Chapter 36: Registering the Shop The four of us, the grandparents and grandchildren, opened the shop together
Wei Jinyun looked up at him, and the way she spoke to him was no different from before.
"I have to go out and set up my stall every day, and there are so many people coming and going. Do I have to report every customer I come into contact with to neighbors like Master Zhang first?"
Zhang Renbai's brows were almost twisted into a bundle of hemp ropes.
What does it mean to call neighbors like him? Doesn't she have any affection for him in her heart?
He was just asking casually.
"But, the neighbors..."
Zhang Renbai steadied himself.
"Just like last month, when my shop was under renovation, thanks to Mr. Zhang and the surrounding neighbors, they helped me out. Mr. Zhang even managed to negotiate a deal with me, and I'm incredibly grateful. They say a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, and I'll always remember your kindness."
After Wei Jinyun finished speaking, the cart was carried out of the shop. She slowly pushed it past Zhang Renbai and said calmly, "As for the rest, I think I should have made it clear that day."
The summer breeze blew over, and Zhang Renbai was stunned. He wanted to catch a strand of hair that was floating beside him, but Wei Fuling blocked him.
"Brother Renbai, if you really have so much to talk to me."
Wei Fuqiu also walked aside and stared at him, "Why didn't you say anything that day?"
Why didn't he say anything that day?
Zhang Renbai looked at the backs of the three sisters as they walked away, and the feeling of sourness and swelling in his heart came up again.
Next time, wait for next time.
Next time if his parents say anything to her, he will definitely defend her.
In July, the weather was even hotter. Peddlers were everywhere, carrying loads of iced ice on their shoulders. A ring of their bells would prompt elderly women and men to stop and weigh out half a pound of iced ice. They could take it home, add it to their tea, frost it on fruit, and finally, enjoy a refreshing dip in the unbearable summer heat.
Fewer people were eating in the dining halls of restaurants and hotels, but idlers gathered at the entrances, waiting for the waiters to put the cooked dishes into their special bamboo boxes and then deliver them to their customers. They couldn't spill any of the food, otherwise the customers would be angry and the restaurant would also blame them, after all, these were the dishes they had ordered.
For those who were even slightly willing to move around, the idlers only had to knock on their doors and someone would come out to take the food. For those who really didn't want to get out of bed, a bamboo basket with a hemp rope strung on it would be hung from the small window, with money in it. It would be slowly lowered down for the idlers to put their food in, and then it would be hung up again, so they could eat a hot meal without even having to go downstairs.
Of course, if you want to order something cold, you can use the same method. Restaurants vary greatly, and they often have warm plates to prevent the food from getting cold, and they will naturally wrap it with wet towels and ice cubes to ensure the drink is refreshing.
Along the way, the idle men passed by Wei Jinyun, running fast but steady and agile.
She pushed the cart to the gate of the prefectural school as usual. When many people saw her coming, they stood up from Lao Guo's fragrant drink stall and lined up to buy cakes in an orderly manner as if they had been trained, as if they were waiting for her to set up the stall.
The taste test at the Lotus Festival proved successful. Dim Sum wasn't just for the literati; some even bought a couple of dim sum and headed to the teahouse for tea. They'd asked her where the stall was set up on weekdays. With a pot of chrysanthemum tea, a few pounds of watermelon seeds, and a couple of dim sum, they could spend an entire afternoon chatting and chatting. I'd grown tired of Xu Ji's dim sum and always wanted to try something new.
"Miss Wei, I've been looking forward to seeing you."
Mrs. Qian, who worked at the stall next door, was spreading batter on a copper griddle. "You haven't been here these past two days, and I've had no energy to crack eggs."
She sprinkled chopped green onions on the pancake, her eyes full of smiles. "Honestly, I have to thank you. Look at my boy, he's become a completely different person lately. In the past, he would wilt like a dried vegetable leaf in the summer, and would be out of breath after walking a few steps. But these past few days, he's been going to the market with his father to buy things, a round trip of four or five miles, and he comes back without a blush or a breath of wind. His father no longer needs to carry the water tank at home; it's full in the blink of an eye after school. His father is so scared that he keeps rubbing his forehead, wondering if he's been possessed by an evil spirit."
Wei Jinyun was wrapping cakes for a customer with oil paper. As she did so, she replied, "Mr. Wu has certainly looked much more energetic recently... Why are you thanking me for anything?"
