftsmen, a low-key yet luxurious carriage passed by in front of the shop.

Behind the car followed Zhao Zuo and Zhao You.

Suddenly Zhao Zuo called out, "Master, what's my uncle up to at Qizhenlou...?"

"Stop the car!" Li Jing lifted the curtain to look.

Yeah, what's all this mess?
Suddenly it dawned on me: Mo Yi is already at the Qizhen Building, right? This is... building a house next to it?
The person then got off the carriage.

As I slowly entered the shop, the shop assistant hurriedly came up to greet me.

"I'll just take a look around. You all go about your business!" he said in a deep voice.

I was genuinely curious, so I walked closer and saw my elegant shoes covered in mud.

So it really was Moe's idea to build a small house?

Haha, you're making a fuss as soon as you arrive?

After reading it, I went straight upstairs.

In the open-plan room, Manager Zhao pointed to the paper and said to Mo Yi, "The original location for hanging the lamp won't work; we can't set up the frame there. We'll have to move it a little further forward."

Mo Yi thought for a moment: "How about we make two smaller ones? Then we can make one more behind them. If it can't be centered, then it'll be symmetrical. You see, here and here..."

"That works too..." Manager Zhao nodded after reading it.

Li Jing strolled leisurely to the door, where Luyi was the first to see him. "Your Highness!"

Mo Yi sat at one end of a large table, a pile of papers in front of her. Manager Zhao sat opposite her, and the two were discussing something.

Hearing the green leaves call out, they turned around and saw, "The prince has arrived?" They all stood up.

Mo Yi felt a little uneasy, but she didn't ask Manager Zhao what he had said to the prince.

"I was just passing by and saw the commotion, so I thought I'd ask. Are they building a small house?" Li Jing walked over and looked at the table.

Mo Yi quickly moved aside to make way for him.

Shopkeeper Zhao replied, "Your Highness, that used to be a small storage room. We're now planning to renovate it. As you know, Miss Mo runs a small shop, and I think her wares are quite interesting, so I'd like to open another stall there."

"That's it..."

"Your Highness, would you like some tea?" Mo Yi saw that Lvyi had poured tea and hurriedly went over to serve it.

“Okay.” Li Jing sat down in the spot where Mo Yi had just been sitting, looking down at the mess on the table.

"Your Highness, please speak with Miss Mo for a while. I need to go down and give her a few more instructions."

"Go ahead." Li Jing nodded, and Manager Zhao left in a flash.

The greenery also quietly retreated outside the hall.

"Your Majesty..."

"sit down!"

Mo Yi sat down, and the two fell into their usual silence.

"I've been wanting to see you these past few days," Mo Yi said first, feeling pressured.

"What is it?" Li Jing looked up from the table and glanced at her.

"Your Highness...you've bequeathed such a vast fortune to Mo Yi! Isn't that a big deal?"

Li Jing smiled, "Can you still handle it?"

"It's just the beginning, so it's too early to say."

"So what have you been doing?" "I've looked at all sorts of ledgers and understood them all. It's just that it's not the end of the month yet, so I haven't been able to go with the inventory check and the accounting department to settle accounts. I like to stay in the warehouse and look at things. Manager Zhao has told me a lot of things that I didn't know before."

"Hmm, you like it here, don't you?"

“I like it. Your Highness, are you really going to give this place to me?” Mo Yi stared at Li Jing in a daze.

"Still don't believe me?"

"Anyone who encounters such a thing wouldn't dare to believe it so easily!" Mo Yi said with a rare touch of coquettishness.

Her face was flushed, her eyes were slightly curved, half-covering her dark pupils, and she looked relaxed and natural, with a touch of playfulness after escaping the pressure.

Li Jing suddenly realized... she was actually very beautiful.

This expression is also very comforting.

Feeling a tightness in his throat, he coughed and asked again, "The Qizhen Building is very large, especially the VIP room on the second floor, which is quite spacious. Why open a separate room? Are there many things there?"

