eurekapd Chapter 223 Dock Affairs
Chapter 223 Dock Affairs
After Ji Lingfeng turned and left, Shen Cao stood quietly in the room like a statue, time seemed to stand still and pass by very slowly.
It was unclear how much time had passed—perhaps several hours, or perhaps just a short moment—but for Shen Cao, it felt like an eternity.
As the sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, casting a golden afterglow, Xiaoqiao and the others finally finished their work and hurriedly came to find Shencao.
"Sister Cao'er, are you still there?" A soft call, accompanied by rhythmic knocking, came from outside the tightly closed private room.
Although the sound was not loud, it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the long silence in the room.
Hearing the sound, Shen Cao slowly came to her senses. She opened her mouth slightly and uttered a slightly hoarse syllable: "Hmm..."
He then added, "Come in."
After receiving a response, Xiaoqiao and the others gently pushed open the door, first peeking half their bodies in to carefully observe the situation inside, and then tiptoed inside.
When they entered the room, they immediately saw Shen Cao sitting alone on the soft couch.
At this moment, Shen Cao's face was slightly pale, and her eyes revealed a hint of weariness. She looked extremely exhausted.
She silently watched Xiaoqiao and the others slowly approaching her, her gaze seemingly containing a thousand words, but in the end, she said nothing.
"Sister Cao'er, are you alright?" Xiaoqiao walked up quickly with a worried expression, her tone full of concern and worry.
Her large, watery eyes were fixed on Shen Cao, as if trying to see through her appearance to the depths of her heart.
At this moment, the people around also turned their attention to Xiaoqiao after hearing her shout.
Everyone wore the same worried expression, their eyes all fixed on Shen Cao, as if afraid of missing any sign of her emotional change.
Seeing this, Xiaoqi secretly wondered if the negotiation had failed, causing Shen Cao to be in a bad mood.
So he pretended to be nonchalant, walked briskly to Shen Cao, and gently comforted her, "Sister, don't take it too hard! It's okay that we didn't reach an agreement this time. We'll definitely meet someone more suitable in the future."
Then, as if remembering something, he patted his chest and added, "Besides, didn't we already agree that if we really couldn't find a suitable accountant, we'd let Father work hard for a while?"
Once Xiaoqiao has mastered the skills, she can take over this position.
Hearing Xiaoqi's words, Xiaoqiao nodded repeatedly in agreement, saying, "Yes, yes, Sister Cao'er, don't worry! I will definitely study hard and work even harder to master the essentials of the accounting work as soon as possible and help you share the burden." As she spoke, her tender little face was full of determination and confidence.
Looking at the sincere and heartwarming faces before her, and hearing their caring and encouraging words, Shen Cao felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
The worries and anxieties that had been lingering in my mind were instantly dispelled without a trace, replaced by a relaxed and joyful smile.
She smiled and nodded to everyone, indicating that she was alright and that they didn't need to worry too much.
She reached out and gently touched Xiaoqiao's head, who was hugging her. "Sister is fine. I just suddenly missed Big Brother and felt a little sad."
Shen Cao didn't want to burden these children with her concerns, so she made up a random excuse to brush it off.
She slowly extended her delicate, jade-like hand and gently placed it on Xiaoqiao's head, which was tightly embracing her, stroking it softly as if comforting a frightened little animal.
Then, she tilted her head slightly, revealed a faint smile, and said softly, "I'm fine, I just suddenly thought of my eldest brother and couldn't help feeling a little sad."
In fact, Shen Cao did not want to burden these innocent children with her deepest concerns and worries.
So she made up this excuse on the spot, hoping to get by quickly.
Sure enough, when the children heard Shen Cao say that she was feeling sad because she missed her older brother, they all erupted in cheers and began to comfort her.
"Sister, I miss my brother too, but we don't need to be too sad. I believe we'll see him again soon!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the other children chimed in. Some said, "Yes, yes, don't be sad, sister. When big brother comes back, he'll definitely bring us lots of fun things!"
"If you ever miss your older brother again, just tell us, and we'll go out with you to have some fun and relax!"
Some even exclaimed excitedly, "That's right! A couple of days ago, Brother Aqing took us to discover a really beautiful place. It was absolutely gorgeous!"
In an instant, the room was filled with the chatter of children, and the previously somewhat dull and oppressive atmosphere was swept away.
Just then, Xiao Qi, who was always lively and mischievous, suddenly stood up and told a very funny joke in a vivid voice.
His comical and exaggerated expressions and actions, coupled with his humorous and witty language, immediately made Shen Cao laugh so hard that she couldn't straighten her back.
"Hahahaha..." The cheerful laughter, like silver bells, echoed endlessly in the small room.
After the joke, Shen Cao's face beamed with a bright smile. She cleared her throat and then solemnly announced, "I have some good news to share! That gentleman has agreed to come and work as our restaurant's accountant!" Upon hearing this, everyone showed their delight.
Then, Shen Cao added, "Moreover, he's not only coming himself, but he'll also be bringing several capable subordinates with him. They'll be working alongside you in this restaurant, and I'm sure with their participation, our restaurant will flourish!" As she said this, Shen Cao's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Then, she smiled and continued, "I'll treat everyone to a meal another day, so you can all get to know each other better and work together more smoothly in the future." Hearing this, everyone present applauded and cheered. It was truly gratifying that the accountant's matter could be settled so smoothly.
At this moment, Shen Cao seemed to remember something important and quickly added, "Oh, right! The men that this accountant brought are all quite skilled; they all know some martial arts."
I specifically asked that gentleman if they could take some time in the coming period to teach you a few moves.
Of course, we learn these martial arts techniques not to fight with others, but simply to improve our health and build up our physique.
