The maid's road to success

An Ning talked a lot with Wen Niang and the others along the way.

"My sister and I were sold before our birthdays. Although our family never celebrated our birthdays, the grandparents in the village would give us an egg, a candy, or a fruit on our birthdays, and we would be very happy."

"After being sold, we spent our first birthday at the butcher's. There were only beatings and endless work. Later, when we moved to the master's house, we didn't even have our own names, let alone birthdays. The best birthday we had was when we sat together and shared the leftover roast chicken that the master had eaten."

Wen Niang and Bi He felt very distressed when they looked at An Ning and An Ping. An Ning was more stable than An Ping, and she had always stood in front of her sister in all these years. They didn't know how much the two had suffered over the years to protect themselves and their sister.

"An Ning, your and An Ping's previous birthdays were not good, why not change them? Today is a good day. Today is your sister's birthday, and we will celebrate it for you in the future."

An Ning didn't say anything, but just looked at Wen Niang with gratitude, but An Ping was very happy.

She didn't like her birthday. Her mother died when she was born. Because of this, she was despised by her family for many years and she never had a good birthday since then.

Once, he made the young lady happy and asked if he could be rewarded with two eggs so that she and her sister could celebrate their birthdays. However, he was ridiculed by the maids in the courtyard, saying that a servant still wanted to celebrate his birthday.

Although the young ladies agreed, no one settled with the kitchen, so the kitchen staff naturally would not give them eggs to eat. In order to humiliate them, they gave them a bowl of rotten food.

From then on, she never looked forward to her birthday again, and even rejected it. On her birthday, she always thought of bad memories.

Everyone seemed to be thinking of unpleasant memories and were very quiet on the way back. An Ning and An Ping parked the carriage and went back to their room to pack up.

Wen Niang and Bi He looked at each other, went out hand in hand, and came back soon.

An Ning and An Ping wanted to have a simple meal and then rest, but for some reason, they felt a little tired today.

"I ordered food. Let's eat at our place today."

Bihe took An Ning and An Ping to her room. Looking at the sumptuous meal, An Ning knew that Wen Niang had said on the way that today was the sisters' birthday, and if they celebrated together in the future, it was not to comfort the two of them.

"Miss, we don't need this. We are just servants."

Bihe pushed An Ning and An Ping to sit on the stool.

"What servants? You hold the deeds by yourselves. Once you are on your feet, you will find someone to restore your status as good people. We don't treat you as servants. Okay, let's celebrate the happy day together."

Wen Niang nodded.

"Yes, Bihe's revenge has been achieved, and you have also met your family and let go of the knots that have been hanging over your heart for many years. Today is a day worth celebrating. Today is your birthday, and we celebrate together."

Wen Niang and Bi He took out the gifts they had just secretly bought and placed one in front of the two sisters.

"I was in a hurry today, and I didn't know where the best silver shop was, so I just picked out two that looked good and bought them. I'll give you a good birthday gift next year."

It was a pair of rings and a pair of hairpins. Although she had never seen them dress up since she met the two of them, and later they even dressed up as men for convenience, every time Bihe was dressing up, Wen Niang could still notice the envy in their eyes. After all, they were all girls, and who would not like these beautiful jewelry?

"We can't bring it. Miss, it's so expensive."

Bihe put them on their heads.

"No, it's just that the costumes are not suitable now. When we get settled down, I will dress you up myself. I am very skilled."

An Ning touched the ring, and An Ping carefully held her hairpin and looked in the mirror.

Wen Niang noticed An Ning's red eyes and held her hand and said.

"Don't underestimate yourselves. In our eyes, you are brave, kind and beautiful. You deserve these beautiful and precious jewels."

An Ning nodded with red eyes, and suddenly felt that birthdays were something worth celebrating and looking forward to.

Wen Niang ordered some wine. Although she couldn't drink, she drank a lot with Bihe, An Ning and An Ping. After putting the three of them to bed, Wen Niang stood up, opened the window and looked at the prosperity outside.

It is a clean long street with many snack stalls still doing business. Some children are clamoring to eat, and the adults can't persuade them, so they take them to eat.

There were also groups of friends walking and chatting by the river. The atmosphere was really good. After escaping from Kyoto, they walked for several months and saw many beautiful places. They also experienced vicious things like Luzhou's and fulfilled Bihe's wish.

She was actually a little tired and wanted to stop and rest. She fell in love with Yuzhou at first sight. Wen Niang felt that they would be very comfortable settling down here.

In the Qingzhou prefecture, Chen Luoxi sat in the prefecture government office, listening to the news that Zhushan had inquired about, and felt very sad.

"An Wen Niang, without me, you have become even more accomplished and have a wonderful life. Do you know how hard it is for me to sleep and how I can't enjoy my food?"

Chen Luoxi looked at the moonlight outside, the bitterness in his heart spreading all over his body. He followed the traces of An Wenniang and Bihe all the way, but there was no clue soon after leaving Kyoto.

