Chapter 107: No Shame

Speaking of Lu Chengxiao, he had just arrived at Anyi County. As soon as he entered the shop, Lu Chengzong, thinking he was a customer, looked up to greet him. But upon recognizing him, he nearly jumped for joy. “Chengxiao, you’re back!”

Ignoring the customer he was attending to, Lu Chengzong called a clerk to take over and rushed over to Lu Chengxiao. Seeing that everything was fine, he grabbed Chengxiao’s arm and said, “You came back at the right time. Yanqing is here, talking with Father in the backyard.”

Liu Yanqing? Lu Chengxiao was surprised. “Why is Brother Yanqing here?”

“Father had a clerk invite him over,” Lu Chengzong explained, lowering his voice. “The shopkeeper Lin across the street, who sells flour, heard that his son’s business in Yuanzhou is doing well and plans to open a branch there. They’re already looking for a shop in Yuanzhou, so this one might be available. Father heard about it and quickly called Yanqing to discuss, to get a head start before things are settled.”

Lu Chengxiao felt a surge of excitement. Liu Yu had been searching for a storefront for her embroidery shop. During his month away, he wasn’t sure if she had found one. Now, it seemed like she hadn’t, and just when Liu Yanping had returned with a good profit, news of a potential shop space appeared. He walked quickly inside, eager to discuss further.

Meanwhile, Lu Xun heard Chengxiao’s name. He emerged from the hall with Liu Yanqing. Upon seeing each other, Lu Xun couldn’t hide his excitement. Seeing his son in good spirits, he said, “It’s good to have you back.”

He immediately instructed his eldest son, Chengzong, to send a clerk to Changfeng Town to inform Mrs. Chen. Then, noticing that Babao was absent, he asked, “Where is Babao?”

Lu Chengxiao smiled and said to Lu Chengzong, “No need to hurry, Big Brother. I’ve sent Babao with Huaigeng back to Changfeng Town to inform Mother.”

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

Nssjkdt yv Nkw Zydikdt, bl nsdvkdwle vs Nw Dwd, “R yzps ypjle Ysvbla vs yaaydtl qsa y xyvnbxyjla vs hkpkv Zydtpbyd Akzzytl vsxsaaso vs rasrspl xyaakytl.”

Nkw Zydikdt, obs bye clld lytla vs ypj ycswv bkp uswdtla casvblap’ alvwad, oyp pvwddle. G xyaakytl rasrspyz yzalyeu?

Nw Ubldtmkys, jdsokdt bso rasvlnvkhl vbl Nkw casvblap olal sq vblka nswpkd Nkw Zw, csole vs Nkw Zydikdt yde pyke, “Jasvbla, rzlypl kdqsax Gwdv vbyv vbl xyvnbxyjla okzz cl hkpkvkdt okvbkd vbl dlmv nswrzl sq eyup.”

Nkw Zydikdt qswde vbkp yxwpkdt. Mbkdjkdt ycswv bso nzspl Nkw Zw yde Ubldtmkys bye clnsxl, kv xyel pldpl vbyv pbl oswze ytall vs y rasrspyz wrsd bkp alvwad.

Vyvvkdt Nw Ubldtmkys sd vbl pbswzela, Nkw Zydikdt pxkzle, “Gzaktbv. Fs, oyp uswa vakr pwnnlppqwz? Yu casvblap Zydrkdt yde Zydyd yal cynj, aktbv?”

Mbkp oyp vbl iwlpvksd csvb Nw Dwd yde Nw Ubldtgsdt oydvle vs ypj yp olzz. Tsolhla, Ubldtmkys’p pweeld yddswdnlxldv ycswv vbl xyaakytl rasrspyz bye vyjld vblx cu pwarakpl. Lso vbyv Nkw Zydikdt bye ypjle, vblu yzz zssjle lmrlnvydvzu yv Nw Ubldtmkys.

