"Let's dance together!"
To the common people, this wriggling, insect-like movement, which seemed to be clawing and thrashing in the wind, could hardly be called dance. However, since it was just moving the body and the movements were simple and harmless, many people tried to imitate it.
Among these people who shouted "I want to get rich," there was only one exception.
Meng Chijian watched the little wild man hopping around for a while, then quietly left amidst the cheerful sounds.
"The movements need to be synchronized, otherwise it will look like a mess," Song Dongjia rearranged the positions of the workers, and A Mian moved forward a step ahead of the others to become the lead dancer.
"After you've caught them, what's next?" A-Mian asked. She thought it was similar to the "Eight Pieces of Brocade" martial arts she had learned before, where you would learn one section before moving on to the next.
That's all? There's nothing else.
Amian was dumbfounded. After learning the dance, she felt it was meaningless. However, the others were much clumsier than her and often did it in the wrong direction, so she became the object of everyone's imitation. This made her quite proud, and she still danced with great enthusiasm.
After an unknown amount of time, the lights on the food street came on. Ah Mian suddenly slapped her forehead. She had been dancing for too long! The money shops were probably closed at this hour... and her stomach was rumbling loudly.
"Oh no, oh no!" She grabbed her bundle and ran towards the door in a few steps, but the crowd that had come to watch had already dispersed.
Looking up, I saw the person leaning against a tree, his long legs slanted out, holding a vegetable basket filled with food in his hand.
"How long have you been waiting? Why didn't you go in and call me?"
Meng Chijian said, "Not long after, seeing that you were dancing very focused, I quickly went back to cook dinner."
"oh."
The two returned to the blacksmith's shop, where Meng Chijian lit a candle for light.
In the dim firelight, A-Mian took out the bowl that had been turned upside down. Before her was a large bowl of steaming, perfectly cooked rice. It was clearly not cooked in a large pot at home, but rather steamed on a stove. Next to it was a plate of stir-fried goji berry sprouts and a bowl piled high with braised pork belly, sprinkled with chopped scallions—it was almost dazzling!
Our family usually eats more lean meat. We're both busy, and we can never find such nice-looking pork belly at the market.
Fatty meat is especially hard to get, and it sells out quickly.
Amian picked up the bowl, and Meng Chijian took the loofah and egg soup that was cooking on the stove. "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
The braised pork wasn't greasy at all; the fat melted in my mouth. Ah Mian waved her chopsticks and silently ate her fill, almost licking the plate clean.
After finishing her bowl of rice, she suddenly said, "Meng Chijian, I really want to spend my whole life with you."
Meng Chijian was drinking soup and almost choked.
Looking up at the little person before her, Lu Amian said, “I’ve never said this to anyone before, nor did I learn it from a storybook. I used to… not know what husband and wife really meant. I just saw how everyone else lived like that, and it didn’t matter who I married. Now I feel that I only want you to be my husband.”
Meng Chijian's face flushed slightly, but he tried his best to remain calm: "Yes."
When Ah Mian speaks sweet nothings, she is especially serious, even more focused than when she is bouncing around, which is really hard to resist.
“I…I won’t run away again. Never.” Ah Mian held up three fingers. “If I break this vow, may I, Lu Ah Mian, be struck by lightning and reincarnated as a pig or a dog in my next life…”
"Alright, alright," Meng Chijian quickly interrupted his nonsense, "Do you still want some soup?"
"I can't eat anymore."
After the two finished eating, they cleaned up the shop and took Adou's hand to walk home to digest their food.
The two had agreed on the plan: Ah Mian would use her own money to buy the shop, while Meng Chijian would continue to save his savings. This way, even if Ah Mian's business failed, the family's livelihood wouldn't be a problem, and little Ah Yue would have more security. Only then could Ah Mian confidently pursue her business.
If the tofu shop encounters any difficulties in the future, be sure to discuss them with him.
What if Ah Mian's deal goes through?
"I'll buy you lots of beautiful boots, and a horse! Then we'll renovate our house and pave the floors with blue bricks..."
“That won’t do. Wealth should not be flaunted. Besides, even if you become rich, I will still remain the same. This short distance is not even a short distance away.”
Meng Chijian genuinely had very little interest in "getting rich," which is why he didn't care at all when everyone was dancing excitedly.
He just thought Ah Mian was lively and energetic, and found it amusing.
The next day, Ah Mian finally secured a shop in the middle of the food street, a little before the corner. It was a single-story shop with a backyard.
This shop used to sell wontons, but it lost too many customers to the small stalls in front of Lianyi and had to close down.
After deciding on the price, they negotiated for a few more days. The original price was 180 taels, but Ah Mian said she didn't want any of the utensils inside and managed to bargain down to 160 taels.
Afterwards, with the broker as witness, the two parties signed a contract, which was copied at the yamen. Ah Mian was now penniless, but she had a newly printed booklet in her pocket.
From that moment on, she owned a shop!
When A-Mian got home, she put the certificate in the bottom wooden box and excitedly hugged and kissed A-Yue, "My child, your mother is the big boss now, do you know that?"
With the shop in hand, Ah Mian felt much more at ease. She figured that with the money she made from selling fermented bean curd sauce for another two months, she could buy the necessary items for the food shop, and she planned to hire two people this time.
However, one must take things one step at a time. First, A-Mian had to clean the shop and remove the weeds that filled the backyard. The Meng family and her friends would come to help every now and then. Meng Chijian practiced for a few days and painted the walls whenever he had free time. In just over half a month, he had painted the walls inside and outside the shop brand new.
"I need to order a very large signboard. I went to inquire yesterday, and the construction period will be at least one month. I don't know if I can make it in time for the opening this winter, which is the peak season."
She doodled in the shop, thinking about the layout. As dusk fell and she prepared to go home, she passed by Sister Song's shop and saw that the shop assistants inside all looked listless.
"Master Lu!" Sister-in-law Song said joyfully, "Congratulations on buying the shop! Now you can finally put your talents to good use."
Ah Mian said, "It's not open yet, but I'll invite you to dinner when it opens. By the way, what about them...?"
Sister-in-law Song said, "Master Li's methods are very effective. My shop's business is better this month than last month. By the way, the master said he's coming to our city this month. Do you want to come with me to listen to his teachings? You're sure to learn a lot!"
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