Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Today she wore a light purple long dress with a moon-white vest over it, and her hair was adorned with only a simple jade hairpin. She looked elegant and refined, yet exuded the competence of a shopkeeper.

Gao Hong was stunned for a moment.

He originally thought that someone who could run such a shop must be a shrewd and sophisticated proprietress, or a shrewd and calculating middle-aged woman.

Unexpectedly, she was such a beautiful young woman.

"Master Shen! You've finally arrived!"

Gao Yisheng stood up and introduced him warmly, "This is my younger brother, Gao Hong. He just came back from Jiangnan with me."

Shen Qiongju nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over Gao Hong.

The young man had a hint of arrogance in his eyes and sat casually, but he subconsciously restrained himself when he saw her.

"Has Mr. Gao's frostbite on his feet healed?"

Shen Qiongju exchanged pleasantries with a smile, but in her heart she was calculating the goods that Gao Yisheng had brought this time.

Halfway through the banquet, Gao Yisheng suddenly sighed.

"Mr. Shen, I have something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Shen Qiongju put down her wine glass, remaining calm: "Boss Gao, you're too kind. I will do whatever it takes to help you."

Gao Yisheng pointed to Gao Hong, who was idly swirling his wine glass next to him.

"I want to keep this kid in your Qionghua Pavilion."

"Let him be your assistant."

There was a moment of silence in the private room after these words were spoken.

"What?!"

Gao Hong nearly dropped his wine glass. "Brother, are you crazy? You want me to serve dishes here?"

Shen Qiongju was also taken aback, then politely declined, saying, "Boss Gao is too kind. Your brother is a man of great wealth and status, someone who has traveled far and wide and seen the world. How could my small restaurant possibly accommodate such a distinguished guest?"

She is not stupid.

Gao Hong looks like a troublemaker; if he stays in the shop, he might cause some trouble.

Moreover, the Gao family is also in business. If they were to learn Qionghua Pavilion's management model and then open a rival business, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

"Hey, Mr. Shen, don't be so quick to refuse."

Gao Yisheng waved his hand, his face full of disappointment.

"This kid's frostbite on his legs from last year hasn't fully healed yet, and he finds trading boring, so he's always causing trouble by picking fights with cats and dogs. If I hadn't dragged him here, he wouldn't have even wanted to come to the North."

"I think your Qionghua Pavilion has established good rules, and the staff are all like a regular army. I just want him to temper his temper here, learn how to be a person, and how to manage things."

Shen Qiongju maintained her polite smile: "Boss Gao, everyone has their own expertise. I don't know your brother well, and besides, the work in my shop is rough and heavy, I'm afraid it would be unfair to Young Master Gao."

"Furthermore..." she paused, her tone becoming slightly more serious, "the rules in my shop are probably unacceptable to outsiders."

This is a blatant rejection.

Everyone understands the principle that teaching a disciple can lead to the master's starvation.

Gao Yisheng was clearly prepared. He took out a gift list from his pocket and gently pushed it in front of Shen Qiongju.

"I know that Mr. Shen is currently preparing to open a branch in the prefectural city, and I heard that they urgently need a batch of high-quality glass lamps for the renovations?"

Shen Qiongju's eyelids twitched.

The interior design of the city is luxurious, and without the glass lamps, the effect would be greatly diminished.

However, this stuff is extremely difficult to buy in the North. If it were transported from elsewhere, the losses along the way would be too great, and the cost would be frighteningly high.

"I brought back two cartloads of glass lamps from Jiangnan this time."

Gao Yisheng held up two fingers. "The quality is absolutely top-notch. As long as Boss Shen nods, I'll give you these two truckloads of goods at half price."

Shen Qiongju tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

The temptation is indeed great.

But that wasn't enough to make her agree to take on such a hot potato.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Gao Yisheng gritted his teeth and took out a brocade box from his sleeve.

Upon opening it, I found an old ginseng root with its roots and stem intact.

That rhizome, those patterns, it must be at least a hundred years old.

Shen Qiongju remembered this thing.

Last December, when the old man was on the verge of death, it was Boss Gao who brought him half a ginseng root, which saved his life. For her, who was being ostracized by the Pei family at the time, this was truly a timely help.

If it were Pei Shoulian who had died, she dared not think about how she would face Pei Zhihui in the future, and she might really have to go to the Western Regions.

Moreover, this thing can save lives in critical moments, and its value cannot be measured by price; it's something you can keep in hand to save your life.

"This ginseng is my gift to Master Shen as a formal apprenticeship present."

Gao Yisheng spoke sincerely, "I know what Mr. Shen is worried about. Don't worry, I won't let him learn how to brew wine, or even go into the backyard. I'll just let him learn how to greet guests in the lobby and how to manage the staff."

"If he dares to steal the brewing recipe, you don't need to lift a finger, I'll break his legs myself!"

Now that things have been said this far, refusing would be ungrateful.

Merchants value profit, but they also value relationships.

Both of these things hit Shen Qiongju right where it hurts.

"Mr. Gao, you flatter me."

Shen Qiongju closed the brocade box, her smile becoming more genuine. "Since Boss Gao trusts me so much, then I'll take the liberty of accepting this 'disciple'."

Gao Hong listened in stunned silence.

"No...you're just going to sell me out like this?"

He was about to slam his fist on the table in protest when Gao Yisheng glared at him and stopped him.

"Shut up! If you don't want your dad to break your legs when you get home, you'd better stay here quietly!"

Shen Qiongju turned her head and looked at Gao Hong with a half-smile.

"Young Master Gao, now that you've entered Qionghua Pavilion, you must abide by its rules."

Gao Hong snorted coldly and turned his head to the side: "What haven't I seen? It's just serving tea and water, right? Anyone can do that."

"That's good."

Shen Qiongju stood up and straightened her sleeves.

"Since you're here for training, we can't make exceptions for you. Starting tomorrow, Young Master Gao, you'll begin as a servant in the main hall."

"A menial job?" Gao Hong jumped up. "You want me to sweep the floor?"

"It's not just about sweeping."

Shen Qiongju held up one finger, "You also have to wipe tables, wash dishes, and serve tea and water to guests. Only by mastering the most basic tasks can you learn how to manage people."

"If Young Master Gao feels wronged, the main gate is right over there; you can leave at any time. However..."

She glanced at the list of glass cups on the table. "If we leave, Boss Gao will have wasted such a large apprenticeship gift."

Gao Hong was so angry that his face turned red.

He looked at his own brother's expression that said, "If you dare to leave, we'll cut ties," and then at Shen Qiongju's face, which, though smiling, revealed a cunning, fox-like quality.

Finally, he plopped back down in his chair and forced out a few words through gritted teeth.

"Fine! You win!"

"I'll show you what it means to be flexible and adaptable!"

Shen Qiongju nodded in satisfaction.

These unruly wild horses are the ones that bring the most sense of accomplishment when tamed.

As long as he doesn't touch the core secrets of brewing, training him to be a top-notch lobby manager would be a good choice.

After all, he wasn't just free labor; the Gao family and the caravan behind him were future partners.

If he wants a piece of the pie in the restaurant business, then she can learn something from doing business.

She'd heard that the Western Regions were rich in gems and beautiful women, but she'd never been there.

"Manager Cui!" Shen Qiongju called out.