Chapter 11: Signing the Contract and Opening the Restaurant

The two slipped out through the corner gate, sneaking away. Song Guo looked back at the woman behind her and whispered, "Miss, where is your father?"

Sheng Mingyue replied without hesitation, "First Street in the East Market."

Song Guo pondered for a moment, lowering her voice, "It wouldn't be appropriate for me to accompany you to see your father. Qingfeng Medical Hall just happens to be on First Street, so I shall wait for you there."

This was exactly what she had hoped for!

Sheng Mingyue’s eyes lit up. There was no way she would disagree, so she nodded hurriedly, "Very well, I shall do as you say, Miss Song."

Upon arriving at First Street, Song Guo kept her word and dutifully entered Qingfeng Medical Hall.

Sheng Mingyue dared not delay. She set off at a brisk pace, searching for any shops displaying "For Sale" or "For Rent" signs. Either the doors were shut tight, or the interiors were under renovation, and there was not a woman to be seen.

After a quarter-hour of fruitless searching, she finally spotted a young woman in a brocade dress at the end of the street, clutching an umbrella and arguing with a man.

"I have never met a shop owner as stubborn as you! I am paying the full amount upfront; surely you could lower the price a little? It’s not like you’ll lose a chunk of flesh!"

The man was sweating profusely, refusing to budge an inch. "This location is prime. It’s at the intersection of the First and Second Streets, with constant foot traffic. It’s perfect for a restaurant! Not a single copper less!"

The young woman stomped her feet in frustration, gritting her teeth. "Is there anyone in this world who does business the way you do? Even buying a bunch of scallions on the roadside allows for bargaining, let alone a property as large as this! This is all the money I have. If you refuse to be flexible, I won't waste any more time!"

The owner waved his hand, unwilling to continue the discussion. "Miss, you should go look elsewhere. If I weren't in urgent need of money, not even holding a knife to my throat would make me sell a shop in this location!"

"You!"

[Is this the villainous female lead? She looks like such a sweet girl; how villainous could she possibly be?]

[Anyone saying that is clearly a newcomer. Zhao Can is indeed soft and cute in the beginning, but she turns dark later and nearly wipes out the entire cast!]

[She is a major boss! By the end, only two protagonists are left alive!]

[Am I the only one wondering how the little cannon fodder found her?]

Sheng Mingyue squinted, observing the young woman not far away.

The woman looked fair and slender, with a very pretty face. Now that she had been slighted, the tip of her nose was red, which couldn't help but stir a sense of pity.

Thinking of the comments from the onlookers, Sheng Mingyue couldn't help but feel a jolt of alarm.

To think that such a dainty and naive-looking girl possessed such heaven-defying abilities...

She absolutely had to latch onto this big shot!

"How much more is she short? Will this be enough?"

Sheng Mingyue stepped forward quickly and pressed a heavy purse into the man's hand, her expression calm.

The man looked bewildered, glancing at Sheng Mingyue before opening the purse. Seeing the pouch full of gold, his eyes widened instantly. "Enough... it’s enough!"

Zhao Can looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared, taking two steps back in defense, and said in a delicate voice, "Who are you? I don't know you."

Sheng Mingyue looked at her, smiled kindly, and said softly, "I also intended to start a restaurant, but on my own, I lacked the capital. I was about to give up, but then I met you—it must be fate."

"If you don't mind, I would like to join you in this venture. You take the lion's share; I only need ten or twenty percent."

Zhao Can’s eyes were filled with wariness. Hearing this, she looked at Sheng Mingyue as if she were a complete fool. "Only ten or twenty percent? Are you willing to run a loss-making business?"

She had just caught a glimpse—that purse was stuffed with gold ingots!

This person was either plotting something or had been kicked in the head by a donkey!

Sheng Mingyue nodded, her tone gentle. "I am very busy in my daily life and won't be able to help you much; the restaurant will rely on you. I am merely providing some funds to solve your immediate crisis. Taking a ten or twenty percent cut is already me taking advantage of the situation."

"Just consider it fate that we met, and let's be friends."

Although Zhao Can remained suspicious, she desperately wanted to secure this shop. After hesitating, she made up her mind. "Fine, but you must sign a contract with me. If you run off, I won't return this money!"

Sheng Mingyue chuckled, agreeing softly, "That is fine; it will put both our minds at ease."

Secretly, she was worried Zhao Can would take the money and run!

That was more than half of her entire fortune!

The man looked between Zhao Can and Sheng Mingyue and asked urgently, "Hold off on your contract for a moment. If you've reached an agreement and the money is settled, I will go transfer the land and property deeds to you."

Zhao Can’s eyes brightened, and she spoke hurriedly, "Done, it's a deal! Owner, go ahead and handle the transfer; we two will sign our private contract."

With that, Zhao Can summoned her maid from the side and whispered, "Baozhu, you go along and watch."

"Yes."

Once the owner and Baozhu were out of earshot, Zhao Can turned back to look at the person before her.

A thin, scrawny girl.

That was her first impression of Sheng Mingyue.

Her face was delicate and pretty, and her smile was somewhat endearing, but she was so thin she looked as if she couldn't afford a proper meal. Yet, she had produced an entire purse of gold ingots—the contrast was so stark it made one suspicious.

Zhao Can scrutinized her and asked in a low voice, "What is your name?"

"Mingyue, Sheng Mingyue."

The person before her smiled meekly, and Zhao Can found it hard to associate her with a thief.

"Just call me A'Can."

Zhao Can deliberately withheld her surname, still keeping her guard up against Sheng Mingyue.

After exchanging names, Zhao Can took paper and brush from the shop's table and wrote down a few lines with a flourish. "You don't need to concern yourself with the restaurant's business; you are welcome to check the account books at any time. I don't stoop to underhanded tricks. I can guarantee a monthly profit of at least three hundred taels of silver. After deducting labor and material costs, we will split the remainder eighty-twenty."

"Can you write?"

Sheng Mingyue took the brush she offered and wrote her name neatly on the paper.

In the past, Rong Yan had held her hand, teaching her how to write her name over and over again. It finally came in handy now.

Zhao Can took the contract, blew on the ink to dry it, and tucked it into her sleeve with satisfaction. "Two copies—keep yours safe."

Once everything was finished, the stone in Zhao Can's heart finally settled. A smile appeared on her face, and she reached out to Sheng Mingyue, saying in a bold, carefree manner, "May we have a happy partnership."

Sheng Mingyue was startled. When she came to her senses, her hand was already being firmly grasped by Zhao Can and shaken up and down.

Sheng Mingyue looked at her, unable to suppress a smile, and whispered, "I will try to come by a few times a month. If there is a major issue, we will solve it together; you don't have to bear it all on your own."

Zhao Can froze, staring at her quietly, momentarily losing her reaction.

From the time she was a child, this was the first time someone had told her... she didn't have to bear it all alone...

Zhao Can pressed her pink lips together and whispered, "I know."

After parting ways with Zhao Can, Sheng Mingyue hurried back to Qingfeng Medical Hall. No sooner had she crossed the threshold than she unexpectedly met the gaze of the man sitting in the center of the hall.

Sheng Mingyue stopped in her tracks, looking at the man's refined, handsome features, and murmured softly, "Your... Your Highness..."

Rong Zhao held a smile on his lips, watching her with interest. After a long moment, he said, "My benefactor is truly becoming more and more capable."