vrcanaries Chapter 475 Money Shop
Chapter 475 Money Shop
As the sun rose a little higher, the restaurant's helpers arrived. With everyone coming in, some were preparing ingredients, some were sweeping, and some were wiping tables, instantly bringing the restaurant to life.
Xu Yiyi carried the money box out of the house.
The copper coins inside were making a clattering sound.
"Old Lu, carry the money box and come with me out."
With a thud, Xu Yiyi placed the money box on the stone table.
"Hey! No, I asked you to change it last night, why are you calling me again?" Old Lu frowned, fastened the wine jug back to his belt, and reluctantly hoisted the money box onto his shoulder.
"Yo ho!"
The box was surprisingly heavy when it reached his shoulder, causing his shoulder to sag. He quickly used his other hand to support the bottom of the box to steady himself.
He weighed the item in his hand, clicked his tongue, and looked at Xu Yiyi: "I really didn't realize you made so much money in just one day yesterday?"
Xu Yiyi glanced at him.
"Walking?" He tilted his head to look at her. Although he still had that carefree attitude, he had already taken the lead and started walking towards the money exchange in town.
The sun was shining brightly. Not long after Xu Yiyi and Lao Lu, who was carrying the money box, left the restaurant, Manager Li from the brokerage firm came to their door.
He straightened his robes, put on his usual obsequious smile, and stepped over the threshold to come in.
In the front hall, only Afu was wiping the chairs with a rag.
"Ah Fu?" Manager Li's gaze unconsciously swept across the hall, his tone somewhat arrogant: "Is Boss Xu here? I have important matters to discuss with him."
Afu looked up and saw it was Manager Li. Not daring to be negligent, he quickly returned the greeting: "Anyang! Manager Li from the brokerage firm has arrived."
Afu shouted, and Xu Anyang lifted the curtain and walked into the front hall.
"Manager Li? Are you here to buy food?" Xu Anyang's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt.
Manager Li cupped his hands in greeting: "May I ask if Mr. Xu is here? I am the manager of the brokerage firm, and I have come to pay my respects to Mr. Xu. I have important matters to discuss with him!"
Xu Anyang's eyes darted around, and he suddenly remembered what Fu Wanying had told his sister yesterday.
"It's really unfortunate, my sister Yiyi just went out to run some errands and isn't in the office right now. If you have anything urgent, please let me know, and I'll pass it on as soon as my sister Yiyi returns."
Manager Li's smile froze slightly: "Oh? Went out? I wonder where Boss Xu went and when he will be back?"
Xu Anyang scratched his head: "Well... Sister Yi didn't say, she only told me to keep an eye on the shop. As for when I'll be back, I don't farm. How about you come back later?"
Manager Li pursed his lips and decided to come back later.
Meanwhile, inside the Huitong Money Exchange in the town.
Xu Yiyi stood in front of the tall counter, while Lao Lu slammed the heavy money box down at his feet.
The shopkeeper opened the box, inside were neatly stacked strings of copper coins and some loose silver coins.
"Please, exchange all these copper coins and loose silver for official silver ingots," Xu Yiyi said clearly.
The shop assistant responded and began to skillfully count and check the items.
Old Lu stood aside watching as strings of copper coins were taken out of the box and replaced with silver ingots, which were easier to store.
Unable to resist, she whispered to Xu Yi, "Why don't you save this money? I don't feel comfortable leaving it at the restaurant all the time."
Since he put a large sum of money in the restaurant, he hasn't gone out for drinks at night.
Xu Yiyi ignored his grumbling and counted the silver ingots that the shop assistant had exchanged.
After leaving the money shop, he slowly spoke up: "This Huitong Money Shop looks impressive, but its foundation is not very reliable."
Old Lu was taken aback and looked at her with some surprise.
"A while ago, a rouge shop on East Street deposited four hundred taels of silver here. When it was time to withdraw the money, the money shop was slow to release it. When the money shop finally released the money, it deducted some of the money as a fire loss fee, which caused some unpleasantness between the two parties."
"Also, haven't you noticed how frequently they change their staff? They've even changed the accountant twice in the last six months. With internal instability and a damaged reputation, I don't sleep well at night with my money here."
She guessed that the owner of the money exchange had diverted the money deposited by others to other businesses.
Otherwise, people wouldn't have to wait so long to withdraw their money.
Old Lu listened and thought about it carefully. It seemed to be true. He couldn't help but click his tongue and look at Xu Yiyi's back with more admiration.
"I didn't expect you to be so observant, and your hearing is so sharp too. Well, it's still safest to carry it in my own arms, but... it's damn heavy!"
He rubbed his shoulders, which ached from being weighed down by the money box, and resignedly followed Xu Yiyi's footsteps.
As soon as Xu Yiyi and Lao Lu stepped into the backyard of the restaurant, Xu Anyang came to greet them.
"Sister Yi, you're finally back."
