Falling into the mortal world

The magistrate asked: "Then what should we do?"

Lan Qingqing said, "Just say that the magistrate couldn't bear to see the soldiers on the border suffer, so he set an example by taking out all the savings he had accumulated over the years. He only needed to take a little of his salary from his previous years' wages. No one could find fault with that. The other supplies were collected from the entire town. This way, it shows that the magistrate is both incorruptible and loves his people like his own children."

Upon hearing this, the magistrate thought it was a good idea. Looking at the woman before him, he sighed inwardly, "What a pity she's just a woman; otherwise, she would surely have achieved great things."

After that, the county government got involved. Embezzlement was out of the question; the magistrate was now pinning his hopes on this opportunity.

If anyone dares to have such a crooked idea, the county magistrate will be the first to punish them.

Women from all the surrounding villages were working in Pear Blossom Village. The Lan family provided all the meals, which earned them everyone's admiration. Lan Qingqing was no longer subjected to such humiliation. Matchmakers practically wore down the Lan family's doorstep; upon seeing the Lan family's courtyard, they wished they had a daughter of their own.

Not only did the Lan family gain a good reputation, but the reputation of the entire Pear Blossom Village also became extremely good.

Everyone says that Pear Blossom Village has good feng shui, otherwise it wouldn't be able to raise someone as kind-hearted and capable as Lan Qingqing.

When people mention Lan Qingqing, they no longer feel sympathy, contempt, or disgust. Instead, they feel admiration and worship.

How can one not admire such a woman from a brothel who could accomplish such a feat?

After half a month, the clothes were finally completed. After discussing with the villagers, the village chief decided to donate the fans to the soldiers on the border.

After accepting the village chief's praise, Lan Qingqing asked her father to go to a nearby village to buy some sweet potatoes for the workshop. After all, the villagers didn't have much money. Buying sweet potatoes for the workshop wouldn't result in any loss for the workshop; at most, it would only require some manpower.

Under the magistrate's arrangement, dozens of truckloads of supplies began their journey to the border, with many locals volunteering to escort the supplies.

Among the people escorting the supplies was Lan's father. Lan Qingqing, worried about him, made him some pills containing anesthetic powder. These were poison pills, made from poisonous flowers found at the bottom of the cliff—the perfect weapon for killing.

Lan Qingqing taught her father how to use it, and only felt at ease after confirming that he had remembered it.

With all supplies prepared, Lan Qingqing also prepared two extra carts of wine. The wine was naturally the most ordinary kind from the tavern. Even if she sent the best wine, it wouldn't reach the soldiers. So, she naturally had to have some of the good wine on hand. Her own "Drunken Breeze" was the best.

Dozens of truckloads of supplies slowly set off under the watchful eyes of the county magistrate and the entire town's residents.

If it weren't for the fact that the border was so far away, taking two or three months to travel back and forth, Lan Qingqing would have gone along. Lan Qingqing was really worried about her father.

With Lan's father gone, the responsibility of renovating the shop fell to Lan Qingqing. Lan Xiaotian, on the other hand, was now focused entirely on creating the syringe.

The tiles were delivered that day, and Lan Qingqing felt a little embarrassed. She only had thirty taels of silver in her pocket, not enough to pay the balance!

If the tiles hadn't been delivered, Lan Qingqing wouldn't have even thought about the final payment.

"I should have left some money. Now I'm broke and have no money to pay the bill," Lan Qingqing said somewhat embarrassedly. "Shopkeeper, could you wait a couple of days before I give you the balance?"

The shopkeeper seemed to have noticed Lan Qingqing's predicament. He said, "Madam, I've heard about your situation. A couple of days later is fine, no rush. Someone like you can do practical things for the soldiers on the border. We may not have your magnanimity, but we can still do you a favor."

Lan Qingqing thanked the shopkeeper and promised to send the money over in a few days.

As soon as the tiles arrived, Lan Qingqing started arranging for people to lay them. The tiles were laid on one side, and the shelves at Yu Ji's were also finished.

