Chapter 190: Freedom of Choice with Shops
Datou was an absolute sister-obsessed boy. Between the carriage and the ox cart, he would definitely choose to let his sister ride in the carriage.
“I’ll ride the ox cart with Brother Li.” Datou stood beside Li Yi, showing his support through action.
Li Yi patted Datou’s head.
As for Wen Fa and Wen Jin, they cared even less. Having studied at the academy for so long, they knew deep down that women should be cherished—all the more so for their own sisters. Furthermore, they had come to understand how difficult life was for women under feudal etiquette.
Wen Yao was already almost eleven years old, so it was indeed inappropriate for her to show her face in public by sitting openly on an ox cart. Thus, the two boys also sensibly placed their things onto the ox cart.
Wen Jun didn’t even need to be asked. Between the carriage and the ox cart, it was an absolute given that his younger sister took the carriage while he took the ox cart.
“Brother Lu, then you drop off Yao’er and Wen Nong. Let Lu He drive us,” Wen Jun instructed Lu Jiang.
“Yes, Eldest Young Master.”
Wen Yao didn’t stand on ceremony with them either. Although it was still early, the sun had already come out. She had managed to nurture her skin back to a slightly fairer complexion recently, and she didn’t want to get tanned all over again, so she decisively climbed into the carriage.
“I’ll make something delicious for you guys when you come back tonight.” Wen Yao arched her eyebrows, said a word to her brothers, and entered the carriage.
Wen Nong also called out a greeting to the others and climbed into the carriage, sitting right on the driver’s ledge along with Lu Jiang.
As soon as they left, Lu River drove Dahuang forward, pulling Wen Xiuqing and the others along with Li Yi and Xun Feng—neither of whom had ever ridden an ox cart before—into town.
Compared to a carriage, an ox cart was much more bumpy. Moreover, Dahuang’s traveling now depended entirely on his mood; he would go fast one moment and slow the next. Had it not been for Li Yi practicing martial arts since childhood and knowing how to ride horses—leaving him well-accustomed to jolting—he probably wouldn’t have been able to take it by now.
With great difficulty, they finally endured until they reached the city gates. However, because they arrived late, the gates were already crowded. The ox cart couldn’t get through, so the group had no choice but to alight and walk to the academy.
“You don’t need to follow me to the academy today. Go to the master’s house, fetch my horse, and I’ll ride it back after school lets out,” Li Yi instructed Xun Feng.
Xun Feng froze, his eyebrows arching upward. “Young Master, are we still staying at the Wen family today?”
Li Yi cast a glance at him. “You don’t want to?”
Wen Yao had said she would make something delicious for them tonight, though he didn’t know what kind of delicacies she would prepare.
Xun Feng chuckled and whispered, “Miss Wen said she’d make something delicious tonight, though who knows what it will be. Young Master, since we’re going back today, should we send word to the Master? Won’t it be a bit inappropriate?”
Li Yi looked at the three brothers walking ahead, who were exceptionally excited as they chatted about who knew what. The corners of his mouth tilted up slightly as he quickened his pace to catch up with them.
“What are you all chatting about? We’ll be at the academy in a moment. Why don’t you tell me about the situation inside the academy?” Li Yi said.
Wen Fa blurted out quickly, “We’re guessing what kind of delicacies Yao’er will make tonight! Right, Young Master Li, why don’t you come back with us tonight? Let me tell you, when Yao’er says it’s delicious, it’s guaranteed to be delicious.”
Li Yi put on a face full of hesitation. “This… wouldn’t be very appropriate, would it? After all, we already troubled your family quite a bit yesterday.”
Wen Fa waved his hand generously. “What’s inappropriate about it? You saved Datou, which makes you the benefactors of our Wen family. Let alone a single meal, it wouldn’t matter even if you went to eat every single day. Isn’t that right, Datou?”