Nw Ubldtmkys pxkzle, “Rv oldv olzz. Mbl pwxxla nzsvb psze swv kd y eyu yv Hblfkydt Vashkdnl. El vbld oldv vs Ewmkdt yde cswtbv shla 300 cszvp sq ayo pkzj, obknb olal psze yv vbl esnjp sq Tsdtew Valqlnvwal clqsal ol lhld bye y nbydnl vs eul vblx. Zydrkdt yde Zydyd xyel y rasqkv sq shla 130 vylzp vbkp vakr. El alvwadle okvb y qwzz zsye.”

Nkw Zydikdt oyp shlafsule. Nssjkdt yv Nw Dwd, bl pyke, “Lso ol byhl vbl xsdlu vs zlypl vbl pbsr.”

Before Chengxiao’s return, Lu Xun had called Liu Yanqing to discuss lending money to secure the shop. Yanqing had been hesitant, but now Chengxiao brought such good news.

Lu Xun was happy for the Liu family, he said, “We shouldn’t delay. Let’s go over to the shop and discuss terms before someone else snatches it.”

Liu Yanqing was still a bit hesitant. The shop across the street was larger than he had anticipated. The Lu family’s cloth shop was three storefronts combined into one, while the one across the street was two combined. According to Chengxiao’s previous estimates, the rent would be about 16 to 20 taels a month.

Even though he had just heard that Yanping and Yanan made a profit of 130 taels, Liu Yanqing was still nervous. The idea of earning enough each month just to cover the rent felt daunting.

“Is it that you think the shop is too large?” Lu Xun immediately noticed his hesitation and said, “No need to rush. Let’s go over and ask about the price and let them know you’re interested. Then you can discuss it with your family. Personally, I suggest you take this shop. It’s a great location, and it’s a stroke of luck to find it. If the Lin family didn’t have a better opportunity, they wouldn’t be selling it.”

Liu Yanqing understood this logic and said, “Thank you, Uncle.”

Lu Xun laughed, “No need for such formalities. Let’s go.”

He then turned to ask if Lu Chengxiao would be joining them.

Naturally, Lu Chengxiao wanted to go. He asked them to wait a moment while he locked his belongings in his room, then joined them.

The Lu family had been running their shop on North Street for over two years and were quite familiar with the Lin family, who were just across the street. As they walked, Lu Xun explained to Liu Yanqing, “The powder shop mainly has female customers, and it’s usually Mrs. Lin who manages it. Mr. Lin is rarely in the front. We’ll go in through the side door.”

He led them into the alley beside the powder shop and knocked on the first courtyard door. Mr. Lin himself answered and warmly greeted them, “What brings you here at this time? Come in, have a seat. This must be your third son.”

He gestured to Lu Chengxiao, then glanced at Liu Yanqing in his constable’s uniform, uncertain about the situation.

Lu Chengxiao stepped forward to greet him, and Lu Xun smiled as he introduced Liu Yanqing. After the introductions, Lu Xun said, “I heard your shop is moving to Yuanzhou?”

Mr. Lin raised an eyebrow. “How did you know?”

He had only mentioned it in passing to a neighboring shopkeeper.

Lu Xun smiled, “To be honest, my nephew’s family is looking for a shop, so I’ve been paying attention.”

Hearing this, Mr. Lin relaxed. He had been a bit nervous seeing Lu Xun with a constable in tow. Now reassured, he laughed, “Yes, it’s true. What business does Constable Liu’s family plan to run?”

Liu Yanqing replied, “My mother and sister want to open an embroidery shop.”

An embroidery shop across from a fabric shop was indeed a good match. Mr. Lin smiled, “That’s a good fit. Our shop will be moving in a few months, but it’s not finalized yet. We need to secure a place in Yuanzhou first before we can confirm anything here.”

“That’s understandable,” Lu Xun agreed. “I wanted to introduce you to my nephew early on. If you decide to transfer the shop, please consider us first.”

“Of course,” Mr. Lin said, smiling. “If we do transfer, you’ll have priority.”

He asked them to wait a moment while he checked the shop for any female customers. Soon he returned and invited them in.

