No matter what, it was already too late to change anything at this point.

The invitations had been sent out, the reopening date had been set. Whatever ideas she had could only be discussed slowly with Uncle and her eldest cousin later.

Yu Tang carefully inspected the goods entering and leaving the storeroom, then handed the account book to her uncle.

Yu Bo spot-checked several items. Seeing that everything was clearly organized with accounts matching the inventory, he praised Yu Tang: “Excellent, excellent. Start by familiarizing yourself with our family shop’s goods. Later, gradually learn to read account books and keep accounts, and no one will be able to deceive you.”

Yu Wen laughed heartily upon hearing this, feeling that his daughter was indeed very clever. Perhaps she even had a talent for commerce, only previously hindered by her status as a woman.

After thinking it over, he said to his elder brother, “Elder Brother, the shop opens tomorrow. Why don’t we have A’Tang come help at the shop too?”

Saying “help” didn’t mean letting Yu Tang sell wine on the street, of course. At most, she would watch over the goods at the back storeroom to prevent the workers from taking the wrong items in their hurried confusion.

Since Yu Bo wanted to cultivate Yu Tang, he naturally hoped she would frequently come to the shop. When Wang Shi was at her maiden home, she had learned business this way following her father and brothers. The reason Yu Tang’s grandfather had taken a liking to Wang Shi was also because she had the ability to read account books.

“Sure!” He agreed quite readily and said to Yu Tang, “Your aunt will also come tomorrow. Just follow her and get to know people first.”

When a shop reopened, on the first day, familiar families and business friends would all come to offer congratulations.

Yu Tang quickly agreed.

Wang Shi affectionately took Yu Tang’s hand and said with a smile, “Just wear something ordinary and plain. When a young lady helps the family watch the shop, what’s most taboo is dressing too flashily, making people think you have ulterior motives. You must let people feel you’re there to work, not idly playing around. Do you understand?”

“I understand!” Yu Tang answered with a smile.

Clothing was also a language. If you dressed gaudily at gatherings with many women, others would think you were trying to steal the spotlight and stand out, which was understandable. But if it was an occasion with many men and business dealings, others would think you harbored ill intentions and wanted to use beauty tricks, often causing many misunderstandings.

Chen Shi was somewhat worried: “Why don’t we wait until after the opening before having A’Tang come help watch the shop?”

Yu Tang proactively comforted her mother: “Watching the shop can be done any day. Coming tomorrow is mainly to recognize people, so if anything happens in the future, I’ll know who to find.”

Which people could be befriended and which could not—she had neither the time nor the opportunity to understand, so she could only rely on the guidance of her elders.

She was also thinking that after auctioning off those maps, she would do some small business to supplement the household. Without knowing people, how could she partner with others? That woman named Jiang Ling from her previous life had been so capable, yet she too had to rely on her brother’s strength. Yu Tang wasn’t so arrogant as to think she was more shrewd and capable than Jiang Ling.

Yu Bo nodded with satisfaction and said to Yu Wen, “A’Tang has truly matured. You just wait to enjoy your blessings!”

“Indeed, indeed!” Yu Wen made no effort to hide his pride.

Wang Shi and the others all smiled with pursed lips.

Returning home, Chen Shi and Yu Tang searched through trunks and cabinets, finally deciding on the clothes to wear for the opening. After repeatedly instructing Yu Tang for ages with things like “follow your aunt, don’t wander around randomly,” she finally let Yu Tang rest.

Yu Tang had some trouble falling asleep.

She thought of the first year after marrying into the Li family in her previous life. To give her a harsh lesson and make her properly maintain widowhood, Lin Shi had pretended to be deaf and avoided the topic whenever she asked several times to return to her maiden home to deliver New Year gifts. She was young and thin-skinned—even knowing Lin Shi was deliberately tormenting her, she couldn’t fight back directly. Not until the twenty-third day of the twelfth month, when the next day would be Little New Year, did Lin Shi unhurriedly have her personal servant bring the gift list for the Yu family and let her return to deliver New Year gifts.

Unable to contain her anger, she had returned to her maiden home with Shuang Tao.

The house had been cold and desolate, with only sacrificial fish and meat prepared. Uncle’s family of three had huddled around the table, eating porridge with pickled vegetables…

Even now, she clearly remembered how Aunt had hidden the vegetable bowl behind her back when she discovered Yu Tang entering.

In this life, everything was different.

But she still had to move toward an even better direction.

With her thoughts in turmoil, Yu Tang fell asleep without realizing it.

The next day, she was awakened by waves of firecracker sounds.

Sitting bolt upright in bed, Yu Tang was still somewhat confused, thinking she was still at the borrowed nunnery. It took a while before she came to her senses.

She called for Shuang Tao: “What’s happening? It’s not even Little New Year yet. Which family is setting off firecrackers?”

Shuang Tao said with a smile, “It’s the Xiang family. They came to deliver New Year gifts to our family, so Master had a string of firecrackers set off.”

Yu Tang hadn’t expected the Xiang family to send New Year gifts to them. While throwing off the quilt to get up, she said, “Who from the Xiang family came to deliver the gifts?”

Miss Xiang was the Yu family’s future eldest daughter-in-law. When her family came to deliver New Year gifts, if the husband’s family valued this marriage alliance, they would host a banquet to receive the guests and also invite the family’s sons-in-law, maternal uncles, and such to join them. Of course, if only a steward came, that would be another matter.

Shuang Tao smiled, “It’s Miss Xiang’s brother.”

Yu Tang said, “Then what about the shop?”

