“But…” I touched the rim of the cup, “before that, there needs to be an assessment. Some people will be coming to teach you some courses soon, and I will keep track of your performance. Then it will be clear who stays and who goes.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of discussion arose. Everyone began to complain and express their concerns.
"Uncle Lin, do you have any reliable young people you could recommend?"
I hope we can simplify the accounting process, since Uncle Lin is elderly and it won't be easy for him to learn. Upon hearing this, Uncle Lin immediately recommended someone. It was his nephew from the countryside, a filial son who had hoped to take the imperial examinations but had been kept at home because of his seriously ill mother.
"Alright, then let him come over. I have some work to give him."
In addition, I had Shi Si find a few clever people who were all educated and had management experience in hotels from their previous lives. I taught them some management methods, including knowledge acquisition and character development. Secondly, there was the issue of uniforms. I divided them into different departments and let them choose their own styles of clothing.
With the lure of bonuses and the pressure of competition, they'll definitely work even harder. After finishing all this, I was so exhausted I collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep.
In my dream, I saw a monster. He was very tall and strong. One of his hands was enough to lift me up.
Strangely, he was kneeling and crawling on the ground, muttering something.
I found it a bit strange, so I secretly took a few steps forward.
Before the giant, on a large rock, stood a handsome man in flowing white robes, his face displaying an arrogant expression.
I heard a voice coming from the giant's mouth.
Please smile, just smile...
It keeps repeating, repeating...
To my astonishment, the man in white looked at him with even more disdain, his lips pressed tightly together, not uttering a single word.
The giant suddenly stood up and violently retreated, causing the earth to tremble. His anger caused the waves to surge, roar, and a storm to rise.
A small fishing boat was swallowed by a giant wave, and the cries for help faded away.
A look of terror appeared on the white-clad man's face, followed by intense hatred.
I hate you.
That was the only sentence he said.
The giant wailed sadly, the earth trembled, and he sat down on the ground.
I watched this scene as if it were a movie, my mind filled with countless questions. What on earth was this? Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes locked onto me. A chill ran down my spine, and when I turned my head, the horrifying giant face startled me, and my vision blurred.
"Your Majesty..."
I blinked, still feeling that the dream was bizarre and fantastical. Giants, giants…
"Shi Si, you obey me, right?"
Shi Si nodded.
"Okay, let's go to Feiyun Mountain now."
I entrusted the affairs of the manor to Uncle Lin, then pretended to have caught a cold and was unable to leave the inner courtyard. Uncle Lin brought his nephew, a scholarly-looking man who seemed quite agreeable; his name was Lin Feng. To be honest, back in modern times I quite liked Raymond Lam from TVB. He seemed rather honest and reliable.
I spent two hours explaining a simple bookkeeping method to him. At first, he was surprised, but after understanding it, he became quite excited. I immediately gave him all the accounts so he could check them. With everything done, I could leave with peace of mind.
My backside was aching from the bumpy ride, so I knocked on the window sill. "Shi Si, couldn't you have used your light-footed skills to take me there?" Why did we have to take a carriage? It's so slow and bumpy.
Shi Si shook his head. He dared not. Ever since Shi San said he wanted to hug the Imperial Concubine, his miserable journey had begun. First, he was forced to carry a huge pile of things, and then he was treated coldly by His Highness. Now, he had been assigned to feed the horses in Xisai, ostensibly to gather information. But they all believed it was because he had offended His Highness.
"Your Majesty, please be patient a little longer. We will be arriving in Yuncheng soon."
He stuck his head out, curiously observing everything. "Stop..."
A woman with bright red hair by the roadside caught my attention.
Author's Note:
Dugu Jing, is the tofu delicious? Be careful, you might get a surprise.
Dugu Jing: Have I offended you? Why are you so cruel?
Chapter 34 Guardian Puppet
A yellowed book lay on the ground, and the red-haired woman stood there with an indifferent expression.
"I've never seen anyone sell things like this before. She doesn't say a word, just sits there like a wooden doll." A woman buying groceries came over and kindly advised, "Hey, young lady, this won't do. Your book is so old, you definitely won't be able to sell it."
The woman remained silent.
This piqued my curiosity. What kind of book was she trying to sell? I crouched down and casually flipped through it. Forgive my poor writing skills, but the characters inside were almost like oracle bone script; I couldn't recognize them at all.
Suddenly, a rough sound came from behind.
"I brought the money, come with me now."
Looking back, she saw a burly man clutching a handful of silver notes, his other hand immediately reaching out to grab the red-clad woman's arm.
With a flick of her sleeve, her hand swiftly locked onto the man's wrist. With a snap, the pained expression on his face unintentionally told others that his wrist might be broken.
"You little slut, didn't you say that as long as I buy your book, I can take you away?" The man was extremely angry. He was eager to bring back a woman to have his baby; if it weren't for this, who would waste their money like this?
*Slap...* A relentless slap landed on his face, so hard it nearly knocked him to the ground. "Get out!" he spat out coldly.
He grew increasingly interested in the woman before him, wondering if he could take her away. He scavenged a few silver notes from Shi Si and picked up the book from the ground. He blew the dust off it and handed over the silver notes.
Her eyes flashed, and she nodded slightly.
Sitting in the carriage, she remained silent, like a wooden statue. After eating some snacks, she asked, "By the way, what's your name? Are you going to stay with me?"
"I."
Finally, I heard her speak, and I strained my ears to listen. But after waiting for ages, nothing more came out. I sighed softly. Had I picked up a sick woman? She was quite pretty; I hadn't expected her to be like this. I sighed again, rubbing my forehead.
"Stay."
Unexpectedly, she spoke again. Her name must be Su, what a strange name. "Why are you selling books? Is there anything I can help you with?"
His face remained perpetually cold and expressionless, waiting for her to speak again. "Looking for someone."
Looking for someone? I continued to ask her what she was looking for, but unfortunately she fell silent. I was exhausted; talking to her was so tiring, my heart was always in my throat, and all I got were a word or two. Although we had entered the city, it was still quite a distance to Feiyun Mountain, and it was getting late, so I had Shi Si park the carriage in front of the inn to rest for the night before continuing our journey the next day.