Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 109

Chapter 109

“Leasing them out would indeed be ideal, but many merchants dislike leased shops. There are too many uncertainties. If anything happens to the landlord, they might have to pack up and leave at a moment’s notice. The risk is too high,” Ruan Fuxin reminded her from the side.

Even when he had very little silver to his name, he had chosen to buy his shop outright rather than lease it. This was a major reason why.

As long as the property deed was in someone else’s hands, even a lease signed in black and white could be easily overturned by an accident. If something happened to the original landlord and they mortgaged the deed, the second owner could show up with government officials to evict the tenants. No matter how much logic the tenant had on their side, it wouldn’t matter; whoever held the deed owned the shop.

The cost of decorating and furnishing a shop was not low. Being driven out would result in a devastating loss.

Furthermore, shop rents were never cheap. Over ten years, the total rent would be enough to buy a shop outright. Consequently, most people preferred to buy directly rather than lease. Unless they were truly short on funds, few chose to rent.

But it went without saying that the rent for the Young Miss’s shops would not be low. With such high rent and no option to buy, it might be difficult to find tenants.

“Just release the news that they are for lease. The first tenant will enjoy a twenty percent discount on rent for ten years. The second and third tenants will get the same for five years. Those who sign the lease first will have priority in choosing their storefront,” Xiao Wangshu instructed.

“As for the rent of each shop, adjust it based on the view. Use eighty taels of silver per year as the standard, with price fluctuations kept within ten percent.”

In a place like the Capital where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, the cost of renting a shop for a year was enough to buy two shops in the smaller counties and prefectures below.

“Understood, Miss,” Ruan Fuxin replied with a bow.

Having finished the official business, Xiao Wangshu asked casually, “How is the progress on the clothes I asked the embroiderers to make?”

“In response to the Young Miss, those clothes require the finest fabrics for the lining while needing to look understated on the outside. The craftsmanship is somewhat complex. The embroiderers are currently taking apart the materials to resew them. I’m afraid it will take another half a month.”

“Another half a month? By then, the opportunity will have long passed,” Xiao Wangshu said in a flat tone, making it impossible to read her mood.

Ruan Fuxin explained, “Miss, with the New Year approaching, the embroiderers are inevitably a bit distracted. They’re all thinking about going home for the holidays. They only see me as an accountant, and I was worried that if I managed them too strictly, I would drive away the people you recruited.”

The veteran embroiderers had laid the foundation for Brocade Gate, allowing it to stand out among the Capital’s clothing shops as soon as it opened.

Now, Brocade Gate had gradually recruited new embroiderers to serve as apprentices to those veterans. Some of the veterans had good skills, but they were beginning to slack off, putting on airs and relying on their seniority.

“If they want a holiday for the New Year, then they should work hard for it. Five days is the limit. If they finish, they can take their bonus and go home for a good New Year. If they can’t, Brocade Gate didn’t spend a fortune to hire ancestors to worship,” Xiao Wangshu said coldly.

“Brocade Gate has invested heavily, purchasing only the finest materials, from the fabric to the thread. Even the best embroiderer is just the icing on the cake; no one is indispensable. They shouldn’t forget their place.

“The embroiderers from Jiangnan have even more exquisite skills. It was only because Brocade Gate’s opening was so rushed that there wasn’t enough time to recruit from the southern prefectures.

“If they find this money too difficult to earn, they might as well let someone else earn it. I’d like to see which other shop would pay an embroiderer a monthly wage of twelve taels of silver.”

For an embroiderer in an ordinary shop, a monthly wage of two or three taels was already considered good. Even the embroiderers Mu Xiaoxiao recruited from Jiangnan for Ruibao Pavilion-the ones she got through her maternal grandfather-were only paid five or six taels a month.

The wages offered by Brocade Gate were the highest in the entire industry.

If they were still unsatisfied, they couldn’t blame her for making an example out of someone.

“Yes! I will go down and press them immediately!” Ruan Fuxin complied at once, saying no more.

At that moment, Xiao Wangshu looked at him and said-
“Since I’ve entrusted Brocade Gate to you, you can handle things like hiring and firing staff on your own. You don’t need to wait for my orders.