"Well, I know it, I know it."
Not far away, Old Guo was fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, laughing. "Brother Sheng has been doing horse stances at the gate of the prefectural school since early this morning. The others were joking with him, saying that strong and muscular young men are good, and that having fleshy arms is definitely something people like."
He was usually the first one to set up shop. As soon as the students arrived at the gates of the prefectural academy, they would rush over to him for a bowl of drink with their breakfast. Lately, he'd often seen a group of students crowding around the gate, doing some physical exercises for Wu Sheng. Having been at the stall for so long, he knew everyone by name and even their personalities.
Wu Sheng was originally weak. When he first entered the provincial school, he was as limp as a bean sprout. It was only with the daily care of the boys like Tang Yin that he gradually gained weight. Now he looks like this. I don't know if girls really like men with fat arms, or if they are deliberately teasing him to keep him fit. In short, he looks darker day by day, but more energetic.
Wei Jinyun let out an "Ah" and continued wrapping the pastries. Wei Fuling tossed copper coins into the jar, making them clink and clatter.
The clay oven under the egg pancake stall was lit, and the charcoal fire was so hot that sweat dripped down Mrs. Qian's forehead, even soaking her jacket. Wei Fuqiu poured a bowl of tea and handed it to Mrs. Qian, "Aunt Qian, have some tea."
Originally, Madam Qian had brought her own tea, which she kept cool in a water tank at home, and it was quite pleasant to drink. But now, after being roasted by the scorching sun and the clay stove, the tea in the pot was almost boiling.
She wiped the sweat off her face, praised them, saying "so good", and spread a sugar cake for the two sisters to taste in a bowl.
"You've worked hard too."
Old Guo came over with the teapot and added another bowl of tea to the one that Madam Qian had already emptied. "The weather is getting more and more pungent day by day. It's almost summer heat. I got up late last night to fetch water, and the dampness clung to my body, let alone during the day."
"It's worth it for me to stay here hot if he can read more books."
Mrs. Qian had just mixed some batter, and a smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. "Fortunately, he's sensible and doesn't fight or argue. School's almost over, so I'll make some more pancakes for them. Studying is exhausting, and they're hungry."
Old Guo fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan and then complimented him, "Sheng'er, you're very knowledgeable. You'll be blessed in the future." He looked at the growing line of people at Wei Jinyun's stall and said, "Miss Wei's snacks are also very popular. The hotter the weather, the more people buy them. Just now, an old customer of mine said he wanted to buy a few pieces to take home and enjoy slowly with freshly brewed tea."
"It's not all up to you to take care of it."
Wei Jinyun replied, "You have many people eating and drinking, and I have many people selling snacks."
"You have a good tongue."
Old Guo laughed a few times and went back to his own drink stall.
Wei Jinyun specially added twenty more cakes of each kind than usual today, and when they got off school at the provincial school, there was just enough left for them.
"You're probably the Monkey King!"
Zhu Zhishan followed Wu Sheng, breathing heavily, "When the teacher asked me about academic matters, why didn't you show such enthusiasm? You just winked at me."
"Mom, I want twenty-five egg pancakes today."
"so much?"
When Mrs. Qian heard this, she first stuffed the batter into Wu Sheng's hand, and then immediately busied herself with beating eggs and spreading the batter, without even having time to wipe the sweat off her face.
Wu Sheng distributed egg pancakes to his classmates while collecting money. "Yesterday at the Lotus Festival, the headmaster said that my lotus poem was the best. I have made great progress recently, but it is because of my hard work. Brother Tang told them privately that I am..."
"Eat the omelet."
Zhu Zhishan was holding a piece of mint cake and laughing so hard that it almost fell onto Wei Jinyun's counter. Fortunately, it was sticky and he caught it and put it into his mouth.
Tang Yin boasted about Wu Sheng's egg pancakes, praising them to the skies. He explained how nervous he was before the college entrance examination, unable to sleep at night for fear he wouldn't do well. One day, he took a bite of Wu Sheng's egg pancake and suddenly felt refreshed and sharpened his mind. Within a few days, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar.
It is said that if Confucius tasted this egg pancake, the Analects of Confucius would be changed to "On Egg Pancakes".
"Speaking of Young Master Tang, where is he?"
Wei Jinyun was busy laughing, looking left and right, but couldn't find Tang Yin. He must have been running with Zhu Zhishan and Wu Sheng.
