After seeing Dou Zhao off, Dou Xiuchang immediately went to Dou Shibang to inform him about Dou Zhao’s intention to open a stationery shop. He said, “If it were a small amount of money, and since the capital is all Fourth Sisters, I would just be helping to manage it. But she asked for ten thousand taels. I’m worried she might be deceived. Yet, I can’t say this directly for fear of offending her, so I had to agree vaguely. But if she gets swindled, how will I explain it to the Dou and Zhao families? Others might think I had a hand in it and embezzled her money.”
“Why did Shougu suddenly think of opening a shop?” Dou Shibang was surprised at first, but with his experience, he quickly devised a plan. He smiled and said, “Shougu can’t possibly handle selecting the shop location and ordering the stationery herself. Just have the managers report the accounts to you.”
“That’s right!” Dou Xiuchang clapped his hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? If someone is targeting Fourth Aunt, at least not everything will be lost at once. The people managing for her can also become familiar faces, and any clues might be discovered early.”
Dou Shibang nodded with a smile.
Dou Xiuchang conveyed Dou Shibang’s suggestion to Dou Zhao in a tactful manner.
Dou Zhao smiled but said nothing.
Managing half of the Western Dou’s assets isn’t that easy!
She asked Dou Shibang to help her find a chief manager.
The chief managers of Dou Zhao’s properties were all well-placed, and everyone was doing well. There was no need to make unnecessary changes. Moreover, not everyone is qualified to be a chief manager. It takes twenty years of experience, from apprentice to clerk to manager to chief manager. No family would easily let go of a chief manager they spent twenty years training. And if someone has been in one place for twenty years and still needs to find another job as a chief manager, there must be a problem, and it’s hard to find out the real situation.
Instead of going through all that trouble and not knowing what kind of person she might find, it’s better to directly choose someone from the Dou family, someone familiar and trustworthy.
Dou Shibang laughed, “How big do you plan to make it that you need a chief manager? I think a regular manager should suffice.”
“Since I’ve already asked Third Uncle, I naturally want the best,” Dou Zhao said with a charming smile. “I don’t care what method you use, but my shop will open after the New Year, and I’ll come to you for the person. Otherwise, I’ll drag your chief manager from the bank in the capital to Zhen Ding.”
Of course, that was impossible.
Dou Shibang laughed heartily, stroking his beard. After careful selection, he found someone from the family’s managers for her: “…His name is Fan Wenshu. He started as an apprentice at eight and is now thirty-two, already the second manager at Jifin Pavilion.”
Jifin Pavilion was the Dou family’s antique shop in the capital.
Dou Zhao reluctantly nodded, “Although he’s not in the stationery business, at least it’s somewhat related. He’ll do!”
Dou Shibang could only shake his head.
Such a person was still not good enough for her. No wonder the big and small managers in the family were unwilling to go when they heard it was Dou Zhao asking for someone.
A precious sword is given to a worthy person. Dou Zhao didn’t realize how difficult it was to become a manager.
He had to promise Fan Wenshu, “If the shop fails, I’ll let you be the chief manager at the Nanjing branch of Jifin Pavilion.”
Fan Wenshu smiled wryly.
Is being a chief manager that easy?
He also had to be capable!
Leaving the antique business for a few years, even if he returned to Jifin Pavilion, he would lack those years of experience, and his judgment might not be as sharp. Moreover, the Fourth Miss of the Dou family was an unmarried young lady, and in a few years, who knows where she would marry. But since Third Master Dou had spoken to this extent, what else could he say?
After handing over the accounts, he feigned a cheerful demeanor and went to the Western Mansion.
Ganlu muttered, “Weren’t we supposed to get a chief manager?”
“You should be content!” Dou Zhao laughed. “How many chief managers does the Dou family have? Our small assets aren’t even worth their attention.” She had left room for Third Uncle to negotiate with her.
Ganlu sheepishly went to bring Fan Wenshu in.
Dou Zhao saw that he was of medium build, with regular features, exuding a friendly aura typical of a businessman. She immediately felt a bit of goodwill and briefly explained the situation before sending him to her third cousin to get the money.
Fan Wenshu was stunned for a moment.
The main store was in the capital, and within five years, they planned to open ten branches between Zhen Ding and the capital. But the scale, the funds, and who else would be involved were not disclosed.
“Does Fourth Miss have any other instructions?” he asked respectfully.
“I only have this requirement. As the manager, you handle the rest,” Dou Zhao smiled and added, “Oh, and you have a second manager, surnamed Cui, named Shisan. He won’t be able to help at the shop until September next year.”
After Fan Wenshu left, he immediately inquired about Cui Shisan.
The Dou family’s managers and clerks were all shrewd, and they quickly figured it out. Someone laughed, “So Fourth Miss wants to elevate someone from Aunt Cui’s family. Fan Wenshu, you’re just accompanying the prince in his studies!”
“Accompanying the prince in his studies is fine,” Fan Wenshu said gloomily, “I’m just afraid the prince pretends to understand and meddles.”
Everyone laughed, “You’re an antique dealer; do you even understand stationery?”
Cui Shisan also asked, but he asked Dou Zhao, “You’re having an antique dealer sell stationery and want me to be your second manager?”
Dou Zhao had long stopped engaging in such thankless arguments with Cui Shisan in her previous life. She straightforwardly said, “This was agreed upon by Aunt Cui.”
“Are you bluffing me?” Cui Shisan’s eyes darted around, “Then I’ll go ask Aunt Cui.”
Dou Zhao calmly sipped her tea.
Cui Shisan was deflated.
Dou Zhao then asked him, “How is Bo Yan doing?”
“We’ve discovered many things others don’t know,” Cui Shisan said excitedly. “In Xiping, some villagers secretly opened over two hundred acres of wasteland, and it’s been six years without anyone noticing. And at Quyang Bridge, the fish scale register only records two hundred acres of good land, but looking at the village, it seems like more than two hundred acres…”
Dou Zhao was astonished, “You found all this out.” She quickly warned Cui Shisan, “You mustn’t speak carelessly. Be careful of bringing trouble upon yourself.”
“I know,” Cui Shisan said nonchalantly. “If you cut off someone’s financial path, they’ll cut off your livelihood. I understand the stakes. I only mentioned it because you asked, me to entertain you.”
Thinking of Dou Qijun, who was a censor, Dou Zhao couldn’t rest easy. She took the opportunity to visit her sixth aunt and discreetly informed Dou Qijun.
“Don’t worry, Fourth Aunt. I’m not a hot-headed seventeen or eighteen-year-old who charges in recklessly.”
You’re only two or three years older than a seventeen or eighteen-year-old.
Dou Zhao thought to herself as she got up to leave.