Cui Xingzhou had endured a sufficiently tedious night, and one was more than adequate. After breakfast, he offered a few terse instructions to Mama Li at the gate before departing in his carriage.
He felt confident about the arrangements in Lingquan Town. Beyond Mama Li's presence within the household, countless hidden sentries maintained vigilant watch over Liu Miantang from without. Should Lu Wen's scoundrels materialize, they would assuredly be neutralized.
As for Miantang, having been entrusted with a mission by her husband, she found her previously monotonous days suddenly imbued with purpose. After breakfast, the clouds dispersed, and brilliant sunlight bathed the stone-paved thoroughfare, rendering North Street bright and inviting.
Liu Miantang, adapting to local customs with practiced ease, took up her shoe soles for sewing and had Mama Li prepare a generous basket of roasted peanuts. She then joined the neighborhood women for conversation in the alley.
The women received their new neighbor with effusive warmth. After the initial pleasantries, they examined the young Mrs. Cui's needlework with critical eyes. They found themselves somewhat relieved to discover that heaven maintained balance—all of the Cui lady's considerable charm appeared concentrated in her exquisite face, as her handiwork demonstrated no skill whatsoever. Her stitches were so crudely executed, they privately wondered whether they wouldn't torment her husband's feet!
Witnessing the beautiful Mrs. Cui's domestic ineptitude, the women's initial jealousy dissipated considerably. Combined with Mama Li's exceptionally delicious roasted peanuts, they grew increasingly friendly and unguarded with Mrs. Cui.
Miantang made no mention of her husband's failed shop acquisition. Instead, she smiled warmly and casually inquired about the most advantageous locations for commercial establishments in town, along with the asking prices of properties currently available.
While the women conversed with animated enthusiasm, Mama Li stood nearby wearing an expression of profound displeasure. The prince intended to deploy this woman as bait, but how could they possibly ensnare any rebels while she sat contentedly at their front door?
Consequently, as the women dispersed to prepare their midday meals, Mama Li addressed Miantang with urgency. "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 bestowed upon her a sweet smile. "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 declaration, she went to select suitable attire for her afternoon shop-hunting expedition.
Mama Li observed Miantang's enthusiasm with an inward sigh of resignation. After all, this girl had been raised in a respectable family. Had she not been abducted, she would likely be established in marriage with children by now.
Having attended to this young woman for a full year, Mama Li recognized her fundamentally good-natured disposition. Watching her earnestly endeavoring to arrange commercial matters for her supposed "husband" felt akin to observing a tragedy unfold in slow motion.
Mama Li harbored hopes that circumstances would resolve favorably—that Liu Miantang would assist the prince in capturing the rebel leader expeditiously. Perhaps then His Highness might demonstrate clemency and spare this unfortunate girl from a harsher fate.
However, when Mama Li laid eyes on Liu Miantang after she had changed clothing, she experienced genuine consternation. Though Miantang's wardrobe contained no new garments, did she truly need to select something so thoroughly worn? If Mama Li wasn't mistaken, that particular dress bore an uncanny resemblance to the one the mute old woman wore when chopping firewood in the courtyard.
"Madam, you…" Before Mama Li could complete her protest, Miantang interjected decisively, "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 alternative but to comply, exchanging her usual attire for a well-worn outfit before accompanying Liu Miantang beyond the gate.
That morning, the neighborhood women had mentioned several advantageously positioned shops, but Miantang merely cast cursory glances at them before continuing onward. Upon reaching East Street, she suddenly produced a long scarf to conceal her face, instructing Mama Li to do likewise before proceeding further.
After a brief walk, they arrived at a cramped shop bearing a "For Sale" sign. Miantang examined it with studied interest before entering to inquire about the price.
This establishment had formerly vended snacks, its walls rendered a dingy yellow by years of accumulated oil smoke. Not only was the space confined, but it occupied a decidedly inconvenient location in an out-of-the-way alley—far from what one might consider an ideal commercial site.
Yet Miantang appeared genuinely intrigued. She gradually removed her facial covering and commenced negotiations regarding the asking price with the proprietor. Initially, observing her shabby attire, the owner had assumed she sought merely to purchase fried cakes. He registered visible surprise when she broached the subject of acquiring the shop itself and regarded her with unconcealed suspicion.
Nevertheless, the young woman's striking beauty softened the owner's demeanor somewhat, and he refrained from immediately dismissing her as some sort of vagrant.
Still, the price he quoted was utterly unrealistic, clearly indicating he didn't regard Miantang as a legitimate prospective buyer.
Miantang responded with unruffled composure, offering a serene smile. "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's brow furrowed initially at the mention of the funeral trade, then his eyes suddenly illuminated with interest. "Do you mean that?"
Liu Miantang smiled with practiced restraint. "Absolutely! It's a small business, so we don't have much money. Please give us a fair price."
As the two engaged in earnest haggling, Mama Li listened in stony silence, mentally retracting her earlier sympathetic thoughts—the Liu girl was demonstrably far from being exemplary wife material. Fortunately, she hadn't actually married into a genuine Cui merchant family, or she would have squandered even substantial wealth through such questionable judgment.
