CHAPTER 182: CHAPTER 180: A KIND REMINDER

Guoguo responded with a soft "Hmm."

"Oh, you even know how to respond," Princess Consort Luling laughed, "Come, let’s nap together with grandma."

The grandmother and granddaughter went to the bedroom to rest, while Li Yuzhu headed to the kitchen.

The dishes Mu Yuanxiu sent were only eight varieties, but there was a lot of each. Making a bowl of each dish would never use them all up.

She reserved some of each dish, sliced them, stir-fried and plated them, then packed them into a basket and carried it up to Niu Tou Mountain.

The door of Mu Yuanxiu’s house was slightly ajar, and Li Yuzhu stood outside, politely intending to call out before entering the courtyard just as a homing pigeon flew out from a window.

It flapped its way north.

"Oh, Mu Yuanxiu, you’re releasing homing pigeons? Communicating with friends from afar?" Li Yuzhu called loudly towards the house.

Inside, Mu Yuanxiu was slightly taken aback and immediately came out.

He looked at Li Yuzhu with a somewhat astonished expression.

Li Yuzhu blinked, "Am I disturbing you?"

"Oh, no, just surprised," Mu Yuanxiu composed himself and smiled gently, "Why did you come up the mountain?"

"The dishes you sent were too much for us to finish. I brought them here for you," Li Yuzhu lifted the basket, "Every dish is included."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "Alright."

He took the basket, fully opened the door, and invited Li Yuzhu inside to sit.

"Oh, maybe next time. I have to help my Second Sister today; she’s busy preparing for the market tomorrow," Li Yuzhu waved her hand.

Though she was curious why he would release a homing pigeon.

"Alright, I’ll take the food out and return the basket to you in a bit," Mu Yuanxiu carried the basket to the kitchen.

Soon after, he walked out with the empty basket.

Mu Yuanxiu handed over the empty basket, then said, "I remember Second Sister Li wants to rent a shop. By chance, I heard of a shop looking to sublet."

Li Yuzhu was delighted, "Really? Where is it?"

"Next door to a tea shop. It used to sell shoes."

"That’s not bad. Do you know how much the rent costs?" Li Yuzhu asked again.

A shoe shop next to a tea shop likely wouldn’t do well.

But selling pastries is uncertain; people might want a snack after tea.

"One thousand eight hundred coins a month," Mu Yuanxiu said.

Li Yuzhu calculated in her mind, "One thousand eight hundred coins a month, that’s over twenty taels of silver a year. The price is acceptable."

"By the way, where’s the tea shop located? We’ll be going to the market tomorrow; we can check it out while we’re there."

Mu Yuanxiu broke off a twig and drew a map on the ground.

There’s only one street in the county market, with two small alleys, very simple.

After Mu Yuanxiu drew it, Li Yuzhu immediately recognized the spot, "Oh, it’s here. Thank you for letting me know. We’ll go take a look tomorrow."

"No need to thank me; we’re neighbors."

Back home, Li Yuzhu told the Second Princess about Mu Yuanxiu finding a shop.

The Second Princess fretted, "Ah, over twenty taels of silver a year? How can I afford it?"

Li Yuzhu explained, "I have an idea. When we agree to pay the rent, we can negotiate with the landlord to pay only one or two months at a time, or three months at most, instead of for a whole year. In this way, the money is manageable."

Three months is above five thousand coins, the Second Princess grimaced, "That’s still not enough."

"We can pool together; it will be enough," Li Yuzhu assured her, "Besides, we haven’t been to the market yet. Maybe the landlord collects rent month by month."

The Second Princess considered, "That’s true; let’s look tomorrow."

...

The next day was market day in the village.

Li Family’s siblings gathered to go to the market again.

The Second Princess was quite enthusiastic about making baked goods.

Yesterday, she spent half a day making cakes, and Li Yuzhu helped make some too, filling up two jars.

One flavor of cake per shape.

The Second Princess planned to bring the oven to the market today and bake while selling.

Nowadays, she was the most profitable family member besides Li Yuzhu, and everyone supported her.

At dawn, Li Xing’an loaded her oven onto the cart.

Second Young Master Li carried her two jars filled with cakes.

Li Yuzhu planned to sell herbs at the market, so she would go along and check out the shop Mu Yuanxiu mentioned.

The Xue Family hadn’t gathered many herbs and didn’t want to go.

Last time, she walked thirty miles to make only one hundred coins, which Xue Family felt wasn’t worth the trip.

Now the princely heir manages the fields. Once harvest money comes from them, the heir surely wouldn’t short-change her, right?

She just managed the accounts for the fields, and it was said the income wasn’t small.

The Great Princess had gathered a lot of herbs, including a small lingzhi mushroom, and eagerly wanted to sell it for money.

The siblings just arrived at the market when Li Yuzhu saw a veiled woman rush past them.

That figure looked very familiar.

Li Yuzhu blinked, huh, isn’t that Liu Da Niu’s Aunt?

Why was she veiled; what was she doing?

"Third Sister, what are you looking at? Hurry up!" The Second Princess urged Li Yuzhu.

"Coming." Li Yuzhu put Liu’s Aunt out of her mind and followed the group.

They bought booth tickets and went to the earliest stall location, next to the bun shop.

Since they were selling different food items, the shopkeeper of the bun shop didn’t reject them but greeted them, "Oh, the bunch of siblings is here again?"

"Just earning some pocket money, not big business like yours," Second Young Master Li waved to the shopkeeper with a smile.

He then praised the shopkeeper’s wife, "Madam, your business must be doing well today. Look, you seem even younger than last time we met."

The shopkeeper’s wife, in her thirties, wore somewhat bright clothing today, thinking herself not unlike a fifteen-sixteen-year-old girl. Praised by a young man, she was even happier.

"Hey, let me tell you, there’s also a woman selling baked goods like yours here today. Her goods are bigger. You’d better set a good price," the shopkeeper’s wife cheerfully advised them across a steaming basket.

This was a well-meant reminder.

Second Young Master Li said, "Thank you for the reminder, Madam."

Li Yuzhu stepped forward and bought some buns, "Madam, I’ll take ten buns."

After saying pleasing words, she earned business, which made the shopkeeper’s wife very happy, "Alright, ten hot buns just out of the steamer, take care!"

Everyone ate two buns and drank a bit of tea they brought, then began to work.

The jars were opened, a piece of parchment paper was placed over the lid, and several different shapes and styles of baked goods were laid out.

The Second Princess made intricately shaped baked goods, many of which were modern styles drawn by Li Yuzhu, or designs she had seen from Imperial Palace’s Imperial Chef pastry styles, naturally more unique than those made by village women.

Once the cakes were laid out, people quickly came to ask about prices.