Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Soon, the escort team also left with the empty carts, leaving only Liu Mingtao and Wang Pingan’s family at the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain. With no one else around, Zhong Yizhu smiled and took out all the gifts he had bought for everyone.

In the kitchen, two large pots of water were already boiling. Both men had returned safely, making Liu Mingtao, Wang Ping'an, and his husband thrilled. However, since there was plenty of time to talk the next day, the priority was to let them rest well.

Zhong Yizhu took a bath first, followed by Pei Mu. After finally making it home, they slept like logs before getting up to eat.

At the dinner table, all the dishes were their favorites. Sun Yunniang kept urging them to eat more, saying that although they claimed not to be tired, she knew they were just trying to reassure her—the journey must have been extremely exhausting.

And now they had to deal with the village affairs as soon as they returned. She felt really sorry for the two children.

Sun Yunniang put a piece of fish in Zhong Yizhu’s bowl and, recalling what he had said to the villagers earlier that day, asked, "Zhu Ge'er, are you really going to have me teach the villagers how to embroider sachets? How can our stall handle so many goods?"

Zhong Yizhu swallowed the rice in his mouth and replied, "I haven’t had the chance to tell you, Mother, but we’re planning to open a shop. Once the shop is up, we’ll be able to handle the stock. Besides, although everyone in the village knows some needlework, only a few can embroider as well as you. Mother will select the best ones—those who embroider well or can learn well. We’ll only accept their work and sell it along with the incense balls."

Sun Yunniang nodded, relieved to hear this. Zhong Yizhu continued, "Mother, from now on, you’ll be in charge of teaching them how to embroider sachets and designing new patterns. You don’t need to do the work yourself anymore. I’ll pay you a manager’s salary. As for the sachets and later the sachets, I’ll leave it all to you to manage."

Zhong Yizhu wasn’t doing this just to make more money. The main reason was that they had weak ties in the village. If the villagers could earn money through them, they'd side with us when trouble arose.

Sun Yunniang looked a little hesitant but also slightly excited. "Are you really putting me in charge? I’ve never managed people before..."

Zhong Yizhu smiled patiently. "You don't have to manage anyone, Mother. That would be too much trouble. Just pick the ones to teach and accept the finished products that meet your standards. You only need to manage the teaching and the acceptance of goods."

Hearing this detailed explanation, Sun Yunniang had a general idea of how things would work. She nodded. "Got it. I won’t keep you from eating now. Hurry up and have your meal."

This meal was the most relaxing one they had had in over a month. If it weren’t for the late hour and the worry that it might be hard to digest, Pei Mu would have mixed the leftover sauce with his rice.

After dinner, the family gathered around the fireplace to discuss opening the shop.

Now that their incense-making business had spread throughout the village, and since many families in Liushan Village had marriage ties with Hexia Village, it was likely that the news had already reached the Wu family.

And if the Wu family knew, then the Zhong family in the county town would soon find out as well.

They couldn’t predict how the Zhong family would react. All they could do now was to open the shop as soon as possible and stabilize their business.

After returning home, they had slept soundly and then had another full night’s sleep. Waking up in their own bed without having to travel anymore, Zhong Yizhu’s eyes lit up with joy. He snuggled deeper into the blanket, wrapping his arms around Pei Mu’s neck and rubbing his cheek against it.

He was warm all over from sleep, and the scent in the blankets was even more noticeable—a unique fragrance that was Zhong Yizhu’s own.

Pei Mu put his arm around his waist and pulled him onto himself.

After being away for over a month, even the whispered murmurs and affectionate gestures in the bed felt precious.

They quietly discussed the plans for the day without lingering too long, then got up to dress and prepare to go out.

In the kitchen, Sun Yunniang had already prepared breakfast for them.

She was wearing a tea-colored padded jacket, made of the cloth Zhong Yizhu had bought her for the New Year. Her hair was neatly combed, and she looked energetic.

Zhong Yizhu complimented her generously, and Sun Yunniang laughed softly.

"Since you’ve entrusted this to me, Mother has to do it well. I can’t let my Zhu Ge'er down or hold him back."

Zhong Yizhu wasn’t just flattering her; he said, dead serious, "Don't stress too much, Mother. Your embroidered sachets are so good that even the Liang family's young lady asked us to send them. Just make sure to maintain your standards. Whatever others can learn is their own fortune."

