When the night fell, the lights in Tai Ping Residence were lit, but there were no guests in the hall.
Two men leaned against the counter, staring blankly at the lanterns swaying in the wind outside, with the occasional carriage passing by on the official road not far away.
“It seems like no one is coming,” one of the men said, standing up and stretching lazily. “Let’s close the door.”
“There’s late-night food here; what if someone comes in the evening?” the other man replied.
“This is the official road directly to the capital, neither too far nor too close. The city gate is closed, and no one would be out in the middle of the night,” the first man said.
As they were arguing, someone walked in from behind.
“Third Brother,” they hurriedly called.
Xu Maoxiu nodded.
“Close the door,” he said.
The two men complied, standing up to extinguish the lights and put up the door boards.
Xu Maoxiu turned around and entered a room beside them. Inside the room were three people, Li Dashao and an old man, who stood up to greet him.
Xu Maoxiu sat down, looking at the account book laid out in front of Fan Jianglin.
“Do you do inventory every day?” he asked with a smile. “That’s not necessary, is it?”
Before Fan Jianglin could respond, Li Dashao nervously spoke up first.
“Master, it’s… it’s because we just opened, and right now, the business… it’s not very good,” he murmured.
“It takes time to build up popularity. Druken Phoenix Pavilion took several years to establish a steady flow of customers,” the old man said.
This was the old manager introduced by Li Dashao.
“Manager Wu,” Li Dashao quickly whispered, giving the old manager a knowing glance. “Listen to what the master has to say.”
Stop always mentioning Drunken Phoenix Pavilion.
It’s good that the old man has experience, but what’s not so good is that he always refers to the past and compares with his former boss.
Xu Maoxiu smiled and nodded.
“Manager Wu is right,” he said. “It takes time to build up popularity; it’s best to gather people gradually.”
Manager Wu chuckled.
“The master understands, back then…” he began to speak, but before he could finish, Li Dashao, unable to hold back any longer, reached out and nudged him, and the mention of Drunken Phoenix Pavilion was immediately cut off.
Fan Jianglin and Xu Maoxiu pretended not to notice their little gestures and listened with smiles.
“…Dashao’s cooking skills have been around for many years, and the food is fine. It’s just that the name of Immortal’s Abode has been fluctuating, and the popularity here has scattered as a result, so it needs to be built up slowly,” Manager Wu continued.
Xu Maoxiu nodded.
“It’s getting late. You two should go rest. You’ve been worrying about the shop all day,” he said with a smile.
Li Dashao and Manager Wu both stepped out.
“They’re even more nervous than we are, afraid this shop won’t last,” Fan Jianglin chuckled.
“No wonder they’re worried,” Xu Maoxiu said, looking at the account book and laughing. “Looking at it like this, it really seems like it might not last.”
“It’s all about the popularity,” Fan Jianglin said. “If we can’t draw in customers, it won’t work. We really can’t help our sister, we’re truly sorry that she entrusted the business to us.”
Xu Maoxiu fell silent for a moment before smiling.
“Actually, our sister never expected us to help her,” he said. “She’s the one helping us, or rather, thanking us.”
“I know. What can we, who only know how to fight, do to help her?” Fan Jianglin replied, then smiled bitterly. “Wait, I should say, we can’t even fight.”
“The only thing we can do for her is to calmly watch over this shop,” Xu Maoxiu said. “Didn’t she say, we just need to do what we’re supposed to do? What we’re supposed to do is manage the shop steadily. We shouldn’t force ourselves to worry about things, that would only cause more trouble for her.”
Fan Jianglin smiled.
“Exactly, that’s right. We just need to watch over the shop for our sister. Right now, there’s no business, but we’ll hold it down. When the business picks up, and if troublemakers come, we’ll have to hold it even more carefully,” he said with a laugh.
However, he couldn’t help but wonder whether that day would ever come, or if it did, whether they’d still be able to handle it.
