Chapter 40: Earth-shaking opening! Opening! Opening! ...
The shop was about to open, and Wei Jinyun was so busy that she barely had time to rest. In the past, the two aunts could clean the inner room and the courtyard in an afternoon, but this time, except for a few bites of food, they worked non-stop for two days. But the results were remarkable.
The two aunts were so strong that they could easily lift the water tank in the yard, which she couldn't even push, back into place. Not only did they scrape away the remaining cement slurry in the shop without leaving a trace, but they even polished the cobblestones to a gleaming shine. In Wei Fuling's words, "Sister, I can see my own reflection in them." Wei Jinyun tried to inquire about this remarkable cleaning agent again, but all she received was a "secret recipe."
But the next day, her aunt still gave her a large jar of new agent she had prepared, and specifically told her that although it was not as strong as those cleaning agents, it could be used on greasy tables and chairs, and that it was made from soapberry fruit, so she could use it with confidence.
After packing everything up, Wei Jinyun ran faster than a donkey cart could carry, heading to the Changmen market to ask Carpenter Wang to deliver her goods. The donkey cart carried her custom-made furniture one load after another, and even Xiao Zhang and Er Niu were sent by Shopkeeper Zhou to help load the goods. But Wang Jialang stared at them, shaking his head. He then effortlessly carried a rattan chair in his left hand and two benches under his right armpit, carrying them inside.
Xiao Zhang stared, observing the flesh bulging on Wang Jiadalang's arms as he exerted himself. He exclaimed, "Brother Qiang, all that strength you're using to move goods isn't going to waste. It would be much better to be a local soldier working under Lord Lu. Maybe you could even get a promotion someday."
Wang Jialang seemed to have been touched by his own thoughts. After a moment, he sniffed and held back the tears that were about to seep out. "My father made me a carpenter!"
It took a whole morning for all of Wei Jinyun's goods to be delivered and put in order.
To the right of the shop entrance was the small cart that had helped them make their fortune. Wei Jinyun had wrapped some flower vines around it, so she could use it to sell tea and drinks outdoors and then push it inside at night. To the left, she had two masons clear a small area of land about a foot wide, surrounded it with goose eggs, and planted a sweet-scented osmanthus tree, which she believed would bring her good fortune.
Upon entering, one could see the counter, above which hung several small wind-chime signs, the names of the snacks written in vermilion, along with drawings of their postures and prices. Behind the counter was a row of shelves, with large characters carefully and appropriately hung beside them.
This word is beautiful!
The lobby has six long fir tables arranged in two rows, twelve benches, six small round rattan tables, three bamboo chairs, and six small window tables with two low bamboo chairs. A stack of low bamboo chairs is placed under the stairs, allowing for more guests to arrive or leave.
The staircase from the lobby to the backyard leads directly to the second floor. Wei Jinyun built a new door at the corner of the second floor and put a big lock on it to separate it from the first floor.
Wei Jinyun's shop was considered large in front of Tianqing Temple. She even asked her grandmother if her ancestors were wealthy businessmen from Jiangnan. If she rented it out for a year, she could make a lot of money.
However, my grandmother married into Jiangning Prefecture. Even if she had the real estate deeds, there were many brothers in the Wang family at that time, and it was not known whether the rent money could really be divided into the hands of my grandmother who was far away from home. At that time, the dispute over money might cause rifts between the brothers.
So my grandmother's mother insisted on keeping the shop for her, not renting it out to anyone else. If my grandmother was ever bullied in the Wei family, she could return and the shop would be hers. Whether she rented it out or sold it, after she passed away, my grandmother would still have someone to rely on.
It has been like this for more than 40 years, and things and people have changed.
If the second floor could be renovated, it would be a real two-story teahouse. Unfortunately, that was where they slept, and now that it was vacated so quickly, they would have to share the bed with Luffa and Moodle.
Furthermore.
I have no money, really no money.
Flower stands should be placed in front of the counter, next to the window, and at the stairs, and bonsai flowers that Wei Jinyun specially bought should be placed on them. Most of these are evergreen all year round and only need to be watered to keep them alive.
Except for the lobby and the second floor, the door leading to the backyard is separated by a flower and bird curtain embroidered by my grandmother herself. You can see the scenery of the backyard by lifting it.
Another mud stove was built, and next to the well were two water vats, a square stone table, rattan chairs, and four flat baskets. Vines crawled along the perimeter wall, and beneath it were two luxurious villas built of blue brick and wood, dedicated to loofahs and edamame. Yuanbao's nest was usually under the courtyard porch, made of wicker and chicken and duck down. He didn't like to sleep, so at night he would go upstairs and, when he chose a partner, he would just lie down at her feet.