It was only when Liu Xi was searching for Bihe in Qingzhou that Hua Yesheng noticed her.

At the beginning, he cooperated with Hua Yesheng to open many shops, and later he strongly supported Hua Yesheng in doing business. He was indeed capable and even had his own shops in Qingzhou. When An Wen Niang escaped, he found many ways to help find her and left behind portraits and information of Wen Niang and Bihe.

Although I thought that the two would change their names and appearances, I still had hope.

Unexpectedly, there was a discovery in Qingzhou. Bihe and Wen Niang actually came here, and this place turned out to be Bihe's hometown.

Wen Niang helped Bihe to take revenge on those who had bullied Bihe. It was also for revenge that she exposed Bihe's name and appearance.

Chen Luoxi rushed all the way to Qingzhou, only to find out that they had already left. Chen Luoxi thought about bringing Bihe's family over and using threats and inducements to coerce them.

But Bihe's parents knew nothing, and it was only after their own people went to investigate that they found out that their daughter had returned. Bihe's grandmother and brother did know.

But he was determined not to reveal any news about Wen Niang and Bi He. Chen Luoxi knew that if he tortured her, Wen Niang would really hate him if she knew.

What's more, in order to cover up their tracks, Wen Niang and Bi He hid the truth from the other person and left secretly at night. The clues ended here.

Moisture filled the corners of Chen Luoxi's eyes. He never thought that his great revenge would be achieved and all his former enemies would be dealt with. However, because of the difference in status, Wen Niang no longer wanted him.

Wen Niang was a very smart woman. She noticed her grandmother's entanglement and plans, and also her mother's considerations, so she left. In order not to make things difficult for everyone and to allow the Chen family to recover as soon as possible, she chose to leave on her own.

But Chen Luoxi had never thought of marrying anyone else. For so many years, his plan had always been to marry Wen Niang and make her his only woman after taking revenge.

But why did everything change? Couldn't he have his own happiness?

The old ancestor who was far away in Kyoto sat on the couch, listening to the letters brought by the servants.

Luo Xi is now on his way to Qingzhou, and it seems that there is news about Wen Niang and Bi He there.

"I was really wrong. They have been dependent on each other for seven years, and I never thought about how they have been together through this difficult time and have come to this day. I even intended to find a noble lady for Luo Xi to marry. I was so wrong."

Whenever the old ancestor thought of this, he felt very uncomfortable. Wen Niang had done a great favor to the Chen family. Without Wen Niang, Luo Xi might not have survived, and there would be no day when his injustice would be redressed.

But they actually felt that Wen Niang was not fit for the role of a clan wife, and they separated the two of them, leading to the current situation.

"We were wrong. With Prince Li succeeding to the throne, we have the kindness of our father-in-law. At least in the next few decades, we are the first in front of the emperor. With the queen in the harem, our family can only move up and not decline. On the contrary, we found a noble lady from an aristocratic family and got a reputation for being ambitious. Luo Xi is smarter than us."

The few people who are still in Yuzhou don’t know that there are people in other places who care about them so much. They are just very happy when they hear that they will stay in Yuzhou after a happy night.

Bihe also likes Yuzhou. After just a few days, she feels that this is a suitable place to live, safe and with simple folk customs.

After consulting several people, Wen Niang decided to open a dim sum shop here.

She is good at embroidery, but many people in Kyoto know her skill, so she naturally cannot show it. Bihe can make tea, but Wen Niang and Simian have opened a teahouse, and although it is indeed a business of showing off some colors, they also know that teahouses are full of gossip and high costs.

The dim sum shop is still the best. Anping likes to eat and is a good cook. Bihe is also proficient in snacks. It is not difficult for her to make some exquisite and delicious dim sum.

After discussion, several people started to look into buying a shop, preferably one with a yard at the back where people could live directly.

After half a month of hard work, they finally helped them buy the house they liked. There was a small shop in front of it, but Wen Niang didn't plan to dine in. She just bought some snacks and left. The shop was only open for two hours a day.

The rest of the time I spent embroidering, resting, and making snacks in the backyard.

The good thing about this place is that the walls are high and the yard is large, so it can be used whether An Ning or An Ping practices martial arts, or Bi He studies her homemade rouge and powder.

After discussing it, several people bought it directly for more than 300 taels. If you think about it, buying a house with only one entrance in a not-so-good location in Kyoto would have cost more than 100 taels, and later the price increased to 300 or 400 taels. What's more, buying a place with a shop in front and a house in the back was not cheap.

But the housing prices in Yuzhou are very suitable, and everyone can afford it. You can buy a good house and find someone to renovate it.

This place used to be a store selling vegetable seeds, so it wasn't suitable for selling snacks directly. Besides, Wen Niang wanted everyone to live here for a long time and make it more comfortable, so she simply renovated it.

After all, they were all girls, so when they heard about decorating the room, they all showed off their ideas. Wen Niang liked a bright and warm house, so she bought a small bed, a dressing table, and a soft couch, and a small round table in the inner room, next door to the bathroom.

