CHAPTER 188: CHAPTER 186 PEI SHENYAN’S TROUBLES (2)

The Second Princess was also eager to see the shop she had rented, so she agreed enthusiastically, "My pastries are almost sold out. I won’t sell these remaining dozens. I’ll take them back as snacks for you all."

To thank Mu Yuanxiu for helping watch the shop, the Second Princess wrapped ten pastries in oil paper and gave them to him, "Neighbor, this is your share. Freshly baked, they are delicious."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled slightly and accepted them, "Thank you, Second Sister Li."

Actually, the Second Princess was a year younger than Mu Yuanxiu, but he always called her Second Sister Li, which she was quite fond of.

The Second Princess waved her hand generously, "No need to thank me. Hahaha. If the shop does well, I’ll treat you to something even better."

"Li Yu En, are you done or not? Hurry up!" The Great Princess urged her.

The Second Princess had a lot of things, and everyone was helping to tidy up, except she was still talking, prompting the Great Princess to start shouting.

"Coming, coming." The Second Princess turned to pack her belongings.

Mu Yuanxiu put the package of baked goods into his backpack and went to help.

Li Xing’an and the Second Young Master looked at him, saying nothing.

Mu Yuanxiu swiftly moved two jars onto the cart and secured them with a rope.

Li Xing’an and the Second Young Master went together to lift the small stove.

Mu Yuanxiu approached, "Second Brother Li, Third Brother Li, let me do it."

The stove had been baking pastries and, although extinguished now, was still hot outside.

The brothers were unsure where to start lifting, so their actions were slow.

Mu Yuanxiu rolled up his sleeves and walked over, requesting them both to step aside, surprising them, "The stove is hot, how can you lift it alone?"

Mu Yuanxiu said nothing and borrowed two old cloths from the neighboring bun shop. He wrapped the cloths around his hands and then lifted the stove onto the cart.

The Second Young Master and Li Xing’an, "..."

The Second Princess beamed, "Second Brother, Third Brother, the two of you together couldn’t lift the stove, but Neighbor Mu did it alone. It shows that his strength exceeds both of yours combined."

The brothers glared at the Second Princess and grumbled internally, stupid girl, did you really have to mention such an embarrassing thing?

Don’t they care about face?

The stove was in place, and the jars were settled, but some unburned charcoal remained unpacked on the cart.

Feeling disgruntled, the brothers refused to move it.

"Second Sister, you handle the rest," the Second Young Master said with a darkened face.

"Good way to lose weight," Li Xing’an snorted coldly.

The Second Princess blinked with a worried expression, "But I can’t carry it!" There was still half a basket of charcoal unburned, weighing around twenty pounds.

"Second Brother Li and Third Brother Li must be tired after busying with the business, so I’ll carry these myself," Mu Yuanxiu went to lift the charcoal basket.

This touched the Second Princess.

"Oh, Neighbor Mu, you really are a good person," she said with a beaming smile, then asked Li Yuzhu, "Isn’t he, Third Sister?"

Li Yuzhu thought for a moment, Mu Yuanxiu indeed was a warm-hearted and straightforward good neighbor, "Yes, he is a good person." He even helped her make clothes.

The brothers’ faces turned even darker, snatching the charcoal basket from Mu Yuanxiu’s hands and placing it on the cart.

Worried Mu Yuanxiu might idle and lift more things, the brothers skillfully loaded the remaining stuff onto the cart.

Unused flour, a small covered bucket of clean water, a rolling pin, a clean oil can.

Miscellaneous items piled up a cartful.

Mu Yuanxiu looked at them busily with confusion, "..."

The Great Princess looked at the loaded cart and said, "Li Yu En, you should have rented a shop earlier. See, with all these chaotic items, people’s lives will be impossible if we move them every day?"

The Second Princess replied with a smile, "Haven’t I already rented a shop now?"

Li Yuzhu urged everyone, "Quickly, let’s go. The shopkeeper said the young owner rarely visits the shop. If he leaves, renting the shop would be delayed again."

"Yes, yes, let’s hurry," the Second Princess echoed.

They all headed towards the rented shop.

When they arrived, the young owner had not left yet.

