Chapter 283: Send to See the Official

The shopkeeper looked at Jiang Xiaoxiao's plain clothes with full disgust.

Yu'er on the side couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward: "Shopkeeper, how can you be like this? The little girl just wanted to see the face powder you are selling. What kind of attitude is this?"

"What kind of attitude?" The shopkeeper said unconvinced, "My Meirenzhai is not a place anyone can enter. Any box of powder inside starts at five taels of silver. Can she afford to pay if she breaks it? She is just a rural girl; letting her come in and take two looks is already my generosity."

"Hmph, what's so great about a shop like yours? We won't buy it!" Yu'er was so angry that she pulled Jiang Xiaoxiao and wanted to leave, "Xiaoxiao, let's go, let's not be the same as this kind of person, let's go to another shop and take a look."

Yu Ying'er on the side looked at them triumphantly, with a gloating smile on her face: "I say Yu'er, this is your fault. This Meirenzhai is the most famous rouge and powder shop on Central Imperial Street. The powder inside is precious and incomparable, naturally not something that any cat or dog can touch at will."

Her belittling tone was full, which made the shopkeeper on the side raise his chin even more arrogantly.

Jiang Xiaoxiao laughed out of anger.

This Yu Ying'er was really a bird of a feather with this kind of shopkeeper who looked down on people, which was disgusting.

"Cats and dogs?" Jiang Wei's cold voice rang out.

"I didn't know that coming back to see my own shop would be mocked by the shopkeeper and customers in the shop."

As soon as these words came out, the few people in the shop were stunned.

What did this mean?

What did it mean by her own shop?

Jiang Wei ignored the eyes of everyone looking at her, walked straight to Jiang Xiaoxiao, took her little hand, handed the shop contract in her hand to her, and said clearly word by word:

"Xiaoxiao, Mother will leave this shop, Meirenzhai, to you to manage from now on. You can keep whatever you like, and whatever you don't like, just drive them out like cats and dogs."

"Okay, Mother." Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded her little head, a sweet smile appearing on her small face.

Hearing Jiang Wei's words, the shopkeeper on the side showed shock.

He suddenly remembered one thing: not long ago, he received news that the owner of this Meirenzhai had been imprisoned, and the owner of the shop had been changed to someone else.

Could it be...

His gaze fell on the contract with the official seal, and the shock on his face gradually turned into horror.

Yu'er on the side still didn't understand: "What do you mean?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the shopkeeper darkened his old face, his tone still carrying a hint of luck: "May I ask who the two are—"

"That's right, just as you thought." Jiang Xiaoxiao puffed out her chest and showed the contract clearly in front of him, sneering, "I am the owner of this Meirenzhai."

That hint of luck in his heart was instantly extinguished.

The shopkeeper's legs went soft, and he almost didn't stand still and knelt down with a thud.

"Why don't you take another look? This has the seal personally stamped by Cishi Xie." Jiang Xiaoxiao shook the clear words on the contract and sneered.

"No, no..."

The shopkeeper's voice was trembling, and fine sweat had already seeped out on his forehead. He shook his head in a panic, his voice trembling: "I, I didn't know the little owner came today. If there was any poor reception, I, I hope you will forgive me..."

He finished his sentence stumbling, and his address to Jiang Xiaoxiao had already changed.

And Yu Ying'er, who heard this "little owner," froze in place instantly.

The triumph on her face had not yet faded, and with this shocked expression, it looked ridiculous and funny.

It was Yu'er on the side who was surprised and happy: "Xiaoxiao, is this Meirenzhai yours?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded proudly: "Yes, my mother and I came to Xuzhou this time to see how these shops are operating and what the situation is."

Jiang Wei raised her hand and knocked on her head, pointing to the shopkeeper on the side, "Do serious business."

Jiang Xiaoxiao then put away her thoughts of chatting with Yu'er and turned to the shopkeeper: "Then can I look at the face powder inside now?"

"Yes, yes! Of course you can!" The shopkeeper crawled behind the cabinet, picked out the largest box of face powder, and handed it to Jiang Xiaoxiao fawningly.

Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't take it, just opened the lid, twisted a little of the white paste powder with her finger, and sniffed it lightly in front of her nose.

Sure enough, it was white lead.

And the content was huge.

Most of the makeup powder used by ancient people was new powder made of new rice, mixed with some delicate lead powder, so that it would look white when applied to the face. The amount was small, and although it was harmful, it wouldn't kill people.

But this box of face powder was face grease made of white lead into a paste, dried of moisture, and ground into powder. The whitening effect was excellent, but if used frequently, the face would definitely be disfigured within two months!

Her expression darkened, and her tone carried a hint of coldness: "You use this white lead to fool customers?"

The shopkeeper didn't want her to smell the white lead inside as soon as she smelled it, so he hurriedly defended: "I, we also follow the original channels to purchase goods, and don't know there is so much white lead inside..."

"From now on, lip rouge and powder containing white lead are not allowed to appear in Meirenzhai!" Jiang Wei said directly.

She looked at the only two little girls in the shop and said again: "Bring the account book of the shop."

The two little girls were twin sisters who worked in the shop, responsible for cleaning the shop, and usually did the dirtiest and most tiring work, but their daily wages were only a few wen.

Hearing that the real owner of the shop wanted to check the account book, they nimbly went to get it.

The shopkeeper on the side was already trembling.

Ever since he heard that the original owner of the shop was imprisoned, he had some improper thoughts and began to make fake accounts, privately embezzling a lot of silver. If he was checked...

Jiang Wei flipped through the account book, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter. She simply pointed to the box of face powder and asked: "How much does this box of face powder sell for in the shop?"

The two little girls answered obediently: "The shopkeeper sells it to customers for thirty taels of silver a box."

"Then this box of eyebrow powder?"

"Selling for fifteen taels of silver a box."

"Lipstick paper?"

"Five taels of silver..."

Jiang Wei asked further, and her brows furrowed tighter.

Asking to the end, she had no patience left, turned and put down the account book forcefully, and said coldly: "Send to see the official; this account doesn't match at all."

The shopkeeper was so scared that he knelt on the ground with a thud, shouting injustice.

Mr. Bai, who hadn't said a word since entering the door, couldn't stand it anymore, stepped forward and kicked the shopkeeper in the chest, kicking him until he rolled twice on the ground.

He was cheated by a business partner making fake accounts when he was doing business before, and now he hated such people the most.

"Lady Jiang, don't talk nonsense with this kind of person, just send him to the government office and give him a few boards, and he will be honest!"

"I was wrong! I will never dare again..."

Seeing that several people were really going to take him to the government office, the shopkeeper finally became afraid and hurriedly reported all the corruption he had gained in these few months. ===== CHAPTER 284 =====