The county yamen.
The acting magistrate had the tables, chairs, and benches set up in advance. Tea cups were placed on the table, and those invited in would have their names marked in a ledger.
Soon, everyone had arrived. At this moment, the Prince and Princess Consort arrived together, and everyone immediately knelt to pay their respects!
Fan Zehao looked down, observing people of all ages, young and old. Greed was not solely the privilege of the elderly; the young were also among them.
Perhaps, businessmen were all after profit!
After Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi sat down, they allowed everyone to rise!
With a face full of scars, he asked the people below with a smile, "It's only early spring, why are you all so hot? You're all sweating profusely!"
Everyone heard this and shook their heads, responding in unison, "No, no, it's fine, it's fine!"
It's fine?
What was fine?
Zhao Jiaqi guessed that it was only Fan Zehao who could make them speak in unison. She believed that no one else in this town could achieve this.
However, their reaction made Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao very satisfied, at least these people knew to be afraid.
The entire afternoon, the couple chatted with these businessmen. Zhao Jiaqi played the good cop, while Fan Zehao played the bad cop. They cooperated perfectly, one wielding the stick, the other offering the carrot, and the matter was handled smoothly!
Zhao Jiaqi was satisfied after hearing their statements and said with a smile, "Everyone has understood. From now on, I will be observing your performance. If any of you engage in any malpractices, then I will deal with all of you uniformly. If you cannot supervise each other, then you will all be punished together. You are all on the same boat; it's the same no matter who makes a mistake!"
Fan Zehao continued from his wife's words and added, "I will send people to investigate. The timing will be uncertain. They will inquire and investigate privately, so do not hold any侥幸心理. Otherwise, next time, it won't be a cup of tea, but a taste of the executioner's blade on your necks!"
At this, everyone restrained their behavior, appearing completely like lambs to the slaughter, and nodded in agreement: "Your humble subjects dare not!"
Fan Zehao: "Whether you dare or not is not for me to judge now; it depends on the future!"
Everyone: ...
Did the Prince not understand the meaning of their words? However, they truly believed that the Prince would send people to investigate them at any time.
Just like this time, the Prince and Princess Consort suddenly arrived and entered their own restaurant as guests. If the person sent by the Prince were to do the same, how would they guard against it?
Everyone left with this thought. The guards waiting outside saw them all intact and grinning, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death.
As for the restaurant, after Zhao Jiaqi reorganized it, she hired a seemingly honest manager and also had the magistrate investigate him privately. He was a person with a good reputation.
Based on her past experience, to make a manager truly work for her, she couldn't rely solely on trust; at least she had to let the manager profit from it.
Before the opening, she called the manager to the study and solemnly produced a contract, listing some benefits.
"These benefits are also corresponding to punishments. Ten percent of the restaurant's profit will be your reward, distributed along with your monthly salary!"
"If a guest finds anything unclean in their food, then you, as the manager, will be the first to be punished. You and the chef will jointly pay for the dishes ordered by the guest. What are your thoughts on this?"
The new Manager Li shook his head: "These conditions are very good, but I think ten percent of the profit is too much!"
This was the first time she had heard someone complain about earning too much money, but such an honest and simple person was indeed somewhat endearing.
"You are the manager of the entire restaurant, and your workload is not small, so this ten percent profit is what you deserve. The chefs will also share ten percent of the profit together. As for the waiters, if they do a good job, they will be rewarded. They will also receive items during festivals, and there will be red envelopes during the New Year. As long as you are sincere towards this restaurant, the restaurant will be sincere towards you!"
A community of interest!
Manager Li had never encountered such an owner before. Besides being moved, he was more impressed. This owner truly knew how to do business, tying all their little thoughts together. Who would be unwilling to work hard?
He feared that in the future, people would desperately try to get a job in this establishment, as the owner was willing to pay.
Everything was handled properly, and both Zhao Jiaqi and the manager received their contracts, waiting for the grand opening the next day. Now, everything was ready, only waiting for the opportune moment!
The next day, the re-opened restaurant was bustling with activity. Countless people came to support it, including some of the victims.
Although the couple did not show themselves, they had a clear view of the scene downstairs.
In the afternoon, they left quietly with the magistrate.
No one in town knew when they had left, but the events that had transpired in the town had already spread.
Especially to the other towns and prefectures bordering this small town, various places began to rectify their situations, fearing that the Prince and Princess Consort might suddenly have a whim and investigate them secretly, which would truly make them cry!
Especially at the town's city gate, any carriage carrying two men and one woman would attract particular attention. When they entered the small town and saw the situation, they understood.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhao Jiaqi chuckled, "After our little commotion, the surrounding areas are probably being cautious. Look at the patrolling yamen outside, they are all energetic, their eyes darting towards the carriages!"
Lifting the carriage curtain, Fan Zehao saw that it was indeed so outside, and there were yamen in official uniforms helping some elderly and weak people move things!
Seeing this, Fan Zehao lowered the curtain and sneered, "Did you see the surprise on the faces of those old people being helped?"
Zhao Jiaqi nodded; she had also noticed this phenomenon.
"If they were this kind to the common people normally, why would those being helped look surprised on their faces? Hmph, it's all just for show, their acting is truly nauseating!"
Zhao Jiaqi comforted him, "No matter who it's for, we won't be able to find anything out here now. We'll change our disguises later to avoid anyone recognizing our identities!"
He considered his wife's words and found them reasonable, "Alright, we'll change into three men, and then I'll buy you a servant to serve you, so you don't have to do laundry yourself!"
Zhao Jiaqi immediately rejected the suggestion: "No need. If everything is done by servants, then wouldn't I become useless!"
Mainly, she needed to personally get used to manual labor. Once all matters were settled, she would hand over the management of the prince's manor to the children and retreat to a place of seclusion.
Thinking this, she acted accordingly. Just as she turned thirty, she felt somewhat overwhelmed.
With elderly parents above and children below, and a pile of matters to handle, they had no time for themselves.
Therefore, they couldn't burden their parents; they could only burden their children. Zhao Jiaqi silently blessed her children in her heart. When they returned home, they would draw lots, and whoever drew the lot would be responsible. Anyway, they, the couple, would no longer be in charge!