As night fell, Jing Zhe led a few people out the door.
They wandered through the streets and alleys for a quarter of an hour before stopping.
Just like last time, Fatty stared at the naked figures in the babbling brook and fell into deep thought.
"Young Master, is this the place you said... a place that all men want to come to?"
Fatty pointed to the river with a trembling finger and asked.
"hold head high."
Without blushing or panting, Jing Zhe stared at the men and children swimming and playing in the river, repeating what Hanhan had told him last time.
"On such a hot day, taking off your clothes and lying in the river at night, isn't that the place every man dreams of coming to!"
"..."
Finally, he added, "This is what Hanhan told me, right, Hanhan?"
"Yes, that's what I said."
Hanhan didn't mince words and said in a deep voice.
Fatty glared at Hanhan, thinking to himself, "You follow the young chieftain to brothels every day to have fun, and now you're pretending to be a gentleman. Is this something a human being would do?"
"But the young chieftain just said it's too early to fully enjoy himself... we can only really enjoy ourselves tonight..."
As a normal man, Fatty guarantees that his first reaction upon hearing this is that it relates to certain activities unsuitable for children.
But Jing Zhe disagreed, "That's right, it's too early, and there are people on both sides of the river, including many women. Who can let loose? Now it's dark and quiet, no one can see anyone or know anyone. Go into the water and enjoy yourself!"
"..."
Seeing Jing Zhe and Hanhan, who had already stripped naked and jumped into the water, Pang Qiu and the others were on the verge of tears: If they had known it would turn out like this, they would have preferred to go back to the mountain! Another afternoon of work for nothing!
On the way back, Fatty Ball was depressed.
Seeing this, Jing Zhe laughed and said, "I know what you're thinking. It's just going to a brothel, what's the big deal! But if my older sister finds out we're going to a brothel without earning a single penny, who will be in trouble?"
Then, changing the subject, he said, "So, let's make some money first. If the mung bean popsicles sell well tomorrow, then we can go to Chun Shui Lou! Even if my older sister finds out, she can't really say anything!"
Jing Zhe was already quite adept at making empty promises.
Upon hearing this, Fatty and his friends perked up.
"real?"
"Of course it's true. When have I, a young chieftain, ever lied to anyone?"
"..."
"Ahem, whether the mung bean popsicles sell well tomorrow depends on you guys. Now, listen to what I have to say..."
...
The next day was the Great Heat, and from the morning onwards, the sun blazed down and the ground was steaming hot.
By this time, a small group of people had gathered outside Jing Zhe's shop, looking up at the plaque hanging on the door and pointing at it.
"Is this a newly opened store? I've never seen it before!"
"That's right, they just opened this morning, I wonder what they sell?"
The person speaking craned their neck to look inside, saw that the large room was empty, and shook their head.
"Cool down this summer? In this sweltering weather, is this shop owner joking?"
"But these four characters... are really well written!"
"Yes! The strokes are vigorous and powerful, so vivid and incisive. It would take decades of writing experience to produce something like this!"
"In Yongzhou City, only Master Chen possesses such calligraphic skill, right? Could it be that this plaque was written by Master Chen? And that this storefront also belongs to the Chen family?"
"I've seen Master Chen's calligraphy before, it doesn't seem like it... Could it be that he's improved it again?"
"With calligraphy like this on the signboard, this shop is truly extraordinary!"
"..."
A group of people started commenting on the plaque.
Because of his financial power, it only took the young master half a day to buy the house diagonally opposite "Cool Summer" and he moved in that very night.
Every little movement happening on the other side is naturally within sight.
At this moment, the young man with fair skin was leaning against his door frame, staring intently at the four words "Cool Summer," his lips slightly parted as he murmured to himself.
With his calligraphy skills and the addition of his "Spring Water Lyrics," he could easily win first place at the Mid-Autumn Festival Poetry Festival. I just wonder if he can write another poem of the same caliber?
...
"Heh, what's the use of having good handwriting?"
"When you open a business, what matters is the goods. If the goods are bad, no matter how good the signboard is, it's all for nothing!"
At this moment, discordant voices arose from the crowd.
Everyone turned around and saw that the speaker was a waiter dressed in coarse clothes.
Someone who knew them gestured toward the watermelon stall next door, and everyone immediately understood. They didn't dare to underestimate them, after all, the Lin family's employees were much more noble than ordinary people!
"Excuse me, sir, do you know what this shop sells?"
"Of course I know!"
The waiter curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Just a mung bean soup vendor! Pretending to be a scholar!"
"Mung bean soup?"
The crowd murmured to themselves that if they were really selling mung bean soup, then the phrase "cool summer" was indeed a bit of an overkill.
"Make way, make way, everyone!"
A sudden exclamation rang out, and everyone immediately turned around.
Then came a loud "thump," and a burly man crashed to the ground, leaving everyone watching in shock.
Putting aside whether the blow hurt or not, the ground felt like it had been baked; it was burning hot!
Looking at the person on the ground, he was as still as if he were dead.
"Brother, you absolutely can't die!"
"If you die, who will take care of your eighty-year-old mother?"
"If you die, who will marry my beautiful younger sister?"
"Does anyone know where the doctor is? My brother can't die!"
A fat man, as round as a ball of flesh, lay on the ground, weeping bitterly.
The passersby were completely bewildered, not knowing what had happened, while the servant Guizhi, standing not far away, was very puzzled: "Your Highness, that person... wasn't he seen at Young Master Kun's residence yesterday? Wasn't he perfectly fine then?"
The fat guy lying down is naturally Fatty Ball, and the one lying down is also someone next to Jing Zhe.
The young man with fair skin smiled and shook his head. "Perhaps, this is some kind of plan he came up with!"
...
Finally, someone in the crowd couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up: "There's a pharmacy just three streets away. The doctor there, Sun, is quite skilled. Hurry up and take your brother there!"
The fat man cried out in grief, "Too late! It's all too late! If I had known it would be this hot today, I shouldn't have sent my brother to carry bricks. He was perfectly healthy, and he died from the heat!"
The crowd bent down to look, and saw that the big man lying on the ground had a red face and was sweating profusely. He must be suffering from the heat.
"The ground is so hot. Let's help him up and take him to a shady spot to drink some water. Maybe he'll be alright."
"How can you say it's nothing? It's so hot and you're saying it's nothing? Come on, you heat one up and show me!"
The fat man was furious, but everyone understood his feelings and didn't blame him. They still helped him up.
"It's cool inside, let's help him in first!"
Someone pointed to the open door that read "Cool Summer," and then the crowd surged inside.
————
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