83. Not simple at all

Xiao Ran was counting the money with a smile. "Big sister, look. We can buy lots of things with the money we earned today."

Her small chirpy voice made commander and soldiers have a smile on their faces. That money grubbing kid. As it seems she heard his talk and made everyone pay ten silver bits a big bowl of porridge.

Fortunately, the porridge was more than delicious and quite filling. Thinking about their own children they made the decision to buy presents in the next town.

Luckily for Liu Mei commander and soldiers separated from them for a while because they had to report to the nearby garrison. Some people were already gone before as they arrived at their own destination. Most people that are left chose to go and check the town while Liu Mei chose one place to park the carriage and left Xiao Ran there.

Luckily the woman from before was parked nearby as well, so she rushed through the town to buy a few more things. But entering the store's people knew that she was a foreigner and rose the prices as high as in the capital.

On end, she gave up. Just before she left she saw smaller store bit further inside and between houses and entered.

It was a cute little clean store. The old man was half asleep when they entered but woke up as soon he saw them.

"Hello. Welcome. How can I help you?" He didn't care who came to buy so he was friendly to everyone.

"We need rice, dry meat, vegetables of all sorts, salt, oils, seasonings..." She started explaining and he nodded, so she quickly stopped. "...do you have any of these?"

The old man rise his head and looked straight at her. "I have them all. But..."

She already thought he will start giving crazy demands and prices but luckily it was not that.

"It's from last year. I didn't want to buy this years produce because it was a crazy year and quality was bad. I have pickled and dry vegetables. White pearl rice. Dried pig and wild pig meat. Dried fruits. Sugar. Oil. Honey. Seasonings. Lard. Flour and many more. The price is a bit lower as it is from last year but considering the quality, it's better than this years produce."

After she heard the prices as well she sighed in relief. "How much do you have?"

He saw as stunned by her question. The door right next to him was storage room so he opened and she saw with surprise whole storage filled with food. And it was huge.

She was someone who can make fast decisions so she did that. "How much for everything inside?"

Her aura suddenly came out her and somehow he knew she could afford it, not even considering at her attire. "Gold nugget."

With a swift move, she took out simple looking bag a gold nugget a put straight on the counter.

"I am selling the whole store to you now." He just wanted to make sure she understood.

"I understand. What about this. You work for me. I'll pay you well every month. Your duty is that you keep this storage filled with good quality things. Whenever I come you will get a few days free. But after that, your duty is to restock as I will take everything with me. Can you do that?"

His heart was beating hard for the first time in his life. She will provide money with, no matter if he sells or not. Wait, she said he just needs to proved filled storage, so no selling?

"Just filled storage? What about selling?" If its filled storage, he doesn't even have to open the store.

"Nothing else. You fill the storage and I will take it away. Today go back home or wherever you want. Have some fun. In two days come back and refill. I'll give you money and all you have to do is to keep books clean. After I find storage near the capital you can come there if you want. I'll provide you and your family a steady payment." She wanted to open store for those that couldn't afford monstrous prices in the capital.

Of course, he accepted it. "We are not a big family. Me, my wife, one son and two grandchildren. My son lost his wife last year so he probably will not mind leaving this place."

Liu Mei sympathised with them but had to get him out. "There are only a few simple rules. Clean books, listen to my orders without questions, literally and no matter what no one should know that I'm the boss until I don't choose to say it. Can you and your family handle these?"

"Yes." His face was filled with big smiles.

"Well let's make a contract for now with you and later with your wife and son as well." She took out the paper from her bag and started making an official contract as she made such so far few times. Your name?"

"Kang Daesung."

"My name is Liu Mei, these are my sisters Xiao Ran and Roulan. Their word means the same as my words. " They are the same family.

"I understand."

"Good. Your signature and fingerprint."

Finishing the contract he took out the contract to the store and transferred to her name. Actually, they didn't need even to go to the city hall as it was his own property. He will bring the change of property by himself as she already has the contract he signed down.

It was enough to be legal.

Before he left he gave her pair of spare keys for the store. Looking at his happy expression the three women smiled until he was gone.

"Miss, why do we take it all now?" Xiao Ran saw huge storage filled to the brim with various things.

"Because he has to restock. Even if he could live the rest of his life comfortably, but he has to think about his son and his two grandchildren. They need a new future. And living near the capital is a different thing. This town was neither big nor small, but the store that sells last years rice and produces can't survive here as it doesn't have enough people with lower wages. The capital is big, but not everyone is rich. The ridiculous prices might even harm many. If there is inner turmoil in the city, the prices might shoot even higher, turning it into the boiling pot as people become angry when they are hungry. Feeding them but not giving them for free. I want them to try. And there will be never a great sale. Everyone will be able to buy just a certain amount. Only like that, I will be able to control that others won't use our food to rise prices again."

They would buy out cheaply so she couldn't sell it to normal people. There will be such a situation. She is sure.

With a wave of the hand, everything disappeared leaving empty storage room. They came out, locked the door and left.

On their way, they bought a few trinkets they liked and ate some street food before going back to the carriage.

She saw already the commander and soldiers waiting. "Ready?"

He saw her pressed lips and knew she was displeased. He looked at Hua Roulan and she explained.

"Of course, they saw we are foreigners so they rose the prices so high that it's just ridiculous to buy it here, we can buy it in the capital for that amount. Why even bothering..." Her voice was furious as she explained.

Hearing her words his face became dark and his face got sarcastic. "So, they are doing that again? Did they forget what our Emperor said? Except for capital the prices can't be changed, no matter what. Interesting. Let's go get the city Lord and get commander. And tell them to get civilian clothes. We must get them. If we don't do it now, they will use that power to rise prices ridiculously high even here, making commoners suffer."

"Good Emperor." Liu Mei's face became softer. "Good rules. But why are prices in the city so high? And why did anyone make a store with lower prices?"

"Because rentals in the city are quite high and why not. People can earn a small fortune doing so. Do you plan to open the store?" He saw her nodding.

"As we will live outside the city, we could open store for people with thinner pocket. We would seel old stock. Like that, I could keep the prices quite low without being a direct danger to those in the city."

He wanted to say something but saw people coming to him and remembered to change clothes as well. Looking at them leaving Liu Mei smiled lightly.

They took swift action right after his command. This person is not as simple as it seems. To be able to command City Lord and nearby army Commander... not simple.