Chapter 41: Checking Out Shops, Preparing to Rent

As the Lantern Festival approached, Huai’an Town buzzed with early festive energy.

The market streets overflowed with lanterns of every shape and size, dazzling He Ningwen.

“It feels like there are even more stalls today than before the New Year,” she remarked, noticing the endless rows of vendors leaving no space to spare.

Su Yi’an had observed the same thing. Along the way, she’d noticed noodle stalls now serving hearty bowls topped with large pieces of braised pork—though she couldn’t vouch for the taste, their appearance was strikingly similar to her own creations.

It seemed that if they didn’t secure a shop soon, they might not even have a place to set up their stall in the future.

“That’s why we need to rent a shop,” Su Yi’an said, leading He Ningwen to the brokerage. “With a shop, we won’t have to worry about losing our stall every day.”

Brokers held the latest information on both buying and selling properties. Seeing their interest in renting a shop, the broker grew enthusiastic.

Shop prices in Huai’an Town varied by location, with the most desirable spots naturally being near the Bright Moon Inn.

“We’d prefer a shop with a courtyard in the back, preferably one with a well,” Su Yi’an specified, not overly concerned about the location. After all, the best spots might be beyond their current means.

The broker listened intently, genuinely considering their request.

“There are indeed two places that fit your criteria, but they’re both for sale. I’ll have to inquire about renting,” the broker said honestly.

Everyone would prefer to buy if they could afford it, and Su Yi’an was curious about the purchase price.

“What’s the typical price for buying?” she asked.

The broker waved his hand twice.

“Fifty taels?” He Ningwen guessed, seeing five fingers spread.

“Fifty-five taels,” the broker corrected. “The property has a shopfront facing the street and a courtyard in the back. The shop used to sell food, so there’s a built-in stove. You can have it removed if you don’t want it.”

The more Su Yi’an heard, the more the place appealed to her, but she showed no outward reaction. “Are there any others?” she asked.

Words couldn’t compare to seeing the place in person. The broker led them to the nearest property.

The street-facing shopfront was spacious, easily accommodating ten wooden tables. Behind it lay a courtyard with six rooms.

At a glance, Su Yi’an knew she couldn’t afford to either buy or rent this place.

“What do you think of this one? The courtyard is bright and airy, and there’s a well,” the broker said enthusiastically. “The shop has excellent feng shui. The previous owners’ business thrived here, and they moved to a larger place. That’s why it’s available now.”

“How much would it cost to rent?” she asked.

The broker smiled and held up three fingers.

“Thirty taels! For a year?” He Ningwen, who had just thought fifty-five taels was too much for a house, suddenly lost interest upon hearing that this place cost thirty taels just for a year’s rent.

“Let’s look at the next one. This courtyard is nice, but we can’t afford it.”

The broker looked regretful. He had shown this courtyard to at least five families over the past six months, but it remained unrented.

“There’s another courtyard nearby, but the shop is on the main street and not connected to the courtyard,” the broker said. “Would you like to see it? It’s much cheaper—only ten taels a year.”

Su Yi’an had only twelve taels in her purse, so this price was more manageable.

But when they arrived at the courtyard, she finally understood why it was so cheap despite its location.

The courtyard was at the very end of a narrow alley, so cramped that moonlight might not even reach it at night.

The shop at the front, however, was decent and looked clean.

“What do you think, Miss? If we ask again, perhaps we can lower the price further,” the broker said, rubbing his hands together. He was genuinely eager to rent this place out, having struggled to find a tenant for nearly a year.

This courtyard was even harder to sell than the last one.

If the alley were wider or the courtyard closer to the entrance, she might have considered it.

But this courtyard was too far back. If someone secretly followed her home at night, she wouldn’t even notice…

Su Yi’an waved her hand in refusal. “I’d still prefer a shop with an attached courtyard.”

The broker realized this young woman wasn’t just looking for the cheapest place.

The final property they visited was the one the broker had mentioned earlier, close to the academy and just across the street.