Shuang Tao said, “Elder Master said our master and Young Master will stay to entertain the guests. You and Elder Master will go to the shop first. Once they see off Young Master Xiang here, they’ll rush over. They can’t delay the auspicious hour.”

That was the only way.

Yu Tang went to the shop with Yu Bo and Wang Shi.

It was still early and the weather was cold. Among the scattered people on Changxing Street, some were preparing to open their shops while others were sweeping the streets.

Yu Tang stepped down from the sedan chair, exhaled a puff of breath, and asked her uncle, “Is everything arranged with the lion dance?”

The lion dance plucking the red envelope was Yu Yuan’s responsibility. Today he was at home receiving the Xiang family, and she worried there might be oversights.

Yu Bo said, “A’Yuan was afraid something might go wrong, so when he went to arrange the lion dance, he brought Pinggui along. Even if he’s not here, there’s still Pinggui. Don’t worry.”

Her eldest cousin was handling matters more and more properly.

Yu Tang smiled and answered “Yes,” entering the shop with Yu Bo through the back courtyard.

The head manager was her uncle himself. Among the several young workers, some had stayed after the fire, while several were newly hired. The people in the back workshop and storeroom, besides those from Jiangxi, were her uncle’s apprentices. When she walked in, she deliberately observed and discovered that the people brought by the Jiangxi masters were working on one side, while her uncle’s apprentices worked on the other—a clear division.

She couldn’t help frowning slightly.

This wasn’t a good sign!

Yu Tang was considering whether she should frequently come to the shop to observe when Xia Pinggui walked in. Seeing her uncle, he quickly said, “Master, everything outside has been arranged according to Young Master’s instructions. We’re just waiting for the auspicious hour.”

Yu Bo glanced at the water clock and felt the time was about right. He asked Xia Pinggui, “Has Third Master Pei arrived?”

Xia Pinggui started, then took off running outside, still calling out, “I’ll go check right now.”

Yu Bo didn’t particularly like Xia Pinggui, mainly because despite learning the craft together, Xia Pinggui’s skills were just somewhat better than Yu Yuan’s. Of course, Yu Yuan was the young master, so competing with Xia Pinggui in craftsmanship had no meaning. But Xia Pinggui’s skills were soon to graduate, and Yu Yuan as young master would inevitably have to rely on him to some degree. Yu Bo feared Xia Pinggui would establish his own operation like the previous master, so he was especially strict with him.

Yu Tang was quite surprised: “Third Master Pei is also coming?”

Yu Bo couldn’t help feeling somewhat proud when discussing this matter: “Originally he wasn’t. But when we went to deliver the invitation, we happened to run into Steward Hu. Steward Hu specifically went to report on our behalf, saying he would come when the time came.”

Who would have thought—Pei Yan would actually participate in this kind of event.

Yu Tang blinked, imagining Pei Yan’s expressionless face amid the smoke-filled firecracker sounds, his disdainful gaze… For some reason, just thinking about it struck her as extremely amusing.

Unfortunately, Lin’an City was almost entirely old shops, so Pei Yan didn’t have many opportunities to participate in such events!

Xia Pinggui ran back, breathlessly saying to Yu Bo, “No, I carefully looked all around the area. I didn’t see Third Master Pei, nor did I see the Pei family’s sedan chair or carriage.” After finishing, he hesitated, then said quietly, “I also didn’t see anyone from the Pei family delivering congratulatory gifts.”

“Could he have been delayed by something?” Yu Bo murmured, looking at the water clock recording time with some anxiety—at most another quarter-hour until the auspicious opening time, and the clamor of crowds could already be heard outside.

Xia Pinggui was also somewhat anxious.

Lin’an City had only the Yu family’s lacquerware shop. While one could say other families lacked this craftsmanship, the most important factor was that the Yu family had a scholar gentleman. Other merchants didn’t want to compete with the Yu family for this prestige, lest they end up in court where the Yu family would have someone who could stand and speak while others would have to kneel.

If Third Master Pei came today to offer congratulations, from then on even the street-patrolling yamen runners would look upon the Yu family shop with greater respect, let alone any troublemakers daring to cause problems.

“Should I go look again?” Xia Pinggui said.

Yu Tang stopped Xia Pinggui: “Third Master Pei is the Pei family head. He handles matters properly. If he weren’t coming, he would certainly give advance notice. We should just open at the auspicious hour.”

Both Yu Bo and Xia Pinggui looked unconvinced.

Yu Tang thought of her several dealings with Pei Yan and had great confidence in him. She said, “I’ve had dealings with Third Master. I understand his character. Rest assured, he’s a man of his word!”

Someone without integrity couldn’t possibly maintain their standing in society.

Yu Bo believed her and said no more. After asking Xia Pinggui about matters outside, he left Yu Tang at the shop while he and Xia Pinggui exited through the back courtyard to prepare for the opening ceremony at the front.

Yu Tang thought for a moment, then quietly went upstairs, pushing the window open just a crack to look down below.

The shop entrance was already crowded with people—some coming to watch the excitement, some to offer congratulations, and some wanting to take advantage of opening day discounts to buy cheap goods. Yu Bo, with Xia Pinggui in tow and beaming with joy, greeted the visitors. Yu Tang even spotted Master Wu and Master Wei, but she didn’t see Pei Yan or anyone from the Pei family.

Had something really gone wrong?

Yu Tang’s hands twisted the handkerchief tightly together.

For Pei Yan to come participate in their family shop’s opening ceremony would be an extremely glorious thing for her uncle. Uncle had certainly already spread the word. If Pei Yan didn’t come this time, not only would their Yu family face criticism, but Pei Yan’s reputation would also be affected.

Pei Yan hadn’t changed his mind at the last minute, had he?