Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Gu Nanzhi looked around. All she could see were houses. Continuing forward, she could see the end of Biyue Lane. Where they had stopped, facing a detached mansion, it lacked the magnificent vermilion gates of princes and nobles, but this mansion was certainly not one that ordinary people could afford to live in.

The gate is covered with blue tiles, and the two wooden doors look quite old, with brass locks hanging on them...

Gu Nanzhi immediately understood: so they bought a house.

"Since Huaiqing has brought me here, then unlock it."

Jun Yanchen took out a key from his sleeve, stepped forward, and unlocked the brass lock on the door. With a slight exertion of force, the two doors split open from the middle, revealing a screen wall instead of the courtyard inside...

"Nan Nan, please."

"Then I'm not welcome."

Gu Nanzhi stepped forward, took Jun Yanchen's hand, and they walked into the courtyard together.

Passing the screen wall, one can see the courtyard, which is nothing special, nor does it resemble a garden. The square courtyard is paved with flat bluestone.

There was a flower bed in each of the four corners, with a few small trees planted in it...

The main house is directly opposite, with the east and west wing rooms on either side...

"Nannan, there's a backyard too,"

Jun Yanchen led Gu Nanzhi through the side room and into the backyard. The scenery in the backyard was much more pleasant than the front yard; it was more like a garden.

The flowers, plants, and trees all seemed to have been tended, and there was even a pond...

"Nan Nan, how is this courtyard? Do you like it?"

The courtyard was well-organized, though not as formally structured with multiple courtyards as those in the capital, it was still a courtyard that only wealthy families could afford.

"Indeed, when did Huaiqing acquire this residence?"

"The property was just transferred yesterday. Cangling handled it. You said you wanted to open a restaurant in the city, so you thought of buying a property for yourselves. It was rushed, so I'm sorry to trouble you for now. We'll buy another one later..."

Time is short, so we have to make do. We can choose a larger house in the city later, or design and build it ourselves...

This man is quite thoughtful.

These past few days she's been preoccupied with finding a shop, but it turns out Jun Yanchen has also secretly bought a property.

Moreover, now that it's confirmed, shops and properties will be located very close to each other.

"Huaiqing, you're very thoughtful, very good. I like this courtyard."

"If you like it, that's fine."

------

After just one trip outside the house, I have shops now.

Back in Silver Fox Village that evening, Gu Nanzhi called on Ren Shuyi to help develop a design and decoration plan for the shop. Once the shop opened, Gu Nanzhi was determined to be a hands-off manager.

Therefore, everything that follows, including finding a decorator, hiring staff, ordering ingredients, etc., everything that will be involved, will require Ren Shuyi's assistance.

He had no experience yet, so he would grow little by little.

The shop design was completed that evening, and the next morning the group drove into town again by horse-drawn carriage, this time bringing some clothes with them.

Now that the shop has been purchased, the natural next step is to renovate it as quickly as possible and open for business as soon as possible. So, they'll be quite busy these next few days.

Upon arriving in the city, they first went to the house that Jun Yanchen had bought and settled in.

They started taking action: gathering information, looking for renovation workers, hiring laborers, and searching for food suppliers.

The shops have also put up signs: the teahouse is being converted into a restaurant, stay tuned...

This busy period lasted for seven days.

After seven days of hard work, the shop has begun renovations, and the food suppliers have been mostly finalized. All that's left is to wait for the opening date.

The beef was supplied by the same butcher shop, Sun's, where Gu Nanzhi had bought meat last time. This sudden, large order really felt like a windfall for Butcher Sun.

"Ms. Gu, are you sure? You're not joking?"

"Of course, Manager Sun, please prepare in advance according to the time I told you. I will have someone inform you of the specific delivery time in advance."

"Okay, okay, Miss Gu, thank you very much. Please have someone tell me when the time comes, and I'll have the meat prepared for you..."

Gu Nanzhi spoke with utmost seriousness, and Butcher Sun readily agreed. If this were true, it would be a huge business opportunity, and his butcher shop would likely expand because of it.

To be on the safe side, after Gu Nanzhi and the others left, and as the butcher shop closed that day, Butcher Sun specifically went to check the location of the shop Gu Nanzhi had mentioned.

Sure enough, he saw the news that the restaurant she mentioned was under renovation, which made him even more certain.

I haven't been back for seven or eight days since I left.

The preliminary preparations are almost complete, so let's go back to the village today.

In just a few days, Ren Shuyi has also gained valuable experience. Despite his young age, he displays composure and shows potential to become a businessman.

Indeed, liking something is the best teacher.

This little kid said he liked doing business, and once he had the opportunity, he matured quickly. He became adept at dealing with people, conversing, keeping accounts, and so on...

"Shuyi, I didn't expect you to have such a talent for business. It seems my investment won't be a loss. I'll be counting on you to help me make money in the future. Well done..."

Ren Shuyi was overjoyed to receive recognition and affirmation. He finally had a chance to repay Gu Nanzhi. He resolved to work even harder in the future to do even better.

"Thank you, Miss. Shuyi will do her best."

"Yes, keep it up. I believe in you. You've done a great job these past few days, you're really amazing."

"Thank you, miss"

"Shuyi, you're still young. Although we're going into business and preparing to open a shop, your studies are still essential. You need to read more books."

“Miss, I understand,”

He certainly wouldn't neglect books; becoming a businessman requires accumulating knowledge, and he still has much to learn.

Although he doesn't need to go to school, he always has a book in his hand whenever he has free time...

His return after leaving the village for several days aroused the curiosity of the villagers.

When Wu Huiwen saw Gu Nanzhi return, she couldn't help but come over to show her concern.

"Nanzhi, where have you been these past few days? Are you alright?"

"Auntie, you're finally back!"

It wasn't just Wu Huiwen's concern, but also Xia Luoluo and Xia Zhinan's joy. Of course, the adorable Xia Luoluo was even more enthusiastic, while Xia Zhinan was much more reserved.

"Sister Wen, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm fine. We went to the city to run some errands these past few days."

Gu Nanzhi hadn't seen them for several days either. As neighbors, they had a good relationship.

"Lolo, Zhinan, it's been a long time! Here are some candies and snacks for you. Take them and have some."

"We don't need it, Auntie, you eat."