The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 257 The Beginning of a Chamber of Commerce
"Sister, I've made up my mind. I'll go with you." Xiao Huan carefully placed the stewed bird's nest on the table and sat down on the stool. "We're family. I'll go wherever you are."

Shang Wan stirred the bird's nest in the bowl with a thin spoon, without saying whether it was good or bad, but only asked, "What are your plans, Baoyuezhai?"

“I want to sell it.” Xiao Huan had thought about it seriously. “After we go to the capital, it’s a long way away, and I won’t be able to control it even if I wanted to.”

If I hire someone to manage it, it will be difficult to find someone quickly, and since I won't be back for a long time, the person managing it might outwardly comply but inwardly defy me.

Besides, most of the customers come for Baoyuezhai's signature dishes, and those recipes are the culmination of my hard work; I don't want to easily teach them to others.

If I leave, without those signature dishes, Baoyuezhai's business will definitely suffer. It's better to sell it now while business is good and negotiate a better price.

After explaining her idea, Xiao Huan stared at Shang Wan: "Sister, do you think this is feasible?"

Shang Wan: "Baoyuezhai is yours. You can decide for yourself. Do you need me to help you find a buyer?"

"I want to try it myself first." Xiao Huan smiled and glanced at Shang Wan's belly. "Sister, you're carrying twins now, you can't overwork yourself."

"It's just a matter of talking, how could it be tiring?" Shang Wan couldn't eat anymore after eating half a bowl of bird's nest.

These days, Xiao Huan has been making her all sorts of different foods, and she eats seven or eight meals a day. Shang Wan feels like even pigs don't eat as much as she does.

"It's all about talking, but you also have to use your brain to think." Xiao Huan wanted to persuade her sister to have a couple more drinks, but judging from Shang Wan's expression, she figured her sister wouldn't listen even if she tried.

Just then, Lu Chengjing walked in carrying Yuanyuan.

Since Lu Chengjing became the top scholar in the imperial examination, the number of invitations sent to the Shang family's residence has suddenly increased.

Lu Chengjing wanted to stay home to keep Shang Wan company, so he turned down many invitations, but he still had to attend some banquets, making him much busier than usual.

Having just returned from the county magistrate's banquet, and worried that the smell of alcohol on him might bother Shang Wan, Lu Chengjing went back to his room to change his clothes before coming over.

Lu Chengjing ran into Yuanyuan, who was looking at turtles in the garden, and brought her over.

"Mother." Yuanyuan climbed onto Shang Wan's lap and sat down, reaching out her little hand to touch Shang Wan's belly, her eyes crinkling as she greeted her, "Hello, little sister."

Ever since Yuanyuan learned that Shang Wan was pregnant, she has been convinced that this is her little sister, and she greets her twice a day, morning and evening, without missing a single day.

Shang Wan hugged her beloved son and kissed him, while pushing the soup bowl containing bird's nest towards Lu Chengjing.

These days, Lu Chengjing has been able to share meals with his wife.

As long as he was there, all the tonics that Shang Wan couldn't finish ended up in his stomach. With daily nourishment, Lu Chengjing's complexion became incredibly rosy.

After finishing half a bowl of bird's nest soup, Lu Chengjing couldn't help but look down at his stomach.

If he keeps eating like this, it won't just be a matter of gaining weight; he'll have to lose weight.

"Did you see Lu Chengyuan?" Shang Wan asked after he finished eating.

Lu Chengyuan returned from the capital to participate in the provincial examination. Perhaps due to the proper guidance of the great Confucian scholars, he also passed the examination this time.

Although he ranked low, Lu Chengyuan was reportedly quite happy and gave out a lot of reward money that day.

Lu Chengyuan was also among those invited to today's banquet.

“We weren’t at the same table.” Lu Chengjing’s smile faded as he wiped his lips with a handkerchief. “We didn’t get to talk.”

Shang Wan raised an eyebrow. Lu Chengjing had forced the Lu family to flee to another place, yet Lu Chengyuan did nothing when he saw Lu Chengjing. Was his forbearance really that good?

