The Story of a Spoiled Daughter Raising a Husband

The three of them talked for a while longer before Tong Qian signed the contract with the steward.

After leaving the shop, Tong Qian turned back and asked, "When will the manager leave? We've calculated the time, so we can do some repairs."

"Oh, I'm leaving tomorrow," the manager said with a forced smile.

Yun'er asked in surprise, "Leaving tomorrow? Why the rush? If you're worried about us, there's no need to worry. You can stay a few more days."

"To be honest, ladies, I was planning to leave a while ago, but no one had taken over the shop, so I stayed. Now that you've taken over, it's natural for me to go back," the manager said with a smile.

Tong Qian nodded and gave a gentle smile. "In that case, we shall part ways here. If fate allows, please come and take a look around in the future."

"Then I thank you both, ladies. However, I have suffered a setback in the capital and may not be able to come again in the future. I appreciate your kindness, ladies, but if fate allows, I will come to visit you again," the steward said, bowing.

Seeing his politeness, Tong Qian and Yun'er returned the greeting.

On the way back, Yun'er thought about what had just happened and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What are you laughing at?" Tong Qian asked.

Yun'er glanced at her, then pursed her lips and said, "I laughed at that manager. He really has many faces. When we went there first, he looked down on us."

"That's because he thought we were young ladies from that wealthy family, and he was just teasing us when he had nothing better to do." Tong Qian thought about the steward's initial attitude, and he really looked down on them.

But she also understood that people who were in such a hurry to sell their shops must have been rejected by many people recently. When they saw that there were two girls, they assumed that the girls were just there to joke around, so they became impatient.

"You're quite knowledgeable. The funny part is what happened later. Tell me, how can someone's attitude change so quickly? Look at how polite he was just now. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was some kind of scholar." Yun'er said, thinking about how the steward had been bowing earlier.

Tong Qian didn't rush to reply. She closed her eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps he really is a scholar."

Indeed, he was too honest. Even though he knew they weren't from the capital, he still told them that the shop had closed down.

If he hadn't said anything, the shop might have sold for a good price.

There are plenty of merchants in the capital who want a piece of the pie, and honest people like him really don't get any good out of it.

"Now that the matter of this shop has been settled, can we let Young Master Ji come into the city?" Yun'er asked.

Ji Xiuping and the others have been staying at the inn, which is not only unsafe, but also costs a lot of money to the inn every day. Now that the shop has been rented, it would be better to let them in first, even if they sleep in the shop.

Tong Qian shook her head upon hearing this and remained silent.

She had her own reasons.

She has only solved the shop issue so far, but the courtyard issue is still unresolved. She inquired on the way and found that there are not many large courtyards left in the capital.

If she found a small courtyard, the opera troupe might not have a place to stay, and that would be a huge sin on her part.

Since she'd brought the person along, she should take care of everything, from food and clothing to accommodation and transportation, so that the person wouldn't have any complaints about her.

Since we haven't found a suitable courtyard, we might as well let Ji Xiuping and the others stay at the inn for a while longer. Brother Xiuping is here to study, so naturally we need to find a quiet and secluded place.

Although the shop was large, it was not a good place for people to live, and besides, she didn't want her Xiuping brother to suffer.

For the next two days, Tong Qian let Yun'er rest at the inn while she prepared to go out on her own.

Yun'er naturally wouldn't agree and quickly followed, "Qian'er, why won't you let me go with you?"

Her tone was resentful, clearly showing her complete incomprehension.

Tong Qian glanced at her. Last night, she heard from the girl in her room that she had stayed with her all day and her feet were blistered. She was afraid she couldn't walk now.

"You should rest here quietly. There's no need to bring any maids to make a scene when you're looking for a courtyard. If they see me alone, they might think I don't have that much money and offer a low price."

“But…” Yun’er frowned slightly, somewhat disbelieving what she was saying.

Seeing that she seemed determined to go with her, Tong Qian pretended to be angry and said, "Why are you so disobedient? I told you to stay here, so stay here. Brother Xiuping is studying and practicing calligraphy right now. How can I feel at ease if you're not here to take care of him!"

Since she insisted, Yun'er bit her lip and then nodded, saying, "In that case, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of Young Master Ji."

"I feel at ease with you here. You can rest here for the next couple of days. The opera troupe should arrive in the next two days, so you can take care of them here," Tong Qian said with a smile.

After the two agreed, Tong Qian went to the city alone.

The city gates were only open for a limited time, and she didn't have much time to linger there. Therefore, she needed to wait for the gates to open before entering the city and then leave as soon as they closed.

She had inquired about inns in the capital these past few days, and they were significantly more expensive than those outside. She couldn't help but admire her own wisdom; if she had stayed in an inn in the capital, she would have wasted a lot of money.

Tong Qian first went to check on the shop she had taken over yesterday. Seeing that the door was locked, she knew that the manager must have left.

She took out the key, unlocked the lock, and then turned it around inside.

She was in a rush yesterday and didn't get a good look at the place, but now it seems the shop is really nice.

Right now, all she needs to do is have someone replace the tables and chairs here and set up a platform, and it will be ready to use immediately.

After locking the shop again, Tong Qian walked around the area.

To run this shop successfully, the surrounding environment needs to be taken into consideration.

There are many shops around, mostly selling fabrics, so it's likely that many wealthy families come here to have their fabrics cut and clothes made.

Then there's Fanlou. She chose this shop specifically for Fanlou.

At this time, people had few places to pass the time. After eating, they would find a place to drink tea and play chess, and that was all they had to do.

She had also inquired about Fanlou; those who came there were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries, so they must be very generous.

Tong Qian looked around with satisfaction, increasingly admiring her own judgment. Given time, her teahouse would surely be a great success!

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

Suddenly, a cry of surprise reached Tong Qian's ears. Before she could react, a horse's hoof came hurtling towards her.