The payment for goods from Yu Ji's side is also outstanding.

Yu Ji also made the sofa based on Lan Qingqing's drawings.

The coffee table has a recessed groove on it, which is just the right size to fit a tile.

The moment the tiles were placed in, the entire visual effect changed immediately.

The shelves are placed against the wall. The counter is only one meter away from the shelves. The counter, like the shelves, forms a circle, effectively separating customers from sellers. People coming from the outside cannot enter the counter area; there is a small door with a lock. Only internal staff can open it.

This effectively avoids troublemakers. A coffee table and a sofa set are placed in the lobby. Several chairs are also placed next to the counter so that guests who want to try the wines can sit down.

With all the renovations complete, the Lan family started stocking the shelves. After all, they still owed money.

I need to make money quickly to pay off my debts.

On the day of the opening, Lan Qingqing didn't know many people, so she invited a few households from the village, the old doctor, and also sent an invitation to the county magistrate.

Unexpectedly, the county magistrate also came that day. Lan Qingqing immediately went forward to greet him, and the somewhat quiet opening ceremony instantly became lively. When the wealthy households in the town heard that the county magistrate had gone to a newly opened tavern to offer his congratulations, no one could sit still any longer, and they all came immediately.

When the auspicious time arrived, Lan Qingqing asked her mother to pull the red silk. Her mother stepped forward with a smile and pulled the red silk, and the signboard clearly read "Qingfeng Tavern".

All the baijiu (Chinese liquor) labels say "Drunken Breeze." Hawthorn sweet wine says "Prosperous and Flourishing." And the canned goods say "Half-ripe Canned Goods."

Lan Qingqing gave a bottle of hawthorn wine to everyone who came to give a congratulatory gift. The hawthorn wine had been stored in different jars at home, all of them small and exquisite. Each small jar weighed about one pound.

After presenting his congratulatory gifts and exchanging a few polite words, the magistrate prepared to return to his office. Lan Qingqing gave him four gift boxes: two boxes of "Drunken Breeze," one box of sweet wine, and one box of canned goods.

The magistrate glanced at the inscription on the gift box and was quite pleased. Ever since he tasted this Qingfeng wine last time, he hadn't been interested in any other wines. He also adored the sweet wine; for some reason, his wife had taken all the sweet wine and canned goods that she had her eye on. He hadn't even had a proper taste yet. He'd better keep them safe when he got back.

Lan Qingqing sells only high-end liquors. A small jar of Zui Qingfeng, which weighs about one jin (500 grams), costs twenty liang (100 grams). Hawthorn wine costs ten liang (50 grams) per jar. Canned goods also cost ten liang (50 grams) per jar.

On the counter, Lan Qingqing placed samples of baijiu (Chinese liquor), canned goods, sweet wine, and fruit desserts on a tray. These were all for opening tasting.

At first, everyone was shocked by the price Lan Qingqing had set. However, after everyone tried a small cup, they changed their minds.

Some people immediately ordered ten jars of baijiu (Chinese liquor), ten jars of sweet wine, and ten jars of canned goods, all as gifts. For gifts, Lan Qingqing also offers gift boxes. You only need to add ten coins for the gift box. With this kind of packaging, they look much more high-end and classy.

Now that people are seeing others using gift boxes to give as gifts, even more people are starting to place orders.

Before long, half of the goods on the shelves in the store were gone.

Plates of fruit and pastries for tasting were constantly being brought out, but the speed at which they were being served couldn't keep up with the speed at which customers were trying them. Most of them were people who liked to get a bargain. They weren't buying anything; they were just there to eat. Lan Qingqing wasn't annoyed. After all, the tasting was only for today.

From time to time, shouts of "Give me a bottle of this!" could be heard from the crowd. The Lan family members were so busy they barely had time to breathe, so Lan Qingqing was in charge of collecting money. This way, she didn't have to run errands, which made everyone feel a little more at ease.

Lin has been in good health lately and can still manage when things get busy.