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of those hot-blooded young boys lit up. They were as excited as wild horses, and they couldn't wait to start practicing various moves in the room, shouting that they wanted to become martial arts masters. The scene was quite lively.
Some of the girls showed obvious disgust on their faces, and even frowned, as if they were full of resistance and difficulty about what they were about to do.
At this moment, Shen Cao smiled and advised, "We girls may not be as strong as those men, but that doesn't mean we can't learn kung fu! In fact, practicing these kung fu skills can not only strengthen our bodies and make us healthier and stronger, but they might also come in handy at crucial moments."
Seeing the girls who were still hesitant, Shen Cao continued patiently, "Of course, if you really don't want to learn, I certainly won't force you."
However, once you decide to start learning, you absolutely cannot give up halfway! And you certainly can't be like some people who are lazy and irresponsible, studying a little today and then stopping tomorrow—that won't do!
At this point, Shen Cao deliberately paused, then continued, "Because there will be a special assessment soon, and if everyone can pass it smoothly, they will receive a generous bonus!"
Sure enough, upon hearing the word "bonus," the girls who had previously shown no interest in martial arts instantly lit up with excitement.
After all, this prize money is undoubtedly very attractive to them.
However, only Shen Cao knew that she herself did not know any martial arts. The reason she let these children learn was simply to help them acquire more skills to protect their lives.
As for how effective these skills will be, even she herself is unsure. But in any case, they certainly provide an extra layer of protection for the children.
Since Ji Lingfeng and the others officially joined Baicaoyuan, Shen Cao's tense nerves could finally relax a little.
Before this, she had never imagined that Ji Lingfeng, a dignified general, would have such outstanding business acumen, no less than herself, a veteran who had been in the business world for a long time.
Surprisingly, Ji Lingfeng thought things through far more thoroughly and meticulously than she did in many matters.
Take purchasing, for example. It seems simple but is actually tedious and complicated. Shen Cao thought he had considered all aspects, but he still missed a lot of key items.
However, Ji Lingfeng always managed to plan ahead and prepare things that even Shen Cao hadn't thought of, which made her look at this general with new respect.
Meanwhile, various tasks are being carried out in full swing at the Hundred Herbs Garden.
The workers moved about busily and orderly, creating a lively and bustling scene.
Meanwhile, the construction of the dock on the other side is also progressing very rapidly and is about to be completed smoothly. However, not long ago, a troublesome incident occurred here.
The situation was quite urgent, and Shen Cao had no choice but to quickly send someone to plead with the leader of the Tiger Head Gang for help.
When those arrogant and troublemaking individuals learned that the dock was actually guarded by the infamous Tiger Head Gang, they were instantly terrified. Before Shen Cao's men arrived to suppress them, these troublemakers scattered like headless flies, fleeing in panic, fearing severe punishment if they were even a step too slow.
Shen Cao also sent a letter to Shen Yu'an and Wei Siyu some time ago, asking them to send one of them to attend the completion ceremony of the dock if they had time.
During this time, Shen Cao also accompanied the county magistrate on a tour of the dock.
The county magistrate was very happy to see the newly renovated dock.
"Miss Shen Cao, you'll have to take good care of all this!" The county magistrate said to Shen Cao, pointing to the rows of clean and tidy stalls.
That means the whole responsibility of renting out these stalls is now in your hands, and you absolutely must ensure they are all rented out next year.
Shen Cao smiled and nodded, saying that she would definitely do her best.
However, the small business owners who originally did business on the docks looked at these brand-new stalls with great concern.
They used to be able to make a little money and survive by setting up stalls here.
Although there were many merchant ships and workers coming and going at the dock, their business was only so-so.
Firstly, the food they make is generally not very tasty. Secondly, most people at the dock are willing to walk a few more steps to eat on the street because the food tastes better.
Finally, there are many people from other places at the dock, and even some foreigners, who are not used to the local food they make.
Therefore, they could only earn a meager living by selling goods at the docks each day, and didn't make much money.
They couldn't make much money to begin with, and now the government has leased out large tracts of land to a new owner, making it all so fancy and extravagant.
The rent looks expensive.
Although a small space was reserved for them, they still had to get up early to grab a good spot.
Sigh, how are these stall owners supposed to survive?!
Several stall owners recognized Shen Cao, who was standing next to the county magistrate, as the daughter of the Shen family's eatery.
They heard that Shen's Restaurant was very popular, and most of them had eaten there.
The taste was truly exceptional; if I had that skill, I could definitely make a lot of money.
Some quick-thinking people have already made plans to eat at Shen's Restaurant in the next few days.
While we're at it, let's find out what's going on with those stalls at the dock.
But some people looked at Shen Cao with a fierce glint in their eyes.
They had also heard that Shen Cao was the one who brought about the current state of the dock.
All they wanted was to make money off these small stall owners.
But they only dared to have grievances against Shen Cao in silence. The people who caused trouble a few days ago were reportedly taken away by the Tiger Head Gang and given a good lesson.
Those people haven't dared to show their faces at the docks until now.
I heard that he was taken away and silenced by the Tiger Head Gang.
In short, the rumors were extremely absurd, claiming that Shen Cao was the woman of the Tiger Head Gang leader, and that the gang leader would be the first to object to anyone who dared to provoke her.
The leader of the Tiger Head Gang was said to be a ruthless man, with a fierce and menacing appearance, so much so that even the county magistrate dared not provoke him.
Among the crowd, a woman looked at Shen Cao, who was standing in front of the county magistrate, with a fierce and resentful expression.
That shameless hussy! If it weren't for her, the county magistrate would still be her son-in-law.
Now she's hooked up with the county magistrate, and she's even trying to take away his small, profitable business.
She has to find a chance to teach him a lesson.
She clenched her fists, carried the unsold steamed buns on her back, and left the crowd of onlookers.