After Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Yuan Tan left, Lian Manman sat back down on the kang bed.
"Mother, how much rent do you think the temple will charge us?" Lian Manman asked Lady Zhang.
"The room and things are going unused anyway, we are all villagers here, and Master Shanyuan of the temple is a reasonable man; he won’t ask for too much." Lady Zhang replied.
"Auntie Four, Sister Manman, are you planning to borrow a room from the temple to open a shop?" Lian Yeye asked with wide-eyed surprise.
Earlier, when Lian Yeye ca with Yuan Tan, she had not left. Lian Shouxin and the others didn’t specifically avoid her when they spoke.
"Yes." Lian Manman nodded, "That’s the plan. We’ll see if we can rent a place. Yeye, just keep this between us for now, don’t tell others yet."
"I know, Sister Manman. I won’t tell anyone," Lian Yeye quickly assured.
Outside, snowflakes began to drift down unknowingly, and after a short while, Lady Zhang went to the doorway to look out twice. Lian Manman understood that Lady Zhang was anxious, but she didn’t ntion it.
"The snow is getting heavier; I’ll bring your father and Wu Lang so clothes." After a while, Lady Zhang said.
"Mother, let go instead." Lian Manman said as she started to get off the kang.
Just then, the door made a clanging noise, followed by Wu Lang rushing in. He was in such a hurry that he even forgot to shake off the snowflakes on his shoulders and back. Once inside, the warm air turned the snowflakes to water, which seeped into his cotton clothes.
"Quick, brush off the snow, quick." Lady Zhang hurriedly took a broom to help Wu Lang brush off the snow from his body.
"Brother, why are you back so soon, and where is father?" Lian Manman asked, "How did the negotiations go?"
"Done!" Wu Lang simply replied with two words.
Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, and Xiao Qi couldn’t help but beam with joy.
"Done? So quickly!" Lady Zhang pulled Wu Lang to sit down on the edge of the kang, "Tell , how did you manage that?"
"Mother, I’m thirsty. The tea at the temple is too bitter and not tasty," Wu Lang said with a smile.
Lian Zhizhi busied herself pouring water for Wu Lang.
"Bro, you’re really sothing." Lian Manman gave Wu Lang a look; the fellow must be thrilled to bits and was even playing coy now. "Sister, don’t give him water."
Wu Lang had already taken the water from Lian Zhizhi’s hands and winked triumphantly at Lian Manman.
"Stop fooling around and talk after you finish your water," Lady Zhang said, watching the children’s playful banter with a smile crinkling her eyes as she gently tapped Wu Lang with the broom handle.
Wu Lang quickly drank the water and didn’t delay any further, recounting the conversation between Lian Shouxin and Master Shanyuan simply and swiftly.
"...Father made the deal right away, renting us three rooms of the gatehouse, along with tables, chairs, stools, bowls, and cutlery, all for just one string of coins a month."
One string of coins is equal to one hundred wen money; averaging less than four wen money per day for rent, which made the price incredibly cheap. Lian Manman could barely contain her excitent.
"Father is chatting with the monk, so he sent to get the money," Wu Lang said, "The monk suggested we needn’t write an IOU, but I think we should still write one. I’ll also bring paper and ink later..."
"Yes, yes," Lian Manman nodded vigorously, "Bro, did you discuss how long we’re renting for?"
"Father said we’ll rent for one month to start," Wu Lang replied.
The twelfth lunar month was approaching, followed by the New Year. During the New Year season, construction work in the mountains would certainly pause for a couple of days, impacting their business. Lian Shouxin probably wanted to try it out for a month first and then make a decision based on how things went. Thus, he chose to rent for one month to avoid wasting money.
However, if the business did well, whether they could continue to rent that house after a month was uncertain. If they decided to keep the breakfast shop going, they would have to build their own place. Of course, they couldn’t conduct business during construction, and even once the house was built, they’d be facing competition that had already established itself.
At heart, Lian Shouxin was still a farr, and farrs tend to their own land. However, business is cutthroat with competition.
So risks are worth taking. Losing a few strings of coins now is much better than losing dozens, or hundreds of silver later.
"A month is too short; if we are going to rent, we should rent for longer," Lian Manman thought for a bit, then said, "Let’s rent for a year."
Lian Manman went to the cabinet to fetch the money.
"Have you worked out a date for the opening?" Lady Zhang asked Wu Lang.
"We picked a few dates, the soonest is the day after tomorrow, but it might be too rushed. Then there’s the end of the month, and after that is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month," Wu Lang answered.
The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was definitely too late, and even waiting until the end of the month felt too long for Lady Zhang. As for the day after tomorrow, it seed too hurried, unsure if they could prepare in ti.
"Mother, let’s first go and look at the house; if possible, we can strive to open the day after tomorrow," Lian Manman, having retrieved the money, saw Lady Zhang’s hesitation and said.
"Let’s do that," Lian Manman’s suggestion exactly matched what Lady Zhang was thinking, so she imdiately nodded in agreent.
The family got ready and headed out.
"Sister Manman, can I go with you?" Lian Yeye asked, envying how Lian Manman’s family was always busy with one thing or another, leading a lively life. "I can help with the work."
"Of course," Lian Manman smiled and nodded.
The family locked up and set off towards the Earth God Temple under the fluttering snowflakes. When they entered the temple’s main gate, Yuan Tan ran up to greet them and brought them to the back chan rooms.
Lian Shouxin was sitting opposite Master Shanyuan, deep in conversation. Lian Manman stepped forward and told Lian Shouxin about her plan to rent the house for a year.
"Master Shanyuan, what do you think about us renting for a year?"
******
Here’s one Chapter for now; more pink pleas for Ruoyan to get motivated for a second update. (To be continued. If you love this work, you’re welco to co to Qidian (qidian) to cast your recomndation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
User Comments
0 comments from readers