Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 213 Deciding on a Shop
Xu Qingmeng originally intended to use the noodle shop as a stepping stone to create her own chili sauce brand in the future. Before coming here, she had given up all hope, but unexpectedly, it worked out.

Of course, the shopkeeper had considered buying the house, but Xu Qingmeng flatly refused.

Now that they have money in hand, they are going to book a shop.

After returning home, Xu Qingmeng found He Shi, and the three of them bought two boxes of pastries and then went to Xiao Li Zi's house.

When Xu Qingmeng and the others arrived, it was just in time for dinner. Xiao Lizi happened to be home as well, and the whole family sat down to eat together. Xiao Lizi's family had many children, so it was quite lively.

Upon seeing Madam He and the others approach, Xiao Li quickly put down his bowl and stood up to greet them.

This was the first time Xiao Li had met Gu Yunyi, but seeing his extraordinary demeanor, he unconsciously became more serious when speaking.

Gu Yunyi is a master of the art of speaking. If he wants to make people feel comfortable, his words will be as gentle as a spring breeze.

Xu Qingmeng had seen plenty of people's ability to present multiple faces when interacting with strangers.

At this point, she and Mrs. He really had to step aside and let him talk.

Xiao Li's wife invited the two of them to eat together, but Xu Qingmeng and Madam He declined, and even put the snacks they bought aside for her to unpack and give to the children.

Seeing their child staring longingly at the pastries, Xiao Li's wife felt a little embarrassed, but He Shi and Xu Qingmeng didn't mind and opened a box.

The children were overjoyed when they each received a piece.

The children were happy, and as their mother, she was naturally happy too, feeling even warmer towards them.

"Auntie, didn't you say you wanted to buy servants? The master asked around, and the city hasn't been very peaceful lately. Many high-ranking officials have been dismissed. Of course, those who serve these officials are arrogant and don't have a chance to work for the master's brokerage. However, the wealthy merchants under the protection of these officials are also inevitably implicated. The servants from these families are absolutely useful."

"These people have seen important figures and dealt with small vendors, so their skills are quite good, no less than those servants of high-ranking officials, but their prices are much lower."

"There are so many tricks to finding a servant?" Madam He couldn't help but say.

"Of course. Although we're hiring servants, we'll be living in the same courtyard after all. We have to find someone who suits our taste, otherwise why spend money to make trouble for ourselves?"

And so, Little Li's wife told He Shi a lot more about the ins and outs of the matter.

Xu Qingmeng watched from the side and smiled gently.

Little Li's wife has a really good tongue; her sales pitch is so subtle that if it were modern times, she would definitely be a top salesperson.

While they were chatting, Gu Yunyi and Xiao Li had already finished their conversation.

"The former owner of that shop on Baiyang Street is probably still in the shop right now. He's been in a hurry to get money these past few days, so he's been keeping watch over the shop. Let's go take a look."

Xu Qingmeng and the other two nodded and followed Xiao Li.

This shop is a prime location; I wouldn't have wanted to sell it if my child hadn't had that accident.

"This shop used to be a food stall, and it was recently renovated. If you also run a food stall, a simple cleaning will suffice."

Xu Qingmeng and Madam He had been to see it and knew about it.

As soon as they arrived, the host recognized Xu Qingmeng and Madam He. Since this was their second visit, it meant there was hope for a deal, and his face was full of smiles.

With Leonardo DiCaprio mediating, and having already inquired about it yesterday, the process didn't take too long.

Gu Yunyi asked a few more questions, and after the contract was signed, the shop belonged to the Gu family.

Gu Yunyi, Xiao Lizi, and the landlord went to the yamen to complete the formalities. Xu Qingmeng immediately wanted to clean with He Shi, but He Shi stopped her right away.

"Mengniang, you don't need to do it. Just tell me what to do. I'll take Xinting and Gu Tong with me to clean up. You should go back and rest."

"It's alright, Mother." "No, no."

Xu Qingmeng could not persuade He Shi and had to give up.

However, Xu Qingmeng also had several things to do. First of all, the table was unusable and needed to be remade.

Xu Qingmeng asked the carpenters and blacksmiths nearby and told them her requirements. However, it was the first time for both of them to encounter something like this. Fortunately, Xu Qingmeng drew simple diagrams for them, and they understood them at a glance.

Since Xu Qingmeng wanted a lot and the price offered wasn't high, Xu Qingmeng could accept it.

When Xu Qingmeng returned, Gu Yunyi and Xiao Lizi had also returned with the exchanged contracts.

The shop's previous owner left halfway through, quite the dashing figure.

The two walked and talked, while He Shi and Xin Ting were carrying a wooden frame out.

Little Li quickly stepped forward and said, "Auntie, this is so heavy, can you carry it? Let me do it, let me do it."

Before Mrs. He could react, Little Li grabbed the frame with both hands and lifted her up.

Not only did He Shi and Xin Ting exchange bewildered glances, but Xu Qingmeng also looked at Xiao Lizi with a puzzled expression.

However, the three women were surprised for different reasons. He Shi and Xin Ting were surprised by his strength, while Xu Qingmeng walked up to Gu Yunyi and asked in confusion, "Why does he suddenly seem so much more enthusiastic?"

Gu Yunyi chuckled and lowered his voice, saying, "I happened to run into the prefect when I was at the yamen just now, and we exchanged a few pleasantries."

Xiao Li knew that Gu Yunyi was a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations), but there were quite a few Xiucai in the prefectural city, and even quite a few Juren (successful candidates in the provincial-level imperial examinations).

However, very few of them are remembered by the prefect of this city.

Although in Leonardo DiCaprio's eyes the two only exchanged a few words, it was still quite significant.

"I see? So, wouldn't you call this a case of 'the fox borrowing the tiger's power'?" Xu Qingmeng said with amusement.

Gu Yunyi reached out and pinched her nose: "Is this how you talk to your husband?"

"Yes, yes, I was wrong, Scholar."

"You!"

After Xinting finished her work, she went back to cook dinner. Gu Yunyi then talked to Xiao Li about the other shop and finding servants.

"Don't worry, I'm quite familiar with the owner of that shop. You can pay part of it first and make up the rest later."

"Will this work?"

"Sure, why not?"

"That would be troublesome."

"No trouble at all. My aunt mentioned looking for someone before, and I've already taken note. I'll bring the person over first thing tomorrow morning. You can choose, okay?"

You can even choose from these?
Mrs. He said with a smile, "Okay, we'll wait at home tomorrow."

The matter was settled in just a few words.

Gu Yunyi invited Xiao Li to his home for dinner, but Xiao Li declined, saying there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Gu Yunyi didn't insist, and the group parted ways at the entrance of the Gu family's residence.

(End of this chapter)