Shen Guanting held a feather duster in one hand, brushing the shelves halfheartedly. The soft feathers dragged across the wooden shelves, stirring up a thin layer of dust.
His gaze was unfocused, and no one could tell what he was thinking.
The duster swept from one end of the shelf to the other, then back again. It went back and forth several times.
Lin Wu had just unfolded a wrung-out cloth and was about to move on to the next spot when she glanced up and saw the feather duster sweeping repeatedly across the shelf. She had only just wiped it clean with a damp cloth, and now it was covered in another layer of dust stirred up by the duster.
“Young Master Shen, I just cleaned that,” she reminded him, unable to help herself.
She suspected that being pressured into marriage had put him in a foul mood, and that he had come specifically to make trouble for her.
Shen Guanting came back to himself and met her calm gaze, the feather duster hovering in midair. He lowered his eyes to the shelf he had just ruined, then looked at the duster in his hand. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a little guilty.
He gave a light cough, set the feather duster aside, then picked up the damp cloth she had left beside the bucket. Without a word, he went to stand in front of the shelf and began wiping the spots he had just dusted.
Though Young Master Shen knew nothing about cleaning, he did have the self-awareness to make amends after doing something wrong.
Of course, he was clearly the sort who couldn’t stay focused even while working. After wiping twice, he suddenly asked, “A Wu, why did you come to Huzhou in the first place?”
Lin Wu walked over and put away the troublesome feather duster, lest the young master lose control and start playing with it again.
“There was no particular reason. Huzhou is prosperous, with people coming and going. A place everyone goes to must have something good about it. At the time, I had no real goal, so I simply went with the flow. Wherever most people were headed, I followed.”
Shen Guanting said nothing.
He glanced up and saw fine dust drifting over from the shelf beside the one he had just wiped. He raised the damp cloth and waved it randomly through the air.
The cloth stirred up a moist breeze. The floating specks of dust met the water vapor and were scattered in all directions, vanishing from sight. It was impossible to tell whether they had settled somewhere or clung to the damp cloth.
The dust had settled.
But something else had risen in Shen Guanting’s heart.
Going with the flow.
There were countless currents in the world, yet she had happened to drift into Huzhou.
The world was vast, with hundreds upon hundreds of prefectures, counties, and towns.
She could have gone anywhere, yet she had come to Huzhou.
Huzhou was so large, and there were so many people coming and going, yet somehow they had met.
And meeting her was not the end of it. She wanted to start a business selling bookmarks, and the person she had sought out was him.
Lin Jing also knew that chubby kid, Qi Lang. The Qi family owned a stationery shop, yet A Wu had not gone to the Qi family. Instead, she had come to him.
What did that mean?
It meant they were fated to meet.
Seeing that he was working with his mind elsewhere, Lin Wu shook her head. She took the cloth from his hand and replaced it with a clean one.
“Guanting, you’re tall. Help me wipe the top of the shelves.” She could manage the lower parts, but she couldn’t reach the top. Hopefully, this young master would focus on making use of his one advantage and stop causing trouble.
Shen Guanting acknowledged her, took the cloth, and obediently went to wipe the tops of the shelves.
The shop was small, so it did not take long to tidy. Lin Wu draped the cloth over the rim of the bucket and straightened up to survey the place. The shelves were clean, the counter had been wiped down, and the floor had been swept. At last, the shop looked presentable.
The children were even more excited than she was.
Hutou stood in the middle of the shop, turning in circles as he pointed here and there, his little arms waving wildly. “Here! We can put a stool here, and a table over there. Then customers can sit here to eat pastries while watching the excitement in the street!”
Que’er grabbed hold of the running Hutou. “You’re making my eyes spin. How much space do we have here? If we put in that many tables and stools, customers won’t even be able to turn around. I say we should make the storefront look nicer instead. Hang a bamboo blind over the window lattice, and put a vase of flowers on the counter. It’ll look elegant. When those scholars come to buy pastries, they’ll see the decor and feel that even the pastries have a touch of learning about them.”
Lin Jing crouched behind the counter, his expression solemn. “I think we should have more boxes for money. One for copper coins, one for silver pieces, all sorted clearly so they’ll be easy to count.”
Hutou leaned over and asked, “What if someone gives us a gold bean?”
Lin Jing froze. After thinking it over, he answered seriously, “Then we’ll need another one, specially for gold beans.”
Clearly, the two of them had somewhat unrealistic fantasies about their little shop.
Lin Wu glanced up at Shen Guanting, who was looking around the store. As the young master of Weaving Cloud Trade, he had grown up surrounded by business matters. Though he was only twenty-one, he probably had twenty years of experience in commerce.
So she asked him, “Guanting, you’ve seen a great deal of the world. Do you have any advice?”
Shen Guanting clasped his hands behind his back and looked around the shop once.
Then he looked around it again.
After a moment of silence, he slowly said, “This shop is even smaller than I imagined.”
Lin Wu waited for him to continue.
He fell silent again, then answered with complete honesty, “The smallest shop I’ve ever handled was four or five times this size. I truly have no experience with one this small.”
