Chapter 125

Chapter 125

How long do you plan to stay in Da Mao City?

"Naturally, we'll decide after we've seen the sights of Da Mao City."

By the time we return to Xiaxi Village, both Gu Ran and Sixth Miss will have visited the capital and Da Mao City. In the Great Sheng Dynasty, only those who have visited these two key locations can truly be considered well-traveled. This was another reason why Gu Ran insisted on coming to Da Mao City.

As Madam Gu, she needed to be someone who had experienced the world firsthand. That way, when I suggest new ideas in the future, people will take me seriously, right?

"That's good to hear. I actually have something I'd like to discuss with someone, Gu Sister. If you could stay a few more days, could you spare some time for me?" Huanhuan, smiling, seized the opportunity and took Gu Ran's hand.

"Sure thing. What’s your big idea this time, Huanhuan?"

"As expected, you know me well, Gu Sister. Why don’t you stay for dinner? We can talk about our big plans, what do you say?" Huanhuan immediately followed up, giving a nod to her parents.

"We don’t know many people in Da Mao City, so please stay for dinner!" Uncle He and Aunt He understood their daughter's intentions and immediately offered their hospitality warmly.

"Alright!" Gu Ran nodded and then looked at Huanhuan.

She was curious to see what Huanhuan had in mind this time. Another branch? But you just mentioned that the current shop was purchased with borrowed funds. Surely, she didn’t plan to open a second burnt jelly grass shop so soon?

"Actually, I don't intend to open a second shop so soon."

After the meal, when the others had gone to attend to their tasks, Huanhuan explained while pouring tea for Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady.

"Look, we’ve managed to establish this shop within a year of arriving. This business has shown great potential."

While Da Mao City is the second-largest city in the Great Sheng Dynasty, its combined inner and outer districts are actually larger than the entire capital area. It is only because the capital is the imperial capital that Da Mao City ranks as the second-largest city.

Unlike the capital, where wilderness stretches beyond the city gates, Great Mao City is densely populated. The several forests surrounding the city have been cultivated into farmland, including paddy fields and dry lands.

Naturally, the majority are rice fields.

This is related to the fact that Great Mao City was once the old capital. When the Great Sheng Dynasty was still a small kingdom, the founding emperor introduced the Three Agricultural Techniques, and with the help of oxen-drawn plows, the forests and wilderness around the royal city were quickly turned into cultivated fields. This is why, from Great Mao City along the imperial road, one can see endless expanses of fertile land.

During the founding emperor’s reign, Great Mao City was the royal capital. The city achieved complete self-sufficiency thanks to the extensive rice fields both inside and outside the city walls.

Nowadays, even if the northern imperial capital tries to emulate Great Mao City by leveling mountains and valleys, opening forests and reclaiming wasteland to nurture thousands of miles of fertile soil, it cannot succeed.

Because the climates are different.

Great Mao City has a mild climate, ample sunlight, and very abundant water sources, making it suitable for rice cultivation that can be planted two or even three times a year.

But in the northern imperial capital, it’s not possible.

The northern region has a cold climate, frequent sandstorms, and less water than the southern region, so even if you level the mountains and forests into fertile land, you cannot grow such high-yield rice staples. Therefore, the imperial capital’s supply relies on the human and material resources transported from the entire capital region.

With abundant grain and a livable environment, it’s natural that many people migrated to Great Mao City.

With more people, various industries thrived.

In Great Mao City, there are woodworkers and blacksmiths with the finest craftsmanship, academies with the most renowned teachers and extensive libraries, and citizens with the greatest knowledge and highest integrity, as well as merchants with the most wealth and sharpest minds.

Every year, Great Mao City not only supplies the imperial capital with various staple food materials but also sends capable men and soldiers, making it a stable rear guard for the dynasty.

With a higher standard of living, residents are especially generous when it comes to food, clothing, housing, and travel. Whenever there is fresh food in the city, they are very willing to try it.

