GTB Chapter 9
by VolareAfter watching the entire auction, Jiang Jiuchu and Ji Shutíng left Mo Feng Pavilion empty-handed.
Walking on the Magpie Bridge, Ji Shutíng couldn’t help but sigh, “We really are sisters, even our poverty is exactly the same.”
Jiang Jiuchu disagreed, taking out the purse from her waist and pointing to the prosperous street opposite, “Tell me, besides Mo Feng Pavilion behind us, where else can’t we go to shop till we drop?”
She didn’t think she was poor! Her one thousand taels were enough to support an ordinary family for twenty years.
Ji Shutíng pouted and helplessly pulled her forward, “Hey, here, just one bolt of cloth from this Yu Jin Pavilion is worth a hundred taels. If you get a custom order from the Golden Maid inside, that’ll be a thousand taels.”
“And over there, the jewelry in that Yu Bao Pavilion, everything on the first floor is under ten thousand taels, and everything on the second floor is over ten thousand taels. I just haven’t taken you inside to browse yet.”
Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu raised her hand and looked at the beaded bracelet on her wrist. It was bought for her by her sister-in-law from the second floor of Yu Bao Pavilion. Was it really that expensive?
Ignoring Jiang Jiuchu’s surprise, Ji Shutíng turned her around and pointed behind them.
“Look at the building next to Mo Feng Pavilion, see it? That’s the most expensive brothel in Kyoto. Which man goes in there and doesn’t spend a thousand gold? Of course, that has nothing to do with us. I just want to tell you that compared to these rich people, we are very poor.”
After being told this, Jiang Jiuchu was speechless for a moment. She suddenly remembered that her brother and father seemed to be pondering the matter of opening a shop recently. It seemed that the salaries of her father and brother were not enough to support the expenses of their entire Jiang household.
Times were different now. Being in this Kyoto, everything was different. Even the clothes her mother had made for her were much more gorgeous than those in An Yang County.
Thinking of this, she suddenly had an idea and turned to Ji Shutíng, saying, “In that case, why don’t we think of a way to earn silver?”
Ji Shutíng was stunned, as if she hadn’t expected Jiang Jiuchu to say this suddenly, and opened her eyes in surprise, “We?”
Jiang Jiuchu nodded and replied, “That’s right. Didn’t you just say we’re poor? Then let’s earn it!”
“But, it’s not very good for us to show our faces in public!” Ji Shutíng couldn’t react for a moment. She had never thought about running a business herself. She hadn’t done it before, and she didn’t know how.
“Opening a shop doesn’t necessarily mean showing your face in public. Take my sister-in-law, for example, she has a lot of properties under her name, but my sister-in-law doesn’t show her face in public either! And the mistresses of other mansions, who doesn’t have properties and shops under their name?”
“The difference is that we are actively acquiring properties ourselves. As long as we agree on everything in the early stages and find a reliable shopkeeper to manage it, we don’t need to show our faces in public.”
Jiang Jiuchu became more and more excited, feeling like she had found a meaningful and fresh thing to do.
“What do you think? If you don’t want to, I’ll do it myself.”
Hearing this, Ji Shutíng’s eyes slowly lit up. If she could earn money herself, it would be considered a useful place for her. At least she wouldn’t have to ask her brother for pocket money.
Over the years, she and her mother had been supported by her brother’s salary. Although the Emperor would occasionally reward her brother, the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards was not so easy to hold.
Every reward was earned by her brother risking his life. She would rather not have such rewards.
“Okay, I’ll do it. Let’s do it together. When we earn money, I’ll spend a thousand gold too.”
Seeing her say this, Jiang Jiuchu couldn’t help but remind her, “Shutíng, don’t forget that doing business has risks, and it’s also possible to lose money. Of course, since we’re doing it, we will definitely think carefully and strive for stability.”
“I know, don’t worry! I just have a feeling that we will definitely earn money.” Ji Shutíng hooked Jiang Jiuchu’s arm and walked forward.
“Let’s go see if there are any vacant shops and ask how much the rent is.”
Jiang Jiuchu smiled. She liked Ji Shutíng’s lively and outgoing personality.
“Okay, we also have to pay attention to the shops with good business and see how they operate, and what the differences are between them and the shops with poor business.”
“Yes, you’re right. You look here, I’ll look here.”
As the sun set, the two had finished visitthe most prosperous central street and had come to some of their own conclusions.
After returning to the mansion, Jiang Jiuchu took out her little treasury that she had accumulated over the years and counted it. The scattered amounts added up to about one thousand six hundred taels. If she wanted to rent a good location, it would be just enough for her half of the rent.
She sat by the window, one hand propping up her cheek and the other resting on the wooden box filled with all her belongings.
What kind of business is suitable? What has little capital but high returns? What can make the rich spend money?
That’s right, she wanted to earn the money of those wealthy children in Kyoto, after all, they would spend a thousand gold! It would be a pity not to earn their money!
But as she thought about it, her thoughts went astray.
That’s right, she was going to tell her father about Brother Fu.
She immediately got up and instructed the maid at the door: “Don’t bring dinner here, I’m going to the front yard to eat with my parents.”
The Jiang Mansion, which was rewarded by the Emperor, was not small. Jiang Jiuchu left her small courtyard, passed through the connected corridors, rockeries, and lotus pond, and when she arrived at the front hall, Jiang Yuan and his wife were just about to sit down for dinner.
“Father, Mother, Chu’er is here to have dinner with you.” Jiang Jiuchu stepped over the threshold and walked to Madam Ye with a happy face and sat down beside her.
“What’s wrong? Are you in such a good mood? Is there anything happy?”
Madam Ye looked at her daughter’s beautiful smiling face and suddenly felt that time passed so quickly. The appearance of her childhood seemed to be still yesterday, and in the blink of an eye, it was time to talk about marriage.
“Well, guess who I met today?”
Her daughter’s surprised look made the couple puzzled, not understanding who their daughter met that could make her so happy? Could it be that she met a playmate from An Yang County?
Jiang Jiuchu didn’t keep them in suspense and told them about meeting Song Fuge in Mo Feng Pavilion today.
Hearing this, the couple was surprised. They didn’t expect that after nine years, the boy who couldn’t be found that year was actually met by their Chu’er and had become the owner of Mo Feng Pavilion.
Jiang Yuan thought for a while and said, “I will write a letter of invitation tomorrow and send someone to deliver it. Since we have met, we still have to invite him to the mansion as a guest to thank him.”
“After all, he not only saved you back then, but also gave us the trap route map, allowing me to successfully take down that group of bandits.”
Jiang Jiuchu nodded, “Then I’ll personally deliver the invitation tomorrow! That would be more sincere.”
Hearing this, Madam Ye immediately said, “It’s the same for your brother to send it tomorrow, so don’t go.”
“Oh!” Jiang Jiuchu responded obediently, thinking, if her brother sends it, then her brother sends it! Then she would discuss with Shutíng how to earn money.