Cui Xingzhou had spent a boring night here, and that was enough. After breakfast, he gave a few instructions to Mama Li at the gate before departing in his carriage.
He was at ease about the situation in Lingquan Town. Besides Mama Li in the house, there were countless hidden sentries outside watching Liu Miantang. If Lu Wen’s scoundrels appeared, they would surely be dealt with.
As for Miantang, having been given a task by her husband, she felt her previously dull days now had a purpose. After breakfast, the clouds dispersed, and sunlight bathed the stone-paved road, making North Street bright and warm.
Liu Miantang, adapting to local customs, took her shoe soles to sew and had Mama Li prepare a basket of roasted peanuts. She then joined the neighborhood women for a chat in the alley.
The women welcomed their new neighbor warmly. After exchanging greetings, they examined the young Mrs. Cui’s needlework skills. They were somewhat relieved to find that heaven was fair – all of the Cui lady’s charm seemed to be in her face, as her handiwork showed no skill at all. Her stitches were so coarse, they wondered if they wouldn’t hurt her husband’s feet!
Seeing the beautiful Mrs. Cui’s clumsiness, the women’s jealousy subsided. Combined with Mama Li’s delicious roasted peanuts, they became increasingly friendly and casual with Mrs. Cui.
Miantang didn’t mention her husband’s failed shop purchase. Instead, she smiled and casually inquired about the best locations for shops in town and the asking prices of those for sale.
While the women chatted animatedly, Mama Li stood by with a dark expression. The prince intended to use this woman as bait, but how could they catch any rebels sitting at their front door?
So, as the women dispersed to prepare lunch, Mama Li said to Miantang, “Madam, the master’s first batch of goods will soon be ready for display. If we don’t choose a shop in the next couple of days, I’m afraid there will be nowhere to put the merchandise.”
Miantang smiled sweetly at her, “No rush. I already have some ideas. I’ll go look at the shops this afternoon. It won’t delay my husband’s important business.”
With that, she went to find suitable clothes for her afternoon shop-hunting expedition.
Mama Li watched Miantang’s enthusiasm with an inward sigh. After all, this girl came from a good family. If she hadn’t been abducted, she would likely be married with children by now.
Having served this young woman for a year, Mama Li knew her to be good-natured. Seeing her earnestly trying to arrange business for her “husband” felt like watching a tragedy unfold.
Mama Li hoped everything would go smoothly, and that Liu Miantang would help the prince capture the rebel leader quickly. Perhaps then the prince might show mercy and spare this unfortunate girl.
However, when Mama Li saw Liu Miantang after she changed clothes, she was genuinely startled. Although Miantang’s wardrobe contained no new clothes, did she have to choose something so worn? If Mama Li wasn’t mistaken, that dress looked like the one the mute old woman wore when chopping wood in the yard.
“Madam, you…” Before Mama Li could finish, Miantang interrupted, “When buying things, dressing too finely makes you a sheep for slaughter. Do you have any coarse clothes? Quickly change into them.”
Mama Li had no choice but to comply, changing into a well-worn outfit before accompanying Liu Miantang out the door.
That morning, the neighborhood women had mentioned several well-located shops, but Miantang only glanced at them before moving on. When she reached East Street, she suddenly pulled out a long scarf to cover her face, instructing Mama Li to do the same before proceeding.
After a short walk, they came to a narrow shop with a “For Sale” sign. Miantang examined it briefly before entering to inquire about the price.
This shop used to sell snacks, its walls yellowed by years of oil smoke. Not only was it cramped, but it was also located in an out-of-the-way alley – far from an ideal location.
Yet Miantang seemed interested. She slowly removed her face covering and began discussing the asking price with the owner. Initially, seeing her shabby clothes, the owner thought she was just there to buy fried cakes. He was surprised when she brought up purchasing the shop and eyed her suspiciously.
However, the young woman’s beauty softened the owner’s attitude, and he didn’t immediately dismiss her as a beggar.
Still, the price he quoted was unrealistic, showing he didn’t consider Miantang a serious buyer.
Miantang calmly smiled and said, “To be honest, my family is in the funeral paper goods business. We don’t need a grand shopfront, just somewhere to hang a ‘Mourning’ sign to attract customers. That’s why we’re interested in your small, used shop. If you give me an honest price, I can decide for my husband today, sign the deed, and settle the payment.”
The shop owner first frowned at the mention of the funeral business, then his eyes suddenly lit up, “Do you mean that?”
Liu Miantang smiled slightly, “Absolutely! It’s a small business, so we don’t have much money. Please give us a fair price.”
As the two haggled, Mama Li listened silently, mentally retracting her earlier thoughts – the Liu girl was far from being a good wife. Fortunately, she hadn’t married into the real Cui merchant family, or she would have squandered even substantial wealth.
The prince had clearly stated they were in the porcelain business, yet she was fixated on buying this dirty, cramped shop just to save money. Moreover, that morning, the neighborhood women had mentioned that this fried cake shop was being sold because of conflicts with the neighboring pancake shop, which had nearly resulted in bloodshed.
