The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Chapter 101

The shopkeeper's face became ugly.

It was a bad time for someone to come, and he didn't want to disturb the VIP. He just wanted to send the person away as soon as possible.

He said coldly, "I've already told you, it's impossible!"

"You see, you don't have anyone backing you up, so why not merge with my shop? You won't have to worry about anyone causing you trouble in the future, right?" The speaker's tone was casual as if teasing a mouse.

"It's none of your business, and we don't welcome you here. Please leave!" The boss's attitude was firm.

In just a few words, the man had already walked up to them. Shen Yu also got a good look at the person who had come to cause trouble.

He was around twenty years old, dressed in a golden robe, and wore a gold crown studded with various gemstones. The overall impression he gave was just two words: rich and wealthy.

He was good-looking, and shook his golden fan, radiating the aura of a wastrel.

Behind the man were several servants who walked in swaggeringly.

The old regulars in the shop were used to scenes like this, but the new customers were causing a bit of commotion, which was quickly settled down.

"Who is this person?" Shen Yu asked.

He had no memory of anyone related to this person, so he figured he wasn't someone in the official circle.

"He's the young master of the Jin family. Since this shop opened, he has been coming every few days to browse. At first, he only bought some ink and paper, but later he started to say that he wanted me to merge my shop with his family's shop." The boss sighed helplessly.

This shop is newly opened, and the previous owner used to own another shop. However, due to some unfortunate circumstances, he had to sell the shop and coincidentally became a subordinate of Shen Yu.

After the change of ownership, the shop's management mode was altered under Shen Yu's instructions. The shop, which was originally empty, suddenly became popular, and even though it was located in a remote area, there were endless streams of customers every day.

Later, patterned Xuan paper<sup data-mfn="1">Rice paper was introduced, and the shop's reputation spread even further, making business even better. At this time, the young master of the Jin family insisted on buying the shop.

In a blink of an eye, the young master Jin was already in front of the four people. He closed his fan and held it against his chin, "So, what do you need to agree to my request? I will let you manage my shop as well?"

"Your shop has always been losing money. What use is it to us?" said the young man in the green shirt, angrily.

"Isn't your boss a master of medical skills? If I remember correctly, this shop used to lose money all the time too, right?" Young Master Jin wasn't angry even though he was being criticized, and his expression remained the same.

Shen Yu observed him for a while and found that he really wasn't angry.

Originally, he thought that this person had come to cause trouble, but now it seemed that he wasn't. What exactly did this young master Jin want to do?

"Don't come looking for me again. I won't agree," said the shopkeeper, sensing that Young Master Jin had no ill intentions.

"Why not?"

The surrounding customers occasionally glanced over here. Seeing that Young Master Jin was persistent, Shen Yu spoke up, "Let's talk somewhere else."

Young Master Jin was reluctant and wanted to ask, "Who are you to make the decision?" But seeing that the owner had no objections, he silently swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

The four of them went to the inner room.

The owner looked at Shen Yu and Shen Yu nodded slightly to him.

"I can't agree to your request, no matter how generous the conditions you offer, because this shop doesn't belong to me," the owner explained.

"What?" Young Master Jin was dumbfounded. "Weren't you always the owner of this shop before?"

"Do you know about my past?" He didn't know anyone with the status of the Jin family before.

"You haven't moved your shop, so of course I know you were the owner of this shop before. I also know that people used to give you trouble all the time. Did you sell the shop to them? It's better to sell it to me," Young Master Jin said.

The owner was getting a headache from his illogical thinking. "What are you thinking? This shop now belongs to Yu Gongzi."

Young Master Jin followed the owner's gaze and looked at Shen Yu.

Shen Yu nodded slightly.

"No wonder you're so respectful to them. It turns out there's a new owner," Young Master Jin murmured.

"Can you finally tell us what's going on?" Shen Yu spoke calmly.

The owner also wanted to know why Young Master Jin was so persistent.

Young Master Jin was stared at by several people and finally said, "It's Zhou Dingsheng. I have a feud with him. When I heard that he instructed his men to make you unable to stay in this place, I wouldn't let him succeed. Since you have a new owner now, I believe you won't be bullied by him anymore."

"Did you stop the Zhou family from causing trouble these days?" No one knew who the real owner of this shop was besides him. At first, he was curious about why the Zhou family had been quiet, but he didn't expect someone to help him secretly.

The young master of the Jin family came to the shop every day with his entourage, and when the Zhou family saw them, they dared not do anything. Although the Zhou family had some money, they were no match for the Jin family.

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the young master of the Jin family left with his people.

The matter of buying the shop did not go through Shen Yu's hands, so he was not aware of the details. Now that he knew, he couldn't completely ignore it.

"What's going on?" Shen Yu tapped his fingers on the wooden table.

"Before the young master's people found me, I was actually at a loss. The Zhou family wanted to seize this place. At that time, the shop's business was already bad, and someone was maliciously causing trouble. The old customers also left."

After the shop underwent a period of renovation and closed for a while, the Zhou family never came to the door again. He thought it was because someone warned them behind the scenes on Shen Yu's behalf.

As a small business owner, he had no way to deal with the Zhou family, but the Zhou family was not even considered anything to any noble family in the capital.

