Using the ten complimentary favors she was entitled to, Lin Wu got the shop sign and hanging banner sorted out.
Looking at the rather empty shop, she began making calculations again.
The first thing to do was build the stove. It would be a filthy job, so it had to be done first. Only after it was finished could she clean the place and add anything else.
But building a stove and buying a cooking pot would be another considerable expense.
The shop had been closed for the past few days over the New Year, with money going out and none coming in. It was enough to make anyone anxious.
Fortunately, Young Master Shen had brought good news.
The seventh day of the first lunar month was Renri, the “Day of Humanity.”
People believed that if the sky was clear on this day, it foretold a year of abundant growth for all things. If the sky was overcast, however, disasters might lie ahead.
Lin Wu rose early and pushed open the window. Seeing the bright, clear sunlight, she felt it was a good omen.
These past few days, she had been constantly running around. On the one hand, she went to check on the shop and carefully plan its layout. On the other, she visited all kinds of shops and market stalls, so she would know where to buy everything she needed later.
When they arrived at the shop, they saw the manager of Jizhen Pavilion coming toward them. He said that Shen Guanting had asked them to pay him a visit.
Lin Wu couldn’t help wondering about it. Although Shen Guanting occasionally came by the shop, he had indeed been seen less often these past few days. Tigerhead had told her last time that after his brother returned from Nan’ya, he had grown accustomed to loafing around under the excuse of “resting.” His parents and aunt could no longer stand it and had dragged him home. In any case, they had been quite busy lately.
Lin Jing, however, was brimming with excitement. All the way there, he chattered nonstop, guessing at the reason for their summons.
“Is Brother Ting going to take me fishing? He said last time that he’d take me to fish once he was done with these busy days!”
Lin Wu felt that Little Jing was probably in for a disappointment. Surely no one went to Jizhen Pavilion to fish.
The child really did like seeing Shen Guanting, though the main reason was that Young Master Shen was rich and exceptionally generous with bribes.
Lin Wu had no idea where the man found so many strange and wonderful toys. Little Laifu already had three small balls, while Lin Jing had received even more toys: a little drum, a gong, small flags, and tiny, exquisitely crafted clay cats and lions. He had even been given a fishing rod, and the two of them had agreed to go fishing by the lake once Shen Guanting had some free time.
Their master-and-disciple bond was certainly deep. It was just that they weren’t putting it to proper use, spending all day scheming about how to have fun. Lin Wu wondered whether Yun Jianshan knew about it.
When they arrived at Jizhen Pavilion, Shen Guanting was already waiting for them in the tearoom. He was dressed smartly today in a tea-brown, wide-sleeved, round-collared robe. As soon as he saw them enter, he picked up a ledger from the side.
The proper and dignified Young Master Shen opened his mouth and immediately began complaining.
“I’ve been confined at home these past few days, rushing around without a moment’s rest. I’ve been busier than the workers in the shop. I can’t tell whether I’m the owner or a hired laborer. My life is truly miserable.”
Hearing this, Lin Wu couldn’t help replying, “Young Master Shen, you’ve come to the wrong person. I run a food stall and spend every day turning pots over the stove. If you complain to me, aren’t you asking one poor wretch to console another?”
“Since we’re both poor wretches, let’s discuss the business of poor wretches. Shopkeeper Lin, the accounts for the bookmarks were supposed to be settled once a month. But since these are the first bookmarks we’ve put on the market, and the New Year period is also the busiest shopping season, I thought I’d ask you to come and look over the accounts on Renri. That way, I’ll have a better idea of where we stand.”
Lin Jing had originally been disappointed that they hadn’t come to discuss fishing. But the moment he heard they were going to look at the bookmark accounts, his spirits rose again.
Lin Wu thought to herself: So being dragged home to work by Master Shen and Madam Shen had actually done him some good? Look at him. When he had been wandering around the shop a few days ago, he hadn’t mentioned the accounts even once. After being confined for a few days, he suddenly remembered to settle them with her.
She was rather looking forward to seeing how well the bookmarks had sold.
This was precisely the season when bookmarks sold best. With the New Year celebrations underway, there were plenty of people visiting one another and exchanging gifts, and bookmarks made suitable presents for anyone. Given to elders, they expressed respect; given to juniors, they showed affection; exchanged between peers, they were also tasteful and dignified.
