After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Nowadays, people in the county town are living better lives. They no longer just care about having enough to eat and wear. Selling these toiletries is sure to be a booming business.

More importantly, Su Tai wanted to use this business as a dowry for her eldest daughter, Shen Yuezhang.

A woman's dowry is her source of security. With a generous dowry, she can live as she pleases even after marrying into her husband's family. If the couple doesn't get along, she can still live comfortably with her dowry.

Having made up her mind, Su Tai asked the yamen runners for help and found a few carpenters to come over. She told them what she wanted and asked them to help renovate the shop.

The shopkeepers of the neighboring shops had been keeping an eye on this prime location, and as soon as they saw any activity, they immediately inquired about it.

Shopkeeper Qiu, who sells rouge and face powder on the left, ran to Shopkeeper Xue, who sells gold, silver and jade ornaments on the right.

"Old Xue, do you know what kind of business they run next door?"

Manager Xue had just seen off a customer when he peeked in thoughtfully, asking, "When did they arrive?"

"Just now! I've been thinking about it. This street has everything, even two coffin shops. Several shops around here cater to female scholars. I wonder if the owner of this shop will break our rules!"

Shopkeeper Qiu was deeply worried, and his concerns were not unfounded. What if the shop next door dealt in the dead, and scholars and women avoided it because of its bad luck? Even worse, a shop selling rouge and face powder had opened up the back alley, and his business would definitely not be able to continue.

Manager Xue peeked forward again and saw that there were only two carpenters working inside, so he led Manager Qiu in to get information out of them.

"Master, you're busy! What are you all making?" Manager Xue put his hands behind his back, looking like he was on an inspection tour.

The two craftsmen gave him a strange look, but didn't try to hide anything. They said as they worked, "Making a row of cabinets and counters, as well as tables, chairs and benches, isn't it all the same?"

Manager Xue nodded. Very good, he didn't get anything out of him.

Manager Qiu then asked, "May I ask what your boss does?"

"I don't know," they both answered in unison.

Shopkeeper Qiu immediately became anxious, "How could I not know? What kind of business do you run and you don't even know how to do this job?"

The foreman laughed in exasperation, "We're carpenters. We just need to make a request and we'll get to work. What's the point of knowing so much? It's the rule in the trade: less talk, more action. If you have nothing else to do, go outside; you're blocking the light!"

Manager Xue and Manager Qiu were rebuffed and left, their faces flushed and their anger simmering.

Since they hadn't gotten anything out of the shop, the two became even more interested in it.

For several days in a row, no one other than the carpenter came over, and their curiosity reached its peak.

As they waited and waited, the yamen runners finally arrived.

When the constables entered the shop, the two men immediately ran out. They watched carefully for a while but the constables didn't come out. About 15 minutes later, after the constables left, they went back into the shop and found that the carpentry work had changed.

Clearly, the constable had come to deliver a message.

The two exchanged glances and secretly whispered to each other in a corner.

"It looks like this shop belongs to the government."

Shopkeeper Xue wholeheartedly agreed, "If it's the government, they probably won't be doing business with the dead, which will put our minds at ease."

"That's hard to say! What if?" Manager Qiu said this, but he was starting to worry about that shop competing with them. However, because of the constables, he dared not openly inquire any further.

Under these circumstances, the two carpenters finished decorating the shop in twenty days. After the carpenters left, several bricklayers came and brought over a lot of exquisite tiles, cement, sand, and lime. After they started working in the shop, the shop door was closed, and everything was taken out from the backyard. Shopkeeper Xue and Shopkeeper Qiu were even more curious now.

For a whole month, there was constant banging and knocking from next door, and sometimes it was completely silent.

Just as Manager Qiu and Manager Xue were getting used to it, two workers carried a large signboard and hung it on the shop.

This also means that the shop will be opening soon.

The two of them went over to watch the excitement.

"Qingfengzhai!" Manager Xue finished reading, then stroked his chin thoughtfully, "It sounds like they're in the business of selling to scholars."

Shopkeeper Qiu breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good business with scholars! There's only one study on this street, so it won't hurt to have another one."

Despite saying that, Manager Qiu couldn't help but complain in his heart that the owner of Qingfengzhai was inconsiderate. There were very few people who went to school in small places like theirs, and it was only in recent years, when life had improved, that people started sending their children to school.

One study is enough; adding another one would make the business unsustainable and lead to bankruptcy sooner or later.

Su Tai and Shen Yuezhang, who were in the backyard of the shop, had no idea about the speculation and discussion of the people outside. They were calling on Alan, Yu Dong, Chunfeng and Chuncao to move boxes inside.

Chunxing and Chuncao were the names Shen Yuezhang gave to his two maids. They were both orphans and only had birth order; they didn't even have nicknames.

The two girls worked with great enthusiasm. As soon as the things were moved into the yard, they stared wide-eyed at the three forked stone paths in the backyard and the delicate flowers and plants.

He exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "Madam, Miss, this courtyard is so beautiful! And there are flowers too!"

Shen Yuezhang covered her mouth and chuckled as she looked at Su Tai, "Mother, thank you for going to so much trouble."

She had known all along that the shop was given to her by her mother, who had said that she was in charge of managing it. She had come today to make arrangements, but she hadn't expected that her mother had already taken care of all the tedious things for her, so she didn't have to worry about anything.

Su Tai smiled and said softly, "Be careful, carry the things to the storeroom behind the shop, I'll show you around."

Pushing open the door to the room closest to them, the floor was covered with clean, smooth imitation marble tiles, the four walls were painted white, and the room contained a large huanghuali bed, a not-so-small cabinet, a set of tables and chairs, and a dressing table.

A pot of bright pink flowers was placed on the windowsill, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Shen Yuezhang fell in love with it at first sight, "Mother, this place is just like our home."

Su Tai chuckled and patted her head. "From now on, we'll stay here whenever we come to the city. Whatever you like."

"like!"

Su Tai led her outside again, saying, "This backyard is a small two-courtyard house. This side is closer to the back gate. We won't stay here; we'll stay in the next courtyard. The layout is the same."

The mother and daughter, along with their servants, toured all the side rooms in the courtyard to familiarize themselves with the surroundings before finally heading to the front shop.

Compared to the bright and tidy backyard, the shop appeared much more luxurious.

The floor is covered with intricately patterned tiles that are easy to look at. The tabletops are covered with exquisite tablecloths, made of a material different from silk and cotton. Each table also has a three-tiered, elegant fruit platter.

The stairs leading to the second floor have been fitted with anti-slip features.

Shen Yuezhang asked curiously, "Mother, what's the second floor used for?" (End of Chapter)