Chapter 2 The Next Day
The next day, Bai Sheng felt much better.
She had earlier neatly stacked the grains from her space in the courtyard. The first batch of grains was not much, about two thousand jin.
She wanted to test the waters first, and producing too much at once would easily arouse suspicion.
Yesterday, she had sent the little beggar by the roadside to deliver a letter to Wen Zhimu, asking him to come to No. 9 Xinghua Street today to pick up the goods.
Right after breakfast, Wen Zhimu and his third uncle arrived with several carriages.
Wen Zhimu was quite excited to see so much grain. In a time of severe drought, this grain was more precious than gold. Grain could fill stomachs, but gold could not. Moreover, having gold did not guarantee the availability of grain.
When he saw Bai Sheng's legendary, exceptionally handsome husband, he was even more surprised.
"I have met Brother Lu. I did not expect Brother Lu to truly be exceptionally handsome. Your bearing and temperament truly make me feel ashamed of myself," Wen Zhimu had always considered himself refined and possessing an extraordinary demeanor, but upon seeing Lu Ye, he realized his perspective had been too narrow.
What Bai Sheng had said was indeed true. The man in simple clothes before him was a peerless handsome man who needed no adornment to be a masterpiece.
As for whether he doted on Bai Sheng without any flaws, Wen Zhimu felt Bai Sheng had not lied.
From the moment he had entered the courtyard, Lu Ye had not let go of Bai Sheng's hand, and he kept calling her "Niangzi" with utmost affection, appearing to be a devoted husband.
"Brother Wen is too kind. Brother Wen is the true gentleman, refined as jade," Lu Ye secretly appraised Wen Zhimu. The first time he saw him was while tracking him at night, and he hadn't seen his face clearly. Today, he was such an exquisitely handsome young man.
"Not at all, not at all. Brother Lu flatters me. In front of Brother Lu, I am like a mere thistle compared to a phoenix and a jade tree," Wen Zhimu said with sincere humility and smiled, "Tomorrow, our 'Mo Sheng' grain shop will open. As one of the proprietors, Brother Lu and Sister Bai Sheng must attend to show their support."
"Mo Sheng?" Lu Ye's expression paused. "Is this the shop name created by combining Brother Wen's name and my Niangzi's name?"
Wen Zhimu nodded, "Naturally, this is our joint business. What, Brother Lu, do you not think this name sounds good?"
Lu Ye smiled, "Well... it's not that, it's just that 'Mo Sheng' sounds a bit 'unfamiliar' to me, and I fear... the meaning might not be very good."
Wen Zhimu fanned himself with his paper fan and smiled confidently, "Brother Lu, rest assured. I consulted a feng shui master, and he said this name is extremely auspicious.
'Mo' refers to the pathways in the fields; 'Sheng' signifies the sprouting of bamboo and the idea of continuous life. Combined, 'Mo Sheng' means evergreen fields and endless life, a sign of great fortune.
Therefore, our grain business will surely be smooth and prosperous, thriving!
Moreover, the shop's signboard has already been made. If we change it now, it will certainly be too late."
Lu Ye cleared his throat and touched his nose, "Then... let it be."
The third uncle, watching his young master, had his eyes twitching anxiously. He knew that Young Master Lu wasn't actually concerned about the meaning of the name; he was feeling jealous and didn't want his Niangzi's name combined with another man's. Alas, his young master was… too unobservant.
After loading all the grain onto the carts, Bai Sheng decided to go along to see the shop. It was to open tomorrow, and if there were any issues, they could be rectified in advance.
Lu Ye scooped her up in his arms, deliberately glanced at Wen Zhimu, and then gently placed Bai Sheng in the back carriage.
Wen Zhimu felt inexplicably stared at by Lu Ye. He touched the back of his neck and then stepped onto the front carriage.
The third uncle once again put his hand to his forehead. Did his young master not see it? Young Master Lu was deliberately showing affection right under his nose.
