Becoming wealthy by raising furry animals

Chapter 102 Pet Paradise
After all, things are different here than in modern times. Most families who can afford pets have a garden where cats and dogs can run around and play.

Banyou felt she should find a pain point to start with, but she didn't have any good ideas in mind right now.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Banyou sat in the empty courtyard, head tilted back, eyes closed in deep thought. A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, the leaves making a drowsy, noisy sound.

The afternoon sun dappled the light and shadow on her face through the leaves. A book was placed on her face, with four words written on the cover: "The Secret to Making Money".

"Master? Master?" Li Lian, the new servant at the estate, patted Ban You's arm and called her softly.

"Huh?" Ban You snapped out of her daze, took the book off her face, and looked at Li Lian with a somewhat stunned expression. "What's wrong?"

"Someone looking for you."

Ban You rubbed her face to wake herself up, then stood up and stretched: "Who is it?"

As she finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of two people standing at the doorway; they were none other than Li Lanxin and Zheng Wenran.

"Why are you here?" Ban You greeted them with a smile.

Zheng Wenran and Li Lanxin exchanged a knowing smile. Then, Zheng Wenran took Ban You's hand, her tone tinged with annoyance.

“We went to the shop to look for you, but the shop assistant said you’ve been busy at the estate these past few days. We asked around and found out that business at the estate isn’t good and there aren’t many customers.”

“That’s right, you didn’t tell us when you encountered problems so we could help you figure out a solution,” Li Lanxin chimed in, her brow furrowing slightly.

Ban You smiled sheepishly: "Well, I haven't reached the point of having no other choice yet. If I need anything from you, I'll definitely ask you."

The three of them walked in as they talked, and sat down in the council hall.

"I'm just starting out, so it's normal for some customers not to come right away. I'm thinking about whether I should hold some events or something to encourage customers to come," Ban You shared her thoughts after taking a sip of tea.

Zheng Wenran's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Sure, I can bring Liubai over. Although the Minister's mansion is large, it doesn't have such a spacious lawn as yours. Liubai can run around freely here. Moreover, I can also have those young ladies with pets bring their pets along to add some liveliness to your estate."

"And me too, I just got a puppy a few days ago, its snow-white fur is so cute. I can bring it over so everyone can play with it," Li Lanxin added.

Ban You felt a warmth in her heart as she read their words of unwavering support. She grasped their hands and sincerely said, "Thank you."

As the saying goes, "Three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang."

Zheng Wenran and Li Lanxin started contacting their best friends, while Banyou also began planning a new event in full swing.

Inside the palace, Zhou Heng was playing chess with Emperor Zhou Jingshan. They had only played halfway through when they heard Zhao Shu arrive for an audience. Zhou Jingshan put down his chess pieces and looked at his personal eunuch, Liu Zhao.

"Let him in," he said, putting the chess pieces back in the box. "Let's stop here for today."

"Then I shall take my leave," Zhou Heng said, rising to bow and prepare to depart.

"Don't go yet, I have something to say to you and Weizhi, please wait a moment." Zhou Jingshan said, waving his hand to let Zhou Heng sit down.

"Yes." As soon as he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of Zhao Shu walking in.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Zhao Shu bowed in greeting. "Since you have arrived, please sit."

Liu Zhao, with his keen eye, moved a small stool and placed it behind Zhao Shu.

"I have summoned you here today because I have a task for you to handle," Zhou Jingshan said, glancing at the two of them. "The chieftain of the Mincang tribe, Cang Zhuo, will be coming to pay homage soon, and I would like you to work with the Ministry of Rites to organize this matter."

Zhou Jingshan's words stirred up different thoughts in both of their minds.

"I remember that the Mincang tribe has never had any dealings with my Great Zhou. Why do they suddenly want to come and pay homage?" Zhao Shu said, frowning.

"They did not obtain the treasure on Peach Blossom Mountain. Although they came here on the surface with the intention of making peace, they are actually mostly here for the treasure. That is why I hope you will work together to handle this matter and make sure to dispel the Mincang tribe's idea."

"Your subject/son obeys the decree."

After they finished speaking, the three chatted for a while longer before Zhao Shu and Zhou Heng bowed and took their leave.

Outside the hall, Zhao Shu and Zhou Heng walked side by side.

"I heard that you had Zhou Ziyu's bodyguard thrown off the third floor of Jinyutang a few days ago?" Zhou Heng said, raising an eyebrow with a look of amusement.

"I was waiting for him to complain to the Emperor, but I haven't heard a single memorial to the throne after all this time." Zhao Shu said, his eyes full of disdain, but this disdain was naturally directed at Zhou Qi.

Zhou Heng chuckled and patted Zhao Shu on the shoulder: "Prince Ning has followed His Majesty in battle and is sworn brothers with him. Even if Zhou Ziyu complains about you, His Majesty will not really say anything to you."

"But I'm a little curious about that chair you bought for 60,000 taels. What kind of chair is so valuable that you would spend 60,000 taels to buy it?"

Zhao Shu smiled mysteriously upon hearing this: "The chairs aren't important; what's important is the person who sells them."

Zhou Heng lowered his eyelashes, his eyes dark, and looked at the other person with a playful smile: "What? The Prince Ning's heir, who has never indulged in matters of love, now has someone he likes?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu inexplicably recalled the image of You being drunk that night.

The man's eyelids trembled slightly, his face flushed with the effects of alcohol, and he mumbled some toasting words. Despite his thin and frail appearance, he possessed incredible strength, and his antics when drunk were utterly...adorable.

He smiled slightly, his eyes brimming with tenderness.

Seeing his expression, Zhou Heng couldn't help but show a hint of disgust: "Alright, tame that look on your face. If Prince Ning and his wife see this, who knows what they'll say about it."

Prince Ning, Zhao Qing, and his wife had been married for nearly twenty years and had only one child, Zhao Shu. Unfortunately, Zhao Shu was indifferent to matters of love and affection, and had no one to serve him. The couple often lamented about this, but eventually, they gave up and simply stopped caring and went off to travel and enjoy the scenery.

Zhou Heng had just parted ways with Zhao Shu when he realized he hadn't seen Ban You in a long time. He changed course and headed towards Qing Su Hall instead of returning to his residence.

Right now, Banyou is looking at her plan with great satisfaction. Although the handwriting is a bit astonishing, at least the diagram is still legible.

When Zhou Heng arrived at the courtyard, he found the gate open. Curious, he went inside.

Then he saw Ban You admiring a piece of paper with scribbles on it. He found it interesting but didn't say anything to disturb him, just quietly watching it.

New chapter is here.

I might be taking a day off tomorrow, so I'd like to ask for leave in advance.