At the same time, distinguished guests, travelers, and merchants from all over the world come to Great Mao City in an endless stream. These visitors also enjoy indulging in the local cuisine.

This is why the He family was able to quickly accumulate money and, with a borrowed sum, open a shop. It is also why He Qinghuan dared to start the shop without fear of losing money.

Since the business opportunity was right in front of her, He Qinghuan naturally thought about opening a second branch.

As expected, it was about opening a branch. Gu Ran thought, and asked, "Since you're studying at the Shenghua Academy, you must know many local people in Da Mao City. Why didn't you think of finding them to partner with?"

Why did you wait until I came to Da Mao City to plan this business?

"First of all, I only bought this shop recently, right? I borrowed money from some acquaintances, and if I go to them again to open a second shop, many of them would think I'm daydreaming, trying to reach the sky in one step," He Qinghuan said helplessly, sighing. "Moreover, in Da Mao City, there's a clear regulation."

Anyone who operates a business or opens a shop in Da Mao City is only allowed to own two shops or two business operations.

This rule was established over a hundred years ago by the founding emperor to attract a wide variety of merchants to Da Mao City and to prevent any single merchant family from becoming too powerful.

Although some influential people might find loopholes to cleverly monopolize shop licenses and business permits in Da Mao City, as ordinary citizens, the He family had to follow these official commercial policies.

Most students at Shenghua Academy come from pretty well-off families. Whether local or from out of town, those who wanted to do business in Da Mao City had already secured two shop licenses and started their operations. Those who weren't already in business would weigh whether it was worth using one of their slots for a burned fairy grass shop.

Although He Qinghuan didn't say it explicitly, Gu Ran understood.

Merchants with plenty of capital would naturally go for bigger business opportunities. The burned fairy grass business was too small and probably didn't catch their eye.

Thus, He Qinghuan had no choice but to find other partners.

Now, with Gu Ran in Da Mao City, given their years of partnership and the fact that she was the only granddaughter recognized by the Qiao family, the leading general in Da Mao City, He Qinghuan naturally got excited and wanted to involve her.

"I want to open a He family burned fairy grass shop inside the inner city," He Qinghuan said honestly. "We don't need to buy a shop; renting one of a similar size to our current shop, or even larger, would be fine. What do you think, Gu Sister?"

"This is something I need to consider," Gu Ran replied.

"If you're willing, the profits from that inner city shop will be split fifty-fifty," He Qinghuan proposed. Gu Ran wouldn't need to do anything; she just needed to rent the shop. The He family would take care of all the other matters, and Gu Ran would only need to collect the money.

According to He Qinghuan, the current He family burned fairy grass shop, after deducting costs and taxes, made a profit of fifty to sixty taels of silver each month. A fifty-fifty split would give Gu Ran around thirty taels of profit monthly.

Gu Ran was intrigued, but she had a question, "If we really open another shop, will we be able to keep up with the supply of raw materials and ingredients?"

"It's precisely because the supply of raw materials and ingredients is more than sufficient that I want to open a second shop," He Qinghuan explained.

Gu Ran had already handed over the farming of fairy grass and konjac jelly to Head Wu and two families in the village, focusing mainly on the tangerine orchard. Therefore, she wasn't aware of the supply situation for the burned fairy grass shop.

However, from what He Qinghuan said, the fairy grass and konjac jelly transported from Jian Prefecture to Da Mao City not only met the small shop's needs but were also stored in large quantities in the warehouse.

This Gu Ran could understand.

While fairy grass can't be planted in winter, in the Min region, spring comes early, and by February, the fairy grass starts to sprout. In just over a month, the young leaves can be picked and dried. Because it grows quickly and is easy to manage, the fairy grass grown by the three families in Xiaoxi Village supplied not only several places in Jian Prefecture but was also transported to Da Mao City by Uncle Yang's team.

As for konjac jelly, there was even less to worry about.

