Chapter 152 Big Business
Gu Mingda had a gloomy face. He did not refuse on the spot, but raised his voice and said: "Do you know that your sister has a scar on the base of her right hand?"
Zhang Huiniang was stunned when she heard this and said: "Brother-in-law, that was all old news many years ago. Now my brother is exiled and my mother is missing. I am the only relative left in my sister's family. Let the past be the past."
Gu Mingda shook his head and said: "Some things are hard to get over. This scar was burned by your sister's stepmother, that is, your biological mother."
"Our two families have long been separated. I am not afraid of people saying that I despise the poor and love the rich, and I am mean to my relatives. I only know that if a man can't even protect his wife, he is not worthy of being a man."
"That... that thing was done by my mother. What does it have to do with me?" Zhang Huiniang felt very wronged.
Gu Mingda said, "Your mother scalded her because the man you liked back then liked your sister. Your mother was going to hit your sister in the face, but she blocked it and the wound fell on her hand."
"If you say it has nothing to do with you, how could your mother be so cruel if you hadn't fanned the flames back then."
This was the first time Liu Xiaoru had heard of this.
Since Zhang Hui Niang appeared, she noticed that Niuniu had been hiding in fear. She had always disliked Zhang Hui Niang, and now that she heard about this, her dislike turned into deep hatred.
She took a quick step and picked up a broom and hit Zhang Hui Niang hard.
"You have such a good sister, but you don't know how to cherish her!"
"Like father, like son, like daughter. Your mother is a black-hearted person, and you are no good either!"
"Your mother did such a thing, and you actually have the nerve to ask someone to pull you back. Bah!"
"I am my sister's family! I will always be her good sister!"
Zhang Huiniang was beaten and ran away. Seeing that she couldn't get the upper hand, she didn't pretend anymore: "Jie Yuangong beat people! Is there no law? I want to sue the officials!"
Liu Xiaoru also knew how to deal with her, and shouted: "In broad daylight, you ran to someone else's house to make a scene. Let's go to the government office and see what the county magistrate will do!"
Zhang Huiniang just shouted, she didn't dare to sue the officials at all. After all, according to Gu Mingda's familiarity with the government, she would definitely be the one who would be unlucky if she really went to the government office.
Old Lady Gu wanted to help, but Liu Xiaoru stopped her and whispered, "Aunt, I can't get involved with the Gu family if I do it alone."
Old Lady Gu didn't dare to move forward for her son's future.
Liu Xiaoru immediately turned into a broom god of war with the broom, chasing Zhang Huiniang and her family all over the yard. Not only did she drive them out of the door, she also chased them for two miles with the broom.
After Zhang Yunniang saw them go out, she immediately gave Gu Yun a look, and Gu Yun hurriedly followed.
No matter how fierce Liu Xiaoru was with the broom, she was just a weak woman. If Zhang Huiniang and her husband resisted together, she might not be a match, but with Gu Yun, she would not be afraid.
Zhang Yunniang looked at her husband with a guilty look and asked, "Husband, my sister's nonsense outside, does it affect you?"
Old Lady Gu also pricked up her ears to listen. Gu Mingda passed the imperial examination, and now the whole old Gu family is counting on him.
Gu Mingda shook his head and said, "She is just my wife's sister. If your mother is still at home, she is an elder and she could say something inappropriate that might affect me."
Zhang Yunniang couldn't help but feel lucky that her husband passed the imperial examination and the annoying elders were missing. They would not come out to hinder her. Everything was just right.
When Liu Xiaoru came back with a broom, there was another person beside her.
Shopkeeper Luo came to the door with a bunch of brocade boxes and said loudly, "Mr. Gu, stay away from the evil relatives and leave the villains. Your life will be smooth sailing in the future."
He said this to the Gu family and to the people watching the excitement at the door of the Gu family. In short, the fault of this matter lies with Zhang Huiniang, not the Gu family.
Shopkeeper Luo was welcomed into the Gu family.
"I heard from Shopkeeper Liu that the Gu family will soon go to Beijing. I came here today because I have a business to discuss." Shopkeeper Luo said with a smile.
The reason why the Gu family's braised food shop cannot be opened in Guang'an County is because of the recipe.
Braised food is only sold for one day. If it is opened in other places, there is a risk of formula leakage.
If it is only opened locally, the money that can be earned is limited.
The Gu family is now going to Beijing, and Liu Xiaoru will leave with them, so the braised food shop will not be opened again.
In order to avoid the leakage of the recipe, the method proposed by Manager Luo is that the Gu family will set up a marinade workshop, grind the seasoning in the marinade bag into powder, and sell the prepared braised food powder bags to the outside world.
In this way, the risk of exposing the recipe is greatly reduced, and the braised food shop can be opened all over the country.
But the current Gu family naturally does not have the ability to expand the business so much.
The Luo family is different.
Manager Luo and Mr. Luo both have the surname Luo. They actually have no relationship, but Manager Luo's family is a wealthy merchant for generations.
Manager Luo's great-grandfather saw that Mr. Luo, who had just passed the exam, was extraordinary, so he sponsored Mr. Luo to go to Beijing to take the exam. After passing the exam, the two families became relatives.
The Luo family has always had the habit of supporting scholars. Now that Gu Mingda has no shortage of support, Shopkeeper Luo wants to make a deal with him.
The Gu family's marinade workshop provides marinade packages, and the Luo family is responsible for opening marinade shops all over the country. The Gu family takes 20% of the profits.
This number seems low, but in fact, all the costs of opening a shop are borne by the Luo family, which is already very conscientious.
Of course, if the Gu family doesn't trust it, they can also tell the number. The Luo family is willing to pay a sum of no less than 10,000 taels of silver to buy out the recipe.
Businessmen pursue profits. From the perspective of the Luo family, it is more cost-effective to buy out the formula. The Luo family also has this idea.
But Shopkeeper Luo hopes to be connected with the Gu family by holding shares.
He is optimistic about Gu Mingda's future. He may be able to rise to prominence like Mr. Luo after entering Beijing.
"Mr. Gu, this matter is not urgent. You can think about it slowly." Shopkeeper Luo did not keep urging him. Instead, he put down the gift and stood up to say goodbye in a measured manner.
As soon as the people left, Old Lady Gu hurriedly closed the door, and then grabbed Gu Mingda and asked: "Second brother, are you selling the shop? This is at least 10,000 taels of silver!"
Gu Mingda shook his head and said: "Mother, this shop is said to be mine, but it actually belongs to Niuniu, Yunniang and Miss Liu. If we really need to decide what to do, it should be decided by them."
The reason why the shop was registered under Gu Mingda's name was to facilitate the management of various places in the county. Gu Mingda only helped to give advice occasionally, without any covetous intentions.
Old Lady Gu was slightly stunned, and then suddenly realized that even though her son had passed the imperial examination and his status was different, he was still the same person. Others abandoned their wives and children after becoming successful, but Gu Mingda still put his family first.
Old Lady Gu knew that her son had big ideas. Since he said so, she swallowed the words like "husband and wife are one" and turned to ask Zhang Yunniang: "Yunniang, 10,000 taels of silver is not a small amount. What do you think?"
Zhang Yunniang looked at Liu Xiaoru and Niuniu.
Liu Xiaoru said directly: "What Manager Luo wants to buy is the recipe, not the shop. What does it have to do with me? Sister and Niuniu can discuss it."
If the 10,000 taels of silver were really distributed according to the share of the braised food shop, Liu Xiaoru could get 3,000 taels. No one present expected that she would not want so much money.
Second update