Their symbolism was auspicious as well. A cassia-leaf bookmark could be said to wish someone academic progress in the coming year, while an agarwood bookmark could be interpreted as a sign that hardship had finally come to an end. On top of that, word of them had already spread through the elementary school, and this was their first time going on sale.
She estimated that sales should be fairly good.
Even Tigerhead had received two Jade Soul bookmarks as New Year gifts from relatives and friends in his clan.
Their bookmarks were being sold in two different places, both managed by the Shen family. The ordinary Jade Soul bookmarks were displayed at the Qi family’s stationery shop and remained priced at fifty cash apiece. Lin Wu took three-tenths of the profits, while the Shen and Qi families could decide between themselves how to divide the rest.
The agarwood bookmarks, meanwhile, were displayed at Jizhen Pavilion and followed a different sales strategy.
Shen Guanting opened the ledger. Without beating around the bush, he said, “From the day they went on sale until Renri, the stationery shop sold a total of two hundred and twenty-five.”
Lin Jing counted on his fingers. After a long while, he finally managed to say, “We’re going to be rich!”
He still remembered how, when they had sold sixty bookmarks before, they had received a great deal of money.
Lin Wu was also startled. The number was higher than she had expected, though it was not quite enough to make them rich.
Although they had previously sold bookmarks at the elementary school and temple fair, most of the children there had more or less bought some on behalf of their families. That meant there probably weren’t many people left who hadn’t already purchased one.
She and Shen Guanting had estimated the figures beforehand. There were only so many students in Huzhou Prefecture, and bookmarks were not consumable goods. Once someone bought one, it could be used for a long time. In ordinary months, selling sixty would already be considered quite good. It was only during festivals or in the period leading up to examinations that sales would increase.
After deducting the stationery shop’s commission, each bookmark sold there brought in twenty cash in profit. Lin Wu received six. Even after a full month, that would only amount to a little over three hundred cash—a truly meager sum.
But how many could she sell on her own? She did not know many scholars, only a handful of them. After selling to them a few times, she feared there would be no one left to buy.
Placing the bookmarks in a stationery shop earned less, but at least it provided a steady trickle of income.
Just as Lin Wu was thinking this over, Shen Guanting continued, “Two hundred and twenty-five bookmarks means Shopkeeper Lin receives one string of cash and three hundred and fifty cash.”
Lin Wu nodded. She hadn’t lifted a finger, yet in less than half a month she would receive more than one string of cash. It was practically money for nothing. She was extremely satisfied with the results of her business partner, Young Master Shen, and his ability to get things done.
“Thank you for taking care of everything, Master Shen. I’m certainly enjoying the life of a hands-off shopkeeper.”
Shen Guanting looked up at her and gave a laugh before lowering his head to turn another page.
The bookmarks sold at Jizhen Pavilion were naturally purchased by wealthy merchants and officials’ families from the prefectural city. Their sales were far lower than those at the stationery shop—an estimated fifteen or so a month.
But the price of two strings of cash per bookmark gave Lin Wu some idea of Shen Guanting’s wealth. The agarwood bookmarks were merely the most affordable items at Jizhen Pavilion, yet each one brought in a profit of one entire string of cash.
In other words, selling just one earned her three hundred cash—nearly as much as she made from the stationery shop in an entire month. At fifteen a month, that came to fourteen strings and five hundred cash.
When she had first heard the figure, Lin Wu had thought Shen Guanting was simply a shameless profiteer. But then she reconsidered and decided that this was exactly the kind of shamelessness she liked. After all, they were making money from the wealthy.
“Jizhen Pavilion sold forty-eight,” Shen Guanting said slowly. “Shopkeeper Lin’s share is fourteen strings and four hundred cash.”
When Lin Wu heard that number, her head began to spin.
She had thought that Jizhen Pavilion saw hardly any customers in a day, and wondered how many bookmarks it could possibly sell in a year. The stationery shop, with people coming and going all day, was the real sales channel. Surely they couldn’t abandon the mass market for the sake of a niche one.
She had been completely wrong.
“Small profits and high turnover—trading volume for profit—that’s the way to sell oil or firewood. But a bookmark is something a scholar can use for several years, and there are only so many scholars in Huzhou City. The profits may be small, but the sales can’t exactly be high.”
