Mrs. Mei's Survival Diary - Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Tea House

The day after Rong Yinshuang visited Shopkeeper Yan, Butler Wu visited the Taoist temple. 

As soon as she opened the courtyard gate, she saw Butler Wu, with a smile on his face and two wooden boxes behind him.

Seeing Rong Yinshuang coming out, the man hurriedly came forward, bowed to her and greeted, “Madam!”

Rong Yinshuang looked at the man in surprise and asked, “Butler  Wu, there is no need to be so polite. I wonder why you came here? Is there something wrong with Shopkeeper Yan?”

Butler Wu quickly waved his hand and said, “No, no, no, our aunt is doing just fine. She ate yesterday and slept through the night. Today, she looks a lot better.”

“Then…” Rong Yinshuang stared at him, puzzled. 

Butler Wu hurriedly signalled for someone to bring the two boxes from behind him to the front and said to Rong Yinshuang, “Our master is grateful to Madam for saving our aunt. He specifically instructed me to deliver these gifts to Madam. I hope you will accept them.”

After that, the servants opened the boxes. 

Rong Yinshuang was taken aback by what she saw. There was half a box of gold, half a box of silver, and a box of fine silk. She looked at the butler in disbelief and said, “This…this is way too much. I can’t take this.”

Butler Wu, who had seen his fair share of situations, quickly replied, “Why not? Even though our aunt is a concubine, she is dearly loved by our master. Madam saved someone special to him, so this is the master’s gratitude. I fear these gifts are hardly enough to show our gratitude.”

Rong Yinshuang stared at him in a daze for a while, then quietly approached the two boxes, examined them closely, picked up two silver ingots from the gold and silver box, and said, “In that case, since both the master and madam are so gracious, I won’t refuse. These forty taels will serve as a thank-you gift. I can’t accept more.”

Butler  Wu looked at Rong Yinshuang with a puzzled expression and asked, “Madam… don’t you think that’s a bit too little? It’s no problem; just let us know, and our master can provide whatever you need.”

Rong Yinshuang gave a slight smile and said, neither too humble nor too proud, “Even if your master can offer an outrageous price, I can’t accept such a price. I’ve known Shopkeeper Yan for a long time, and I’m not helping her for money. Please head back, Butler Wu.”

“This…”

Butler Wu wanted to say more, but Rong Yinshuang nodded and walked back to the yard.

The day after Rong Yinshuang turned down Butler Wu’s thank-you gift, another sedan chair appeared in front of the Taoist temple. Shopkeeper Yan, who had just recovered from a serious illness, stepped out of the sedan chair. Upon seeing Rong Yinshuang, she nodded and smiled at her, still carrying a hint of pride in her expression. It was hard to believe that such a strong woman would choose to be someone else’s concubine.

Rong Yinshuang welcomed the woman into the yard, brewed some tea, and invited her to sit down.

Shopkeeper Yan looked at Rong Yinshuang and said with a smile, “Thank you, Madam, for your help this time. Butler Wu came to deliver a thank-you gift yesterday to show my appreciation. Since you declined, I’m unsure how to express my gratitude.”

Rong Yinshuang poured the tea into a cup, handed it to Shopkeeper Yan, and replied, “It’s just a small favour. You’re being too formal, Shopkeeper Yan.”

Shopkeeper Yan smiled at her response. She didn’t want to dwell on the topic any longer, so she took a sip of tea, glanced around, and asked, “Where are the two young masters?”

Rong Yinshuang pointed towards the house and said, “They’re still asleep.”

“What are your future plans, Madam? Do you think of staying in this Taoist temple forever?” Shopkeeper Yan set down her teacup on the table and started a conversation with Rong Yinshuang.

Rong Yinshuang was unsure of what to say, so she could only respond with short sentences. “Honestly, this Taoist temple was left to me by my master. It holds a special significance for me. While it may be a bit simple, I’ve grown accustomed to it and it’s not too bad.”

“Madam, I’m not one to shy away from things. You saved my life, and I feel I owe you. I may not be wealthy in the capital, but I do own a few shops. If you’re interested, I’d like to give you some of them, so I can feel at ease,” Shopkeeper Yan said without any hesitation.

Rong Yinshuang stared at the woman at a loss for words.

Noticing her shock, Shopkeeper Yan continued. “I’ll prepare a list of all my shops for you to choose from later. While the shop you pick might not guarantee a fortune, it can still provide you with some income to get by.”

