C11. There Are Many Scandals Laid Before a Widow's Door.

                                    

                                          
The second Mo Qian Xue stepped out of Bai Yunju, the playful smile on Qi Gongzi's face dissolved immediately. Without any delay, he ordered Manager Li to make several copies of the recipe and had some of his men to deliver the copies to all restaurant managers of Su family.

                          
He then himself copied one and handed it to his personal page, A'lu, saying, "Be quick and let A'zhao deliver this to the capital at top speed. Right, one more message for the first young master: I'll let Bai Yunju prosper in a few days."
                          
"Yes, young master." A'lu took the recipe and well-packed it with oilskin. However, Qi Gongzi ordered again before he left the room, "Remember to let Manager Li find some learned scholars after this."
                          
*
                          
Fang Fangzi learned it first time in her life what a real shopping was after she saw with her own eyes how Mo Qian Xue did it. Fang tried to stop Mo but was then convinced every time with this or that sensible reason.
                          
They had to render another carriage as that of Zhang family was occupied. The carter was a man from the neighbored village.
                          
"Sister, are you planning to open a shop in town?" Fang finally asked the question that haunted her all this time as they sat in the waggling carriage. She had witnessed how Mo associated tactfully with the shop owners in town.
                          
"Sister, you know well of our condition. With the poor Shu Xiu of my husband, it is even impossible to make ends meet for himself alone. Besides, his poor health needs some toning up. If I don't figure out a way to solve this predicament, I'm afraid we may not even make it to the end of the year." Mo explained her plan frankly when asked.
                          
"But stores in town are appallingly expensive. How could you make it?" Fang was startled by the plan and asked quite anxiously. The price of buying a store...even the monthly rent alone was a sum she dared not to imagine.
                          
Mo Qian Xue smiled when she saw how anxious Fang got, "Yes, it's impossible for now. So I'm not doing it soon. It's getting cold and I'm planning to cook another dish to sell in town. And I can really use your help, sister."
                          
200 silvers were a huge sum of money for a peasant family like Fang's. Yet it was far from enough for Mo Qian Xue's startup. Let alone the dozens of silvers she spent this afternoon.
                          
Fang was relieved when she heard that Mo Qian Xue had no such a plan, giving no attention to the "soon". Reaching out her hand to touch the silver hairpin, she replied in smiles, "That is only natural. I'm free of any manual work in winter and can always land you a hand. Let's just get this winter over and when the spring comes, you can ask the village Elders to distribute some paddy fields. Thus, your shortage of food will be solved."
                          
Mo Qian Xue spread a smile and though secretly to herself, "You see, the desire to look attractive is universal. Sister Fang has been constantly touching the hairpin."
                          
"Fret not, sister. I'll offer you 800 notes every month for the help," said Mo Qian Xue in a rather casual tone, which somehow startled Fang, "What? 800 notes? I can't take it. I just wanna help..."
                          
Mo Qian Xue interrupted before Fang could finish her words, "Sister, correct counting keeps good friendship. What I prepared is to make money. So naturally I shall pay you for the work you've done. You don't want my conscience stirred, do you?"
                          
The two argued and negotiated for quite a while before the relationship of employer and employee was settled.
                          
As the carriage rode on the spacious road, Mo Qian Xue felt quite relieved with the pressing matter settled and everything sorted. Lifting the curtain, she was greeted by the refreshing breezes and exclaimed involuntarily in heart, "How pleasant and fresh the air is here!"