She glanced at the person sitting across from her, who was idly flipping through the account books.
Lin Wu suddenly felt that Young Master Shen had practically lowered himself to partner with them in this bookmark business—he had come to play the philanthropist.
Lin Jing had just heard that they had earned more than one string of coins at the stationery shop, and now he heard that Jizhen Pavilion had brought in more than fourteen strings. His eyes shone as he looked at Shen Guanting.
He secretly pondered that he had previously asked his royal father and mother to send him a fated connection—someone who would bring lots and lots of money to him and A Wu. Perhaps Brother Ting was that money-bringing connection!
After making this small fortune, Lin Wu and Lin Jing were both in excellent spirits.
As they followed Shen Guanting downstairs, Lin Jing’s little head swiveled from side to side. Everything he saw was new and interesting.
Shen Guanting glanced back at him and said with a smile, “Since you’re here, and you’re not in a hurry to go back, why don’t you take a look at where the bookmarks are displayed? You can consider it part of your property.”
Hearing him call it “your property,” Lin Wu felt that this man was far too generous. He could even say something like that without batting an eye.
Shen Guanting led them into the front hall. This area displayed everyday articles, and customers entering the shop could see everything at a glance. Their bookmarks were placed here as well, alongside bone fans, small jade ornaments, filigreed enamel sachets, and various other items arranged in several rows.
Beyond the front hall was the central hall. Unlike the goods at the entrance, which were all crammed together like people sleeping on a communal bunk, every item here had its own private compartment. Each was set upon brocade or soft cloth, making the goods look more than ten times as expensive. Openwork carved screens divided the area into small sections, each with a different theme.
They arrived at a compartment filled with crystals, gemstones, and strings of beads in every color. The jewelry gleamed beneath the lamplight, and it was obvious at a glance that none of it was cheap.
Lin Wu leaned closer for a careful look and pointed to a lustrous, delicate strand of beads. “A Jing, guess how much this costs.”
They couldn’t afford it, but guessing the price was free. She had always found that sort of thing very entertaining.
Lin Jing furrowed his little brows and analyzed the item seriously. “This string of beads doesn’t look as pretty as our bookmarks. But since it’s displayed here, it must be more expensive than our bookmarks. I think it costs three strings of coins!”
When he finished, he tilted his little face up toward Shen Guanting.
Lin Wu looked up as well.
With the two pairs of eyes fixed on him, Shen Guanting couldn’t help laughing. “That’s a string of crystal prayer beads. Fifty strings of coins.”
Lin Wu sucked in a sharp breath. Before she could recover, Lin Jing pointed to a pair of little jade cups beside them. “What about those?”
Shen Guanting followed his finger. “One hundred strings.”
Lin Jing pointed to a painting hanging on the wall. “What about that one? That one!”
Shen Guanting glanced at it. “That is Peony Painting, by a renowned artist from an earlier era. Two hundred strings.”
Lin Wu took a step backward as she listened.
Seeing their expressions, Shen Guanting found them amusing. “It seems Little Jing and A Wu haven’t found anything to their liking. If you’re still not satisfied, you can take a look in the private rooms upstairs. There are a few items there that are actually worth showing off. A fine Northern Pearl arrived a few days ago, as it happens. With a circumference of about an inch, you could probably take it home for a little over two thousand strings.”
Lin Wu silently took Lin Jing by the hand and edged two steps away.
She felt that Young Master Shen had become much more valuable simply by saying those prices aloud—someone to be admired from a distance, and never approached.
The priceless Young Master Shen continued, “There’s also an ancient tripod from the Southern Dynasties. I didn’t particularly like it, so I had it brought here to sell. It should fetch around three thousand strings.”
Lin Wu suddenly remembered the bronze ornaments casually scattered around his study. At the time, she had merely thought that this young master had rather unusual taste. Only now did she realize that every one of those objects was worth a fortune.
She cast a silent glance at Shen Guanting.
This man was practically a spoiled young nobleman.
She felt that, adding up her previous life and this one, she and he still belonged to entirely different worlds.
Lin Jing suddenly asked, “What’s an ancient tripod?”
Shen Guanting replied, “It was a vessel people used to cook food in long ago. After surviving for so many years, it became an antique.”
Lin Jing creased his little brows. “Isn’t that just an iron pot? We have one at home too. Why is it so expensive?”