Originally, there was only one main room with two side rooms and two wing rooms on the left and right. But Wen Niang thought it would be best if everyone had their own separate room, so she just separated the main room into two parts, with each person having a bedroom and a bathroom. There was a main hall in the middle where everyone would eat together.

After dressing up, Bihe's was the most exquisite, with vases and flowers, pink silk as bedding, and beads strung together as curtains hanging as partitions.

The dressing table is the largest, and there are many bottles and jars on it.

An Ning's room was very clean and elegant, with simple curtains and a bed. The dressing table was something Bihe insisted on putting there.

Anping's room is a simple little girl's room with a floral quilt, floral curtains, a relatively large bed, and a cabinet at the head of the bed for snacks.

"We now have our own home. I will cook a delicious meal for everyone today."

An usually says that he is a good cook, and no one has tasted it yet, but today they are in a good mood, so everyone can do whatever they want. Bihe also brewed a pot of honey tea, which was no worse than the one in Fu Shou Tang in the past. An Ning also bought some braised meat from the county town.

Wen Niang felt very comfortable when she saw the busy people.

They are now like ordinary people. Wen Niang is the head of the family and is in charge of the family's money and business. She is in charge of all the monthly income, but at the same time, she has to give everyone a monthly allowance as pocket money.

There was no difference between them. Wen Niang asked around and found out that their skills were not first-rate. They just relied on a few good dim sum recipes. However, they only sold dim sum for four hours a day and sold thirty squares of each kind. They did not make much in a month.

The net profit was only a few taels of silver, so they simply gave each person one tael of silver per month, which was considered a lot in Yuzhou and was enough for a family of four to live in the capital of Yuzhou.

"We have seen a lot of scenery along the way. Now that we have decided to stay here, let's work together to manage our lives well."

The four of them raised their glasses, sat in the yard, ate and chatted together facing the bright moon to celebrate, and they felt very satisfied. From today on, they had their own home, their own shop, and their own life.

The next day, the shop officially opened for business. Several people got up early in the morning and worked together to place a dozen or so items on the counter in front of the shop before the shop opened.

This is a cabinet specially made of imported colored glass. Although it is expensive, costing more than ten taels per piece, you can see the snacks inside through the colored glass, which looks clean and beautiful.

The new store opened with a buy one snack, get one free offer, which attracted quite a few people.

Dim sum is quite expensive, so people usually just buy a few pieces to try. Most people choose to buy two pieces, and you can get four pieces.

Each dim sum dish cost between five and fifteen cents, and except for the most expensive ones, the others were sold out very quickly.

"Do you sell rose cakes?"

A woman in a goose yellow dress came to the door, but she was dressed like a servant, probably a maid from some family.

"Yes, we have rose cakes, lotus seed cakes, and golden osmanthus cakes. Would you like to try some, young lady?"

The woman had obviously never heard of anyone selling snacks that could be ordered to taste.

"You let people taste the snacks at your house? Aren't you afraid that I won't buy anything after eating them?"

Wen Niang said with a smile.

"If it's ordinary snacks, we won't be allowed to try them. After all, we don't make much money. But these are more expensive. If they don't taste good when we buy them back, it will be our fault."

Wen Niang deftly picked out three kinds of snacks from the bottom, cut them into four, and placed one piece of each on the small plate in front of the girl.

The girl was obviously surprised by the attentive service of this shop. They also cut the cakes into small plates and handed them to their masters in the mansion.

"It tastes good and is clean. Bring me four squares of each."

Seeing that she was satisfied with the meal, Wen Niang handed her a bowl of tea for her to rinse her mouth.

"Girl, this is the first day of our new store opening. Today, buy one get one free. If you buy two squares, you can get four squares."

The girl was obviously very happy about such a good thing and said it directly.

"Give me three of each, and I'll have six of each?"

Wen Niang nodded, took the 135 coins, and then sent the girl away.

In fact, Wen Niang also guessed why the girl changed her mind. She just didn't dare to deceive her master that there was a sale in the snack shop, but she also planned to save some money for herself, so she simply bought three squares, six squares of each, and said that the store gave one free if you bought two squares. The master wanted four squares, and they would only receive praises for taking the six squares of delicious snacks back.

As for this girl, she originally took the money to buy four rooms, and now she can keep forty-five cents for herself.

Although they made little money on the first day of opening, their reputation spread. Their pastries were not cheap and tasted good, so they did not affect those who sold cheap pastries. Moreover, they sold small amounts and were only open for four hours, so they did not pose much threat to those who specialized in making exquisite desserts.

This was also something Wen Niang had thought about carefully. They were unfamiliar with the place, so it was better not to make too many enemies.

The dim sum were sold out on the first day of opening. The girls were very satisfied and sat in the yard, preparing ingredients for tomorrow. Although they were a little tired, they were very happy. Even their dreams showed the scene of their shop's booming business.