rcely. He quickly shrank his neck and retreated.A middle-aged woman in a lotus-green dress was standing with a girl of twelve or thirteen on the stone steps outside the main hall.Though she wasn't str...There were some shelves around the wall, only two levels high, just the right height for easy access.

The middle of the house was made into a display stand-like wooden lattice. Inside the lattice were wicker baskets, clean and breathable.

A variety of rattan baskets of different sizes and colors were placed beneath the exhibition booth, very delicate. They were prepared for guests to choose fruits and vegetables.

Upon selection, the guest can proceed to the counter on the right to settle their bill, have their items repacked, and then exit through the new door on the right.

The entire shop was clean, warm, and bright. Customers came and went in an orderly fashion.

This kind of design was common practice even in past lives, ordinary to the point of being unremarkable.

But in Tianwu, it is absolutely the best.

In my impression, places selling vegetables and fruits are always bustling markets, with filth everywhere and shouts all around.

In winter, it's nearly frozen to death; in summer, the heat makes you dizzy.

Not even the maidservants with a modicum of social standing would be willing to go grocery shopping.

But this new fruit and vegetable shop, Dan Yin, was completely different; it was cleaner than the jewelry stores and fabric shops.

It's certain that business will be booming after we open!

After taking a look around, Jia Yin was very satisfied. She took the hot tea offered by Shui Ling and instructed Gu Li, "Burn the ground dragon this afternoon and see if there are any smoking places."

"Choose a careful person to tend the fire, as it's hard to gauge the temperature inside."

"If it's cold, the vegetables and fruits are easy to freeze. If it's hot, the vegetables and fruits will wilt and look wilted."

Gully smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, my lady. All the hands are our own from Suijintang. They’re hardworking and obedient, so it’s easy to find a reliable one.”

Jia Yin nodded.

Since the very beginning of planning these two stores, she told the village chief.

In Xincun Ercun and Da Huai Shu Cun and other places, they found forty boys and girls, all around eleven or twelve years old.

I visited ten fruit and vegetable stores.

Those with sweet tongues and quick wits stayed in the front hall to entertain guests, while the honest but unassuming ones kept watch over the storeroom at the back and did odd jobs.

The remaining thirty people each had to leave a hand at the nearby restaurant.

Because there are many boxes on two levels, if the staff is insufficient, it is easy to cause confusion and neglect guests.

As for the managers of the fruit and vegetable shop and the restaurant, Jiayin sought help from her uncle and found two reliable stewards.

Actually, if not for some questions about Gully's background, he would definitely be the top choice.

But, now I can only give up...

Gul didn't know he had missed the chance to become the big shopkeeper. He turned his head, put down the drawings in his hand, and went to find the accounts book again to give a brief report on recent expenses.

Seeing that Jiayin had many belongings but no servants to attend to him, Jia said, "Tomorrow, I will have someone bring you a crossbody bag. That way, it will be more convenient for you to carry your things."

Guli was a little surprised, smiling as she bowed and thanked him.

"When the little one saw that the young master and his party were carrying such a package, he had recently wanted to find someone to sew one for himself. He didn't expect to receive it as a gift from the county princess. Thank you so much, County Princess!"

Jiayin didn't take it to heart, and went to the next-door restaurant for a look. After instructing Guli a few words, she got on the car and returned to Suijin Tan.

The village head, holding a pipe in his hand, was strolling at the village entrance. He had been eagerly awaiting good news and immediately stepped forward to speak when it finally arrived.

Jia Yin got out of the car and comforted the old man kindly for a while. Then she accompanied him to visit the warm shed and chicken coop pigsty.

Because the warmhouse doesn't have glass, the lighting isn't good. It can't grow cucumbers, eggplants, and green beans, but bok choy, spinach, chives, garlic sprouts, and sprouted onions all grow pretty well.

Moreover, the greenhouse area is large and yields are abundant.

The roosters over there have grown to about five or six pounds.

Before the northern expedition army returned, they killed over a hundred. Now there are more than two hundred left. They are kept to be used as gifts during the New Year and also to distribute to each household.

The hens are very diligent. After adapting for most of the month, they have started laying eggs seriously, collecting a thousand each day.

This number sounds like a lot, but in the vast new city during the winter when eggs were scarce, it wasn't nearly enough to sell.

Fortunately, both the Great and Small Wang Estates, as well as the Dahua Tree, had chicken coops. Besides supplying the fairies, setting aside a thousand eggs for the fruit and vegetable shop wouldn't be difficult.

The biggest surprise for Jiayin was the mushroom cellar. It was dug very large originally to store fruit and preserved vegetables.

She was just talking idly. She took some soil from where mushrooms grew in the mountains and watered it to see what would happen.

Unexpectedly, mushrooms have actually sprouted now, and they are growing in clusters, looking fresh and delightful!

If it were summer, this thing would be common and not uncommon.

But now it is a snowy winter day!

Pick a handful, stir-fry some slices of meat or boil it in soup, the taste is amazingly fresh…

With a plan in mind, Jia Yin started to prepare for opening her own business.

Just happened to be a good day for an opening, she waved her hand and sent word throughout the city. It was decided so happily.

When it came time for dinner, the villagers only then learned that Old Li and others had sailed south.

Although it came as a sudden surprise, everyone had heard that Liu's sister-in-law was going south to arrange Liu Yang's marriage.

Jiayì and Liu Yang were about the same age. Perhaps it was because Li's family was eager to find a wife for him, they sent him south to travel, ostensibly to "keep an eye on" Jiayì as well. This explanation seemed plausible enough.

So, the villagers discussed it for a few moments and then stopped paying attention.

After all, there's still the county princess in the village, and the marquis has also returned.

Mr. Li, Lao Si, Mr. Wen and even the Jiaren couple are here too.

Don't even talk about how prosperous and peaceful life is in the village, even if the sky falls, we don't have to worry because we have so many tall people to protect us...

At this time, many people in Xindu also knew about the news that the elderly, women and children of the Li family had collectively moved south.

With the previous rumors that Jia Yi was going to marry an orphan, everyone followed this lead and speculated.

"Oh dear, it must be the Li family who disagrees with such a daughter-in-law and went to break up their love!"

"I guess so, but it doesn't seem necessary to have so many people go there together. Could Little General Li have caused trouble"

"Making trouble, you mean… letting a young lady catch you doing something improper, forcing you to marry her"

"Well, well, you can't say for sure. Young people are so impulsive, especially Li Jia, that young general. He even kicked the Imperial Uncle to death before!"

“Having many children is a burden! Before, people said that the Li family was blessed with many grandchildren, what good fortune... Now it seems, having many children means much more worry!”

"Isn't that right!"

People were abuzz with chatter, gleefully watching the spectacle of Li's family misfortune.

But there are also smart people who thought completely differently.

In a certain hall deep within the palace, blue smoke curled gently, and candlelight flickered dimly.

A eunuch whispered, "Master, the Li family, young and old, suddenly disappeared. There wasn't a single sign beforehand."

That place at Suijin Beach was heavily guarded…The slave was guilty, failing their master's entrustment.

After a long pause, the old woman’s voice replied: “Forget it, it’s better they left quickly. They are all useless people. Their noses are sharp though, they smelled something was wrong and ran away before even moving.”

"Fortunately, that little girl is still alive, so it's not a major issue."

The old eunuch, perhaps unwilling to accept this, asked, “Master, should we find an excuse to bring the Li family back” aside his filial feelings and restore order to the court!These are all smart people, or those who think the current situation is profitable.The Empress Dowager could have retaliated since the grand a...