The peasant girl has a private space, and her husband is handsome.

Magistrate Xu had been eagerly anticipating the opening of Gu's branch in Pengcheng, and he was so excited that he didn't sleep for two nights.

They marveled at how capable their daughter was, managing to persuade Mr. Su to open two stores in Pengcheng in one fell swoop.

One is a branch of Gu's Restaurant, and the other is a branch of Jinyumantang Inn.

Pengcheng is definitely going to prosper now.

Early in the morning, with dark circles under his eyes, Prefect Xu arrived at the prefectural office to report for duty. He then carefully instructed Constable Lin, "Gu's branch is now our key protection target. Remember, have the constables patrol the Gu's branch more often. We must ensure the safety of the Gu's branch."

Now, Gu Ji is the god of wealth in Pengcheng, bringing a lot of popularity to the city and helping the people of Pengcheng get rich together.

Once all the people have enough to eat, he, the prefect, will no longer need to shamelessly borrow money to help them.

"Oh, right, Officer Lin, the Jin Yu Man Tang Inn also needs special protection. These two shops are the foundation for Pengcheng's future glory. Officer Lin, how much bonus you get during the New Year depends entirely on Gu Ji and Jin Yu Man Tang."

As the two were talking, a yamen runner suddenly came over and stood at the door to report, "Prefect Xu, Magistrate Guo of Cao County has come to visit."

"Please invite them in."

Prefect Xu was well-known, and everyone knew that he loved to borrow money. Therefore, the county magistrates in the surrounding areas did not like to associate with him, for fear that he would ask them for money.

Therefore, Prefect Xu was very puzzled as to why Magistrate Guo of Cao County had suddenly come over.

After Magistrate Guo entered, he immediately began to do what he was good at—flattery.

"Lord Xu is truly remarkable! You actually managed to persuade such a famous restaurant as Gu's to open a branch in Pengcheng. I'm so envious! Lord Xu, please tell me how you convinced Mr. Su, the owner of Gu's restaurant. I'd like to learn from your experience."

Prefect Xu finally understood: Magistrate Guo's sudden visit to Pengcheng Prefecture was actually for Gu's sake.

The Su family is truly famous now! Even people in Cao County, which is so far away, know about them.

However, opening a branch is not an easy thing. Pengcheng had been waiting for a long time before Gu Ji opened a branch.

"Old Guo, I can only write a letter to ask Su Dongjia for you. Whether he is willing to open a branch in Cao County is not something I, as the prefect, can decide."

"It wouldn't hurt to ask. If Gu's branch could open in Cao County, I would be willing to give Lord Xu my favorite jade paperweight. That jade paperweight is made by a famous craftsman and is extremely rare—"

The surrounding counties all know that Gu Ji has brought prosperity to Qinghe County.

Magistrate Guo also desired that prosperity.

No official doesn't want to be promoted.

The county magistrate is assessed every three years, and the wealth and poverty of the area under his jurisdiction is a very important indicator. Therefore, Magistrate Guo set his sights on Gu's Restaurant.

"Lord Xu, I beg you—"

Before Magistrate Guo could finish speaking, a yamen runner came to report from outside: "Your Excellency, Magistrate Hu of Su County has come to visit."

It was quite unusual for Magistrate Hu to give Lord Xu a gift—a jade ornament.

After presenting his gift, he got straight to the point: "Lord Xu, I am so envious of you. With Gu Ji as your cash cow, Pengcheng will definitely have no worries about its political achievements."

"Lord Xu, you must know Mr. Su, the owner of Gu's restaurant, right? Could you perhaps put in a good word for us in Cao County?"

Magistrate Hu sent his advisor to visit Gu's Restaurant in Qinghe County. It is said that Gu's restaurant has attracted many merchants from the north and south, bringing unprecedented prosperity to the entire Qinghe County. It is truly enviable!

"Please ask Lord Xu to inquire with Master Su of Gu's restaurant if it's possible to open a branch in our Su County. If this is successful, I will reward you handsomely."

When Magistrate Guo realized that the magistrate of Su County was there to steal his business, he immediately felt threatened. "Lord Xu, please ask around for Cao County first. I arrived first, and in all things, it's first come, first served."

At this moment, another soldier ran up to report, "Magistrate Kong of Xiao County has arrived."

Magistrate Kong was surprised to see so many people when he entered: "Lord Xu, Lord Hu, Lord Guo, you're all here?"

Magistrate Guo understood: another person had come to steal his business.

"Lord Kong, you've come for Gu's sake, haven't you?"

"Yes, I once ate at Gu Ji Restaurant when I passed through Qinghe County. The delicious taste is unforgettable. It's a pity that Qinghe County is too far from Su County. It would be great if Gu Ji could open a branch in our Xiao County."

Magistrate Guo: "I arrived first."

The county magistrates quickly started arguing.

Prefect Xu's head was throbbing from the noise. "Don't worry, I'll write letters to ask for you all. Please stop arguing. Now, please come with me to visit Gu's branch."

The county magistrates, who had come to visit Gu's branch, all kept quiet and followed along.