"Since you're working for me, there's nothing you can't solve, just tell me directly." Shen Yu naturally provided shelter for those who worked diligently for him.

Shen Yu looked at the account book of the store, and asked about the situation of the store during this period of time and its future plans. The bookstore owner had a good understanding of the situation and gave answers that satisfied Shen Yu.

There were other stores to visit, so Shen Yu didn't stay long.

"How much does Ah Yu know about the owner of this store?" On the carriage, Shang Junlin fed Shen Yu some pine nut candy that they bought from a nearby stall because Shen Yu was craving it. Shang Junlin always fulfilled Shen Yu's small requests, so he bought two packs.

The pine nut candy was very sweet, and Shen Yu closed his eyes in satisfaction. "At that time, I was in the palace and couldn't do many things personally, so I handed them over to my subordinates. They sent me a message saying that there was a store that urgently needed to be sold, and all the requirements met what I had proposed. So I had someone buy the store, and later found out that the original owner's family had been in this business for generations, so I let him continue to manage it."

"The owner's surname is Ye, and his family has lived in the capital for generations. He is kind and almost has no enemies. As for his relationship with the Zhou family, I'm not sure." Shen Yu couldn't possibly know every detail about what happened with his subordinates.

"This person always gives me a familiar feeling," Shang Junlin frowned. "Or it could just be my imagination."

"If His Majesty is not at ease, he can have the Hidden Dragon Guards investigate him and also look into the Zhou family."

"Hmm."

The two then went to a jewelry store located in the busiest area of the capital, where pedestrians came and went endlessly. They didn't go into the store but went directly to the backyard.

Out of all the stores, this store had the most beautiful account book and even opened a branch not long ago. Shen Yu did not expect the purchasing power of women to be so amazing.

Upon receiving the news, the shopkeeper put down what he was doing and hurriedly welcomed the two of them in. "Young master, please have some tea."

This shop was left behind by Shen Yu's mother, and the shopkeeper has been an old man who followed Shen Yu's side. A few years ago, the shop was not doing well, and the shopkeeper felt guilty. Later, he developed a new product based on a recipe given by Shen Yu. In no time, the shop became one of the most profitable shops, and the shopkeeper's guilt dissipated.

He worked harder and harder, and Shen Yu only gave him a few new products. The shopkeeper developed different methods and sales strategies based on these products, some of which were specifically designed for noble women, while others were for ordinary women. The former were exquisite and expensive, while the latter were of good quality and low price, both of which were very popular.

Shen Yu took a sip of tea and listened to the shopkeeper talk about the results of this period of time, with a hint of a smile in his eyes: "You did well."

The shopkeeper was flattered: "I dare not take credit. Without the recipe given by the young master, I would not have been able to revive the store."

Not only did the business thrive, but they also opened branch stores and had collaborators who actively approached them.

"Master, there is one more thing. A gentleman named Yan Zheng came to us some time ago and asked if we could discuss a partnership," the shopkeeper recalled an important matter, "I can't decide on this matter. Does the young master want to collaborate with him?"

"What do you think of him and whether he is worth cooperating with?" Shen Yu put down his cup. Yan Zheng, the person who proposed to provide money to the Ministry of Works for road repairs, had also had a meal with them.

"He came to see me a few times, with exceptional manners and prudent behavior. If the young master is looking for a partner, you can consider him."

"It seems that Xu shopkeeper thinks highly of him." Xu shopkeeper had worked under Shen Yu for so many years, and he rarely praised anyone like this.

"Just feel that the ideas he proposed are very reasonable," Xu shopkeeper turned around and took out a letter from the bookshelf beside him, "this is what I organized based on his ideas. The young master can take a look first."

Shen Yu took it over and scan it. He had to admit that this plan was very comprehensive, and all the areas that needed to be considered were taken into account.

"Ah Lin, take a look." After finishing reading, Shen Yu handed the letter to Shang Junlin.

Shang Junlin nodded lightly after reading it.

Shen Yu knew that he would be able to produce more things in the future. If they were to collaborate, it would definitely be a long-term partnership. Before that, they would have to have some understanding of their potential partner.

"I will consider the partnership. If he comes to see you again, tell him that I will talk to him in person." Shen Yu paused for a moment and added, "Before that, you first organize Yan Zheng's information and give it to me."

"Understood." Xu shopkeeper was taken aback. He didn't expect Shen Yu to go in person. He silently made a note of this.

It was almost time for dinner.

"Are we going back to the palace or going to the Yingxing House for dinner?" Shang Junlin asked in the carriage.

"Let's go to the Yingxing House." Shen Yu had a good impression of the Yingxing House.

"Your Majesty seemed a little unhappy just now. Why?" Shang Junlin was not very interested in the second half of Xu shopkeeper's story.

"If we want to cooperate, Ah Yu can send someone to do it below, there's no need to go personally."

It turned out that it was because of this matter. Shen Yu laughed out loud.

"What are you laughing at?" Shang Junlin pinched Shen Yu's chin, his gaze deep.

"Your Majesty, don't you feel that today we are particularly like an ordinary husband accompanying his wife to visit the shops?"