Chapter 38: The Shen Nong Escort Agency

Chapter 38

The Shen Nong Escort Agency

After discovering she was pregnant, Nie Shuang made every effort to take good care of her health. She calculated that her due date would likely coincide with the opening of her tea house, so she needed to prepare everything in advance. She was on her way to becoming one of the busiest pregnant women ever.

The agent took her to see several locations for the tea house. On the commercial street, there was a leather goods shop that had recently gone out of business, but after seeing the place, she wasn’t impressed. The building was too old, and there was a lingering unpleasant odor. Another place was located on a prime corner, but it didn’t feel right for the peaceful and tranquil tea house she envisioned. The agent disappeared for a few days and finally returned with another property to show her.

This place was farther from the commercial street, a wooden house previously rented by a painter who used it to sell his artwork. Since the town was home to many officials and scholars, his paintings had always attracted patrons. He eventually became well-known, so he decided to move to the capital for greater opportunities.

Nie Shuang liked the atmosphere of the place. The house stood alone at the end of the commercial street, beyond which lay the road leading to Kang Wang’s palace. The back of the house bordered a river, lined with willows whose branches gracefully draped into the water. In front of the house stood a pear tree, which would bloom with pure white flowers in the spring. As she gazed at the house, she began imagining how she would decorate it.

The house had originally been the painter’s residence, with only the front area used to display his artwork. He hadn’t yet moved out; the floor was cluttered with chests full of painting supplies and rolls of paper. He greeted Nie Shuang with warm courtesy, and when she asked to see his paintings, he eagerly unrolled them for her. They got along well, and she shared her plans to turn the house into a tea house where scholars could gather to recite poetry and admire paintings. When she expressed interest in purchasing some of his artwork, he was more than happy to sell it to her at a friendly price.

"The more I know that you will open a tea house, the more pleased I am to have my paintings display here. If scholars one day talk about my work, I would be satisfied."

Though he knew his paintings could fetch a higher price in the capital, every artist desires recognition for their work. Hearing such praise from a beautiful woman only spurred him on, and he gifted several of his finest pieces to her. Even though Nie Shuang didn’t fully grasp the value of the paintings, she couldn’t help but smile widely. She agreed to purchase the house without haggling. As they left the house, the agent excitedly remarked,

"Lady Boss, you’re remarkable. Normally, Young Master Li wouldn’t sell his paintings to just anyone, but he gave you so many like they were gifts. Do you know how much each of his works is worth!?"

Nie Shuang didn’t seem to care.

"I’m no expert in art, but I found his paintings to be beautifully done, so I wanted to decorate the tea house with them. The value of the paintings is not my concern."

Da Shi, who was carrying the box of rolled paintings, became extra careful, knowing their worth.

When they returned to the manor, Yan Zhan, the head guard, requested an audience with her, looking extremely nervous.

"Lady Boss, I have something to ask your opinion on."

"Go ahead."

"Well...some of the local children have come asking to learn martial arts from us. Since we have free time right now, we thought if we trained them, they might become valuable assets for you in the future. In fact...if you would allow it, we’d like to revive the protection agency here."

Yan Zhan had been considering this for a while. The city currently had no protection agencies of its own; most of the guards who passed through were from other cities. He didn’t hope for anything grand, just something that could sustain itself in Huangjing City without burdening the Lady Boss. Nie Shuang pondered this for a moment, prompting him to quickly explain further.

"We wouldn’t impose on you at all. We just need to use the courtyard for training."

Nie Shuang smiled and said,

"I’m not refusing. I was just thinking that if you want to establish a proper protection agency, we need to plan carefully. This mansion is quite large. How about we convert the west wing where you all stay into the agency and training hall? We can lock the door separating it from the main house for privacy, and you could build a separate entrance for the protection agency."

Yan Zhan immediately knelt down.

"I wouldn’t dare trouble you to that extent. We were only thinking of training the children for now. Whether or not we establish a full agency can be decided later."

"It’s no trouble at all. Let’s go ahead and make the necessary arrangements. Even if the agency doesn’t fully materialize, the west wing will be under your care."

"Yan Zhan and the others will give our all to this protection agency. May I ask, Lady Boss, what we should name it?"

Nie Shuang was not particularly gifted at naming things. After a moment of thought, she replied,

"Let’s call it Shen Nong."

Da Shi, eager as always, quickly added,

"In that case, I’ll find someone to build the new exit for the west wing and order a sign for the agency. Lady Boss, should we hire a clerk to handle the accounts once we’re open?"

Nie Shuang smiled, satisfied with his initiative.

"For now, Yan Zhan can handle the accounts since there are no customers yet. Once we start getting business, we can hire a clerk. And don’t forget, Da Shi, I’ll be opening the tea house soon, which will require hiring many people. We can bring someone on board who can assist with the agency as well."

Da Shi agreed and quickly set off to handle the tasks.

Before long, news of the Shen Nong Protection Agency’s opening spread throughout Huangjing City. Locals began bringing their children to be trained in martial arts, and merchants who were in town for trade started inquiring about prices. Yan Zhan and his team, with years of experience escorting goods, handled the inquiries with confidence, earning the trust of many merchants. Moreover, the agency offered discounted rates during its grand opening. Naturally, the discount was Nie Shuang’s idea. A sign was placed in front of the agency, offering a twenty percent discount to new customers.

Yan Zhan and his men were well-trained, disciplined, and loyal. Yan Zhan was also strict with his subordinates, ensuring that they worked diligently to ease the burden on Lady Boss. They put in great effort and even helped merchants’ workers carry goods at times. The merchants who used their services were very pleased, and soon became regular customers. Before long, demand for their escort services grew to the point that there were not enough guards to meet the needs.

Nie Shuang posted a sign for recruiting clerks, without restricting gender, only requiring literacy. As for bookkeeping, she intended to train them herself. Many men and women applied, attracted by the high wages she offered. Most of the male applicants were already clerks at various shops and looked down on the women who applied, assuming they would be chosen. However, when Nie Shuang conducted the interviews, she selected four young women instead.

Xiao Tong, seeing this, was surprised.

"Young Furen, why didn’t you hire the male clerks? They have experience in bookkeeping. Wouldn’t they be better suited?"

"If I hired male clerks, wouldn’t that cause tension with the local businesses? Besides, they are used to working in shops and would likely bring old habits here, which wouldn’t be suitable for the training I intend to give. It’s better to hire these young women. They are grateful for the opportunity and will value it highly. Except for me, no one else hires women as clerks, so they wouldn’t be tempted to leave and work elsewhere."

Xiao Tong was impressed and praised her Young Furen, saying,

"What a pity I can’t read or write. Otherwise, I’d help lighten your load."

"Xiao Tong, you and Xiao San hold positions no one else can replace. It’s fine if you don’t know how to read or write, but if you want to learn for your own knowledge, I won’t stop you. What matters most is your loyalty and the trust we share. Don’t worry about anything else."

Nie Shuang comforted the girl. By this time, the evening had come, and Xiao San brought in a cup of medicine. Noticing that the Young Furen had hired four clerks, she couldn’t help but ask,

"You hired four clerks at once?""Mm, in case we need replacements. A strong bookkeeping system is the heart of any business. We can’t afford to be without a bookkeeper. I’ll need time to train them, and by the time they’re ready, I’m not sure how many will stay."