Xu Jinxin looked at Su Xian in surprise. Seeing Su Xian smiling without saying a word, she pinched Duoduo's cheek.
"Little kids who lie won't grow tall, you know!"
Duoduo protected her cheeks. "Auntie Xu, Duoduo is not a little kid!"
Xu Jinxin was amused by Duoduo's reaction.
"Not a little kid? Then tell Auntie Xu, we haven't seen each other for half a day, how did you suddenly become a rich person?"
"Tell me so Auntie Xu can get rich too. Why even bother opening a shop? Auntie Xu could just lie flat and live off you!"
Duoduo smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and the dimples at the corners of her mouth deepened.
"Auntie Xu, you can't copy my method!"
Seeing Xu Jinxin's playfully defeated expression, Su Xian couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Duoduo went to the palace and prepared greeting gifts for His Majesty and Her Grace the Empress Dowager."
"After His Majesty saw them, he rewarded Duoduo with five hundred taels of gold, one thousand taels of silver, and other items."
"Her Grace the Empress Dowager also sent over a whole pile of things."
Xu Jinxin's mouth fell open.
Duoduo was indeed right; she really was rich now!
Xu Jinxin was full of curiosity.
"Duoduo, what exactly did you prepare as gifts? To be able to exchange them for so many things?"
Duoduo smiled radiantly and held up two fingers.
"Two paintings!"
Xu Jinxin looked at Su Xian. "Two paintings? Exchanged for all that?"
Su Xian nodded proudly.
"Duoduo's paintings are beautiful, but the most important thing is that the recipients really liked them!"
Duoduo nodded. "Auntie Xu, didn't you say that a gift doesn't have to be expensive, but rather something the other person likes?"
Xu Jinxin broke into a smile. "Oh, you kept everything I said in mind?"
Duoduo nodded vigorously. "I thought Auntie Xu was right, so I remembered it!"
Very pleased, Xu Jinxin rubbed Duoduo's head.
"Not bad at all, you're a teachable child! No wonder Li Jin's eyes light up whenever he mentions you."
"If I had a disciple like this, I would wake up laughing from my dreams!"
"Auntie Xu, you are my master's wife!" Duoduo reminded her.
"Ah, right!" Xu Jinxin nodded. "So, your master's wife will advance the money for the shop."
"Once business picks up at this shop, we'll open a second one, and a third!"
"Don't worry about not being able to spend all that silver of yours!"
Duoduo's eyes sparkled. "Auntie Xu, we have to work hard!"
"Whether I can beat my father all depends on you!"
Hearing this, Xu Jinxin looked helpless.
"What? You made another bet with your father?" Xu Jinxin had heard a bit about the stone incident from Li Jin.
Duoduo nodded. "That's right! Father also opened a shop, and we are competing to see who earns more!"
Xu Jinxin looked at Duoduo, then at Su Xian.
"Duoduo made a bet with His Highness, and you didn't try to stop her at all?"
Su Xian pursed her lips into a smile.
"Where is there any room for me to interrupt when the father and daughter are talking?"
Xu Jinxin sighed.
As a prince, Xiao Yi had numerous channels for making money.
Any random shop he opened would definitely earn more than theirs.
Duoduo was truly a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger!
Seeing Xu Jinxin's dejected face, Duoduo asked in confusion, "Auntie Xu, do you not have confidence in yourself?"
Xu Jinxin looked up, forcing a smile.
"Duoduo, we are opening a barbecue shop. The profit margin for this kind of shop isn't very large."
"Moreover, we are doing a small business where things cost a few or a dozen copper coins."
"Even if we sell non-stop all day, at most we'd make a few dozen taels of silver."
"A single dish in a grand restaurant costs several taels of silver."
"His Highness is someone who does big business. The income from any of his shops will easily exceed ours."
Xu Jinxin had no intention of lying to Duoduo.
Duoduo blinked.
This was something she hadn't considered.
Seeing the stunned look in Duoduo's eyes, Xu Jinxin couldn't bear to look directly at her.
"Duoduo, you've been tricked by His Highness!"
Su Xian froze.
"How could His Highness trick Duoduo? Jinxin, don't talk nonsense."
Xu Jinxin was speechless at her best friend's love-struck brain.
She looked at Duoduo. "What are the stakes for this bet with your father?"
"If it's too steep, go and cancel the bet with your father right away!"
Duoduo thought for a moment, then firmly shook her head.
"I must accept my loss if I bet! Since I agreed, even if I lose, I cannot back down!"
"At worst, I'll treat it as a lesson learned!"
Duoduo realized there were still many things she lacked.
Moved by Duoduo's determination, Xu Jinxin lowered her head and thought for a while.
"How about this, I'll ask Li Jin later to see if he knows what kind of goods His Highness's shop is selling."
"Then, I'll think about whether we can add some items to our shop to increase sales!"
Duoduo held Xu Jinxin's hand.
"Okay! Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie Xu! What do you need me to do? Just ask, Auntie Xu!"
Xu Jinxin nodded. With Duoduo being so young, she really couldn't think of what the child could do.
Su Xian, who was beside them, suddenly spoke up.
"Jinxin, I remember you saying before that a shop needs an advertising board to attract people?"
Xu Jinxin nodded.
"Yes, but no one here knows how to make that sort of thing."
This was ancient times; who would know how to make an advertising board?
"Advertising board? Auntie Xu, what is an advertising board?" Duoduo, who had been whispering to Yingniang, raised her head.
"It's when you draw the items from the shop into a picture and then post it at the entrance."
"When passersby see it, they will immediately be drawn inside."
"A picture? I can help draw that!" Duoduo instantly became interested.
Xu Jinxin shook her head. "I already talked to your teacher about this, asking him to help draw it when the time comes."
Li Jin's painting skills were good, but without the enhancement of modern lighting, the paintings would pale in comparison.
Su Xian looked at Xu Jinxin with a smiling face.
"Jinxin, you could give it a try. Perhaps what Duoduo draws will suit your vision better than Teacher Li's."
Su Xian recalled the two paintings she had seen Duoduo draw.
Both paintings gave people an immersive feeling. Only those who had seen them knew their true value.
Xu Jinxin looked at Su Xian and saw her nodding back.
Xu Jinxin thought Su Xian and Duoduo felt guilty for not contributing enough and that was why they made this suggestion.
Although Li Jin had praised Duoduo for her high talent, she had never heard him praise the actual quality of her paintings.
She pondered for a moment.
"How about this, Duoduo, you draw a picture for Auntie Xu so I can see how it is?"
Duoduo happily hopped off her chair. "Of course I can!"
"Auntie Xu, what do you want me to draw?"
"Well, the shop mainly sells things like grilled fish," Xu Jinxin said as she thought.
"So, Duoduo, see if you can draw a picture of grilled fish?"