The prince had explicitly stated their purported trade was porcelain, yet she remained fixated on purchasing this grimy, cramped establishment merely to economize. Moreover, that very morning, the neighborhood women had disclosed that this fried cake shop was being liquidated due to bitter conflicts with the adjacent pancake establishment, disputes that had nearly culminated in bloodshed.
The neighboring shop owner possessed a notoriously bellicose temperament, which explained why no one familiar with the circumstances desired to operate beside such a volatile neighbor. Consequently, the property had languished unsold.
Yet Liu Miantang, having conducted her preliminary research, was enthusiastically pursuing this unwanted property... What a lamentable waste of those roasted peanuts.
However, the prince's ultimate objective involved deploying her as bait. If she wished to squander funds, that remained her prerogative.
Mama Li maintained her disapproving glare while Liu Miantang efficiently negotiated with the shop owner, located an appropriate guarantor, and successfully purchased the establishment at a remarkably reduced price.
The favorable terms resulted partly from Liu Miantang's skillful negotiation tactics, but also stemmed from her professed involvement in the funeral industry.
The fried cake shop proprietor, having suffered repeated defeats at his neighbor's literal fists, harbored intense desires for retribution. Merely considering the nature of the buyer's enterprise made him willing to accept a reduced price. He savored the mental image of a prominent "Mourning" sign suspended outside, with paper oxen and boy figurines prominently displayed, wondering who would dare consume breakfast in the adjacent establishment under such profoundly inauspicious circumstances.
The mere contemplation proved deeply satisfying, prompting the shop owner's ready agreement.
By the time Liu Miantang affixed her signature to the deed, the sun had begun its westward descent. Fearing her husband might materialize unexpectedly as he had the previous evening, she purchased three jin of pork belly during their homeward journey and requested that Mama Li prepare it as a stew.
However, as night deepened and shadows lengthened, no knock sounded at the gate. Disappointed, Liu Miantang instructed Mama Li to suspend the braised meat in the well to prevent spoilage, preserving it for whenever her husband returned.
For her solitary dinner, she once again consumed pickled radish with rice. Unable to suppress her cravings entirely, she ladled some of the rich meat broth over her rice, which rendered even the humble pickled radish considerably more palatable.
After several days elapsed, the meat could no longer be safely preserved, yet there remained no indication of her husband Cui Jiu's return.
However, news that the fried cake shop had been sold to someone engaged in the funeral trade spread through the neighborhood with remarkable velocity, provoking the neighboring shop owner to vociferous daily curses directed at the now-vacant establishment.
On this particular day, Liu Miantang once again ventured forth with Mama Li. This time, she dressed with appropriate neatness and proceeded directly to the pancake shop adjacent to her newly acquired property.
Upon entering, she surveyed the premises before inquiring, "Is your shop for sale?"
The shop owner responded with characteristic gruffness, "Not mine, it's next door. It's already been sold. If you're not buying anything, don't block the doorway!"
Liu Miantang remained unperturbed by his hostility and replied with a trace of 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 initially appeared impatient and seemed inclined to expel her, but after a moment's contemplation, he reconsidered and inquired, "If you're buying, how much are you willing to pay?"
After conducting a thorough examination of the equally modest establishment, Liu Miantang proposed an even lower figure than she had paid for the fried cake shop.
Clearly dissatisfied, the neighbor protested, "Are you joking, miss? I won't sell at that price!"
Liu Miantang responded with studied nonchalance, "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 casual observation, the neighbor's rough-hewn features suddenly registered visible 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 offhand remarks had struck precisely the intended nerve. The antiquated fried cake shop sign still hung beside his establishment, but within days, when paper funeral goods adorned the display, it would severely impact his business, potentially rendering his own shop unsaleable. Far better to liquidate the property to this outsider ignorant of the circumstances and secure a new location for himself.
Ultimately, Mama Li observed as Liu Miantang engaged in strategic verbal maneuvering and successfully acquired this second shop at nearly the identical reduced price as the fried cake establishment.
Now Mama Li comprehended Liu Miantang's underlying strategy with crystalline clarity. She had intended from the outset to purchase both neighboring establishments and consolidate them into a single, larger enterprise.
Though she had acquired two separate shops, the combined expense proved so modest that even accounting for renovation costs, the total expenditure would remain substantially less than purchasing a single prime location would have demanded.
When Liu Miantang finally possessed both deeds securely in hand, she exhaled with profound relief and smiled warmly 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 gestured toward the canal flowing behind the shops and elaborated, "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 in contemplative silence, yet she found herself genuinely impressed by the young woman's acumen. Though her needlework remained execrable, she clearly possessed a formidable business intellect. The shop location was, in truth, exceptionally well-chosen.
What a profound pity that her husband wasn't actually a merchant... Reflecting on this ironic circumstance, Mama Li released a soft sigh, experiencing authentic sympathy for this clever yet ultimately unsupported young woman.
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