Sun Yunniang smoothed her hair and glanced at Pei Mu. "You two take your time eating. I’ll head back to the old house to prepare."

Since Zhong Yizhu used the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain for incense making, and Pei Mu was often coming and going, having the embroidery lessons there with young men and women would invite gossip and trouble. That’s why Zhong Yizhu had chosen the Zhong family’s old house as the venue.

Sun Yunniang picked up her basket and walked from the small courtyard toward the village, feeling both impressed by her son’s thoroughness and a bit inspired. Who'd ever thought that she, a woman who used to stay home all the time, could have such a day? She wasn't just a manager, she was also helping her son and son-in-law stabilize the villagers’ hearts. She was determined to do a good job.

The news that Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu would be accepting embroidered products from the village spread quickly after they had announced it the day before.

Most of the villagers were supportive. Whether or not their young men or women were chosen to make sachets, it was still a decent way to make a living, and it showed that this family was willing to help the villagers.

Of course, there were those who were never satisfied and wanted to stir up trouble, but the majority were sensible. As for those who wanted to take a crooked path, most were the ones who had previously gossiped about Zhong Yizhu.

Regardless, by the time of the Si hour (9-11 AM), the area outside the Zhong family’s old house was packed with people, each holding their previous embroidery work, mostly handkerchiefs or small cloths.

In most village families, getting one new outfit a year was considered good fortune, so they had no extra money for embroidery thread or fancy clothing. Only well-off families could afford such things, and they naturally wouldn’t be interested in this work.

Most of those who came were young. The older aunties and uncles had hands all callused from years of labor, and they'd snag delicate fabric just by touching them, so they couldn’t do such fine work.

Sun Yunniang had arranged the day before for Liu Mingtao to help, and on that day, Zhou Shaofen also came along.

Since this was a big event that benefited the villagers, it was fitting for Zhou Shaofen, as the village chief's wife, to come. Knowing Liu Mingtao’s impatient nature, she said she'd come help watch things.

The old Zhong house had a big yard, but it was still a bit cramped with so many people.

Sun Yunniang sat at the entrance of the main hall, examining the embroidered pieces handed to her one by one.

She put the good ones on the right and the rejects on the left. After each piece, Liu Mingtao held it up and asked, "Whose is this?"

"Mine, mine!" A fair-skinned young man rushed forward excitedly, his face lit up with excitement. He had seen that his piece was placed on the right side.

Liu Mingtao looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Ming Ge'er, please go back."

Ming Ge'er immediately became upset, loudly protesting that his embroidery had been selected, demanding an explanation.

Liu Mingtao handed the handkerchief back to him and calmly said, copying Zhong Yizhu's calm tone, "Don't be so quick to complain. Go back and ask your father what kind of rumors he spread before. Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to?"

Ming Ge'er’s face stiffened. He wanted to argue, but the people around him pushed him aside. They all knew that Pei Mu had said no one from families that had gossiped about Zhong Yizhu would be accepted.

The young men and women crowded around, pushing Ming Ge'er away while secretly thinking how wonderful it was that Pei Mu treated Zhong Yizhu so well. They wished their future husbands would be like that.

While Sun Yunniang was busy selecting a dozen or so candidates, in Songyun County, Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu had just came out of a promising shop with a property agent.

This shop was located on a side street off the main road, less than ten meters from the main street. It had two storefronts and a courtyard in the back, which could serve as both living quarters and storage. It even had a livestock shed and a kitchen—almost everything they needed.

Of course, the price matched the quality. The owner was not in the area and had left the sale with the agent, asking for 420 taels of silver.

Both of them were drawn to this shop. Compared to the oddly shaped, small, and dark shops they had seen on the main street, this one was truly appealing.

On the main street of Songyun County, every inch of land was precious, and few shops were put up for sale. Many of the shops were partitioned by their owners to maximize profits—one storefront split into two, with no resting area in the back—yet they still cost 300 taels. Both of them frowned at those options. Having seen those, stepping into this shop made them feel it was excellent.

However, the cash they could scrape together was only about 350 taels, which was not enough to buy this shop.

Seeing their interest, the

But Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu were even more surprised. They never expected to encounter Yan Wenqin here, let alone that this person with absolutely no connection to them would own a shop in Songyun County.

