Chapter 565 I Like Gnawing on Tough Bones

Chapter 565: Chapter 565 I Like Gnawing on Tough Bones

Wen Congrui couldn’t guess Miss Wufu’s intentions at the moment. She was just a young girl who had suddenly come forward, so how could she speak to him about the welfare of the people?

Something flashed through his mind, and Wen Congrui smiled faintly, thinking that Miss Wufu wanted to emulate the charitable ladies and young misses who did things like distributing porridge and clothes—after all, this was common among the rich and noble families.

With the reward she had obtained in the capital city and the silver from Peach Blossom Spring, she indeed had enough to carry out charitable acts and earn a good reputation for herself.

"What does Miss Wufu mean by saying this?" Wen Congrui didn’t directly point it out but asked instead.

Miss Wufu smiled, "I wish to share some of the burdens with you, my lord; I only wonder if you would afford me the opportunity?"

"Oh?" Wen Congrui put down his teacup, stood up, and gave a bow, saying, "This official thanks Miss Wufu for her kind heart. May I know how much Miss Wufu is willing to donate?"

Miss Wufu was taken aback and quickly dodged the question, laughing, "If it’s only for this year, with my humble name as a young girl, I can’t donate much. If I want it to be for a long and lasting future, that will depend on you, my lord!"

Wen Congrui was a bit lost for a moment—a short-term and a lasting future?

"Forgive me, but I don’t quite understand your thoughts, Miss Wufu. Please speak freely," Wen Congrui suggested, deciding not to guess any further and to be straightforward.

Miss Wufu then said, "Since you’re straightforward, my lord, I won’t beat around the bush either. The truth is, I’ve taken a fancy to a shop and want to take it over to run a restaurant business. It’s just that I’ve run into a little trouble."

Her change of topic was so swift that Wen Congrui was also slightly stunned. How did taking over a small shop become linked to donating and doing charitable deeds?

"My lord, that shop is located on Dongyang Street, formerly Suixin Restaurant, not quite as famous as Hongfu Tower, but its business is extremely good too. I heard that the Lord Magistrate’s brother-in-law, Du Yingliang, is also interested in it. He is only willing to offer three hundred taels, which is seven hundred taels short of the seller’s asking price—the owner is not willing to sell. But due to the other party’s status, Suixin Restaurant can no longer conduct its business, and I, I am interested in taking it over."

Wen Congrui, an astute man, understood the crux of the matter as soon as Miss Wufu explained, and his eyes narrowed slightly, "So Suixin Restaurant can’t continue, and that’s also the doing of this Du Yingliang?"

"My lord is wise!" Miss Wufu affirmed with just four words, which said everything.

Wen Congrui’s expression darkened.

The previous Magistrate, due to an incident involving the September imperial examinations, had already been charged and thrown into prison. The current Magistrate, Yu Tian, was elected last year; he was a juren, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, who had tried many times without success and was now forty years old.

Yu Tian, new to the position, had been acting cautiously and methodically, but had he already been in office for so long that now there were rumors of his family using their position to bully others?

"How much silver do you intend to use to buy it?" Wen Congrui asked her.

"Naturally, it would be as the owner desires," Miss Wufu replied with a smile.

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"I won’t hide it from you, my lord: hearing that Du Yingliang is also interested, I was on the verge of giving up, since he is the Lord Magistrate’s brother-in-law. However, I am someone who likes to tackle tough challenges. If you, my lord, could grace me by acting as an intermediary and mediating in this matter, I can promise here and now. If this restaurant can be successfully established, I will dedicate a portion of its earnings every year to charity in Huayang County. What do you think of this idea, my lord?" Miss Wufu said.

Allocating a portion of the profits for charity in Huayang, was that adding bricks and tiles to the County Government Office’s coffers?

Wen Congrui was quite surprised and looked at Miss Wufu, his heart stirred by her forthright and generous spirit. Such a young woman with such a broad mind—should he call her clever or generous?