When Prefect Xu and several county magistrates entered Gu's branch, it was not yet lunchtime, but the lobby was already full of people.

Hanging in the center of the lobby is a crystal orchid painting by the Sage of Painting, which Su Qianqian asked Gu Yun to bring. The presence of the Sage of Painting's masterpiece in the lobby attracts many scholars, making the business exceptionally booming.

"My goodness! This must be the legendary orchid painting that the Sage of Painting gave to Master Su! As expected of the Sage of Painting, the orchids in this painting seem to have a soul. If Miss Su uses this painting as part of her dowry when she gets married, it will definitely cause a sensation and make her even more prestigious than the daughters of noble families in the capital."

After finishing his speech, Magistrate Guo squeezed into the crowd to admire his masterpiece.

Magistrate Kong exclaimed, "Although that Miss Su is just the owner of a restaurant, she possesses a masterpiece by a painting master that even the royal families of four kingdoms would find hard to obtain. She is truly remarkable."

The Su family must be extraordinary to have received a painting from the Painting Master! It would be great to befriend one or two of them.

Magistrate Kong's eyes lit up, and he squeezed his way into the crowd with great effort.

This is a masterpiece that even His Majesty the present has not been able to appreciate. Since we have come all the way to Pengcheng, we must see it to our hearts' content.

When I'm drinking with my colleagues in the future, I'll mention that I've seen this crystal orchid painting, how impressive that will be!

Magistrate Hu was glad that he was tall, because although there were many people, no one could block his view.

His eyes were already glued to the painting. He waved to Prefect Xu and said, "Prefect Xu, please go ahead with your work. I want to stay here and appreciate the masterpiece of the painting master. Our Su County is too far from Qinghe County. This is the first time I've ever seen this Crystal Orchid Painting."

The county magistrates were all engrossed in admiring the masterpiece of the painting master, and there was no need for Prefect Xu to accompany them.

As Prefect Xu gazed at the masterpiece by the painting master in the main hall, his legs trembled with fear.

A masterpiece by a master painter is priceless. If something this valuable were stolen, we'd be doomed. How would we compensate Master Su then?

If it were really stolen, and the Su family got angry and closed the restaurant in Pengcheng, then it would truly be a case of losing more than one gains.

After all, the newly opened Gu Ji branch has brought a lot of out-of-town customers to Pengcheng.

Wealthy people from nearby counties and prefectures flocked to Gu's branch to dine.

The aroma of that hot pot could waft across two streets, bringing unprecedented prosperity to Pengcheng.

According to the officers and soldiers at the city gate, the number of people entering Pengcheng today is more than five times that of the previous day, and since it is not yet time to close the city gate, even more people will enter Pengcheng.

People who come to Pengcheng need to eat and stay overnight, and they also buy some small items. All these little things add up to a lot of income for Pengcheng.

Pengcheng's prosperity is just around the corner and its future is promising.

For the future of Pengcheng, and for the people of Pengcheng to live a better life, we must protect the masterpiece of the painting master in the Gu Ji branch.

With a wave of his hand, Prefect Xu dispatched 10 yamen runners to Gu Yun.

"Master Gu, have 10 people work in this newly opened restaurant and keep an eye on the famous paintings on the wall. All you need to do is provide them with food and lodging."

The Gu Ji branch in Pengcheng is larger than the one in Qinghe County, and has many more houses in the backyard, which can easily accommodate so many people.

"Alright, then thank you very much, Prefect Xu." It just so happens that all the manpower that Gu Yun brought was still too much to handle, so having 10 more people would make things a bit easier.

Prefect Xu pointed at Magistrate Kong and the others and whispered to Gu Yun, "They are all magistrates from several nearby counties. They will definitely have lunch here later. They are all wealthy, so there is no need to give them a discount."

"Understood, Your Excellency."

After the lunch rush had passed, the constables ate Gu Ji's staff meal and finally understood why Gu Ji's restaurant was so popular.

The food here is really delicious. No wonder the yamen runners who went to Qinghe County with Miss Ruoxuan didn't want to go back to Pengcheng. They even wrote back saying that they were living like gods in Qinghe County.

After trying Gu Ji's food today, I realized that those people weren't lying; it truly is a life of luxury.

After finishing their meal, the ten yamen runners sent by Prefect Xu were all incredibly energetic, working with great enthusiasm and treating themselves as true employees.

Gu Yun said to them, "Although the prefect said he would only provide you with food and lodging, Master Su said that Gu's will not mistreat any of the employees, so I will pay you the same wages as ordinary employees—"

The constables beamed with joy.

Everyone else thought that working for the government was a prestigious job, but Pengcheng was an exception.

The officials in Pengcheng were in a particularly difficult position. Last year, Prefect Xu did not pay them for eight months. It was only recently, after hearing that Prefect Xu's own daughter had made money doing business with Su Dongjia of Gu's Group, that the money was finally paid back.

Now things are great. The Gu family branch is doing so well. The owner said that wages will be paid on time on the fifth day of each month. Even if the restaurant goes out of business, the employees will never be owed wages.

They're definitely going to get their wages, which is really exciting!