Shen Guanting answered frankly, “Because it’s an ancient pot. It has lived for hundreds, even thousands, of years longer than the pots we use now.”
Lin Jing blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite. “Can it cook rice?”
“Probably not.”
“Then what would anyone buy it for?”
Shen Guanting was perfectly honest. “To display it and let other people know that I’m rich.”
Lin Wu: “…”
Lin Wu took Lin Jing by the hand and left the showy Jizhen Pavilion and Young Master Shen behind.
It would be best if they avoided this place in the future. She even felt like giving Lin Jing a few warnings—not to talk to Shen Guanting too much, just as an elder might tell a child not to play with bad children.
Lin Jing was at the age when he repeated everything he heard. What if he absorbed too much from being around Shen Guanting and one day suddenly told her he wanted to buy a three-thousand-string ancient tripod to display at home? In that case, she would have no choice but to disown the child.
The two of them returned to their own shop.
The shop was still the same shop: plain and narrow, with the stove not yet built and mortar and bricks piled in the corner. Compared with the dazzling abundance of Jizhen Pavilion, the two places were worlds apart.
But when Lin Wu looked at it, her heart felt at ease.
Building the stove was a major change for the shop, so she had made a point of telling Liang Peilan about it yesterday. The Liang family had been quite straightforward. Since the shop had already been rented out, they could change it however they pleased and did not need to ask about every little thing.
The bricklayer and plasterer they had arranged for had also arrived. Lin Wu went out to greet him and invited him inside.
She had already worked out the layout over the past few days.
The very back of the shop would be the stove area. A two-burner stove would be built against the rear wall, allowing them to set two large pots on it for steaming or boiling. With the stove at the back, the steam from the baskets would rise upward instead of blowing straight toward the doorway and into the customers’ faces. Besides, the back of the shop was dim, so the fire would provide some much-needed light.
A little farther forward would be the preparation area, divided into two sections from front to back.
At the front, in full view of customers standing at the doorway, they would place a chopping board and, beside it, a flat iron griddle. This would be used for fried foods such as pancakes and little square cakes, all of which would be made right in front of the customers, hot and steaming. The other end of the chopping board, farther inside, could be used for kneading dough and wrapping all sorts of pastries.
The area by the street-facing entrance would be the sales counter. Customers would not need to enter the shop. They could stand outside to look at the goods, place their orders, pay, and collect their purchases. One end of the counter would have a partition with just enough space for one person to pass through sideways. It could be pushed aside to enter the shop proper.
They would also put up an awning outside the entrance. Extending two or three feet outward from the top of the doorframe, it would be supported by a bamboo frame and covered with oiled cloth to shield people from the sun and rain. Two benches and a tea barrel could be placed beneath it, giving customers somewhere to rest while waiting for the pastries to come out of the oven.
As Lin Jing listened to her describe the plan, he could already picture the finished shop in his little head. He scampered into the area behind the counter and stood in the corner.
“I’ll sit here and collect the money,” he declared. “And the cashbox can go right here!”
Lin Wu laughed. “All right. I’ll have a taller stool made for you later, so you can sit and reach the counter comfortably.”
Just as the two of them were happily imagining the future, a sudden noise came from the doorframe of the shop.
When Lin Wu looked up, she saw that it was Fatty Wang, the shopkeeper from the grocery store next door. He was a round, portly man with a pair of narrow, smiling eyes. He seemed affable enough when he smiled, but standing there in person, his bulk was somewhat imposing. They had crossed paths several times over the past few days, but had never really spoken. His shop sold everyday sundries—paper, incense, needles, thread, and the like—which had little to do with their pastry shop, so there had never been much to say.
Fatty Wang craned his head to peer inside and said with a broad smile, “Well, what are you doing here? It’s quite lively.”
Lin Wu set down what she was holding and went over to greet him. “Shopkeeper Wang, we’re building a stove. Have we been disturbing you? I’m terribly sorry.”
“Building a stove?” Fatty Wang’s eyes narrowed into slits. “I thought you were opening another apothecary. The last shop was one too, and this place had been empty for more than half a year. I assumed it would be another place for dispensing medicine. You’re planning to sell food?”
