frightfiction Chapter 111 Where did the shopkeeper come from?
Chapter 111 Where did the shopkeeper come from?
The next day, before Chang'an Fang opened, the entrance was already crowded with people.
Jiang Lige had anticipated all this, and as soon as daybreak came, he sent people to set up a stall in front of the shop to offer free tea to the people.
Until the hour of Si, the melodious sound of stringed instruments could be heard from inside the tightly closed door, which combined with the lively sound of gongs and drums outside formed a harmonious and long movement.
At this time, the gate of Chang'anfang slowly opened. With the creaking sound of the wooden axis turning, sunlight poured in first, illuminating the scene inside the square.
Chang'anfang, which has been controversial in recent times, has been exposed to the public.
The decoration inside Chang'an Fang is very exquisite. The floor is paved with blue bricks, the vermilion wooden pillars are all decorated with exquisite carvings, the dome is painted with various colorful paintings, and the shining night pearl in the middle of the main hall is even more eye-catching. The whole building is simple and elegant, yet graceful and spiritual, which is breathtaking.
There are four stages in the main hall, and several women in gorgeous costumes are dancing on the stage, with drums and music playing and loud singing, bringing a feast for the eyes and ears.
Just as everyone was marveling at this, an object shaped like a hydrangea was thrown down from the third floor of Chang'an Square. It exploded in the air and turned into light-colored petals that scattered and fell.
The sound of stringed instruments suddenly stopped, and two rows of maids came out one after another holding trays filled with fine wine. Jiang Lige also slowly appeared in everyone's sight.
She was surrounded by people, standing on the shiny steps in a pink dress, wearing a red and green hairpin on her head and a clear jade pendant around her waist. She moved with lotus steps, looking graceful and charming.
Jiang Lige had a decent smile on his face and bowed slightly.
"Welcome everyone to Chang'an Square and celebrate the grand opening of Chang'an Square with us. To express our gratitude for your kindness, we have specially prepared imperial wine today. We hope you enjoy it."
Upon hearing that it was the imperial wine, the people rushed forward to taste it.
Of course, there were also some dissatisfied gamblers who made noises.
"Princess Zhaohua, we're not here to drink for free today. Yesterday, the princess boasted that she would introduce the new owner to everyone as soon as the store opened today!"
"The foundation of Chang'anfang is integrity. I will naturally fulfill what I promised you yesterday."
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped and their eyes fell on Jiang Lige.
Jiang Lige smiled slightly, looked at the woman standing beside him, and introduced her, "This is Yu Linglong, the shopkeeper of Chang'an Fang. Linglong, everything from now on will be in your hands."
"Yes, boss."
The girl called Yu Linglong took a step forward and was completely exposed to everyone's sight.
Yu Linglong was probably over thirty years old, but her face did not show any signs of old age. She looked elegant and refined in a white gauze smock. She smiled gently, but her words revealed confidence and decisiveness.
"Everyone, my name is Yu Linglong, and I'm the shopkeeper at Chang'an Fang. I'm new here, and I'll need your guidance. To celebrate our grand opening today, Chang'an Fang is offering a 10% discount. Anyone who purchases from us in the past three days will receive a discount."
As soon as Yu Linglong finished speaking, some gamblers started to make a noise, "I don't know where this little girl came from. How can she compare to our Shopkeeper Lang?"
Yu Linglong remained calm and composed, a proper smile on her lips. "I am a humble person. I learned from Madam Jiangnan Kui and once served as the shopkeeper of Yangzhou's top restaurant. I wonder if I can compare with Shopkeeper Lang?"
After he finished speaking, the crowd sighed for a while.
Yangzhou’s No. 1 restaurant is famous all over the world, who doesn’t know it?
This is more than just being on par with him, he's even better than Shopkeeper Lang, okay?
Even so, some people still tried to defend themselves: "You said you were the owner of Yangzhou No. 1 Restaurant? We're so far apart, you might be lying."
"If you have any questions, you can go to the Ministry of Revenue to check Manager Yu's professional documents. I'm here today, and if you find any forgeries, I'll arrest you on the spot, okay?"
After a burst of hearty laughter, a man in official uniform strode in.
Seeing this, Jiang Lige took the lead to greet him, bowed and said with a smile.
"Lord Wen's visit has brought glory to our humble shop."
"Congratulations, Princess Zhaohua, on your grand opening." Wen Ziang returned the greeting with a bow, clapped his hands, and an attendant presented a gift box. "I have to go to the government office and cannot stay any longer. This small gift is just a token of my appreciation."
Jiang Lige accepted the gift box personally and said with a smile, "Thank you, Master Wen."
Wen Ziang presented the gift as if he was on duty, then left in a hurry.
Wen Ziang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was a well-known honest official among the people, and many people knew him. With him as a guarantor, Yu Linglong's identity was naturally not a problem.
Several gamblers also realized it belatedly. Not to mention that there was no problem with Yu Linglong's identity, even if there was a problem with her identity, what would it matter?
Since ancient times, the people have not fought against the officials. Jiang Lige is a princess no matter what. Can they really fight with Jiang Lige to a decisive victory?
The outcome of the bet has been decided, and Jiang Lige has obviously won this three-day appointment.
Yu Linglong pretended that nothing unpleasant had happened and did not mention it a word. She lifted her skirt slightly and led everyone into Chang'an Square. The layout of the square was centered on the main hall, surrounded by corridors, and each area was distributed in an orderly manner.
Yu Linglong familiarly introduced the situation of Chang'an Fang to everyone. Chang'an Fang is divided into three floors, each with its own characteristics.
The first floor is a reception hall with several private rooms. All guests entering are required to wait here and small delicacies are served.
The second floor is for purchasing jewelry and seasonal ready-made clothes. Twenty customers are allowed in every hour. There are makeup ladies who can do makeup and try on clothes for each customer to ensure that every customer is properly taken care of.
The third floor is where the treasures are kept. It opens once every three months. On weekdays, you must purchase items at Chang'an Pavilion and spend a cumulative total of 10,000 taels of silver to enter."
The business model of Chang'anfang is very unique compared to ordinary shops, so it also aroused a lot of doubts from everyone, and they asked questions one after another. Yu Linglong did not show any impatience throughout the whole process and handled it with ease.
At this time, the main entrance of Chang'anfang was also bustling with people coming to congratulate them one after another. As the host, Jiang Lige had to stay at the door to welcome them.
"Princess Ronghui congratulates you on your grand opening and presents you with a jasper luminous cup."
"Marquis Wenchang's Mansion, the Marquis's wife congratulates you on your opening and gives you a jade ruyi."
"Zheng Mansion, Miss Zheng congratulates you on your opening and gives you a pair of pearl and white jade earrings."
"The Prime Minister's Mansion, Lady Fu congratulates the opening of the business and presents a painting of 'Ten Thousand Guests Drinking Together'."
"Grand Tutor's Mansion, Miss Gu San congratulates you on your opening and presents you with a white jade crane incense burner."
"Mr. Xiao's Mansion, congratulations on the opening, and a bottle of Jade Qilin."
Jiang Lige smiled as he returned the greetings to the distinguished guests who came to congratulate him one by one, then led them into the inner room and carefully settled them in, being very busy.
After finally dealing with Gu Wangxian, he was about to leave when he heard the eunuch sing again: "Eight... The prince congratulates the opening, follow..."