Lu Ye and Bai Sheng took the newly dressed five children to the academy to meet the headmaster.
The five children’s new clothes were made of good fabric, and Bai Sheng had Qiu and Dong help them style their hair neatly.
Lu Yun and Tian Dou’s hair was styled into a topknot, decorated with green silk ribbons; Lu Yu, Tie Zhu, and Tian Ya had their hair styled into a child’s double topknot, also decorated with green silk ribbons.
While they didn’t compete with others, they also couldn’t be looked down upon. The five children looked quite presentable when they went out.
When they met the headmaster, the five children stood in a line, bowed deeply to the headmaster, and then shouted in unison: “Students pay their respects to the headmaster! We wish the headmaster prosperity, longevity, and a full garden of students!”
Their voices boomed, their spirit was as strong as a rainbow.
This was the greeting etiquette Bai Sheng had rehearsed with them beforehand. First impressions were important, and the five children performed exceptionally well today.
The headmaster’s shoulders jolted, and he was stunned for a moment. The few teachers behind him almost lost their balance.
When he recovered, the headmaster immediately straightened his chest and said heartily, “Good!”
Then, with eyes full of joy, he praised loudly, “Good men should indeed be full of life, with robust spirits and grand presence! Yes, very good!”
The five children exchanged proud glances and looked at Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng squinted and gave them a thumbs-up.
The headmaster was very pleased with these energetic and spirited children. He hadn’t seen such lively, vibrant, and pure, innocent children in a long time.
He just didn’t know about their foundations and comprehension. It would be too regrettable if their minds were muddled.
Therefore, after inquiring about their usual studies, the headmaster set a few questions to test them.
Although the children’s answers were not conventional, they all refreshed the headmaster.
“Good, very good!” the headmaster praised repeatedly, and immediately decided to accept all five children.
Lu Yun was admitted to Class A of the preparatory studies, Tian Dou and Lu Yu to Class B, and Tie Zhu and Tian Ya to Class C.
They could begin their studies tomorrow.
The academy’s tuition was not cheap, costing two taels of silver per child per month, which included two sets of academy uniforms. Writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were to be provided by the students.
However, this amount of money was nothing in Bai Sheng’s eyes now. Bai Sheng happily paid the tuition, and also paid a few extra taels of silver to buy two more sets of academy uniforms for each of the five little rascals. Her children often rolled on the ground, wearing out clothes quickly.
Before leaving, Bai Sheng also presented each of the headmaster and the teachers with a fifty-year-old ginseng.
These ginsengs were grown in the spatial realm. Because they grew quickly, they looked like fifty-year-old ginsengs externally.
The headmaster and the teachers were quite surprised and delighted.
These two young couples not only cultivated the five children well but also showed such respect for their teachers. They wished for more such student parents.
After sorting out the academy matters, Lu Ye and Bai Sheng took the children to buy five sets of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
They didn’t need to buy satchels; Granny Zhong’s weaving shop had already prepared them and placed them on the roof of the carriage when they arrived in the capital.
The five satchels were woven from smooth bamboo strips, with large capacity, light, and exquisite craftsmanship, making them very suitable to wear on their backs.
When they returned home that evening, Lu Ye and Bai Sheng summoned the five children again and gave them a thorough lecture.
The gist was to study diligently at the academy, not to cause trouble, and if they encountered unjustified bullying, they should not retaliate with brute force but use their wits. Only then could they better protect themselves.
The five children nodded vigorously, their voices resounding like thunder.
Bai Sheng temporarily entrusted the task of taking the five children to and from the academy to Lu Tong. Once the children were familiar with the environment and routes, she would hand it over to San Gouzi.
With the issue of the five children’s education resolved, the Lu family’s large mansion became much quieter.
During the day, everyone felt an unusual quietness, even San Gouzi had become a quiet handsome dog.
Wen Zhimu quickly found a suitable shop. He ran back excitedly, wanting Bai Sheng and Lu Ye to come and give him their opinion.
He considered Bai Sheng his lucky star and particularly trusted her judgment.
The shop Wen Zhimu chose was at No. 28 Hongyun Street, not far from Yuchengyu Grain Shop, separated by only two streets.
Bai Sheng noticed that Hongyun Street had many high-end restaurants, boutique clothing stores, banks, gambling houses, and brothels, as well as other high-consumption establishments, and it had a large flow of people. She felt that the shop was chosen very well.
Although there were already two jewelry stores on the street, Wen Zhimu said he was confident he could surpass them.
Bai Sheng took a look and indeed found a "Ming Bao Zhai". She felt her second elder brother was so arrogant now, with bursting combat power. It seemed that the Wen family would not last long.
The other store was named "Man Ying Jewelry," which should also be an old establishment.
Lu Ye also thought the shop was good. The people coming and going on this street were all wealthy, making it very suitable for opening a jewelry store.
He also noticed a two-story restaurant for subletting. Both floors of the restaurant were spacious, and it also had a front and back yard.
Such a superior environment for a restaurant ultimately resulted in its closure, suggesting that doing business in the capital was not as easy as imagined.
Lu Ye stood on the street, looked into the restaurant, his gaze shifted slightly, and then he walked away without a trace.
Seeing that both Bai Sheng and Lu Ye found the shop good, Wen Zhimu immediately bought it at a high price.
He didn’t want to rent because a rented shop had too many variables, and his jewelry store needed stability. If the location changed frequently, business would definitely be affected.
Anyway, in the capital, buying a shop on Hongyun Street was a profitable investment.
That day, he went to find craftsmen to renovate the storefront.
Since his second elder brother had turned into a muscular man, his personality had also become fiery. In less than a few days, the shop was renovated.
Bai Sheng gave him some suggestions, stating that the interior walls of the jewelry store should be brighter, while the base of the counter display should be in earth tones, which could better highlight the color, clarity, and texture of the jewelry.
In addition, if the surface of the display table could be made of transparent colored glaze, customers could see the style of the jewelry at a glance.
The shop was spacious enough, and adding some flowers and plants inside would add a touch of vitality and elegance, giving customers a comfortable and relaxed feeling.
Wen Zhimu adopted all of Bai Sheng’s suggestions. After the renovation, it indeed had a stylish look.
The plaque with the golden characters "Yuan Bao" (Destined Treasure) was hung above the shop’s lintel, immediately attracting the attention of many people.
The owners of Ming Bao Zhai and Man Ying immediately sent people to investigate.
Upon discovering that the owner of Yuan Bao was the unfamiliar face of Wen Zhimu, not a shopkeeper under a noble family in the capital, the owner of Man Ying no longer took Yuan Bao seriously.
Hmph, some overconfident young people trying to get a piece of the jewelry industry were simply wishful thinking.
He would wait for this young man named Wen to be utterly defeated, losing everything down to his underpants.
The owner of Ming Bao Zhai was greatly surprised to see "Yuan Bao."
He had long received a letter from the Wen family in Tashazun County, stating that the Wen family and their jewelry store had been robbed clean by mysterious pickpockets and were now having difficulty eating.
Yet, this Wen Zhimu had opened a jewelry store in the capital. Could he be related to the Wen family’s theft case?