Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 372 - 372 273 Contract Void_1

Chapter 372: Chapter 273 Contract Void_1 Chapter 372: Chapter 273 Contract Void_1 Qiao Yuanzhen’s eyes lit up, “Really? Mrs. Luo is prepared to destroy her contract just like that?” He knew well the business methods of Mrs. Luo, akin to those of a bandit; agreeable when things went her way and talking about contracts, and straight away pulling a knife on you when they didn’t. But tearing up a contract, what difficulty was there in that?

Mrs. Luo sneered, “Why bother destroying the contract?”

Qiao Yuanzhen was immediately confused, “What do you mean by that, Mrs. Luo?”

Mrs. Luo tapped on the contract lying on the table with her finger, “Take a look— who is it that signed the contract with her?”

Qiao Yuanzhen looked closer and realized to his surprise that it was Zhong Yulang who had signed it, not Mrs. Luo.

“That Zhong Yulang might appear to be the boss of Mei Garden on the surface, but he is actually nothing more than a servant under my command. I have his Servant’s Certificate in my possession. Do you think he has any rights to make decisions for Mei Garden? Even if this contract were to be taken to the officials, it would be void,” Mrs. Luo said with a gaping yellow-toothed grin that suggested extreme self-satisfaction.

Even if she was just a bandit, she was a shrewd one at that. Assigning Mei Garden to Zhong Yulang to manage was full of ulterior motives; she used Mei Garden for many shady dealings that couldn’t stand the light of day. If things were ever exposed, Zhong Yulang would naturally take the fall, and she would be able to walk away unscathed. If things didn’t get exposed, she could still manipulate Zhong Yulang into doing her bidding perfectly—benefitting in every situation.

Even now, if she really desired to break the contract, couldn’t she simply use Zhong Yulang as the hapless scapegoat?

Only then did Qiao Yuanzhen laugh heartily, revealing a particularly sinister set of teeth, “Mrs. Luo is truly astute.”

But inside, he was already grinding his teeth with resentment. Qiao Muniang, the humiliation you gave me today, I’ll repay it tenfold upon you! Aren’t you investing large sums of silver to meticulously renovate Mei Garden? I will see all your silver wasted to naught! I want to see if you can remain as unflustered as you were today. No doubt, you’ll end up begging me then!

With these thoughts, Qiao Yuanzhen felt ecstatic. If the day ever came when Qiao Muniang actually begged him, he would certainly repay tenfold all the hardships she had caused him!

Eager and ingratiating, Qiao Yuanzhen began to undress Mrs. Luo, the smile on his lips growing ever wider, “Mrs. Luo has been too good to me, I will do my utmost to serve you well.”

These past few days, Muniang had been doing well with the stage rehearsals for the troupe; although it was hard for everyone to adjust at first, they gradually became more comfortable in their roles. The whole play was increasingly looking forward to a successful performance.

Watching everyone finish running through the scene, Muniang couldn’t help but applaud, “Good! Not bad at all! All the hard work on this play hasn’t been in vain.”

Upon hearing Muniang’s recognition, everyone was delighted, laughing cheerily, “Thank you, Lady, for your praise.”

“Alright, it’s already noon. Let’s not busy ourselves any further. Go have lunch, and after eating, we’ll continue with rehearsals,” Muniang said with a smile.

The actors hurriedly thanked Muniang before rushing off to grab their meal. From the days they’ve spent with her, they couldn’t help but hold her in high esteem. She was decisive and efficient. In fact, these men were increasingly relying on Muniang’s direction. More importantly, Muniang did not look down on them or insult them because they were actors of lower status. On the contrary, she at least treated each of them with the dignity they deserved.

That in itself was enough to earn their unwavering loyalty.

“Dong is not bad at acting. Certainly looks can be deceiving. Although a bit rash at times, his acting skills are undeniably impressive,” Muniang said with a smile.

Because Shen Dong was young, short, and had delicate features, he was assigned to play one of the female leads, the little sister Yue Lingshan. Initially quiet and subdued, once on stage, he transformed into someone else entirely, quickly becoming an animated and adorable little sister.

It was the first time Shen Dong was praised, and his face turned slightly red, “Thank you, Lady, for the praise.”

“You perform well, and the road ahead is long. Next time there’s a good role, you’ll be my first consideration.”

“Really?”

Muniang smiled and nodded, “Let’s go eat.”

Shen Dong bounced away cheerfully, and Muniang felt a tinge of emotion inside. He was what you could call real fresh meat, sunny and upward-looking. As for herself, while she had the face of fresh meat, her inner self was… well.

Half a month had passed, and the renovation of the Mei Garden was finally complete. Muniang had truly spent a considerable amount of silver this time. Not to mention the exquisite decoration below, just the antiques that adorned each elegant private room upstairs cost a fortune. Even the window screens were made of high-quality gauze. She intended to create a high-end brand for the private rooms, making them feel valuable and dignified, offering a sense of prestige to those who entered.

On the day the work was finished, Muniang invited all the craftsmen led by Zeng Gang directly to her house for a celebratory banquet.

A group of lads winked and nudged Zeng Gang: “Brother Zeng, we brothers gave up a great chance at the Dongxing Building just for you. You’ve got to remember that, and when you find yourself a wife, don’t forget to throw a banquet for us.”

“Exactly, the brothers have really put their hearts into it for you. Brother Zeng, you need to put in more effort, or else our sacrifices will be for nothing.”

Zeng Gang kicked playfully at them: “Hey, you rascals, can’t you be comfortable without a few words at my expense?”

Everyone burst into laughter. It was clear that they often teased Zeng Gang about this matter. Muniang felt a bit sorry for him—unable to win over his beauty and yet still having to deal with these cheeky lads, he indeed had a tough time.

“The way you’re talking, you make it sound like eating the food I cook is a hardship for you?” Muniang said jokingly.

That bunch of lads quickly waved their hands, denying this and stopping their teasing of Zeng Gang. Muniang had managed to diffuse the teasing.

By now, everyone was quite familiar with Muniang’s home and behaved comfortably, but they conspicuously avoided mentioning Qinghe, truly looking out for their brother. They would joke among themselves, but in front of the person involved, they naturally didn’t undermine them.

Qingya and Qian busily served tea to everyone.

As soon as Zeng Gang entered, he looked around, searching for the absent Qinghe.

Muniang laughed, “Take a seat first, the meal will be ready soon. I’ll go check on things.”

With that, she turned and headed toward the back courtyard. Upon reaching the east wing, she found Qinghe watching over Xi’er as she slept.

“I was wondering where you had disappeared to. So, you’re hidden away here enjoying some peace. Didn’t you know about the banquet today? Hurry up and come out to help me with the cooking!” Muniang said as she entered.

Suddenly, Qinghe seemed a bit hesitant: “I—I’ve been trying to get Xi’er to sleep.”

“Isn’t she asleep already?”