The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Because Qin Qingyou always took the easy path.

The carriage sped along, and Tong Huaqiong and the others felt almost no bumps inside.

After finishing lunch, Tong Huaqiong took a nap in the carriage.

In the hazy state, a burst of noise entered my ears.

"Mother, wake up, we've arrived at the prefectural city."

Gu Taohua nudged Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong opened her eyes and saw Liu Yue'e, Chen Sufen, Man'er, and Yaozu all lifting the curtains to look outside.

"We've arrived." Tong Huaqiong stretched and drank a cup of strong tea.

Just like in her previous life, Tong Huaqiong gets sleepy as soon as she gets into a car.

This was her first time visiting the prefectural city, a legendary metropolis. Tong Huaqiong became excited after finishing her strong tea, moved to the window, and lifted the curtain to look outside.

What comes into view is a majestic blue city wall.

People could be seen coming and going at the entrance of the city wall.

"We'll be entering the city soon," Gu Taohua said.

In this era, city management was very strict, and people could not enter or leave at will, especially those who came to the prefectural city from other places and needed a travel permit.

Qin Qingyou drove his carriage to the city wall, handed over the travel permit, and the other party glanced at it and waved it over.

"It's pretty simple. I thought they were going to search us all," Liu Yue'e said, patting her chest.

Gu Taohua continued, "I heard that it used to be like this. Outsiders who wanted to enter not only needed a travel permit but also had to bribe the gatekeepers with silver. Otherwise, they would be arrested as spies from Beiliang and forced to pay even more money. It's said that when Lord Yao came, they wouldn't let him through without paying silver and almost arrested him as a Beiliang spy. Lord Yao was furious and later beheaded the guard. Now, no one dares to ask passersby for silver when entering the city."

Tong Huaqiong clicked her tongue in admiration, thinking that Lord Yao seemed to be a man of action.

If she has the chance to meet him again, she must latch onto Lord Yao's coattails. At the very least, when Gu Jingzhe embarks on his official career, following him will ensure he stays on the right path.

The carriage entered the city.

Tong Huaqiong looked out through the curtain. The city walls of the prefecture were so magnificent, and the interior was equally impressive.

The road was wide and broad, wide enough for three or four carriages to travel side by side, and it was paved with bluestone bricks.

Even as dusk approached, various vendors still lined the roadside, creating a bustling and crowded scene.

At dusk in Yanguan Town, half of the town is deserted.

The prefectural city, also known as Ningcheng, had a thriving commodity economy and a lax curfew; it was said that some restaurants could stay open all night.

The carriage continued forward, passing one restaurant or teahouse after another along the roadside, with waiters draped in white towels and warmly greeting guests.

Every teahouse was filled with people, and storytellers were passionately recounting their tales.

"Look, that dancer is so beautiful!" Man'er pointed to the opposite side and excitedly leaned out.

Tong Huaqiong looked in the direction Man'er was pointing.

It was a tavern run by people from Central Asia. At the entrance, a Central Asian woman was twirling and dancing, her blue dress fluttering in the air as she spun around. She was incredibly beautiful.

There were two Hu people playing drums and erhu nearby.

"Oh my, the orchid is so beautiful, and her eyes are even blue!" Chen Sufen exclaimed in surprise.

"Won't you get dizzy spinning like this?" Liu Yue'e asked curiously.

“Let’s visit the Hu people’s tavern sometime and try their food,” Tong Huaqiong said.

"Look! That person is amazing! He can swallow and breathe fire!" Yaozu exclaimed in surprise.

A high platform was set up in front of us, where a troupe of acrobats were performing.

A man was performing fire-eating, which drew continuous cheers from the crowd below.

Yaozu, unable to contain his excitement, pleaded, "Grandma, I want to go see it."

Tong Huaqiong said, "Let's go to the shop first, and then your father will bring you and Man'er to see it later." Yaozu pouted.

