West of the butcher shop, at the end of the street, was a square well. It had been dug nearly twenty years ago by a wealthy man named Qian as an act of charity. Back then, there had been years of drought, and even the Qingxi River had dried up. Villages along the river had scrambled to dig wells for water. This well had been free to use ever since.
Like Fenggu Town, Jixing Town was built along the Qingxi River, with docks and boats. But Xixing Street was far from the river, and most locals fetched water from this well instead of crossing half the town to the river.
Shen Yaoqing drew a bucket of water and carried it back. He poured most of it into the old bucket for the mule to drink, then scooped half a bowl for himself to quench his thirst.
He pulled a chair from the corner of the shop and sat down to rest while waiting for Shen Xuanqing to return.
Shen Xuanqing had already brought his bedding and clothes over. The stove in the backyard had been built and dried, with a thatched roof overhead to shield it from wind and rain. They had even hauled a cartload of firewood from home to avoid buying it in town.
Now, they only had to wait for the auspicious day three days later to officially open for business.
Before Shen Xuanqing returned, Old Man Yang and Yan Shi arrived first.
[The term "Shi" (氏) in names like Yan Shi (严氏 is a traditional Chinese honorific suffix for married women, indicating their maiden surname, while omitting their personal given name.]
"Master, Shiniang, please sit. Erqing went to the blacksmith’s," Shen Yaoqing quickly stood up. Though he hadn’t formally apprenticed under them, he followed Shen Xuanqing’s lead in addressing them this way, it felt more familiar.
Old Man Yang examined the furnishings, pressing down on the table and patting the racks to check their sturdiness before nodding in satisfaction.
Yan Shi also looked around. As long as everything was clean and tidy, it was fine. She carried a red cloth bundle and, without even sitting down, said, "These red paper cutouts need to be pasted up on the door, walls, and inside the rooms. A bit of red adds festive vibes. The opening’s just around the corner."
Since she had brought them with good intentions, Shen Yaoqing naturally didn’t refuse. Smiling, he said, "Before we left, Mother mentioned we should buy some to put up, but Erqing and I thought we’d wait."
Yan Shi opened the bundle, revealing a half-bowl of paste. She placed it on the butcher table and said, "You young people are always so laid-back. The shop’s opening in two days, you should’ve prepared earlier. Otherwise, you’d be scrambling at the last minute."
She took out the contents and, since Shen Yaoqing was tall, directed him where to paste each one. The two of them bustled about in a flurry.
Old Man Yang, with a tobacco pipe tucked at his waist, reached for it, thinking to borrow a light from the neighbor and smoke a couple of puffs at the door. But Yan Shi spotted him and scolded, "Worthless old man! You’re no help at all, just wandering around or fussing with that pipe. Go paste this on the door!"
Old Man Yang, long accustomed to his wife's scolding, didn’t even blink. He tucked the pipe back, took the red paper, dipped his fingers in the paste, and headed to the back.
After berating him, Yan Shi turned and saw Shen Yaoqing pasting the cutouts on the walls. Her expression instantly softened, and she nodded approvingly. "Good, that’s just the right height."
Shen Yaoqing, pasting red paper on the shop’s front door outside, stifled a laugh and didn’t respond.
Yan Shi went outside to supervise, complaining as she directed him: "That old fool, when I was scrubbing the flour vat yesterday, I called and called, but he didn’t hear me. Your sister-in-law wasn’t home either, busy at the tavern. I couldn’t move the vat alone, so I had to roll it out on the ground."
"After I finished scrubbing, I had to heave it back up myself. Then the old man came back from outside! I was so mad, I’d told him I was cleaning the vat, but he forgot and went out to fool around!"
No wonder Old Man Yang hadn’t uttered a word of protest today, he was guilty.
Since they were elders, Shen Yaoqing didn’t comment, just smiled and said, "Don’t be angry, Shiniang. In a couple of days when we open, we’ll need you to help oversee things."
Yan Shi finally smiled at that.
Before long, Shen Xuanqing returned with a large iron pot. It was tied with hemp rope, with a cross knot in the middle for easy carrying. Inside the pot were four large iron hooks and several knives, all of which he brought back.
The days passed quickly. Once everything in the shop was ready, the opening day arrived in the blink of an eye.
In the late morning, when the sun was bright, Lu Gu packed a bundle containing Little Lingjun’s diapers and a spare set of clothes. Babies couldn’t hold it in like adults, and sometimes they wet their pants. Since they’d be staying overnight in town, it was best to be prepared. It wasn’t yet summer, and wet clothes would leave the child cold if not changed promptly.
Unsure when they’d return the next day, he packed extra milk fruit - sixteen in total, in a basket, placing the bundle inside as well.
The basket was filled with Little Lingjun’s things. He himself brought nothing, only tucking a money pouch into his robe in case they needed cash.
The shop was opening tomorrow, so they’d have to slaughter pigs and start selling early in the morning. Jixing Town was farther than Fenggu Town, so they had to leave earlier. Little Lingjun was still so small, if they traveled at dawn while he was still asleep, the jostling might make him cry and hard to soothe. So they had decided to go a day early. For these two days, Shen Shunwang and Shen Yuping would look after things at home.
Today, Shen Xuanqing would haul the big pig to town on the mule cart. Since there was no one to watch the shop, the rabbits, chickens, and ducks they’d brought over yesterday were temporarily kept at the Yang family’s place. As for Lu Gu and the others, Shen Yaoqing had already borrowed Lin Shouyi’s mule cart—after all, the fat pig took up so much space on the cart that there’d be no room for people to sit.
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