The atmosphere at the banquet was pleasant, filled with laughter and chatter. However, Madam Gu accidentally drank too much, so Shen Qinghe called over Granny Sun to help her back home. He then took Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu, who were reluctant to leave, back home with him.

After the Shen family left, Meng Dashan said happily, "I was really worried that the Shen family would look down on us after they became officials. But seeing them today, they are still the same as before. I can finally put my mind at ease."

Xu Yunrong nodded, "That's right, Qinghe is a really good kid. With him in the capital, we can feel more at ease."

Meng Zhao gritted his teeth silently. At the banquet, Shen Qinghe was, to put it nicely, polite, but to put it bluntly, obsequious. He was pouring wine and serving dishes. Meng Zhao really couldn't understand what he was trying to do.

The arrival of Meng Zhao's parents signaled that everything was ready. On the eighth day of the tenth lunar month, before the weather turned completely cold, the Treasure Pavilion and the Fragrance Pavilion officially opened their doors to guests on the same day.

Changhe Street was bustling with people. It was one of the most prosperous streets in the capital on ordinary days. Today, with the opening of two shops at the same time, it attracted even more passersby to stop and watch. Meng Zhao specially invited the most famous lion dance team in the capital. With the sound of gongs and drums, the whole street was immersed in a festive atmosphere.

Xiao Chuan carried a bamboo basket and nimbly weaved through the lion dance troupe, occasionally stuffing a red envelope into the mouth of the lead lion. When the golden lion leaped into the air or performed other difficult moves that drew cheers from the onlookers, he would scatter the red envelope from the lion's mouth into the crowd.

Seeing this, the onlookers bent down and scrambled to grab it. Some of them, after grabbing it, couldn't wait to open it and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! They're really rich!"

Those who missed out immediately crowded around and asked, "How much? How much?"

The man stretched out his hand, revealing a copper coin in his palm. Although it was only one coin, it was money he had found for free. Moreover, finding money so early in the morning was a good omen!

At this moment, someone nearby noticed it and pointed to the red envelope in their hand, saying, "Hey, look, there are words on this."

The man looked closely and, sure enough, the red envelope said that he could redeem a sample of Osmanthus-scented soap at the Treasure Pavilion or a serving of Sachima, a local specialty snack, at the Fragrance Pavilion.

Not only was there money, but there were also freebies to be won. The man immediately took the red envelope and went to the place mentioned on it. Sure enough, a queue had already formed at the entrance.