Business Was Booming
Dianjiang nodded. "Master Xu and Madam Xu are very Gao Xing and say that the young master and his family are welcome to visit anytime. Young Master Xu and Miss Xu are also at home."
Zhao Ruxi then said to Zhao Jingli, "If you want to look at the painting, just take a look and leave. Don't waste time and keep people waiting."
She instructed Dianjiang, "Take them to see it."
Paintings shouldn't be kept rolled up and stored in scrolls for long periods, so Zhao Ruxi followed Kang Shilin's example and turned the west wing into a painting room, taking the paintings out to hang them from time to time. If Zhao Jingli wanted to see them, he didn't need to go through any trouble; he could simply go to the west wing.
The three followed Dianjiang away.
Zhao Ruxi pressed down the painting she had just finished, washed her hands, went back to her bedroom to change her clothes, and then went to the west wing.
At this moment, the three brothers were standing in front of the painting, each with a somewhat blank expression, and the room was quiet.
"Let's go," Zhao Ruxi said as she walked in.
The three of them then snapped out of their daze.
Both Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an looked at Zhao Ruxi with very complicated expressions.
The little girl in front of them had already reached a height that was unattainable for them, while they had accomplished nothing. They felt ashamed when they thought about it.
Zhao Jingli was alright; he had long recognized Zhao Ruxi's intelligence and competence, and knew that he was far inferior to Zhao Ruxi.
Because of Lady Wei, Zhao Jing'an had always been unwilling to contact Zhao Ruxi. Even though he knew that Zhao Jingli often came to consult Zhao Ruxi, he did not have a corresponding understanding of her abilities.
As he looked at Zhao Ruxi and thought about the shock those paintings had given him, a wave of shame washed over him.
People say that "calligraphy reflects the person," and the same applies to painting.
A person who can paint such magnificent and grand paintings must have an extraordinary mind and vision; they are a figure to be admired from afar.
The thought that he had distanced himself from Zhao Ruxi because of his mother's death, and even harbored a hint of resentment, filled Zhao Jing'an with shame.
Zhao Ruxi should have grown up in luxury, pampered by her parents in the Marquis's mansion, but her mother moved her to the countryside, where she lived a life of hardship. Later, her adoptive parents passed away, and she was forced to live under someone else's roof. No matter how well her Xu Family and aunt treated her, she was destined to suffer injustice.
All of this was caused by his mother.
After Zhao Ruxi was finally brought back to the manor, her mother still wanted to torment her by marrying her off to the illegitimate son of the Wei Family in order to coerce and threaten her.
All of Zhao Ruxi's suffering was caused by his mother. The reason his mother was beheaded was entirely due to her own sins, and she deserved it; it had nothing to do with Zhao Ruxi.
Even so, he still harbors resentment towards her. Is he even human?
At this moment, Zhao Jing'an felt utterly ashamed and had no face to face Zhao Ruxi.
"Let's go." Zhao Jingli had already followed Zhao Ruxi to the door, but seeing Zhao Jing'an still standing there, his eyes full of shame, he walked back, grabbed Zhao Jing'an's arm, and pulled him toward the door.
"Brother..." Zhao Jing'an called out to him, "Maybe I shouldn't go..."
He felt ashamed to face Zhao Ruxi.
"Second brother..." Zhao Jingli interrupted him, "We need to work harder, we're far behind Fifth Sister. You should go and see how hard Brother Xu is working. You're planning to take the imperial examinations just like him, you two can exchange experiences."
Without saying another word, he pulled Zhao Jing'an outside.
Zhao Jing'an had no choice but to follow.
After taking a few steps, he hesitated and asked, "Should I ask my sixth sister to come along?"
Zhao Jingli sneered, "The Xu Family isn't far, just a few steps away; it's not like we forbid Sixth Sister from going out. But look at all this time, has she ever been to the Xu Family even once? Since she has no intention of going, wouldn't it be awkward for everyone if you asked her to go?"
Zhao Jing'an also had his own opinion on this.
He didn't say anything more and went to the Xu Family with Zhao Jing'an, Zhao Ruxi, and Zhao Jingtai.
The clan school was supposed to have a New Year's holiday, but the two teachers were very strict, believing that studying was like rowing against the current—if you don't advance, you fall behind, and you can't relax for even a day. So, except for the few days from New Year's Eve to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, classes continued as usual.
However, Xu Chongwen was at home today as it was his day off. Hearing that Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an were coming, he was already waiting in the hall with his parents and sister.
After Zhao Ruxi entered, she introduced herself to both parties.
After six months in business, not only Xu Yongyi, but also the Madam Xie had developed excellent interpersonal skills.
Since it was a rare treat for Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an to visit, the couple went to great lengths to warmly welcome them.
Zhao Jingtai had met the Xu Family several times at the Xu residence. He was grateful to the Xu Family for treating his sister well and thought they were good Xu Family, so he was quite close to them.
Worried about an awkward silence, he used his sweet tongue to greet everyone and then praised the snacks and roasted chestnuts, working with the Xu Family to create a lively atmosphere.
Zhao Ruxi patted Zhao Jingtai's head and asked Xu Yongyi, "Uncle, how's business lately?"
"Good, very good." Xu Yongyi couldn't stop smiling when he heard Zhao Ruxi ask that question.
"It's getting cold, and cold dishes aren't selling well, but roasted nuts and seeds are booming. Thanks to your suggestion to take chestnuts to the shop to roast and sell them on the spot. As soon as the aroma wafts out, passersby want to buy a pound or two to try, and the roasted nuts and seeds in the shop are selling out really fast."
In winter it snows, and in spring it might rain; if you set up a stall outside, your business will be affected.
At Zhao Ruxi's suggestion, Xu Yongyi gritted his teeth and rented several shops, opening his business directly within them.
His cold dishes and roasted chestnuts became quite famous in the fall. After opening his shop, he used the aroma of roasted chestnuts to attract customers, and business was pretty good.
He added many varieties of roasted nuts and seeds to his shop. With the Chinese New Year approaching, who wouldn't buy a few pounds of roasted melon seeds and peanuts to entertain guests? As a result, his roasted nut and seed shop was bustling with customers as the year drew to a close, with queues stretching almost out onto the street.
Xu Yongyi made a fortune from these shops.
"After those stones were taken to the shop, people would often peek inside. Luckily, the stones were all fried until they were oily and black, so you couldn't tell anything from them; you could only tell they were stones. I bet many people have tried using stones to roast peanuts and melon seeds at home," Madam Xie said with a smile.
"There's nothing we can do about it," Zhao Ruxi said. "They'll need at least six months to figure out what kind of stone it is and how to use it to roast delicious sunflower seeds and peanuts. In that six months, you can easily establish Xu's's brand. As long as you maintain the quality, keep a good reputation, and regularly add new varieties, business will be good in the future."
"Yes, we all remember your words. The chestnuts, peanuts, and sunflower seeds have all been carefully selected to ensure they are all good and plump. We wouldn't dare use inferior ingredients to make roasted nuts and seeds, lest we ruin our own reputation," Xu Yongyi said.
Zhao Ruxi smiled and said, "Uncle, then you can just wait to stay home and count your money every day."
Xu Yongyi was shrewd in business, but not overly so.
He is honest and trustworthy in business, listens to advice, and with Zhao Ruxi's ideas, his business is bound to be successful.