Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 567 - 567 568 Wait for Me to Handle Some Minor

Chapter 567: Chapter 568: Wait for Me to Handle Some Minor Matters_1 Chapter 567: Chapter 568: Wait for Me to Handle Some Minor Matters_1 Muniang responded with an acknowledgment, “Understood. You go back first, and don’t speak of this matter to anyone else.”

The young servant hurriedly replied, “Of course, this is a matter for the master, and how can a servant like me discuss it.”

Then, he turned around and left.

Muniang straightened her clothes before getting up decisively, “Qingya, Bingyu, follow me out.”

Bingyu naturally understood what this trip was for, but she kept her composure, simply replying with a yes, and followed her out.

In these past few days, Muniang had kept her close by to show everyone how much she valued her, wanting to bring her into her personal service as the head maid, and even had Qingya discretely spread the news that Qiao Muniang was preparing to offer her to the Prince Heir as a concubine. All the preparations were in place, now it was just a matter of waiting for Rong Liming to take the bait.

The carriage stopped at the entrance to Mei Garden. The doorman immediately recognized Qiao Muniang’s carriage and eagerly greeted them. After all, Lady seldom came, especially in the past month where she hadn’t been seen at all. Her arrival now was thought to be for an inspection, so naturally, he wanted to make a good impression.

The servant attentively placed the footstool and assisted Muniang as she alighted from the carriage, “Lady, it has been a few days since your last visit.”

Muniang laughed, “Has my absence made it inconvenient for you to slack off?”

“Who would dare? Even Zhong Manager wouldn’t allow it. Rest assured, Lady,” the servant replied, eager to please.

Scanning her surroundings, she noticed an additional maid by Muniang’s side and mentioned with a smile, “Lady, you’ve taken on a new personal maid.”

Qingya replied, “Indeed, she’s a maid specially rewarded to us by Lady Yu. Our Lady couldn’t afford to neglect her and naturally placed her right by her side as the head maid.”

With Qingya’s words, it seemed outwardly as if Bingyu had garnered special favor, but everyone understood the underlying message: she was being sent by the old lady to be a concubine for the master!

The servant quickly responded cleverly, as he wasn’t sure whether Muniang would accept this or not, so it was best not to say too much and simply shut his mouth.

However, as soon as he ushered Muniang inside, he turned around and started whispering to others, discussing the prospective new concubine of the Prince Heir.

Muniang entered a private room where Zhong Yulang brought the ledgers to her for inspection. Muniang gave Bingyu a cue with her eyes, and understanding the signal, Bingyu quietly left.

Whatever luck would be for Bingyu depended on her own now; Muniang certainly wasn’t going to concern herself further. She thoroughly reviewed the ledgers and a smile formed on her lips, “Indeed, not bad at all. The accounts look better and better each day. We are fortunate that our Mei Garden was built large enough, or else it truly wouldn’t have been able to accommodate such an audience.”

“I’ve done some research, and the number of patrons is increasing, especially those from out of town. Our Mei Garden’s reputation has spread wide, naturally attracting many visitors,” said Zhong Yulang.

Muniang nodded her head, as the reputation that had spread was, in fact, riding on the success of Yuyang Embroidery House. The hand-painted embroidered products from Yuyang Embroidery House were selling well, and Muniang had deliberately released hand-painted figures from several plays of Mei Garden as embroidered products, while also sending out scattered soldiers to spread the various fragmented stories. Naturally, those who became addicted to these stories and came to see the spectacle increased.

“It’s just that our net at Mei Garden isn’t cast wide enough yet.”

“Are you considering opening a branch?”

Muniang snorted lightly, “What’s this about opening a branch? I refuse to believe that we can’t make it big with just one house. Besides, managing branches is troublesome. The opera house is not like other businesses; we only have so many actors for the roles. Where can we find enough suitable people for each part? Take Chen Yuhua for instance, how many can you find to replace her? Quality is key in running an opera house. When everyone is concentrated in one place, it’s easier to maintain a strong identity.”

Zhong Yulang also saw the logic in this but Muniang had said that their net wasn’t cast wide enough—what did she mean by that?

Muniang noticed Zhong Yulang’s confusion and smiled, “I was just about to discuss this with you. I’m thinking about preparing to go on tour.”

“On tour?” Zhong Yulang was startled, “Do you mean to visit various places?”

“Exactly. Only by truly showing the public how good our plays are can we be said to have spread the net of Mei Garden far and wide.”

Zhong Yulang felt excited at the thought, “Good, I’ll start preparing immediately. When do you plan to leave?”

Muniang looked towards the door, her voice lightening, “After I take care of some minor matters.”

Rong Liming had finally gotten the chance to entertain guests from his father, and he naturally wanted to make a good impression. He had sworn he would never set foot here again because of Qiao Muniang, but since the guests kept praising the Mei Garden in Qinghua City, he had no choice but to come, hoping he wouldn’t run into Qiao Muniang.

Just as he stepped out to relieve himself, he saw an elegant figure not far away, watching the play on the stage. Her expression lacked much excitement, her detachment adding a different kind of charm to her demeanor.

The woman seemed to notice Rong Liming’s gaze and glanced over, but only briefly before indifferently shifting her gaze away, as though she didn’t regard Rong Liming, the dashing young master, at all.

Rong Liming inexplicably found the woman somewhat similar to Qiao Muniang, both possessing a proud and aloof disposition that made him itch with longing for what seemed unattainable, and yet he felt ridiculed for his foolish hopes. Rong Liming detested this feeling.

He refused to believe that he couldn’t tame such a woman!

Since there was no hope with Qiao Muniang, here was a fresh opportunity. If he really got his hands on her and tasted such a woman, he might well get over his obsession with Qiao Muniang.

As Rong Liming thought this, his feet were already moving towards her.

Bingyu was assigned here precisely because she mastered the art of seducing men. Now, she merely redirected the tactics meant for Yu Ze on Rong Liming—playing hard to get, pretending indifference, she executed every move flawlessly, truly whetting Rong Liming’s appetite.

After chatting for a few moments, Bingyu issued an eviction notice.

“My lady must be looking for me by now, please do as you wish, Sir,” Bingyu said.

“Your lady? Tell me about her. Maybe I can help buy your freedom. A maiden as pure as ice and jade clearly isn’t suited to be a servant beneath others. I’m just indignant on the lady’s behalf,” Rong Liming put on his usual warm facade, inwardly hoping the girl would feel grateful to him.

Bingyu did show a hint of yielding, “You would buy my freedom?”

“If I’m willing, it’s certainly a small effort on my part, but does the lady have any family? If you’re all alone, even if you’re freed, it would be hard to find stability,” Rong Liming said with a feigned melancholy.