At the break of dawn, the servants of the Zhou family were already busy with their tasks.
In the laundry room servant quarters, the one who woke up the earliest was Ban Qin, but she was also the last to leave.
First, she covered the charcoal fire in the room, then tidied up the combs, mirrors, and other items carelessly left around by the other maids. After carefully cleaning and organizing the room, she finally made her way to the dining area. By this time, everyone else had already finished their meal and dispersed. The wooden tub used for serving rice was still there, and on the other side, a pile of scattered bowls and chopsticks lay in disarray.
She picked up a clean set of bowls and chopsticks, hurriedly scooped some leftover food from the wooden tub, and ate. Then, she tidied up the dishes left by others and took them back to the kitchen.
These were things she had done every day for a long time. Carrying the dishes, her small frame didn’t find it difficult. With just two trips, taking no more than a cup of tea’s time, she could finish these tasks and then begin the work she was supposed to do.
However, as soon as she stepped outside today, she heard someone shouting her name sharply.
“Ban Qin!”
Ban Qin hurriedly placed the basket in her hands carefully on the ground, afraid of breaking the bowls and plates. Her monthly allowance was not enough to cover the cost of that. Only then did she rush to respond.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, looking at the two maids standing by the washing basin.
One of the maids turned around and glared at her with an angry expression.
“Did you soak the clothes yesterday?” she asked.
Ban Qin nodded. Most of the laundry work in the washing courtyard was done by her.
“Look at what you’ve done!” the other maid shouted sharply, while reaching into the basin to pull out a piece of clothing.
Ban Qin took a few steps forward, and in the morning light, the wet skirt was covered in bright, vibrant colors.
Ban Qin’s eyes instantly widened.
“Wh-what is this?” she said, rushing forward, not minding the icy cold water as she fished out another piece.
The originally plain-colored skirt had been dyed in a rainbow of colors.
“This is the madam’s favorite skirt. It was supposed to be washed separately. When did it become your turn to wash it, you lowly thing?” the first maid shouted, swinging her hand and slapping Ban Qin.
Caught off guard and completely flustered, Ban Qin was slapped and fell to the ground, still holding the wet skirt in her hands. The fabric soaked into her, instantly drenched.
“Someone, come quickly! Something’s happened!”
The maids’ cries rang loudly in her ears, and hurried footsteps rushed toward her.
Ban Qin sat on the ground, desperately tugging at the skirt in her hands, her eyes filled with a blur of colors. She couldn’t see anything or hear anything.
How did this happen? How could this happen?
In the washing courtyard, several people were standing, whispering to each other and pointing into the room.
A woman threw the skirt she was holding onto the ground, her gaze heavy as she looked at Ban Qin, who was kneeling.
“What’s going on here?” she asked.
One of the maids quickly stepped forward.
“Nanny Jiang, this is all our washing room’s fault,” she said anxiously.
“Is it not your fault? Are you trying to say it’s ours?” Nanny Jiang snapped coldly.
The other maids fell silent, not daring to speak.
“This matter can’t be hidden from the madam. You, girl, think carefully about what to say,” Nanny Jiang said flatly, raising her foot and walking away.
The others in the room were in a chaotic uproar as they hurriedly pushed to send someone out. Two other maids lifted Ban Qin and followed after.
Along the way, the crowd’s attention was drawn, and Ban Qin could no longer hear their whispers. She staggered forward, tears streaming down her face.
What should she say? What should she say?
She had made a mistake, how should she explain?
“You were wrong. You shouldn’t have said so much at that time.”
“Then what should I do?”
“Say, you didn’t make the decision, and let them come to me.”
“Why? Why push it onto you?”
“Because I am your mistress.”
The last time she was caught making a mistake, she was confused, but she had received guidance from the mistress.
This time, when she made a mistake, she remembered the mistress’s teachings, but there was no longer a mistress to rely on.
