The shopkeeper’s expression changed the moment he saw the land deed in Lin Youyou’s hand. Fear and panic filled his eyes.
“Young… Young Master,” he said anxiously, “are you here today… to sell this shop?”
The two waiters and the two cooks in the back kitchen also turned pale. Even though they weren’t paid for the past months, if the master suddenly dismissed them, it wouldn’t be easy to find work elsewhere.
Lin Youyou immediately noticed their fear and smiled gently.
“No, that’s not it.”
She looked around. “Everyone’s here? Come over and listen together.”
The cooks and waiters exchanged glances, then walked over and stood beside the shopkeeper, all of them uneasy and unsure of what their fate would be.
“Qingli.”
“Yes.” Qingli stepped forward, opening a box filled with silver.
“This is the six months of unpaid wages owed to you by the Lin household,” she said calmly. “The shopkeeper earns five taels a month, so that’s thirty taels for six months. An additional five taels is compensation for the inconvenience and stress caused. A total of thirty-five taels. Please accept it. You’ve worked hard.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. His hands trembled as he took in the money, his eyes turning red.
“Thank you… Young Master,” he said emotionally.
No one knew how he had survived these six months. Every day he went home, his wife would scold him, and he could only lower his head in silence.
But he couldn’t abandon the shop. He had been brought here through the Xu family’s trust, and in their hardest time, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.
The pressure over these months had nearly crushed him.
Now, holding the silver in his hands and hearing the words “you’ve worked hard,” he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
It was worth it. Everything was worth it.
He stepped aside with a relieved smile.
Then Lin Youyou turned to the two cooks.
“You both earn five taels a month as well. You will each receive thirty-five taels. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you, Young Master!” the two cooks said, smiling through red eyes, barely holding back tears out of pride.
Finally, she looked at the two waiters.
“Your monthly wage is three taels. Six months makes eighteen, plus one extra month—twenty-one taels each. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, yes! Thank you, Young Master!” they said in unison, overjoyed.
They had never expected dissatisfaction—this shop already paid more than others, and now they were even receiving extra. There was nothing to complain about.
One by one, Lin Youyou handed them the silver directly. The heavy weight in their hands made them tremble with emotion. Nothing felt more real than holding solid silver.
But then they noticed something odd.
Why did the young master’s box still contain more silver?
Before they could wonder for long, Lin Youyou spoke again.
“My mother has given me this shop to manage. I plan to continue running it, but the style and offerings will change significantly, so the shop will need renovation.”
“I will still use all of you. Are you willing to continue working for me?”
The group stared at the bright-eyed young girl before them.
Then, all at once, they broke down in tears.
Even the old shopkeeper wiped his eyes.
“We are willing! Of course we are! As long as Young Master still needs us, we will stay!”
“Good.” Lin Youyou smiled. “Shopkeeper, here are ten taels. Your monthly wage will be raised to ten taels. The two cooks will also receive the same increase. And you two waiters will now earn eight taels a month.”
“This is your salary for next month in advance. During the renovation, you can help in the shop or take time to rest at home.”
She placed the money into their hands.
The shopkeeper’s ears turned red. “Young Master… this isn’t right. You already gave us back pay and now you’re raising wages and advancing salary—we cannot accept this.”
“Yes, Young Master, we cannot take this!” the others quickly agreed.
“Take it,” she said calmly. “Don’t be polite with me. You stayed here for six months without pay—that alone shows your character. If I trust you, then giving you one extra month’s pay in advance is nothing.”
“And don’t worry. Would you take the money and never return?”
“No, of course not!” the shopkeeper laughed through tears.
“Then treat it as me reserving good talent in advance,” she said lightly.
“Thank you, Young Master!”
This time, they no longer refused. Instead, they accepted gratefully, their hearts lighter than they had been in months.
“Alright, the shop is closed for today. Go home early, rest well, and prepare for renovation. You’ve all worked hard—use this time to recharge.”
With that, she stood up and left with Qingli and Qinghe.
The shopkeeper and staff bowed together. “Young Master, take care!”
Watching the carriage leave, they suddenly burst into laughter and celebration at the shop entrance—completely abandoning their dignity.
They were simply too happy.
Inside the carriage, Qingli lifted the curtain and smiled at the scene.
“Miss, they’re so happy they don’t even care about their image anymore.”
Lin Youyou smiled as well. “They are already quite honest and kind. After all, this is money they truly deserved.”
“But Miss, you even gave extra wages and raised salaries—don’t you feel like you’re losing out?” Qingli tilted her head in confusion.
Lin Youyou put down her book and looked at her seriously.
“Qingli, you need to look at things from a different angle.”
“If I spend ten taels of silver to buy absolute loyalty, isn’t that a very good deal?”
“And if they had taken the money and left, I would have only lost ten taels—but avoided future risks entirely.”
“That kind of loss is far better than losing thousands of taels later, or even the reputation of the shop.”
“…”
Qingli fell silent.
So did Qinghe outside, and even Lin Ke driving the carriage paused in thought.
After a moment, Qingli looked at her with admiration.
“Miss is right. This servant did not think of it that way.”
Lin Youyou smiled lightly. “Different perspectives lead to different outcomes. When you handle things in the future, try looking at them from more than one angle.”