Lin Wu was speechless.
All right. Today, this man had really come purely to watch the fun. There was no point counting on him.
Lin Wu decided she would have to handle things herself.
She had been busy running back and forth these past few days, and there were still plenty of things to buy and prepare. The stove had to be rebuilt, a large pot had to be purchased, and all sorts of odds and ends had to be added one by one. The shop had not even opened yet, but money was already flowing out like water.
Fortunately, the rent was cheap. Though the shop was small, its location was truly excellent, so the money was well spent.
She had carefully observed the area over the past two days. The shop was not on the main street, but stood at the corner where a small lane connected to it, with its entrance facing the lane. Since it faced away from the main street and was therefore difficult to rent out, the Liang family’s special arrangement had brought the rent down considerably. If the storefront had faced the main street, how could it ever have been available to her?
Facing the lane had its advantages as well. It was quieter and not nearly as noisy. They simply had to hang the sign cleverly enough that people on the main street could spot it with a glance.
As for the sign, there was no shortage of volunteers.
Lin Jing had been going on all day about asking his teacher, Master Yun Jianshan, to write it. He felt that his teacher’s reputation was impressive, and that anything written by him was bound to be useful.
Lin Wu had only managed to suppress the idea after much persuasion. They were opening a food shop, not a stationery store. Master Yun Jianshan’s name might carry weight, but using it for their little shop would be rather like using a butcher’s cleaver to kill a chicken.
“My teacher’s calligraphy is the result of decades of painstaking practice. I’ve only learned a little of the basics.” Shen Guanting leaned against the counter, a small palm-leaf fan appearing in his hand from who knew where. He waved it lazily back and forth. It had originally been bought by Lin Wu to fan the stove.
“But if A Wu is willing to give me a chance, I’ll put all my heart into writing it. In the future, whenever people mention your shop, they’ll also praise it by saying, ‘The characters on that sign are quite good.’ That would warm my heart.”
Lin Wu took the little fan from his hand and set it on the counter, then lowered her head and continued arranging the things around her.
“Young Master Shen’s calligraphy is too precious. You should save it for Jizhen Pavilion.”
“Are you saying you look down on my calligraphy?”
“I’m only worried that your calligraphy is too valuable. If someone sets their sights on it, my little shop won’t be able to handle the trouble. What do they call it? ‘A man with jade invites robbery.’”
Shen Guanting’s tone was languid. “Oh, ‘a man with jade invites robbery.’ So my calligraphy is troublesome by nature—if it’s too poor, I can’t bring myself to give it away, and if it’s too good, it attracts thieves.”
He paused, suddenly finding the words strangely familiar.
“My mother said the same thing a few days ago. She said I’m handsome enough to show off, and if I were even slightly homely, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about finding me a wife. So I’ll take that as A Wu praising me.”
Lin Wu did not even look up as she carefully folded the sheet of greaseproof paper in her hands. “Yes, yes, I understand. You’re very much in demand.”
Shen Guanting sighed. “And yet no one wants my calligraphy even when I bring it to their door.”
“My shop hasn’t even opened, and you’re already forcing your services on me.”
“I’m not asking for money,” Shen Guanting declared, perfectly justified.
Lin Wu: “…”
In the end, she did not trouble anyone and wrote the signs herself.
It was not that she was being stubborn. Her calligraphy was not particularly outstanding, but she could draw. If she copied the characters carefully, she could produce something passable. It would also save her the trouble of going back and forth with someone else over the design. She could draw however she pleased, letting her imagination run free.
Lin Wu first sketched two drafts on paper.
She had already planned it out. A wooden signboard would hang above the shopfront, giving it a proper, respectable look. There would also be a hanging sign mounted on a bamboo pole, set high above the street so that it would flutter in the breeze and be visible from far down the main road.
Lin Wu studied her drafts and was quite pleased with them.
“Our shop will be called Double Wood Bakery,” she announced, pointing to the lines of writing as she explained to the children gathered around her. “Lin Family Bakery would be too ordinary. There are shops with that name all over the street. But Double Wood is different—two trees. Easy to remember.”
In those days, any food made from wheat flour could be called a “bing.” Steamed buns were called “steamed bing,” plain steamed buns were called “cooked bing,” and noodles were called “rope bing.” So calling it a bing shop meant they could sell all kinds of things. It was simple and convenient.
“The signboard will say ‘Double Wood Bakery,’ with two little trees drawn in the corners.” She pointed to the two crooked but charming trees in one corner. “One is me, and one is Lin Jing. There are two people in our family.”
At this, Lin Jing’s eyes lit up. He hurried over and stared at the two little trees, looking at them again and again. The more he looked, the better they seemed, and his small face filled with pride.
“As for the hanging sign, one side will say ‘All Kinds of Baked Goods.’” Lin Wu spread out the other sheet of paper. “The other side will say ‘Double Wood Bakery.’”
She had also drawn various pastries, buns, and steamed cakes around the edges, coloring them in bright, cheerful hues.
