Chapter 199: The Young Master's Love Rival Has Arrived
The days passed by uneventfully, and soon, Yuyan Hall was decorated and ready to open.
Su Wan filled the counter with various kinds of goat milk soaps for the customers to choose from.
He then went to a pawnshop and hired two people, a man and a maid, and then arranged for them to work in the store.
The men are responsible for guarding the door to prevent people from running away without paying, while the maids guide customers in the store, introduce products, and take customers to the front desk to check out.
Su Wan would take Yang Qingqing to the counter and teach her how to do accounting and keep account books.
The auspicious day for the opening was chosen as the first day of July, which also happened to be the day when the results of the palace examination were announced.
There are still seven or eight days left before the opening, and everything is ready.
Madam Xie’s soap has been out of stock for several days, and the suspense has built up. Many old customers of the goat milk soap are waiting for Yuyan Hall to open.
That day, Su Wan took some time to come to Su Yi, wanting to see how his portrait was going.
It was a hot day and Su Yi was sitting in the tea shed. The sunlight shining on the sunshade made it even more stuffy inside.
It is also for this reason that Su Yi has very few customers, only a few.
There was an iced milk tea shop on the street. Su Wan bought a few bowls for his fifth brother to drink.
Su Yi had just finished painting a picture for a customer and collected fifty coins.
Su Wan sat down beside him and fanned him with a round fan. Seeing that it was his sister, he smiled warmly:
"Hey, my busy man, how come you have time to come and see me today?"
Recently, Su Wan has been very busy. He has to run the workshop and take care of the decoration of Yuyan Hall. He can only be seen at night and rarely at other times.
"I'm not busy today, so I came to see Fifth Brother. How's business been lately?"
"As you can see, because of the hot and humid weather, there are very few people coming to have their portraits made. Maybe it will be better after autumn." Su Yi replied.
Su Wan handed him a cup of iced milk tea. Su Yi drank it in one gulp and continued to paint a portrait of the next customer.
For the past two months, Su Yi has been holding a paintbrush every day, and his fingers have become calloused. However, when he paints, his hand speed is getting faster and faster, and the lines are becoming smoother and smoother. After all, practice makes perfect.
"Is it delicious, Fifth Brother?"
"It's delicious. My Wanwan is so considerate. But it's too hot here. Don't get a heat stroke. Go back quickly. I want to rent a small shop in a few days. You can come with me to check it out. You often go to the dental clinic, so you know it better than me."
After two months, Su Yi had saved nearly two hundred taels of silver. When the time came, he could rent a small shop and no longer have to endure the heat under this tea stall.
In the past two months, he has become famous in several streets near Xiangzhou. If it weren't for the hot weather, there would be more and more people coming to paint his portrait.
Su Yi was also afraid that the novelty would wear off and fewer and fewer people would come to him.
He was a worldly man who painted portraits for two reasons: one was to make money, and the other was to train himself.
"Okay, then when it's hottest this afternoon, remember to go back and rest. Don't get yourself a heat stroke. There are two cups of milk tea left. Remember to drink them if you're thirsty."
Seeing that he was busy, Su Wan didn't stay long.
When she returned home, she unexpectedly found that there were guests at home. As soon as she arrived home, a carriage stopped at her door.
The young master got off the carriage and looked up at the house in front of him. The inscription on it read "Furong Xiaozhu".
Seeing the plaque, he laughed, then glanced at Su Wan under the eaves.
There was a flash of surprise in his eyes. Before the servant beside him could open the umbrella to block the sun for him, he had already strode in front of Su Wan.
Su Wan also held an oil-paper umbrella to protect herself from the sun. A beautiful woman holding an umbrella always looks charming.
Su Wan was a little confused. She didn't expect that the young uncle would come to her in person.
It had been a month since they last met at the Earl's Mansion. She had not kept her appointment, but unexpectedly he still came to see her.
There were two guards at the door of Furong Cottage, who were arranged by Jiang Yu to guard the door. Seeing this, one of them went back to report the news.
It’s over, it’s over, the young master’s love rival is here.
"Young Master!" Su Wan saluted him. After all, he was the young master of the Earl's Mansion, and ordinary people like them could only show respect to him.
"Sixth Miss, there's no need to be so polite. Just treat me as an ordinary person."
The young uncle looked at Su Wan with an expression that showed undisguised admiration.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward and Su Wan didn't know what to do next.
"Sixth Miss, won't you invite me in to sit down?"
He took the initiative to ask to be a guest at home. Su Wan was polite and thought that since the guest had come to his doorstep, he should always show hospitality.
"Of course. If you don't mind, please come to my humble abode and have a seat."
Su Wan led the way, and Ning Zhiqian asked the servants to take the gifts they brought and carry them into the Su family.
When he passed by the guard at the door, the guard crossed his arms and gave him a neutral look.
Ning Zhiqian stopped for a moment and glanced at him sideways, obviously looking down on him.
Jiang Yu received the news, sneered, and thought to himself, this guy is really endless.
Su Wan took him to sit in the front hall. Since there was no maid in the house, she could only make tea for him herself.
Ning Zhiqian brought some cakes and precious tea to the visit.
"Young Master, I have just arrived in Xiangzhou and have not yet arranged for servants to serve me. Please forgive me if I have not been able to provide you with adequate hospitality."
Fortunately, Su Wan and Madam Xie learned some tea ceremony and knew how to make a few cups of good tea.
The young master took a sip and exclaimed:
"Sixth Miss's tea is really delicious. It must be the best pre-rain Longjing tea."
Su Wan nodded in agreement, thinking that thanks to Jiang Yu, there would be no shortage of good tea at home with him coming.
The atmosphere fell into silence again. Su Wan sat here alone with him and really didn't know what to say. The key point was that he kept staring at Su Wan with a smile.
He kept rubbing his hands on his knees and looked quite nervous.
When Ning Zhiqian was about to say something, Jiang Yu came, followed by two guards, carrying in a large jar of ice.
"Wanwan, you didn't even tell me there were guests at home. It's so hot, don't let anyone get a heat stroke. But the problem is mainly you. You're afraid of the heat, so how can you cool down without ice?"
Jiang Yu walked straight to Su Wan and sat down with a smile on his face.
Su Wan could tell at a glance that this guy had changed his clothes on purpose. He put on a satin purple robe embroidered with gold cloud patterns. Even his shoes were brand new. They were so clean without a trace of dust, and he exuded a noble temperament.
In addition, his appearance was already extraordinary. Ning Zhiqian looked handsome when viewed alone, but when he stood next to Jiang Yu, the difference in appearance was immediately apparent.
His high-profile appearance and the fact that he was particularly familiar with Su Wan, and their words seemed very intimate, also changed the expression of Ning Zhiqian, who had always been at the top of the food chain in Xiangzhou City, and he looked unhappy.
When he came, he had already inquired and had not heard that Su Wan was married.
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