Mae Xiang's family had become large konjac jelly growers in the village. Now, not only the ten acres originally belonging to Mae Xiang were fully planted with konjac jelly, but the twenty acres belonging to Mae Dong and Mother Mae were also planted with it.

Mae Dong had also accompanied Uncle Yang's grain delivery team to Da Mao City, bringing dried fairy grass and konjac jelly powder. He also brought a message from Mae Xiang, asking if they should expand the planting further.

Konjac jelly has higher environmental requirements than fairy grass, but the climate and water sources in the Min region are suitable. As long as they paid attention to moderate fertilization, there would be no reduction in yield. Konjac jelly can be harvested continuously throughout the year, and each harvest produces small konjac jelly that can grow again. With stable production and ongoing income from new plants, konjac jelly was the ideal low-cost, high-profit crop.

With such a stable and substantial supply of ingredients being continuously sent to Da Mao City, it's no surprise that He Qinghuan didn't wait long before wanting to open another branch.

Gu Ran was getting excited too.

Though she wasn't directly involved anymore in the burned fairy grass business, she still received monthly profits from the shop. Over time, that would add up to a decent amount of money.

Although her focus is currently on the tangerine orchard and things seem to be going smoothly for now, with no issues like reduced production or pest problems, it’s still necessary to have a side business that brings in a steady income to mitigate production risks.

Therefore, Gu Ran has tacitly agreed to He Qinghuan’s idea.

“Which shop do you want to rent?”

“The best option would naturally be near Shenglin Academy.” The He family had started with a street stall near Shenghua Academy, targeting scholars enrolled there.

Scholars from Shenghua and Shenglin Academies frequently interact, and the two institutions often collaborate, which has built up a loyal customer base for the burnt grass jelly.

However, there’s no burnt grass jelly stand in the inner city, so these customers can only support the business when they pass by the area near Shenghua Academy after class or during their days off. If a shop could be opened in the inner city, they could capture the business of these scholars.

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out.”

“I’ll leave it to you then, Gu Sister.” He Qinghuan smiled, feeling there was an eighty percent chance her branch shop would succeed. “By the way, Senior Brother Lin knows the streets around Shenglin Academy well, you can ask him too.”

Lin Sanlang looked at He Qinghuan, smiled indulgently, and nodded at Gu Ran. “That’s right, you can ask me.”

When Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady took the Qiao family’s carriage back to the inner city, Lin Sanlang, who also lived in Shenglin Academy in the inner city, hitched a ride with them.

Since He Qinghuan had already planned to open a second shop and even scouted locations, and it seemed like she had even tried to bring in acquaintances from the academy as partners, Gu Ran wondered if He Qinghuan and Lin Sanlang had already found a suitable shop. So she directly asked Lin Sanlang if he had found any suitable shops.

Lin Sanlang nodded and immediately mentioned a few shops he had considered but failed to rent.

“One shop is in a restaurant next to Shenglin Academy, but it’s already been rented out. Another one is on the back side of Shenglin Academy, but the location isn’t ideal. However, there’s another one on the corner of the street opposite the academy, on the main street after entering Guanyun Gate. Originally, that shop was doing well, but it was later taken back by the officials.”

“Is there a problem with that shop?”

“The shop itself is fine, but...” Lin Sanlang hesitated before saying, “It’s said that the shop originally belonged to the Qiao family.”

Back when General Qiao was wrongfully accused, not only were all his relatives imprisoned and executed, but all their assets, including land and shops, were confiscated and later auctioned off. Now that it’s known that General Qiao is still alive, the officials are gathering everything that belonged to the Qiao family to return to him. Shop owners who wish to continue their business will need to negotiate with the Qiao family, and those who don’t will be compensated before the shops are taken back.

Ah! So that’s why He Qinghuan wanted me as a partner—she was waiting for me to help with this!

Upon returning to the Qiao residence, Overseer Qiao informed the two that the rewards given by the Marquis had been delivered to the estate.