"Him."
Zhu Zhishan shouted to the back of the long queue, "Brother Tang, Miss Wei is looking for you."
After a while, a head finally popped out from among the group of students, holding a folding fan to cover his face.
"Well, is this the first time you've seen Miss Wei?"
Zhu Zhishan finished a piece of mint cake and was still laughing, "You are holding up a fan like a beautiful lady, so shy... put it down quickly and let Miss Wei take a good look at you."
Tang Yin reluctantly put down the folding fan in front of him. His eyebrows and eyes remained unchanged, and his nose was still as straight, but his lips looked a little thicker.
"An unscrupulous merchant sold my incense to attract butterflies. Isn't it good?"
On the pleasure boat, Tang Yin had just finished blowing the egg pancakes from Wu Sheng's family. The fragrance of lotus attracted bees and butterflies to fly and dance. The butterflies flew to the lotus, and the bees flew towards him who smelled so good.
"It's okay, Brother Tang."
Wei Fuqiu flipped through the book slowly and at the side. "You look very kind like this."
"Yeah." Wei Fuling nodded vigorously.
"Is it cordial?"
Tang Yin asked the people in front of him and behind him.
"Kind and kind."
Everyone pinched their thighs hard and nodded in unison.
"Then I want two pieces of egg yolk pastry to soothe my broken heart."
Tang Yin put away his folding fan and extended two fingers.
"queue!"
"Do you still have any humanity, Tang Yin?"
"So you have this trick up your sleeve! You're so meticulous and vicious!"
Tang Yin was carried back to the back of the line by the other students. When it was his turn, there wasn't even a scrap of the two egg yolk pastry left for him. However, Madam Qian did reward him with an egg pancake with three eggs, the largest and softest one of all.
The wounded heart was temporarily comforted.
After the school closed at the beginning of the afternoon, Wei Jinyun had already sold out of dim sum in just two minutes. She called her sister, who was immersed in a book, packed up her stall, and prepared to apply for a business license for her shop.
Even their own land and property deeds had to be registered at the Commercial and Taxation Office in the northwest corner of the inner city. While not a license, it still required legal business qualifications and the payment of a 130% residential tax. Wei Jinyun pushed the cart back to the shop, locked the doors with her grandmother and sisters, and went to the Commercial and Taxation Office together.
The four of them entered the hall of the Commercial and Taxation Office. The soldier on duty saw that they were four women and noticed that Wang Qiulan's temples had turned white, so he asked, "Are you here to register to join the guild?"
Wei Jinyun nodded and handed over the house deed, land deed and the deeds of the four people. "Sir, we want to open a teahouse on our own land and make some snacks to sell."
Wang Qiulan chimed in, feeling a bit nervous upon entering the place. "This deed was originally mine. After returning to Pingjiang Prefecture, I thought my granddaughters were grown up and should have a business, so I asked a lawyer and broker to act as witnesses and added their names to the official account. Now, this shop is run by the four of us, grandparents and grandchildren, together."
She had already made up her mind to pass the shop on to them. Seeing that lawyer Zhan had handled Zhao Xiangping's legal documents well, she asked him to help her get their names added to the property deeds at the government office, only then did she feel at ease.
Jinyun could have come here alone, but he insisted on bringing her along.
The soldier looked through the deed and saw that it was stamped with red seals and written in neat handwriting. He smiled and said, "All the formalities are in place. This is the first time I've seen four generations of grandparents and grandchildren together. Your shop is sure to be bustling."
Wei Fuling responded, "When we make money, my sister said we'll share the profits with grandma."
Wei Fuqiu also nodded. "This is my grandmother's shop. When you make some money, don't forget to buy fish for Yuanbao. When we make enough money, we can go to Bianjing to play."
The soldier found this amusing and couldn't help but wave to the two sisters, "Then come over here and press your fingerprints together. Then pay fifty coins, and that'll be enough. Once the shop is open and the accounts are settled, you can pay the taxes with peace of mind."
After paying the commercial and tax duties, the four generations of grandparents and grandchildren were all happy. They bought a lot of freshly cut cold food along the way, including sliced sheep's heads, stomachs and lungs, and a pickled dried fish half an arm's length. Even when they passed by Shantang Street to buy jujube paste sesame cakes, Wang Qiulan bought them herself and bought a dozen.