Oh dear, this young man was truly slow when it came to love. No, he would have to remind him later when they got in the carriage to be more mindful of boundaries when interacting with Miss Bai.
The third uncle sighed and got into the carriage.
Inside the carriage, seeing his young master fanning himself with a paper fan, looking spirited and proud, the third uncle cleared his throat and said, "Young Master, is Young Master Lu not satisfied with the name 'Mo Sheng'? After all, his Niangzi's name is combined with another man's name. Could he possibly be… 'concerned'?"
The third uncle emphasized the word "concerned" heavily, hoping to enlighten his young master.
Wen Zhimu cast a faint glance at the third uncle and smiled, "Third Uncle worries too much. Why would Brother Lu be concerned? Sister Bai Sheng's beauty is truly reassuring, she wouldn't get involved with any man." Although Bai Sheng was his good friend, saying this was a bit inappropriate, but it was the truth.
The third uncle felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, "That's not necessarily true. I think Miss Bai, apart from her beauty having some flaws, is quite a good person, and that Young Master Lu cherishes her very much."
"Alright, Third Uncle, stop overthinking," Wen Zhimu said impatiently. "Nothing will happen between Sister Bai Sheng and me, it's completely impossible. We are just simple business partners and good friends."
The third uncle sighed and remained silent. Forget it, persuasion was useless. He would wait until his young master understood on his own. Hmph, you think his wife is a weed, but he thinks his wife is a treasure.
When it came to love between men and women, when would his young master ever get enlightened? He was almost twenty and had no intention of getting married at all.
It was worrying.
In the carriage behind.
Lu Ye looked at Bai Sheng, who was sitting opposite him. He hesitated to speak several times. Finally, he clenched his fingers, as if making a decision, and asked Bai Sheng, "Bai Sheng, what do you think… of the name 'Mo Sheng' grain shop?"
"It's quite good," Bai Sheng replied, pulling back the carriage curtain with her hand and looking out at the street, without turning her head.
"Quite… good?" A hint of dejection flashed in Lu Ye's eyes. "Really… quite good?"
Bai Sheng's gaze shifted back to the citizens of Qinghuang Kingdom being bullied. She nodded unconsciously, "It's really quite good."
Lu Ye sighed with resignation, "Alright then, if you think it's good, then… it's good."
If his wife liked it, what could he do?
The carriage did not take long to reach the grain shop.
The shop's nameplate, made of walnut-colored original wood, displayed the four large characters "Mo Sheng Grain Shop" written in grass-clerical script. It looked ancient and simple, exuding a kind and fresh atmosphere, which was very fitting for a grain shop.
The shop had two rooms, an outer and an inner one, and was very spacious with simple decorations.
The outer room had wooden grain bins of consistent size and specifications placed against the three walls, convenient for customers to choose from. The walls were plastered with colorful paintings of various grains such as wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans, which looked vibrant and attractive.
The inner room served as a warehouse for storing grain. Lime powder in bags was placed in the four corners of the room to absorb moisture.
What Bai Sheng did not expect was that there was also a spacious small courtyard behind, with wooden racks set up for drying grain.
Wen Zhimu had thought of everything very thoroughly.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Wen Zhimu walked up to Bai Sheng, full of pride, and asked with a smile.
"Mmm, very good. Brother Wen certainly has a business mind," Bai Sheng praised.
Lu Ye, who had been standing behind Bai Sheng, slowly shifted his feet, moving almost imperceptibly until he was between Bai Sheng and Wen Zhimu.
Wen Zhimu turned his head and saw Lu Ye, who was completely blocking Bai Sheng.
He smiled, "Brother Lu also thinks our shop's renovation is quite good, doesn't he?"
Lu Ye nodded, "It's alright."
Bai Sheng looked out at the street again. This street was called Lilai Street, not far from Tongfu Street. The street was quite prosperous, and the customer flow should be quite good.