Chapter 47: 開店
[Opening a Shop]
Sitting there thinking for a while, slowly burning the letter in his hand, watching the tongue of the fire gradually engulfing the paper, Ji Ling’s eyes flickered and did not know what to think. Then he looked at Feng Ling, who had been standing by the side, and faintly said, “Go and find a clean shop, it doesn’t need to be big, clean and safe around it.”
Hearing Ji Ling’s command, Feng Ling nodded his head, indicating that he understood.
Gently sweeping the ashes away from his table, as if he thought of something, he looked at Feng Ling who was standing in front of him, and after thinking for a while, he continued, “If Mr Li wants to take care of that Tang Shiman, let him take care of it, and you guys don’t have to intervene.”
Feng Ling glanced at Ji Ling, who couldn’t see any emotion, lowered his head and answered, then led the order to go out.
After Feng Ling went out, Ji Ling looked at the simple decoration in front of him and stayed for a while. Soon after, he laughed coldly, and then lifted the pen in his hand to handle matters.
Since the incident at the Tang Mansion, Tang Xiaobao had not paid much attention to Tang Shiman’s whereabouts. He thinks that from being a young lady of a great family to now not knowing where she had gone, it was the toughest thing for that woman in fine clothes and jade food. Apart from the fact that he felt a little incongruous in bed, Tang Xiaobao was still very satisfied with his life, especially when Green Lotus came to tell him that Ji Ling had made a shop for him, which surprised and frightened him.
Staring at the land deed in Green Lotus’s hand, Tang Xiaobao looked at her with a bit of a lack of confidence and asked, “Ji Ling already knows about it?”
Seeing that his young mistress looked like a child who had done something wrong and was afraid of being punished by an adult, Green Lotus gently covered the smile at the corner of her mouth and then looked at him and said softly, “Young madam, there is nothing that the young master doesn’t know? Since the Young Master gave this to you, it proves that he approves of you selling things outside.”
Although the tension in his heart was slightly eased by hearing Green Lotus say this, he still felt that such a passive discovery was more panic-inducing than his own active honesty. Moreover, this matter is originally his fault, selling something secretly, did not tell Ji Ling a word. So, looking at a tangled green lotus expression, also with a little apprehension, “after Ji Ling gave you something, did he not say anything?”
Green Lotus looked at the very nervous Tang Xiaobao. His heart understood his apprehension, so the tone of voice became more and more soft, for fear of scaring him like, “Young master only said, although the shop to you, just doing things according to the original time of the stall is also fine. Now the weather is cold, you make a small stall outside, not blocking the wind. As for what is missing, the young lady still needs to communicate with the housekeeper of the mansion, and someone will match it and pull it over at that time.”
Hearing Green Lotus’s words, Tang Xiaobao’s heart is a little sweet, but still feel that he himself is too stupid. He thought he was being secretive and had hidden it from Ji Ling, but he didn’t realise that Ji Ling had known about it for a long time. But since it is Ji Ling who prepares his things, Tang Xiaobao will not refuse. After all, every day staying at home is really boring. So he asked where the house was, only joyfully put away, thought for a moment or decided to cook a meal today for Ji Ling, casually admitting his own mistakes.
Thinking this way, the energetic Tang Xiaobao will take Green Lotus to the kitchen to prepare. The food was ready to be prepared,
Looking at the energetic Tang Xiaobao, Green Lotus who was following behind, showed a different kind of tenderness in her eyes. She liked this kind of young madam very much.
When Ji Ling came back at noon and accompanied Tang Xiaobao to eat with him, he saw a table full of food, compared to the usual three dishes and one soup for two people, these obviously exceeded the portion. So he did not say anything, just a big stare at Tang Xiaobao, wanting to know the answer from him.
Contacted Ji Ling some puzzled eyes, and then look at the table than usual a lot more portions, Tang Xiaobao sardonically smiled a little, and then very doggedly help Ji Ling multiplied a bowl of soup, placed in front of him, while getting a side still do not forget to say: “Come to try, the taste of this soup can be very good, I stewed all day today.”
Looking at Tang Xiao Bao’s attentive little face, the aroma of the soup kept swirling around his nose. Ji Ling decided to drink the soup first, and then see what was wrong with Tang Xiaobao. After taking a sip of the soup, his mouth was filled with the aroma of the meat flavour that had been blended into the soup, with a hint of lotus root. Noticing that Tang Xiaobao was staring at himself, Ji Ling finished the soup in two or three mouthfuls, then lifted his eyes to look at Tang Xiaobao and commented, “The flavour is very good.”
Hearing Ji Ling’s praise, Tang Xiaobao immediately revealed a big smile, looking very happy.
Seeing Tang Xiaobao’s bright smile, Ji Ling hasn’t forgotten why Tang Xiaobao was so abnormal today, so when Tang Xiaobao was attentive to his own food, he asked slowly, “Why did you make so much food today, usually don’t you make three dishes and one soup?”
