in2ebook Chapter 280 Can't Keep Taking Advantage
Chapter 280 Can't Keep Taking Advantage
Xiao Tang and Xiao Jiu bowed politely to the butler, "Greetings, Butler Wang."
Xiaoyu saw that her older sister and Ninth Brother had both bowed, and although she didn't know why, she obediently followed suit.
Butler Wang said with a big smile, "Oh, we're all family here, no need to be so polite. Don't stand outside, I'll take you in to see Miss."
"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by our unannounced arrival, but thank you, Steward Wang, for not taking offense."
"Oh, you are our young lady's savior, she often talks about you..."
Butler Wang suddenly remembered that a month ago, Miss had instructed him not to let Lin Xiaotang know that the shop was a secret arrangement made by Miss.
The butler's head felt like it was about to explode.
Oh no, he completely forgot about it!
That's great! Even if she's young and clueless, Lin Xiaotang can now figure out what's going on with that shop.
Clinging to a last shred of hope, he awkwardly asked with a forced smile, "Miss Tang, you probably don't know our young lady yet, do you?"
Lin Xiaotang smiled slightly and said playfully, "What do you think?"
Wang Jiaojiao is the daughter of Wang the wealthy man. This is Wang the wealthy man's home. The steward, Wang, who rented the shop to them, came out of the Wang family home. It's obvious that Wang Jiaojiao secretly helped her family rent the shop.
When she was renting the shop, she thought that Butler Wang was really easy to talk to. She was so good at bargaining, but Butler Wang just agreed to it.
She was surprised, but because she didn't know the identity of Butler Wang at the time, she didn't connect it to Wang Jiaojiao at all. Now the cause and effect are clear.
Butler Wang slapped his forehead, feeling a terrible headache. However, the Lin family would eventually find out that Miss was secretly helping them; after all, secrets can't stay hidden forever.
The housekeeper smiled slightly and didn't say anything more. He simply invited Lin Xiaotang and her sister, along with Xiao Jiu, to walk through the gate and head towards the reception room.
On the way, he summoned a servant and asked him to fetch the young lady.
Before long, Wang Jiaojiao came running over, lifting her skirt, followed by two maids who were panting heavily.
"Miss...Miss, please slow down, we can't keep up with you."
Wang Jiaojiao said in a clear voice, "Oh, I'm just running around in my own home, what are you worried about? It's only a few steps, just keep up with me."
She turned down the corridor and came to the living room, where she saw Lin Xiaotang sitting on a chair. She immediately ran over and took Lin Xiaotang's hand, her actions very intimate, like that of close friends who had not seen each other for a long time.
"Xiao Tang, I've wanted to visit you for ages. When I heard you came to see me today, I thought I was hallucinating. I never expected it to be true."
Lin Xiaotang stood up naturally, her hand held by Wang Jiaojiao. She didn't pull away, but stared at Wang Jiaojiao with a smile.
"It's a good thing I came to your door today, otherwise I would still be in the dark. If you wanted to help me, why did you do a good deed without leaving your name? I thought I had hit the jackpot and managed to get the shop price down. I never expected it was you who secretly helped me."
I clearly got a good deal from you, but I secretly felt smug, thinking I was a great bargainer. This truly makes me feel ashamed.
Wang Jiaojiao laughed and said reproachfully, "Oh dear, you are my savior, how can I talk about taking advantage of you or feeling ashamed? If I wasn't afraid that you would refuse to rent the shop if you knew it belonged to my family, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to deceive you."
You know my temper; I can't keep secrets. I knew your family's pig's trotter shop had opened, and I originally wanted to bring a few servants to support you. But firstly, I was afraid you'd see me and become suspicious, and secondly, your shop is very busy right after opening, and I was afraid that suddenly going there would disrupt your business. So I held back and didn't go."
Lin Xiaotang greatly admired Wang Jiaojiao's kind and straightforward nature.
Although she had a bit of a spoiled princess attitude, she was very kind. Knowing that she was looking for a shop, she actually arranged for the housekeeper to prepare a shop that met her requirements for her.
Who else in this world can be so kind and help others to this extent?
Lin Xiaotang sighed and said, "Those who don't know might think I'm your benefactor, but I didn't help you at all. Even if we hadn't pretended to have contracted the plague and been thrown into the mass grave that day, we would have been discovered by the disguised soldiers at the dock and would have been saved anyway. So I can't be considered your savior."
How can I accept your help with a clear conscience? I didn't know before, but now that I do, I can no longer take advantage of you.
"How about this...? Starting next month, I'll raise your prices by ten taels of silver every month, until they're the same as other shops. What do you think?"
Wang Jiaojiao released Lin Xiaotang's hand and pressed her down to sit.
"No, no, this is absolutely not going to happen. You've just started your business, so you certainly don't have any spare cash. If you take out more money to pay the rent, how will you survive?"
Because of the Wang family's wealth, Wang Jiaojiao grew up in luxury. In her mind, a hundred taels of silver could be spent casually. However, when Xiaotang's family rented a shop, they negotiated with the steward for a long time before reaching an agreement. In the end, they didn't even have a hundred taels of silver on them. The steward had to wait for them in the shop for several hours before they went home to get the money and then gave them the silver.
Therefore, Wang Jiaojiao felt that one hundred taels of silver was definitely a lot for the Lin family. The Lin family had opened a shop and invested a lot of capital, so they definitely didn't have much silver on hand. She was genuinely helping them, so why would she charge them extra rent?
Lin Xiaotang said solemnly, "We can be friends, but we have to be fair. We rented your shop, so we have to pay you the market rent. We can offer a discount, but one hundred taels of silver a month is too much for us to take advantage of."
The pig's trotter shop is located in a bustling and prosperous area of the market, with a large flow of people and a very convenient location. It is also close to the dock, making it a prime location where every inch of land is precious. A monthly rent of one hundred taels would be hard to find even with a lantern.
So when she rented it a month ago, she felt like she'd hit the jackpot.
Wang Jiaojiao genuinely wanted to help Lin Xiaotang; she had no intention of raising the rent. So, she glanced at the things Xiao Jiu was carrying, her eyes lit up, and she changed the subject.
"Oh, what's that young man holding? Xiao Tang, did you bring this for me?"
Xiao Jiu's lips twitched as he thought to himself, "Who's the little brother?"
Wang Jiaojiao looks like she's a year or two older than him!
Lin Xiaotang gestured for Xiao Jiu to place the things she brought on the table in front of them.
"This is the braised pig's trotters I brought you. They were just braised this morning, so they're already cold. I can have the servants heat them up for you in the kitchen. Try them first and see how they taste. If you like them, you can come to our shop next time to eat fresh ones."
Wang Jiaojiao immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, now that you know the shop is rented from my family, I don't have to hide it anymore. I'll go to your shop to support you tomorrow."