“I’m not always here to keep an eye on things, and there will inevitably be times when I can’t oversee every detail. Since I’ve put you in this position, you have the right to deal with them on my behalf.

“You don’t need to care what those people think of you. You only need to know what I think of you.

“I view you as the manager of Brocade Gate. If I’m unavailable to handle the matters within these walls, large or small, you are to handle them for me.

“As long as I don’t tell you that you’re wrong, you aren’t doing anything wrong as manager. As long as I don’t tell you to stop, you don’t need to stop anything you’re doing.

“They are all beneath you. Their attitudes are not important, and certainly not enough to influence you. Your only superior is me, and you are only responsible for my orders. Do you understand?”

Ruan Fuxin cupped his hands and bowed, his waist bending even lower. “This subordinate shall keep it in mind!”

“Good,” Xiao Wangshu acknowledged. She then instructed him, “Go about your business. Don’t forget to send those clothes and headpieces packed for Concubine Zhang to the Chancellor’s Mansion. Have General Xiao Dingbei sign for them and settle the bill.”

Ruan Fuxin’s eye twitched slightly as he cupped his hands again. “Yes.”

He could see it now-the relationship between the Young Miss and her third brother was visibly strained.

***

Heavy snow fell as the end of the year approached.

The twelfth lunar month was reaching its tail end, with only three or four days left until New Year’s Eve. It was at this time, when the imperial court had already entered its holiday recess, that the Yu State Envoys arrived.

“The Yu State Envoys are certainly in a hurry. The Tuoba Envoys rushed to leave the Capital before the new year, yet these people are rushing to enter the Capital before the new year,” Fang Qin’er remarked as she embroidered a handkerchief alongside Matron Du.

Xiao Wangshu was reclining on a daybed, covered by a brocade quilt and holding a hand warmer. She was in a state of full winter hibernation.

“The Tuoba Tribe holds a grand sacrificial ceremony during the Lantern Festival. They can afford to miss the New Year, but they cannot miss that sacrifice. If they stayed in the Capital until after the New Year, they wouldn’t make it back in time.

“It’s understandable that they didn’t stay for the festivities and hurried back instead.”

As Xiao Wangshu spoke, she took a bowl of bird’s nest soup from Hui Qiu and took a few sips while remaining reclined.

Fang Qin’er set down her handkerchief and took her own bowl of soup from Cang Dong. She looked up at Xiao Wangshu and teased with a smile, “Our Wangshu certainly knows how to be lazy. Look at her, curled up on that bed like a cat.”

Matron Du’s face crinkled with a smile. “That’s why this old servant always says the Young Miss was born for a life of luxury. She isn’t meant to suffer even a bit of hardship.”

Fang Qin’er smiled as well. Remembering something, she set down her bowl, took a sachet from her sewing basket, and beckoned to Xiao Wangshu.

“Move your nest and come over here. See if you like the pattern of this sachet.”

“Mother embroidered it herself; how could I not like it?” Xiao Wangshu replied, getting off the bed and walking toward Fang Qin’er.

Fang Qin’er removed the old sachet from her daughter’s waist, intending to have someone put it away. She hadn’t expected the old sachet to be so heavy.

“What else do you have in here?”

Curious, Fang Qin’er opened the old sachet to take a look.

Beneath the fragrant herbs, a glint of gold peeked out-so bright it couldn’t be hidden.

Fang Qin’er pulled the object out for a closer look and was momentarily speechless.

“In all my years of being your mother, I never knew you were so obsessed with making money that you’d carry a Treasure Basin on your person.”

Truth be told, this miniature Treasure Basin was quite charming-tiny, golden, and very pleasing to the eye.

“I can’t help it, Mother. It’s gold, and it’s a Treasure Basin. I love everything about it.” Xiao Wangshu’s tastes were just that vulgar.

Hearing this, Fang Qin’er said helplessly, “Fine, fine, you love it.

“Go to the Treasury later and pick out a piece of jade. I’ll have a jade carver make a small hollow cage for it, shaped like a lantern. We’ll put your Treasure Basin inside and attach some tassels to make it a jade pendant. That way, you can wear it every day to attract wealth.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Xiao Wangshu agreed readily.