As Su Yi’an walked, the surroundings felt vaguely familiar. Sure enough, this was the street where Madam Yun’s Shop was located.

“Here we are,” the broker said, pushing open the locked shop door. Inside, tables and benches stood covered in dust, but they still looked relatively new.

The broker then opened the connecting door to the courtyard. An old tree dominated the space, its branches adorned with a swing.

“This family must have had children,” Su Yi’an remarked, withdrawing her gaze.

The broker strode forward, sat on the swing, and gave it a push. “See? It’s sturdy enough for adults too!”

The courtyard featured four residential rooms—two on the north side and two on the west. A small kitchen stood to the east, right next to the courtyard gate.

To be honest, fifty-five taels wasn’t an unreasonable price. Unfortunately, Su Yi’an truly couldn’t afford it.

“Could you inquire again about renting this courtyard? If it’s possible, what would the approximate price be?” Su Yi’an walked over to the well. Seeing that it still held water, she felt even more satisfied.

After touring three properties, the broker realized she was genuinely interested in this one. “Alright, I’ll ask again,” he replied. “But renting this courtyard won’t be cheap. It would be more cost-effective to buy it outright.”

Su Yi’an understood, but securing a rental at this point would already be a challenge.

“If you want to rent, I’ll go ask right now.” Eager to earn a commission, the broker wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

Su Yi’an followed him out of the courtyard and glanced down the narrow alley. The lane was wider than most, and only four households resided within. Fewer residents meant fewer troubles—an ideal location.

“I’m at Madam Yun’s Shop today, the butcher shop on this street. If you get a price today, just find me there.” Su Yi’an pointed to the shop, afraid he wouldn’t know the place.

The broker’s eyes lit up. “You know Butcher Zhuang? Why didn’t you say so earlier! I showed him that shop-courtyard too. Wait here—I’ll definitely get you a price today!”

The broker hurried off, leaving Su Yi’an and her companion alone.

Su Yi’an circled the place again, examining every corner. The more she looked, the more she liked it.

Though the shop and courtyard weren’t as impressive as the first one, this was exactly what she needed right now.

“What do you think?” Su Yi’an asked her younger sister.

“I think it’s great, but…” He Ningwen paused, “it might be too expensive. We probably can’t afford it, Sister Su.”

The previous, less desirable place had cost ten taels. This one would surely be at least fifteen or sixteen. He Ningwen couldn’t imagine it being any cheaper.

“Let’s go make some money,” Su Yi’an said, a plan forming in her mind.

“Huh?” He Ningwen looked puzzled but dutifully followed Su Yi’an.

Su Yi’an didn’t rush to see Madam Yun. She had more pressing matters: selling her recipe.

Before the New Year, she had delivered fried sausages to several eateries. She was certain they would want the recipe.

Sure enough, Shopkeeper Zhou had been waiting at his shop for over ten days.

Every day, he had sent his staff to check Su Yi’an’s usual stall location, eagerly awaiting her return.

The two sections of fried sausage she had sent before the holiday were far from enough. He had tasted one piece and immediately craved another, but he had resisted and saved the rest for his wife and children.

The children at home especially loved the sausage. After finishing it, they kept asking for more for days.

Shopkeeper Zhou, a shrewd businessman, knew the sausage was made with natural casings. He tried to replicate it at home, but no matter what he did, it never tasted the same. Especially after drying and frying, the sausage became hard and the texture was completely different.

Though it wasn’t yet noon, the eatery was already bustling. When Su Yi’an entered, only a corner table remained.

She didn’t say anything, simply led He Ningwen to the empty seats.

“Waiter, do you have any more of this sausage? I’ll take one to go,” a customer at the next table called out, ready to pay.

“Yes, sir. One to go, right? Twenty wen each, same price,” the waiter replied, hurrying to the kitchen to retrieve a sausage wrapped in oiled paper.

His movements were swift—the customer had barely finished speaking before the waiter returned with the sausage. Su Yi’an figured the eatery must have prepared a large batch.

“We’ll take one too,” she said.

