kvmb Chapter 478 It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish
Chapter 478 It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish
"You stay at home, and when Miss Qingqing wakes up and asks, tell her that I'm accompanying the old lady at the Zhuo Mansion next door." During the lunch break, Liu Jiangxi, dressed as a handsome young man, was about to go out the back door of the house, but when he saw the maid Shiwen following him, he hurriedly stopped her and gave instructions.
"Then Miss has to come back earlier." Seeing that the Miss didn't let her go, Shiwen had to give up. She felt relieved thinking that the Miss was going to accept an appointment with the famous shopkeeper Li Mu in Jiangnan.
As soon as Liu Jiangxi walked out of the back door of the Liu family, she saw Mu Liang waiting in front of a carriage from afar. When he noticed her, he bowed and smiled.
"Did Manager Mu come out of the Zhuo Mansion?" The carriage slowly went towards the outer city. Inside the carriage, Liu Jiangxi asked Mu Liang.
"It's a rare trip to Liangdu, so of course you should visit the old lady and have lunch with her before leaving." Mu Liang nodded at her and smiled. After knowing that she rescued Qingqing from Fengqifang by herself, he admired this talented woman Liu from the bottom of his heart.
"Uncle Zhuo has no children, and the old lady must be lonely and deserted in the mansion alone. She will definitely be very happy if Manager Mu can go and keep her company." Liu Jiangxi lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Yes, the old lady was just saying that she didn't feel lonely because Miss Liu often accompanied her to entertain her."
"Anyway, I have nothing to do, so I just want to kill time with the old lady."
As the two chatted in a slightly unfamiliar manner, the carriage had stopped in front of a teahouse in the outer city of Liangdu. Liu Jiangxi followed Mu Liang into the teahouse and sat down before asking directly:
"I wonder why Shopkeeper Mu asked me to come here?"
"Miss Liu sold her own shop to save Qingqing. Qingqing is my sister. Today I will repay Miss Liu's kindness on her behalf." Mu Liang poured Liu Jiangxi a cup of hot tea before speaking with a smile.
"Manager Mu and Qingqing are brother and sister, and Qingqing and I are also sisters. My helping my sister has nothing to do with Manager Mu. If you must follow Manager Mu's wishes, you gave Qingqing a courtyard before. As Qingqing's sister, should I also repay Manager Mu for this favor?" After hearing Mu Liang say this, Liu Jiangxi understood the purpose of his asking her out alone today, and his expression immediately turned cold.
"This..." Mu Liang, who was always eloquent, was speechless after hearing Liu Jiangxi's words. He didn't know how to react for a moment. After a moment of silence, he smiled admiringly: "I have always heard that Miss Liu is outstanding in literary talent and talented. Qingqing's matter has made me realize Miss Liu's great righteousness. She is truly a heroine! Mu Liang was offended just now. I hope Miss Liu will not blame me!" After that, he raised the teacup in his hand to salute her.
"Manager Mu, you are too kind. Jiang Xi does not deserve the title of a heroine. Since Qingqing and I are sisters, we should support each other and share weal and woe." In response to Mu Liang's heartfelt praise, Liu Jiangxi smiled faintly and raised her teacup to return the compliments.
"Qingqing is lucky to meet Miss Liu, a sister who treats her so sincerely in Liangdu City. But the capital is not a peaceful place for her after all. Even if Qingqing has left Fengqifang now, it will be difficult for her to completely get rid of the title of a famous prostitute in the capital. She refuses to go to Jiangnan, and I am really worried about her!" Then, Mu Liang sighed with a sad face.
"Time will fade everything. As long as Qingqing doesn't go out in public, no one will mention her anymore. The capital is prosperous and fascinating, and there are new things every day for people to entertain themselves. As the saying goes, new people will replace old people, and over time, the once popular Miss Hongqing will be forgotten by the world. The Liu family has few members and none of them are good people, so Manager Mu doesn't have to worry too much." Liu Jiangxi put down the teacup in his hand and comforted him.
"What Miss Liu said makes sense, but I am Qingqing's brother after all and I have to plan for her future. I want to buy two shops for her to rent out. In my opinion, that courtyard should be left idle. After all, you never know when Miss Liu will get married next year, so it would be inconvenient for her to continue staying in the Liu Mansion. This way she can live in the courtyard." After hearing what the other party said, Mu Liang did feel a little relieved, and then he said.
"Did you tell Qingqing about this idea last night?" Liu Jiangxi frowned slightly. Based on his understanding of Qingqing, she would definitely not accept Manager Mu's kindness.
"Ms. Liu also knows Qingqing's stubborn personality. She will definitely not accept it..."
"In that case, what's the point of Manager Mu telling me? Do you want me to take over these two shops for her temporarily? And then confess to her after Manager Mu leaves Beijing? No, I can't make decisions on her own." Before Mu Liang could finish his words, Liu Jiangxi simply shook his head and rejected him.