He said in a somewhat urgent tone, "You two had barely stepped out of the house when Manager Li from the town's brokerage firm came to your door, saying he had something important to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yiyi paused slightly, her face expressionless, and simply replied, "I understand."
Old Lu, on the other hand, suddenly brightened up, like a cat that had smelled fish.
He suddenly leaned closer to Xu Yiyi, lowered his voice, and said with certainty, "It seems that Madam Wen's words have worked! She just said that she wanted her husband to sell the Ruyi Residence building to you, and today someone has come knocking on the door."
Old Lu rubbed his hands together, a knowing look on his face, and looked at Xu Yiyi: "Are you going to wait for him to come again, or go directly to his door?"
Xu Yiyi reached out and took the money box off his shoulder.
As Lao Lu followed Xu Yiyi into the house, he kept nagging, "Let me tell you, that Boss Wen is no ordinary person. He finally agreed, so we have to seize the opportunity. If all else fails... let him make a little more money."
Xu Yiyi carefully arranged the silver ingots in the box, then took the box out.
"Maybe the 'important matter' he wants to discuss with me is something else entirely?" she scoffed.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Steward Li appeared in the backyard, as if by some unfortunate coincidence.
Xu Anyang waved his hand: "Sister Yi, Manager Li is here."
Speak of the devil, and he appears.
"Boss Xu! I am the manager of the brokerage firm,"
Manager Li returned and was now standing in the center of the courtyard, wearing his usual and standard smile that left no room for error. However, his eyes were more eager than usual, and his gaze fell directly on Xu Yiyi.
"You're very well-informed; I just got back and you've already arrived."
Xu Yiyi remained calm, handed the money box to Sihai, gave Xu Anyang a "keep an eye on the shop" look, and then stepped forward.
Manager Li chuckled and gestured for him to enter: "Mr. Xu is too kind. It is indeed a matter of great importance to the Lord that I dare not delay."
Xu Yiyi didn't say anything more, only nodded slightly: "Lead the way."
She followed Manager Li across the street, walking slowly and steadily toward the east end of town's brokerage firm.
Manager Li led Xu Yiyi through the somewhat noisy front hall of the brokerage firm, past a carved screen, to a relatively quiet private room.
The private room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.
Wen Shichen was sitting upright in a rosewood armchair, with an exquisite set of purple clay teaware on a small table beside him, the aroma of tea wafting through the air.
When he saw Xu Yiyi come in, he did not get up, but only slightly raised his eyelids.
Although he was smiling, his eyes were extremely arrogant.
"Mr. Xu is here, please have a seat."
He pointed to the chair next to him, and Xu Yiyi calmly sat down opposite him.
Steward Li quietly retreated to the side and stood at attention with his hands at his sides.
Wen Shichen raised an eyebrow, and Xu Yiyi met his gaze calmly, neither timid nor eager.
He simply nodded slightly: "I wonder what brings Mr. Wen here today?"
She got straight to the point.
Wen Shichen gave him a look, and Steward Li, who was standing to the side, immediately understood and brought over the familiar rough pottery jar, gently placing it on the table in front of Xu Yiyi.
That jar was the chili sauce jar that had been lost from the restaurant.
Xu Yiyi's gaze turned icy the moment it touched the jar, and she looked directly at Wen Shichen.
Wen Shichen was taken aback by her undisguised cold and sharp gaze, and his heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Somewhat surprised that Xu Yiyi's gaze had become so unfriendly.
Wen Shichen's eyes flickered slightly, guessing that Xu Yiyi might be surprised that he had bought her chili sauce.
He instructed Steward Li to open the jar and pushed it towards Xu Yiyi.
It wasn't until that familiar aroma filled her nostrils that Xu Yiyi became even more certain that this was her chili sauce.
"It's quite a coincidence that my men bought this by chance outside. I never expected it to be a secret ingredient from Wufu Restaurant."
As he spoke, a smile crept onto his lips, and his gaze toward her held a hint of calculation: "To be honest, I had the chef try this secret ingredient in a dish, and the taste was indeed quite good. The reason I invited you here today is to ask you if you'd sell the recipe?"
His fingertips tapped rhythmically on the table, his eyes arrogant, his tone condescending: "Name your price as long as you're willing to sell me the formula."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yiyi couldn't help but let out a cold laugh: "A coincidence?"
She repeated it in a low voice, her tone low but unable to conceal the sarcasm in her throat.
Xu Yi looked at Wen Shichen with eyes that seemed to be laced with poison: "Boss Wen! Didn't you specially send someone to steal this jar of chili sauce from my restaurant?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on Wen Shichen's face vanished instantly, replaced by anger.
He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle: "Xu Yiyi, don't you dare make false accusations! You clearly sold it yourself, and my servants bought it back with legitimate money!"
"If you don't want to sell, do you think I'll force you? Do you need to make up such an excuse?" he scolded in a low voice.
He turned to look at Steward Li, who stood to the side like a wooden stake.