Lin Wu nodded and made no attempt to hide it. “That’s right. We’ll be selling some pastries and flour-based foods. It’s only a small business.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a woman emerged from the grocery store. She was thin and gaunt, with sharply slanted eyes and the corners of her mouth drooping downward. She looked like someone who would be difficult to get along with. She was Fatty Wang’s wife.
The woman stopped at the doorway and said shrilly, “Pastries and flour-based foods? Why didn’t you tell us sooner? On a street like this, doesn’t every food shop have to give the neighbors advance notice? Once you light that stove, smoke and grease will drift everywhere. How are we supposed to run a quiet business?”
Lin Wu was displeased by her rude tone, but her expression remained calm. “Sister-in-law, the stove has only just been built, and we haven’t even lit it yet. Once we open, I’ll be careful not to let the smoke and grease disturb the neighbors.”
“Careful?” The woman curled her lip. “How careful can you possibly be? Smoke and grease don’t have eyes. Do you expect them to go around our shop?”
Fatty Wang hurriedly tried to smooth things over with a chuckle. “Oh, she’s always been rather blunt. Don’t take it to heart, Madam. But a food shop does produce quite a bit of smoke and grease. I’m afraid the neighbors won’t have much peace once you’re open.”
His wife was about to continue when Lin Wu took a deep breath and prepared to answer.
Suddenly, there was a sharp thud as a shoulder pole was set down beside her feet.
Lin Wu froze and turned to look.
A young woman had just lowered the carrying pole from her shoulder. Her hair was tied up in a simple cloth wrap, and her clothes were neat and tidy. She had a quiet, refined air about her.
Lin Wu recognized her. She was Liang Peilan’s mother, Mrs. Sun. Lin Wu had met her once before, when they signed the lease for the shop. At the time, she had seemed soft-spoken and mild-tempered.
Lin Wu glanced down at the shoulder pole. Two large ceramic jars hung from either end, both crammed full of things. Each one weighed nearly a hundred pounds. Mrs. Sun had carried them all this way without so much as a gasp, merely wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve.
Lin Jing, who had been glaring angrily at Fatty Wang and his wife, was drawn to the two enormous jars as well. He tilted his head back to look at Mrs. Sun, then at the jars, and for a moment forgot to be angry.
Mrs. Sun stepped forward and placed herself between Lin Wu and the couple. In a quiet voice, she asked, “Are you trying to bully someone?”
The sharp thud from moments earlier still seemed to echo in Fatty Wang and his wife’s hearts. The woman with the slanted eyes let out two dry laughs and retreated half a step.
“What are you talking about, Sister-in-law? We only came over to greet someone new to the neighborhood. You carry on, you carry on.”
With that, she grabbed Fatty Wang and scurried back into their shop.
Once inside, Fatty Wang muttered, “That woman has no manners. I only went over to ask a few questions, and she pulled such a long face at me.”
His wife shot him a look. “Who cares whether she pulled a long face? What matters is whether anyone will still buy the pastries from our shop once her bakery opens.”
The grocery store usually stocked some pastries as well, mostly dry provisions that could be kept for a long time. In truth, they were entirely different from the freshly made pastries Lin Wu’s family planned to sell. But the couple refused to see it that way.
The woman snorted. “Mrs. Sun’s a few bricks short of a load, and she’s not someone we can afford to provoke.”
In her younger days, she had been friendly with the wife of the apothecary owner next door, and had heard all about the Liang family from her.
The Liang family’s ancestral home had never been very large, consisting of only a few side rooms. During the more than ten years Liang Jimin had spent in the capital serving as an official, those rooms had naturally been occupied by Eldest Brother Liang’s family. Although Eldest Brother Liang had since passed away, two of his three sons had married and had children of their own. The entire family was packed into the house like sardines.
When Liang Jimin was dismissed from office and returned home, Eldest Liang’s Wife had calculated that the Liang family consisted of only three people, and that the child was barely ten years old. They were outnumbered and weak. As for arguing or fighting, Eldest Liang’s Wife and her family had never feared anyone. If they simply occupied the rooms and refused to leave, what could the Liang family do?
Who would have thought that Mrs. Sun, though she looked so mild and gentle, possessed such frightening strength?
On the very first day after their return, she had said nothing at all. She simply threw every chest, trunk, and bedding belonging to Eldest Liang’s Wife’s family out the door. When Eldest Liang’s Wife charged in with her sons and daughters-in-law to cry and complain, Mrs. Sun threw them out as well.
