Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Opening
Chapter 336: Opening
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t like to talk nonsense. She liked to interact with such you… draw these yourself?”
“Yes,” Su Xiaoxiao said.
Liu Sihe praised, “What a novel design. I heard that you’re opening a medical center. What is the plaque going to say?”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “The Number One Hall in the World.”
Liu Sihe remarked to himself, “Girl, you’re very arrogant.’
Liu Sihe was a straightforward and efficient person. He did not flatter himself or exchange unnecessary pleasantries.
The conversation between the two sides lasted less than 15 minutes. “I’ve remembered everything you said. Is there anything else you want?”
“That’s all.” Su Xiaoxiao said, “Will it be completed in a few days?”
“Seven days.”
“Only seven days?”
This was a lot of things.
Liu Sihe smiled and said, “If I’m not done in seven days, I won’t charge you! Go ahead!”
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t like to talk nonsense. She liked to interact with such no-nonsense people.
In addition, the price Liu Sihe offered was far lower than her budget, saving her a lot of expenses.
After leaving the Liu family, she went to the house that was connected to Scholar Street in the west.
Grandpa Zhang, whom Dahu was talking about was a muscular blacksmith called Zhang Erzhu. He was a few years older than Father Su and was a little serious.
It was so cold but he was only wearing a linen shirt; his thick arms were exposed to the air.
Su Xiaoxiao’s first reaction was: Are all blacksmiths so strong these days?
When Su Xiaoxiao explained her intentions, Zhang Erzhu was not shocked.
This was because Dahu had also come to greet him.
“I want to make some cutting tools.” Su Xiaoxiao handed him the blueprint. “I heard that the capital has strict control over iron tools. I want to make a lot of these cutting tools. Should I report it to the authorities?”
“No need,” Zhang Erzhu said calmly. “I’ve never made these types of knives before. I have to remodel them. You can come back ten days later to take them.”
Su Xiaoxiao asked, “How much deposit do I need to pay first?”
“There’s no need to pay the deposit.” Zhang Erzhu was also extremely straightforward. “As for how much it is, we won’t know until we’re done, but it shouldn’t be more than five taels.”
Five taels?
It had to be known that other than salt, the Imperial Court had always controlled iron. Iron was very expensive in ancient times.
“Are you sure?”
Seeing Su Xiaoxiao’s shocked expression, Zhang Erzhu thought for a moment and said, “Two taels then.”
Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded.
He was cutting his own price making it impossible for the other party to do so…
Su Xiaoxiao went to Old Madam Zhou’s house last.
She was next door to her house. The reason he put her last was that this business might take the longest.
“It’s Dahu’s mother, right?” Old Madam Zhou invited Su Xiaoxiao into the central room with a smile and poured a cup of hot tea.
Su Xiaoxiao suddenly felt that she was famous in the alley…
Old Madam Zhou was a little old. The neighbors in the alley seemed to call her Old Madam Zhou regardless of seniority.
“What kind do you want to choose? What kind of work do you do?” Old Madam Zhou asked with a smile.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “I want a coachman and four medicinal assistants. It’s best if there are two female medicinal assistants. It doesn’t matter if they know medicine or not. I can teach them. In addition, I need a chef and a long-term cleaner. ”
Old Madam Zhou said, “Everything else is fine, but the female medicine assistants… ”
In the Great Zhou, there were very few women who practiced medicine. When girls went out to work, they were mostly maidservants and embroiderers… She said, “I’ll try. Come to my place tomorrow morning to take a look.”
The next day, Su Xiaoxiao came to Old Madam Zhou’s house early in the morning.
Hearing Old Madam Zhou’s tone yesterday, she would only try and might not be able to find all of them. However, when Su Xiaoxiao looked at the courtyard full of men, women, and children, she suddenly suspected that Old Madam Zhou had some misunderstanding about the concept of “trying”.
Among this group of people, Old Madam Zhou recommended a coachman, Ah Zhong. He was in his twenties and looked handsome.
Old Madam Zhou said, “Although he’s young, he’s quite experienced and very familiar with the streets and alleys of the capital.”
Su Xiaoxiao asked Ah Zhong a few questions. The young man was neither arrogant nor impatient. He spoke clearly and was strong enough.
When it came to Old Madam Zhou, the price was not cheap.
A coachman was five taels. This was the introduction fee for Old Madam Zhou. As for the coachman’s salary, Su Xiaoxiao would have to settle it with the coachman.
Su Xiaoxiao pinched her purse and her heart ached.
The medicine boy was a smart young man called Xiao Wei, who was 17 years old. He had been a shop assistant in another medicine shop in the past and knew a few things about herbs.
Old Madam Zhou said, “Brother Wei, you’ll follow Madam in the future.” Hearing this “Brother Wei”, Su Xiaoxiao almost choked on her tea.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t choose another male medicine boy, but the two girls caught her eye.
One was a 12-year-old girl called Ying’er. She had a round face and a small canine tooth on both sides when she smiled. There were freckles on her cheeks. She was a spirited girl.
The other was Du Juan, who was two years older than Ying’er. She had an oval face, delicate eyebrows, and could read.
Old Madam Zhou said, “She was originally a young lady from an official’s family. Her family committed a crime and was bought by the Education Bureau. She’s young and the Education Bureau is raising her.”
In other words, in a year or two, she would have to sell herself to receive customers.
Su Xiaoxiao came to her and asked calmly, “You used to be the daughter of an official. If I buy you, would you be able to bear with the suffering of a servant?”
Du Juan knelt down and kowtowed. “Madam, I was a concubine’s daughter and am not favored at home. As long as you don’t let me become a prostitute, I’m willing to be your slave!”
Su Xiaoxiao asked Brother Wei, Ying’er, and Du Juan about the price.
Old Madam Zhou stretched out her finger. Su Xiaoxiao asked, “Ten taels?” Old Madam Zhou said, “A hundred taels.”
This granny was a little dark…
However, soon, Su Xiaoxiao understood why they were more expensive than Ah Zhong.
They were slaves and had to sign a death contract. If they wanted to leave in the future, they had to redeem themselves from Su Xiaoxiao.
Moreover, their salary was lower than the others. She could not even give it to them.
The chef and the cleaner were a middle-aged couple. They also cost ten taels each.
These ten taels bought three years of their work, just like Ah Zhong.
The next few days were calm. Su Xiaoxiao went to school and did the snack business of the directorate.
Seven days later, Liu Sihe was done.
Su Xiaoxiao went to look at the plaque he had made. It was black with gold words and looked dignified and domineering. It was even more perfect than Su Xiaoxiao had imagined.
However, it seemed a little heavy. It was unknown what wood it was made of.
Liu Sihe saw the little girl looking at the plaque left and right and thought that she was worried about the quality of the plaque.
He patted his chest and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll guarantee that it won’t rot for a hundred years!”
Su Xiaoxiao thought, What wood won’t rot for a hundred years… It can’t be golden cedar…
She was thinking too much. How could a small carpenter in the neighborhood have such expensive wood?
Liu Sihe called a few brothers and moved the furniture and wooden boards to the medical center. What needed to be placed was placed and what needed to be installed was installed. In the afternoon, the shop changed drastically.
The plaque would be hung up on the day of the opening. Su Xiaoxiao kept it in the accounts room first.
Two days later, Zhang Erzhu also made the tools. He really only accepted two taels from Su Xiaoxiao.
Physician Fu found someone to calculate an auspicious day—the 18th of this month was suitable for opening.
However, the night before the opening, something happened to the hall..