The children chattered excitedly about how pretty they were, but Shen Guanting stood to one side without saying a word.
He lowered his eyes to the two sheets of paper, his gaze lingering on the lines of writing. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but could not quite bring himself to do so.
At first glance, they were indeed attractive.
But the characters had clearly been drawn rather than written.
He had seen Lin Wu’s handwriting before. It was delicate and elegant, the result of practice. But that style was obviously unsuitable for a signboard or a hanging sign—it was too small and dainty. Lin Wu must have realized that herself, which was why the characters on these sheets had been given an entirely different style: solid and full-bodied, with broad, open strokes.
They did look remarkably like real writing.
But on closer inspection, the brushwork was uneven, the ink had been spread too uniformly, and the spirit of the characters did not flow. After all, they had been copied by drawing, not written with a brush.
That said, being able to draw them so well showed that her artistic skill was genuinely impressive. The little trees and pastries were especially lovely. The two trees had only the simplest of lines, yet they seemed full of life. The little buns were plump and steaming, almost fragrant enough to eat.
For once, Shen Guanting was generous with his praise. “The drawings are quite good.”
From his expression, Lin Wu knew she had put him in an awkward position.
She was not offended. Instead, she pushed the drafts toward him.
“All right, don’t hold it in. Young Master Shen, you can write the signboard and the hanging sign.” She pointed again to the two little trees in the corner. “I’ll do the drawings.”
Satisfied, Shen Guanting accepted the papers. He lowered his head and looked them over twice more, the corners of his mouth curving faintly upward.
“So A Wu is finally willing to make use of me?”
“Unfortunately, funds are tight while the shop is being prepared, and you don’t charge anything, Young Master Shen.”
Lin Wu thought for a moment, then added seriously, “But business is business. I won’t cheat you.”
As she spoke, she pulled a sheet of paper from beneath the counter, spread it out, ground some ink, and began to write and draw.
Shen Guanting leaned over curiously.
He saw her write “Double Wood Bakery” on the first line, followed by “Number One” beneath it. Then she drew two crooked little trees.
When she finished, she blew gently on the ink and handed it to Shen Guanting.
“This is your VIP card. You can come here and eat for free ten times. Whenever we have a new item, you’ll be the first to taste it.”
The children’s eyes lit up at once.
Que’er immediately crowded over. “Big Sister, Big Sister, I want one too! I may not be able to write signboards, but I can work. I can be a shop assistant!”
Tigerhead nodded vigorously and puffed out his little chest. “I’m strong. I can carry things!”
Lin Jing joined in as well. “I can collect money and keep the accounts.”
The noise gave Lin Wu a headache. She had no choice but to wave her brush and draw two more cards, handing them to Que’er and Tigerhead.
“Here. Que’er and Tigerhead have helped clean up the shop for so many days. They deserve some credit.”
She glanced at the sheets of paper and explained, “We can stamp the back with our little leaf-shaped wooden seal. Each visit earns one leaf. Once you collect ten, you can exchange them for a new item.”
Lin Jing immediately volunteered, “I’ll stamp them. I’m good at that.”
Que’er and Tigerhead each held their card, touching it over and over as if they could not bear to put it down.
Shen Guanting watched from the side, then suddenly said in a drawn-out voice, “Shopkeeper Lin, does my Number One VIP not come with any special privileges?”
He waved the card in his hand, then glanced at the ones Que’er and Tigerhead were holding. “How did this honor become worthless the moment I received it? Number One can’t possibly be the same as theirs, can it?”
Hearing him complain with such utter seriousness, Lin Wu could not help laughing.
“How about this? Que’er and Tigerhead get five free visits, while you get ten. You can still collect stamps on the back, and ten leaves will get you a new item. Will that do?”
He nodded slowly, then asked, “Shopkeeper Lin, your rules are rather generous. But what if one day I get hungry and walk in saying, ‘I’ll take everything you have today’? Would you still be able to do business?”
Lin Wu looked up at him. “Then I’ll have only myself to blame for judging your character so poorly.”
Que’er could not help scolding him. “Big Brother, stop thinking up wicked schemes all day! Big Sister was kind enough to give you a card, and you’re already thinking about clearing out her entire shop. You’re bringing shame upon the reputation of the Shen family!”
Tigerhead nodded repeatedly. “Exactly! If you keep this up, Big Sister won’t dare give our family any cards in the future.”
Lin Jing also looked warily at this senior apprentice brother who seemed intent on wrecking the shop.
Lin Wu could not help laughing. “Look what you’ve done by saying such things. Now everyone’s against you.”
Shen Guanting shrugged. “Number One, ten free visits. An honor like that is bound to make people jealous. I understand the principle: a man with jade invites robbery.”
Lin Wu: “…”
Shen Guanting carefully folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve. Then he raised his eyes to her, a smile lingering at the corners of his lips.
“But since it was given to me by A Wu, no matter how much trouble it brings, I’ll keep it safe. I wouldn’t dare let such a thoughtful gift go to waste.”
