Xiao Xixi glanced at the man lazily and said, "But I, Xiao Xiaoyu, am not afraid."
When he heard her announcing her door, the shopkeeper couldn't help but flinch.
Xiao Xiaoyu, the second young lady of the Xiao family, is someone who cannot be messed with. Why did she end up in their teahouse?
Helpless, the shopkeeper could only coax her with nice words and a respectful attitude.
"Girl, if you want to read the manuscript, just bring it over."
Xiao Xixi smiled with satisfaction, holding the whip in her hand, and motioned to the waiter to bring pen and ink for the girl in blue to write.
The girl in blue quickly wrote down a few words, and the waiter also brought the manuscript.
Xiao Xixi looked at it and saw that they were two manuscripts. When she opened them, she saw that the ink was very fresh and there were obvious traces of copying.
"Is this the original manuscript?" Xiao Xixi raised her eyebrows.
The shopkeeper said: "Exactly."
The girl in blue said angrily: "You lied, you asked someone to copy these two copies according to the story I wrote!"
Xiao Xixi pointed to the storyteller and asked the girl in blue: "Did you write this story now?"
The girl in blue nodded and said: "This story is the latest. I just finished it three days ago and handed it to the teahouse. They were supposed to pay me today, but they turned their backs and refused to recognize me."
So that’s it.
Xiao Xixi looked at the shopkeeper: "Where is the manuscript of the story on the stage?"
The shopkeeper's face turned ugly. The time was too short and he hadn't had time to have someone copy it.
He originally thought that there was nothing he could do as long as he refused to acknowledge anyone, but he forgot that the story on stage was also written by this little girl.
The shopkeeper was confused: "The story is still being told, and the manuscript is with the storyteller. I'm afraid it's not suitable..."
Before she could finish her words, Xiao Xixi was already heading towards the storyteller with a whip.
The storyteller who was telling a story with a folding fan did not react at all, and the book in his hand was taken away by Xiao Xixi.
The storytelling stopped, and the teagoers listening to the book were in an uproar, dissatisfied with why someone came to make trouble, and some even shouted to drive Xiao Xixi out.
Xiao Xixi was so noisy that her head hurt, so she simply raised the whip and whipped it hard towards no one.
The whip hit the ground and made a loud noise, and the hall immediately fell silent.
Xiao Xixi took the book and compared it with the words written by the girl in blue. The result was obvious that they were written by the same person.
"Shopkeeper, isn't it a good idea to default on your debt?" Xiao Xixi asked in a cold voice.
The shopkeeper still didn't come out from the sound of the whip. He came to his senses and said immediately: "Yes, yes, I am old and have a bad memory. This girl does write stories. I will ask someone to give her money right now."
With that said, he quickly motioned to the waiter to go to the counter and get the money.
He shouldn't take any chances and think he can save this money!
Xiao Xixi was quite satisfied and stood there without moving, waiting for someone to bring money.
The waiter took two taels of silver and handed it to the shopkeeper. Before Xiao Xixi could speak, the shopkeeper scolded: "How can two taels of silver be enough? Go get another five taels!"
The waiter felt aggrieved because the shopkeeper didn't tell him how much to get from the counter.
He could only turn around and go back, take the money again and hand it over to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper held seven taels of silver in both hands and handed it to Xiao Xixi.
Xiao Xixi didn't answer, but turned to look at the girl in blue and asked, "Is that enough?"
The girl in blue nodded slightly, as the shopkeeper said before, there are two more taels.
Xiao Xixi motioned for her to take it.
After the girl in blue got the money, Xiao Xixi handed the whip back to Ji Yue and left the teahouse with no intention of disrupting the order of the teahouse.
Ji Yueshou put away the whip, with a bit of disappointment in his eyes.
Why don’t you, miss, smash up the shop?
After leaving the teahouse, Xiao Xixi asked the girl in blue: "Can you write such a story again?"
"Thank you, girl, for helping me get the money back," the girl in blue said with gratitude in her eyes, holding the money in her hand, "My mother is not in good health, and I wrote the story just to treat my mother. I can't rely on it anymore after I can."
To make money from writing stories, I can only find other jobs."
Xiao Xixi looked at her as if she was acting, and said, "Can I go with you to see your mother?"
The girl in blue was startled.
Xiao Xixi explained: "I also plan to open a teahouse. If the story you write is good, I am willing to buy your story. But I will not trick you like some unscrupulous shops. Every time you write, I will give you a part of the advance payment."
.”
The girl in blue looked at Xiao Xixi as if she were a benefactor. She wanted to kneel down and kowtow to her. She said with tears in her eyes: "My home is nearby. Thank you, girl. Please--"
Xiao Xixi was still worried that her behavior in the teahouse would leave a bad impression on the girl in blue, but she gave up the idea when she saw that the girl in blue was concentrating on leading the way and turning around to say "please" respectfully from time to time.
The last house in the second alley after passing the tea house is the girl in blue's house.
The dilapidated wooden door slowly opened with a creaking sound. Sitting under the apricot tree in the courtyard was a middle-aged woman immersed in laundry, raising her hands from time to time to wipe the sweat on her head.
Upon seeing this, the girl in blue rushed over and said angrily: "Mom, how can you wash clothes for others?"
The woman raised her sickly face, smiled slightly at the girl in blue and said, "I'm just washing my clothes, it doesn't bother me."
"When will your health get better?" The girl in blue said with a cry in her voice.
"Lan'er, mother is fine, mother is in good health." The woman comforted her, noticing the master and servant Xiao Xixi, the woman hesitated and asked, "Are these two your friends?"
Only then did Zhang Lan remember that she had brought guests back. She turned back and looked at Xiao Xixi apologetically.
The woman got up and prepared to go to the kitchen to pour water for Xiao Xixi.
Xiao Xixi didn't care. She stopped the woman and asked with a smile: "Are you two alone here?"
Zhang Lan sighed: "My father passed away a few years ago, and my mother and I are the only ones in the family who depend on each other."
"Is your father a scholar?"
Zhang Lan was stunned: "How does the girl know?"
"Looking at your literacy, I guessed it."
Xiao Xixi looked at the environment in the courtyard. Although the courtyard was not big, it was clean and tidy. However, it was really difficult for two women to survive in such a big environment.
Zhang Lan knows how to make money by writing stories, which is already a good way.
Xiao Xixi took out five taels of silver and handed it to Zhang Lan. Zhang Lan was startled, as if what was in her hand was not white money, but a hot potato, and she wanted to stuff it back.
"Girl, what is this?" Zhang Lan asked with a frown.
"I just said that before you start writing, I will give you part of the money. After you finish writing the whole story, I will pay the rest. As for the pen and ink money, I will pay it to you after you finish writing."
Zhang Lan's brows did not relax, and she held the money in her hands with mixed feelings: "I'm afraid I won't be able to meet the girl's requirements."
"Just write it, the story of the tea house is very good."
Zhang Landao said: "Okay, I will start writing today."
Xiao Xixi nodded and did not stay any longer. She left the address of Xiao Mansion with Zhang Lan and left the courtyard.
