CHAPTER 602: CHAPTER 602: DU FAMILY MATTERS RESOLVED

Aunt Gu of the Gu Family is a perceptive person; knowing her parents had such concerns, she had already told her that what she admired was her character, not her family background.

She also deliberately mentioned Brother Ping’s temperament. Brother Ping is too honest and too soft-hearted, which is why he needs a wife like her to safeguard the family enterprise. Otherwise, no amount of silver would be enough due to his tendency to be overly compassionate.

After hearing what Gu Daya said, Mo Qinzi’s worry was completely alleviated, and she used these words to comfort her own parents.

After hearing this, Mo Kui and his wife felt relieved and were even more grateful to the Qi Family: "The Qi Family are good people, we really ought to treat the Qi Family even better."

Mo Qinzi smiled. Her family was already treating the Qi Family well, and it was not appropriate for one side in a marriage alliance to overdo favors.

However, Mo Kui and Ms. Zhang didn’t care; they felt that they were marrying above their station and should be especially nice to the Qi Family. When they turned around and saw Mo Xiangming and Gu Dewang brothers eating Fried Crispy Pork, they immediately scolded: "Xiangming, you’re already so grown up yet still snatching food with Brother Wang, come help with work right away."

Such a thoughtless thing, his family was here to help, not to just eat.

"Coming." Mo Xiangming chewed on the crispy meat as he ran to the well in the courtyard to join his parents in washing dishes.

Upstairs in the accounting room, Jin’an, Jinli, and the Qi siblings were tallying up today’s restaurant earnings. After deliberating for over an hour, they finally finished calculating the accounts.

"We sold over eight hundred dishes, plus two high-quality banquets, with a gross profit of seventy-eight taels. After deducting costs, the net profit is forty-eight taels, and after accounting for the cost of meals given away and free pastries, we still made a profit of twenty silver taels! Originally, we thought we would be at a loss, but unexpectedly, we made so much," Kang Le was surprised to learn that running a restaurant could be so profitable, especially since they earned so much in just half a day.

Kangming smiled and said: "Your restaurant only operated for half a day. If it were open for a whole day, and after deducting the costs of gifts, returns, and hosting congratulatory guests, the income could reach over a hundred taels a day."

A town restaurant making this much in a day was truly outstanding, even better than the business at Fugui Building.

He was very happy for his siblings. With this restaurant, their latter years were secure. Particularly for his sister, who after being sold into a brothel, has resolved not to marry. For a woman who didn’t marry, not having any property could lead to hardship.

Kangping was so excited that he hardly knew what to say: "How, how did we earn so much?"

Jinli teasingly replied: "Cousin, do you think it’s a lot? Not at all, in the future you need to buy jewelry for your wife, raise children, and save for their wedding expenses. This amount of income is not much at all."

When Kangping heard this, his face flushed and he stammered embarrassingly: "Xiao Yu, you’re just a child, don’t, don’t talk about these things."

Though he meant to lecture, his words lacked any force, making Jinli burst into laughter.

Unable to stay any longer, Kangping quickly said: "You, you guys rest, I’ll go help in the kitchen, dinner should be ready."

Upon hearing this, Jinli teased again: "Big cousin, are you going to meet your future wife?"

Mo Qinzi’s family was indeed busy in the kitchen.

Kangping felt it awkward either to leave or not to leave.

Kangming, smiling, pulled him down to sit and said: "Brother, you should be braver. You can’t get anxious just because Xiao Yu teases you. You’re going to be the shopkeeper of a restaurant; it’s a job that requires welcoming and accommodating all sorts of people. You need to thicken your skin, otherwise, you won’t be able to run a restaurant."

Hearing this, Kangping, recalling his mother’s words to him, braced himself and sat down.

Gu Jinli did not tease him further, but instead counted the congratulatory gifts from the guests: "Auntie brought over the red envelopes from the guests, and these red envelope money total up to three hundred and eighty taels."

Among them, three hundred taels were given by the Zheng Family, Shangguan Family, and Qi Family; the remaining sum was from Xue Mingyu, Scholar Shang, and Village Chief Shang.

Gu Jinli looked at the red envelope money and exclaimed, "The wealthy families are indeed generous. One red envelope is equivalent to our one day’s earnings. We will use this money as working capital for the restaurant, and we’ll divide the money at the end of the month."

Qi Kangle and Qi Kangping both agreed: "Okay."

"Xiao Yu, Sister Le, have you finished calculating the accounts? Hurry up and come down for dinner, we still have to go home after eating." Third Grandma shouted from downstairs.

"We’ll come down right now." After Gu Jinli and the others finished their accounting and locked the money in a chest, they left the accounting room, locked the door, and went downstairs to eat.

Since it was a meal with several families, the dinning was set up in the main hall, where the space was large enough to accommodate any number of tables.

Upon seeing them coming downstairs, Mrs. Chen quickly slipped over and asked, "Xiao Yu, how much money did you make today? Quickly, tell Aunt."

If she isn’t told, she won’t be able to sleep tonight.

Gu Dewang, holding hands with Gu Defa, were nibbling on duck legs and silently counted in their minds, sure enough, before they could count to ten, Third Grandma scolded, "Mrs. Chen, what nonsense are you asking? The restaurant belongs to Sister Le and the others, what’s it got to do with you? Is it your place to ask? Do you still want to eat? If not, go home, don’t stand here and be an eyesore."

Mrs. Chen, having been scolded, laughed and said, "Third Aunt, I was just asking casually. How could I go home on such a festive occasion? I should stay here and join you all for the meal."

The restaurant had good dishes, mostly meat, and it would be a big loss not to eat.

"Then stop asking and come eat!" Third Grandma scolded without any pleasantries.

Everyone was used to Mrs. Chen being scolded by Third Grandma and didn’t find it unusual, and soon, everyone sat down to eat.

After a joyful meal, everyone set off to go home.

Unfortunately, Qin San Lang and Luo Wu couldn’t join everyone for the meal.

"I wonder how things are going in Chen Village? Miss Du from the Du Family must not come to any harm," Third Grandma was worried and had been waiting to find out what happened with the Du Family.

But Qin San Lang and the others didn’t return that evening, and it was not until the next evening that they came back to the village and told them about what happened at the Du Family.

"Du Qian’s daughter is tougher than her father, she took a knife and fought desperately against Chen Gou and his men. Although she got injured, she managed to hold on until we arrived. Uncle Jiang Jiao charged into Du Qian’s house on horseback, knocking down several of the hooligans surrounding the place before rushing into the house to rescue the miss."

Though the three young ladies were disheveled, they were safe and sound, which was a fortunate outcome amidst the misfortune.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinli stared at Qin San Lang and asked with a smiling face, "So Uncle Jiang Jiao was the first to rush in, and you guys didn’t go in? Didn’t see anything you shouldn’t have seen?"

If the rescue had turned into a dramatic scandal, that would have been really messy.

Although she asked with a smile, Qin San Lang felt somewhat fearful, always feeling that if his response did not satisfy her, it would end very badly for him.