Chapter 130: Golden Tripod Mall!

Li Er glanced at the four men who remained unconvinced. In truth, this was directed primarily at Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde; Duan Zhixuan was by nature a serious and reticent man, and his being scolded was merely collateral damage—had it been up to his own character, he never would have engaged in such behavior. As for Li Ji, he was an old fox. If Changsun Wuji was the old fox of the civil officials, then Li Ji was the old fox of the military; he never made a move unless he was certain of the outcome. Yet this time, even he had been dragged down by that blockhead, Cheng Yaojin.

"The four of you, come over and sit," Li Er said. "When you return, have a good talk with your children. Let them explain to you what kind of entity this Golden Tripod Group really is! Honestly, you all seem to be regressing as you grow older."

Li Er then looked at Cheng Chumo and Yuchi Baolin, finally breaking into a smile. "Not bad. You upheld the law impartially and did not let personal ties interfere with public duty. Good, very good. Keep up the effort!"

Receiving praise from Li Er, Cheng Chumo and Yuchi Baolin were trembling with excitement. They both felt that receiving such commendation from Li Er made it worth it, even if they were to be beaten to death upon returning home.

"Thank you for the praise, Uncle Li. Your nephew will continue to work hard!"

Li Er nodded with satisfaction, then glared at Cheng Yaojin, who was grinning because his son had been praised. The sight made the man shrink his neck back in terror.

Seeing that things had settled down, Li Yi said to Li Er, "Uncle Li, they still have work to do, so let them go. It is time for us to eat."

Li Er agreed with a nod. "Fine!"

Li Ke and the others bid everyone farewell and retreated. Not long after, a waitress entered holding a piece of stiff paper, which she handed to Li Er.

Li Er looked at the paper with surprise, realizing it was a menu. Below the title was a list of dishes, each accompanied by its price, all presented with perfect clarity.

"A menu?" Li Er remarked. "Splendid. This is quite convenient! How interesting."

Never having ordered from a menu before, Li Er took the task very seriously. He spent the time it takes for an incense stick to burn picking and choosing, and even after setting the menu down, he still seemed unsatisfied. Seeing Li Er's reaction, Cheng Yaojin grabbed the menu and pretended to order a couple of dishes, only for Yuchi the Dark to snatch it away. Eventually, everyone took a turn, leaving Li Yi quite speechless—it was just ordering food, was all this really necessary?

After the orders were placed, tea and wine were served. With the graceful waitresses and attentive service, everything made the diners feel remarkably comfortable. Even Cheng Yaojin and the others forgot all about the bad mood caused by the earlier scolding.

Once the food arrived, the group fell upon the feast with gusto. The chefs at Li Yi’s restaurant had been meticulously trained by his personal chef, Mother Han, and the dishes were enough to stir the appetite of anyone present. Just the sight and the aroma of the food had everyone salivating. At Li Er’s command, the gluttonous feast began, accompanied by high-proof spirits and delicious delicacies, followed by a cup of fragrant green tea.

The meal was exceptionally satisfying. Li Er was so content that he slumped in his chair, squinting his eyes and waving his folding fan, feeling too comfortable to move.

An incense stick’s time later, Li Yi spoke up. "Uncle Li, shall we head to the next location?"

Li Er struggled to open his eyes. "The next location? Very well! Let’s go!"

Everyone hurriedly rose and followed Li Er out of the room, where a waitress guided them to the front desk.

"You brat," Li Er said, "didn't you say we were going to the next place? Why are we here?"

"To pay the bill," Li Yi replied earnestly.

Cheng Yaojin was immediately displeased. "We are all shareholders! Do we still need to pay?"

Li Er looked at Li Yi, equally puzzled.

Li Yi rolled his eyes helplessly. "Being a shareholder doesn't mean you don't pay. Uncles, do not forget that twenty percent of the Golden Tripod Business Alliance's profits belong to the Imperial Court. You know well enough how much a meal at the Golden Tripod Restaurant costs! If every shareholder frequently came here to eat and drink for free under the guise of being a shareholder, how much money would the Imperial Court lose?"

Upon hearing this, Li Er and Fang Xuanling were no longer pleased.

"He is right!" Li Er declared. "Paying for a meal is only natural. Yi-boy is correct. From now on, if anyone comes here to eat without paying, you tell me!" He cast a meaningful glance at Cheng Yaojin as he spoke.

Cheng Yaojin immediately offered an awkward laugh. "Your Majesty is right; one must pay. In that case, let me cover the bill for this meal!"

Li Er nodded in satisfaction. Cheng Yaojin walked to the front desk, paid several strings of copper coins, and the group finally departed.