Gu Ran immediately set aside the matter of opening a shop and first checked out what treasures she had received: a box of gold, a box of silver, two gold artifacts, four pairs of jade cups, and ten bolts of fine silk.

After calculating, the box of gold was worth only two hundred taels, and the silver totaled four hundred taels, which wasn’t as much in cash as the emperor’s rewards. However, the value of the jade and gold items made the total far more substantial.

“The Duke of Ding Sheng is more generous than the emperor!” Gu Ran exclaimed.

“Of course,” Pei Sixth Lady said, flipping through her clearly halved rewards, not minding at all.

General Qiao is a native of Da Mao City, and the Qiao family’s roots are there. It can be said that General Qiao is under the command of the Duke of Ding Sheng. The Duke of Ding Sheng personally welcoming them shows just how highly he regards General Qiao.

Moreover, Da Mao City can rival the imperial capital in wealth. It’s said that even the branch of the imperial family in Da Mao City, though technically only a marquis, wields significant power. Each Duke of Ding Sheng passes the title to his successor and then retires as the Prince of Southern Pacification. His personal wealth is rumored to exceed that of the imperial capital, which explains his generosity.

“Since Da Mao City is strong and well-armed, how can the emperor feel secure leaving the Prince of Southern Pacification in charge of such a powerful city? Isn’t he afraid... of a rebellion?”

“Without a true mandate from heaven—a divine right to rule—other ministers would naturally elect one of the princes to ascend the throne. The prince’s own son could also compete for the throne. But the current emperor, like Emperors Wen and Wu, is said to possess the divine power known as the ‘dragon’s might.’”

“The current emperor, it seems, also possesses this divine ability.”

"Is it really that impressive?" Gu Ran couldn't quite believe it.

"What is so impressive?"

General Qiao, who rarely returned to the mansion, overheard Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady discussing the Emperor and interjected with a laugh from afar, "If you're talking about the current Emperor, then yes, he is indeed impressive!"

She had become the third female emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty and cleared her name. This restored the honor of both General Qiao and the soldiers under the Qiao family, and he felt deep gratitude and admiration for the current Emperor.

"Uncle Qiao, are you done with your business?" Gu Ran turned around, watching Xiaojinhua jump out of General Qiao's arms and land on her lap. Gu Ran casually began to stroke the cat.

"I’m afraid the work never ends..." General Qiao said, his previously cheerful expression darkening with a hint of melancholy, indicating that things were not going smoothly.

Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady didn't ask further.

General Qiao had returned to comfort his soldiers and provide for the orphans of the fallen. These were military matters, and as ordinary citizens, they couldn’t contribute much and didn’t want to get in the way.

When the overseer brought new tea and the three sat down to slowly sip it, seeing that General Qiao's mood had returned to normal, Gu Ran took the opportunity to ask him about the Qiao family's shop.

"Which shop?"

"I haven't been there yet; I only heard about it from my friend. Uncle Qiao, if you have no plans for that shop, could you rent it to me?"

"Are you planning to do a citrus fruit business?" General Qiao guessed.

"Of course not."

Gu Ran explained to him how she used to peddle burnt fairy grass and later partnered with the He family to run the burnt fairy grass business. "Now that Huanhuan is studying at Shenghua Academy, her parents have also come over. They successfully opened a small shop near Shenghua Academy and are doing well with the burnt fairy grass business. The income is quite substantial, so they plan to open another shop in the inner city and happened to have their eye on your shop, Uncle Qiao, which is why I'm boldly asking."

"If you’re going into this business, will you need to hire staff?" General Qiao didn't respond directly about renting but asked instead.

"Of course, we need to hire staff to open a shop." Gu Ran smiled. Currently, the He family couple were managing the shop and had also hired staff. When Huanhuan and Lin Sanlang were on break, they would help out as well. They didn’t need many people, but they still had to hire some.