Across from the usual cooking stove was a newly built terraced stove for making pastries, which could accommodate three pots, deep-frying, and stacking steamers. Next to it was a storage room and a bathroom.
When Wei Jinyun finished cleaning up her shop two days ago, her two younger sisters still saw her cheerful and cheerful. But recently, as the shop has been piling up more and more things, her elder sister has started to frown. Before falling asleep at night, she often hears her elder sister muttering in the next room:
"Where's my money? Where did it go?"
"Selling me a tree for 60 cents is so ruthless!"
"I've set a small goal this year: earn a million dollars!"
“…”
Things like that, but every time my sister went to the Changmen market to buy something, she might bring some new things for my grandmother and them.
Wei Jinyun ran around here and there every day, and was busier than setting up a stall. She got a lot tanned, and slowly it was the auspicious day she had chosen, the sixth day of August.
It was the sixth day of August, the weather was clear and sunny, it was a great day to open a shop.
Zhao Xiangping was an expert at buying firecrackers; she'd already set off a whole basket of them that day. She had no idea what to give as a grand opening gift, so she'd always stuffed Wei Jinyun with roasted duck and fried chicken, but she didn't seem to have gained weight. Instead, she looked a lot darker and thinner.
She specifically asked the owner of the firecracker shop to ask his employees to bring two baskets of firecrackers. When the auspicious time calculated by Wei Jinyun arrived, the crackling sounds echoed all over the area in front of Tianqing Temple. Even the loofahs and edamame hid in the big villa and shivered for a long time, running back and forth to the shop door.
"Sister Wei is opening!"
Meng Ge'er was even happier than the day he set off firecrackers at home. He jumped and clapped his hands at the door.
Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuqiu, dressed in new clothes, squatted at the door to comfort the frightened Luffa and Maodou who were still wandering around the door. Yuanbao glanced at them with contempt, stood under the osmanthus tree with his tail raised, and acted like the lucky cat that his master always talked about.
Then it wears the red bib embroidered with big gold ingots tied by its owner, stands upright and greets guests, which makes it a qualified lucky cat.
It will perform well.
Wei Jinyun wasn't familiar with the shop a little further from Tianqing Temple, but she knew there was a young lady like her. After all, carts often passed by their shop. The firecrackers had just been set off so loudly that she came to see them, bowl in hand.
From afar they could see Yunlaixiang's banners fluttering in the wind, as well as two puppies in red clothes and a cat slave wearing a bib.
If it weren't for the sweet aroma of chestnuts coming from the shop, someone who didn't know would have thought that a theatre troupe was opening.
The neighbors who lived close to the shop and could always enjoy a few pieces of Wei Jinyun's new snacks on weekdays came to congratulate him with gifts, but most of them were from his own shop.
Uncle Li wove a ton of straw weaving for them: magpies, rabbits, dragonflies, and butterflies, so beautiful they could be hung in the shop like two strings of paper cranes. Jin from Qian's Soup and Noodle Shop brought a flat basket of wedding noodles, covered with red paper and labeled with the words "good luck" and "good fortune." Aunt Zhao also brought fresh fruit, and the grocery store owner, Liu, brought some small gifts...
"You're so lively."
When Madam Qian arrived at the shop, she still had her stall's load on her shoulders. She put the load down on the ground and pulled out a basket of red eggs. "I don't know what you need, but eggs are the most abundant at home. Since you're opening, I boiled some red eggs for you, for good luck and happiness."
The eggs in the basket were dyed with a layer of rouge powder. They were plump and round, and of uniform size. It was obvious that they had been carefully selected.
"I'm jealous just looking at it."
Wei Jinyun knew Madam Qian's personality and quickly took it over without saying anything polite or saying "you're welcome". "Aunt Qian, come to the shop and take a rest."
"No, I still have to go set up my stall."
Madam Qian took the tea that Wei Fuqiu handed over, took a sip, looked down, and smiled, "Sweet pot rice cake? I haven't eaten it for a long time... The last time I had it was when I gave birth to my boy."
Guoci is a glutinous rice paste baked into a pan. It's crispy and delicious when eaten dry, but a gentle bite creates a crumbly mess, leaving your mouth filled with the aroma and sweetness of rice, like eating potato chips. When brewed in boiling water with sugar, it becomes soft and chewy, then softens in the warm, sweet broth, leaving each bite soft, glutinous, and sweet.
