CH 169

Hong Ling’s gaze strayed to her belly, “But you are still carrying a child, it will be very tiring.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tire myself out, we can think about it and plan for it slowly.”

The child was very well-behaved, and never gave her trouble. She had been eating well and sleeping well lately as well.

Besides, they didn’t have to open the pastry shop all day, they could open the shop every evening for two hours and then rest.

Hong Ling asked curiously, “Why do you want to open a pastry shop? I heard that jewelry sellers and embroidery sellers make more money.”

Chapter 169

(61.2)

Ming Zhu also was aware that the designs embroidered by a good embroiderer could easily fetch a high price in affluent and wealthy places, and that a silk embroidered handkerchief could sell, if not for hundreds of taels, at least for tens of taels of silver.

“Because I loved pastries when I was a child. I couldn’t often eat them, so now I want to open a pastry shop myself.”

The family only gave her two taels of silver a month, and she was both gluttonous and picky, the pastry shop she liked to buy from was particularly expensive, so she could only send people there to buy pastries for her once every half a month.

Hong Ling was surprised, “I thought your family was rich, how come you were so poor as to not even have enough money to eat pastries.”

Ming Zhu just smiled and didn’t give any further explanation.

The autumn in Yangzhou was not cold. It had been sunny for a few days. The willow’s catkins on the riverbank were being tormented by the wind, cottons flowers were fluttering everywhere.

Ming Zhu and Hong Ling went to the most bustling part of Yangzhou to look at the shops, and after wandering around for a while, they saw a store that was available for renting.

Ming Zhu went inside to find the owner of the shop and ask for the renting price, she had a price in her mind, but the price he gave was too expensive.

Seeing that she was about to leave, the owner didn’t try to stop her, and only said, “I’m not worried about renting out this shop, miss, you should think carefully about it, there’s no other shop in the neighborhood like mine.”

Ming Zhu turned around and said, “I know, my sister and I will be discussing, and we’ll come back another day to give you a reply.”

Hong Ling spoke directly and asked, “If this shop of yours is so popular, why do you want to rent it to others?”

This originally was a shop selling antiques, the owner was young, he had opened this shop with his family’s money. Two years ago, he had no choice but to inherit the family’s business, so he had been more and more indifferent about this antique shop that was losing more money year after year and naturally the business turned bad.

Besides, he found the work too tiring, and wanted to simply rent it out.

“Business is bad.” He said truthfully.

Hong Ling tugged Ming Zhu’s arm, pulling her to the door, she whispered in her ear, “Let’s go to another shop, he said himself that business is bad, the feng shui here must be bad. What if we rent it and then lose our money?”

The young man was standing behind them and he heard all that Hong Ling had been saying.

Immediately, his face blackened, the corners of his mouth pulled up in a sneer as he ridiculed them without mercy: “If doing business is only about profit and never about loss, wouldn’t everyone do business? You’re dreaming awake.”

Hong Ling stepped forward to argue with him, but Ming Zhu took hold of her hand and said, “My sister doesn’t understand much about this.”

Hong Ling was like a cannonball, just a little bit was enough to make her explode. This dog looked like a man, but his character was really bad. Did he think he was that great?

The young man sized them up seriously, his eyes fell on the veil covering Ming Zhu’s face, and his temper, typical of a young master’s, flared up, revealing a harsh face and unkind words, “If there’s one thing that Yangzhou doesn’t lack, it’s beauties. I don’t know what you’re wearing a veil for and who you are pretending for?” He laughed sarcastically, “Besides, you are going out to do business, don’t tell me you are still afraid to show your face?”

These words were really unpleasant to hear.

Ming Zhu said, “I finally know why your shop is not doing well.”

That sarcastic and harsh owner was really too irritating.

After saying these words, Ming Zhu dragged Hong Ling out without looking back. Hong Ling had been holding her anger in. Still upset, she started cursing: “What bad luck to meet such a thing that spoil people’s appetite!”

Ming Zhu acted more calmly than she did, “You calm down.”

“Were those human words? What’s wrong with wearing a veil? If I had your face, I would wear a veil every day, anyone who wants to see me would have to pay first!”

“Speaking so much, aren’t you thirsty?”

“It’s fine.” Hong Ling’s anger came quickly but also disappeared quickly, after breathing some fresh air, she started to calm down.

The two were not without success today, after wandering further, they saw another shop available for rent.

Both the price and the location were suitable.

Ming Zhu paid the money and signed a contract with the owner.

The shop was not big, it used to be a noodle shop.

Ming Zhu didn’t meticulously redecorate the shop, she simply cleaned it up and hung a new plaque.

Half a month later, the small shop was done being restored and was now ready to open.

Ming Zhu’s belly was already very obvious, and even though she was wearing slightly looser dresses, she couldn’t cover the bulge of her belly.

When the pastry shop first opened, business was not too good, many people passed by, but no one came into her shop.

Ming Zhu was a little dejected.

Hong Ling felt it was strange in her heart, all the pastries made by Zhu Zhu were particularly fragrant and also beautiful to look at.

Even she couldn’t resist stealing two pieces when she was hungry, it wasn’t normal that they had no sales ah!

On the third day of the store’s opening, Ming Zhu finally got her first customer.