Seeing Ji Ling finally mentioning this matter, Tang Xiaobao took a careful look at him and asked cautiously, “Did you already know that Green Lotus and I are selling things outside?”
Hearing Tang Xiaobao’s question, Ji Ling squinted at him, neither admitting nor denying it. But Tang Xiaobao, who was familiar with Ji Ling, knew that this was Ji Ling’s tacit admission, that he should have known what he had done long ago, but had never exposed it.
Ji Ling has not said anything, just slowly and methodically ate the meal, so Tang Xiaobao is a little uneasy, eyes carefully looking at him, and can not see his happiness and sadness. In the end, he decided to come clean and defend himself, “Actually, I didn’t mean to not tell you, I was just afraid that you wouldn’t be happy if you knew.” After all, he himself felt that, at home with food and drink, and then going to sell things is not a little inappropriate.
Although he hadn’t been looking at Tang Xiaobao, Ji Ling had been observing his reaction, and when he saw that he seemed a little frustrated, he put down the chopsticks in his hands and looked at him seriously, “Your fault is not that you went out to sell things, but that you didn’t tell me. If you want to sell, I will designate a place for you, but if you go out by yourself, do you know how many gangsters there are out there, specialising in bullying hawkers who don’t seem to have any backing?” And also incidentally surveyed Tang Xiaobao at a glance, looking at his raw, very cute little face, heart silently sighed. Those people he had sent out would all send news every now and then that there were hooligans trying to molest Tang Xiaobao again.
Hearing Ji Ling’s explanation, Tang Xiaobao’s face reddened, but also a little embarrassed, he originally thought that Ji Ling will be angry because of his own private matter that he went out to sell things, who thought that actually did not react at all, and also looked very generous look, now his appearance looks like all for the sake of him. So looking at Ji Ling’s attentive look, he did not want to stay at home. Ji Ling is willing to respect him, he was very happy.
Seeing Tang Xiaobao’s actions, Ji Ling understood what he was thinking, just thought of something, still said, “You like it, then treat it as your hobby, if you are tired, it would be better to rest at home.”
Tang Xiaobao heard Ji Ling’s command, nodded again and again, he would not forget that his job is to cook for Ji Ling, although now Ji Ling’s health is better, he does not need to take supplements for every meal, but he still needs to pay attention a little bit. Since this is the case, he will not spend too much time outside.
Seeing Tang Xiaobao nodding in agreement, Ji Ling did not say anything more. For Tang Xiaobao, he found a very small shop, just the environment around is still good. Originally, it needed to be redecorated. Ji Ling was prepared to personally go to see it, but recently, thinking of his own matter needing to attend, there are a bunch of things that happened recently, but also did not open his mouth. Just look at Tang Xiaobao, said: “There is still a need to decorate, I will call a subordinate to follow you, if you need to change something, you tell that person.”
Seeing Ji Ling help himself so thoughtfully, Tang Xiaobao nodded, looked very happy.
Looking at Tang Xiaobao’s appearance, Ji Ling’s mouth also revealed a smile, looking in a very happy mood.
The next day, Tang Xiaobao brought Green Lotus and the boy that Ji Ling had equipped him with again to the shop entrance. That is a street front, although small, but the surrounding environment is very good, the left side is a tea house, the right side is a bookstore, not far away there is also a school, for the whole day, the street looks full of ink flavour.
Seeing this shop around, the layout, Tang Xiaobao thought, still decided not to cook, but still continued to sell cakes. The oil smoke is not so big, and easy to do much. The important thing is resistance. Since he went back to cook for Ji Ling, Tang Xiaobao can open the shop, time is very limited, and he avoided the time of the meal, so it appears to be something of dubious worth that one is reluctant to give up. Just don’t know how the business will be, just because he opened the shop is not for the purpose of making money, so in addition to feeling guilty for a while, he did not think about it.
Waiting to walk in after, looking at the inside of the decoration, thought it was originally used for jewellery and other things, but do not know why not open it. Looking, Tang Xiaobao decided to transform this place into a modern style that can be placed on both sides of the cabinet-like exhibition stand; the counter is placed in the back.
The waiter boy is very clever, perhaps also knows a bit of this stuff, so after Tang Xiaobao said his ideas, he will record all these, and even remodeling a lot of places is more reasonable. When it was finally finalized, Tang Xiaobao was very satisfied.
Perhaps it was because Ji Ling had specially ordered, the decoration of the place was very fast, but in a few days, the decoration as well as the things Tang Xiaobao needed were all ready. Looking at his own shop, Tang Xiaobao was very happy, and took Green Lotus to try out the business at Ji Ling’s command. Even worrying that those who used to eat his cakes could not find him, he even wrote a sign in the place where the cakes were sold, explaining where they had moved to.
Originally thought that according to their situation, just opened the business will not be a lot of people, that thought is only the first day will come a lot of people, look at the sample or those who have eaten before. Even in the crowd he saw Li Gongzi, just look a lot thinner, look even thinner.
