Chapter 977 Be a Guarantor, Solve the Butterfly Clothing Shop’s Problem
“Well...” At the mention of this matter, Madame Dong seemed more and more hesitant and even lowered her head. At the sight of this, everyone could tell something was wrong.
“What’s wrong? Do you have some difficult issues?” Shao Wanru asked gently with a smile.
“Madame Dong, say it. If you really have something difficult to deal with, just say it!” Qu Le said with a smile.
“In fact, there is something difficult... Qu’s Mansion...” Madame Dong lowered her head again. “That day, someone from Great Elder Princess’ Mansion called me over...”
“Why did they ask you to go there?” Qu Le asked in confusion.
“It’s... it’s because I didn’t do well on the stairs that Second Young Master Qu accidentally fell down the stairs. They said I was lucky. If it were anyone else who fell, he might have died on the spot.” Madame Dong said, feeling upset.
“This is too much. What did they base their conclusion on? Obviously, they were deliberately venting their anger on you!” Hearing this, Zhang Qilan turned to look at them.
“What happened later?” Shao Wanru’s eyes were very calm, and she said lightly.
This was what she had expected, but it was not convenient for her to go out and ask about it recently. Even sending a maid there might be improper.
“Later, she asked me to pay them some money in compensation. However, since it was a large sum of money, I... I can’t collect so much!” Madame Dong’s frown grew deeper, and she looked distressed.
“Infanta Yuan’an has gone too far. What happened that day was clearly related to her. Despite the fact, she made it look like an accident and vented her anger on a shopkeeper.” Zhang Qilan came over and said disdainfully.
She was going to marry Prince Yue soon, so Infanta Yuan’an, who was going to be Princess Zhou, was like her natural enemy. Just as she heard Madame Dong’s words, she immediately pointed out that Infanta Yuan’an was behind this.
Shao Wanru, in calm composure, cast a glance at Zhang Qilan. She didn’t expect her to react so quickly. Sure enough, how could the future Princess Yue be simple-minded?
......
Shao Wanru didn’t know who Princess Yue was in her last life. Maybe it was Zhang Qilan, or maybe not. In her last life, she didn’t even have much contact with Chu Liuyue, let alone Princess Yue.
“Infanta Yuan’an wanted a lot of money from you, but you don’t have it. What are you going to do?” Luo Xiaowan was the most delicate person. She could not bear the bitterness in Madame Dong’s tone. Thus, she put down the brocade in her hands and came over to ask her.
“If there is no better way, then... I can only give away the property!” Madame Dong lowered her head, her smile bitter to the extreme. “We common people don’t fight with officials, let alone it is Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion.”
“Are you going to give the shares to Ruiping Great Elder Princess?” Shao Wanru suddenly had an idea. A trace of darkness flashed across her watery eyes as she asked.
“If there is still a way, I am not willing to do that. I’d rather give this shop to someone else than be punished for no reason!” Madame Dong said with red-rimmed eyes, “This shop has been running in the capital city for many years, and it’s the fruit of our painstaking labor... If... If I have to give it up, I would not have worked so hard to operate it!”
“Well... If it really can’t be settled, you can come to me. It is partly because of me. I can’t let you take all the consequences!” Shao Wanru calmly took up the topic.
Hearing the meaning of her words, Madame Dong was pleasantly surprised. She suddenly raised her head, looked at Shao Wanru in surprise, and asked in a trembling voice, “My Lady, do you mean to help?”
Shao Wanru said softly, “You can hold on for a while. If you can’t do it, you don’t have to give away the shop’s share. I’ll buy the shop and deal with the Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion. You will still be the shopkeeper, and all other things in the shop stay the same. I won’t intervene in the internal affairs of your shop!”
She meant that she would buy the shop and handle its problem with Ruiping Great Elder Princess. As for the shop’s business, Madame Dong was still the one in charge because Shao Wanru wouldn’t take it over. Everything stayed the same as before. It was just that Madame Dong got a big boss with a high position and great power.
This was really a pleasant surprise. Madame Dong was so excited that she couldn’t even say a word.
“Madame Dong, thank Princess Chen quickly!” Zhang Qilan reminded her with a smile.
Madame Dong hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to Shao Wanru three times. She said in a choked voice, “Thank... thank you, Princess Chen.”
“Don’t call her Princess Chen. Call her Boss Chen!” Luo Xiaowan also had a good impression of Madame Dong, so she helped her to make this happen.
Madame Dong said she was trying to deal with this matter. However, according to the hostile attitude of Ruiping Great Elder Princess’s Mansion, she could never settle this matter peacefully. Madame Dong was just a shopkeeper, and how could she confront the Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion? It was better to find a boss that could compete with the Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion.
No one could be more suitable for this than Princess Chen.
Although there were other people who were not afraid of the powerful Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion, they didn’t need to offend Ruiping Great Elder Princess for a shop. But Princess Chen was different. It was because of the grudge between Princess Chen and Infanta Yuan’an that Infanta Yuan’an transferred her anger onto Madame Dong. From this point of view, Princess Chen was indeed the most suitable candidate.
What was more, the offer Princess Chen made was so good. No matter how Madame Dong looked at the bargain, she got the best of it.
“Yes... yes... Greetings, Boss...” Madame Dong nodded repeatedly and agreed with Luo Xiaowan.
