It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

Song Zhi didn't have to wait long before Wang Wanzhi came in with her maid.

Song Zhi, who was waiting in the lobby, immediately greeted the visitor when she saw him, and led him into the private room on the second floor while chatting and laughing.

After the shopkeeper brought the tea, Wang Wanzhi asked the maid to wait outside the door, and suddenly there were only two people left in the room.

Seeing that everyone had left, Wang Wanzhi couldn't wait to ask, "Sister Song, is there any news from Shopkeeper Wang?"

Song Zhi shook her head. "There hasn't been any unusual activity yet. The people who were watching me told me that the shopkeeper comes to the mansion almost every day, but every time he comes, he's turned away by the concierge."

"But the people who were watching me today told me that Shopkeeper Wang came to your house again. A maid spoke to him for a long time, but I don't know what they talked about!"

Wang Wanzhi frowned. "My grandfather is very angry because Second Aunt failed to manage the household effectively and allowed evil servants to destroy the family's reputation."

"After the county court's verdict comes down, Second Aunt will be punished by Grandfather and will be confined to the ancestral hall for half a month to reflect on her mistakes. The person who came out to talk to Manager Wang today should be the nanny beside Second Aunt."

She was silent for a moment, then continued, "Second Aunt suffered a great loss because of this incident, Sister Song. I'm worried she might harm you. How about this, when I get back I'll report this to Grandfather and have him give Second Aunt a good beating."

Song Zhi hurriedly waved her hands and stopped him, "No, no!"

After all, they are a family, and even if their bones are broken, they are still connected. How could they turn against each other because of an outsider like her?

The reason why she formed an alliance with Ivana Wong was that Ivana Wong was young and could be easily persuaded by her words;

Secondly, there is a real conflict of interest between Ivana Wong and the second wife.

Unfortunately, the second wife is not worthy of her position. For the sake of her own and her brother's future, Wang Wanzhi was easily persuaded by her and took action to control the second wife.

However, if it were Mr. Wang, the situation might be completely different.

As the head of the family, the first thing he would not think of is letting his granddaughter take charge of the household chores.

This is the limitation of this era. Song Zhi does not expect the other party to challenge traditional secular rules if there are other options.

Moreover, she was also worried that if Wang Wanzhi brought up this matter to Mr. Wang, given Mr. Wang's cunningness, he would definitely get to the bottom of the cause and result of the matter.

Then, wouldn't her behavior of instigating his granddaughter to fight for power with the second house arouse his anger?

In essence, in Mr. Wang's eyes, Song Zhi's current actions are undoubtedly destroying the unity of the family and provoking internal disputes.

Mr. Wang would not tolerate her behavior at the moment.

If he knew about this, he would probably hold a grudge against his daughter-in-law even if she made another mistake.

She had already made an enemy for herself, and didn't want to be an enemy of the entire Wang family.

Seeing her refusal, Wang Wanzhi couldn't help but ask, "Why is that? What if Auntie really wants to attack you?"

Song Zhi saw that her little face was full of worry and anxiety, and her expression did not seem fake.

So he didn't try to be polite with her and directly analyzed the reason with her.

"I'm asking you to compete with your second aunt for the right to manage the household. In your grandfather's eyes, I'm the bad guy who's persecuting your family's unity. If I anger her, I'll not only offend your second aunt, but also your grandfather. It's not worth it."

Wang Wanzhi's eyes widened, obviously not expecting Song Zhi to say that. She hurriedly explained, "Sister Song, don't worry. My grandfather is not such an unreasonable person."

Song Zhi complained in her heart, that's because your grandfather has a filter in your eyes.

But she still smiled and nodded, "I know what you mean, but your grandfather is old, and didn't you say last time that he wasn't in good health? If this matter is brought to his attention, he will definitely have to worry about it again."

"There are people watching over there, Shopkeeper Wang. If anything happens, I will inform you in time. Sister Wang, don't worry too much!"

After hearing her say this, Wang Wanzhi decided not to tell her grandfather about this matter again.

She was also worried that her grandfather would get angry again because of Second Aunt's matter and cause something bad to happen.

"Then you should be more careful and don't come to the county alone on weekdays." Wang Wanzhi reminded.

Song Zhi smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, Sister Wang, I know."

After Song Zhi finished explaining her own situation, she asked Wang Wanzhi, "Sister Wang, have you made any decisions about who will be the shopkeeper?"

Ivana Wong nodded, then shook her head.

"I've been looking for a few families in my clan, but I don't think something is right, so I haven't decided on a candidate yet. Sister Song, please help me decide who should be chosen to be the owner of this pastry shop."

Song Zhi nodded, "You say."

Wang Wanzhi pondered for a moment and said, "One family is from the same clan, within the five generations of mourning. The other family is from the same clan, but the relationship is more distant."

"Both of them have been educated and can read, so they are quite knowledgeable."

"The previous one had worked as a bookkeeper at a county tavern, but was later replaced because he had a disagreement with the tavern manager. But he's familiar with accounting, so I think he should be able to quickly get the hang of managing a shop."

"The latter family is poor, and I value his family and the many brothers he has. If I am willing to help him, I believe he will definitely seize this opportunity to escape from his predicament and work for me wholeheartedly."

"I can't make a decision right now. Please help me, Sister Song."

However, to Wang Wanzhi's surprise, Song Zhi shook her head and directly denied it: "I don't think they are suitable."

Wang Wanzhi couldn't help but show surprise on her face and asked hurriedly, "Why is this?"

"Let's analyze the pros and cons of each."

"That clan member within the fifth degree of mourning has experience in accounting, which is his advantage. However, while you can offer him some benefits, how can you ensure that he only works for you?"

"By the same token, if someone is from a poor family and can be yours for money, or used by others for money, who can guarantee that he won't betray you for profit?"

"Also, although you, Sister Wang, are the eldest daughter of the Wang family, your brother is still young. If anyone carefully considers the situation, they will definitely choose to serve a more reliable master."

"So before you can show your potential, few people will be willing to risk their lives to serve you."

"He also has a fatal flaw. He has almost no experience in managing a shop. Even if he sincerely wants to work for you, he is not qualified to be the shopkeeper of a shop."

Song Zhi's words are very realistic, but they are the facts.

You can give them a chance, but your second aunt can also give me a chance.

Moreover, she is now the housekeeper of the entire Wang family, and you are just a girl who may be married into the family at any time.

After you marry in, these people will still have to depend on the Wang family for their livelihood.

Wang Wanzhi also heard it. Since she was just a young girl staying in seclusion, it was indeed difficult for her to openly challenge her second aunt at the risk of her entire family's lives.

She lowered her shoulders somewhat in frustration, and suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

She was so naive. If Sister Song hadn't made it clear to her, she would still be worrying about who to hire.

She laughed at herself, "I'm such a fool! All these days of hard work are in vain!"

"Don't underestimate yourself, sister. This effort was not in vain."