Datou was still dwelling on those few martial arts moves of Xun Feng’s. Hearing this, he nodded repeatedly. Reaching out to grab Li Yi’s hand, he tilted his head up to look at him, speaking with a face full of innocence, “Brother Li, just come along.”
Li Yi was practically bursting with joy inside, yet he maintained a hesitant expression as he spoke, “Alright then. However, I must inform my father first.”
“Mm-hmm.” Datou nodded, then glanced at Xun Feng and asked, “Is Brother Xun Feng going too?”
Li Yi looked back at Xun Feng and nodded. “Yes, he’s going.”
Datou smiled.
As long as he was going, it was fine.
Wen Jun had overheard their entire conversation along the way. However, what they said made sense, so he didn’t voice any objection. It was a good opportunity to observe this father and son duo a bit more; it was quite fine.
Just like that, with each person harboring their own thoughts, they arrived at the academy gates. Wen Jun watched them enter before slowly walking toward Jishi Hall.
Over at the docks, the renovations were still ongoing, but the first batch of planned shops had already been built. Currently, the road surfaces of the streets were being constructed, leaving the surrounding areas a chaotic mess.
The area of the docks was massive. This time, when Magistrate Chen planned the docks, he directly incorporated some of the wasteland behind it. Excluding the areas for loading and unloading cargo at the docks, shops began to be built along both sides of the roads starting from the original location where the vendors set up their stalls.
The shops selected by Wen Yao and her family were toward the front. Wen Nong had one, she had five, while Manager Qiu, Divine Doctor Jin, and Qiu Rongrong had five each, creating a long, continuous string of adjacent shops.
In other words, they occupied half of the shops on this half of the entrance street.
The workers were busily engaged in their tasks. Wen Yao found the clerk in charge of the dock shops and proceeded to finish the paperwork that hadn’t been completed yesterday.
Only when the property deeds were in her hands did Wen Yao’s heart truly feel at ease.
The clerk then led them to inspect the shops that belonged to them. It could be said that aside from a single structure, there was absolutely nothing inside—even the doors and windows hadn’t been installed yet.
“The doors and windows are already being made by the craftsmen. If the young lady and young master wish to open for business early, you can start hiring people to renovate the shops recently. By the time it’s finished, the doors and windows will be just about ready to be installed. Our Magistrate gave instructions that this street must be completed first, so please rest assured,” the clerk said to the two.
Wen Yao nodded, letting the clerk head back first while they strolled around by themselves.
As they strolled from shop to shop, they were all roughly the same. Wen Yao was too lazy to head further back, so she directly let Wen Nong pick one he liked.
Wen Nong scratched his head sheepishly. “This… I’m not good at picking. Yao’er, why don’t you help Brother pick one?”
Wen Nong had originally thought it would be good enough if he could manage to get a single shop at the docks. He hadn’t expected that he would actually achieve the freedom to pick and choose a shop; this was something he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of before. Although only one small shop belonged to him, his heart was still filled with joy.
Wen Yao walked around in a circle and came to a stop beside a small path. Following the path downward for a short distance, it surprisingly led directly to the place where the laborers usually worked.
“Second Brother, let’s pick this one right beside the small path. Although it’s a bit of a distance from the main entrance and exit, look—right over there is where the laborers work. This small path allows them to come straight up from over there without having to take the main road, making it much more convenient. Your main business is to cater to the laborers, so opening the shop at this location is the most suitable,” Wen Yao explained while pointing it out for Wen Nong to see.
Wen Nong took a look and saw it truly was the case, so he nodded happily. “Yao’er, you really are Second Brother’s lucky star. Then let’s choose this one. Is this shop yours? Brother will swap with you.”
“No problem.”
The two entered the shop and walked around for a few more turns. On the spot, Wen Yao gave Wen Nong a few renovation and planning blueprints, delighting Wen Nong so much that he wished he could find someone to set up the shop right now, so he could open for business and start earning money again tomorrow.
After all, he still owed his eldest uncle ten taels of silver.
