"What? You want me to be a senior appraiser?"
The Princess of Ning opened her mouth in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief, as if she had heard something utterly preposterous.
Xiao Jingnan said seriously, "Strictly speaking, it's not an appraiser. It's a staff advisor."
"Don't worry, Mother. You don't need to sit at the counter. Instead, you can stay in the back hall and just help them appraise the items."
"I've thought it over and over again. Maybe there's no one more suitable than you in the entire capital."
The Cheng family of Langya was a noble family that had been accumulating prestige for generations.
Even before the establishment of the Dacheng Dynasty, the Cheng family had already been well - known.
The ancestors of the Cheng family later rose to become the leader of the Five Great Families and Seven Prominent Clans because of their meritorious service in helping the emperor ascend the throne. They were the most sought - after and powerful aristocrats, remaining prosperous for a century.
So, as the eldest daughter of the Cheng family, the Princess of Ning had been used to eating from bowls of colored glaze, plates of agate, and chopsticks of ivory since childhood. She had seen countless pearls, jade, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings.
Influenced by her family environment, she could tell the authenticity of an item at a glance.
In this regard, even the Prince of Ning was not as good as her.
If such a person could sit in the pawnshop, wouldn't it be like having a Buddha with discerning eyes?
"Wait," Li Wanming was a bit confused. "You mean to let Mother - in - law be a staff advisor in the pawnshop. Does Mother - in - law know about antique appraisal?"
Xiao Jingnan realized that he had been a bit too excited and said something he shouldn't have.
He blinked a few times and said, "My mother's maternal ancestors were once wealthy... They... They ran a pawnshop. Yes! They made their fortune from running a pawnshop!"
"Actually, they started their family business from a pawnshop. Later, the family declined, and she married my father."
"With this family heritage, Mother has always had a unique insight in this aspect. Since we can't find a suitable candidate for the time being, we can let Mother give it a try!"
The Princess of Ning was stunned for a moment. She wanted to say something but couldn't.
She was supposed to go back home today. How could she suddenly become a staff advisor?
After being in a daze for a while, the Princess of Ning hesitated and murmured, "I... I'm not suitable, am I?"
Xiao Jingnan put away the joking look on his face and became a bit solemn. "Mother, in the past few months, when you saw Qinglan, Caiwei, Lu Ping, and Wu Yao, didn't you have any feelings?"
The Princess of Ning opened her eyes slightly. "Should I have feelings?"
"Qinglan and Caiwei were just ordinary girls. Once the door was closed, this courtyard was their whole world.
"If it weren't for Wanming, the wine shop, and the academy, they probably wouldn't have dreamed that they could become shopkeepers and academy deans, right?"
"Now they are all showing their talents in different places, living vigorously and brightly. They don't have to revolve around their husbands and sons for the rest of their lives. Instead, they live for themselves.
"Mother, it turns out that a woman doesn't have to rely on a man to live well. A woman can have her own value. Aren't you envious?"
The Princess of Ning half - opened her mouth and couldn't say a word.
She wasn't unaware of the changes in Caiwei and Qinglan.
Caiwei and Qinglan now lived in the main store and the academy respectively and rarely went home. But when they came back occasionally, the high - spirited look on their faces was really hard to hide.
Sometimes she would mutter to Xiao Jingnan, saying that these two girls had become ambitious and that he should be careful that his future princess consort might not be able to control them.
Xiao Jingnan would just smile and say, "Don't worry, Mother. Once Caiwei and Qinglan become more capable, they will be a great help to my wife when they return to the mansion."
At that time, although she didn't know exactly what Caiwei and Qinglan were doing, seeing them becoming more and more cheerful day by day and no longer being submissive, she couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
And now, Xiao Jingnan told her that she could also have her own world like them. Even though she still wanted to go home, she couldn't help but be a bit yearning.
A free world... What an alluring phrase.
However, she had never worked outside before.
Before marriage, she was supported by her father, and after marriage, she was supported by her husband. The only thing she had ever done in her life was to give birth to four sons.
Moreover, because she had to raise her sons, she even handed over the power to manage the mansion and became a completely pampered noblewoman, a dodder flower that only knew how to cling.
"Can I... really do it?" The Princess of Ning trembled her lips and said unconfidently.
Xiao Jingnan held her hand. "You definitely can."
"However, since Mother has never worked outside before, it's inevitable to be nervous when suddenly taking charge of the overall situation in the pawnshop. So I was thinking that Father could help you.
"You and he can sit in the back hall. You are responsible for appraising the items, and Father is responsible for setting the prices. Lu Ping and Wu Yao will be in the front to handle things. With these two strong young men there, those hooligans probably won't dare to cause trouble.
"As for the later - stage sales, I'll take care of them. I've been in the Thirteen Hongs in the capital for so long, so I should have some connections."
After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Li Wanming, seeking her opinion.
Li Wanming scratched her head. "I don't have any problem. It mainly depends on Mother - in - law. Running a shop is different from staying at home. I'm afraid she'll find it too tiring..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the Princess of Ning said firmly, "No! I'll go. I won't be tired!"
She had lived most of her life. Her identities were the legitimate daughter of the Cheng family of Langya, the princess of the Ning Mansion, and the mother of the heir apparent, but she had never truly been herself.
She wanted to try a job and live for herself once!
"I'll go back and tell your father right away. We're not leaving! I'll be a staff advisor in the pawnshop, and he'll assist me!"
After saying that, the Princess of Ning turned around and left, walking firmly towards the Qinghui Hall.
Li Wanming looked at her back and was in a daze for a while. Then she said, "Do you really think Mother can work in the pawnshop?"
Xiao Jingnan said, "With Father's help, the two of them... should be able to."
"Okay. Anyway, we can't find anyone else for the time being. Let's just let Mother - in - law and Father - in - law give it a try. If it doesn't work out, we can just close the academy and the wine shop and start over!"
Li Wanming was never afraid of difficulties, challenges, or failure.
In her opinion, as long as people were united, they could overcome any difficulties.
However, there was still another crucial problem that worried her.
That was money...
"The problem of personnel is solved, but the problem of money still remains."
Li Wanming was a bit dejected again. "Even though Lao Li said that it doesn't cost much to rent these three shops, a lot of money will be needed for the later decoration and furniture purchase.
"Moreover, a pawnshop is a money - consuming business. I've calculated that we need to prepare at least three thousand taels of silver just for the pawnshop."
"No."
Xiao Jingnan held up two fingers. "I've calculated. We need at least twenty thousand taels."
"Twenty thousand taels!!!"
Li Wanming opened her eyes wide in surprise and looked at him in disbelief.
"Yes, twenty thousand taels."
Xiao Jingnan said, "As we're just starting in this business, our channels for selling the pawned items are not smooth. The pawned items we receive may be stored for a long time.
"Moreover, in the pawnshop business, the shortest pawn period is five days, and the longest is six months. Since the items are stored for a long time, we need a large amount of capital to support it.
"Also, Academician Chen will surely come to our pawnshop. He won't go to the paper - making shop because it's too gloomy, and he's too scared to go to the haunted hotel because the idea is too novel."
Xiao Jingnan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes showing determination, as if he was ready for a fierce battle.
"We're fighting a desperate battle, so we must be fully prepared!"