Liu Yue'e had been itching to get off the carriage and explore the city ever since she entered, but she was even more eager to see Gu Dashu. So she said to her son, "Listen to your grandma. It's not like I'm stopping you from seeing him. But now that no one's taking you, what if some flower seller kidnaps you?"

Upon hearing that someone was joking about beggars, Yaozu obediently shut his mouth.

“Boss, we’ll be there after you turn the corner,” Qin Qingyou said, turning to Tong Huaqiong.

The shops in the city are located in Pearl Lane.

Legend has it that a princess from a previous dynasty went to marry a prince from the Northern Liang Kingdom. When she passed through Ningcheng, she dropped a pearl hairpin. The place where she dropped the hairpin was later named Pearl Lane.

Soon, a bustling street appeared before Tong Huaqiong's eyes.

It was more bustling than any street she had just seen, with more people and more densely packed shops.

This isn't an alley; it's more appropriate to call it a neighborhood or a street.

It was Tong Huaqiong's idea to open the shop in Pearl Lane. She said that since the shop was to be opened in the prefectural city, it should naturally be in the most prosperous part of the city.

Competition in Fucheng is even fiercer than in Yanguan Town and Pingchuan County. As the saying goes, even the best wine needs a good location. Peach Blossom Dessert is a newcomer, so it can't hide in a secluded place; otherwise, how can it make a name for itself?

Of course, the rent for opening a shop in the most prosperous area is not low, and the cost of hiring people in the prefectural city is also high.

Tong Huaqiong really went all out.

Tong Huaqiong takes this in stride.

Doing business always requires investment.

"Mother, we've arrived," Gu Taohua said.

Qin Qingyou tightened the reins, and the carriage stopped in front of a shop.

The curtain was lifted, and Gu Dashu, He Chao, and Hong Xiaoxi came to greet them.

"mother."

"My boss."

Gu Dashu and the others spoke up one after another, their faces beaming with undisguised joy.

Tong Huaqiong got off the carriage and was greeted by a grand and bright shop with the sign for Peach Blossom Desserts already hanging up.

Tong Huaqiong expressed her satisfaction with this.

He Chao and Gu Dashu welcomed Tong Huaqiong and others into the shop, served them tea, and reported on their work.

Tong Huaqiong took a sip of tea and said, "You've all worked hard. There will be rewards after the shop opens."

Hong Xiaoxi said with a smile, "It's not hard work at all. I'm only able to come to the prefectural city to broaden my horizons thanks to my employer."

Almost all the new shops in the prefectural city hire their employees here.

Since no one is familiar with these new guys, it's necessary to arrange for someone who knows them to stay here and oversee things.

When He Chao was discussing with Tong Huaqiong who to place in Fucheng, Tong Huaqiong suggested transferring Hong Xiaoxi over.

Through Tong Huaqiong's observation over the past few months, she has found that Hong Xiaoxi is clever and thoughtful in everything he does. After giving him some experience, she has the idea of ​​promoting him to be the manager of the shop in the prefectural city.

The clever Hong Xiaoxi understood Tong Huaqiong's intentions and was filled with gratitude towards her. She vowed not to let Tong Huaqiong down and to strive to become the manager as soon as possible.

"Boss, these are all our shop assistants."

He Chao summoned all his employees to meet Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong was quite confident in He Chao's abilities; these people seemed both clever and honest.

However, we'll only know how well it's done when the shop officially opens for business.

"Since you are employees of Peach Blossom Dessert, I don't expect you to work there for life. You are free to come and go, and it's up to you to choose. Peach Blossom Dessert will not treat you unfairly. I only have one request: if you don't want to work at Peach Blossom Dessert in the future, you must let me know in advance. You absolutely must not do anything to betray Peach Blossom Dessert," Tong Huaqiong said.

The staff all expressed their determination to serve Peach Blossom Desserts and vowed never to betray them. (End of Chapter)