By the time the four of them strolled back to the shop, Xiao Zhang and Er Niu were already waiting at the door, pulling two donkey carts loaded with pebbles, several jars of lime, and hemp fibers. He himself, with his chisels and masonry tools, filled a whole bag.
"Miss Wei."
Xiao Zhang was standing on tiptoe looking over here. When he saw her, he hurried forward to greet her. "We knew you were going out, so we two brothers were waiting here. Can you take these two carts of materials in first? The pebbles and lime are all in good condition. Tomorrow we'll have two donkey carts of wood blocks and carving materials."
"You're here so early! It's still half a minute before the time I agreed to meet with Manager Zhou."
Wei Jinyun hurried to unlock the door. Seeing the two men sweating profusely and not even realizing they needed to stand under the shade of a tree, he hurriedly invited them inside and said, "Come in and have some tea. The sun is scorching hot right now."
Erniu squatted beside the cart, stroking the donkey's head. He looked up and continued, "Miss Wei, just wait and be at ease. Our shopkeeper Zhou and shopkeeper Wang from Wang's have specially discussed this. The window dimensions and carved wooden railings are all in accordance with the regulations. We guarantee that they will be perfect. We were able to complete that job last time thanks to your trust. We will do our best this time as well and will definitely satisfy you."
Xu was leaning against the door, cracking a handful of watermelon seeds. Her eyes swept over Wei Jinyun and she tugged at Zhang Renbai beside her. "Look at your young mistress Wei. She just cleaned up a while ago, and now she's building something big again. Such a practice wouldn't cost tens or even hundreds of guan (currency)."
Father Zhang sat on a chair by the door, holding a teacup. He took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Young Miss Wei is a very polite person. She smiles at everyone she sees, even the masons. These days, it's easy for some people to make money. It turns out that others are rushing to get in on the action, eager to hand over their wallets. She's still short of your tens or hundreds of strings of cash."
Little Zhang had sharp ears. As soon as his father finished speaking, the trowel in his hand hit the donkey cart and he walked to the door of the stationery store in a few steps.
"What do you mean, Manager Zhang?"
His eyebrows were raised high, and he put the cleaver on his waist. "What's wrong with Miss Wei? Even the teachers at the provincial school praise her for her pastries. She earns clean money. But you, what are you talking about?"
He took a half step forward, his voice brighter. "A while ago, Miss Wei was repairing the wall, and she also tidied up your side of the house. Didn't you know? You don't know what the wall looked like before, don't you? Now you turn around and make fun of others. Are you jealous of others living a good life?"
The two donkey carts parked in front of the shop were already arousing curiosity, and now people from other shops also came over.
"How can you say that, Lao Zhang?"
Zhao Xiangping still held the tongs holding the charcoal fire in her hand. "Your shop also ordered her dim sum, didn't you? I saw with my own eyes that your shop has more customers than in the past two months, and they praised the dim sum for being delicious. Besides, Miss Wei really built a wall for you, just like the wall at our house. If it weren't for her wall, I wouldn't be able to catch her..."
After she spoke for a while, she took out a towel and covered her face, and even her voice was filled with sobs.
Everyone around them had also participated in the previous nighttime thief-catching incident. Knowing that Li Dabing's tracks were discovered thanks to Wei Jinyun's piercing fence, everyone began to feel unfair. They had been neighbors for so many years, and they still didn't know Zhang's father. They just loved to gossip, regardless of whether it was true or not, and they told it as if it were true.
Zhang's father shook the teacup in his hand, and some tea splashed onto his clothes. His face flushed, "That wall...that wall."
Who asked her to build the wall?
He had taken advantage of the fact that the shop next door was empty and occupied some space, but now he couldn't say it in front of others. After all, he was in the wrong and couldn't say a coherent answer.
Erniu also came over with his cart and chimed in, "How could we possibly take your kindness for granted? Young Lady Wei trusted us the first time she did the renovations, and she's always so friendly to the neighbors. How could we possibly have offended you?"
He turned to look at Zhang Renbai, who was standing silently beside Xu, and said, "Master Zhang, tell me, was that wall that Miss Wei helped you build a while ago? It was built so high that not even a thief could climb in."
He has been wondering what kind of person would take advantage of someone else's misfortune to occupy land. This is already the largest stationery store in the vicinity. It makes so much money, but it still wants to take half an inch of other people's land. What can it do with that half an inch of land?
It turns out that she is both stingy and gossipy.
