"And so, in a short time, Xu Xiao'e was indeed breathing more than she was exhaling."
"She died just like that?" Shen Xiaoyan asked.
Zheng Wei, however, shook his head, "If she had died like that, Yu Ji Jewelry Shop wouldn't be like this today."
"Big Brother is too slow, let me tell you," Lu Taobao chimed in, taking over from Zheng Wei and continuing the story.
"Xu Xiao'e had a maidservant who, for some unknown reason, was fiercely loyal to her, obeying her every command. Xu Xiao'e, feeling resentful, planned to get revenge on Yu Lu Fa, his wife, and that concubine who flaunted herself before her every day. So, she instructed her maidservant to secretly buy arsenic and add it to Yu Lu Fa and the others' dinner."
"But Xu Xiao'e hadn't expected that day, Yu Lu Fa's wife had taken the child out. When they returned, she said they had already eaten and sat aside, watching Yu Lu Fa and the concubine eat. As you can imagine, Yu Lu Fa and the concubine hadn't eaten much before they directly died."
"When Xu Xiao'e heard the maid's report, she realized that only Yu Lu Fa and the concubine had died. Feeling regretful that her plan had failed, she bit her tongue and committed suicide. The maidservant also hanged herself."
"After Yu Lu Fa died, his wife discovered that he had incurred a massive gambling debt. The people from the gambling house came to demand the money. She had some money, but Yu Lu Fa's debt was too large. In the end, she had to mortgage everything in the shop to the gamblers to clear the debt."
"Without Yu Ji Jewelry Shop, she had no way to survive in town. Moreover, she didn't know how to do business, and the children were still young. Finally, she dismissed her servants and temporarily moved into a rented courtyard, planning to sell the shop, then take the money and children back to her maiden family to buy some land, build a house, and live her life."
Lu Taobao finished speaking in one breath. He was so thirsty himself that he quickly grabbed the tea on the table and gulped it down. He only stopped after drinking three cups.
"Indeed, this woman's ambitions are not small. For that shop, plus the two courtyards behind it, she dared to ask for a thousand taels of silver. No wonder it hasn't been sold for so long," Lu Taobao continued to sigh.
"Did you give her the money?"
Shen Xiaoyan didn't look at Lu Taobao but at Zheng Wei.
Zheng Wei nodded slightly, "Yes, I did. I think the shop is quite suitable. If we're busy, we can even live there for a few days. However, it needs to be thoroughly renovated, preferably demolished and rebuilt."
Hearing Zheng Wei say he wanted to demolish and rebuild, Shen Xiaoyan found it a little amusing, but she also knew Zheng Wei's preferences and, fearing to displease him, nodded in agreement.
"It should be demolished and rebuilt."
"Ah? How long would that take? Didn't sister-in-law say you'd be opening in just over a month?" Lu Taobao exclaimed in surprise, looking incredulous.
"That's..." Shen Xiaoyan drew out the last syllable of "that" for a long time. She looked at Lu Taobao with amusement before saying, "There isn't enough time, so let's make do for now. We don't live there anyway, just renovating it properly will be enough, and it won't look like its old self."
Zheng Wei nodded at Shen Xiaoyan's words. He was just saying it; demolishing and rebuilding wasn't really necessary.
From the next day onwards, the three of them, Lu Taobao, shuttled between town and home.
They had to supervise the hired workers' renovations, especially the shop's interior, which could not be careless at all.
Not only that, but they also had to constantly look after the home. Zheng Wei didn't want these matters to distance him from Shen Xiaoyan and the children.
Busy days always pass quickly. A month later, the new shop was finally completed.
They found someone to pick an auspicious date, which was the sixth day of the ninth lunar month, so they set the opening day for then.
The day before the grand opening, Shen Xiaoyan and Yue Qingxin, along with the children, went to the shop to take a look.
The shop had four large rooms. The original doors and windows had been removed and replaced with large crystal glass windows, making the rooms bright.
Originally, the four rooms had four separate doors. Now, they had been combined into a large entrance, with crystal glass windows on either side of the door, both novel and beautiful.
Through the windows, one could see the pale pink cabinets inside. Looking at these cabinets, Shen Xiaoyan couldn't help but smile.
The cabinets were made by the local craftsmen, but the colors were painted by Shen Xiaoyan using the paints she had collected from her previous life in her space.
Lu Taobao had repeatedly questioned her about where she got the paint, saying that if there was more, they could mass-produce it and surely make a fortune.
Shen Xiaoyan ignored Lu Taobao's persistent questions. If he asked too much, she would directly push Zheng Wei forward.
As long as Lu Taobao saw Zheng Wei's gradually chilling expression, he wouldn't dare to ask any further questions, no matter how many he had.
The group entered through the large door, and Shen Xiaoyan walked through every aisle of the shop, examining all the counters, big and small, before finally nodding with satisfaction.
The layout was like that of a high-end cosmetic shop in her previous life, giving off a luxurious and enjoyable feeling.
Although the shop's decoration and layout were on the high-end side, the prices were not all exorbitant. They were naturally tiered, with expensive items and cheaper ones.
After a thorough inspection, they went to the second floor.
The second floor was divided into eight small compartments. Each compartment had a dressing table and toiletries.
These were for ladies or noblewomen to apply makeup.
After all, some products could only be purchased if one genuinely used them and saw the results.
After touring the entire shop, Shen Xiaoyan was very satisfied. In this era, achieving such an effect was already quite good.
"Do I not need to come for the grand opening tomorrow?"
Returning to the first floor, Shen Xiaoyan sat on a wooden chair and asked Zheng Wei.
"You could actually come. After all, you put in so much effort and energy," Lu Taobao said, his voice growing weaker.
Shen Xiaoyan knew why he was like this. Although this era was more open, it was rare for women to publicly engage in business.
It wasn't that Shen Xiaoyan, a person from the 21st century, had become prudish here. She was doing this not to stand out, but simply to pass the time, or to find a sense of purpose. Most importantly, of course, was to earn money.
Money would soon be flowing into her purse, and she didn't need to attract gossip at this critical juncture.
Whether it was Shen Xiaoyan's appearance or the events that had unfolded around her in recent years, they had all repeatedly pushed her into the spotlight of public opinion.
Although there was no internet propagation in this era, public opinion here was even more terrifying.
It not only affected one's own life but also the lives of those around them, their families, and their children.
Shen Xiaoyan would never allow such a thing to happen, so she preferred to stay behind the scenes.
"I won't come. You are the boss, and you are enough," Shen Xiaoyan said, shaking her head with a smile. She continued, "Besides, with you standing there, who would dare to cause trouble, who would dare to disrespect you? Perhaps on the first day, we can make a profit."
Lu Taobao, hearing Shen Xiaoyan's praise, raised his head proudly and said, "Naturally, my reputation as the young master of the Lu family is not for naught."
"It's a pity that you've been kicked out now..." Shen Xiaoyan continued where Lu Taobao left off.
"Pfft..." Lu Taobao choked on his own spit, his face turning red. It took him a while to recover.