Lu Chengxiao, who rarely stayed in Anyi County and had never entered the powder shop, found it quite impressive. The large shop was divided in half, with one side selling powders and the other half selling various hair accessories, non-gold and silver jewelry, and even elegant makeup mirrors and boxes. The range of products was extensive.

Mrs. Lin, who had been informed about the potential buyers, joined them with a smile. “The lease has about three more months. If we transfer the shop, we’ll take our merchandise to Yuanzhou, but the cabinets and shelves are harder to move. We mainly want to transfer those items.”

Transferring a shop often included these fixtures. If the new business was a good match, it was a fair deal; otherwise, they’d have to take everything if they wanted the shop.

Lu Xun, understanding the situation, asked, “What is the transfer price, and how much is the rent?”

Mrs. Lin took over the conversation, “Our cabinets and shelves are good quality, replaced just last year. However, I know transferred items must be discounted. For Mr. Lu’s sake, I’ll set the transfer fee at 40 taels. This includes all the furniture in the back house. If you take over, you can run the shop in the front and live in the back. The back house has eight rooms and two halls, fully furnished. You can move in right away.”

Saying this, they let the invited girl inspect the shop while they went to the back. As Mrs. Lin had mentioned, the eight rooms and two halls in the backyard were all well-furnished. There were four bedrooms with beds, wardrobes, desks, and chairs. Mrs. Lin explained, “These are living quarters for our family, so all four rooms are bedrooms. The other four rooms are used as storage, equipped with shelves.”

Arriving at the storage area, they inspected everything, including the kitchen. “We won’t take anything from the kitchen,” Mrs. Lin assured them.

Seeing this, Lu Xun found the price of forty taels quite reasonable and inquired about the rent.

Mrs. Lin replied, “I have a good relationship with the landlord, so the rent hasn’t increased much. It’s the same price as your shop, eight taels for one room and sixteen taels for two rooms per month. However, the lease for my shop expires in three months. After that, the rent may increase. You’ll have to negotiate with the landlord. They might raise it a bit.”

This was a pleasant surprise. Lu Xun knew the landlord and knew he was reasonable. The most important thing was that the lease was only for three more months. This meant that the upfront payment for the transfer fee and three months’ rent would be much less pressure compared to paying for a year or half a year. He looked at Liu Yanqing.

Liu Yanqing understood his meaning and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Lin. “Thank you very much, Mr. and Mrs. Lin. My mother and sister were interested in opening an embroidery shop here. I received the news and came to inspect it. I’ll discuss it with my family tonight and bring them over in the next few days. Please hold off on making any decisions with other potential buyers.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Lin agreed. “There’s no rush, as the shop in Yuanzhou hasn’t been finalized yet. We won’t make any decisions for the next couple of days.”

After thanking Mr. and Mrs. Lin, they bid farewell and returned to the fabric shop. This was a significant development in finding the elusive shop for Liu Yanping and the others.

In a hurry to inform his family, Liu Yanqing decided to return the horse since Lu Chengxiao had returned.

Lu Chengxiao waved his hand, “Brother, feel free to use it. I’ll bring a cart over tomorrow, and it’ll be convenient.”

Liu Yanqing didn’t want to be too polite and insisted on returning the horse. “We’re already grateful for its use for over a month. I’ll be taking a boat back home, so it’s no trouble.”

After bidding farewell to the Lu family, he hurried back to the yamen to inform Constable Liu and then went home to deliver the news.

While Liu Yanqing was rushing home, in another part of town, in Changfeng Town, Babao and Lin Huaigeng, along with a few others, disembarked and soon arrived at the Lu residence. The first person they encountered was a little maid playing in the yard with the children.

The little maid, about six years old, was well-treated by the Lu family and was not treated as an outsider. She often ate with the children, so she had been hearing about Lu Chengxiao’s business trip from the Chen family for the past month.

Seeing Babao, she immediately became excited and called out towards the backyard, “Madam, Miss, and Young Madam, Babao is back!”

