I just want to live a good life

Su Nuan said that the entire restaurant should be closed, which shocked Madam Wang. She quickly asked, "Madam, do you not want this restaurant anymore?"

"Why not? Closing down is for reopening, and also for finding new employees."

As soon as these words came out, a bold fellow asked: "Madam, what should we do then?"

The waiters here have all signed contracts with the restaurant, some have signed living contracts, and some have signed fixed contracts, so they were not too scared when they heard that Su Nuan wanted to find new waiters.

Su Nuan looked at the waiter who was talking, and replied calmly: "Those who signed a living contract can leave the restaurant and go wherever they want. Those who signed a life contract will be sold to the mines, and their future life or death depends on fate."

As soon as the words fell, the guys reacted differently, some knelt down and begged for mercy, while others looked at each other in bewilderment.

Su Nuan was still a little nervous. She didn't know whether people were sold to the mines here. This was something she had read about in a novel before. People who were sold to the mines were described as having a miserable life. She just wanted to scare these guys, so she said it casually and forgot to verify the possibility of this matter.

She didn't feel relieved until someone begged for mercy. There must be such a thing as selling people into the mines.

"My Queen, please spare us! You can't sell us into the mines. If you do, we'll die."

"Yes, my lady, you are kind-hearted, you must not sell us to the mines!"

"Don't want to be sold?"

Su Nuan asked tentatively, and the guy kneeling on the ground nodded desperately.

"If you don't want to be sold out, there is a way. From now on, all matters in the store will be handled by Madam Wang. Is it possible?"

"I can do it. I can do it."

"If you can, get up and stand behind me."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the people kneeling hid behind Su Nuan.

The remaining few people signed living contracts, and according to Su Nuan's "plan", these people were allowed to leave.

Several people looked at each other, no one left, and no one spoke.

"What are your plans? Are you going to leave or stay? If you want to leave, collect your wages and leave now. If you want to stay, sign a death contract and stay like them, but you have to be obedient."

Several people were reluctant to leave. It was already the end of the year. Where would they find work if they left? How would they celebrate the New Year if they had no work?

But when they heard that they had to sign a death contract, they hesitated.

Once they signed the contract, they became slaves and their lives were no longer their own. Between having a bad life and having no freedom, most people chose the former.

Su Nuan asked Madam Wang to pay some wages, but Madam Wang was in a dilemma.

"Why? You don't know where the money in the store is kept?"

"Madam, I have used the last five taels of silver left in the store to order tomorrow's dishes."

"So, if I don't come today, no one will come to eat in the restaurant, and the restaurant won't even have money to buy food?"

Madam Wang lowered her head.

Su Nuan sighed and continued to ask, "What did the shopkeeper say?"

"The shopkeeper said that we can go to the Prince's Mansion to collect the New Year's money in a few days."

"What money for the New Year?"

Su Nuan asked.

"I heard that every New Year, the Prince's Mansion gives some money to the shop owners and clerks in each shop to reward everyone for their hard work throughout the year."

Su Nuan muttered, "Did he get tired from taking a break?"

"Did they say how much money each person would be given?"

"No, but from what the shopkeeper said it should be a lot, at least enough to cover half a year's salary."

Su Nuan quickly calculated in his mind that the monthly salary of the owner of this restaurant was about eight taels of silver, so his salary for half a year would be about fifty taels.

With so many shopkeepers, there must be no fewer assistants. Assuming five taels of silver per person, the expenditure for this shop alone is nearly one hundred taels.

Su Nuan holds the twelve shops entrusted to her by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, which means that in a few days the Crown Prince's Mansion will have an expenditure of around 1,200 taels.

This amount of money is not much for the Prince's Mansion, but if she transfers all the money to his own use and catches the Prince off guard, he will go to other places to get the money, and then maybe she can find out how he makes his money.

What an unexpected gain!

"How about this, your wages will be paid together with this year's New Year's money."

If there were more people, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would get more silver. She didn't want to save the money, as she didn't know whose pocket it would go into in the future.

Compared to Xun Zheng, these lazy guys are much cuter.

"Um, Concubine, is there any money for us this year?"

A young man asked weakly.

"Hmm? Didn't we have that in previous years?"

When the young man heard this, he thought it happened in previous years, so he turned around and said to his companions, "That evil guy surnamed Cao swallowed up our New Year's money."

"Manager Cao is not that kind of person."

"You think he's a good man, but he's partial to the old people. Aren't we newcomers doing all the dirty work?"

Su Nuan turned around and glanced at the "old people" the waiter mentioned. These people did look older than the people who were leaving. Not just a little bit older, the age difference was probably about ten years.

"Didn't you get the New Year's money either?"

Su Nuan asked the "old man" behind him.

The man who looked the oldest was pushed out to answer questions.

"Replying to the Concubine, we all have New Year's money. Every year, Manager Cao takes one or two of us to collect the money, and then distributes it to everyone after returning."

"Then why aren't theirs?"

Su Nuan pointed at the "newcomers" and asked.

“They all came later, and those who came later didn’t have it.”

"why?"

In response to Su Nuan's soul-searching question, the older guy hesitated for a long time and couldn't say anything.

Su Nuan felt that it was not that he didn't know, but that he didn't know how to say it, or he didn't know how to cover up the matter.

There must be something fishy about this.

The old method, scare him into telling the truth.

"I can find out even if you don't tell me, but if I find out myself, it won't do any good to you. You should know that I'm the boss of the Prince's Mansion now. If I say a word, you won't get the New Year's money from your shop this year. And if I'm not happy, I might take you to the mine. So you have to think carefully whether you want to tell me the truth or not."

The guy was frightened and his face turned pale after hearing these few words.

"My Lady, I'm telling you the truth. Please don't mention the mines anymore. A fellow villager of mine was sold to work in the mines a few years ago. He died in less than two years. I heard that when he died, he was rolled up on a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave. His body was eaten by wild dogs. It was so tragic."

"If you know how miserable it is, just say it quickly. Don't waste time."

"I said, those of us who are paid have worked here for more than eight years. We were all working in the store when His Royal Highness took over the shop. His Royal Highness set the rule at that time that anyone who worked in the store when he took over the shop could receive the New Year's money from the Prince's Mansion every year, but those who were recruited later did not receive it."

"why?"

Su Nuan asked again.