When they had parted ways in Quzhou Prefectural City, Yan Wenqin had clearly been heading north.

Yan Wenqin, accompanied by his servant, was already hurrying over with a smile, saying, "I told you we were destined to meet. Even without seeking you out, we meet like this."

It turned out that Yan Wenqin had traveled a great distance to celebrate his father's birthday, skipping his academy classes. The day after his father's birthday, he was bundled onto a boat and sent back to Rongyang Prefectural City under the escort of the steward.

He traveled by water, which was faster despite his late start. When passing through Songyun County, he insisted on disembarking to visit old friends. The steward pretended not to hear him until Yan Wenqin mentioned that the spices his father had been so pleased with were chosen by the friends he wanted to visit. Only then did the steward change his tune.

Everyone knew that this young master was a child born to them in their later years, raised with the utmost care and indulgence. But perhaps too much care had left him naive and innocent. Over the years, countless unscrupulous people had taken advantage of him. Fortunately, the Yan family was wealthy and could afford to shrug it off.

This time, when the young master came to celebrate his father's birthday, he brought back something genuinely good. Yan Wenqin's father was so delighted that his face crinkled in delight. But the next day, he received a letter saying his son had skipped school to come. Although he scolded him harshly, he couldn't bear to punish him. He arranged for the largest boat to send him back to Rongyang Prefectural City. After sending him off, he held the spices his son had brought and smiled contentedly, believing that Yan Wenqin had thought of him. His wife laughed at how easily pleased he was.

The steward, who had served Yan Wenqin's father for thirty years, could guess the situation even without witnessing it. Seeing that this time the young master seemed to have made genuinely good friends, the steward relented. In truth, almost everyone in the Yan household doted on this young master.

Thus, the Yan family's large boat docked for a day. Yan Wenqin disembarked and only then remembered that he had forgotten to ask where Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu's stall was. He was heading to the market when he ran into them on the road.

After exchanging greetings, the broker first bowed to the steward behind Yan Wenqin and explained the situation. Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Yan Wenqin turned to the steward in surprise: "Uncle Zhong, we have properties in Songyun County too?"

Yan Zhong nodded, perhaps restrained by the presence of outsiders, and said briefly, "The master acquired some a while ago."

Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu never expected to run into an acquaintance in such a predicament. Seeing a sudden silver lining, Zhong Yizhu quickly shared his idea and asked Manager Yan if they could first rent for a year and then pay the remaining amount to buy the shop.

Yan Wenqin, however, said, "Why go through all that trouble? You two are my friends. It's such a trivial amount—why worry about it? Back then, when Zhu Ge'er helped me pick spices, you didn't charge me. Let's just take however much silver you've got with you—any amount works. Since Uncle Zhong is here, we can still go to the government office early to finalize the deed and have time to catch up properly."

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhong chuckled in agreement. Although these two appeared to be from ordinary families, they were upright and honest. Even when they learned the shop belonged to the Yan family, they didn't try to take advantage of the situation. Since the young master said so, he was happy to cooperate.

But Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu did not take the easy way out. Both insisted on keeping things separate—they couldn't just accept a handout.

This only made Yan Zhong think even more highly of them.

In the end, they reached a compromise for friendship's sake. Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu succeeded in signing a one-year lease and a future deed of sale for the shop, but the year's rent was laughably cheap, comparable to market stall rent.

This was Yan Wenqin's goodwill toward them. The two exchanged a glance and chose to accept it.

They hadn't taken Yan Wenqin's offer of friendship seriously before, given the vast gap in their social status and life paths. But now, Zhong Yizhu thought, friendship depends on sincerity. Perhaps they truly could become friends.

They signed the contracts at the broker's office. Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu treated Yan Wenqin to a good meal at a restaurant. Before parting, Zhong Yizhu gave Yan Wenqin some scented balms and newly made perfumes, which, although mostly suitable for women and young men, could serve as souvenirs for Yan Wenqin to give away when he returned home.

Yan Wenqin, in turn, invited them to visit Rongyang Prefectural City sometime, so he could play host properly.

Zhong Yizhu smiled and agreed. Together with Pei Mu, in the golden glow of the setting sun, they waved goodbye to him.

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Author's note: A frantic move successfully completed—utterly exhausted.