Hua Xiaomai had long wanted to wander around the city and buy so trinkets. She originally planned to ask ng Yuhuai to accompany her but feared it might interfere with his work. Now, with the company of her sister-in-law, she gladly accepted the offer without a second thought. After informing Wang Zhanrui and Master Tan, and instructing Sister-in-law Chun Xi and La i to watch the shop carefully, she left early the next morning.
Since she was pregnant and in no rush, the sisters walked through the streets at a leisurely pace. Upon entering Fuzhe County, Hua Xiaomai was led directly to Baosheng dical Hall by her sister-in-law to see Doctor Xing.
In this era, pregnant won, unless feeling uneasy, typically did not see a doctor as frequently as she did. Even her sister-in-law had only been more cautious because little Tie Chui had been hard to conceive. Thus, Doctor Xing was quite surprised to see her visiting again.
After checking her pulse and finding no serious issues—just a bit more weariness from the recent opening of Daoxiang Garden—the venerable doctor, habitually chided Hua Xiaomai. This ti, however, he was so impatient that he didn’t even bother writing a prescription and simply waved her away.
"I’ve never seen such an unreasonable doctor!" Feeling reassured, Hua Xiaomai laughed and said to her sister-in-law, "It makes wonder each ti I walk out if I forgot to pay him and that’s why he scowls at like that."
"Wasn’t it the sa when I was carrying Tie Chui?" her sister-in-law replied with a laugh. "Well, now that you know it’s nothing serious, you should be relieved. I can’t linger in the city too long; I need to get ho to feed my child. Let’s quickly check out that shop. Whatever you need to buy, let’s get it quickly so we can head back to the village!"
While speaking, she grabbed her sister-in-law by the arm and headed out.
The shop that ng Yuhuai had scouted for Jing Taihe was not far from Tiansheng Street. It took only passing through two alleys from there to the Lianshun Escort Agency. It was considered one of the busier parts of town, and the neighborhood was densely populated with fairly well-off residents.
The shopfront had not been used for a while and was now empty. An elderly thin man was guarding the place. Hearing that the sisters were there to examine the shop, he promptly let them in.
Hardly able to wait, Hua Xiaomai’s sister-in-law entered and began inspecting every nook and cranny of the place. Hua Xiaomai, not keen on idly wandering, chose a chair and took a mont to look around.
It must be said, the shop ng Yuhuai picked for Jing Taihe was indeed quite presentable.
A blacksmith shop undoubtedly needed to be spacious to accommodate the large furnace and a designated area for various tools. While the shop only contained two rooms, it was bright and well-organized, with a simple kitchen leaning against the back, sowhat shabby but adequate enough for daily als for a couple.
Ultimately, its pri location was its best asset, surrounded by a variety of other shops and frequented by many pedestrians. Not only was it convenient for shopping, but with skilled craftsmanship, they wouldn’t worry about attracting business.
Hua Xiaomai’s sister-in-law thoroughly inspected the place and was very pleased, happily pulling Hua Xiaomai to thank the old man as they left the shop.
"Your Yuhuai really attends to matters ticulously," she said sentintally to Hua Xiaomai on the street, "Just ntioning it to him was enough for him to find such a reliable shop. I really like it. Your brother-in-law told that such a shopfront costs only about a dozen coins in rent per year. Both your brother-in-law and I can afford it. Plus, that back room, just hang a curtain, and it’s plenty for us to live in—when you both are free, you should really give a proper thanks to both of you."
"He’s always been thorough in his affairs, not just today or yesterday. Why ntion thanks? We are sisters, and considering the relationship he’s had with my brother-in-law since childhood, there’s no need for that," Hua Xiaomai patted her shoulder. "Since you like it, let’s finalize the shop soon. You said it yourself, the place is good—others might eye it too. If you miss it, you’ll regret it. Regarding the renovations, the craftsn who worked on my garden expansion were quite skilled. I’ll have Sister-in-law Chun Xi lead you to them. Everything else is manageable; just make sure the walls don’t collapse again!"
She burst into laughter.
Hua Xiaomai’s sister-in-law playfully glared at her, half-serious, half-joking: "You still rember that incident after all these years? You don’t need to worry about that. This ti, we’ll make sure to build those walls solid and strong, they won’t collapse! And leave the decorating to ; I’ll ask Chun Xi about it later. You’d better rest well and take good care of the baby in your belly. Ensuring the baby cos out healthy and plump is what truly matters!"
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