Yun Beiye looked at General Jin with a smile, while General Jin frowned slightly: "The choice of marriage partner."
General Jin shook his head, looking worried: "Yun Ge has made arrangements, but the choice of partner has not yet been made."
"I haven't met the right one yet."
She did meet some matchmakers, but Xun Yunge didn't seem to like any of the noble ladies from prominent families.
"We also need to consider Jinzhi's opinion on this matter."
General Jin sighed.
"Such a fine young man, your doorstep must be worn down by matchmakers!"
Yun Beiye laughed.
"Your Majesty is joking."
...
Yun Yishu and his group traveled day and night and finally returned to the capital. On the way, they had already agreed that Ziwan and Chu Dunshi would look at the shop and open for business once the fabric was transported from Shengze.
Ziwan then took over as the shopkeeper.
Chu Dunshi returned to the painting studio, Liao Ziwan went to the inn to find her younger brother Liao Ziling, and A Xiang, Yun Duoduo, and the others returned to the palace.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, Yun Duoduo could see a long procession of honor from afar.
[It's the Empress Dowager's sedan chair!]
"Third brother, run! Grandmother's sedan chair is just ahead!"
"Great, we made it!"
Yun Duoduo grabbed Yun Yishu's arm and ran forward. When Zhang Mama saw the two of them, her face lit up with joy, and she waved her hand to stop the sedan chair.
"Stop the sedan chair!"
“Princess, Third Prince, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager specifically instructed this old servant to slow down.”
"After traveling and stopping along the way, we've finally waited for you!"
"Thank you, Granny Zhang!"
Granny Zhang lifted the carriage curtain and helped the two of them into the carriage.
"Royal Grandmother!"
Yun Duoduo shouted happily.
"May Your Majesty be well."
Yun Yishu looked at the Empress Dowager with some trepidation.
"You two mischievous monkeys."
The Empress Dowager smiled and grasped Yun Duoduo's hand. "Tell me quickly, what did you do in Jiangnan?"
Yun Duoduo vividly recounted her experiences along the way.
...
Three days later, Chu Dunshi and Liao Ziwan chose a very stylish shop.
The shop is large, and the pillars and walls are all plain-colored, understated yet elegant.
Upon entering the shop, you'll see a large, open-plan storefront in front, with a garden in the middle filled with green grass and flowers. In the garden is a wide lake with a white stone bridge over it.
"This shop perfectly embodies the elegant and refined feel of our silk trade!"
Kang Qiming looked around, admiring the sights. He had received a message from Yun Yishu, saying that he was unable to leave the palace these days and asked him to help look after the silk business.
He was furious with Yun Yishu, blaming him for not taking him along when he went to Jiangnan.
Behind the bridge are three houses and a small courtyard. The three houses are similar in size, and there is a small counter in the center of each house. There is a side room on the side of the courtyard, which is very clean and tidy.
"These rooms are perfect for storing different kinds of fabrics."
Kang Qiming pointed to the rooms with different layouts in front of him.
Liao Ziwan nodded.
"Yes, that's what we thought too. We'll use the three rooms to sell silk, satin, and cotton and linen fabrics respectively."
"The small courtyard is used to display ready-made clothes and silk fabrics, as well as small handkerchiefs and some novel Suzhou embroidery styles can be displayed in various rooms."
"It seems the original owner of this shop put a lot of thought into it. The counter is made of the finest black lacquered peach wood, which is the best for warding off evil and bringing wealth."
Chu Dunshi nodded in admiration. He had been a shopkeeper in several stores and was very knowledgeable about materials and feng shui.
"What did the original owner of this shop do?"
Chu Dunshi asked curiously.
"The original shopkeeper sold gold, silver and jewelry. His daughter married and moved to the south, so the couple followed her there."
Ziwan explained, "This shop was sold in a hurry. Besides, I heard that the young master is very rich and doesn't care about the amount of money. He buys it whenever someone wants, so he's very happy to do so. That's why the shop was sold to us cheaply."
"So that's how it is. We have the shop now. By the way, Ziwan, we have the land deed and everything else, right?"
"Yes, they're all in my hands."
"That's good."
Kang Qiming nodded in relief.
...
Five days later, Ziwan's father delivered the fabric, and the silk shop officially opened for business the following morning.
The brown plaque reads "Jinxiu Silk Shop" in large characters, and the shop's pillars are adorned with large red silk flowers, creating a very festive atmosphere.
A wooden sign was painted on the door, which read, "Silk merchants send peace and wish you good health."
At the shop entrance, bright red firecrackers crackled and popped, while the shop assistant inside shouted auspicious words, creating a lively atmosphere that attracted many people to stop and enter the shop.
The servants and helpers, dressed in matching grass-green short-sleeved shirts and trousers—a distinctly southern style—were busy in the shop, communicating in the Jiangnan dialect.
Ziwan, lightly made up, stood at the door to greet and see off guests.
She wore an orange-red lotus-patterned long dress, a silk embossed cardigan over it, and a plain jade belt around her waist. She held an exquisite embroidered handkerchief in her hand. Her originally plump figure appeared much slimmer, and she looked very energetic.
The entrance and the shop were bustling with activity. Passersby, seeing the lively atmosphere, would come in to take a look, whether they wanted to buy anything or not. Rich young ladies, wealthy noblewomen, wives of officials, and stewards from the mansions all rushed to buy when they heard that there was fine silk and raw silk for sale here.
"Is this silk transported from Jiangnan? Give me two red ones!"
The woman in red walked into the silk shop, looked at the silk and ready-made clothes inside, and liked them very much. She shouted loudly, afraid that she would miss out on the good fabrics.
"This silk shop is quite special; I've never seen the fabrics they use before."
A richly dressed young lady walked in and looked around.
"Young lady, your outfit is beautiful! Do you need anything? We're opening today, and we have a full range of styles!"
The servant sweetly complimented a young lady dressed in fine clothes.
These clever servants were a few shrewd and capable men that Chu Dunshi had handpicked from the painting studio.
"This fine silk is incredibly strong, smooth, and pure white—perfect for making outer garments!"
"Shopkeeper, are you selling this silk handkerchief?"
The burly man in purple asked Ziwan, "It's really beautiful. I want to buy one for my wife; she loves this kind of thing!"
"How much is this handkerchief? Is the embroidery on it Suzhou embroidery?"
"Please wrap two handkerchiefs for me."
"Alright, here you go!"
"I'd like some blue cloth to make clothes for my father. Can you deliver it to the manor?"
"Yes, yes, I can deliver it. And you are, Madam?"
"Sent to the Li residence in western Beijing."
Passersby heard the commotion and saw the crowd gathering, so they all came to join in the fun.
As Yun Duoduo and Yun Yishu walked out of the palace and onto Chang'an Street, they heard the crackling sound of firecrackers.
"Brother, the silk shop has opened! We must go check it out!"
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