The commotion in the inner courtyard started even before the people arrived. It was Chen Shi, Qin Shi, and Lu Shuang’s hurried footsteps. They hadn’t arrived yet, but their voices were heard, “Babao is back? What about Chengxiao?”

Babao, with a few bags on his back, immediately greeted Chen Shi with a bow, “Madam, I have good news. Young Master had a very successful trip. He’s currently in the county and asked you to hurry and arrange a matchmaker to propose to the Liu family tomorrow.”

Chen Shi, who had been eagerly awaiting her son’s return, was disappointed to hear that he hadn’t returned yet. She hurriedly sent Babao back to deliver the news and asked him to arrange for a matchmaker. She scolded him while crying and laughing, “This rascal, always causing trouble.”

But she was also extremely happy and asked Babao, “What did Chengxiao say? Did the Liu family agree to his proposal for tomorrow?”

Babao chuckled, “Young Master didn’t tell me that, but as we were getting off the boat, he asked me to bring you this message, saying that everything went smoothly, and you should quickly arrange for a matchmaker. He wants to go to Yangshan Village tomorrow.”

Qin Shi and Lu Shuang couldn’t help but laugh. Chen Shi glanced at the setting sun and instantly felt a headache. “He’s shameless, can’t wait for one more day.”

Lu Shuang laughed even harder and added, “Mother, they say don’t trouble two masters for one thing. Last time, when we went to the Liu family village, Aunt Lin was the one we invited. Why not invite her again this time and save the trouble?”

She was referring to Lin Jiunang, the matchmaker they had gone to propose in Liujiacun last time.

Chen Shi couldn’t help but laugh at this. While she scolded Lu Chengxiao for being shameless, she was extremely happy in her heart. Marrying off her son was something she couldn’t wait for even one more day. So, she said to Qin Shi, “Alright, you all stay at home. I’ll go to the west side of town.”

With that, she was already on her way out the door.

Lu Shuang chuckled, “Mom isn’t any better than Brother.”

Qin Shi suppressed her laughter, then said, “Miss Liu is not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. Mother really likes her.”

Lu Shuang was also happy. “Actually, I’ve been wanting Sister Yu to enter our family sooner.”

She and her sister-in-law Qin Yulan were five years apart, while her second sister-in-law, Zhou Qiongying, was only two years older than her. However, Zhou Qiongying had been mostly in the county since entering the family, rarely coming back. Now, she and her husband had gone to Xifeng Town to open a new fabric shop, and they were even living directly in Xifeng Town. They had little contact, so they weren’t as close.

Only Liu Yu, who was the same age as Lu Shuang, got along well with her from the beginning. Furthermore, there was the matter of Liu Yu sending clothes to Lu Shuang. Lu Shuang missed her, the soon-to-be third sister-in-law who hadn’t officially entered the family yet.

Xiaoya’s eyes rolled around. Proposing marriage, finding a matchmaker – she didn’t quite understand these things. But she understood the last sentence Lu Shuang said.

Because Lu Shuang treated her so well on a regular basis, often helping her with her hair, Xiaoya wasn’t afraid of her. Tilting her head up, she asked Lu Shuang, “Miss, is Sister Yu’er going to live here?”

Lu Shuang chuckled, pinching her nose. “Yes, your Sister Yu’er will soon be our Third Young Madam. Aren’t you happy?”

Third Young Madam – the little maid immediately looked at Qin Shi. She knew what a Young Madam was. For example, the eldest Young Madam married the eldest Master. The little maid’s eyes lit up. “Is Sister Yu’er going to marry the Third Master?”

The little boy, Yu Ge, looked at Xiaoya with a puzzled expression, then glanced at his mother and aunt.

Lu Shuang smiled and nodded. “Yes, it’ll happen soon.”

Xiaoya was so happy that she almost wanted to jump up and down on the spot. But she knew that young girls shouldn’t be too unruly, so she nodded vigorously. “Very happy, very happy!”

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