“My brother-in-law is a top scholar in the imperial examinations,” Xiao Huan pouted. “How dare someone ranked outside the top ten have the audacity to even get involved?”

That makes sense.

There would always be a time for reckoning, so Shang Wan stopped mentioning the spoilsport and instead talked about the affairs of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion. Lu Chengjing had passed the provincial examination with top honors, and naturally, he would now go to the capital to participate in the spring imperial examination.

Regardless of the reasons, I will accompany Shang Wan.

If given the opportunity, she could also expand her business empire and establish a medica pavilion in the capital.

In this way, a whole host of things in Dongning County need to be arranged.

If Lu Chengjing performs well in the imperial examinations, whether he stays in the capital as an official or is transferred to another prefecture or county, they will not be able to return to Dongning County in the short term, and their return date is uncertain.

By the time everything was arranged, it was already completely dark.

"Let's have hot pot tonight." Shang Wan looked out the window at the night view and suddenly had a craving for hot pot. "There are still a lot of wild mushrooms left in the space, let's cook them together."

She suddenly missed that fresh taste.

"Okay, I'll go make a soup base." Xiao Huan agreed and stood up. "When Shi Tou comes back, we can eat together."

"Auntie, it's me!" Yuanyuan hugged Xiaohuan's leg. "Dried fish."

Aunt Xiaohuan's dried fish is super delicious.

"Sweetie, you've finished your dried fish." Xiao Huan picked up the baby. "We don't have any dried fish at home. Auntie will go to the market to buy some tomorrow, and we'll cook it as soon as we get back, okay?"

Yuan Yuan blinked her eyes, her little mouth pouting slightly, looking a little unhappy.

Xiao Huan reached out and gently pinched her little nose. "There are still river shrimp in the kitchen. How about we make some fried shrimp balls?"

I also love eating shrimp balls.

Her little mouth stopped pouting immediately, and she nodded her little head, "I want shrimp balls."

Xiao Huan carried the person towards the kitchen, while Shang Wan continued to discuss business matters with Lu Chengjing.

"Sister Shu mentioned the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce to me." Shang Wan leaned on Lu Chengjing's shoulder, her tone somewhat lazy. "The sisters in the company are also interested in making it happen."

Lu Chengjing turned his head to look at the person leaning on his shoulder: "Boss Shu wants you to take the lead?"

"Hmm." Shang Wan pinched a strand of his black hair between her fingers and played with it.

"The members of Lancang Society come from all walks of life, and it has the beginnings of a chamber of commerce. When Sister Shu established Lancang Society, she must have had the idea of ​​developing the society into a chamber of commerce."

Madam Shu is an ambitious and thoughtful person; otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to develop and expand the company over the years.

Lu Chengjing: "Lancang Chamber of Commerce?"

"Doesn't it sound good?" Shang Wan looked up at him.

Lu Chengjing shook his head and reached out to tuck a loose strand of Shang Wan's hair behind her ear. "If my wife likes it, then it sounds good. Have you decided?"

“Yes, I want to give it a try.” Shang Wan felt she had to seize the opportunity. “Sister Shu and I are of the same mind. We want to establish a chamber of commerce that only women can join.”

In this world, it is not easy for women to do business. If they have the protection of a chamber of commerce and receive some support, it is better than going it alone.

Shang Wan has always felt that the world's rules for women are a mess, but she can't shake this big tree by herself, so forming a women's chamber of commerce is a way to save the country indirectly.

“If the Chamber of Commerce is full of women, I’m afraid the government won’t approve.” Lu Chengjing didn’t want to discourage Shang Wan, but he still had to offer the necessary reminders.

Chambers of commerce are different from associations. The latter can be established as many as they want, and they are not related to people's livelihood or taxation. As long as they do not cause trouble, the government will not interfere.

However, the establishment of a chamber of commerce requires registration with the government. For example, the president, members, and the location of the guild hall must all be clearly registered before the government can issue a document.