The next morning, after breakfast, Xia Zhi gathered everyone together.
"Today is November 1st, and it's time to pay everyone's wages again."
"Yay!"
As usual, everyone piled up the Mora they had earned last month on the table, and the scene was even more spectacular than last month's payday.
"The rules are the same as last time. Everyone worked very hard last month, and I've given you all an excellent evaluation, so everyone can receive the full bonus."
"Thank you, boss!"
"Ying'er joined late and only worked in the shop for a week last month, so her base salary is only 2,500 Mora. However, she did a great job negotiating the new cups with Scent of Spring, so I've also given her an excellent evaluation, and she can receive a 10,000 Mora bonus."
"Thank you, boss!"
"Last month, our shop expanded. The shop next door was gifted to Shenhe by Miss Ningguang, so Shenhe's monthly salary will increase by 80,000 Mora, based on the average rent for shops in Feiyun Slope."
"Wow!"
"Diona's role has changed from a server to a bartender, so her monthly salary will increase by 5,000 Mora."
"Thank you, boss!"
"By the way, a few major events happened last month. Shenhe and Diona have become famous in Liyue, and our little shop's reputation has also grown significantly. To celebrate, I've decided to give everyone an additional 4,000 Mora as a bonus."
"!!!"
"Alright, everyone's wages have been calculated. Count your share from the table. Shenhe, help Yaoyao count her share."
"Got it!"
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata watched everyone counting their money and asked, "Cousin, what about me?"
"What about you?"
"My wages! I also helped out in the shop last month!"
"Just take whatever you want. Isn't my money your money?"
"No! We have to follow the rules!"
"Then follow the rules and take your share."
After distributing the wages, the remaining Mora was taken to the Northland Bank to be deposited. By the time they returned, it was almost time to open the shop for the day.
The Rainbow Wine was still very popular, and the small jar was empty before 10 a.m.
At noon, Xia Zhi made the fried mushrooms that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had been craving. It was the same familiar recipe and taste.
It was delicious, and everyone loved it.
Xia Zhi noticed that Ying'er's appetite had grown a bit compared to when she first arrived. She could now eat an extra bowl of rice.
Being able to eat is a blessing. That's good.
Xia Zhi also specially left a portion of fried mushrooms in the cupboard for Yaoyao to enjoy as a snack when she came over.
"Big brother, tomorrow is November 2nd, Xiangling's birthday."
"Is that so?"
Xia Zhi nodded, wondering how the girl was doing with her training outside and whether she had finished the bottle of Rainbow Juice. Fortunately, Guoba was by her side, so she wouldn't feel too lonely…
During the afternoon business hours, Xia Zhi still didn't see the two Adepti.
These two are unreliable. All they do is play cards all day, and now they don't even come to the shop to support the business.
In contrast, Mr. Zhongli is much more considerate. Unless the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is busy, he comes to the shop every afternoon to sit for a while, have some snacks, and keep accounts.
In the evening, his cousin ordered another serving of braised chicken.
After dinner, instead of going for a walk, everyone played mahjong in the shop.
This was also the last pre-exam review.
Because tomorrow, the preliminary rounds of the Mahjong King Tournament will begin in teahouses all over Liyue.
The event has generated quite a buzz, with discussions happening all over the city. It's quite a grand occasion.
If the results are good, given the Feiyun Commerce Guild's attitude, they'll probably hold one every year from now on.
In the afternoon, Miss Ningguang came for a massage.
She was wearing a floral dress today, and her demeanor seemed surprisingly delicate.
Xia Zhi felt great.
At night, while giving Greater Lord Rukkhadevata a massage, Xia Zhi suddenly remembered something.
"Cousin, what happened to the [Rainbow Fruit] I gave you last night?"
"It's with me. I tasted a bit, and it's quite good, but the vitality in the flesh is too intense for ordinary people to consume. The best way is still to dilute it into juice."
"Right. Keep some of the juice. The shop's juice is running out quickly, so we'll need it for replenishment."
"Got it."
"How are the seven seedlings doing?"
"Not bad."
"Let them grow slowly. Here's another bottle of essential oil. Pour a bit in each time you cultivate them."
"Oh, by the way, what exactly is in this essential oil of yours?"
"Mysterious essence."
"…Fine, don't tell me."
"Fine, don't believe me."
At night, the bell rang again.
Meanwhile, in a room inside the Yanshang Teahouse.
Yelan lay on the table, staring blankly at the wall covered in intelligence reports.
She had drunk the tea on Sunday night, and now it was Tuesday night. Two days and nights had passed, and she still didn't feel sleepy at all.
She was careless…
What kind of tea is this?!
It's way too stimulating!
Yelan sighed helplessly.
Although she couldn't sleep, she didn't feel too tired mentally. Her thoughts were still very active.
Over the past two days, she had not only finished the usual pile of intelligence work but also dug out old case files out of boredom. With her sharp intuition, she found various clues and easily solved more than a dozen long-standing cases, sending many criminals who thought they had escaped the law to prison.
Her subordinates were in awe of her.
Even Ningguang had heard about it and sent Baixiao to ask.
Although Yelan felt a bit embarrassed, she didn't hide it and directly told Ningguang that she had drunk too much tea.
Baixiao's expression was strange, and who knows how Ningguang reacted when she reported back.
Yelan stared blankly for a while, sighed, sat up, picked up the case files on the table, and continued solving cases to pass the time.
—
The next morning, Xia Zhi asked his cousin to write another notice.
"Just say that our shop's employees are participating in the Mahjong King Tournament, so we're taking the day off."
"We're taking a day off every week."
"Can't be helped. The shop has things to do."
"Probably only our little shop in Feiyun Slope is this wilful."
"Write it quickly, and make the handwriting nice."
"Got it, cousin. I want to eat noodles for breakfast."
"Alright, alright."
After breakfast, everyone went to the preliminary round venue in Feiyun Slope.
When registering, everyone was assigned a number and had to go to different teahouses for their matches based on the allocation.
Zhu Zi and Diona felt quite nervous, while Ying'er and Chi Yu just thought it was fun. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Shenhe felt no pressure at all, since the reward for reaching the finals was the chance to order dishes from the boss, and the two of them could already order whatever they wanted every day.
Xia Zhi didn't expect to run into Mr. Zhongli at the teahouse entrance.
"Mr. Zhongli, are you here to watch the excitement?"
"I also signed up."
"Oh, good luck—wait, I think you're at the same table as my cousin."
"…"
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