Zhang Renbai lowered his head when asked, clutching the corner of his clothes with his hands. After a long time, he could only squeeze out the word "hmm". When asked again, he could not say anything.
Xu was embarrassed. She threw the watermelon seeds on the ground and pulled Zhang Renbai into the house. "Asking our Renbai what he is doing, he is still young and doesn't understand these things. The workers are meddling in the boss's affairs. It's so annoying. Let's go."
Seeing this, Zhang's father also stood up awkwardly and slipped back into the store with the empty teacup.
Xiao Zhang snorted, turned around and said to Wei Jinyun, "Miss Wei, don't take it to heart. It's better to ignore people like him. Come, let's unload the materials first."
Wei Jinyun pretended not to hear and replied to Xiao Zhang and Erniu with a smile, "Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. Come in and have some tea first. It's so hot, I'll open a melon for you."
The neighbors discussed this for a few moments and then dispersed. But after dinner, while fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, they would definitely discuss these things.
Either he would wonder where Miss Wei got so much money, or he would praise her for her ability, or he would curse Zhang's father... But after cursing him today, he would still have to say good morning with a smile when he saw him tomorrow.
As soon as they entered the shop, two puppies quickly came to greet them. They were very obedient. The two sisters only needed to teach them a few words, and they knew to run outside and would not poop or pee in the shop at all.
Xiao Zhang and Erniu carried all the materials to the yard. Their coats were soaked with heat, and they drank several bowls of tea before they could finally catch their breath.
Wei Jinyun picked up a knife and cut open the watermelon hanging in the well water. "Try it quickly. You're sweating profusely. The hottest days of summer are coming soon. Don't rush your work. Avoid working around noon."
Xiao Zhang ate the melon chunks eagerly, juice dripping down his chin. "Ms. Wei, you are too polite."
Erniu also took it with a smile, "It's a weird day. I'm sweating just standing in the sun for a while. We know our limits and take a break at noon. If we really get too hot, we have to go to the doctor, which will delay our work."
"That's good."
Wei Jinyun cut two pieces and threw them to the two puppies who were wagging their tails at her. "I'll ask my grandmother to make herbal tea every day and let it dry on the stone table by the well. I'll also provide two meals a day, with meat every meal. Eat as much as you want. The success of this shop depends entirely on your skills, so don't let your health suffer."
Xiao Zhang wiped his mouth, looked at the wood, bricks and tiles piled in the yard, and saw that in just over twenty days, the yard had been tidied up from a bare shell into something presentable. It was really neat.
After chatting and laughing for a while, the sun gradually set in the west. The two stood up to say goodbye, still holding the date paste sesame cakes that Wang Qiulan had given them.
Xiao Zhang said as he ate, "Don't delay Miss Wei. We'll start work early tomorrow morning."
Wei Jinyun walked them to the door. Erniu turned around and said, "Miss Wei, that man has a foul mouth. Don't take what he said to heart."
Wei Jinyun nodded and said "hmm".
Wang Qiulan was busy in the kitchen, placing the vegetables she had bought onto plates. With a sizzling sound, steam rose from the wok. She also needed to stir-fry a vegetable dish.
"Grandma, I want to eat fried wild rice stem."
"Let's eat it tomorrow. Grandma's loofah and edamame are already in the pot!" Wang Qiulan's voice mixed with the sound of the oil pan came from the kitchen.
“Luffa, loofah.”
Wei Fuqiu muttered while holding the little black dog.
"Why is it edamame again?"
Wei Fuling scratched the little yellow dog's head.
"What are you guys so happy about?"
The two of them said in unison, staring at the puppy who kept wagging his tail.
The puppies didn't understand, they only knew that wagging their tails would make their owners happy. They rubbed their heads against the two sisters and wagged their tails even harder.
So, while wagging their tails, the two puppies won the names of - loofah and edamame.
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The author has something to say: "Suohuan" means takeout, and "xianhan" means the takeout boy.
The part about Zi Lun Egg Pancake is a quote from Out of Swordsman, and it’s really funny.
The names of edamame and loofah received the most votes. Thanks to my wife for the idea! I've also created a table with the character names and have written them down. I'll include them in the list. I'll carefully read every comment. Anyone else signed up?
I went to my grandma's house in the countryside for dinner today, so I was even later. Sorry. (I'm not always on time [burst into tears] I will definitely be on time.
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