Qiu Yu felt a bit emotional about the Wan Hai family. He Zifeng said, “From now on, they won’t have to worry about the cost of their children’s education.” The Gong family was a well-known wealthy family in the county. Even casually sweeping the corners of their home could produce a few taels of silver.
While they were free from worries about food and clothing, they lacked freedom. However, it was their own choice.
He Zifeng leaned in and kissed Qiu Yu’s cheek.
Qiu Yu snapped back to reality, pushing him away with his hand. After being “ambushed” many times, his reaction had become quite fast. “Stop messing around,” he said.
He Zifeng chuckled softly, and Qiu Yu’s ears burned. He didn’t dare meet He Zifeng’s eyes.
He Zifeng pulled his wife into his arms.
Qiu Yu said, “Yesterday, I went to see our house. It’s almost finished.” The house was worth every bit of the money spent, looking grand even from afar. The stable was also spacious, and Qinghua would have plenty of room to run. Talking about the house made his eyes sparkle, and their son had inherited this enthusiasm from him.
He Zifeng asked, “How much money do we have now?” These days, the pig offal and braised bones business had drawn many repeat customers, earning them seven or eight taels of silver a day. Plus, He Zifeng, working as a yamen officer, had some additional income on the side. They weren’t big spenders, so they could save most of it.
When He Zifeng brought it up, Qiu Yu replied, “I’m not sure.” Every day after earning money, he would exchange it for small silver pieces at nearby shops and lock them in the small cabinet at home, without really counting.
Since the topic came up today, he decided to take stock. The braised dishes had only been profitable for a few days, with some breaks due to rain. Adding up the previous savings, they had a total of eighty taels of silver.
It was only later that He Zifeng learned from someone that they could borrow money from a banking house. As yamen officers, they could borrow up to two hundred taels a year, with very low interest—almost none. Thus, no yamen officer was ever truly without money.
He Zifeng said, “Let’s buy a shop in town first.” Setting up a daily stall was still tiring. With a shop, they could earn rental income annually, which was pure profit.
Qiu Yu had long known He Zifeng wanted to buy a shop. Since the money was just sitting there, he said, “Alright.”
He Zifeng said, “After we finish selling tomorrow, let’s go together. I’ve already picked one out.” Talking about it energized him.
Qiu Yu, indulging him, said, “Then let’s go to bed early tonight.” They extinguished the light and lay down quietly beside each other.
He Zifeng caught a sweet fragrance from Qiu Yu’s body and asked, “Did you use incense?” The faint scent intrigued him. To smell it more clearly, he leaned close to Qiu Yu’s neck, where the scent was indeed stronger.
In the dark, Qiu Yu’s unease wasn’t visible. He explained, “I bought a piece of scented balm.” That small piece had cost a tael of silver. He had applied only a thin layer, and his body heat melted it into a fresh and elegant fragrance, which he guessed He Zifeng would like.
The scent drove He Zifeng wild, and he gently bit Qiu Yu’s neck.
That was one of Qiu Yu’s sensitive spots, and he couldn’t handle such teasing, letting out a muffled groan.
Qiu Yu reminded him, “Aren’t we buying a shop tomorrow?” They couldn’t afford to waste time.
He Zifeng replied, “No rush.”
…
The next morning, Qiu Yu deliberately wore a high-collared jacket to hide the marks on his neck.
He shot a glare at He Zifeng, who was busy loading goods onto the cart. Noticing Qiu Yu’s look, He Zifeng immediately walked over and kissed him. “What’s wrong?”
Qiu Yu said, “It was better when Ranran was at home. Now you’re getting worse.” Last night had been wild until the early hours. If not for all the sweet-talking, they wouldn’t have gotten any rest.
He Zifeng replied, “It wasn’t convenient when our son was home!”
Qiu Yu’s ears burned, and he refused to listen to any more of He Zifeng’s suggestive talk.
They got into the cart. Though it wasn’t as comfortable as sitting outside, Qiu Yu leaned close to He Zifeng near the driver’s seat. The recent rain had left a fresh, earthy scent in the air as the cart rolled along.
When they arrived, they saw their old customers already gathered. The early birds got to pick and choose, while the latecomers had to make do with what was left.
After selling everything, He Zifeng stored the cart, goods, and other items in the small backyard they rented.
Then he took Qiu Yu to the shop at the far end of the street. This street had many shops, most of which were open for business. Only a few were closed. The shop they visited used to be a small tavern that had been out of business for over two and a half years, with a “For Sale” sign still hanging on it.
The surrounding two-story shops were priced at around 240 taels.
He Zifeng knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man answered grumpily, “Who is it?”
He Zifeng, not wearing his yamen uniform since he was on leave, said, “I’d like to see the shop.”
