Chapter 38: West Dongling District Commercial Street

Early morning, the mist was enveloped by the clear wind and the sun’s caress. It drifted over the Zhou family’s residence, leaving a thin veil of gauze with a slit, granting the sleeping crow a glimmer of light.

The sun beat down in the center, but there was no noise of children.

As the sunlight shifted with the flow of time, Shen Muyan slowly opened her eyes.

She rolled over in the soft comfort, discovering that she was clutching a set of clothes in her arms, instantly clearing her mind.

“Why did I pull Qin Xian’s clothes again?”

Shen Muyan rubbed her head, her mind suddenly flashing with a few images.

“Brother.”

“My head hurts.”

“Qing’s appearance.”

“Hugging.”

“…”

“!!!”

Shen Muyan was completely stunned, shaking her head, unable to believe she would do such a thing.

“Why was I so clingy to Qin Xian when drunk?”

“Was it because of the incident with the ferry the other day? And then I became even more unrestrained…”

Shen Muyan could only piece together some of the images, quickly washed up, and called Ning Qing to her room.

Ning Qing truthfully recounted what she had seen and heard yesterday.

The more she listened, the tighter Shen Muyan’s delicate brows furrowed.

“Sister, actually, Qin Xian didn’t resist at all, he was completely…”

“On the contrary… he seemed to be enjoying it. Of course, Ning Qing wouldn’t say it like that.”

“No way…”

“What exactly did Qin Xian do?”

Shen Muyan raised her eyes, landing on the orange-yellow osmanthus blossoms blooming in the vase.

“Ning Qing, did anything happen after you left the room? Did anything happen when you were alone with Qin Xian?”

“When drunk, you should be talking nonsense, why were you just calling him brother?”

“And hugging… “

Covering her forehead, she couldn’t continue. How could she face him? How could she continue to have these intermittent memory lapses?

“The next time we meet, it will be so embarrassing.”

The room was quiet, she changed into a new set of clothes, preparing to personally visit the West Dongling District, a commercial street that retained the old-fashioned style of the Republic of China era.

The Shen family had spent a lot of money to purchase it, and she had to find a way to revitalize its value.

——West Dongling District——

Shen Muyan was dressed very stylishly today, a long halter dress paired with a set of shawl, without any redundant or luxurious accessories, simple yet elegant.

Her light makeup was clear and translucent, her complexion excellent.

“Sister, most of the businesses in this commercial district have moved out, the traffic flow is also low, only a few original businesses remain.”

Strolling along the alley paved with blue bricks, with blue bricks and green tiles, it was as if she was in the alleys of the early Republic of China era, the atmosphere felt peaceful and serene.

“Actually, it’s not that bad. The shops on both sides are lined up neatly, the traditional flags and plaques are dazzling, and as you walk along the commercial street for a few minutes, you can see a teahouse in the distance.”

“The colors are so vibrant, it suddenly feels bright.”

“Sister, what kind of flowers do you want?”

A young girl came to greet them, her hair tied in two buns, her slightly round face with two dimples was very charming, her voice was childish, and she was holding a yellow duck doll in her arms.

She was not tall, but she was very sensible.

Shen Muyan smiled gently and picked up a bunch of litchi roses nearby, handing them to her: “This, a bunch of litchi roses, and then add some jasmine.”

“Okay.” The girl nodded and put the yellow duck doll on the side.

She skillfully counted the branches.

“One, two, three…”

“Friend, how long have you been here?” Shen Muyan was quite surprised, could this child be helping to wrap the flowers?

“My mom is still in the hospital taking care of my dad, I just came back a little while ago.” She replied calmly, as if this was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Looking closer, she was wearing wrinkled clothes, a very ordinary long-sleeved shirt, but it was clean and tidy.

She hugged the flowers and walked inside. The shop was quite narrow, there were flower wrapping materials on one side, and on the other side, there was a spread-out exercise book and homework book with a few problems written on it, a pencil placed beside the exercise book, she must have been doing her homework just now.

The houses in West Dongling District were all old lofts, rich in history, but the area was not large.

“Qingqing, is there a customer?”

Just as she was wrapping the flowers, a woman came towards them, her steps hurried and a little anxious.

“Hey, add a layer of gauze, it will be more beautiful, and cut the edges a little better…”

She quickly came to the side and took over the work, letting her friend stand aside and watch.

“How long has this shop been open?” Shen Muyan asked curiously.

“It’s been open for a long time, my father was a good craftsman, and the business was not bad, but unfortunately, he had a car accident later, and the work became a problem. My mother can also repair things, but to make ends meet, she opened this shop.”

“It’s hard to do business! The competition is fierce, how can you survive in the future!”

The girl called Qingqing didn’t say anything, she sat down quietly on the stool next to her and continued to do her homework.

Listening to the woman’s muttering and complaints, Shen Muyan’s worries grew.

She observed the situation for a while longer, then walked forward. The flow of people was not very large.

But Shanghai, as an international city, with a population of tens of millions, there was no lack of purchasing power, it was just that this commercial street lacked the appeal to attract customers.

Paying for the flowers, Shen Muyan continued to walk through the street, holding the flowers in her arms.

The business model of the shops was very traditional, there was a hidden charm that had not been tapped into, which was contradictory to the pace of modern life, perhaps, this was a very good competitive advantage.

The government had a policy of protecting this area, not allowing large-scale modern development.

Looking at the shops with their traditional charm, the antique decorations and the amiable and kind faces, Shen Muyan felt a sense of inspiration deep down.