Huangfu Yuhen’s Efforts
Zhang Mo and the others showed a curious expression. Yan Ge opened the gift box in front of them and exclaimed, “What a marvelous item!” Inside the box was a complete jade carving—a pair of birds standing side by side on a sturdy branch, wings ready to take flight. Even the leaves seemed to bend under the fan-like motion of the wind.
The craftsmanship of the exquisite jade was top-notch, with the birds vividly lifelike and their eyes adorned with ink jade inlays. At first glance, one could easily mistake them for real birds and almost reach out to stop them from flying away.
Ye Ziyang and Zhang Mo were both amazed.
Bao Zhiheng, being knowledgeable about jewelry, spoke with a trembling tone, “To think that the branch and the two birds were carved from a single piece of jade. It’s truly remarkable. This jade piece alone is worth at least fifty thousand taels!”
Huangfu Yuchen shrugged it off and said to Yan Ge, “Consider it the treasure of your shop.”
Yan Ge looked at it fondly but said, “Let’s not calculate its value, there’s no need.”
“Why?” Huangfu Yuchen raised an eyebrow, waiting for his astonishing words.
Yan Ge explained, “If it’s considered the treasure of my shop, it means it can’t be sold. Even if it’s worth one hundred or two hundred thousand taels, I can’t exchange it for money and carry it in my pocket. Moreover, with such a valuable treasure in the shop, I’ll need to hire more guards.”
Zhang Mo and the others chuckled.
Huangfu Yuchen patted Yan Ge’s head helplessly. “You’re really good at taking advantage and pretending to be in difficulty. Fine, I’ll send guards.”
Only then did Yan Ge show a satisfied expression. He smiled at Huangfu Yuchen and instructed someone to keep it at the back, intending to display it once he arranged a platform on the second floor.
Zhang Mo, Ye Ziyang, and Bao Zhiheng felt it would be intrusive to interrupt the harmony between the two husbands any further, so they politely bid farewell. Each of them bought a piece of jewelry, leaving a total of nearly two thousand taels of silver behind. In the end, Bao Zhiheng decided to purchase the hair accessory worth 999 taels.
Yan Ge accompanied Huangfu Yuchen as they strolled from the first floor to the third floor.
Madam Yan, proud of her second son, lingered on the first floor, watching with great interest as the shop assistants introduced each piece of jewelry to the customers. She occasionally showed off the hair accessory she wore, also from Linlang Pavilion, a gift that Yan Ge had given her a few days ago.
When Madam Yan saw Yan Ge laughing and talking with a man, she was taken aback and recalled something Yan Xiaojing had mentioned to her. She guessed the identity of the unfamiliar man and noticed the familiar and affectionate atmosphere between him and Yan Ge. She didn’t feel comfortable approaching them, so she turned away.
Bai Jushen, the person in charge of Linlang Pavilion, saw Yan Ge and hurriedly walked over. He was so excited that he didn’t even notice the “boss’s husband” standing beside Yan Ge.
“Boss, the opening has been auspicious! Linlang Pavilion has already made over thirty thousand taels!”
“Excellent!” Yan Ge grinned. “Tell everyone that at the end of the day, they will all receive a reward.”
“On behalf of everyone, thank you, Boss,” Bai Jushen said, then returned to his busy tasks. His radiant smile never faded, making one worry if his face would start to ache.
Huangfu Yuchen saw Yan Ge’s delighted expression and couldn’t help but raise the corner of his lips and whispered in his ear, “Suddenly, I feel like 200,000 taels is too little.”
Yan Ge was startled. “If you really increase the price, I’ll go on strike!”
Huangfu Yuchen chuckled and quickly kissed him on the forehead while no one was paying attention.
“I’ll go back first. Stay safe.”
Yan Ge walked him to the door and watched as he boarded the carriage before turning back to Linlang Pavilion. He remained busy until the sun set, feeling weary with sore shoulders and legs. On the opening day, many renowned merchants from the capital personally came and required his personal reception.
After giving Bai Jushen a subtle hint, the other party bravely took over some of the hospitality tasks, sharing his burden. Otherwise, Yan Ge would have been even more exhausted.
At the third quarter of the You hour, Linlang Pavilion closed punctually.
Bai Jushen gathered all the staff members in the shop.
Yan Ge smiled faintly and said, “Everyone has worked hard today. May the opening bring good luck. Each of you shall be rewarded.”
