The Reborn Legitimate Daughter is Frivolous - Chapter 32

Murong Qing spoke smoothly and confidently, like a seasoned businesswoman, which made Shopkeeper Wu look at her with growing admiration.

“I think we can try opening a jewelry shop in the south of the city first and see how it goes,” she said.

Shopkeeper Wu smiled. “It seems the young lady already had this idea on her very first day at Jewel Zhai.”

Murong Qing shook her head. “I’m just getting started. There are still many things I need to ask Shopkeeper Wu about.”

After exchanging a few polite words, the two continued their discussion.

Inside the shop, the clerks were busy welcoming customers. In the jewelry pavilion, Liuli and Qingbi were quietly studying the ledgers, while Murong Qing and Shopkeeper Wu talked about opening a new branch in the side courtyard.

Everyone was focused on their own work, not disturbing one another.

Shopkeeper Wu usually led an easy life at the jewelry house—he only needed to record the day’s profits and losses before closing. The shop had been stable for years, and the daily earnings hardly changed.

But now that Murong Qing had new ideas, Shopkeeper Wu knew things were about to get busier.

In truth, he didn’t mind. A steady, uneventful life wasn’t really his nature; he enjoyed the challenges of business. He had only stayed put all these years because of Murong Jie.

Now, with Murong Qing’s arrival and her unexpected initiative, the spark inside him was rekindled.

No matter how things turned out, life at Jewel Zhai would no longer be dull.

After a long discussion, they decided to open a branch in the south of the city—a “jewelry shop” connected to their main store in the west. But they still needed to carefully study the location.

“Even though the south of the city isn’t very prosperous, there are always places with lots of people,” Murong Qing said.

Shopkeeper Wu nodded. “After lunch, I’ll go there myself to scout around, find a suitable spot, and ask about prices.”

“Then I’ll trouble you with this matter, Shopkeeper Wu.”

“The young lady is too polite,” he said with a smile.

Murong Qing was grateful. It was fortunate that Jewel Zhai had such a capable and trustworthy shopkeeper—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to handle everything alone.

Shopkeeper Wu was an experienced and loyal man, and Murong Qing felt completely at ease leaving the task to him.

When it was almost lunchtime, Murong Qing shared a few more of her ideas and requirements, then sent him off.

She stood up, stretched lazily, and walked over to the jewelry pavilion.

Liuli was studying the ledger seriously, and even Qingbi was concentrating so hard that neither of them noticed Murong Qing enter.

Murong Qing saw that the second ledger was almost complete—by Shen hour, all three books would likely be done.

When Qingbi finally looked up and saw her, she gasped softly and stood at once. “Miss, you’re back.”

“Miss,” Liuli echoed respectfully, standing beside her.

Murong Qing nodded and stepped closer to the table. “How’s the bookkeeping going?”

“I’m already on the third ledger,” Liuli said.

“Have you found any problems?”

Though Murong Qing trusted her, she still liked to double-check for peace of mind.

“There’s nothing wrong with the records, miss. Please rest assured.”

Murong Qing had expected as much. She nodded. “Each ledger represents one year’s profits and losses. You’ve looked through two—did you notice any big differences?”

Liuli thought for a moment. “No, miss. Everything’s been stable. The earnings from the past two years are about the same.”

Murong Qing wasn’t surprised. If they opened another jewelry house in the south of the city and business stayed this stable, profits might not be impressive. That was probably why Shopkeeper Wu had hesitated earlier.

She had only visited the south once, but she remembered how quiet it was—so quiet that she’d wandered into an empty alley just to find a glass-seller.

It was at the end of that alley where the old matchmaker lived. Hardly anyone knew she was there.

Murong Qing wondered how Shui Xinting had ever found that place in her previous life.

Then another thought crossed her mind. If Shui Xinting could buy a clever maid from the south back then, would she still do the same in this life?

“Liuli,” Murong Qing suddenly asked, “were you sold to the matchmaker by your parents?”

Most women at the matchmaker’s house had been sold by their families—either because their parents were too poor or because daughters were seen as less valuable in this patriarchal era.

Liuli was startled by the question but answered honestly, “No, miss. I’m an orphan. The matchmaker found me and took me in.”

“So you’ve been living with her in the south of the city?”

“Yes,” Liuli said quietly.

Murong Qing nodded. It seemed Liuli had met few people besides the matchmaker and the other girls there. She had been bullied because of her stubborn nature, and no one wanted to help her.

In other words, Shui Xinting’s decision to buy Liuli had been pure chance.

If things didn’t change in this life, Shui Xinting would surely go south again soon to buy another maid who was good with numbers.

By Murong Qing’s calculations, that should happen within the next two or three months.

If her guess was right, Shui Xinting probably had a shop of her own in the capital too—though she must have kept it well hidden, perhaps even from Murong Jie.

After all, Murong Qing’s jewelry house was part of her mother’s dowry, so it was natural for her to manage it. But Shui Xinting, though also from a noble family, was just a concubine’s daughter.

In the eyes of the nobility, merchants were vulgar, tainted by the smell of money—so it was unlikely that Shui Xinting’s dowry included a shop.

If she really had bought one secretly, and Murong Jie found out, it would cause a huge scandal.

The general’s concubine secretly running a business? That would surely make him a laughingstock at court.

Thinking about all this, Murong Qing suddenly understood why Liuli often disappeared in her past life, and why Murong Jie had no idea she even existed. It all traced back to that secret.

Murong Xue, Shui Xinting’s daughter, must have known too—they were always of one mind. After all, Shui Xinting’s secret business would benefit them both.

For now, Murong Qing decided to wait and see. The truth would come out eventually.

“I just looked around,” she said at last. “There’s a small courtyard next to the jewelry pavilion—it’s a kitchen, and there are still some ingredients left. We can use them to make lunch.”