“Coming right up!” The waiter glanced at their table and exclaimed, “Oh, you’ve finally arrived! Shopkeeper Zhou has been waiting for you for days!”

Noticing curious glances from nearby diners, the waiter leaned over to block their view and whispered, “Wait here. I’ll fetch Shopkeeper Zhou immediately.”

Shopkeeper Zhou, who was tasting dishes in the back kitchen, quickly set down his bamboo chopsticks when he heard someone had arrived. He urged a shop assistant to escort the visitors to the rear courtyard.

The front of the restaurant was filled with customers, making it inconvenient to discuss business matters.

The shop assistant returned to the front and invited Su Yi’an and her companions to the rear courtyard to talk. He couldn’t resist adding a few words about the sausage business.

“Miss Su, you wouldn’t believe it! We sold a huge batch of sausages before the New Year. Even though several restaurants in town had them, we still couldn’t keep up with demand.” Remembering his daily toil of cleaning pig intestines, the shop assistant began to feel sorry for himself.

But despite the hectic days, the profits had been substantial. The shop assistant’s spirits lifted as he recalled the one tael of silver he had earned.

He remembered that the sausage recipe had cost only one tael.

Su Yi’an was well aware of their profits. She had just heard that each sausage sold for twenty wen, a 50% markup. Once the weather warmed and pork prices dropped, their profits would only increase.

The main room in the rear courtyard stood open, where Shopkeeper Zhou and his wife were waiting. They quickly brewed tea as the visitors arrived.

After tasting the sweet tea, Shopkeeper Zhou cut straight to the point. “Miss Su, I presume you’ve come to sell the sausage recipe.”

“Of course,” Su Yi’an nodded. She had come solely for the money.

“Same as before?” Shopkeeper Zhou didn’t expect her to raise the price.

Su Yi’an had considered lowering the price, but Shopkeeper Zhou’s assumption made her smile. “I was just worried you might find the price too high once you saw the recipe.”

Shopkeeper Zhou waved dismissively. How much simpler could a recipe be? Besides, it was only one tael of silver.

But when he witnessed the entire process firsthand, he finally understood Su Yi’an’s words.

The recipe was indeed simple, with the same basic steps. The only difference was that drying had been replaced with boiling, and the sausages needed to be pricked with holes.

Su Yi’an accepted the silver and pointed to the sausages simmering in the pot. “Dried sausages need to be air-dried, which makes them difficult to make in hot weather. But these fried sausages are different—they can be made and eaten fresh.”

Shopkeeper Zhou nodded in understanding and personally escorted them out.

The remaining five households followed the same pattern, Su Yi’an shared the recipe, demonstrated it on the spot, and received one tael of silver each time.

Looking at the five extra taels in her purse, He Ningwen was speechless.

Twelve taels had become seventeen.

“Opportunities like this won’t come often. The dried sausage recipe has no more tricks up its sleeve.” Quick money could only be earned once or twice, but Su Yi’an was content. One shouldn’t be greedy.

After their long detour, it was nearly noon. He Ningwen asked, “Sister Su, are we still going to Bright Moon Inn?”

“No need,” Su Yi’an replied, leading He Ningwen toward Madam Yun’s Shop. “They’ll come looking for us themselves.”

Madam Yun had been waiting in her shop since morning, remembering Su Yi’an’s promise to visit.

Finally, her patience was rewarded.

“Did you find anything suitable?” Madam Yun pulled them into the back courtyard.

“I saw one place I liked, but they only sell, not rent,” Su Yi’an explained, describing the three properties she had viewed that day.

Madam Yun had viewed that same one before. Back then, she didn’t ask about renting—it had seemed too large for two people.

“If you really like it, we could buy it. We can pool our money and earn it back later…” Madam Yun’s words were cut short by Zhuang Shan calling her from the front of the shop.

They hurried to the main room.

The broker had run all the way, now leaning against the doorframe, panting heavily. When he saw Su Yi’an, he could barely speak, waving his hands frantically.

“Sister Su, did it work out or not?” He Ningwen asked.