Chapter 197: A New Branch

Chapter 197

A New Branch

Before traveling to the border, Nie Shuang had already assigned others to manage the tea house, so she now had plenty of time to spend with her children. Not only did Song Qilin return home to sleep every night, but whenever he had free time, he would take her and the children to explore Hubei City and the surrounding areas. The townspeople became accustomed to seeing the grand procession of the General’s family, often accompanied by the Hou and Elder Furen, along with a large group of nannies and maids. It resembled a small army. The Young Furen, a beautiful woman from the capital, always attracted attention when she walked outside. The General, who carried his children in both arms, always had to keep his eyes on his wife and walked closely beside her, much to the townspeople’s delight.

The General was seen as a hero by the locals, and Nie Shuang, being naturally sociable, frequently engaged in conversation with everyone she met. It didn’t take long before she had many acquaintances in the city. The locals only knew her as the General’s wife with six children of two generations of triplets, a story that became widely talked about. They had never seen a woman give birth to so many children at once. Some even approached her, asking if she could bless them with children by touching their bellies. Seeing the hopeful expressions of these young women, Nie Shuang didn’t refuse, and over time, rumors spread that the General’s wife had the miraculous power to grant children.

No one knew that she was the owner of the Xiangyun Tea House. Aside from poor-quality white tea, which wasn’t very popular here, the locals had hardly ever tasted other kinds of tea. Nie Shuang decided she would open a new branch of Xiangyun Tea House in Hubei City. She hired local agents to find a suitable location, but she still hadn’t found the right person to help manage the shop. She would stay in Hubei for only six months each year, after which she would return to the capital. She needed someone she could trust and who was highly capable.

Nie Shuang mentioned her plan to her husband, and the very next day, he sent someone to the house—a young, discharged soldier with a clean and proper appearance, though he had a slight limp when he walked. His name was Qing De. After talking to him, Nie Shuang was quite impressed. He was literate, detail-oriented, but perhaps a bit too honest, which made her worry that he might not handle problems with enough flexibility. Nonetheless, she was willing to give him a chance and sent him to Manager Liu in the capital for further training.

Nie Shuang wasn’t in a hurry, so she continued to patiently search for both the right people and the right location. One day, while taking the children out for a stroll in the city, Xiao Hua Hua, who was being carried by a nanny, spotted a sugar figurine vendor and sweetly pointed it out to her grandmother, pleading softly.

"Hua Hua wants some."

Her big round eyes filled with hope as they looked up at her grandmother. Xu Shi couldn’t bear to disappoint her precious granddaughter, but she still glanced over at her daughter-in-law.

"Of course, darling. What shape would you like?"

Xiao Hua Hua’s round face lit up like a small, radiant flower, warming Xu Shi’s heart. The little girl didn’t answer the question, but kept repeating, ‘Hua Hua loves Grandma,’ which made Xu Shi beam with pride. She almost told Xiao Hua Hua that she could buy as many sugar figurines as she wanted, but seeing her daughter-in-law stopped her just in time.

Not wanting to be outdone, the Hou stepped forward and offered,

“Hua Hua, is there anything else you want? Grandpa will buy it all for you.”

But Xiao Hua Hua wasn’t listening, as she had already dashed toward the sugar figurine stall. The Hou watched his granddaughter with a disappointed look, wishing Hua Hua would say she loved him too. Seeing their sister take the lead, Bao Bao and Bei Bei squirmed to get down from the nannies’ arms to chase after her, but Nie Shuang had firmly instructed them not to let the children out of their sight in crowded places. Hence, the nannies carried them to the stall. The little ones, who could already talk, started excitedly shouting over each other with their orders.

“Bao Bao wants a horse!”

Bao Bao leaned so far toward the stall that Xiao Tong, who was holding him, nearly lost her balance. He was heavy and strong, and Xiao Tong could barely hold him up anymore. Bei Bei, in the arms of another nanny standing nearby, raised a hand to cover his brother’s mouth before turning to the vendor and saying,

“Lion...”

The little boy said in a composed voice, looking at the vendor with his stern eyes. Meanwhile, Xiao Hua Hua pushed her face forward, her expression sulky.

“Hua Hua came first! Make a dragon for Hua Hua first.”

The vendor, looking at the three demanding children, decided to make the cute little girl’s request first. The other three younger siblings, held by their parents, were curiously watching, but they were too young, so Nie Shuang hadn’t allowed them to eat sweets yet. The children watched as the vendor skillfully twisted the molten sugar and used iron scissors to shape it into a dragon. Their round heads, covered in soft, fine hair, turned in unison to follow the vendor’s hands, their wide eyes filled with awe. Little mouths hung open unknowingly, with Bao Bao even drooling, prompting Xiao Tong to dab his mouth with a handkerchief. Before long, the tiny dragon was handed to Xiao Hua Hua. She smiled sweetly, thanked the vendor, and eagerly licked it, savoring the treat. Bao Bao and Bei Bei gulped as they watched, then simultaneously turned to the vendor and shouted,

"Horse!"

