A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

"When you open a business, everyone who comes in is a customer, and you should treat them all equally. This is the duty of a businessman. If you only serve well-dressed people and turn away other customers, that's short-sighted. How can your business last?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiaojiao pouted and said, "But their clothes are shabby, they look like country bumpkins..."

“We are just country folk, but which grain of rice you eat wasn’t grown by us country folk, toiling in the fields? Which piece of cloth you wear wasn’t made step by step through farming and sericulture? What gives you the right to look down on us?” Nie Qianqian stared intently at Zhao Jiaojiao, her voice clear and resolute.

Zhao Jiaojiao was momentarily intimidated by Nie Qianqian's gaze and aura. This woman was charming in appearance, but spoke with a very firm tone.

The onlookers around cheered when they heard this. Some of them were from the villages below who had come to the city to buy goods, so they naturally agreed with what they heard.

"That makes perfect sense! We country folk may dress simply, but without us growing grains and raising silkworms, what would you city ladies eat and wear?"

"We come to town to buy some things, and we have to put up with this kind of treatment. Is there no justice in this world?!"

The crowd erupted in a cacophony of voices, their condemnations surging towards Zhao Jiaojiao like a tidal wave.

She was quick-tempered and couldn't stand such criticism. Almost instinctively, she drew the soft whip from her waist, lashed it, and the whip flew towards a low stool in the corner. With a snap, the stool shattered into pieces.

With Zhao Jiaojiao's forceful move, the onlookers all took a half step back, and the scene suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of tense breathing remaining.

Zhao Jiaojiao raised her head and said, "It's none of your business to interfere with my business. If I want to close the shop today, I can close it. Is it any of your business?"

She was furious and no longer cared that Mr. Jiang was present; she wanted to vent her anger first.

Zhao Jiaojiao pointed the whip at Manager Hu again, "I said close the shop, are you deaf?"

The usually obedient Manager Hu ignored Zhao Jiaojiao's instructions and silently walked behind Master Jiang.

What a joke! The shop has changed hands, and the new owner is right in front of him. How could he possibly still listen to Zhao Jiaojiao?

Zhao Jiaojiao was confused. "Manager Hu, what do you mean?"

Mr. Jiang chuckled lightly and said unhurriedly, "Miss Zhao, this shop is no longer your Zhao family's property. Mr. Zhao just sold it to me. Whether to close the shop or not is not up to you, but up to me, Mr. Jiang."

Zhao Jiaojiao's eyes widened in disbelief upon hearing this.

They'll be returning to Beijing soon, so why are they selling off their properties in Qinghe County so easily? She's still young and naive; she has no idea what her father will face when he goes back. To compete for the position of head of the family, money is needed everywhere, so her father, Zhao Xuanmu, naturally wants to sell off any properties he can to raise funds.

Mr. Jiang took out the land deed from his pocket, placed it steadily on the table, and said, "It's written clearly in black and white. If Miss Zhao doesn't believe me, she can go back and ask Mr. Zhao."

Zhao Jiaojiao's face turned deathly pale; she wished she could disappear into the ground. She'd been throwing her weight around here, only to find out it was on someone else's turf—what a humiliating experience! No wonder Manager Hu had been so hesitant before; he'd known all along that the shop had changed owners.

Jiang Botao then said to Manager Hu, "This lady and her family are all my friends. I feel really bad that they were wronged today. Manager Hu, you must treat them well. Put everything they bought on my tab."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan immediately felt embarrassed. It was Miss Zhao who had been unfair to them, so how could she let Master Jiang pay the bill?

She was about to refuse when she felt Qianqian gently tug at her sleeve, and she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

After saying this, Jiang Botao addressed the crowd of onlookers at the door, saying, "Today's incident was due to Jinxiuge's poor hospitality. It not only upset Madam Nie but also disappointed everyone. Jinxiuge will be renovated and reopening soon, so today we're clearing out all our goods at half price as an apology to everyone."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers immediately erupted in uproar.

Half price? This is fantastic news! Jinxiuge's goods have always been the most popular in Qinghe County. The clothes are made of good materials and have the latest styles. They never usually offer discounts. I never expected to run into such a good thing while just watching the show today.

"Really? Mr. Jiang, all the clothes are half price?"

"My wife had her eye on a ready-made dress a few days ago, but she couldn't bring herself to buy it because it was too expensive. Today is the perfect opportunity to buy it for her."

"Then I should buy a few for my husband too."

“My son Dacheng will be taking the imperial examination in the spring, so I need to buy him a comfortable and decent outfit.”

