"Go away, go away, go away! What beggar are you? We're hiring shopkeepers, what are you doing here?" the waiter said, waving her away as she was covered in dirt.
"I'm here to apply. Don't judge me by my current appearance. I was robbed of my silver in town, and that's how I found my way here. But I'm literate, numerate, and can do accounts. You can have your boss test me if you don't believe me," Wu Caiwei explained calmly, knowing her current state was easy to misunderstand. Moreover, having just arrived, she needed a job to support herself.
This fabric shop was good. She had learned some things later when she was sold to a certain kind of place, and she knew what the writing in this world looked like. With experiences from so many lifetimes, deceiving them wouldn't be a problem.
The boss was a middle-aged man. He was initially dismissive upon hearing the waiter's description. Although he still conducted the interview, he had already decided not to hire her. After all, someone like her, without household registration, how could anyone know if what she said was true? It would be very troublesome to employ her.
But as soon as they interacted, he immediately changed his mind. This person was learned and talented, and also a skilled accountant. Making her the shopkeeper here was truly underutilizing her talents.
Thus, Wu Caiwei smoothly became the shopkeeper. To retain her, the boss even resolved her household registration. She was given a new name, Wu Caiping, and was said to be from a small village near the prefectural city.
To repay the boss's kindness, Wu Caiwei displayed her abilities, and soon developed the fabric shop into the largest in the prefectural city, with everyone flocking to its goods.
Consequently, the boss immediately gave her a raise. Of course, whether in ancient times or modern day, there were no shortage of people poaching talent. As soon as Wu Caiwei stepped out, she encountered another man blocking her path.
"Shopkeeper Wu, I trust you are well. I have visited you many times without progress, so I had to resort to this. I have booked a banquet at the restaurant next door and would like to have a good chat with you," Master Zhou said, bowing to her and politely inviting her.
"Shopkeeper Zhou, please don't go to such expense. When I first arrived in the prefectural city, it was thanks to your care that I could settle down here. One must repay kindness. I cannot go with you," Wu Caiwei sighed, politely declining again.
"It's alright. Master Zhou is here today simply to befriend you. Any guidance you could offer in business would be immensely beneficial. Please do me the honor," Master Zhou had no intention of recruiting her immediately. He just thought that familiarity breeds friendship. Moreover, he was quite influential and wanted to make more friends, seeking her advice in business. After all, her business acumen was extraordinary, and there were indeed many things he could learn from her.
They had a very enjoyable meal. Master Zhou adopted a humble attitude, presenting his business difficulties for her advice. Wu Caiwei's insights were always sharp and to the point, earning his deep admiration. He felt the meal was very worthwhile and wanted to build a good relationship with her, so he could consult her again when facing problems.
Wu Caiwei, on the other hand, always had a good impression of studious and humble people. Seeing Master Zhou's eagerness to learn and his modesty, she answered all his questions without reservation.
As they chatted happily, some people became uneasy. Wu Caiwei's boss, surnamed Sun, had been marveling at his own keen eye for talent for days. He was aware that others might try to poach his employee, but Wu Caiwei had always refused them directly, which pleased him greatly. He was thinking of giving her another raise soon. However, seeing her dining with Master Zhou now, did it signify any wavering on her part, a desire to work for Master Zhou?
When she understood his intentions, Wu Caiwei was a little annoyed. What did this mean? It meant he had been spying on her. She directly voiced her doubts.
"I saw many people bothering you, so I was worried and sent one or two people to follow you, just in case you needed any help," Boss Sun defended himself, feeling guilty.
"Please withdraw those people. I have no intention of leaving the Sun family for now. If I do, I will notify you immediately. Also, Master Zhou and I were merely having a friendly conversation, and I did not agree to work for him. Please rest assured, boss," Although Wu Caiwei had come to this world to avenge the original owner, she believed in repaying any help she received, even a drop of kindness, with a gushing spring. She wanted to give him another chance.
With her having said this, Boss Sun could only agree. However, as he lay in bed that night, the more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong. Why hadn't she been so close to Master Zhou before? Today, she even referred to him as a friend. This indicated that Master Zhou's strategy had been very successful. Before long, he would probably call him boss. No, he still had to send people to watch her. Those two people were too incompetent. The person he sent this time would definitely not be discovered by her.
If it were an ordinary person, wouldn't it be easy for someone with martial arts training to follow her? But who was Wu Caiwei? Although she was busy with business during the day, she had been diligently practicing every night, often meditating until dawn. Her hearing and sight were sharp. Wu Caiwei had discovered the person tailing her on the very first day.
That night, she followed behind him and saw him enter the Sun family's residence. She understood everything then. It seemed the boss truly hadn't taken her words to heart. From then on, they would be even. She no longer needed to consider him in her actions.
Master Zhou stared at the person who appeared before him, almost disbelieving his ears. "You're saying we should go into business together?"
"Yes, Shopkeeper Zhou, you are unwilling?"
"I couldn't ask for more. Please, just tell me what you need."
"Nothing else. Prepare a prime shopfront for me and five thousand taels of silver. I'll handle everything else. We'll split it fifty-fifty."
"Deal," Master Zhou agreed without hesitation. He didn't know how she had undergone such a transformation in just a few days, but a business opportunity delivered to his doorstep was not to be missed. He had already witnessed her capabilities and knew that doing business with her was guaranteed to be profitable.
"You want to leave? Is it because the money I offered was too little? I can increase it. As long as you agree to stay, the entire shop will be yours to manage from now on, and I won't interfere," what was coming was inevitable. Boss Sun had known this day would come. Regardless, he had to make her stay.
"That's not the reason. I told you before, boss, that I had no intention of leaving for now, but you distrust me too much and sent people to follow me. Since you don't trust me, we should part ways soon,"
Boss Sun never expected that her reason for leaving would be this. If he had known she was so sensitive, he wouldn't have provoked her. What should he do now? If gentle means didn't work, he would resort to force. Did he really think any merchant could arrange household registration for her? Too naive. He had powerful backing.