A grown woman like Eldest Liang’s Wife had been lifted and tossed outside as easily as a little stone. Mrs. Sun merely dusted off her hands afterward, without even breaking a sweat.
After that, whenever Eldest Liang’s Wife threw a fit, wept, or screamed, Mrs. Sun would come over and carry her out. Once, twice, three times, four times—every time, the result was the same. In the end, Eldest Liang’s Wife and her family had been utterly helpless against her.
“And besides,” the woman continued in a lowered voice, “Liang Jimin has gone to work as the Han family’s household physician. I hear Lord Han treats him well. It looks as though their family is about to rise again. Tell me, can we afford to provoke them?”
Next door, Mrs. Sun was saying much the same thing to Lin Wu.
“We have money now.” Mrs. Sun patted the two large ceramic jars, smiling. “We came out to buy a couple of water jars and some odds and ends, and thought we’d stop by to see whether you needed a hand with anything.”
Lin Jing tilted his head, looked at her, then glanced behind her at the empty street. “We?”
Only then did Mrs. Sun remember. She jerked her chin toward the doorway. “Oh, Peilan’s behind me. He walks so slowly.”
As if on cue, Liang Peilan came in, panting. Sweat still glistened on his forehead. “Mother, don’t walk so fast. I can’t keep up.”
“There he is,” Mrs. Sun said, pointing at her son.
Without stopping to rest, Liang Peilan leaned around the large jar and looked toward the masons building the stove inside. “Auntie, is your food shop about to open?”
Lin Wu nodded. “Once everything is arranged, we’ll be ready to open.”
Liang Peilan leaned against his mother’s ceramic jar. “Are you still going to sell Golden Jade Cakes and Thin Crisps?”
Lin Wu thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I’ll have to give it some careful thought. Now that we have a proper stove, we can add some hot foods.”
She led the two of them a few steps inside and pointed out where the stove and worktable would go, briefly explaining how she planned to arrange the shop.
“Everything else will be easy enough to acquire.” Lin Wu sighed. “The difficult part is finding help. I’m afraid I won’t be able to manage even this small shop on my own. Working from dawn to dusk would be too exhausting. It wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run.”
“I’ve been thinking of hiring one or two helpers to lend a hand from time to time. The trouble is, I don’t know where to look, and it’s not easy to ask a broker to find day laborers. Perhaps I could write up a notice and post it by the door. If you or Peilan happen to know anyone suitable, I’d be grateful if you could recommend them.”
The moment Lin Jing heard this, he raised his little hand, his round face solemn with determination. “I can do it! I can keep the accounts and collect the money. You don’t need to hire anyone!”
Lin Wu ruffled his hair. “There’s plenty of work to do. Someone has to tend the fire, knead the dough, and serve the customers. Business will probably be slow at first, though, so I should be able to manage on my own.”
Lin Jing was not about to give up. “I can tend the fire! I’m really good at it.”
Liang Peilan straightened up and leaned over as well. “Auntie, I can help too. I know how to read and do arithmetic. I’d definitely be useful.”
Lin Wu looked at him and smiled. “Peilan is very capable indeed. But don’t you need to attend school?”
Liang Peilan shook his head, perfectly at ease. “No. I’m learning medicine from my father, but he spends his days at the Han residence, so I have nothing to do during the day. I’m not taking the imperial examinations, so there’s no need for me to attend school.”
Mrs. Sun, who had been listening nearby, suddenly spoke up as well. “Mrs. Lin, if you trust me, I could help too. I’m strong. Carrying water, hauling firewood, kneading dough—I can handle all of it.”
Lin Wu studied her and began to give the matter serious thought. Mrs. Sun looked refined and gentle, but her strength was extraordinary. It was inevitable that a shop would occasionally attract troublemakers. With Mrs. Sun around, Lin Wu would certainly feel more at ease.
There was just one issue: the Liang family were technically her landlords. Was it really appropriate to hire her own landlord to work for her?
Mrs. Sun clearly wasn’t the sort to worry over such details, however. After a few words, the arrangement was more or less settled. Lin Wu decided she would have to go home and work out the terms properly, then see whether they could sign a contract before the shop opened.
After seeing the Liang mother and son off, Lin Wu felt considerably more at ease.