Jiang Botao resumed his usual smiling demeanor and said loudly, "I, Jiang, always keep my word. All goods are half price today, and I will never go back on my word."

"Mr. Chiang is so generous!"

"Master Jiang is fair in his dealings and kind-hearted. Once he takes over Jinxiu Pavilion, the business will surely flourish."

"I need to buy a few items first, and then go back to tell my mother-in-law."

"Yes, we should tell our family about this good news."

Someone mustered up the courage to ask, "Mr. Jiang, may we go into the store to buy now?"

Jiang Botao smiled and nodded.

The next moment, the crowd surged into the store like a tide, almost breaking the threshold of Jinxiuge. Everyone was pushing and shoving, eager to find their favorite clothes as soon as possible.

Zhao Jiaojiao was jostled and bumped around by the rushing crowd, her brows furrowed tightly, utterly speechless.

These ignorant people go crazy over half price; how much money can they possibly save?

She had been used to a life of luxury since childhood and had never had the concept of saving money. But in the hearts of the people of Qinghe County, this was a big deal—half price! Buying it was like picking up money.

Zhao Jiaojiao? They certainly wouldn't dare offend her, but even Miss Zhao couldn't stop them from picking up money.

Go!

When Manager Hu saw so many customers coming in, his eyes lit up, and he instantly became energetic. He skillfully directed and arranged the staff in the store, working busily but in an orderly manner. He wasn't particularly interested in leisure activities; he just enjoyed the feeling of doing business and making money, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment.

Liu Yan and Liu Xiong were ignited by the instantly lively atmosphere in the store. They had initially thought the clothes here were too expensive to buy, but now they were also eager to do so.

Liu Xiong scratched his head: "Shouldn't we also pick something out? If we wait any longer, this store might be emptied out."

Even at half price, it wasn't cheap for him, but with the atmosphere so perfect, it would feel incomplete not to buy something...

Nie Qianqian nodded and urged, "Mom, Uncle, Aunt, hurry up! Buy it now! It'll be gone if we wait any longer."

These words were like a spark, instantly igniting the three men's desire to buy, and they rushed into the crowd.

Nie Qianqian watched with a smile as the group picked out clothes. She had been wondering how to persuade them to buy clothes, but now she didn't have to worry about it at all.

Jiang Botao walked over and asked, "Madam Nie, aren't you going in to pick out a few clothes?"

Nie Qianqian: "It's okay, my mother will choose for me."

She knew Liu Yan too well; the first thing Liu Yan would do when she rushed in was definitely not to buy clothes for herself, but for her and Gu Xiao.

"Master Jiang, you've got some clever tricks up your sleeve. This way, you've not only resolved everyone's dissatisfaction with Jinxiu Pavilion, but you've also used this half-price gimmick to announce the change of ownership and the reopening of Jinxiu Pavilion, giving it free publicity."

Mr. Jiang and Nie Qianqian exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

"Madam Nie is clever; nothing can escape her eyes."

The two women chatted and laughed, while Zhao Jiaojiao was left out in the cold, completely ignored. She was furious but couldn't vent her anger, she was so angry she felt like she was about to explode!

Nie Qianqian noticed a burning gaze fixed on her. She looked up and met Zhao Jiaojiao's jealous and resentful eyes.

Amidst the surrounding noise, Zhao Jiaojiao stared intently at Nie Qianqian, silently mouthing a harsh threat, "You just wait!"

He thought Nie Qianqian would respond, but to his surprise, Nie Qianqian clearly saw Zhao Jiaojiao's words, but pretended not to see them, just rolled her eyes slightly, and continued talking to Jiang Botao.

Zhao Jiaojiao was really furious!

This bitch!

How dare she ignore her? Who does she think she is? How dare she!

Zhao Jiaojiao was a powder keg ready to explode. She was so angry that she was about to go up and argue with Nie Qianqian again when she saw her father's servant rushing over, panting, and saying, "Miss, we've finally found you! Master wants you to return to the manor immediately!"

Zhao Jiaojiao was unwilling, but in the end she did not disobey her father's order. She could only glare fiercely at Nie Qianqian and leave with the servants.

Although Zhao Jiaojiao left, she couldn't swallow her anger. As soon as she returned to her residence, she summoned her trusted confidantes and ordered, "Go and find out who that Nie family lady who clashed with me at Jinxiu Pavilion today is!"

Seeing her gritted teeth, her confidant quickly nodded and accepted the order.

"She dares to openly oppose me, and even gets Jiang Botao to stand up for her. I'd like to see just how capable she is. She'd better have some connections, otherwise, I won't let her off the hook!"