In the afternoon, Manager Qin came to the estate dressed in a new purplish blue robe.
Chu Lian met him in the parlour of Songtao Court.
Perhaps due to a whole month of good business, as well as Guilin Restaurant’s good food, the young Manager Qin seemed to have become fatter. His originally slim body had turned into a potbelly, giving the maidservants the urge to sweat.
“Third Young Madam, this is Guilin Restaurant’s account book for the past month.” Manager Qin bowed respectfully towards Chu Lian before offering up the account book with two hands.
Chu Lian flipped through one or two pages of the book before setting it aside. “Manager Qin, give me a short summary of the accounts. I’ll keep this account book and go through it in detail over the next few days.”
Manager Qin couldn’t wait for Chu Lian to ask him about the accounts.
He had learned how to manage shops by following his father around since he was young. Later on, as the years passed, he was able to manage businesses by himself. Perhaps due to the influence of his younger years, he was able to turn a normal store into a profitable business at the tender age of fifteen. He was already in his twenties now, but this Guilin Restaurant was one of the most successful businesses he had ever managed.
Thus, he couldn’t wait to show off his achievements to Chu Lian.
When Xiyan heard the number that Manager Qin reported, she froze on the spot from shock.
Three thousand, five hundred and eighty taels!
That was after subtracting the running expenses for Guilin Restaurant!
That is to say, Guilin Restaurant had turned a profit of 3580 taels alone this month!
Heavens!
Taking away the 2000 taels of initial capital that Chu Lian had invested in Guilin Restaurant at the start, that was still 1800 tales of pure profit!
What kind of concept was that?!
Xiyan’s mind immediately turned blank.
Chu Lian had already expected a profit from Guilin Restaurant, so she wasn’t as shocked as Xiyan was. However, even so, that amount had completely exceeded her expectations for the first month. She had really underestimated the spending power of the people in the capital.
After asking Manager Qin for a few more details, it was only an hour later that Senior Servant Gui escorted Manager Qin out.
Chu Lian opened up the wooden box of money that Manager Qin had left behind and took out two bills to pass to Xiyan.
“Keep these for Songtao Court’s daily expenses. Mother’s birthday is coming, so we can use that chance to give out some rewards for all the people in our courtyard. You can decide what to do with the rest of the money by yourself.”
Xiyan held the two hundred-tael bank notes in her hands and spoke with disbelief in her tone, “Third Young Madam, all this is from Guilin Restaurant’s profit?”
Chu Lian glared at her speechlessly. “Of course! Do you want to count through all the notes in this box and see if it’s really a thousand taels?”
Xiyan quickly shook her head. “No, no, this servant doesn’t have to count it. This servant trusts that there’s a thousand taels in there. Third Young Madam, you’re amazing! This servant just can’t really believe it. Back in the Ying Estate, it would have taken us quite a few years to save up a hundred taels!”
Chu Lian blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected this girl to think back to the past. “Alright, don’t think about those things now. I’m not the Sixth Miss of House Ying anymore. I’m now House Jing’an’s Third Young Madam and an Honoured Lady personally named by the Emperor.”
Xiyan rubbed away the tears that had leaked out unconsciously from her eyes. “That’s right! Young Madam’s days are much better now. If only Third Young Master could be by Young Madam’s side, then all would be well.”
Xiyan’s words made Chu Lian’s face stiffen.
Her days had been too carefree; she had almost forgotten that she had a husband who had gone off to the northern border.
She wondered how that crazy, unfortunate husband of hers was doing. She hadn’t gotten any letters from him for a month. Maybe the blank letters she had sent him had upset him and made him even more unhinged?
Chu Lian shook her head. What was she doing thinking about He Sanlang?
It was more important to pass her days in peace.
She remembered that the Great Doctor Miao was supposed to appear in the capital around this time.
Chu Lian blinked and the corners of her lips lifted up in excitement.
With her here, she wasn’t going to let that Xiao Bojian get to Great Doctor Miao first.
Sometimes, you really can’t speak of the devil. Not even an hour had passed since she had thought about how He Sanlang hadn’t sent any letters back for a while, when Senior Servant Liu personally came over to Songtao Court with some maidservants in tow.
Chu Lian stood up to welcome her.
Senior Servant Liu was wearing an azure cloak lined with down. Her hair was pressed flat to her face thanks to the outside winds, and it looked like she had rushed all the way here.
“Momo, please come in and sit! Have a cup of hot tea.” Chu Lian quickly ordered Fuyan to serve some tea.
It was already October and the weather was turning cold.
Winters in the capital were always bitterly cold and dry.
Senior Servant Liu was clearly in high spirits as she took out a thick letter from her sleeve without waiting for the tea. She passed the letter to Chu Lian and said, “Third Young Madam, Third Young Master personally wrote this for you! Look, it’s such a thick letter, too!”
Chu Lian’s lips parted in surprise as she took the parcel. “Hus…. Husband sent letters back?”
It was only then that Senior Servant Liu took a seat and sighed. “If it isn’t so! There was another letter for the matriarch as well. These were just sent here by a soldier from the posthouse. He said that there was a huge snowstorm near the northern border and the highways between the cities were blocked. We were supposed to get this letter about half a month ago, but it was delayed thanks to the snowstorm. I heard the northern border is supposed to be many times colder than the capital! Third Young Master has never been to the northern border before, I wonder if he’ll be able to get used to the weather there…”
As Senior Servant Liu spoke, her eyes started to redden and the tears gathered in her eyes fell.
Amongst the three young masters in House Jing’an, Senior Servant Liu cared the most for He Changdi. Back then, after Countess Jing’an had given birth to He Changdi, her health had taken a turn for the worse and He Sanlang had been practically raised by his grandmother. Senior Servant Liu had taken care of He Sanlang alongside his nursemaid.
Chu Lian had gotten lost in her thoughts after hearing Senior Servant Liu’s words. The weather at the northern border had already turned cold, and it was already snowing in the nearby cities!
So early!
There was no longer any trace of the excitement and joy she had had earlier. Instead, her brows drew together in tension.
This was the first time Senior Servant Liu had seen such an expression on Third Young Madam. She thought that her words had caused Third Young Madam’s to worry, so she quickly wiped away her tears and forced herself into using a happier tone. “Ah, it’s this old servant’s fault. Third Young Madam, please don’t worry. Although Third Young Master looks a little skinny due to his height, he has been practising martial arts alongside the Count and his brothers ever since he was a child, and he’s very skilled! The weather at the northern border must be nothing to him. Furthermore, all we’ve heard is some hearsay from others, so it might not be true. See, Third Young Master sent out his letters after all. Third Young Madam, why don’t you open it up and see what Third Young Master has written?”