At last, the shop’s staffing arrangements were taking shape.
Lin Jing watched Mrs. Sun’s retreating figure as she carried the two enormous vats. Her steps were steady and sure, and he couldn’t help murmuring in admiration, “Aunt Sun is amazing.”
Lin Wu took another look and found herself impressed as well. “That’s what it means to win people over with strength. If reason doesn’t work in the future, we can always resort to our fists. Though neither of us is capable of that.”
Lin Jing puffed out his little chest. “I can! I’ll ask Teacher to teach me!”
In his heart, his teacher knew how to do everything. As long as he learned from him, he would be able to carry two enormous vats one day too.
Lin Wu lowered her head and looked at the little turnip of a boy who barely reached her waist, then fell silent.
Well, there was no need to crush his confidence.
That afternoon, the masons finished their day’s work, packed up their tools, and left. Lin Wu was just about to lock the door and head home to prepare supper when a familiar voice suddenly sounded outside.
Shen Guanting, finally free for the moment, had wandered over to the shop again. Behind him came Sparrow and Tigerhead, chattering away. Tigerhead was carrying a bucket, while Sparrow had two fishing rods slung over her shoulder and walked with a bouncing step.
Lin Jing’s eyes lit up, and he ran over. “Are we going fishing?”
Tigerhead nodded eagerly, happily swinging the bucket. “That’s right! We came especially to find you. We’re going fishing at Qingxi Garden!”
Sparrow glanced up at the sky. “Brother said the weather is perfect today, so it’s just the right time to fish!”
Qingxi Garden was the largest public park in Huzhou Prefecture. It had pavilions, towers, temples, and Taoist shrines scattered throughout. Whenever it was open to the public, townspeople with a little leisure on their hands loved to go there for a stroll.
As for whether fishing was allowed in the lake, Lin Wu had no idea. But judging from the way Shen Guanting had come fully prepared—with fishing rods, a bucket, and bait—she assumed it must be permitted for him, at least.
Lin Jing turned back and looked at Lin Wu hopefully.
That very morning, Lin Wu had been thinking that she ought to stop Lin Jing from spending so much time with his senior fellow disciple. But now that she was facing Shen Guanting, she felt a little guilty. After all, guarding against someone like this hardly seemed open or aboveboard.
She waved a hand. “Go on, then. Don’t play too late, and remember to come back for supper.”
Lin Jing called back, “All right! I’ll catch lots and lots of fish and bring them home for supper!”
Shen Guanting followed Lin Jing’s gaze.
Lin Wu stood in the doorway of the shop with the sunlight behind her. The sun seemed to wrap her entire figure in a layer of warm light. It gilded the edges of her silhouette, and even her hair seemed suffused with warmth.
She simply stood there, looking as ordinary as could be, yet something inside him suddenly softened.
But that light enclosed her and kept him outside. Though he was clearly not far away, he felt as if he could not draw any closer.
Suddenly, he felt a little envious of his young junior fellow disciple.
With permission granted, the group headed together toward Clear Water Alley. They first returned to retrieve Lin Jing’s small fishing rod, then brought Laifu along as well. The dog had spent most of the day cooped up in the courtyard, and now that he was outside, he was more excited than any of the children, circling around them endlessly.
Once they entered Qingxi Garden, a cool breeze carrying the scent of water swept toward them. The garden had been built around its lake and hills, with pavilions and towers arranged in pleasing disorder. Several small boats drifted across the surface of the lake, while quite a few visitors strolled through the grounds. Every now and then, the sound of laughter and conversation floated over.
Shen Guanting led the children to a secluded stretch of shore, where drooping willow branches provided just the right amount of shade. He set out the small folding stools he had brought, one by one, then helped the little ones arrange their fishing rods. Laifu crouched at the water’s edge, tilting his head as he watched the fish moving beneath the surface.
Keeping one eye on his bobber, Lin Jing told them all about what he had seen at the shop that day. “The water vats were absolutely enormous! Aunt Sun set one down with a boom, and that fat grocery shopkeeper and his fierce wife got so scared that they ran away and hid inside their shop.”
Tigerhead’s eyes gleamed. He completely forgot about his fishing rod. “Liang Peilan’s mother is actually that skilled at martial arts!”
Lin Jing nodded solemnly. “My mother says that’s called winning people over with strength. I want to be like that when I grow up.”