Everyone rejoiced.
Yan Ge continued, “Receptionists, 50 coins each; salespersons, 200 coins each; security guards, 200 coins each; supervisors, 2 taels.” Linlang Pavilion had achieved impressive sales today, a promising start, but he did not set the rewards too high. There was an art to rewarding others; if too much was given from the start, it might spoil their appetite and inadvertently backfire.
The faces of the staff members were filled with joy as they expressed their gratitude.
After they had enjoyed their happiness for a while, Yan Ge asked, “Do you know why I divided your rewards into different levels?”
They looked at each other, puzzled.
Bai Jushen replied, “Different tasks, different efforts.”
Yan Ge nodded. “Correct. I have one more point to make—I want to emphasize that everyone has the opportunity to climb higher. The higher you climb, the more you shall receive. Similarly, those without abilities may lose what they currently possess. Zhao Cheng has the highest martial arts skill among all the security guards, yet I only gave him the position of an ordinary guard. But today, he performed exceptionally well, attentively observing any suspicious activities in the shop. I have noticed all of this, and now I promote him to the position of the chief security guard, responsible for guarding Linlang Pavilion. He shall also be rewarded with 2 taels. Alright, I have said everything I needed to. Supervisor Bai, I leave it in your hands. Also, Xiao Chuan will temporarily work under your guidance.”
“Alright, boss.”
Yan Ge returned to the company to pick up Wang Xiang, and Deng Mama and the others bid them farewell as usual.
In front of everyone, Yan Ge took out two small brocade boxes and handed them to Wang Xiang and Deng Mama. “These are for you. Men, don’t be jealous. The jewelry from Linlang Pavilion doesn’t suit grown men. You’ll have your share when you get married.”
Zhang Rong and the others all laughed, feeling fortunate to have followed such a master.
“Let’s go back to the garden.”
Gao Feng and Gao Yun no longer needed to report to Huangfu Yuchen every day or live in the palace. After watching Yan Ge enter the palace gates, they turned back to the Gao residence.
Huangfu Yuchen looked at the weary Yan Ge as he walked in, put down the memorial, and pulled him to sit in a chair. “Would you like to take a bath first or have a meal first?”
Huangfu Yuhen’s Efforts
Zhang Mo and the others showed a curious expression. Yan Ge opened the gift box in front of them and exclaimed, “What a marvelous item!” Inside the box was a complete jade carving—a pair of birds standing side by side on a sturdy branch, wings ready to take flight. Even the leaves seemed to bend under the fan-like motion of the wind.
The craftsmanship of the exquisite jade was top-notch, with the birds vividly lifelike and their eyes adorned with ink jade inlays. At first glance, one could easily mistake them for real birds and almost reach out to stop them from flying away.
Ye Ziyang and Zhang Mo were both amazed.
Bao Zhiheng, being knowledgeable about jewelry, spoke with a trembling tone, “To think that the branch and the two birds were carved from a single piece of jade. It’s truly remarkable. This jade piece alone is worth at least fifty thousand taels!”
Huangfu Yuchen shrugged it off and said to Yan Ge, “Consider it the treasure of your shop.”
Yan Ge looked at it fondly but said, “Let’s not calculate its value, there’s no need.”
“Why?” Huangfu Yuchen raised an eyebrow, waiting for his astonishing words.
Yan Ge explained, “If it’s considered the treasure of my shop, it means it can’t be sold. Even if it’s worth one hundred or two hundred thousand taels, I can’t exchange it for money and carry it in my pocket. Moreover, with such a valuable treasure in the shop, I’ll need to hire more guards.”
Zhang Mo and the others chuckled.
Huangfu Yuchen patted Yan Ge’s head helplessly. “You’re really good at taking advantage and pretending to be in difficulty. Fine, I’ll send guards.”
Only then did Yan Ge show a satisfied expression. He smiled at Huangfu Yuchen and instructed someone to keep it at the back, intending to display it once he arranged a platform on the second floor.
Zhang Mo, Ye Ziyang, and Bao Zhiheng felt it would be intrusive to interrupt the harmony between the two husbands any further, so they politely bid farewell. Each of them bought a piece of jewelry, leaving a total of nearly two thousand taels of silver behind. In the end, Bao Zhiheng decided to purchase the hair accessory worth 999 taels.
Yan Ge accompanied Huangfu Yuchen as they strolled from the first floor to the third floor.