Wei Jinyun used to be served a bowl of steaming hot sweet pot-rice cakes whenever she went to a banquet with her grandmother. She would also buy some and brew it herself. However, these days, pot-rice cakes are only served at weddings and births, and are not often eaten.
She baked a whole plate of them, half of which she used to make sugar water and the other half of which she gave to her sister as a snack. They tasted crunchy and delicious.
Madam Qian chatted with Wei Jinyun for a while, then went to set up her stall. Before leaving, she took a small bag of snacks that Wei Jinyun had given her.
Old Guo was even more impetuous. Who knows what he did for a living in his youth, but he was incredibly strong. Now in his fifties, he could run like a phantom. He shoved the things into Wei Jinyun's hands, swallowed a bowl of tea, and said, "I still have Old Sun watching over my stall. The other one is something Old Sun asked me to give to my two little granddaughters." Then he ran away again, throwing up dust.
Wei Jinyun opened it and saw that in addition to three Mohelos that looked very similar to her and her sister, there were also several brushes with smooth strokes and two inkstones.
But within two quarters of an hour, Lu Lantang and Zhou Zhuqing also arrived. The gifts they sent seemed to be for comparison. Each of them sent a set of tea sets, and even the size, number of cups, and pattern of the gift box were the same. It was impossible to tell which one was the best.
"I came here for tea on the first day of opening. Is there a table?"
Lu Lantang took a look.
"Sister Lu is here!"
Wei Fuqiu held her arm and led her into the shop. "I'll find the best place for you."
Zhou Zhuqing took Zhou Zheyue's hand and stepped in.
During this morning, most of the people who came into the shop were acquaintances, including Lu Lantang and a few others, as well as Wei Jinyun's regular customers, who all took care of her business.
At lunchtime, the boat that my great-aunt and her daughter-in-law, Li, had hired, pulled up outside the shop, carrying a basket of dried fish and several large bags of sugar. Wei Jinyun and her sister entertained them for a while, then they went to chat with my grandmother.
Although there are many stoves, Wei Jinyun has not hired any employees at the moment. She is the only one who does it. In addition to the two original dishes, she also made chestnut cake today.
As autumn arrives and the jasmine flowers are about to pass their bloom, it's time to prepare new seasonal pastries. Autumn chestnuts are large, plump, soft, and sweet, making them perfect for making chestnut cakes.
This chestnut cake was made by Wei Jinyun, who got up earlier than the rooster next door. She knew that the shop would be open today and she would be too busy to make it, so she started the stove before dawn. The aroma of chestnuts drifted into the neighbors' dreams early in the morning.
"Your shop has a really nice environment."
Zhou Zhuqing sat by the window, the carved screens beside her open. The warm autumn sun shone through the gaps between the osmanthus trees, not blinding but brightening the room. The osmanthus flowers were in full bloom, and the gentle breeze sent them scattering to the ground, filling the room with fragrance.
"Of course it's good. I drew it."
Lu Lantang pointed to the carved wall on the side, then gestured with his eyes to the cobblestone floor in the middle, boasting, "This is the only one in the entire Pingjiang Prefecture."
Zhou Zhuqing covered her mouth with her hands and smiled, carefully examining the "Flower Street Pavement". "Is this your uniqueness?"
The flower streets in ordinary houses are paved with crabapples and cranes, but Wei Jinyun's shop is paved with a piece of fragrant-looking jasmine cake, and even the patterns of the pastry are made on it.
This was the first pastry she made when she came to Pingjiang Prefecture. In her words, it was beautiful, unique and had great commemorative value.
"Speak nicely, sister."
Zhou Zheyue sat next to Zhou Zhuqing, eating the sweet pot rice cake in the bowl bit by bit with a spoon.
She likes the sweet taste.
She originally wanted to find Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling to play with, but seeing that they were busy following Wei Jinyun, she said nothing more and tried the chestnut cake they had just served.
"Your land is so stylish."
Li Shiwan walked into the shop carrying two pig trotters and a hilsa fish that weighed at least three pounds, and shouted, "I'm here for tea. Can I not eat the leftovers today?"
For her, the pork knuckle and hilsa were as easy as carrying a chicken. Wei Jinyun collected the brightly colored pork knuckle, which she had personally salted and dried, like a treasure, and hurriedly found a place for her to sit.
"How could that be?"
Wei Jinyun didn't expect that Li Shiwan would come over to congratulate her. She poured her some tea and said, "Even if you want to eat a few of my steamed baskets, it's fine."
