I really don't want to take shortcuts anymore

Qian Duo was very good at observing people's expressions and had sensed something was wrong. "What does the lady mean?"

Luo Qianhuai nodded: "I can take over the shop, but I will not do the cosmetics business anymore. I will find another way."

Qian Duo was really shocked this time. He was stunned for a long time before he digested Luo Qianhuai's words, and asked in confusion: "Is the lady joking with me?"

"I don't have that much free time." Luo Qianhuai said, "I just want this shop. As for the name of Su Jinzhai, the recipes and the staff, they have nothing to do with me. Madam Lou can just reopen the shop somewhere else, or choose another shop for me."

"This..." Shopkeeper Qian was well-informed, but he had never encountered such a thing. How could someone leave the huge fortune that was delivered to his doorstep and only choose the most inconspicuous store? Although the store itself was something that money couldn't buy, compared to the value of the entire Su Jin Zhai, it was nothing.

Is it possible that this Madam Jing is too beautiful and therefore not very smart?

As Qian Duo's eyes changed, he heard Luo Qianhuai say again: "As for you, Shopkeeper Qian, I still admire you very much."

After all, this is Dayu, not the previous life. Without those shrewd and capable professional managers, it is already good enough for an ordinary shopkeeper to be able to use an abacus and keep a running account. Those who can report the marketing data of recent years like a treasure are indeed capable people.

Mr. Mo might have similar people under his command, but Luo Qianhuai doesn't want to rely on them for everything.

"So you can choose whether you are willing to stay and help me, or go back to follow Madam Lou and be the head shopkeeper of your Su Jin Zhai."

Should he follow the wife of the Minister of Agriculture and continue to be the CEO of Dayu's top cosmetics brand, or follow a new boss who knows nothing about business and start from scratch? Even a three-year-old child would make this choice.

But Qian Duo's character was indeed as Shi Niangzi said, he was used to being cautious. Looking at Luo Qianhuai's eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, he suddenly hesitated.

"Can I ask you a question, what will you use this shop for in the future?"

"I haven't decided yet." Luo Qianhuai stood up and said, "It's getting late. I have to go to the front to see patients. Shopkeeper Qian can go back and think about it carefully. If you are interested, the annual salary will be no less than before. If you are not interested, there is no need to force it."

She walked straight out, and Xing Xuan delivered the money to the outside of Ji'antang for her.

When passing through the pharmacy in front, Qian Duo's eyes suddenly fell on the various Chinese patent medicines on the counter. He felt that he had guessed Luo Qianhuai's thoughts, so he whispered to Xing Xuan:

"Your wife, is it possible that she wants to open a medicine shop in Xijing?"

Xijing has never lacked medicine shops. In addition to well-known ones like Shouhetang and Wanyingtang, there are at least fifty or sixty other medicine shops of all sizes. Madam Jing's new shop will only be lost in the crowd and will have no chance to stand out. It is not only a few levels behind Su Jinzhai.

Xing Xuan said in a calm tone, "What the Madam wants to do is not something that we servants can presume to guess. Since she has a favorable opinion of you, Shopkeeper Qian, it is your blessing - you'd better think carefully about how to repay the Madam."

What did she mean by that? Did she think I would ruin my future by following that Madam Jing and become a pharmacy owner? She really looked down on me!

Qian Duo was still feeling a little uneasy until he left Ji'antang. He pondered all the way until the carriage was about to enter Xijing. Only then did he gradually come to his senses and attributed the attitude of the little maid just now to the fact that she was young and hot-headed and didn't know her place.

He did not return to Su Jinzhai, but went directly to Lou Mansion to ask to meet his former employer, Mrs. Lou.

Cui Yingniang was playing with a string of delicate and lustrous white jade beads. She lowered her eyes and listened to him telling her the whole story. A hint of strangeness appeared in her eyes. She finally looked up at Qian Duo:

"Did she really say that, in addition to the shop, she was willing to keep you?"

Qian Duo was even more surprised by Mrs. Lou's question. Why didn't she seem to care whether Mrs. Luo accepted Su Jinzhai or not, but asked this instead?

"Madam Jing is right. She also said that if I am willing, my annual salary will be no less than this."

"You are lucky." Cui Yingniang handed the beads in her hand to the nanny beside her, and asked the nanny to pass it to Qian Duo. She stood up in his increasingly shocked eyes and said in a calm voice:

"I will send someone to take over to you. You should follow the new boss and do your job well."

But I came here this time to show my loyalty to Madam Lou, not to switch to Madam Jing? And why do these people all think that it is a great blessing that Madam Jing can look up to me, and that I am blessed and lucky? It is totally confusing.

After all, I am a well-known shopkeeper in the cities of Xijing. How come no one has ever cared about my thoughts from the beginning to the end?

But even though these complaints were already on the tip of his tongue, Qian Duo swallowed them back.

Lou Zhiping, the Minister of Agriculture, is in charge of the taxes on agriculture and commerce in the country, and even has a hand in all state-owned land assets, mines and sea salt. He has a hand in all matters related to the economy. Not to mention that he is just a small shopkeeper, even if he is one of the richest merchants in the world, he has to bow down to him and his wife.

Qian Duo bowed respectfully and said, "I will follow Madam's instructions. Even if I go to the new owner in the future, as long as Madam has the order, I will do my best and will never shirk my responsibility."

Cui Yingniang was almost reaching the pearl curtain in the inner room, but she stopped when she heard what he said, turned around and looked at him with a cold smile:

"I thought you were a smart person. But now it seems that you are just a little smart. It's really disappointing."

Qian Duo was a little panicked, and couldn't figure out what he had said wrong. He could only hunch his back and wait for the other party's instructions.

"I have seen how hard you have worked for Su Jin Zhai over the years. Otherwise, I would not have recommended you to Madam Jing." Cui Yingniang recalled her husband's previous instructions and softened her tone a little:

"After you change to a new employer, you must be more alert than before and help her run the business. You must not be indecisive and play two sides - otherwise, even if Madam Jing is too lazy to care, I will not let you off - do you understand?"

So what Mrs. Lou meant was that people should be more respectful to Madam Jing than to her, and she never thought about doing anything in between.

This was strange. Even though the woman who was about to marry the Marquis of Xiang was much inferior to the Minister of Agriculture who held economic power in the eyes of the businessmen, it was completely incomprehensible why Madam Lou attached so much importance to her.

Qian Duo felt like he had a mixture of different tastes and had no idea what to feel.

"I understand. I will go and make the connection with her, and then go find Madam Jing to sign the contract..."

It was beyond Luo Qianhuai's expectation that Qian Duo would abandon the glory of Yi Su Jin Zhai and join his new employer who had never even thought of doing any business.

But compared to the upcoming wedding, these are all trivial matters. So she didn't bother too much, just as agreed before, raised the annual salary of the rich by 10%, from 20 cakes to 22 cakes, and then sent people to the shop to help Cui Yingniang to take care of the tidying up.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the wedding.