The Second Young Master and Li Xing’an looked at the young owner with curiosity.

This young man looked somewhat familiar!

Mu Yuanxiu stepped forward, "Mr. Pei, these are the brothers of the sisters you met earlier. I’ve brought them to see the shop, and also to complete the lease paperwork."

"I’ve been waiting for you all. Please come in to talk," Pei Shenyan walked out of the shop and invited Li Yuzhu and her siblings inside.

Half the shop was piled with various shoes, the other half vacant with tables and chairs, presumably for people to sit and rest while choosing shoes.

The Second Young Master stepped forward and greeted Pei Shenyan respectfully, "May I ask, Mr. Pei if you are acquainted with the Pei family of the Capital?"

Pei Shenyan’s expression shifted slightly, his gaze coldly replied, "I am not. I have never been to the Capital. I am a native of Willow Tree Village, Xingfu Town, Qingyang County, Zhen An Prefecture."

The Second Young Master exchanged another glance with Li Xing’an, both visibly relaxed a little.

The Second Young Master smiled faintly, "The surname Pei is quite rare, so seeing it made me think of the prominent Pei family in the Capital."

The shopkeeper standing nearby laughed, "Our family is only a small household here, how could we dare relate to anyone from the Capital? If we really could, we wouldn’t need to run a shop here, the Capital is much better with gold everywhere."

Pei Shenyan observed the Second Young Master and Li Yuzhu’s siblings, his gaze flickering slightly, "Are you from the Capital?"

"Ah yes, life in the Capital is difficult to sustain, so we came here to make a living," the Second Young Master said.

Zhen An Prefecture is the southernmost state mansion of Zhao Country, with most of its area covered by towering mountains.

Grazing is impractical, and there is too little land for farming.

Even living by the mountains doesn’t make one wealthy, as many of them are rocky mountains.

Transportation is inconvenient too, with no big rivers for boat passage and no straight and wide roads leading outside.

Survival conditions are poor, making it Zhao Country’s poorest state mansion.

Though very poor, people with a Capital accent occasionally come seeking livelihood.

These people never explicitly mentioned why they came, but those well-informed could guess they had offended nobility and were exiled here.

Pei Shenyan didn’t press further, inviting everyone inside the shop for inspection.

Li Yuzhu first checked if the shop doors were sturdy and durable, then inspected the furniture to see if they were still usable.

The inspection results satisfied her, as the shop’s decor was quite appropriate.

With no issues found, the Second Young Master signed on behalf of the Second Princess, writing his own name Li Xingsheng, and affixed his fingerprint.

Pei Shenyan was surprised, "Your surname is Li? The Li Family of the Capital?"

The Second Young Master said, "Yes, many surnamed Li come from the Capital. Mr. Pei, you might not know, but to become affiliated with the Royal Family, some refugees claim the surname Li. Therefore, ten percent of the Capital’s population bears the surname Li. However, our ancestors were not refugees, we... were given the surname, as our ancestors were adopted by a Li family, hence we took on the surname Li."

Lying is really hard, the Second Young Master exhaled.

Pei Shenyan smiled faintly, "I see."

No deposit was needed, just a signature completed the rental contract.

Pei Shenyan promised them they could vacate the shop today, and they could move in tomorrow.

The process went very smoothly, and Li Yuzhu and the others left contentedly.

The shopkeeper watched the departing Li Yuzhu siblings, speaking to Pei Shenyan with suspicion, "They spoke the official language of the Capital and are surnamed Li. Could they be..."

"What does it matter who they are?" Pei Shenyan replied with a bitter smile, "With my health, what do I have left to concern myself with?"

The shopkeeper said, "Young Master, God blesses good people. You will surely encounter a miracle doctor who will cure your illness. Don’t lose heart."

"Even if I get well, will they recognize me again? Pei Ji?" Pei Shenyan mocked with a bitter smile.

"Young Master, maybe they will? Please focus on getting better first. With such talent, the master cannot ignore you forever," the shopkeeper comforted him.

Pei Shenyan shook his head and laughed coldly, "I was sent here a month after being born. Seventeen years have passed, has he ever come to see me? No, nor written a letter, or sent anyone to visit. To him, I was considered dead long ago!"