Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

"Old woman, I'm doing this for your own good!"

Grandma Liu's hands didn't stop moving, but her mouth couldn't stop either. "Our Shen family isn't what it used to be. Our business has grown so much, and we're even imperial merchants. Although the county hasn't officially registered us yet, everyone in the county already knows. Who in the surrounding area doesn't look up to us?"

"Since Miss doesn't want to go back to that den of wolves and tigers in the Pei family, we can find a son-in-law to live with her."

"I think the youngest son of the Zhao family in the south of the city is quite good. Although he's not very academically gifted, he's honest and kind. If he marries into the family, he'll definitely be very obedient to the young lady..."

Suddenly, Pei Zhihui's fair and frost-like face flashed through Shen Qiongju's mind.

If she finds out that I'm going to take in a son-in-law, I don't know what she'll do.

She shivered; the water seemed to have cooled down a bit.

Pei Zhihui's feelings for her came too suddenly. She couldn't believe it at first, but on the way back from the capital, his meticulous care was like an airtight net, inexplicably wrapping her up tightly.

That was taboo, that was an abyss.

Originally, she was trying to curry favor with the future powerful minister, but now it seems there's something she can't control anymore, and she can't continue like this.

"Mother-in-law," Shen Qiongju opened her eyes, interrupting Grandma Liu's nagging, "I'm not in the mood for that right now."

"Men are all unreliable; wasn't that guy a perfect example? Only the money you hold in your hand is truly secure."

She scooped up a handful of water and watched the droplets slip through her fingers.

"Our business now aims to expand to the capital; we need to have a long-term vision. Wuxian is a good place, but the men here..."

Shen Qiongju shook her head, feigning profundity, "Your vision is too narrow, it's affecting our family business."

Granny Liu paused for a moment, then slapped her thigh: "That makes sense! Miss is a woman of the world now, she's even met the Emperor, how could she possibly look down on these country bumpkins?"

"Yes, yes, no rush. We'll wait until we go to the capital and find a top scholar to marry into our family!"

Shen Qiongju was both amused and exasperated, finally managing to escape this ordeal.

But later, no one expected that Granny Liu's words would actually come true.

After taking a shower and changing into a dry undergarment, Shen Qiongju felt light and airy all over.

She lay on the soft canopy bed, the familiar scent of soapberry filling her nostrils, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

I slept very soundly, without even having a dream.

When I woke up again, dusk had already fallen outside the window.

My stomach rumbled at just the right moment.

Shen Qiongju got up to wash and dress. As soon as she walked into the dining room, she saw a table full of delicious dishes.

Sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass, and her favorite chicken marrow and bamboo shoots are all made by Grandma Liu.

Shen Huaide and Shen Song were already seated at the table.

Shen Huaide looked older than before, with heavy bags under his eyes. He was holding a large bowl and was shoveling rice into his mouth as if he were starving.

"Uncle, eat slowly." Shen Qiongju sat down and placed a piece of fish belly on Shen Huaide's plate. "I heard you were so busy today that you didn't even have time for lunch?"

Shen Huaide swallowed the food in his mouth and waved his hand: "Hey, don't even mention it! There were so many people today, the threshold was almost flattened. I just had two pieces of osmanthus cake for lunch to tide me over."

He took a sip of soup to catch his breath, but his eyes were bright and alert.

"Qiongju, you didn't see it, we collected two hundred taels in deposits today alone, and our wine stash is almost empty!"

Shen Song, standing to the side, was also excited: "Sister Qiongju, shouldn't we hurry up and expand? I've already asked Uncle San about the wasteland behind Shenjia Village Winery. The price is fair, and the land is flat."

Looking at the energetic faces of the old man and the young man, Shen Qiongju felt a surge of excitement in her heart.

"Eat first." She smiled and put a piece of food on Shen Song's plate. "You'll have the energy to work when you're full. After we finish eating, call Manager Cui, Miss Suolan, and Manager Wang to the side hall."

She put down her chopsticks, her gaze sharpening.

"Let's have a meeting and discuss this expansion plan properly."

.

After the meal, the side hall was brightly lit.

Several newly replaced glass lampshades illuminated the room as bright as day, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air, dispelling the chill of the night.

Shen Qiongju sat at the head of the table, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands, her gaze sweeping over the people present.

On the left are Shen Huaide and Shen Song, who are family members and the foundation of the distillery, responsible for brewing and raw material procurement.

Cuiya and Solan were sitting on the right.

Cui Ya changed into a neat blue dress, her hair was combed meticulously, and she held an abacus in her hand. The petty-mindedness she had shown when she was a concubine was long gone from her eyes, replaced by the shrewdness of a shopkeeper.

Solan held a cup of tea in his hands, his exotic eyes sparkling with composure and anticipation.

Add to that Old Wang, the manager in charge of the accounts, and this is the core team of Qionghua Pavilion.

"Everyone." Shen Qiongju put down her teacup, the porcelain bottom tapping on the table with a crisp sound.

The room fell silent instantly, and all eyes were on her.

"Everyone saw the business happening at the front today."

Shen Qiongju got straight to the point, "His Majesty himself praised our Zui Jinghong as a fine wine, and Qionghua Pavilion's reputation has now been thoroughly established. But this is just the beginning."

She pulled a land deed from her sleeve; it belonged to the Pei family's shop in the prefectural city. "I went to see it on my way back. It's even bigger than our shop, but it's only one story. If we want to open a branch, we'll have to renovate and refurbish it properly. I'll leave this matter to Shen Song."

"Shen Song, go find Master Lu tomorrow and see if he can set off for the prefectural city soon."

Shen Song nodded, "Okay, Sister Qiongju, I'll take care of it."

Shen Qiongju added, "The current distillery is too small, and its production capacity simply cannot keep up. If we encounter a situation like today where it's packed to capacity again, we won't even have a place to stay."

"Therefore, I decided to buy the silk shop next door and build a new large wine shop together."

Shen Huaide stared at the land deed and gasped, "Buying the entire building next door, Qiongju, isn't that a bit too extravagant? Our current funds..."

"Money is not a problem," Shen Qiongju interrupted him. "This time when we went to the capital, the young marquis invested five thousand taels of silver. Combined with the previous profits, it's enough to support the initial construction."

The expressions of the people present varied when the young marquis was mentioned.

Cui Ya fiddled with the abacus beads and laughed, "Since the young marquis is backing us up, what are we afraid of? With this land, we can not only build a winery, but also a larger restaurant, and even include accommodation."

"Sister Cui is right," Solan chimed in, her voice brimming with anticipation. "Many of our current guests come from afar, drawn by our reputation. They come but have nowhere to stay, and in the end, the money all goes to the inns in town. Why don't we earn that money ourselves?"

Shen Qiongju nodded approvingly: "Solan hit the nail on the head."

She stood up, walked to the map of Wuxian hanging on the wall, and drew a circle with her finger at the location of the small building next door.