“Well... Maybe we should try it before making the decision!” Hearing what they said, Shao Wanru thought they might be too anxious. But still, she nodded with a smile and asked Qu Le to help Madame Dong up.
“Let’s wait and see. There’s no rush!”
Since she said so, Madame Dong couldn’t push her. She couldn’t help looking at Zhang Qilan and Luo Xiaowan with a pleading look in her eyes.
Once she missed such a good chance, she wouldn’t get it the second time. Everyone wanted to rely on Prince Chen’s Mansion.
Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion had been utterly defeated when they competed with Princess Chen.
Infanta Yuan’an suffered a lot, and even Second Young Master Qu, who was with her, broke his arm somehow. No matter how others checked it out, it turned out to be an unexpected accident. Though everyone knew who was behind this, no one dared to stand up and speak up for him.
Prince Chen broke his arm. Yes, he did it. So what?
Could it be possible to break Prince Chen’s arm? Besides, although Second Young Master Qu was innocent, Infanta Yuan’an was not. No one was blind.
“Madame Dong, let’s see how much Ruiping Great Elder Princess’ Mansion wants. If you really can’t bear it, come to Princess Chen. Xiaowan and I will be witnesses!” Zhang Qilan made the arrangement, trying her best to help her.
“Yes, Qilan and I are witnesses. Princess Chen will help you!” Luo Xiaowan was very kind. She had just broken away from the painful situation and felt much sympathy for others. She also wanted to help Madame Dong, so she said it sincerely after Zhang Qilan.
“Thank you, ladies!” Madame Dong was deeply moved.
Shao Wanru coughed softly and said, “Madame Dong, if anything happens in the future, you can report it to me directly.”
Initially, she wanted Madame Dong to report to a supervisor of Prince Chen’s Mansion. However, because of the matter concerning Infanta Yuan’an, it seemed that a supervisor could not take the responsibility. Coincidentally, Zhang Qilan was also there. It was reasonable for her to take the Butterfly Clothing Shop in.
Of course, she couldn’t let others see that she was determined to buy the Butterfly Clothing Shop. Thus, she couldn’t be in a hurry. It was the best attitude to show that she didn’t care so much about this matter.
After all, Zhang Qilan would marry into Prince Yue’s Mansion. She and Chu Liuyue would be husband and wife. There were some things that shouldn’t be arranged by an outsider like her.
In fact, Shao Wanru was not optimistic about Zhang Qilan’s marriage to Chu Liuyue.
Chu Liuyue was excessively ambitious and could sacrifice anything for his grand ambition. All the things he did, he did them to achieve his great goal.
Moreover, the relationship between Chu Liuyue and Shao Yanru was ambiguous in the last life. It seemed they had nothing to do with each other in this life, but with Shao Yanru’s character, how could she let go of Chu Liuyue? The person Shao Yanru favored most was Chu Liuyue. She would make the best out of him to achieve more!
What if she was in the imperial harem now? Too many hideous things had happened in the imperial palace.
How could an imperial concubine, who had entered the imperial harem, have no real purpose? Especially Shao Yanru. Shao Wanru was almost sure that Shao Yanru would not be at ease and would never stay in the palace to serve the current Emperor wholeheartedly.
However, although she was not optimistic about the marriage between Zhang Qilan and Chu Liuyue, she would not intervene rashly. It was The Emperor who decided their marriage, and it was not something she could change. Unless Zhang Qilan died, she must marry Chu Liuyue.
In this regard, she could do nothing about it!
“Thank you, Princess Chen. Thank you so much!” Madame Dong was moved and thanked her repeatedly with a relaxed smile. Shao Wanru’s promise was equivalent to a guarantee for Butterfly Clothing Shop to survive. Surely, Madame Dong felt she owed Shao Wanru a great debt of gratitude.
Shao Wanru waved her hand, and Madame Dong obediently stepped aside and consciously treated herself as one of her subordinates.
Her well-behaved behavior made Zhang Qilan think even more highly of her. Madame Dong was bright enough to act smartly here, though she was just a shopkeeper in a marketplace. No wonder she managed the Butterfly Clothing Shop so well that it was almost as good as those clothing shops that had been running for several generations.
“Miss Zhang, have you seen Prince Yue?” Shao Wanru asked with a smile in her watery eyes, looking very kind.
She still couldn’t help but ask, and she looked at Zhang Qilan calmly.
She asked this question suddenly, as if it just hit her mind out of the blue. However, it was not abrupt for Zhang Qilan. After all, only she could answer it.
“I...” Hearing the straightforward question about Chu Liuyue, Zhang Qilan immediately blushed and lowered her head shyly. “I have seen Prince Yue... He... he looks decent!”
The last word revealed her feelings for him. If she didn’t like Chu Liuyue, Zhang Qilan wouldn’t have reacted like this!
Shao Wanru sighed in her heart. As expected, Zhang Qilan really cared about Chu Liuyue. No wonder Zhang Qilan was like this. Chu Liuyue, handsome and tall, had always been calm and aloof in front of others, but he was meticulous in doing things. Compared with Prince Zhou, he was more favored by women. Shao Wanru heard that many women vied for being his wife when he decided to get married!
She felt helpless in her heart but there was nothing she could do about it. It was rare to find a friend she liked. She was afraid that their friendship would not last long...
An old maid, who was a supervisor, came in and whispered something to Qing Yue, who was standing at the door of the room. Then Qing Yue’s face changed dramatically...