After traveling around Songjiang Fucheng these days, the Third Young Master knew what his sister was thinking. Wenxiang Pavilion was about to open a branch.
Leopards are looking at places these days.
Not to mention Leopard's discerning eye, there was a shop on the busiest Fuqian Street that was about to sell out.
With the layout of the front bunk and the backyard, Leopard traveled all over the city before settling on this place.
Liu Anan will come to see it in person today. If it can be finalized immediately, Third Young Master Chu will naturally come with him.
The brother and sister were very satisfied with the shop Baozi found.
The front area of the shop is not large. Wenxiang Pavilion follows a small and precise route, so it does not need a large shop.
The yard at the back is not small, quite spacious.
The two parties agreed on the price and quickly went to the Yamen to complete the procedures.
The third young master's face was his signature, and the yamen was extremely fast in handling matters. After finishing the work, Leopard hurried back to Linxian.
The plan was to transfer a smart and down-to-earth guy from Wenxiangge Headquarters to be the manager. Baozi told Gao Qing to prepare the candidate in advance when he returned.
It will take a few days to renovate the layout of the shop. The craftsman who will do the work is Chu Sanshao.
After the shop matter was settled, Liu Anan could relax for a few more days.
The recruitment notice has been posted at the door of the shop, watched by Cuihua.
The third young master also arranged for the second housekeeper to be in charge of the house. The second housekeeper is known as a stable, accurate and ruthless person. With him around, the employees recruited for custody are down-to-earth and willing to work.
On this day, Liu Anan went out for a walk with her adoptive mother, or in her words, went shopping on the street.
Mrs. Chu hasn't been out and about for a long time, which is very refreshing.
When the mother and daughter were tired from shopping, they went to a teahouse to rest.
The second floor of the tea house is a private seating area, with gauze curtains separating each table. Yuezhi chose a seat by the window for his wife and young lady.
The mother and daughter sat down, drank tea, and chatted.
"It's really unlucky. We originally liked him first, but someone cut his beard off. Madam, we won't go to that gold shop in the future."
Following the voices, several maids came up, surrounded by a noble lady, and the group of them sat diagonally across from Liu Anan's table.
Although separated by a gauze curtain, I could still see clearly. Opposite me was a lady with a beautiful face and very well-dressed clothes.
There were only a few people on the second floor, and the lady's position opposite was enough for her to see Liu An'an clearly.
"Madam, what's wrong with you?"
It's the same maid who just spoke.
Seeing that her wife's face looked wrong, she stared at the people at the table diagonally opposite and asked quickly.
This lady's surname was Qi. When she heard what the maid said, Mrs. Qi suddenly came back to her senses and said, "Oh, it's nothing."
When the maid saw that Madam's face returned to normal, she didn't think about anything else, thinking that Madam was also unhappy about what happened in the gold shop just now.
After Liu Anan and Mrs. Chu had rested enough, they got up and left the teahouse, and then Mrs. Qi also left.
Mrs. Qi was not from Songjiang Prefecture. She was passing through Songjiang Prefecture when she was returning to her hometown to visit relatives.
After returning to the inn, Mrs. Qi asked her maid to invite Nanny Xu, who had nursed her since childhood, and then followed her to her husband's nanny Xu.
"My lady, what's wrong with you?"
Nanny Xu really loves Mrs. Qi, the child she nursed since childhood.
"Nanny, I saw a girl in the teahouse today. She was about thirteen or fourteen years old. She looked exactly like that woman, but her eyes were different."
Mrs. Qi whispered.
Nurse Xu was stunned when she heard this, "Did Miss see it wrong? There are similar people. Besides, that woman jumped off the cliff. There is no possibility of survival at such a high place."
"It's not wrong. If the child was alive, he would be at this age. Nanny, it's been eleven years and I still can't let go. The woman didn't see the bones. There was only blood on the scene."
Nanny Xu also frowned, her expression not very good.
However, he still tried to comfort her: "Miss, maybe it's a coincidence that the girl looks similar. Besides, the little lady is nine years old, what else can't you think about?"
"Nanny, ask Qi Meng to check. I don't feel at ease."
Seeing that her young lady was very stubborn, Nanny Xu nodded in agreement and arranged for Qi Meng to go and investigate.
Qi Meng is the bodyguard of Mrs. Qi. He takes his master's surname and follows Mrs. Qi just like Nurse Xu.
After listening to Nurse Xu's words, Qi Meng immediately left the inn and went to the teahouse to investigate.
More than half an hour later, Qi Meng returned to the inn and met Mrs. Qi.
"Miss, the mother and daughter I met in the teahouse are the wife and daughter of Master Chu, the prefect of Songjiang."
"Songjiang Magistrate Chuzhuang, Mr. Chu's family?"
"Exactly, what the teahouse owner said, it shouldn't be false."
Mrs. Qi tapped her fingers on the armrest of the chair and frowned slightly.
After a while, he suddenly said: "No, it's very wrong! There is no similarity in the appearance of the mother and daughter. Qi Meng, go check again and hurry up!"
Mrs. Qi stood up suddenly, and her face instantly turned pale.
Nanny Xu was frightened and she quickly supported Mrs. Qi.
When Qi Meng saw the young lady's appearance, he also felt that the matter was urgent and left immediately. He did not return until evening.
"How is it?" Mrs. Qi asked anxiously.
"As the lady expected, that girl is not Mr. Chu's biological daughter. Mr. Chu only has three sons. That girl is Mr. Chu's adopted daughter. Her name is Liu An'an. She is thirteen years old and is from the village of Lin County."
"Liu Anan, Liu Anan..." Mrs. Qi kept mumbling.
After Qi Meng finished speaking, he stepped aside, while Nurse Xu stood there worriedly. The room became eerily quiet for a moment.
"Qi Meng, go to Kaoshan Village to check on the Liu family. I want to know the whole situation, so go now!"
Mrs. Qi's eyes flashed with fierceness.
Qi Meng didn't waste a moment, immediately packed up his things and left Fucheng on a fast horse.
Liu Anan didn't know all this. After returning with her adoptive mother, she ran to her adopted brother's yard.
Third Young Master Chu was in the study room discussing matters with the shopkeepers of several shops in Fucheng, when the young man came in and said that the young lady was here.
Third Young Master Chu had almost finished speaking and asked the shopkeepers to go back.
Liu Anan entered the study. Even though they were adopted brothers and sisters, they had to avoid suspicion. The door of the study was not closed, and Liu Xiang was guarding the door.
Mrs. Chu naturally heard her servants talking about her, and she thought highly of this little girl.
"Third brother, I see why my adoptive father has been so worried these past two days. Has he encountered any trouble?"
Liu Anan went straight to the topic. She indeed noticed that her adoptive father had always been frowning slightly in the past two days.
Third Young Master Chu really ignored it, "I really didn't pay attention, but my sister is very careful. I'll find some time today to wait for my father to come back, and I'll go ask."
In the evening, Third Young Master Chu went to Master Chu's study. When he asked, Master Chu said, "Did An An tell you?"
"Dad, how come you are so right in your first guess?"
"Hmph, you kid, you are all about money. When have you ever cared about your father and me? How unfilial! You are far worse than An An, but you are still a careful girl."
"Hey, Dad, I've been busy checking accounts with the shopkeeper these past two days! It's really my son's fault, and he apologizes to you."
After saying that, he slapped his father's shoulders and legs with a playful smile.
