Nishang Embroidery Shop is located in Xieqiao Street, the busiest street in Fucheng.
Getting up early in the morning, Mr. Gu, the owner of Nishang Embroidery Workshop, went to the embroidery workshop.
Shopkeeper Zhang of Nishang Embroidery Shop is Zhang's younger brother, so he is not called boss, but "brother-in-law."
The ancient master first made himself a pot of tea, and then said slowly: "Yesterday, your sister went to the government office."
"What did Mrs. Gu say?"
The ancient master muttered: "I listen to your sister's wishes. My niece doesn't make things difficult for Shen Xiu Niang."
"Brother-in-law, we give her so much money every year just to ask her to do things. Now that something has happened, she has become a good person."
The old man said: "Listen to me first. My niece is not the kind of person who just collects money and does nothing. I thought that Shen Xiu Niang must have some background, otherwise she would not die out. You know, she I had made a good promise, but there is no reason why I suddenly changed my mind."
"Even if your guess is correct, brother-in-law, no matter how well-backed Shen Xiu Niang is, she can't be bigger than the prefect! She has the prefect's backing, so she is still afraid of a mere embroidery girl."
"That's not what you say." The ancient master said: "How did you know that it is not easy to marry someone else? She is not the first wife after all, and she has no children. She only relies on the prefect's favor."
"If she acts carelessly and offends others rashly, and the prefect becomes angry, she will not get anything good to eat. Moreover, her stepson and step-daughter-in-law are not good quarrels, and they hope that she will make some mistakes so that the prefect can be punished. I hate her!"
Master Gu saw Mrs. Gu's situation clearly, and finally sighed: "It's a pity that when she married the magistrate, the magistrate was already over forty. Otherwise, if she could give birth to a boy and a half girl, she would have relied on her at this time. Already."
Shopkeeper Zhang didn't take it seriously. If the prefect wasn't over forty, why would it be Mrs. Gu's turn? Mrs. Gu's natal family was just a well-off family with a small income.
They were still speculating on the reason for Mrs. Gu's retreat when a clerk from the embroidery shop came over and said, "My boss, the shopkeeper, Mrs. Gu is here."
The old man perked up and said hurriedly: "Please come quickly."
In fact, Mrs. Gu rarely goes to the Nishang Embroidery Workshop. Usually when she wants to make some clothes, people from the embroidery workshop will come to measure the size, so there is no need for her to make a special trip.
There was a reason for the incident this time. Mrs. Gu felt that she had to go there no matter what, so that she could be worthy of the money that Nishang Embroidery Shop gave her every year.
"Cousin, I have something to tell you. Can you find a quiet room?" Mrs. Gu would go back later, so she said directly in order not to waste time.
The ancient master immediately said: "You come with me."
There are many rooms in Nishang Embroidery Square for entertaining guests. The old man chose the easternmost one. Not only is it a remote location, but it is also next to the street, so no one can hear their conversation.
Mrs. Gu waved the maid away and waited until she and Grandpa Gu were the only ones in the room before she said carefully: "What happened yesterday was not that I didn't want to help, but that it happened for a reason."
She explained in detail the inscription of Mr. Meng she saw in the embroidery workshop.
"At that time, I was not sure about the relationship between Shen Xiu Niang and Mr. Meng, so I didn't embarrass her. Fortunately, this was the case, otherwise I would have been embarrassed to see our adults."
"What does this mean?" Master Gu asked, "Does Shen Xiu Niang know the prefect?"
Mrs. Gu said: "It doesn't matter whether she knows you or not, the key is that her husband knows you. I just found out yesterday that her husband Wei Yan is not only a close disciple of Mr. Meng, but also our Lord appreciates him very much. Our Lord said , Wei Yan was able to become Mr. Meng’s disciple in the first place, thanks to his help.”
"You said, my lord values Wei Yan so much. If I come forward to embarrass Wei Yan's wife, wouldn't I be going against my lord?"
Only then did Mr. Gu know why Mrs. Gu changed her mind midway.
"And I asked someone to inquire about it yesterday. Wei Yanneng, whom we adults value, is indeed a capable person. He ranked first in the county examination and the government examination. In the college examination, although he did not rank first, he still ranked first in the county examination. He is also ranked second. With his intelligence and talent, he may not be unable to win the imperial examination in the future. It is possible for him to become a Jinshi or become an official in the court."
The more the old master listened, the more solemn his face became, "According to you, this Shen Xiu Niang really can't move?"
Mrs. Gu said: "If my cousin doesn't want to cause trouble, it's best not to touch her. Otherwise, if she has a bad idea, as long as Wei Yan comes to us, everyone will be left in trouble."
"But can we just watch Jinxin Embroidery Shop grow bigger?" Gu Ye said unwillingly: "Manfang Embroidery Shop has already taken away a lot of our business. Now that there are more Jinxin Embroidery Shops, what about our Nishang Embroidery Shop? Do you still want to do business? If this business really can’t continue, then I will simply close the shop and go back to the countryside to be a farmer."
The hint from Mr. Gu is very obvious. If the business of Nishang Embroidery Shop is not good, then Mrs. Gu's share of dividends will naturally not be guaranteed.
Mrs. Gu heard the words, but felt like a threat.
But she also knows that only if the embroidery shop is good enough, she can get more money from it.
"Shen Xiu Niang cannot be moved because her husband is Wei Yan. But at Jinxin Xiu Fang, she doesn't have so many scruples."
Mrs. Gu gave the old master some advice and said: "From the storekeeper to the embroiderer, there are many places where you can do anything in Jinxin Embroidery Workshop."
"As long as you don't provoke Shen Xiu Niang, cousin, and everything will be done according to the merchant's methods, I think that even if you respect Wei Yan, you won't interfere in the disputes between the shops."
Mr. Gu thought for a while and felt that it made sense, "You are right, we can't cause trouble for Shen Xiu Niang, but we can cause trouble for other people. Let me think about it, Shopkeeper Fan of Jinxin Embroidery Square is famous His wife is very strict with her husband. I heard that he is nearly forty years old and is still tightly controlled by his wife. He can’t even take concubines.”
"Someday I can give him a beautiful concubine to stir up a relationship between him and Shen Xiu Niang."
Mrs. Gu didn't want to get involved in these business matters and just listened but said nothing.
However, Mr. Gu himself felt that this idea was a good one. After sending Mrs. Gu away, he asked shopkeeper Zhang to be found and whispered a few words to him.
Shopkeeper Zhang said: "I also know a little about Fan Guangzu's character. But he is so afraid of the tigress at home, does he dare to accept the concubine we sent?"
"Don't worry about this. First, help me find a candidate. He must be young, beautiful, and well-spoken."
Shopkeeper Zhang had no choice but to obey the order and soon began to recruit candidates.