The middle-aged man yawned and replied, “Take a look if you want, but it’s for sale, not for rent. Two hundred and eighty taels, no bargaining.”
He Zifeng thought the man seemed to have an uncanny sense of exactly how much money they had.
He Zifeng and Qiu Yu entered the shop after the door was opened. The interior looked somewhat old and worn. The upper floor could be used as living quarters, while the ground floor could accommodate about ten tables. There was a back kitchen, and beyond that, a small courtyard. Though the courtyard wasn’t large, it had a well, which they both liked—it would make fetching water much easier. For tasks like washing ingredients for their braised dishes, a lot of water was needed.
Qiu Yu said, “If it gets late in the future, we could stay here instead of going back home.”
He Zifeng turned to the owner and asked, “Can you lower the price a bit?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the owner became irritable. “What’s wrong with you? I told you—no bargaining, the price is fixed.”
At that moment, another man entered, someone who ran a pancake stall. “Old Xu, can I borrow an axe?” Clearly, he was a good friend of the owner.
Old Xu waved him in casually. The man, familiar with the place, went in and fetched the axe without hesitation. Instead of leaving immediately, he stood by and watched the situation unfold.
He Zifeng was taken aback by the owner’s stubborn attitude. But knowing that everyone has their quirks, and seeing how much Qiu Yu liked the shop, he said, “Fine, 280 taels. When can we go to the yamen to finalize the paperwork?”
Old Xu replied, “Let me be clear—280 taels is for an empty shop. The tables, chairs, and stove aren’t included. If you want to keep them, it’ll cost you another five taels. And that well? We paid to have it dug. In this county, a well like that costs at least 15 taels. If you want it, I’ll let you have it for ten.”
He Zifeng almost laughed at the blatant overcharging. The tables and chairs together weren’t worth five taels, and now they were supposed to pay extra for the well? “Your shop is already more expensive than others. I didn’t haggle over the price. You can take your tables and chairs, but don’t charge us separately for the well.”
Old Xu glared and said, “No way. My shop is good, and you won’t find another like it around here! It’s 10 taels for the well, not a coin less.”
Qiu Yu had never encountered someone so unreasonable before. He could understand the owner taking the tables and chairs, but how could he take the well? “What if we only pay 280 taels?” he asked.
Old Xu replied, “Then I’ll have the well filled in. No way I’ll let you benefit from it. The shop is the shop, and the well is the well.”
Hearing such shamelessness, Qiu Yu grew angry. “Then I’m not buying it!”
Old Xu remained indifferent. “Fine. If you don’t buy it, someone else will!”
“You!” Qiu Yu was visibly upset at the man’s attitude.
He Zifeng said, “Then sell it to someone else.” With that, he took his wife and left.
As they walked out, they ran into Xiong Ge and the petite Diao Fei, who were patrolling the street together.
Seeing He Zifeng, they hurried over to greet him and ask about his recovery.
Inside the shop, Old Xu, realizing He Zifeng knew the yamen officers, became nervous. “Who is that guy?”
The pancake seller replied, “You didn’t know and still dared to act tough? He’s a yamen officer.”
Old Xu, now anxious but still stubborn, said, “So what if he’s a yamen officer? He can’t force me to sell. Besides, how would I know if he doesn’t wear the uniform?” Even as he spoke, he kept craning his neck to watch outside, afraid of any retaliation. His earlier bravado was gone.
Diao Fei and Xiong Ge, noticing them, asked, “What were you doing at his place?”
He Zifeng replied, “Don’t get me started.” He then explained his plan to buy a shop and how Old Xu had raised the price, even charging separately for the well. Did he look like someone to be taken advantage of?
Diao Fei said, “Brother He, don’t bother with him. This guy’s been like this forever. If he weren’t so difficult, the shop wouldn’t have been unsold for two years. He used to rent it to a tavern, but after seeing the owner making money, he raised the rent and drove them out. He tried running the tavern himself, but business failed in no time. With that kind of reputation, no one wants to rent from him anymore. Now he’s selling it, but I say it’s better if the place just rots in his hands.”
Xiong Ge added, “Hey, isn’t your uncle selling a shop?”
Diao Fei nodded, “Yeah, but my uncle’s shop is small. Brother He probably wouldn’t be interested.”
He Zifeng said, “Let’s take a look.”
When they arrived, the shop was already rented out as a small general store. Though the space was small, every corner was well utilized, and the fully stocked shop gave off a cozy vibe. Unlike Old Xu’s shop, this one didn’t have a second floor; the tenant family of three had set up a loft with a ladder for their living space.
Diao Fei’s uncle, the owner, said, “I’m selling the shop because my son’s getting married and I need the money. Since you’re a colleague of Xiao Fei, I won’t ask for much—80 taels, and it’s yours! The shop alone rents for four taels a year, so it’s worth it just for the rent income.”
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