When the announcement from outside reached them, Hua Bailin, with a maturity that spoke well of his upbringing, said, “Elder Sister, I’ll go first to pay my respects to Grandmother, and then to Mother’s courtyard.”

“Go on. Tell Grandmother whatever is cheerful — and stay with her a while.”

“Yes.”

Steward Xu and Chen Liang, waiting outside, bowed as Hua Bailin came out. He responded with a slight raise of his hand and a half-bow, then walked off with long, unhurried strides — less of a young boy’s restlessness about him now, and more of a quiet steadiness.

The two men exchanged a glance, both genuinely pleased on the First Young Miss’s behalf. Over these past days they had seen it for themselves — among all the young masters of the Hua household, the Sixth Young Master, who had been the most free-spirited and had never had any qualms about appearing to comply while quietly doing as he pleased even before his father, was remarkably well-behaved in the First Young Miss’s presence. And that obedience was not born of fear, but of respect.

Liu Xiang appeared at the door to usher them in.

Chen Liang fell back half a step behind Steward Xu, dropping naturally into the subordinate position. Steward Xu, for his part, harbored no resentment over the First Young Miss elevating someone else to stand beside him. If anything, he felt thoroughly at ease — and the more he turned it over in his mind, the clearer his thinking became.

His eldest son, Xu Jie, would naturally be well-used by the First Young Miss later on, provided he carried out his task well. Even his younger son, Xu Ying, had made an impression on the First Young Miss — when she needed people in the future, she would not forget him. The First Young Miss had not treated him unfairly. He had every reason to be content.

With those thoughts settled in his mind, his expression grew all the more composed. “For the First Young Miss’s information, that house has been sold. The buyer pressed for a lower price since we needed to sell quickly — this servant took the liberty of agreeing. The total came to seven hundred and seventy-eight taels.”

Slightly less than expected, but acceptable. Hua Zhi watched Ying Chun go forward to receive the banknotes and silver, then said: “Steward Xu, keep some silver with you to arrange the teacher’s gifts. Make them a full measure more generous than before — within what the Hua Family can comfortably afford, choose the finest quality you can.”

“Yes.”

“Chen Liang, how did things go?”

“In reply to the First Young Miss: all twenty-five storefronts have been purchased. However, a few were still conducting business, so it will be another two days before they can vacate entirely.”

“We have already walked a hundred steps — there is no need to begrudge the last two. Still, we ought to begin preparations. Go and take measurements of the spaces. All the interior walls are to be papered over, and the exteriors are to be repainted. I have already placed an order for the signboards — carpenters will be coming in a few days to do the work. Coordinate with them.”

Chen Liang had been at the First Young Miss’s service for a few days now and knew she was willing to hear counsel. After a moment’s hesitation, he offered his view: “Would this not be rather too large an expenditure?”

“When you are selling food, the first thing that matters is cleanliness. Once every storefront along the lane has been made tidy and presentable all in a row, one look will put people’s minds at ease. Then, when they catch the scent of the food, they’ll naturally want to stop and try something. And once our food proves itself, business will grow over time. All of this is worth the investment.”

“Yes, this servant understands.”

“Steward Xu, I have a few drawings here — take them to the glassworks workshop and ask whether they can be made to specification. If they can, I’ll need them ready within half a month at most. The storefronts cannot open until these pieces arrive.”

Bao Xia carried the drawings over and handed them to Steward Xu, who glanced at them and bowed in assent.

The Great Qing Dynasty did produce glass, though it lacked transparency and did little to impress the wealthy or attract the common people, who found it too fragile and impractical. For that reason, when Hua Zhi had been making the peach preserves, she had not considered glass jars — the preserves were intended for well-to-do buyers, and porcelain crocks carried a far more distinguished air.

Glass was, however, well-suited for shop counters. Placed at the front of the store, it would allow customers who drew close to see exactly what ingredients were being used, letting them eat with full confidence in what they were consuming. And from an aesthetic standpoint, it was considerably more appealing than a wooden cabinet.