After the three of them got on the carriage, Su Shi spent a few brain cells thinking over the entire plan in his mind, and then told Chen Xiaolan: "You can keep the one hundred taels of silver first. Apart from renting the house and daily expenses, Invite twenty smarter people.”
Chen Xiaolan asked: "Invite people? What do you need them to do?"
Su Shi said: "There are 108 squares in this capital, among which the thirty-six squares such as Yong'an, Changle, and Pingning are the most prosperous. What these twenty people have to do is to find out these thirty-six squares within seven days." How many restaurants are there? Which two restaurants have the best business in each neighborhood?"
Chen Xiaolan's eyes lit up: "Young master, you want to cooperate with such a restaurant?" But then the light in his eyes dimmed again: "It's just that these restaurants may not cooperate with us."
She roughly understood Su Shi's plan. If they just set up a stall and sell by themselves, they wouldn't be able to sell much even if they didn't eat, drink or rest for a day. But if we can reach cooperation with a restaurant, we won't have to worry about sales.
However, these restaurants already sell various kinds of soups, and black plum soup is available in almost every restaurant. Chen Xiaolan really can't think of any reason why these restaurants would sell their black plum soup.
Su Shi said: "I do want to cooperate with restaurants. As for how to cooperate with these restaurants, we will keep it secret for the time being. You should do this well first."
Chen Xiaolan hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask: "Besides this, what else should we do?"
Su Shi shook his head and said, "Just do this well and forget about the other things."
"Don't we even make plum soup?"
Su Shi smiled and said, "Even if you stay up for twelve hours every day, how many bowls of plum soup can you make? And now that the weather is getting hotter, how long can the plum soup be kept? So don't do this useless work. "
Chen Xiaolan could not understand Su Shi's thoughts at all. If they couldn't even make plum soup, even if a restaurant wanted to cooperate with them, what could they do with it?
She looked at Su Shi suspiciously, but she couldn't see that he was worried at all, as if her problem was not a problem to him at all.
At this time, the carriage suddenly stopped, and the coachman shouted from outside: "Sir, Chengshunfang has arrived."
When Chen Xiaolan heard this, he asked doubtfully: "Chengshunfang? What are we doing here?"
"You first find a place to rent in Chengshunfang and complete the tasks I asked you to do. I will come back to you in seven days."
Having said this, Su Shi said seriously: "Remember, whether we can win this bet, what you do is the most critical part."
This was the first time that Chen Xiaolan saw Su Shi's face so solemn. Although she didn't know Su Shi's plan, she also knew that this matter was extremely important, so she immediately said: "Please rest assured, young master, I will do my best on this matter. Live up to the trust of the young master."
Su Shi nodded and said: "Very good, I still have things to do now. You guys can find a place to rent on your own. After settling in, send a letter to..." Having said this, Su Shi thought for a while and then said: " Songqingyuan, Liuxiang Street, Yong'anfang."
Yong'anfang Songqingyuan is a real estate of the General's Mansion. Except for Su Shi, few people go to the General's Mansion, and usually there are only two or three servants guarding there.
After saying goodbye to Chen Ang and his daughter, Su Shi took a carriage to Yong'anfang. After getting off the carriage, he walked straight to Songqingyuan. After giving a few instructions to the people on duty there, he returned to the General's Mansion.
Not long after returning to the mansion, a servant hurriedly came to report that Mr. Kong was visiting.
Su Shi hurriedly greeted Kong Wenshun, and when he saw Kong Wenshun, he immediately showed the most sincere smile.
"How can I dare to do this when Lao Kong personally comes to offer wine?"
Kong Wenshun glanced at him and couldn't help laughing: "Your smile is a little too pretentious."
Su Shi didn't take it seriously after hearing this: "Although the smile is exaggerated, the heart is sincere."
Kong Wenshun laughed and said: "I'm afraid only you, Su Shi, can show your sincerity through affectation."
Su Shi said seriously: "Actually, as long as I am sincere, I may not care about what others think of me."
At this time, the two of them were walking side by side towards the main hall. When Kong Wenshun heard Su Shi's words, he couldn't help but stop, his smile disappeared, and he looked directly at Su Shi with a pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.
He said calmly: "So, others have misunderstood you in the past?"
Su Shi also stopped, without avoiding Kong Wenshun's gaze, and replied: "That's not true. What I did in the past was indeed shameful, and those rumors are not exaggerated at all."
Kong Wenshun couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that Su Shi didn't defend himself, but admitted his fault.
"What now?"
Su Shi's expression became solemn. He thought for a moment and said slowly, "Even if I am talking nonsense now, it's just words, and I may not be able to win people's trust."
Kong Wenshun already had a certain fondness for Su Shi. After hearing the answer, his eyes gradually softened, but he still asked, "Then how do you win people's trust?"
The two came to the main hall and sat down. After the servants served tea, they left. Su Shi made an invitation gesture and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Kong. Let's reduce our fatigue first."
Kong Wenshun smiled and said: "You need to be calm when drinking tea. I haven't answered my question yet, so I'm still undecided at this time."
Su Shi was silent for a while and said slowly: "I don't need to explain to others how I will act in the future, but when Lord Kong asked me, I can only answer that I follow my heart."
Kong Wenshun was not satisfied with this answer, but he knew that there would be no results if he asked further. Just as Su Shi said, no matter how extravagant his words were at this moment, no one would believe his words.
Kong Wenshun is an open-minded person. Since this matter cannot be investigated in depth, he will no longer be entangled in this matter.
However, he still looked at Su Shi and couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Brother has given me a huge problem."
Although Su Shi knew what he meant, he still smiled and said, "Why did Mr. Kong say this?"
Kong Wenshun sighed: "Now you also know that I have a close relationship with the Qin Mansion, and your relationship with the Qin Mansion is complicated, and my little brother and I are quite destined, so I have to shamelessly come to ask for advice on some things. .”
Su Shi still respected Kong Wenshun. Hearing this, he hurriedly said: "Master Kong said something serious. Please tell me if you have anything to say."
Kong Wenshun did not show any pretense and asked directly: "If no one can answer the second couplet within three days, how should you resolve the engagement with Qin Nan?"
Su Shi pondered, "It depends on Miss Qin's attitude."
Kong Wenshun was a little surprised: "What do you mean by this?"
Su Shi smiled and said, "If Miss Qin ignores her past grievances, it doesn't matter whether she can make the second line or not."
Kong Wenshun said: "What if Nan'er has made up his mind?"
Su Shi couldn't help but smile bitterly and said: "If we can't be happy with each other, how can we stay together forever? If Miss Qin doesn't want to, I will never force anyone to make it difficult. I will send the second couplet and the marriage letter together when the time comes. Go to Qin’s house.”
