Chapter 592: Chapter 594: The Request

After finally persuading his companions to leave, Wang Li went to Tianfu Restaurant alone.

Seeing the familiar decor and familiar faces, Wang Li quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Wang, you’re back from sea!" The waiter spotted him at the entrance and greeted him enthusiastically. He was a regular, after all.

"I’m back. To start, get me a steaming bowl of lamb noodle soup."

"The usual then? With extra braised lamb?"

Wang Li replied, "That’s right. And half a catty of Shaodaozi liquor."

The waiter looked at him in surprise. Brother Wang never used to drink. ’Something’s different about him after this trip,’ he thought.

"Don’t just stand there gawking. Go on, hurry up," Wang Li said.

The waiter smiled and immediately led him to a table. "Please wait a moment, sir. I’ll go place your order with the kitchen."

It wasn’t the dinner rush yet, so the main hall was fairly empty. Wang Li called the waiter over. "Is Store Manager Ming Nian not in today?"

"He’s here. He should be in the back room at the moment, but if you’re looking for him, he’s probably tied up for a while."

Wang Li knew he wasn’t important enough for the Store Manager, Ming Nian, to come out and personally greet him.

"Just bring out my noodles first, then!" Wang Li felt even more at ease hearing that the familiar manager was still around.

"Right away, sir. Please wait a moment." The waiter was a little confused. Wang Li was much more inquisitive today than usual. But they had their rules—they wouldn’t disclose what they weren’t supposed to.

After eating and drinking his fill, Wang Li waited for a good while longer before he finally saw Ming Nian.

Ming Nian remembered Wang Li well, as he had personally recruited him.

Besides, the young man liked to come here for a good meal whenever he was free. If they happened to cross paths, they’d exchange a few words.

Just like any other day, he gave Wang Li a nod. He was about to check if any of the waiters were slacking off when he saw Wang Li walk up to him.

"Store Manager, it’s been a while. You’re looking sharper than ever."

"Quite the sweet-talker today. What is it you’re hoping to find out this time?"

Wang Li had asked him for information before. If it was something he could answer, Ming Nian didn’t mind doing him a favor.

Besides, the young man had good judgment and wouldn’t put him in a difficult position.

"It’s just... we’re about to get a new owner. I’m feeling a little anxious, so I came to ask you about it."

"You don’t need to worry about that," Ming Nian said. "Just keep doing your jobs as you always have."

"Your new owner has dealings with my master. He isn’t a demanding person, so you can all rest easy and continue your work."

Wang Li asked, "What about Mrs. Gu? Now that she’s handed over the sea trade, does that mean she’s leaving Lu City?"

Ming Nian looked at him, surprised. "You think more deeply than the others, don’t you?"

"I won’t hide it from you. My master’s term in office is nearly up. He’ll be going to Shangjing in the fall to report for his next assignment. He won’t be here much longer."

This was his way of explaining why the sea trade business had changed hands.

An enterprise that large, left without an owner to oversee it, would inevitably run into trouble. They could understand why the Madam had made such a decision.

Besides, the men they had trained with had already been reassigned, so the impact on them was minimal.

It was just that Ming Nian himself was in charge of Tianfu Restaurant here in Lu City, so he wasn’t on the list of those who would be leaving. ’It’s a bit of a shame,’ he thought. He also wanted a change of pace, a new environment.

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Wang Li had already suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was still disappointing. "That’s a real shame. Mr. Gu is a good official who has done so much for Lu City. I never thought he’d be transferred so soon."

"There have been Magistrates who served several consecutive terms here before. It’s a surprise that Mr. Gu won’t be doing the same."

The common people knew just how crucial a good public servant was for a city’s prosperity.

Lu City had just managed to get back on its feet. ’Are we going to stagnate now, or even regress?’

"Meetings and partings are a natural part of life. Perhaps the next Lord Prefect will be even better. You can look forward to that." Ming Nian’s attempt at consolation was entirely half-hearted. ’Who could possibly compare to the Master?’ he thought.

"I hope so..." Wang Li trailed off.

"You should focus on doing good work, too. In a few years, you’ll be able to buy some good farmland and live a comfortable, prosperous life." Ming Nian patted his shoulder, preparing to get back to work. The dinner rush was about to start, and things would get hectic.

Wang Li finally summoned his courage. "Store Manager, I was wondering... are you short on staff? Would it be possible for me to transfer over and work here?"

"What? You don’t want to work on the ships anymore?" Ming Nian paused to look at him. "The pay for my staff here is nothing compared to what you earn sailing. Besides, the contract you signed with the Madam is different from ours. I doubt it would be possible."

’Besides,’ he thought, ’they all fall under Prince Bai’s management now. If he’d brought this up a little earlier, it might have been possible, but it’s out of the question now.’

"I’m just feeling so uncertain," Wang Li admitted. "I always felt secure working for Mrs. Gu. You don’t have to worry, I can accept it even if the pay is lower."

Wang Li had a gut feeling that his future would only be secure if he continued to work for Mrs. Gu.

"Well..." Ming Nian was conflicted. If it were any other matter he could help with, he would have.

But this was a difficult request. The Madam had already signed the contracts over to Prince Bai. Asking to take one of the men back now would be improper.

"No matter the outcome, I’d still like to ask you to please inquire on my behalf, Store Manager."

Ming Nian didn’t refuse him outright. "How about this? I can’t give you an answer right now. Come back in a couple of days."

"But whether it works out or not, you can’t hold it against me."

"I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare," Wang Li said quickly. "I’ll remember this kindness, Store Manager. If you ever need anything in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll give it my all."

"Then I’ll let you be. Come back in a couple of days."

...

Jin Qianqian hadn’t expected someone would actually want to give up the high wages of working on the ships.

"I vaguely remember him," she said. "What’s this about? Is he unhappy on the ships?"

"I don’t think so," Ming Nian replied, now regretting that he hadn’t asked for more details at the time.

"He’s already a minor foreman on the ships. In just over two years, he’s managed to buy a small courtyard house."

"I’d heard him say before that he planned to use the silver he earned next to buy some land. I’m not sure why he’s suddenly changed his mind."

"I already told him that if he stops being a sailor, his wages won’t be nearly as high, but he didn’t seem to have any objections."

Jin Qianqian didn’t have time to deal with such matters at the moment, so she simply instructed, "Go and tell him that I’ve already transferred all the contracts to Prince Bai."

"It wouldn’t be right for me to ask for him back now. Tell him to wait five years. If he still feels the same way then, he can come to Tianfu Restaurant and let us know."

Ming Nian still tried to put in a good word for him. "Actually, Madam, I know a little about Wang Li."

"He’s all alone here now, with his only close relations being a few of his old friends."

"I believe he’s making this decision because he’s looking for a stable patron."

"After all, a man like him—alone, but with a bit of money to his name—can easily become a target."

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