"Miss Liu, I made this plan for Qingqing's sake." Mu Liang didn't understand why Liu Jiangxi was unwilling to help. With these two shops, Qingqing would be able to live on her own even if she left the Liu family in the future. Was his arrangement wrong?
"Shopkeeper Mu, it is better to teach people how to fish than to give them fish. Instead of giving alms directly, why not give Qingqing a chance to be self-reliant?" Seeing some anxiety in Shopkeeper Mu's bright eyes, Liu Jiangxi did not explain too much, but just smiled at him lightly.
"An opportunity to be self-reliant? But how can she do that now..."
"Manager Mu, what do you think of this embroidery?" Before Mu Liang could finish his words, Liu Jiangxi spread out Qingqing's just-finished embroidery in front of him and asked.
"The embroidery is exquisite and lifelike." Although Mu Liang did not understand what Miss Liu meant, he still looked at the embroidery in front of him carefully and praised it sincerely.
"Do you think this kind of craftsmanship can be sold?"
"Of course." Mu Liang nodded and took another look at the embroidery on the table. He suddenly realized what was going on. He smiled and asked Liu Jiangxi, "Is this Qingqing's handicraft? Miss Liu's words about giving Qingqing a chance to be self-reliant mean that I agree to sell her embroidery in Jiangnan Mingli?"
"All we need is for Jiangnan Mingli to rent a stall to Qingqing, either by profit sharing or monthly rent. We don't expect it to sell well at first, but we can just treat it as a new way of life for Qingqing, so that she can have something to look forward to."
"It's a good idea. I didn't expect Miss Liu to have a business mind." Mu Liang looked at Liu Jiangxi with admiration and couldn't help praising her again. Then he thought about the embroidery on the table and suddenly shook his head and said, "But it's not okay to just sell an embroidery that I don't know what it's used for. Why not make it into an ornament or a calligraphy and painting?"
After Mu Liang finished speaking, he looked up and saw Liu Jiangxi was troubled, so he smiled and comforted her, "I will arrange these. Miss Liu just needs to bring Qingqing to the courtyard in the alley tomorrow."
Only then did Liu Jiangxi nod with relief.
"Sister Xi? Shopkeeper Mu?"
The two walked out of the teahouse, and a carriage that was about to pass by suddenly stopped. Soon, Gong Liangzhao got off the carriage, looking handsome and gentle, and walked slowly and tall, then looked at them with surprise.
Gong Liangzhao was ordered to go out of the capital to suppress bandits three months ago. He used the strategy of recruiting bandits to instigate them to kill each other. In just three months, he eliminated seven or eight bandits from various places. Emperor Jing was very happy and rewarded him generously. Now Prince Zhao is quite favored by the emperor and is often with him. He can also participate in political discussions every day. He is so glorious that even the prince is not as good as him. However, Gong Liangzhao is a smart man. Not only did he not feel proud of this, but he went to the prince's mansion to pay his respects every day with trepidation. He often talked about the kindness of his brother the prince to him, which made the prince feel much more at ease.
Mu Liang and Liu Jiangxi were also surprised by Gong Liangzhao's appearance, especially Liu Jiangxi, who was very worried. After all, Prince Zhao was her father's student. If he told her father about her meeting with Manager Mu alone today, it would be troublesome.
"Greetings, King Zhao!" Mu Liang took the lead to step forward and bowed to Gong Liangzhao.
"Jiang Xi greets King Zhao." Liu Jiangxi also had to step forward and salute.
"Do you... know each other?" Gong Liangzhao looked at Liu Jiangxi, who was dressed as a young master, with surprise, then turned to Mu Liang and asked.
"My brother once stayed at the Censor's house for a while, and I also often went to the Zhuo Mansion and met Miss Liu twice, but today we just happened to run into her in this teahouse." Mu Liang reacted promptly and explained with a smile without panic.
Hearing Mu Liang's words, Liu Jiangxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in response.
The relationship between the famous Li family in Jiangnan and the Zhuo family is well known, and the Liu family and the Zhuo family are good neighbors. The young lady of the Liu family often goes to the Zhuo family to accompany the old lady Zhuo. Gong Liangzhao also knew this, so he didn't say much. He just gestured for Mu Liang to take two steps forward, then he sighed softly with embarrassment on his face:
"Thanks to the help of the famous Li from Jiangnan, I always remember it, but it will take time to collect the 30,000 taels. Right now, I am busy in front of the emperor. Can Manager Mu give me some more time?"
"Your Majesty, you are too polite. It is an honor for me, the famous Li from Jiangnan, to lend a helping hand and share the worries of the court. Previously, I accepted the IOU only to give an explanation to my employer, but when my employer learned about it, he scolded me and blamed me for being ungrateful. It is natural that I, the famous Li from Jiangnan, should be the first to do such a good thing for the country and the people. How can I be so petty with Your Majesty?" Mu Liang immediately bowed to Gong Liangzhao and laughed in a low voice.
"The famous Li from Jiangnan is wise and righteous, which makes me admire him." Seeing Mu Liang say this, Gong Liangzhao was very happy.