The Story of a Spoiled Daughter Raising a Husband

The two flipped through the storybook several times, and the troupe leader was particularly fond of it, his eyes never leaving it.

The teahouse owner was also secretly amazed. The story was full of twists and turns, each link connected to the next, making people's hearts itch with anticipation. Although he was not as obsessed as the troupe leader, his gaze towards Tong Qian became more solemn.

It seems this woman does indeed possess some martial arts skills.

The troupe leader was quite famous in Yunyang County, and his troupe was considered the best. Compared to him, the teahouse owner was a complete novice when it came to this kind of talk.

Seeing his overjoyed reaction, I knew what was going on.

Tong Qian gently lifted her hand and snatched the storybook from her.

"Sigh, sigh..."

The troupe leader reached out and grasped at the air, trying to hold on.

His eyes followed Tong Qian to the storybook, and his words became more ingratiating, "Miss, could I borrow it again to take a look?"

"No." Her tone was resolute.

Tong Qian smiled, but the words she uttered chilled the troupe leader to the bone.

"Well..." The troupe leader rubbed his hands together, leaned closer, and was about to speak.

"Manager, something terrible has happened!" A waiter rushed in from outside, looking flustered. "Several customers got into a fight over listening to Miss Yun's music."

Upon hearing this, the teahouse owner instinctively turned to leave, but then, as if remembering something, he abruptly stopped and looked at Tong Qian with his small eyes.

The servant followed his gaze and, upon seeing Tong Qian, respectfully greeted her as "Miss Tong."

Tong Qian nodded slightly.

The troupe leader stood aside, watching this scene and pondering to himself. The waiter in this teahouse was always arrogant, but his attitude towards her now must have some reason.

Tong Qian remained unmoved. "Let them fight. It would be best if they took it to the authorities."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned, as if they dared not hear what they were hearing.

"This... seems a bit inappropriate..."

The teahouse owner had been in business for many years, and fortunately, he was quick-witted and could distinguish between what was important and what was not.

"Is there anything wrong with this? This incident will make your reputation famous. At most, you'll just have to pay some money. What does that matter to your teahouse?"

Tong Qian looked at him with a half-smile. The teahouse owner was unsure of her intentions, unsure whether to stay or leave.

“Go tell them that if they want to fight, they should move to a more spacious place and have a good fight. If they insist on causing trouble, those thugs in the teahouse are not to be trifled with. It would be better if they could turn hostility into friendship. To show our sincerity,” Tong Qian handed over the storybook, “print this out and give one to each person.”

When the troupe leader saw her doing this, he was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks, as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out.

“How about you sell me this storybook, young lady? I’ll give you five taels of silver.” He held out his palm.

Even someone as composed as Ji Xiuping couldn't help but glance at him upon hearing this.

Five ounces—that's more than a farmer could save up in two years.

I never imagined that a mere storybook could be so valuable.

The woman beside him didn't even flinch, her expression indifferent, her eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

Perhaps sensing the gazes directed at her, Tong Qianwei raised her chin, her eyes meeting Ji Xiuping's.

Ji Xiuping seemed not to have expected her to look over so suddenly, and his handsome face flushed red.

"Husband, do you think it's a loss to sell this storybook for five taels of silver?"

“This…” Ji Xiuping was stunned for a moment, and was about to speak when he saw Tong Qian give him a meaningful look.

He immediately understood, and changed his mind at the last minute, saying, "Not to mention five taels, even fifty taels would be worth it."

A gasp rang in his ears, and the troupe leader nearly fainted on the spot upon hearing this. His eyes widened, and he held out both palms, "Fifty...fifty taels?"

The opera troupe on stage fell completely silent instantly.

The teahouse owner, having experienced similar situations before, showed surprise but wasn't overly astonished.

After all, he had witnessed the woman's power before, and thinking of this, he silently wiped away his cold sweat.

"Manager," Tong Qian's voice rang out, and the teahouse owner's hair stood on end. He looked up and saw her staring intently at him.

He quietly took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, "What are your thoughts, Miss Tong?"

"How much did the teahouse earn in a month before?"

The teahouse owner thought for a moment, then said, "About thirty taels."

"And now?"

“It’s tripled,” the teahouse owner said with a delighted look, not forgetting to mention her contribution, “It’s all thanks to Miss Tong.”

Tong Qian lowered her eyes slightly, remained silent, tapped the table lightly with her fingers, and smiled gently, "Shopkeeper, do you also think fifty taels is too expensive?"

The teahouse owner remained silent for a moment, knowing perfectly well what to say and what not to say, displaying the smooth-talking nature of a businessman. "Let alone fifty taels, it's worth it even if it's more expensive. It all depends on who has this storybook." He paused deliberately, glancing at the troupe leader out of the corner of his eye, and continued, "If you encounter someone who knows its value, it might fetch ten times the price, but if you encounter someone who doesn't..."

Anyone with a discerning eye could immediately tell who the words were directed at. The teahouse owner fell silent and stood aside.

Let's just do each other a favor.

Tong Qian smiled. This partner was quite perceptive, which saved her a lot of trouble.

The troupe leader's face alternated between pale and flushed, and he did not look well.

"If you think I'm after your money, then let's not talk about this business. At least I still have three shares of the teahouse's profits. It's not worth ruining our relationship over such a small amount of money. You know perfectly well whether the storybook is worth that much, don't you, Master?"

Tong Qian shifted her body, finding a more comfortable position. Her eyebrows curved slightly, and without wanting to waste words, she went straight to the point, "Do you think this business deal is worthwhile?"

This opera troupe had been around for over ten years and was quite well-known. Business was booming at first, but over time, people got tired of the repetitive and repetitive performances, and its popularity plummeted.

Business is currently sluggish, and several key performers have left. The remaining ones are barely managing to stay afloat, and things are still not as good as before.

The troupe leader frowned, deep in thought. If things continued like this, it probably wouldn't last long, but the price...

That's really quite high.

He looked up at the opera troupe on the stage, feeling unwilling to let it end like this.

The wooden pillars in front of the stage, with their red paint peeling off, subtly exude a sense of decay.

Tong Qian glanced around at her surroundings briefly before looking away.

“I have an idea,” Ji Xiuping said, stepping forward with an air of elegance. “Why don’t you, Master, cooperate with the teahouse owner? It would solve our immediate problem and give us something to perform in, so it won’t be any worse than it is now.”

His words were gentle and refined, exuding the air of a scholar, and his words carried more credibility than those of others.

As soon as he finished speaking, the troupe leader paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, clearly hesitant.

"How about this," Tong Qian stopped what she was doing and looked at the teahouse owner, "let him take 20% of the profits, and consider it a partnership."

20%?

The teahouse owner looked displeased. She had already taken 30% of the porridge, and now another person was coming to distribute it. Naturally, he was unhappy.