"Then tomorrow, take me to see that burnt fairy grass shop. I want to check it out first." General Qiao, for some reason, looked slightly excited.

Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady exchanged glances, puzzled, but had no objections.

They could check out the shop and also take Uncle Qiao to try the burnt fairy grass.

Before the New Year, when Gu Ran took Uncle Qiao back to Xiaxi Village, she hadn’t made any burnt fairy grass or offered him a taste. She hadn’t even told him about her partnership with the He family, which was why General Qiao thought she was only in the citrus fruit business.

The next day, General Qiao didn’t go out and run errands. Instead, he called Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady and left the inner city for the food street near Shenghua Academy. After getting off the carriage, they identified the shop. General Qiao observed from outside for a while, noting the steady stream of customers at the He family’s burnt fairy grass shop. His expression finally relaxed, and he entered the shop.

Today, both Lin Sanlang and Huanhuan were at school and not in the shop, leaving only Uncle He, Aunt He, and two staff members.

Seeing Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady return, both of them smiled, and Aunt He quickly came over to welcome them. "Second Miss, Sixth Miss, why are you here again? Is it about the shop..."

Before Aunt He could finish her greeting, a customer came over to place an order. "Shopkeeper, give me four cups of burnt fairy grass. Red beans, konjac jelly, honey, and licorice, one of each."

"Coming right up!" Aunt He called out, gesturing to Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady. "Feel free to sit inside; I’ll handle this order first."

There were only four tables in the shop, and three of them were occupied by customers. They sat at the last table and also ordered a bowl of burnt fairy grass each.

It was General Qiao's first time trying it, and he ordered a red bean cup, though he clearly wasn’t used to the taste. Yet, seeing the constant stream of customers in the shop, he couldn’t help but smile.

"Uncle Qiao?" Gu Ran had a guess but wasn’t sure.

Could it be that Uncle Qiao was interested in the burnt fairy grass business as well?

After spending some time in the burnt fairy grass shop, Uncle Qiao took Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady back to the inner city to inspect the shop they had their eye on.

The location of that shop is excellent, situated on the main road after entering Guanyun Gate. It is a must-pass route for people traveling between the southern and northern districts of the inner city. As a commercial shop, it would never lack for customers.

Moreover, the shop is actually twice the size of the current He family's burned fairy grass shop.

But Gu Ran and Huanhuan had already discussed that since many powerful and aristocratic families reside in the inner city, and even the common people there are wealthier than those outside the city, the shop must be decorated in an upscale and elegant style. A larger shop would provide more space for customers, making it more suitable for their needs.

Now, looking at this shop, it completely meets their requirements.

"Uncle Qiao, are you willing to rent the shop to us or not?" Gu Ran asked. "I can pay the rent at the original price in the city, is that okay?"

She had just received a sum of money as a reward from the Duke of Ding Sheng, so she wouldn't be short of money for a while. Even if the rent was higher, she could still afford it.

Shops in Da Mao City are highly sought after due to strict regulations on ownership, especially those in the inner city, where rents are also very expensive.

It is rumored that the shops in the inner city originally belonged to the royal family, and ordinary people could only rent them, not buy them. Only the wealthy or noble could own shops in the inner city, as they were earned through distinguished service and sacrifice.

The Qiao family earned this shop through their ancestors' military achievements.

Once General Qiao was cleared of any wrongdoing, the government promptly returned the shop to the Qiao family. The previous owner, aware of the shop's history, accepted the government's compensation without complaint and left peacefully.

The shop still looks much the same as when the previous owner moved out. Judging by the items left behind, it seems the shop was once a bookstore.

This makes sense, given its proximity to Shenglin Academy. Many shops here cater to the scholars, who tend to have more disposable income.

Their new burned fairy grass shop will also target these scholars.

"Erniang, about this shop, it's not that I'm unwilling to rent it to you, but you must agree to one condition," General Qiao said after looking at the shop for a long time.

So, there's a condition for renting this shop?

"What condition?"