Only after the Lantern Festival was the New Year truly considered over. With court officials paying respects and government offices resuming work, another year began.
The Hua family's clan school also reopened its classes.
The weather remained cold, with old snow yet to melt and new snow falling repeatedly. Despite this, business in Green Moss Alley remained fairly steady, yielding considerable profits. Coupled with the canned goods trade, Hua Zhi had accumulated a substantial sum of money in a short time.
Before the New Year, Hua Zhi had asked her maternal grandmother to help scout for shopfronts. However, her requirements were quite high, and it wasn't until the end of February that news finally came.
"Hua Hua, I want to go too."
Hua Zhi felt a twinge of reluctance. She was someone who could stay indoors contentedly all year without issue, but she knew Shaoyao was not like that. Accustomed to freedom, Shaoyao had stayed quietly confined in the Hua family all this time only because she listened to Hua Zhi. Yet, she couldn't keep her shut in forever.
So Hua Zhi nodded. "You must not leave my side for even a single step."
Shaoyao immediately beamed with joy. "Yes, not a single step away."
The shopfront was not on the main street but in an alley several streets away from it. The area was not remote and had a pleasant name—Zhuangyuan Street. This name had been passed down for centuries, as it was said to have produced three top scholars in a row, making it a location highly regarded by feng shui masters as a treasure spot.
Naturally, such a place wasn't available to ordinary people. A large section was inhabited entirely by civil officials, and aside from Hua Lin Alley shared by the Hua and Lin families, this was the most esteemed area among scholars.
The shopfront her cousin had found was on this very street. Just hearing the name made Hua Zhi exceedingly pleased, and she had already decided to rent it before even seeing the place, even if it cost a bit more.
Stepping out of the carriage and standing on the carriage shaft, she looked up at the typical Daqing Dynasty architecture. Like all the surrounding buildings, this one had sharp eaves and corners, exuding an air of sharpness everywhere.
It was a two-story building with a courtyard—a standalone structure.
"Cousin." Zhu Ziwen, who had been waiting, came forward and followed her gaze toward the building. "What do you think?"
"Quite good." Hua Zhi looked at the unfamiliar young man beside him, who didn't seem like a broker.
Understanding her meaning, Zhu Ziwen stepped aside and introduced, "This is the owner, Young Master Wu Bi."
Wu Bi bowed slightly, and Hua Zhi curtsied in return.
"Let's go inside and take a look."
The courtyard was spacious, clean, and neatly leveled, with even the trees tidily maintained.
Wu Bi explained, "This shop used to be a silk fabric store. The previous owner had to rush back to their hometown due to a family emergency, so the place has been vacant since."
"Are they not returning?"
"No, they're not. The contract with me has already been terminated."
Hua Zhi nodded slightly, her eyes scanning the surroundings. The building didn't seem particularly remarkable from the outside, but inside, it felt much more spacious than it appeared. The rent was likely not cheap. In truth, she would have preferred to buy it outright, as that would give her a greater sense of security.
After inspecting the place from top to bottom, Hua Zhi was thoroughly satisfied internally, though her expression remained unchanged. "Might I ask if Young Master Wu intends to rent or sell?"
Wu Bi raised an eyebrow. "If the young lady can meet the price, selling is not out of the question."
Zhu Ziwen turned his head aside. "Circumstances change, Young Master Wu. Let's not have you demand an exorbitant price."
"Of course, business is about negotiation. Shall we discuss this elsewhere?"The three of them diverted their path to Yunlai Restaurant. With the third floor fully occupied, the manager led the party to a private room on the second floor and personally served fruits and pastries as an apology.
After a few sips of tea, Wu Bi spoke up: "You strike me as a sensible person, Miss, so I won’t beat around the bush. If you’re genuinely interested in the purchase, this is the price."
Wu Bi dipped his finger in tea and wrote the number six on the table.
Hua Zhi smiled. "You claim to be straightforward, Young Master Wu, but this price is somewhat inflated. The location is indeed good, and the building is fine—I won’t nitpick its flaws—but purely in terms of price, it exceeds its value."
"That’s Zhuangyuan Street. The name alone carries significant prestige. Whatever business you run there will be elevated several notches. You shouldn’t overlook these intangible advantages."
"I acknowledge its merits, but no matter how good it is, it’s still just a shop. If it were a residence, I’d buy it without hesitation. But as a commercial space, its location isn’t particularly advantageous."
"…"
The two went back and forth, while Zhu Ziwen remained silent, sipping tea and watching his cousin assert herself.
The shop was finally settled at four thousand eight hundred taels.
Wu Bi drained his teacup in one gulp, shaking his head with a wry smile. "With skills like yours, Miss, you’re bound to achieve twice the results with half the effort in business."
"Thank you for your kind words." Hua Zhi sent Ying Chun back to fetch the silver notes. It had been a long time since she’d put so much effort into a transaction; after the adrenaline faded, her fingertips still tingled slightly.
"Might I ask what business you plan to run?" Wu Bi added hastily, "Just a casual question—no need to answer if it’s inconvenient."
"Nothing that can’t be shared. People can’t live without clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. I’m merely working within those areas, picking up what others have overlooked."
Though she narrowed the scope, she still didn’t specify her plans. Zhu Ziwen raised his cup to hide a smile at the corner of his mouth, finding his cousin increasingly intriguing.
Wu Bi caught on as well. Being tactful, he smoothly changed the subject to trivial matters of romance and scenery until Ying Chun returned.
The intermediary also arrived. The two parties finalized the contract. Months after selling the villa, she had bought back a large shopfront for the Hua family at a comparable price. As she had said, making money was never difficult for her.
At the restaurant entrance, the Hua family carriage slowly approached.
Zhu Ziwen naturally intended to escort his cousin home. After bidding farewell to Young Master Wu, Hua Zhi boarded the carriage. As she lifted the curtain, she paused for a moment before quickly stepping inside, securing the curtain firmly. Then, she lifted a corner of the window and called out to Shaoyao, "Aren’t you getting in?"
"Coming."
In an unseen spot, Shaoyao shook her fist at Wu Bi. How dare he charge Hua Hua four thousand eight hundred taels? He’d better cough it up later!
Wu Bi rubbed his nose. If he had truly offered it for free, the esteemed Miss Hua would never have accepted!
As soon as Shaoyao lifted the curtain, the smell of blood made her hold her breath. Hua Zhi pulled her inside, and Shaoyao instinctively shielded Hua Hua behind her, warily eyeing the bloodied child who, despite severe injuries, stubbornly refused to faint.
Even through the Veiled Hat, the child sensed her hostility and shrank back, stammering, "I’m not… not a bad person…"
Hua Zhi burst out laughing. Shaoyao, expressionless, tossed aside the Veiled Hat. Compared to the child, she felt she was the one who looked more like a villain."Enough, he's injured this badly, what more could he do to me? Hurry and examine him." Hua Zhi bent over and moved closer to the child. Seeing the injuries up close made them appear even more horrifying - wounds oozing blood everywhere, some with flesh torn open, showing signs of both whip lashes and knife cuts.
Hua Zhi suddenly remembered that Cao Cao's face also bore knife scars. She immediately looked up and saw Cao Cao's gaze fixed on the child, his expression dazed.
PS: Thank you ladies for the rewards and monthly votes, special thanks to sbi****@163m for the big red envelope - it's so generous it can buy many books! I'm truly grateful, and honestly feel embarrassed with just one update. Kongkong will try hard to squeeze out another update today.
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