Nowadays, people in the county have a better life, and people no longer just care about having enough food and clothing. The business of selling these cleaning and maintenance products is definitely booming.
More importantly, Su Tai wanted to give this business to her eldest daughter Shen Yuezhang as a dowry.
A woman's dowry is her confidence. With a generous dowry, she can live as she pleases even after marrying into her husband's family. If the couple does not get along, the worst that can happen is that she can live comfortably with her dowry.
With an idea in mind, Su Tai asked the yamen runners for help and found a few carpenters. He told them what he wanted and asked them to help renovate the shop.
The shop owners of several neighboring shops had been keeping an eye on this prosperous shop, and immediately inquired about what was going on when they saw any movement.
Shopkeeper Qiu, who sold rouge and powder on the left, ran to the shop of Shopkeeper Xue, who sold gold, silver and jade ornaments on the right.
"Old Xue, do you know what business is going on next door?"
Shopkeeper Xue had just seen off a guest and took a look, looking thoughtfully, "When did you get here?"
"Just now! I've thought about it. There is no shortage of businesses on this street. There are even two coffin shops. Several shops near us are all doing business with female scholars. I don't know if the owner of this shop will break our rules!"
Shopkeeper Qiu was worried, and his worry was not without reason. What if the shop next door was doing business with dead people, and the literati women thought it was unlucky and didn't go there? What's worse, there was another shop selling rouge and powder in the small street behind him, so his business here would definitely not be able to continue.
Shopkeeper Xue poked his head forward again and saw that there were only two carpenters working inside, so he took Shopkeeper Qiu in to talk to them.
"Master, I'm busy! What are you doing?" Shopkeeper Xue put his hands behind his back, looking like he was here for an inspection.
The two craftsmen looked at him strangely, but they didn't hide it. They said as they worked, "Making a row of cabinets and counters, as well as tables, chairs, benches, etc., isn't it all the same!"
Shopkeeper Xue nodded and said, "Very good, he didn't ask anything."
Shopkeeper Qiu then asked, "May I ask what your boss does?"
"Not sure." The two answered in unison.
Shopkeeper Qiu was immediately anxious, "How can I not know? How can you do your job without knowing what kind of business you are in?"
The master laughed angrily, "We are carpenters. We can do the work as long as we ask for it. Why do we need to know so much? The rule of the industry is to talk less and do more. If you have nothing to do, get out. You are blocking the light!"
Shopkeepers Xue and Qiu were scolded and walked away with red faces and held their breath.
Because they didn't get anything out of it, the two of them became more and more interested in this shop.
As a result, no one except the carpenters came for several days, and their curiosity reached its peak.
After waiting for a long time, the yamen runner finally arrived.
When the runner entered the shop, the two men ran out of the shop immediately. They watched carefully for a while but did not see the runner come out. About quarter of an hour later, after the runner left, they entered the shop again and found that the carpenter's work had changed.
It was obvious that the yamen runner came to deliver a message.
The two exchanged glances and whispered to each other in the corner.
"It looks like this shop belongs to a government official."
Shopkeeper Xue agreed with this, "If the government is in the business of killing people, we can feel more at ease."
"It's hard to say! What if?" Shopkeeper Qiu said this, but in his heart he began to worry that the shop would compete with them. However, due to the yamen runners, he didn't dare to inquire openly.
Under such circumstances, the two carpenters took twenty days to decorate the shop.
After the carpenter left, several bricklayers came and brought a lot of exquisite tiles, cement, sand, gravel and lime. When they entered the shop to work, the door of the shop was closed and all things were carried out through the backyard. Manager Xue and Manager Qiu became even more curious.
For a month, there were sometimes knocking sounds next door, and sometimes it was so quiet that there was no sound at all.
Just when Shopkeepers Qiu and Xue were getting used to it, two workers carried a large plaque and hung it on the shop.
This also means that the shop is about to open.
The two of them went over to watch the fun.
"Qingfengzhai!" Shopkeeper Xue finished reading it, stroking his chin and thinking, "It sounds like a business for scholars."
Shopkeeper Qiu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "The business of scholars is good! There is only one study on this street, so it doesn't matter if there is one more."
Having said that, Shopkeeper Qiu couldn't help but complain in his heart that the owner of Qingfengzhai was ignorant. There weren't many people who could read books in a small place like theirs, and it was only in recent years when life got better that people started sending their children to school.
One study is enough. If I add another one, this business won’t be sustainable and will go bankrupt sooner or later.
Su Tai and Shen Yuezhang, who were in the backyard of the shop, had no idea about the speculation and discussions of those people outside. They were asking Alan, Yu Dong, and Chunfeng Chuncao to move the boxes inside.
Chun Xing and Chun Cao were the names given to the two little maids by Shen Yuezhang. They were orphans before and only had rankings but no nicknames.
The two little girls worked very enthusiastically. As soon as they moved the things into the yard, they looked at the three forking stone paths in the backyard and the exquisite flowers and plants, and their eyes widened.
I exclaimed from the bottom of my heart: "Madam, Miss, this yard is so beautiful! There are flowers!"
Shen Yuezhang covered her mouth and chuckled as she looked at Su Tai, "Mom, thank you for taking so much trouble."
She had known for a long time that this shop was given to her by her mother. Her mother also said that she would be fully responsible for the management of the shop. She came here today to make arrangements, but she did not expect that her mother had already done all the tedious things for her and she did not have to worry about it at all.
Su Tai smiled and said softly, "Be careful and carry the things to the warehouse behind the shop. I will show you here."
Pushing open the door of the wing closest to them, they saw that the floor was covered with neat and smooth imitation marble tiles, and the four walls were painted white. In the room was a large huanghuali bed, a not-so-small cabinet, a set of tables and chairs, and a dressing table.
There is also a pot of bright pink flowers on the windowsill, which looks warm and comfortable.
Shen Yuezhang fell in love with it at first sight, "Mom, this place looks like our home."
Su Tai patted her head with amusement, "We'll live here when we come to the city from now on, as long as you like it."
"like!"
Su Tai led her out again and said, "This backyard is a small two-entry yard. This side is close to the back door. We don't live here, but in the yard next door. The layout is the same."
The mother and daughter, along with the servants, looked around all the rooms in the courtyard to familiarize themselves with the environment, and finally walked to the shop in front.
Compared to the bright and tidy backyard, the shop looks much more gorgeous.
The floor is covered with tiles with intricate patterns that are eye-popping. The tables are covered with exquisite tablecloths made of materials ranging from silk, cotton and linen. There is also a three-layer exquisite fruit plate on each table.
The stairs leading to the second floor are anti-slip.
Chen Yuezhang asked curiously: "Mom, what is the second floor used for?" (End of this chapter)
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