"There aren't many items, and they don't take up much space. It's just... a bit small and cluttered, and compared to the items in the shop, they seem cheap. If we put them in the main hall, I'm worried it will lower the quality of the existing goods. The second floor is where important guests come from; we don't usually invite ordinary people up there. So that won't work either."

Moreover, it's primarily geared towards women and young women. Having a separate area for them to browse would be more convenient. The small shop also has an entrance on the main street, so those worried about the high barriers to entry at Qizhenlou can enter directly without hesitation. Then, they can enter the main hall through a side door, or vice versa. This way, there are more customers on both sides…”

Seeing her speaking so earnestly, Li Jing nodded: "You've thought of everything very thoroughly."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness!" Mo Yi smiled again, her eyes crinkling.

"Oh, to build that little house, Manager Zhao discussed it with the owner of the Wenxiang Pavilion next door and borrowed a wall from their property. It was easy to build. However, because the materials used were of good quality, it cost nearly four hundred taels of silver."

Li Jing didn't seem to care: "When do you plan to open?"

"I'm afraid it will take some time. Selling just what we have on hand feels insufficient. To make it unique, we need to think things through!"

"Whatever makes you happy." Li Jing took a sip of tea.

"Your Highness... there's something I'd like to ask you."

Li Jing thought to herself: She's got something going on again!

"Here's the thing, the young shop assistant who used to sell me goods was named Song Jiafu. His whole family lived with my father, and he was quite clever. Could you call him over so he can learn from Manager Zhao?"

You can arrange this yourself.

“I’m a little worried: I’ve only been here a couple of days, and I’m already building houses and selling my own goods. Now, I need to bring in more people…” Mo Yi shrank her neck. “Sometimes, it’s hard to gauge the right balance. I haven’t told my family about this yet, so I haven’t discussed it with anyone.”

Seeing her cute expression, Li Jing smiled again: "Why haven't you told your family yet?"

"This is no small matter; we need to be careful."

"Your caution is commendable. But remember, now that this shop is yours, you're in charge. Be reasonable in your actions and polite in your dealings with others, but don't be submissive."

Sometimes you can't judge people as simply good or bad. Many people are like this one moment and that the next. You can't control them, you can't anticipate their every move, you lack the ability, and you can't give them hope. Relying solely on loyalty is difficult and unsustainable.

"Mo Yi understands!" "Your Highness..."

"Ok?"

"Manager Zhao said he's leaving... He won't be leaving anytime soon, will he?"

"Don't worry! Even if I go, it will take at least a year to prepare. It's not like I can just set off alone with a backpack. I'll definitely be leading a team. I'll also need to arrange all the major events along the way beforehand. I'll probably have to bring quite a lot of supplies. It's not that simple... Don't worry!"

"That's good." Mo Yi was relieved and relaxed a bit.

Li Jing's tone was gentle: "There's always something to do, so do more if you like it. Rest when you're tired. Take control of your life and don't be too anxious."

"Yes."

"Oh, by the way, in mid-June, at Lotus Lake at the foot of Longevity Mountain. The Empress Dowager is celebrating her birthday there, and many families from the capital will be going. I also have an estate there. If you want to go for a couple of days, or if you want to bring your sisters along, please let me know in advance."

"Yes." Mo Yi wasn't very interested. She was busy... admiring the lotus flowers was nice, but making money was more important.

"Actually, there is someone..." The little figure's incessant chatter appeared in Li Jing's mind:
Uncle, why did you decide to marry Auntie off without letting me see her?

Is she pretty?
Is she smart?
I heard she comes from a very humble background. Is she perhaps a vain person?

Your nephew has been wanting to see her for you, but he hasn't been able to.

Uncle, what if my nephew doesn't like her? Then please don't marry her, okay? Otherwise…

"Otherwise what?" Li Jing couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"Your Highness, what did you say...?"

(End of this chapter)