Chapter 2: Inquiring

Returning to her room, Xia Tingning sat on the daybed and pondered deeply.

Before long, Wanyu entered, following behind a middle-aged man around fifty years old who was dressed in the attire of a housekeeper. As soon as Uncle Guan entered the door, he bowed to Xia Tingning. "Miss, you were looking for this old servant."

Xia Tingning looked up. Uncle Guan was her maternal grandfather's house slave and had followed her grandfather for most of his life. He was loyal and capable; since her grandfather's passing, he had been helping her mother look after the old ancestral residence, several manors, and various plots of farmland left behind.

"Uncle Guan, I have a few matters I need you to handle," Xia Tingning spoke calmly, cradling a teacup.

Uncle Guan responded submissively, "Please, Miss, just give your orders."

While thinking, Xia Tingning continued, "Go and inquire about which shops in the city are for sale. Find out how large the storefronts are, their locations, and their prices. Once you have clarified everything, draw a detailed map for me. Write all the details down on it."

After a pause, she added another sentence: "Also, keep an eye out for shops that are doing poorly or are being mismanaged."

Uncle Guan was secretly startled. What was the Miss planning to do? He had originally thought she was going to ask about this month's harvest from the manors.

Ignoring his suspicion, Xia Tingning continued, "Furthermore, go look for a few larger manors. It doesn't matter if the locations are somewhat remote." The manors left by her grandfather were not very large and did not meet her requirements.

Hearing this, Uncle Guan spoke hesitantly, "I have noted everything the Miss said, but... I do not know why the Miss wishes to inquire about these things."

Xia Tingning smiled faintly. "You will know soon enough. For now, do not tell my mother about this matter."

Uncle Guan was, after all, of the older generation and possessed a bit of insight. Besides, the Madam could not interfere. The management of the manors and farmlands had long since been handed over to the Miss. Seeing this, he tactfully stopped questioning and merely nodded. "This old servant understands. I will certainly have it settled within the next few days."

Xia Tingning took a light sip of tea before speaking again, "I also need some reliable hands. I shall trouble Uncle Guan to select them carefully."

Uncle Guan acknowledged her, bowed, and went out to get to work.

Xia Tingning then lay back on the daybed, resting her head on her hands in thought: She was already fourteen years old now; it was time to properly plan for the future.

Since she had come to ancient times and possessed the advanced thoughts of the modern era, she decided, after much consideration, to go into business.

Although that cheap father of hers sent silver every month, it was not much.

Over these years, if it hadn't been for her managing the manors and farmlands left by her grandfather and finding ways to plant more profitable fruits and vegetables, how could they, the three of them—mother and children—have lived such an affluent life as they did now with just the few dozen taels of silver he sent each month?

Furthermore, although he still held affection for her mother and kept her in his thoughts for now, there was no guarantee he wouldn't fall in love with another woman one day and forget the three of them entirely.

Thinking it through, that cheap father was simply unreliable. For the sake of her mother and younger brother, she had to hold the capital in her own hands so that no one could bully them.

Xia Tingning calculated further; through the income from the manors and farmlands over the years, she had already saved a considerable amount of silver. Previously, because she was too young, she simply could not go out to do business.

However, she hadn't been idle. She had cleared a small plot of land in the backyard and, relying on her memories from her previous life, had been groping her way through cultivating hybrid rice. No matter the era, food was extremely important, and this hybrid rice would surely bring her massive profits. This was also the reason she had sent Uncle Guan to look for large-scale manors.

Xia Tingning went through her thoughts, filtering through all the potential profitable businesses.

Uncle Guan's efficiency was very high. Within a few days, he had inquired about all the shops, large and small, in Yixing City. He had meticulously drawn maps of the shops intended for sale or those in poor management, noting the circumstances for each one.

At this moment, Xia Tingning was sitting upright in her room, looking at the maps Uncle Guan had drawn. While looking, she asked detailed questions about several shops and finally decided to first purchase two shops she had taken a liking to and one restaurant.

