flstandardbreds Chapter 94 Backer
Chapter 94 Backer
The next day, as soon as Xia Li and her companions entered the city gate, they saw a group of guards walking towards them. The leader of the group bowed respectfully and said, "Gentlemen, the city lord invites you."
The group looked at each other, bewildered: "This..."
They didn't know what the city lord meant, or whether the other party was an enemy or a friend.
Just as Xia Li was hesitating, Zhou Yan'er stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Relax, the city lord of Duzhou is my uncle."
Xia Li breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they were bound to get away no matter what. But if Zhou Yan'er was the nephew of the Duzhou City Lord, then these people were probably after Zhou Yan'er, and he was just an afterthought.
Having learned of the guards' intentions, Xia Li and the others readily followed them. On the way, Xia Li even teased them:
"No wonder, the shopkeeper said that Duzhou City is xenophobic. I was wondering why I didn't see anyone making things difficult for me yesterday. It turns out there's a powerful figure here."
"What big shot?" Zhou Yan'er didn't care. She explained, "The people in the outer city of Duzhou City are easy to get along with. The people in the inner city are a bit xenophobic, but if you have the strength, they will respect you. Don't worry, you will definitely be able to accomplish what you're going to do."
Xia Li: "..."
She took back what she had said earlier.
I used to think she was just a straightforward little girl, but I never expected her to be so intelligent and beautiful.
They soon arrived at the city lord's mansion and met the city lord of Duzhou, who appeared to be a friendly middle-aged man.
As soon as Zhou Yan'er saw him, she rushed over with a smile: "Uncle~"
Wow, that voice sounds so sweet and cutesy.
Xia Li and the others got goosebumps listening to this. Zhou Yan'er had always been a wild woman, but now she was acting like a little girl.
What's the difference between this and Lu Zhishen acting cute towards you?
But the city lord was clearly pleased. He affectionately patted his little nephew's head and said, "Hey, you seem to have grown a bit taller in the few months I haven't seen you. How have you been lately? Is your mother alright?"
"My mother is fine, but she keeps forcing me to learn manners, it's so annoying!"
"So you've come to hide here with your uncle?"
"No, no, I came here openly and honestly."
The two chatted for quite a while before Zhou Yan'er remembered to introduce her friend: "Uncle, this is Xia Li, my good friend. Those are her... workers. She wants to open a branch in our Duzhou City. Uncle, you must help her."
Xia Li and the others quickly bowed and presented a jar of 500-year-old aged wine. Although they had already bowed when they entered, the city lord only had eyes for his little nephew and didn't see anyone else.
The city lord smiled and told someone to accept the wine, saying, "I've heard that Miss Xia is a businesswoman. Leave the matter of opening a shop in Duzhou City to me."
Xia Li quickly said, "The city lord is kind, but I dare not trouble the city lord. I only ask that the city lord help me obtain a land deed."
Lord City Lord: "..."
So, are you willing to trouble yourself or not?
Zhou Yan'er smiled and linked arms with her best friend: "That's simple, it's just a land deed. For my uncle, it's just a matter of a word. Tell me, what kind do you want?"
The city lord chimed in, "Yes, yes, Miss Xia, what are your needs? I'll have my servants come over immediately."
Xia Li: "I don't really have any specific requirements, but it would be best if it were a larger clothing store in a densely populated and bustling area."
“This… is a bit troublesome. Shops in this kind of place are probably all full. If we want to buy them, we’ll have to buy a few. But…” The city lord frowned, but was interrupted by Zhou Yan’er before he could finish speaking.
Zhou Yan'er shook the city lord's arm and said coquettishly, "Oh dear uncle, she's my only good friend, please help her."
City Lord: What can he do when even his own nephew says that? Spoil him!
So the city lord ordered his servants to buy several shops in a prime location that weren't doing too well.
After receiving the land deed, Xia Li quickly expressed his gratitude to the city lord: "Thank you for your help, city lord. I hereby promise that for every item sold in the shops of Duzhou City, I will contribute one tael of silver to express my gratitude to the city lord, and I will also contribute two taels of silver to build up Duzhou City."
City Lord: "No need, I'm only doing this for Yan'er's sake." Besides, how much silver can she hand over a month when she's so young and runs a shop? Tens or hundreds of taels, it's not a small amount, but as the city lord, he really doesn't lack it.
Xia Li also saw through the city lord's thoughts. She smiled and said, "To be honest, my goods are very popular in a shop in the capital. They are in short supply every day. That shop is called Jin Yu Man Tang."
The city lord immediately smiled and replied, "Ah... since Miss Xia is so kind, I'll accept it without hesitation." What a joke! Putting aside the fact that Jin Yu Man Tang is rolling in money every day, just consider the powerful backers behind him. If he could get on the good side of any one of them, his chances of promotion would be slim.
Furthermore, with this abundance of gold and jade, Duzhou City would surely become even more bustling and prosperous. Thinking of this, the city lord's eyes reddened; his people were about to become rich!
He quickly asked, "Is there anything else you need help with, Miss Xia?"
"It's nothing, but I heard that Duzhou City is holding a costume competition every three years. If possible, I would like to ask the city lord to help me get a chance to participate."
The Clothing Competition is a competition in which all shops in the entire Duzhou participate. Participating in the competition can not only enhance the reputation of the shop, but more importantly, the winner will gain priority in selecting fabrics from all fabric merchants in the state, the right to use Tiancan cotton, and the right to host the Snow God Festival.
Duzhou has 16 cities and 50 counties. The costume competition consists of three rounds. First, each county competes for first place. Then, the top performers from each county compete for first place in their respective city. As city representatives, they go to Duzhou City to compete for the intercontinental first place.
This is the real reason Xia Li decided to come to Duzhou: by leveraging the clothing competition, she could promote herself faster, better, and without spending money. However, Xia Li wasn't originally from Duzhou, and she arrived late; the first round of evaluations by each county had already ended.
However, the city lord is still here!
After a moment's thought, the city lord made a decision: "No problem. The city lord's mansion only goes through the motions every year. You can directly represent the city lord's mansion in the second round of the competition this year. The time is three days from now. Go back and prepare well."
This means... that the city lord's mansion will be her backing!
Ali quickly bowed deeply: "Thank you, City Lord. I will remember this kindness. I will take my leave now."
"Go."
After everyone left, the city lord's smile faded, and he asked his little niece, "How confident do you think they are in opening this shop?"
"I don't know, it depends on whether they can solve the xenophobia in Duzhou City. But if they can, their monthly income will definitely be more than your annual income as the city lord's mansion." Zhou Yan'er said, drinking and eating pastries.
"...Just wait and see."
"Uncle, don't worry, I'll help them. And don't be stingy, give me two tokens and I'll try to win them over!"
City Lord:! ! !