The Reborn Legitimate Daughter is Frivolous - Chapter 17

Murong Jie truly loved Yun Wan with all his heart.

He had invested a great deal in that jewelry shop, but after so many years, he’d already earned back everything he had put in. So, Murong Qing didn’t feel she owed him anything financially.

Besides, it had all been Murong Jie’s own choice.

Still, Murong Jie had kept his ownership of the Jewelry House a secret from everyone.

A dignified general secretly running a business for profit—if word got out, not only would people gossip, even the emperor might summon him to the imperial study for a lecture.

“Miss, what are we doing here?” Qingbi asked curiously.

She thought Murong Qing had come out to buy jewelry, and couldn’t help but feel puzzled. But Qinglian discreetly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her not to ask too much.

Even though the two of them served as Murong Qing’s closest maids, they were still servants. They knew better than to question their mistress’s affairs, no matter how favored they were.

Qingbi stuck out her tongue playfully and fell silent.

“Is that the eldest young lady?”

A middle-aged man with a kind, smiling face approached them. Murong Qing nodded without a word.

The man was slightly plump, with a warm and honest appearance—exactly the kind of person suited to manage a jewelry shop, someone who wouldn’t offend anyone at first glance.

“Greetings, Miss. I’m the shopkeeper here. The master gave instructions last night, so I’ve been waiting for you at the door since early this morning,” he said respectfully.

His tone was sincere, without a hint of flattery. He simply stated the facts clearly and neatly. Murong Qing nodded inwardly, impressed.

This shopkeeper must have been personally chosen by Murong Jie. No wonder he could handle the store so well—it made sense that Murong Jie felt comfortable leaving it in his hands while he was away at war.

“What’s your name?” Murong Qing asked.

“The humble one is surnamed Wu, Miss.”

“Alright, Shopkeeper Wu. Please give me a detailed tour of the jewelry house, and then show me the account books for the past three years.”

As she spoke, Murong Qing walked inside, and Shopkeeper Wu followed closely, explaining everything about the shop’s operations. He even introduced her to the workers one by one.

The jewelry house had been running for much longer than three years, but Murong Qing only wanted to see the past three years of records.

She believed that Murong Jie wouldn’t lie to her—he loved Yun Wan too deeply for that.

Those three years of ledgers would be enough to understand the shop’s profits and losses, and to get a feel for the market.

After all, Murong Jie was a general. Running a shop wasn’t easy for him. But Murong Qing was different—she had time to manage it properly.

She didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of her previous life.

Behind the jewelry house was a small courtyard called the “Jewelry Pavilion.” There wasn’t much stored there, just a quiet place to rest if one grew tired.

Now that Murong Qing was taking over, that courtyard naturally became her private resting place.

“If the Miss doesn’t understand anything, feel free to ask me,” Shopkeeper Wu said. “Once the Miss officially takes over, I’ll resign and return home.”

As she listened to him, Murong Qing observed Shopkeeper Wu carefully. The more she saw, the more she admired him—he was capable, trustworthy, and clearly chosen well by Murong Jie.

But she hadn’t expected that once she took over, he planned to leave.

She could sense his reluctance—it was clear he was deeply attached to the shop he had managed for so many years.

“Shopkeeper Wu, you can stay,” she said suddenly.

“Miss?”

Murong Qing understood his concern. Normally, when a shop changes hands, the new owner replaces the old staff to avoid possible disloyalty.

But from their short interaction, Murong Qing was confident that Shopkeeper Wu was not that kind of man. And since he had been handpicked by Murong Jie, she felt secure keeping him.

“Shopkeeper Wu, the two assistants in the store—did you train them yourself?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Good. Keep everyone. I don’t want to hire new people I can’t trust.”

Her words were calm, but Shopkeeper Wu immediately understood what she meant.

He had been in business for years and could read between the lines. Though he hadn’t seen her face clearly, he could tell from her voice and demeanor that she was a refined and intelligent young lady.

He had been worried that she might act proud or difficult to serve—but his worries melted away completely.

He had already prepared himself to leave the Jewelry House, as was customary when management changed. Still, he couldn’t help but feel regret at the thought of parting with the shop he had cared for so long.

Now, hearing that the eldest lady wanted him—and his assistants—to stay filled him with overwhelming gratitude.

He knelt and said excitedly, “Thank you, Miss!”

“Alright, don’t be so formal,” Murong Qing said gently. “Just do your work as usual. The only difference is that the Jewelry House now belongs to me. I’ll be visiting often, and I have some ideas I’d like to discuss with you later. But for now, I want to look over the ledgers. Go ahead and continue your duties.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Murong Qing looked at the three thick account books laid out on the table. She picked one up and began to flip through it—but the more she read, the more her head hurt.

She recognized the numbers, but balancing accounts was a different story.

No matter what hardships she had faced in her past or present life, she had never dealt with bookkeeping before!

Who would’ve thought a simple ledger could be so troublesome?

She glanced at the abacus beside her and rubbed her forehead helplessly. Then she turned around and asked, “Which of you knows how to do calculations?”

Qinglian and Qingbi both shook their heads. They came from poor families and had been sold into service because their parents couldn’t afford to raise them. They had never gone to school, let alone learned accounting.

Murong Qing sighed softly. “Alright, forget it. I won’t make it hard for you.”

She looked back at the ledger, feeling a little defeated.

She could have asked Shopkeeper Wu for help, but she had just sent him away—calling him back now would be far too embarrassing.