"You think I'm your belly."
Li Shiwan quickly ordered two pieces of all the cakes for the day. When she got to the chestnut cake, she took a sip of tea and said, "Please make me six pieces. I'll bring them to my father to try, so he won't say I'm heartless again."
The chestnut cake on the plate was cut into small square pieces. If you looked closely, you could see the finely chopped chestnut flesh, drizzled with honey.
It tastes soft and dense at first, with the rich aroma of chestnuts mixed with the sweetness of glutinous rice, and the chewy and sticky chestnut grains, giving it a very mellow taste.
Although the father and daughter quarreled every day, they both had sharp tongues but soft hearts.
Today wasn't too busy. Dine-in customers would sit down and savor their pastries, order a pot of tea, and chat. She only needed to refill the tea occasionally. Customers who came to take away dim sum occasionally came in in twos and threes, so it didn't take Wei Jinyun too much effort.
Wei Jinyun sat at the counter, slowly counting the bills, wondering when she would be able to recoup her recent large expenses. After paying Manager Zhou's wages and Carpenter Wang's remaining money, she was completely broke.
How could this money be so wasted!
At the beginning of the afternoon, she was sitting at the counter, rocking her chair, when she heard the voice of a regular customer.
"Brother Renbai, what are you daydreaming about?"
Tang Yin first spotted Zhang Renbai standing at the entrance of the Stationery Shop. He waved his fan and greeted him loudly, "I saw you in this pose from a distance just now. Why are you standing still when I come over?"
Zhang Renbai seemed not to hear, his eyes barely moving, only his Adam's apple rolling slightly. He seemed to be lost in thought, staring straight at the bricks on the ground.
"Tsk, what's going on?"
Zhu Zhishan was wondering and wanted to ask, but he saw Zhang's father coming out with a tea bowl and had no good look on his face towards them.
Zhang's father turned and pulled his son. His voice was low but tinged with sarcasm, "What are you looking at? What's so good about it? Isn't it just that you passed the imperial examination? What's there to show off?"
His voice was so loud that even the diners in Wei Jinyun's shop heard it. Everyone wanted to come out to see the fun, and they swarmed to the shop door. They were good at drinking tea and snacks, and they loved the noise the most.
Father Zhang looked at Tang Yin and the others, growing increasingly angry. His tone was tinged with sarcasm, "Don't be sad, son. I think it was those guys who were in the same exam with you, especially that guy named Wu Sheng, who couldn't stand seeing someone doing well, and put something dirty in your food. Otherwise, why did you have so much diarrhea that day during the college entrance exam that you couldn't even stand up? And in the end, you fainted at the entrance to the exam room!"
Zhang's father thought there must be something fishy going on. His son's health, while not perfect, was still reasonably healthy. How could he suddenly feel so unwell on the day of the college entrance examination?
Wu Sheng's family sold egg pancakes. He couldn't even afford to send gifts to the headmaster and the teachers. He stammered and lowered his head when speaking. How could he have passed the imperial examination? If he had to find a suspect, he could only think of Wu Sheng.
He must have drugged his precious son!
Zhang Renbai's shoulders trembled, his lips opened slightly, and even his neck was stained red, but he didn't say a word.
"Son, don't take it to heart,"
Zhang's father patted him on the back and whispered, "Those people are evil. Let's not bother with them. Let's take the test again next time, next time. You're still young, and you have a long time to live."
Zhu Zhishan, who was being glared at, was already holding his breath. Upon hearing what Zhang's father said, he immediately stood beside Tang Yin, his brows raised. "Uncle Zhang, what you said is unreasonable. He had diarrhea himself, so how can he blame it on someone else? Wu Sheng is innocent. His hospital is far away from your Zhang Renbai's!"
A nearby student chimed in, his tone full of sarcasm. "Do you think the exam hall is your own shop? The examiner's eyes are like lanterns, so even a small piece of paper can't be hidden. Each person has their own room, and it's very tightly guarded. Last time, I just touched my sleeve, and the officer glared at me for half an incense stick. Wu Sheng wants to put drugs in Zhang Renbai's food? Ask those knife-wielding officers at the door first if they agree."
"that is."
Another student sneered, and seeing that all the customers in Wei Jinyun's shop had come out, and many shop owners who had come to watch the fun had also gathered around, he started to speak up for Wu Sheng.