"Lion!"

"Horse!"

"Lion!"

"Horse!"

"Lion!"

The sugar figurine vendor looked between the two boys, unsure of whose request to fulfill next. Bei Bei glanced at his mother and then said,

“Bao Bao is Da Ge...”

Hearing this, Da Ge’s face fell. Without a word, he accepted his defeat. His mother always reminded him that as Da Ge, he had to look after his siblings. With a sulky expression, Bao Bao stood and watched as the vendor made the lion figurine for Bei Bei. When his younger brother received his treat, he happily bit into it. Nie Shuang walked over, patted Bao Bao’s head, and praised him.

“Bao Bao, you’re a wonderful big brother. I’m so proud of you.”

Immediately, Bao Bao’s sullen face brightened. He smiled at his mother, then turned back to watch the vendor craft his horse figurine with renewed joy. The vendor, seeing what had happened, couldn’t help but feel touched and made an extra-large figurine for the young master. As a result, Bao Bao’s horse was bigger than anyone else’s.

“Young master is truly a great big brother, so I made your horse extra special.”

Da Ge beamed, feeling that being a good older brother wasn’t so bad after all.

Afterward, Nie Shuang took the children to a snack shop, intending to buy some pastries for them to enjoy at home. The meat-filled pastries from this shop were particularly delicious, and the shop owner was quite talkative. When Nie Shuang arrived, she found the shop owner chatting with a young woman who had a sorrowful expression. As soon as the young woman saw a new customer, she quickly excused herself. Once the woman had left, the shop owner turned to Nie Shuang and remarked with a sigh,

“Yu Zhen’s life is so pitiful. First, her husband dies, and now her son falls ill. It seems she’ll have no choice but to marry Boss Du.”

Upon hearing this, Nie Shuang became intrigued and asked further about the woman’s situation. It turned out that the woman in question was in dire straits. Her husband had passed away, and her in-laws, being impoverished themselves, had no intention of supporting her. With her son falling ill, they were even more reluctant to pay for his medical care, eventually casting both mother and child out. Yu Zhen, an orphan herself, found herself alone with no family to turn to. She struggled to find work to pay for her son’s treatment, but the small jobs she managed to find were not enough. Boss Du, the owner of a blacksmith shop, took a liking to her and proposed marriage, but everyone knew he was a drunkard with a violent temper. Marrying him would surely not lead to a good life.

The pastry shop owner, recalling something, eagerly asked Nie Shuang,

"Does the General’s manor need any help? Yu Zhen is hardworking and kind. She has helped me here many times during busy periods, but my shop is too small to hire her permanently. All I can do is share some pastries with her to take home."

Nie Shuang smiled, paid for the pastries, and replied to the shop owner,

"If you see her again, tell her to come see me at the General’s manor. If she is truly capable, I will hire her. As for her son’s illness, no matter what, I will cover the cost of his treatment."

The shop owner, hearing this, showered Nie Shuang with gratitude and praise, exalting her to the skies.

It seemed that Yu Zhen was truly in need of help, as the very next day, she arrived at the manor with her pale, five-year-old son in tow. Nie Shuang welcomed them, offering them seats and ordering tea and sweet drinks to be served. However, Yu Zhen and her son were too timid to touch anything. They merely sat with their heads bowed. Nie Shuang took the initiative and spoke.

"Yu Zhen, I heard your story from Lady Boss of the pastry shop. Are you willing to work for me? Regarding your son’s illness, regardless of your decision, I will have a doctor come to treat him."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhen burst into tears and quickly kowtowed in gratitude, urging her son to do the same. Nie Shuang had Xiao San stop them, then continued the conversation. She asked more about Yu Zhen’s life and learned that she had lived a difficult life since childhood. Although she had married a kind man, he had tragically passed away while still young. Despite her lack of formal education and being illiterate, Yu Zhen spoke clearly and showed good instincts and resourcefulness, likely from a lifetime of hard work. Nie Shuang saw potential in her and thought she could help run the tea house she planned to open. Being a local, Yu Zhen knew the people and places in the city well and could assist Qing De in managing the tea house.

"I’m preparing to open a tea house, and if you can help lighten that burden, I’ll entrust you with some responsibilities."

People who had never been given opportunities would often cherish and hold onto them dearly, Nie Shuang believed. Yu Zhen quickly accepted the offer.

"Thank you so much, Young Furen. I, Yu Zhen, may be uneducated, but I will do my utmost. I will never forget the kindness you’ve shown to me and my son, and I won’t disappoint you."Nie Shuang smiled and arranged for a doctor to come and treat Yu Zhen’s son. With that, the tea house branch near the northern border began to take shape.