She then asked Uncle Guan about the manors. Uncle Guan replied, "This old servant has looked at several manors. There is one that meets the Miss's requirements; it is quite remote and is asking for two thousand taels."

Xia Tingning frowned and thought about it. If she bought the manor, her silver reserves might become tight. It seemed she could only set it aside for now and wait until the shops and the restaurant turned a profit: "In that case, there is no rush regarding the manor; let us wait a bit longer. Go and purchase these two shops and this restaurant in a moment. Press the price down as much as you can. Also, have you found all the personnel I requested?"

Upon hearing this, Uncle Guan immediately nodded and said, "They have been found. They are all reliable house slaves who originally followed the Old Master. They are honest and dutiful, having worked on the manors all these years. Since the Miss needs people, I have summoned them all back."

Xia Tingning nodded in response and gave detailed instructions for the next steps. She then took out several formulas she had just written the day before and handed them to Uncle Guan; they were the production methods for rouge, cold cream, and soap, respectively.

Uncle Guan took a quick glance and immediately tucked them into his robe, saying cautiously, "Rest assured, Miss. This old servant will definitely find reliable people to handle this and will not leak the formulas."

Xia Tingning nodded with satisfaction. "For each formula, you are only allowed to tell the person mixing it half of it; you shall personally mix the remaining half. Produce some finished products as quickly as possible and send them to me for testing." She then instructed Wanyu to bring out five thousand taels of silver. Wanyu immediately opened a chest and handed a stack of banknotes to Uncle Guan.

Uncle Guan stowed the banknotes away, secretly shocked: He hadn't expected the Miss to have such a large sum of silver herself. Previously, he hadn't been very confident about what the Miss intended to do, but now, with both formulas and silver, the Miss must have made thorough preparations. Thinking of this, he dared not be negligent and hurried off with the banknotes to make arrangements.

It was currently the height of summer, and the weather was exceptionally hot; the sun was so fierce it was almost unbearable.

Xia Tingning was reclining lazily on a lounge chair under the shade of a tree, having drunk several bowls of iced sour plum soup before she finally felt a bit of coolness in this sweltering summer.

Three young girls were sitting around her, all focused on embroidering something with needles and thread. Xia Tingning would occasionally give them a few pointers.

These three girls were Wanyu, Ling'er, and Qianxing. Both Ling'er and Qianxing were Uncle Guan's granddaughters, aged twelve or thirteen, and were both very clever and cute.

Xia Tingning was teaching the three of them how to make sachets and coin purses. Because she had signed a contract with a silk workshop to supply dozens of sachets every month, it was impossible for her to make every single one by hand.

Xia Tingning wanted to find a few people who were loyal and reliable and skilled in needlework to teach them, so she wouldn't have to do everything herself.

After learning of this, Wanyu had recommended Ling'er and Qianxing, saying their needlework was good and that as Uncle Guan's granddaughters, they were naturally reliable.

After thinking it over, Xia Tingning also felt it made sense, so she let the two of them, along with Wanyu, learn how to make sachets on their own.

Since needlework was a compulsory subject for women in ancient times, after she demonstrated it just once, Wanyu and the others were already able to do it quite well. Xia Tingning looked at the sachets they had embroidered with appreciation; they were quite good. However, in ancient times, it was always either flowers or grass, or fish and birds—it was far too unoriginal. This was something that needed to be cultivated.

Just as Xia Tingning was leaning back on the lounge chair, feeling drowsy, Xia Ziyun, dressed in navy blue robes, came running from a distance, followed by two young servants. Arriving by Xia Tingning's side, a pair of soft little hands incessantly shook his elder sister: "Sister, don't sleep, get up quickly!"

Hearing her brother's call, Xia Tingning could only reluctantly open her eyes. Seeing his small face flushed from running, she helplessly took out a handkerchief to wipe his face and said, "Look at you, running until you're covered in sweat. Why are you back so early today?"