He hated to see himself do poorly on the exam, and instead found all sorts of excuses to cause trouble for others. He deliberately raised his voice, "Besides, Brother Renbai was so arrogant in the exam room that day that the examiner came over to question him, suspecting he was using the excuse of going to the bathroom to look at his cheat sheets. Worst of all, he filled the entire toilet bucket to the brim. We all had to wait for nearly an hour before a new bucket was available. It was such a pain!"
The people watching nearby also blushed, and they stared at the people around them to prevent themselves from making any noise.
"This isn't the end yet."
Zhu Zhishan continued, his lips curled, "Later, there was no time to go to the toilet, so he defecated directly in the cell. The smell... with a tailwind, it could carry three miles. Our entire row of cells had their noses nearly blocked, and we had to hold our noses to finish the exam. Do you think someone really drugged him, and how could he have defecated so horribly? Wu Sheng was lucky that he wasn't affected by the smell."
Wei Jinyun clutched his sister beside him, and his shoulders couldn't help but twitch up and down.
Zhang's father's face flushed purple from the smothering rage, and he suddenly screamed, "Nonsense! My son can barely finish a bowl of rice, chewing it slowly like he's feeding a cat. How could he possibly fill a toilet? You bunch of sour-eyed scholars must be jealous of his knowledge, making up these obscene words to humiliate him!"
Wu Sheng listened to his classmates speaking for him. He pushed past them, took a few steps forward, and spoke in a more composed voice than usual. "Uncle Zhang, although I'm not a prominent figure, I know that scholars don't speak nonsense. I didn't give him any drugs, I swear to God. If you really don't believe me, you might as well ask Brother Renbai himself. That day, when he was leaning against the wall in his cell and crying about a stomachache, who was the first to call the police? Who was the one who kept passing the memorial cards? He still remembers all of this."
Two months later, Wu Sheng not only looked much healthier, but also said that Zhang's father spoke clearly and without any timidity.
Zhang Renbai had his head buried, the veins on his neck were bulging, and all he heard in his mind were words like "haoshe", "gongpai", "pulled so hard that it shook the earth"... His face grew paler.
Father Zhang continued to refute, "Didn't you see that my son was speechless? You are just ganging up on me..."
Before he could finish his words, Zhang Renbai's whole body suddenly went limp, his eyes rolled up, and he fell straight back.
Fortunately, Xu, who was grinding soy milk in the yard, heard the noise and rushed out of the shop to grab him, preventing him from falling on the stone steps.
Zhang Renbai just sat slumped in Xu's arms, his lips turned purple, and he actually fainted.
"Son! Son!"
Xu panicked and slapped his face, crying, "Wake up! Don't scare me! I've prepared a health-preserving talisman for you from an expert. Next year, next year, we'll come again..."
Zhang's father even dropped the teacup in his hand, stared at Xu for a while, and then hurriedly carried Zhang Renbai to the clinic on Shantang Street.
What an expert.
What symbol.
The onlookers clicked their tongues. They were enjoying the sweet snacks so happily, why did he go to the toilet?
But news of events in front of Tianqing Temple always spread quickly. For example, the story of Wei Jinyun's clever capture of Li Dabing had already been spread—and before anyone knew it, it was so fast, Miss Wei had uprooted the weeping willows in Ah Ping's yard and swept the thief Li Dabing off the wall!
As for Zhang Renbai's earth-shaking event, I wonder how it will be spread.
The onlookers dispersed, and Wu Sheng turned around and saw Miss Wei with her hair tied up in a bun, her cheeks as rosy as rosy clouds.
"Miss Wei... I brought some books for Sister Qi and Sister Ling. I hope you don't mind."
"Hmm."
Tang Yin patted his folding fan, "Brother Wu, you were so energetic just now, and you're still discriminating against people?"
Everyone was making a lot of noise and hyping up the first day of her shop's opening, which lasted until sunset.
The night gradually darkened.
"Sister, what are you looking at?"
Wei Fuling stood beside Wei Jinyun and saw that her eyes were fixed on the arch bridge in the distance.
Wei Jinyun scratched Yuanbao's chin. Yuanbao's green eyes were very obvious at night.
Look... this arch bridge is so round.
"Waiting for someone."
Wei Fuqiu squatted on the ground, holding a piece of chicken and loofah.
"Waiting for whom? Waiting for me?"
Someone patted her shoulder. Wei Jinyun turned around and saw Lu Lingxiang looking at her with a smile.
She raised the gift in her hand, turned her head, and pursed her lips at Wei Jinyun angrily, "Or should we wait for him..."
In the night breeze, the red corners of the clothes swayed.
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The author has something to say: Miss Wei uprooted the weeping willow [rainbow fart]
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