Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 38

Xiao Wangshu smiled and replied, “No need, these craftsmen know what they’re doing.”

These craftsmen were actually very shrewd. When they came to her earlier, they said they didn’t know whom to listen to, but the fact that they came to ask her specifically already showed their attitude.

-Whoever pays is the one they listen to.

Moreover, the person paying wants the goods they buy from the craftsmen to be more expensive, so the craftsmen can earn more.

Shopkeeper Xiao wants the horse to run but doesn’t want to feed it-how could that be possible?

All the things he did saved her the trouble of poaching people in the middle. These craftsmen weren’t fools; hadn’t they already sided with her?

Seeing how confident Xiao Wangshu was, Zhang Guanye didn’t say anything more.

Beside them, another Guard with a rather sturdy build had been peering around the shop since they entered, not joining in the conversation at all.

After observing for a long while, he finally spoke with a sigh, “Miss, the layout of your shop is really clever. With two rings of cabinets, you can display a lot of things. Customers can walk on both sides, and the aisles are spacious. No matter where they go, they’re always close to the counters.”

Xiao Wangshu felt rather undeserving of such praise.

Because the Brocade Gate’s looped layout was something she had chosen after seeing all kinds of shops. Among medium-sized stores, this layout offered the most comfortable shopping experience.

On top of that, she incorporated the era’s popular beliefs in feng shui and metaphysics, blending in the construction styles admired in this time. She set up a screen at the entrance, commonly called a ‘warding screen’ to block evil spirits.

Passing by the sides of the screen, one would enter a dazzling world of pearls and jewels.

“I just read about it in some miscellaneous books. I thought it was useful, so I tried it as written, and it really works well,” Xiao Wangshu lied with a straight face.

She couldn’t say she learned it elsewhere, nor could she shamelessly claim someone else’s design as her own idea, so she could only say she read it in a book.

Reading books was the most reasonable explanation for a young lady of the inner chambers.

Ruan Fuxin didn’t doubt her at all. He lowered his head gloomily and sighed, “If only I had read more books back then. Who knows where I’d be doing business now.”

“Oh?” Xiao Wangshu looked at him, intrigued.

“Miss, you may not know, but the rest of us only sold ourselves because our families were too poor. But Fuxin was different.

“He went out to do business and lost all the savings he had accumulated over the years. His father and mother favored his younger brother and were unwilling to help him, so he had no choice but to come to the Chancellor’s Mansion, sign a contract of indenture as a Guard, and pay off his debts.”

Hearing Li Jun’s explanation, Xiao Wangshu nodded slightly to show she understood.

But Li Ta, standing to the side, scratched his head and said, “But I really don’t get it. Fuxin, your parents didn’t give you any money, so how did you manage to save fifty or sixty taels of silver to do business just after coming of age?”

When he had just come of age, he was still farming at home. The old steward from the Chancellor’s Mansion happened to come to their village to recruit Guards, and his parents, hearing the pay was good, sent him off.

Afterward, he did indeed receive two taels of silver a month. He had farmed for years and had never seen so much money at once.

Later, his parents sent his younger brother as well, so the brothers could look out for each other.

So he was even more puzzled. Actually, Ruan Fuxin’s family was also poor; his ancestors had all tilled the land with hoes.

Both were farmers, so how did Ruan Fuxin manage to save so much silver?

“Ah! It’s all in the past, and nothing much came of it. There’s nothing worth mentioning-let’s not waste Miss’s time.”

Ruan Fuxin waved his hand, looking reluctant to talk about it.

At this moment, Xiao Wangshu smiled and said, “Whether a business succeeds or not actually depends a great deal on luck. Even if you choose the right industry and the right location, you still have to face the impact of timing and people. Even if everything is ready, failure is still the most normal outcome.”
After failure, the true test only truly begins.

“Since you chose to try your luck, why not tell me about it? Let me hear what you’re capable of. Otherwise, why did you switch shifts with Cheng Liyu today and come out with me?” Xiao Wangshu’s smile remained unchanged.

She had said she would only bring four people with her today, so Shuxia arranged for Li Ta, Li Jun, Zhang Guanye, and Cheng Liyu.

Cheng Liyu had a good relationship with Ruan Fuxin. He claimed he had an upset stomach and couldn’t come, so he asked Ruan Fuxin to take his shift.

It was common for a Guard to find a friend to cover for him if he couldn’t stand watch due to health reasons. Shuxia hadn’t suspected much and agreed.

Nor did Xiao Wangshu stop it.

Because she truly wanted to see what her new Guard intended to do.

“M-miss…” Ruan Fuxin’s scalp tingled at Xiao Wangshu’s words, and he stiffly withdrew his hands to his sides.

Xiao Wangshu smiled gently and continued in the softest tone-

“Your business was crushed by competitors as soon as it started, leaving you deep in debt.

“Your parents took your money to improve their lives back then, but when you were in debt, they refused to help. To avoid debt collectors, they even drove you out of the house and erased you from the Genealogy.

“With no other choice, you could only take a job at the Chancellor’s Mansion, so those people wouldn’t dare touch you for now.

“But the steward at the Chancellor’s Mansion only helps coordinate, not solve personal matters. Those people may not dare rush into the Chancellor’s Mansion to do anything to you, but your monthly wages still go toward repaying your debts.

“Now you’re living frugally-aren’t you resentful?”

As soon as Xiao Wangshu finished speaking, before the others could even react to what she was saying, Ruan Fuxin dropped to his knees before her with a thud.

“Miss, forgive me! I won’t dare do it again!”

The craftsmen in the shop all turned their heads to look over at them.

Xiao Wangshu smoothed her sleeves and said, “Get up. All of you, come with me. Don’t disturb the workers.”

The six immediately replied, “Yes!”

—

After Xiao Wangshu led them to the tea room on the second floor, the craftsmen inside withdrew, closing the door behind them as they left.

“There’s not as much dust on the second floor as downstairs. Miss, please wait a moment, I’ll wipe it down so you can sit.” Yichun spoke as she took out a handkerchief and cleaned Xiao Wangshu’s seat.

Once Xiao Wangshu was seated, Ruan Fuxin knelt before her again.

This time, Xiao Wangshu didn’t tell him to get up, but directly instructed, “Speak. Tell me in detail what you’re capable of.”

She always liked to investigate the backgrounds of those who stayed by her side before employing them.

These days, after noticing that Ruan Fuxin’s behavior was sometimes out of place, she had asked the steward a few more questions, and indeed learned a few things.

Ruan Fuxin lowered his head, nearly burying his face in his chest, and spoke in a muffled voice-

“When I was young, I often saw people from the county town come to our village to buy vegetables and poultry, offering very low prices. But those things sold for much more in the county town-the price difference was huge.

“Later, when I was twelve, I secretly caught one of our old hens and went to the county town, where I found a wealthy man’s household that had just had a son. I sold the hen to his concubine to help her recover.

“Normally, a hen like that would fetch at most two hundred copper coins if sold to those who came to buy from the village.

“But I just said a few nice words, and mentioned that an old hen is best for nourishment. The wealthy man and his concubine were in a good mood, and actually gave me three taels of silver.

“I used half a tael to buy twenty chicks at the market and brought them home, avoiding a round of scolding from my parents. That day, my parents were happy and made pancakes for my younger brother and boiled an egg, but I got none.

“After buying the chicks, I still had two and a half taels of silver left, which I saved for myself.”