Because the neighboring shop owner was notoriously aggressive, no one familiar with the situation wanted to be next door to such a troublesome neighbor, so the shop hadn’t sold.
Yet Liu Miantang, after doing her research, was eagerly buying this unwanted property… What a waste of those roasted peanuts.
However, the prince’s goal was to use her as bait. If she wanted to waste money, so be it.
Mama Li glared silently at Liu Miantang, watching her efficiently negotiate with the shop owner, find a guarantor, and purchase the shop at a very low price.
The low price was partly due to Liu Miantang’s skillful negotiation, but also because she claimed to be in the funeral business.
The fried cake shop owner, having repeatedly lost to his neighbor’s fists, was eager for revenge. Just for the nature of the buyer’s business, he was willing to sell at a low price. Imagining a large “Mourning” sign hanging outside, with paper oxen and boy figurines displayed, he wondered who would dare eat breakfast next door under such an inauspicious shadow.
The mere thought was satisfying, so the shop owner agreed readily.
By the time Liu Miantang signed the deed, the sun was setting. Fearing her husband might return suddenly like the night before, she bought three jin of pork belly on the way home and asked Mama Li to stew it.
However, as the night deepened, there was still no knock at the gate. Disappointed, Liu Miantang instructed Mama Li to hang the braised meat in the well to keep it from spoiling, saving it for when her husband returned.
For her dinner, she again ate pickled radish with rice. Unable to resist her cravings, she ladled some meat broth over her rice, which made even the pickled radish taste much better.
After a few days, the meat could no longer be kept, but there was still no sign of her husband, Cui Jiu, returning.
However, the news that the fried cake shop had been sold to someone in the funeral business spread quickly, angering the neighboring shop owner, who cursed daily at the now-empty shop.
On this day, Liu Miantang once again went out with Mama Li. This time, she dressed neatly and went directly to the pancake shop next door to her newly acquired property.
Upon entering, she looked around and asked, “Is your shop for sale?”
The shop owner replied gruffly, “Not mine, it’s next door. It’s already been sold. If you’re not buying anything, don’t block the doorway!”
Liu Miantang wasn’t offended and replied with slight disappointment, “A geomancer said this corner of town would bring good fortune to my husband. How unfortunate that someone else has already bought it… May I ask if your shop is for sale?”
The ill-tempered neighbor was impatient and initially wanted to chase her away, but after a moment’s thought, he changed his mind and asked, “If you’re buying, how much are you willing to pay?”
After examining the equally small shop, Liu Miantang offered an even lower price than she had paid for the fried cake shop.
Dissatisfied, the neighbor said, “Are you joking, miss? I won’t sell at that price!”
Liu Miantang responded nonchalantly, “That’s alright. I’m new here and was just following a geomancer’s advice. If you offer a fair price, I’ll save myself the trouble and buy it. Otherwise, I’ll have to look around more. At the very least, I need to know what businesses are on this street. If there are conflicting businesses, it would be unlucky. I might not even be able to resell the shop…”
Hearing this, the neighbor’s rough face suddenly showed a hint of concern. “I see you’re a straightforward person, miss. To be honest, others have made offers before, but they didn’t seem sincere, which was quite annoying. If you’re serious about buying, please have a seat. I’ll discuss it with my wife and see if she’s willing.”
Liu Miantang’s seemingly casual words had struck a nerve. The old fried cake shop sign was still hanging next door, but in a few days, when paper funeral goods were displayed, it would greatly affect his business, and he might not even find a buyer for his shop. It would be better to sell to this outsider who didn’t know the situation than find a new location for himself.
In the end, Mama Li watched as Liu Miantang engaged in verbal sparring and managed to purchase this shop at nearly the same low price as the fried cake shop.
Now Mama Li understood Liu Miantang’s strategy. She had intended from the start to buy both neighboring shops and combine them into one.
Although she had bought two shops, they were so cheap that even with renovation costs, it would still be less expensive than a single prime location.
When Liu Miantang finally had both deeds in hand, she sighed in relief and smiled at Mama Li, “I’ve fulfilled my mission and bought the shops. I’ve checked, and these two were originally one house. The dividing wall was added later when the original owner split it to sell as two. So removing it should be easy. After some cleaning and redecorating, it’ll be ready for my husband to use… And…”
She pointed to the canal behind the shops and continued, “I heard from the neighbors that Prince Huaiyang is improving the waterways. The inner canal behind our shops will connect to the newly built canal. In the future, boat transportation will be more convenient, and we won’t need to worry about bumpy cart rides damaging the delicate porcelain.”
Mama Li listened silently, but she was genuinely impressed by the young woman. Although her needlework was terrible, she had a business head. The shop location was indeed excellent.
It was a pity that her husband wasn’t a merchant… Thinking of this, Mama Li sighed softly, feeling true sympathy for this clever but unsupported young woman.
Author’s note: Young Mistress Miantang: Serving my husband, managing the household, so busy every day, so happy~~
Cui Jiu: Why cover your face when going out…