"Yes, Mr. Xu, this jar of secret ingredients was bought by a servant from the brokerage firm in the East Market. He paid real money for it, so we cannot accept what you mean by stealing," Manager Li quickly explained.
He then summoned the servant who had bought the jar of secret ingredients.
The next moment, a servant wearing a short jacket, with a somewhat clever yet timid face, walked in quickly with his head down, not daring to look up.
Manager Li said sternly, "Xiao Linzi, explain to Boss Xu exactly how you bought this chili sauce yesterday."
The servant Lin Sui shrank back, stole a glance at Wen Shichen, and only after receiving his tacit approval did he stammer out his words.
"Reporting to...Reporting to Master, reporting to Steward, reporting to Boss Xu..." Lin Sui had barely opened his mouth when he involuntarily reached out to wipe the sweat from his face.
"Have some self-respect, will you? I didn't hit you or scold you," Wen Shichen said impatiently.
Lin Sui cleared his throat and mustered his courage: "It was early yesterday morning, before it was even fully light. As usual, I went to the East Market to buy the ingredients our brokerage firm needs every day. I heard someone shouting at the alley entrance, saying... saying it's a secret recipe from Wufu Restaurant that's not being shared with outsiders."
He swallowed hard and continued, "When I heard that, I took note. Thinking that our lord might be interested, I quickly ran back to inform Steward Li. Steward Li immediately approved it, telling me to take two hundred taels of silver. It was quite a struggle to snatch this half-jar from that man's hands..."
After he finished speaking, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look Xu Yi in the eye.
After hearing this, Wen Shichen snorted coldly and turned to look at Xu Yiyi.
"But did you hear that? I bought this with my own hard-earned money, so stop slandering me."
Xu Yiyi remained silent.
He said impatiently, "Just tell me! Are you going to sell the recipe or not?"
Xu Yiyi suddenly stood up, her movements as fast as the wind. Before Wen Shichen and Manager Li could react, she grabbed the jar and hugged it to her chest.
His gaze swept across the two faces.
"Two hundred taels of silver? And that's all for this half-jar of chili sauce? They're all idiots, getting made fools of like monkeys and still gloating over it!"
Xu Yiyi's voice was laced with sarcasm.
“Let me tell you plainly,” she said, her eyes sharp, emphasizing each word, “this secret ingredient was stolen from my restaurant, and I have never sold it to anyone! As for the recipe…”
She gave a cold laugh and said firmly, "Not for sale!"
After saying that, she turned and left with the jar in her arms without the slightest hesitation.
Wen Shichen was bewildered by her inexplicable scolding.
Just as she was about to walk out the door, he suddenly came to his senses and remembered that he had spent two hundred taels of silver to buy half a jar of chili sauce.
"Hey! You stop right there! Fine, I won't sell the recipe, but you have to keep the chili sauce for me. I paid real money for it..."
"Pah! You sucker!"
Xu Yi didn't even turn her head, only spitting out a sound through gritted teeth as she quickened her pace: "You wish! You think you can keep my things? Keep dreaming."
The person had already walked out of the private room as soon as they finished speaking.
Wen Shichen glared at Manager Li, and then immediately chased after him.
"Mr. Xu, let me explain this to you!" Manager Li, panting, caught up with Xu Yiyi, trying to reason with her while keeping up with her steps.
"This...this..."
Manager Li was choked by the wind and could barely speak.
"If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all," Xu Yiyi said coldly.
"Boss Xu, this jar of chili sauce was bought with our hard-earned money! Two hundred taels of silver! You're just taking it back like this... this is not right!"
Seeing that Xu Yiyi ignored him, he had no choice but to continue nagging, trying to persuade her.
"Even if... even if this secret ingredient is of dubious origin, we still bought it legitimately from the East Market. If you just take it away like this, won't we lose everything?"
Xu Yiyi scoffed, "Is that all you can say? Real money? Then go find the person who sold it to you, why are you coming to me, the victim?"
Manager Li was taken aback by her words, pursed his lips, and continued, "Please have pity on me, I can't explain this to Master Lang! Boss Xu... Boss Xu, how about this? You can take the secret ingredients, and we'll consider the two hundred taels of silver as our advance payment. We can then continue discussing the recipe..."
Xu Yiyi suddenly quickened her pace, making Steward Li sweat profusely.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yiyi suddenly stopped, her cold gaze falling on Steward Li's face, and then she interrupted his incessant chatter.
"Manager Li, do you mean that if I lose something, I not only have to swallow my anger, but I also have to hand over the prescription with both hands?"
She scoffed, her sarcasm like shards of ice: "You were cheated out of your money by someone using my stuff, that's stupid! Now you want to get it back from me? There's no such logic in the world. If you keep following me, I'll go straight to the county government office and bang the drum, accusing your brokerage of forced buying and selling. Let's see if the county magistrate will believe you or me, the aggrieved party?"