Chapter 216

Gurgle… gurgle… Wang Yuan’er was awakened by the sound of her stomach growling. She groggily opened her eyes, still half-asleep, and realized the carriage had stopped.

“Have we arrived?” she asked drowsily, her voice carrying a lazy, dreamy quality.

“Yes, we’ve arrived,” came a very gentle voice beside her.

Wang Yuan’er looked up, startled, and immediately sat up straight, touching her flushed face—it felt hot.

At that moment, any lingering drowsiness vanished completely. Wang Yuan’er stared blankly at Cui Yuan. Could it be that he had just been supporting her head?

Cui Yuan calmly withdrew his sore, stiff hand, using the other to massage it gently. It really was sore!

“I… fell asleep?” Wang Yuan’er asked cautiously.

Cui Yuan nodded and said, “Only for a little while.”

Wang Yuan’er’s face turned bright red, and she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. How could she have fallen asleep in front of a man? It was utterly mortifying!

A smile lit up in Cui Yuan’s peach-blossom-shaped eyes as he said, “We’ve reached the area near the two shops. It seems the time is almost noon. Would you like to inspect the shops first before having lunch, or shall we eat first and then go?”

Just as Wang Yuan’er was about to answer, her stomach let out a loud growl.

Cui Yuan pressed his lips together in a suppressed smile and said, “So, it’s lunch first, then.”

Feeling embarrassed, Wang Yuan’er cleared her throat twice and said, “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Let’s head to Yun Ke Lai,” Cui Yuan instructed Chen Shu, who was outside the carriage.

Moments later, the group found themselves seated on the second floor of Yun Ke Lai, near a window, with a view of the bustling street below.

As the host, Cui Yuan ordered a pot of Bi Luo Chun tea and selected a few small dishes.

“Yun Ke Lai is one of the more reputable restaurants in the western part of the city. The small dishes here are quite good—you should give them a try,” Cui Yuan said, pouring tea for Wang Yuan’er after receiving it from the waiter.

Wang Yuan’er smiled and replied, “Then I must try it. Looking downstairs, it seems the place is completely packed.”

“Good wine needs no bush. Don’t be fooled by the simple appearance of this place; plenty of high-ranking officials and nobles frequent it. This is like the fermented tofu you developed—such a small condiment, yet it has spread across the land. I’ve heard the Imperial Household has approached Jin Ji about it,” Cui Yuan said with a smile as he looked at her. “If it reaches the palace and becomes a tribute, your fermented tofu business might not even be able to keep up with the demand.”

Wang Yuan’er was delighted. “Is that true? No wonder Manager Guan mentioned setting up another workshop in Jiangnan. We really can’t keep up with the orders here.”

“It seems Song San got ahead of me. Why didn’t I think of partnering with you back then?” Cui Yuan said, feigning regret.

Wang Yuan’er playfully teased, “You’re a government official; how could you be involved in such ‘vulgar’ pursuits?”

“Officials have to eat too, and they need to spend money. I haven’t even taken a wife yet—I’ll need to earn some money for the betrothal gift!” Cui Yuan said with a mischievous smile, looking at her.

Wang Yuan’er’s heart skipped a beat. She picked up her tea and took a sip, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Could it be that Master Cui’s beloved is Miss He?”

Cui Yuan, who was drinking tea, nearly spat it out at her question. Frowning, he asked, “What kind of talk is that?”

“Isn’t it? You two seem… well, rather close,” Wang Yuan’er said.

Cui Yuan laughed. “Xiuxian is my teacher’s daughter. I’ve always treated her like a sister. How could it be as you imagine?”

Hearing his words, Wang Yuan’er inexplicably felt a bit of joy. Yet, recalling what she had observed before, she added, “I think Miss He might not see things the same way you do.”

Cui Yuan frowned and remained silent.

Seeing his furrowed brow, Wang Yuan’er thought she had said something wrong and quickly said, “I-I was just speaking nonsense. Don’t be upset!”

“Your dishes are ready,” said the waiter as he placed their dishes on the table before leaving with a polite gesture.

“Silly girl, why would I be upset?” Cui Yuan smiled warmly through the rising steam. He picked up a meatball and placed it in her bowl. “You must be hungry. Eat up—these fried Four Joy Meatballs are quite good.”

Wang Yuan’er carefully observed his expression and, realizing he truly wasn’t upset, let out a sigh of relief. She picked up the meatball, took a bite, and found it delightfully chewy.

Meanwhile, Chen Shu, having finished feeding the horses, joined them. The three of them chatted as they ate, quickly finishing all the dishes on the table.

“I’m stuffed,” Wang Yuan’er said, her face full of satisfaction.

Cui Yuan refilled her tea and then instructed Chen Shu to present the documents for the two shop locations to Wang Yuan’er.

“One is on Dongyang Street, near the edge of the main road, facing the street. It’s an excellent location with high foot traffic, and the annual rent is only 200 taels. However, it has only one storefront with an attic for storing goods. The other is in Bali Alley, which includes a storefront and a small courtyard with two rooms. The surrounding area is home to wealthier families but not on a main street. Due to its location and the inclusion of a courtyard, the annual rent is 300 taels,” Chen Shu explained the pros and cons of the two shops.

“For rentals, similar-sized shops in the western part of the city are typically around these prices. Of course, better locations and larger shops would naturally rent for higher rates,” Cui Yuan added.

Hearing these prices, Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement. “No wonder it’s the capital city—this is indeed quite expensive.”

She thought of their Changle Town, where even her grandfather’s woodworking shop, including its goods, wouldn’t sell for 200 taels. Yet here in the capital, just renting a shop for a year would cost 200 or 300 taels. Could the profits from sales even cover the rent?