Madam Yan, proud of her second son, lingered on the first floor, watching with great interest as the shop assistants introduced each piece of jewelry to the customers. She occasionally showed off the hair accessory she wore, also from Linlang Pavilion, a gift that Yan Ge had given her a few days ago.
When Madam Yan saw Yan Ge laughing and talking with a man, she was taken aback and recalled something Yan Xiaojing had mentioned to her. She guessed the identity of the unfamiliar man and noticed the familiar and affectionate atmosphere between him and Yan Ge. She didn’t feel comfortable approaching them, so she turned away.
Bai Jushen, the person in charge of Linlang Pavilion, saw Yan Ge and hurriedly walked over. He was so excited that he didn’t even notice the “boss’s husband” standing beside Yan Ge.
“Boss, the opening has been auspicious! Linlang Pavilion has already made over thirty thousand taels!”
“Excellent!” Yan Ge grinned. “Tell everyone that at the end of the day, they will all receive a reward.”
“On behalf of everyone, thank you, Boss,” Bai Jushen said, then returned to his busy tasks. His radiant smile never faded, making one worry if his face would start to ache.
Huangfu Yuchen saw Yan Ge’s delighted expression and couldn’t help but raise the corner of his lips and whispered in his ear, “Suddenly, I feel like 200,000 taels is too little.”
Yan Ge was startled. “If you really increase the price, I’ll go on strike!”
Huangfu Yuchen chuckled and quickly kissed him on the forehead while no one was paying attention.
“I’ll go back first. Stay safe.”
Yan Ge walked him to the door and watched as he boarded the carriage before turning back to Linlang Pavilion. He remained busy until the sun set, feeling weary with sore shoulders and legs. On the opening day, many renowned merchants from the capital personally came and required his personal reception.
After giving Bai Jushen a subtle hint, the other party bravely took over some of the hospitality tasks, sharing his burden. Otherwise, Yan Ge would have been even more exhausted.
At the third quarter of the You hour, Linlang Pavilion closed punctually.
Bai Jushen gathered all the staff members in the shop.
Yan Ge smiled faintly and said, “Everyone has worked hard today. May the opening bring good luck. Each of you shall be rewarded.”
Everyone rejoiced.
Yan Ge continued, “Receptionists, 50 coins each; salespersons, 200 coins each; security guards, 200 coins each; supervisors, 2 taels.” Linlang Pavilion had achieved impressive sales today, a promising start, but he did not set the rewards too high. There was an art to rewarding others; if too much was given from the start, it might spoil their appetite and inadvertently backfire.
The faces of the staff members were filled with joy as they expressed their gratitude.
After they had enjoyed their happiness for a while, Yan Ge asked, “Do you know why I divided your rewards into different levels?”
They looked at each other, puzzled.
Bai Jushen replied, “Different tasks, different efforts.”
Yan Ge nodded. “Correct. I have one more point to make—I want to emphasize that everyone has the opportunity to climb higher. The higher you climb, the more you shall receive. Similarly, those without abilities may lose what they currently possess. Zhao Cheng has the highest martial arts skill among all the security guards, yet I only gave him the position of an ordinary guard. But today, he performed exceptionally well, attentively observing any suspicious activities in the shop. I have noticed all of this, and now I promote him to the position of the chief security guard, responsible for guarding Linlang Pavilion. He shall also be rewarded with 2 taels. Alright, I have said everything I needed to. Supervisor Bai, I leave it in your hands. Also, Xiao Chuan will temporarily work under your guidance.”
“Alright, boss.”
Yan Ge returned to the company to pick up Wang Xiang, and Deng Mama and the others bid them farewell as usual.
In front of everyone, Yan Ge took out two small brocade boxes and handed them to Wang Xiang and Deng Mama. “These are for you. Men, don’t be jealous. The jewelry from Linlang Pavilion doesn’t suit grown men. You’ll have your share when you get married.”
Zhang Rong and the others all laughed, feeling fortunate to have followed such a master.
“Let’s go back to the garden.”
Gao Feng and Gao Yun no longer needed to report to Huangfu Yuchen every day or live in the palace. After watching Yan Ge enter the palace gates, they turned back to the Gao residence.
Huangfu Yuchen looked at the weary Yan Ge as he walked in, put down the memorial, and pulled him to sit in a chair. “Would you like to take a bath first or have a meal first?”
