Chapter Eighteen: The New Year Arrives

  After having breakfast, Li Jiancheng made a round in the city before coming to the "West Travel Inn". If he came directly here, it's estimated that anyone could see that there was something wrong with him and this wine building.

  "Wow, the big boss finally has time to come here today. What a rare guest!" As soon as Li Jiancheng entered the residence next to the wine house, he heard He Qing's "welcome" voice. However, he was also very helpless and estimated that no boss would be like him, making a perfect absentee landlord. Of course, it was also because of his easy-going nature that He Qing and the others were able to chat with Li Jiancheng in a very casual manner. If it weren't for official business, everyone would still joke around.

  "Cough, cough..." He cleared his throat twice to cover up his embarrassment. "You all know my difficulties, in order not to expose my identity, so I can only trouble you." Li Jiancheng had an innocent look on his face, making He Qing and the others want to laugh, but in order not to make their boss uncomfortable, they all held it in. However, after just a moment, they couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Seeing Li Jiancheng begin to discuss serious matters, He Qing and the others immediately became solemn. "Firstly..." he said, pausing for a moment as he looked at their expectant eyes before continuing, "I'm talking about your wages. As the saying goes, 'before the troops move, grain and fodder come first.' Firstly, your wages: Aunt He's is 600 taels per month, while Aunt Xie, Aunt Ye, and Aunt Li's are 500 taels." Although He Qing was paid more than them, they didn't have anything to say. If it weren't for He Qing's recommendation, they would still be struggling to make a living! "As for the chefs' wages, they will be 450 taels, and the remaining apprentices will receive 400 taels." Upon hearing Li Jiancheng's words, their eyes widened in surprise. In this era, they belonged to the lower rungs of society - scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Except for merchants, who were exploited by multiple layers but could still make a profit, they were basically just trying to survive. So the wages he offered were extremely high. Normally, even at a good restaurant, the highest monthly salary would be around 10 taels, while lower-end ones might not even exceed 1 tael per month. Therefore, when they heard his offer, they were all shocked and excited. They had known that the wine shop was profitable, but they hadn't expected him to give them so much. With a boss like this, they would be willing to go to great lengths for him - this was their innermost thought at the moment.

  Actually, Li Jiancheng's move was not just to buy them off, but more importantly, he wanted to give them a sense of belonging, so that after he was gone, the hotel could still operate normally. It is worth noting that his old man was later sent to Taiyuan.

  "You don't have to be surprised, later if you do better, your wages will be higher." Li Jiancheng revealed again.

  "Then, let's talk about the issue of increasing new wine production. I've decided to add 15 more sets of winemaking equipment, and later Ye Yi and Xie Yi will work together on it. However, the newly made wine shouldn't be put out for sale all at once, but rather gradually increased, otherwise the price will drop. As for other matters, you can handle them yourselves." After saying this, Li Jiancheng let everyone else leave, but asked He Qing to stay behind, as there was something that needed to be prepared.

  "Auntie, there's something I need your help with, but please try not to let anyone else know except for the two of us." It wasn't that he didn't trust them; some things had nothing to do with trust. The more people who knew, the harder it was to avoid accidents, like drunk men spilling the truth. Many failed cases had taught him that it was always a problem with the details.

  Aunt He saw Li Jiancheng speaking like this, so she also became serious, "Jiancheng, you say it, I'll do my best to do whatever I can."

  "Help me adopt some orphans, and I have the following requirements: first, they must be physically healthy; second, they must be clever and able to adapt quickly; third, their age should be between 6-10 years old, and of course, boys and girls are both acceptable." Li Jiancheng stated his requirements. "There's no need to rush, just complete it within a year or two, and also, build a house in the suburbs that can accommodate around 500 people for them to live in."

  Then he became serious, "Next is the most crucial part, help me find someone to train their physical strength, and teach them military tactics. With so many generals in the city, it should be easy to find one. If necessary, we can use a VIP card from the third floor to invite him. Of course, if this general asks questions, just tell him that these children will become the guards of our wine shop in the future, because our wine shop's branches will cover the entire Sui Dynasty."

  He Qing listened quietly to Li Jiancheng's words on the side, although what he said was surprising to her, but it only lasted for a moment. Since Li Jiancheng helped her with the tax payment and invited her to help him manage the wine shop, He Qing already knew that she wouldn't be an ordinary person in the future, she just didn't expect it to start preparing now.

  "Is that all?" He Qing asked.

  "Hehe, just consider the remaining details for me." Li Jiancheng said with a smile.

  "You're working me to death! I have to do everything." He Qiong pretended to complain.

  "How about I give you a raise?" Li Jiancheng said with a smile.

  "It's better not to, if you raise my salary, I'm not sure what other things you'll ask me to do in the future." He Qingshake her head vigorously.

  After chatting with He Qing for a while, Li Jiancheng returned home. Duan Yin saw him come back so early and teased him, "Huh? Is the sun rising in the west today?"

  "Why did Mother say that?" Li Jiancheng asked in puzzlement.

  "Do you know that my husband is usually very busy and doesn't come back home until dinner time? Today he came back so early, isn't it strange?" Du Xian pretended not to understand. Alright, I see she's teasing him, can't afford to get hurt, might as well go back to the room.

  "Big brother, it's been a long time since you took me out to play, when are you going to take me out again!" Second brother Li Shimin complained to Li Jiancheng as soon as he returned.

  "You didn't hear what Mother said, stay at home for a while and don't run out." Li Jiancheng suppressed his mother's words, and indeed Li Shimin stopped talking after hearing them.

  "But it's so boring staying at home!" Er Ge Shimen complained again.

  Li Jiancheng thought for a moment, and then had an idea. He went to get the Go board from Li Yuan's study, explained some rules to Li Shimin, and they started playing Weiqi. At first, Li Shimin was very excited, but as he got more familiar with the game, he kept losing miserably, always ending up with a bitter face. In the end, it became boring for Li Jiancheng to win all the time, so he told Li Shimin to go play with Li Yuanji instead. Knowing he couldn't beat his older brother, Li Shimin took the Go board and ran off to find Li Yuanji, his face filled with excitement.

  "I don't know if he's excited because he can bully Yuanji, that rookie." Li Jiancheng thought wickedly.

  Every day, I practice my skills in the morning and evening, then play with Li Shimin and Li Yuanji, tease Xiu Ning, listen to Li Yuan and Dou Yi's teachings, finally the new year has arrived...