Wang Yuan’er hesitated for a moment.

Cui Yuan seemed to notice her hesitation and said, “Don’t worry too much. While the rent is expensive, the price of goods sold in the capital is relatively high as well, so the rent should be recoverable.”

Wang Yuan’er, having her thoughts seen through, replied somewhat awkwardly, “With rent being so expensive, wouldn’t buying a shop be even costlier?”

Cui Yuan smiled and said, “Buying a shop in the capital depends on luck. Most of the shops here are controlled by the influential and wealthy families. Unless there’s some urgent matter, they rarely sell them. Shops are often used as betrothal gifts or dowries, and it’s extremely uncommon to sell them for silver unless something unexpected happens.”

Wang Yuan’er stuck out her tongue and said, “Then wouldn’t the shops in the eastern part of the city be ridiculously expensive?”

“As far as I know, there’s a calligraphy and painting shop that rents out for three thousand taels a year and an antique shop rents for five thousand.”

Wang Yuan’er’s jaw dropped.

Heavens, those prices are astronomical!

Chen Shu lowered his head, hiding a smile as he saw her reaction.

“A calligraphy shop often attracts those pretending to be refined. If they happen to have works from a renowned artist, just selling one piece can cover the rent. As for an antique shop, well, there’s no need to elaborate—antiques are never cheap,” Cui Yuan explained lazily.

Wang Yuan’er clicked her tongue in amazement, then laughed and said, “It seems learning to paint could also be a livelihood. If times ever get tough, I could paint something and sell it to make a living!”

Hearing this, Chen Shu glanced at Cui Yuan and secretly chuckled.

Cui Yuan coughed twice and said in a teasing tone, “How can you make something as elegant as a painting sound so mercenary?”

“Well, I’m just a commoner,” Wang Yuan’er replied with an awkward laugh before steering the topic back. “Who are the owners of these two shops?”

Cui Yuan turned to Chen Shu, who then began to explain.

“The shop on Dongyang Street is private property belonging to Madam Zheng, the mistress of Deputy Captain Luo Lingguang of the infantry. Deputy Captain Luo secretly bought this shop and put it under her name. His family has no idea about the mistress’s existence. At the beginning of this year, the mistress gave birth to a son for him. Overjoyed, Luo then purchased a house for her, located in Guihua Alley in the western part of the city,” Chen Shu shared gossip about Deputy Captain Luo’s personal affairs with an amused expression.

Cui Yuan and Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help but twitch their faces upon hearing this. Cui Yuan immediately stopped him, giving him a sidelong glance, “How did I only realize today that you’re so nosy and gossipy?”

Chen Shu chuckled and continued, now talking about the shop in Bali Alley: “This shop was part of the dowry of Princess Yunyang. She has been married to Minister of Works Chen Cheng for many years and has only given birth to one daughter. It’s said she deeply cherishes Miss Chen. Most of her dowry is likely intended as Miss Chen’s future dowry as well. Minister Chen, however, has many concubine-born sons, but…”

“Get to the point,” Cui Yuan interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Chen Shu coughed twice and said, “I heard that Princess Yunyang is very dissatisfied with Minister Chen. It seems this shop might be sold before Miss Chen gets married to provide her with some funds to take with her.”

“You certainly have done your homework,” Cui Yuan remarked, casting a half-smiling glance at him.

“Master’s orders—I wouldn’t dare be careless,” Chen Shu quickly replied with a flattering tone.

Cui Yuan let out a sigh, then turned to Wang Yuan’er, “Did you hear all of that?”

Wang Yuan’er nodded, got up, and bowed to Chen Shu. “Thank you, Brother Chen, for your efforts.”

Chen Shu hurriedly stepped back, bowing his head and replying, “I dare not accept such courtesy.”

Wang Yuan’er smiled, sat back down, and said, “I think we can skip the Dongyang Street shop and go directly to see the one in Bali Alley.”

“Oh?” Cui Yuan raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“The location on Dongyang Street is good, with heavy foot traffic. However, it’s unfortunate that there’s only one storefront. If I were to come to the capital for accounting or to stay overnight, it would be inconvenient. More importantly, the owner is the mistress of a deputy captain. According to Brother Chen, Deputy Luo secretly keeps this woman, and the Luo family is entirely unaware of her existence. But no secret won’t eventually come to light. Once her existence is revealed, I fear the shop might bring unnecessary trouble,” Wang Yuan’er explained calmly.

There was something else she didn’t mention—she looked down on women who became mistresses. Without proper status or marriage, such arrangements only bring trouble, not benefits.

“On the other hand, the shop in Bali Alley, although more expensive and less central, has a small courtyard. If I were to come to the capital, I’d have a place to stay without relying on inns every time. If distinguished guests were to visit, there’d be a place to host them, too. And if, as Brother Chen mentioned, the shop might eventually be sold, I could consider buying it if I had the means,” Wang Yuan’er added.

Cui Yuan’s eyes seemed to light up, sparkling brightly. “You’ve thought this through thoroughly. No wonder you were able to create something like fermented tofu.”

While the shop on Dongyang Street had a great location and might attract business, its ownership was a significant problem. It was rumored that the Luo family didn’t even have a single concubine, likely due to Madam Luo’s strict household management. If Deputy Luo secretly kept a mistress, who’s to say it wasn’t because he feared her? Madam Luo said to treat her husband as her everything and would certainly not sit idly by if she learned her husband had provided a shop for a mistress. If things escalated into a confrontation or even vandalism, wouldn’t it be a major loss?

In contrast, although less central, the shop in Bali Alley was surrounded by wealthy families. Business wouldn’t be an issue in such an area. Comparing the two, the Bali Alley shop seemed the better choice.