Shen Guanting let out a laugh when he heard this. “Winning people over with strength?”
“That’s right. I’m going to learn from Teacher and become a great martial artist.” Little Lin Jing’s determination to learn was unwavering.
Shen Guanting’s tone was mild as he cruelly shattered the boy’s plans. “Then you’re bound to be disappointed. Your teacher knows absolutely nothing about martial arts. When he was young, he couldn’t even catch a chicken.”
Lin Jing froze. “Huh?”
Sparrow chimed in from the side, “Then you might as well ask my grandfather to teach you! He’s the one who’s really good at fighting. He used to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Command, and he’s even been on the battlefield!”
Lin Jing blinked. “What’s a Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Command?”
Tigerhead gave a couple of snorts and lifted his little chin. “He was the head of the army in the imperial city. He was incredibly powerful!”
Lin Jing gripped his fishing rod in one hand and went completely blank. “What? The imperial city?”
Tigerhead nodded. “That’s right! My grandfather used to be a high-ranking official.”
Shen Guanting held Laifu’s leash and smiled. “Grandfather is old now, with nothing but a body full of aching bones. All he does these days is tease birds and tend flowers. If you want to learn martial arts, you might as well follow me. I’m your senior fellow disciple, after all.”
Sparrow nodded enthusiastically. “That’s right, that’s right! Don’t let my brother’s appearance fool you. He’s the best martial artist in our family!”
Tigerhead immediately bristled. “No, he isn’t! When I grow up, I’ll be the best!”
Shen Guanting slowly turned his head toward Sparrow. “What’s wrong with my appearance?”
Sparrow drew in her neck and said nothing.
Lin Jing clenched his little fists. “Then I’ll learn from Brother Ting! I want to become highly skilled in martial arts too!”
Little Lin Jing could not have had a more satisfying day. He had caught a fish and found himself a martial arts teacher.
Of the four people and one dog in their group, Lin Jing was the only one who had caught anything—and even that was just one small fish.
Shen Guanting looked completely at ease. “When it comes to fishing, what matters is cultivating one’s temperament, not catching fish. Besides, I have a whole pond of fish in my courtyard. We’re not short of one.”
Tigerhead and Sparrow exchanged a glance, then pursed their lips in silent understanding.
The sun sank to the treetops before they finally reeled in their lines and headed home. Shen Guanting carried Little Jing’s small bucket for him. The little fish inside swam leisurely in circles, while Lin Jing kept looking back as he walked, afraid it might jump out.
Lin Wu heard the laughter and chatter drifting over from the alley while she was still in the courtyard. She rose and went outside to take a look.
The children were already making their way down the alley, chattering away without end. Lin Jing ran at the very front, still clutching his little fishing rod, his round face alight with smiles.
Shen Guanting walked slowly behind them, carrying a small bucket. The evening shadows spread in from the west, making his figure appear even taller and more slender.
Before long, the children reached her and crowded together in a noisy cluster.
“I caught a fish today!”
“Jing caught one on his very first try!”
“My big brother didn’t catch a single one.”
Shen Guanting unhurriedly handed over the little bucket, his gaze settling on Lin Wu. “Here. This is the fish Little Jing caught. It was a bit heavy to carry, so I brought it over for him.”
Lin Wu leaned forward to take a look. There was only one fish inside, no bigger than her palm, swimming leisurely in circles. Somewhat puzzled, she raised her head and looked at the fish, then at Shen Guanting.
Shen Guanting’s gaze shifted to the little courtyard behind her.
The vegetable patch was lush and green. The vine leaves by the wall swayed gently in the breeze, and in one corner stood a small wooden shed with paper peach charms pasted to its door.
This was the first time he had come so close to this little courtyard.
Things could be accomplished as long as one put one’s mind to them, he thought. There would always be a way.
“Thank you, Young Master Shen.” Lin Wu took the small bucket.
Shen Guanting withdrew his gaze, his expression as calm as ever. “You’re welcome. We’ve delivered both the people and the fish safely, so we’ll take our leave.”
With that, he turned and left with Sparrow and Tigerhead, who were still chattering noisily.
Lin Wu watched his retreating figure, feeling that something about him had seemed strange just now.
Could it be that he was too upset because he hadn’t caught a fish?