***

Not far from the Golden Tripod Restaurant stood a "massive" building—massive in terms of its footprint, which was seven or eight times that of the restaurant. This was the Golden Tripod Mall. Its exterior was similar to the restaurant, only grander.

Li Er and his party stood at the entrance for a moment before heading inside. Once inside, they found it packed to the brim. The group found it difficult to move through the crowd, but fortunately, Li Zhen, who was patrolling nearby, hurriedly dispatched a dozen attendants to help clear a path. This privilege was a necessity; otherwise, being squeezed together with so many people would be dangerous.

Li Er realized he was disrupting others, but he couldn't help but want to look around, so he and Li Yi’s group took a hurried lap before heading out. Li Yi’s mall operated much like a modern one, with goods divided into sections, each managed by an attendant or a supplier. The merchandise was exhaustive, covering essentially every type of small commodity available in Chang'an.

After leaving the mall, Li Yi took the group to a place where they could rest.

"You brat," Li Er said, "this mall of yours is quite novel. You’ve actually gathered all the goods of Chang'an in one place, but managing so many people must be complex, right?"

"It’s not as complex as it seems," Li Yi explained. "There is a great deal of space between each stall, which reduces unnecessary trouble. Furthermore, the vendors are mostly former girls or servants from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. I promised them that once they reach a certain sales quota, I will grant them their freedom. I also rent the stalls to them; they only need to pay for their inventory and a small rental fee. Whatever else they earn is theirs, so they work very diligently. There is also a complex system of rewards and punishments, so unless someone is intentionally causing trouble, nothing goes wrong."

Li Er frowned. "If that’s the case, won’t the Business Alliance lose money?"

Li Yi smiled slightly. "How could that be? Uncle Li, while we may have less profit, we gain the rental income. Moreover, we currently pay them wages; once they become independent, we no longer need to cover those costs. We also save on management expenses. When you calculate it all, we are still the ones making money!"

Li Er nodded in realization. "I knew it! A crafty brat like you would never engage in a losing business!"

Li Yi offered a helpless, bitter smile; he was getting used to these harmless jabs.

"You brat," Li Er asked, "where to next?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Yi led the group around the side of the mall and entered through another door. "Uncle Li, this is the area for charitable sales. I’ve set aside a separate space for it. This includes the sale of Golden Tripod furniture, perfume, folding fans, jewelry, clothing, and the like."

Li Er and the others walked around with curiosity. Although they had seen these items before, they still felt fresh.

"This is a perfume shop," Li Er laughed. "So, you’ve finally started selling your perfume! Guanyinbi has mentioned it to me several times; her bottle ran out ages ago. Perfect, I’ll buy a few bottles to take back for her today! ...And this is a furniture shop? You’ve invented new styles again? Pack them up and send some to the palace!"

Li Er acted like a bandit, wanting everything he laid eyes on. Li Yi just smiled indifferently; they had to pay for it anyway, so they could take whatever they liked.

Finally, the group arrived at the last stop: the folding fan shop.

Folding fans were now known to everyone; they had even become a status symbol. Although many had tried to make and sell them before, once Li Yi’s shop opened, people flocked to it. After all, these were the most authentic, and showing one off carried a great deal of prestige.

Li Er already had a custom fan from Li Yi, so he wasn't particularly keen, but the others were different. They had long envied Li Er’s fan, but out of pride, they had refused to buy from other peddlers. Now that the authentic ones were available, they were eager to buy. Even the frugal Fang Xuanling bought several, which showed just how much he loved them.

Li Er was looking around when he suddenly noticed an exquisitely crafted fan displayed in the center of the shop, with the words "Not for Sale" written beneath it.

"Yi-boy, what is the meaning of this?" The attention of the group, including other customers, was drawn to it.

Li Yi looked up and immediately understood. He stepped onto a chair, took the fan down, and said to Li Er, "I wrote this back when I was clearing the challenges at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Later, Changle asked for it and made it the shop's treasure." Li Yi opened the fan, and everyone read the inscription:

"Plucking mud from a swallow’s beak, shaving iron from a needle’s tip,
Scraping gold from a Buddha’s face, searching through every crevice, seeking the non-existent.
Searching for peas in a quail’s crop,
Splitting lean meat from a heron’s leg,
Extracting lard from a mosquito’s belly—
Shame on the thief who would stoop so low!"

Everyone burst into laughter, praising Li Yi’s sharp tongue—it was truly venomous!

"Haha," Li Yi said, "this is a poem satirizing extreme greed. I suspect Changle asked for it and placed it here to remind herself to be mindful."

Li Er nodded in agreement. "Changle has been much more diligent lately, and her temperament has become much more composed. Even Guanyinbi has praised her to me several times. Where is she now?"

Li Yi thought for a moment. "She should be at the headquarters right now, discussing the construction of an orphanage and a nursing home."