The Beginning of a Business Empire

Xiangbei leaned against the counter, discussing with Uncle Zhong about teaching the chefs in the kitchen later. Suddenly, Cheng Mo rushed in like a whirlwind, holding a chili pot, and dragged her upstairs in a half-pulled, half-dragged manner. They ran wildly until standing in front of the room window. Cheng Mo released her hand from the plier-like grip on her wrist, and her jade-colored wrist turned bright red.

"You're crazy! Are you trying to disable my hand?" Xiangbei stared at Cheng Mo in bewilderment. He must have been through something intense; his mental state was so unstable. This kid probably had a tough life.

"I'm sorry, I was too forceful. But how can you let him call you 'Bei Bei'? You've only known each other for a few hours. Do you really understand him? What if he's a bad person?"

"How is that possible? He won't be a bad person. I trust him." Xiangbei recalled the warm gaze of that gentleman, like a delicate orchid, resembling her father's broad smile. Regardless of being a bad person, being able to feel such a warm smile up close, even if it's just for a day, is worth it.

Cheng Mo was frustrated but didn't know what to say. Seeing Xiangbei continuously rubbing her hands, he immediately reached over to check. A circle of red had already turned into a bruise, leaving him at a loss for words. Xiangbei shook her head, took out the chilies from the pot, and looked at Cheng Mo seriously.

"Lord Cheng, I'm very grateful to you and Uncle Zhong for saving me. I will provide various new recipes for the restaurant, regardless of quantity. As long as it benefits the restaurant's development, I will propose them for Uncle Zhong to decide. This includes the sugar recipe you want. But I really hope you focus on your own matters and don't keep staring at my manners, principles, gender boundaries, or my rustic lifestyle. I'm a mountain person, not a refined lady. I have our way of living, and I have to make a living for my family. I still have customers waiting for me. Please don't keep interrupting my work with sudden storms, okay?" Saying this, she walked upstairs to find Qiao Er, pulling out the chili stems along with seeds and quietly placing them in the open space by the water.

She pushed open the private room door, and there was Qiao Ziqiu writing something at the window. Hearing the movement, he put down his pen, smiled, and stood up to greet her. "Bei Bei is here. Come and have a look. This is the cooperation contract I drafted. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to bring them up." The sunlight behind him created a golden outline, and his gentle smile carried the warmth of a spring afternoon, smoothing out all the anger and frustration stirred up by Cheng Mo.

"The person described in 'Like Jade on the Horizon, a gentleman beyond compare' must be this warm," thought Xiangbei, walking into the warm sunshine. She approached the table, looked at the calligraphy filled with the same warmth, two thin sheets of paper, neatly written regular script with the depth and thickness polished by years. The content was concise: South-North Trading Company, half partnership, Xiangbei's ingenuity, Qiao Ziqiu's investment, a fixed payment of five hundred taels, the contract taking effect immediately. Heh, it's straightforward.

"Brother Qiao, half is too much. I only contributed ideas; the actual production will require repeated trials. I don't know how much it will cost. How about a 70-30 split? I take 30%, which is already a lot."

"No need to say more. I know the value of your ideas. These are not just guaranteed profitable goods but will also bring changes to many people's lives. I believe you understand this yourself. If the expenses are too much, we can take it step by step. But from now on, South-North Trading Company is ours. Let's write history together. Also, Bei Bei, Brother Qiao has something to tell you now. If you have any concerns, Brother can understand."

Xiangbei just quietly looked at Qiao Er, waiting for him to slowly calm down and become firm after some hesitation and uncertainty. Qiao Ziqiu sincerely looked at her. "Bei Bei, I was born into a family of military officers. My elder brother was wrongly accused and died over a decade ago. Our family was discredited, and descendants could only travel and trade but not enter the court. Your many ingenious ideas will definitely benefit the people. So, if one day our cooperation hinders your development, you can transfer the commercial shares I hold to your father or brother at any time. I, as the store manager, will only need the silver."

"Brother Qiao, if wrongly accused, there will be a day of vindication. If for the benefit of the people, there's no need for fame. South-North Trading Company is originally for business. We will never profit for the royal family! Let's partner half and half. The new products of South-North Trading Company will start with benefiting the people. What's wrong with doing business? It's a way to profit without killing. Let's go all over the country and extend to overseas, opening up the Silk Road for South-North Trading Company."