After saying this, Shopkeeper Yan instructed someone to bring over the details of all her shops and laid them out on the table for Rong Yinshuang to review. 

She looked at Shopkeeper Yan’s earnest expression and declined once more. “Put all the information away. I know nothing about business. My husband used to run everything. If you let me take over the shop, I’m afraid it will fail in two days…” Rong Yinshuang was telling the truth. Although Shopkeeper Yan’s original intention was good, once the shop really fell into her hands, let alone making money, it would be a problem whether she could survive.

But Shopkeeper Yan seemed to have expected Rong Yinshuang to say that. After she finished speaking, she immediately said, “Madam, don’t worry. I will give you the shop you choose, and I will give you both the shop and the people. You don’t need to run them specially.”

Rong Yinshuang was about to make an excuse to avoid responsibility when Shopkeeper Yan interrupted her, saying, “Madam, please don’t decline any further. For the sake of the two young masters, you must accept my generosity.”

Shopkeeper Yan’s words struck a chord with Rong Yinshuang. With a sigh, she began to sift through the information laid out before her.

The shops that Shopkeeper Yan had listed were quite impressive. They included restaurants, inns, clothing stores, and even jewellery shops. However, what really caught Rong Yinshuang’s attention was a teahouse.

“This Puxian Teahouse is quite well-known in the capital. It’s situated at the crossroads of the East and West Cities. People often come here to enjoy tea and chat, reminiscing about the past and discussing the present. It sees a lot of foot traffic daily, but due to the low prices of the tea, it doesn’t turn a profit.”

Noticing Rong Yinshuang’s interest in the Puxian Teahouse, Shopkeeper Yan quickly shared all the details she had.

As Rong Yinshuang listened to her explanation, her curiosity about the teahouse grew. She pulled out the information and examined it closely. She remembered her husband mentioning this teahouse before. Thanks to its prime location, it boasted three stories and a constant stream of visitors. He had even considered purchasing it at a high price for other business ventures, but the owner had always refused to sell.

‘It turns out that Shopkeeper Yan is the actual owner of this teahouse. It’s funny how things connect in this world. Who would have imagined that years later, I would have the opportunity to choose this very teahouse?’

Shopkeeper Yan saw Rong Yinshuang’s strange expression, as if it evoked some memories for her, so she didn’t disturb the young woman and waited for her to make a decision quietly.

Rong Yinshuang took a deep breath, raised her head, looked at Shopkeeper Yan and said, “Shopkeeper Yan, can this teahouse…”

“Madam.” Shopkeeper Yan said without hiding anything, “This teahouse is not profitable. The reason why I have been maintaining it is just because I don’t want people to have less of a gathering place. I don’t run it specially, but if you want it, I will give it to you. As long as the other shops you choose make money, it is not wrong to add this teahouse.”

Rong Yinshuang pushed the information about the teahouse in front of Shopkeeper Yan and said solemnly, “No, I only want this teahouse. I don’t want any other shops.”

“…Madam, have you made your decision? You know, other businesses earn way more than this teahouse, like that jewellery shop, that restaurant, and so on…”

Rong Yinshuang cut her off, saying, “I appreciate your concern, Shopkeeper Yan, but I really just want this teahouse.”

“But…”

“Shopkeeper Yan,” she interrupted again, “I shouldn’t even be asking for this teahouse, but here I am, shamelessly doing so, and it’s quite embarrassing for me. So please, don’t make this any harder for me, Shopkeeper Yan.”

Shopkeeper Yan gazed at her for a long time before he sighed and nodded. “In all my years of business, I’ve never encountered someone like you. You’re turning down heaps of gold and silver for a mere copper. Alright, I won’t push you. If you find that running a teahouse doesn’t bring in much income later on, my offer still stands. You can always come back to me.”

Rong Yinshuang expressed her gratitude to Shopkeeper Yan once more. 

Shopkeeper Yan instructed her staff to immediately hand over all the deeds for the teahouse—house, land, and labour—and prepared a contract. Once they signed and sealed it, she arranged for someone to take it to the government for registration and name change.

After all the paperwork was sorted, Shopkeeper Yan confirmed with Rong Yinshuang that someone would deliver all the official documents and contracts in the afternoon.

Rong Yinshuang invited Shopkeeper Yan to join for dinner, but she mentioned she needed to head over to support the teahouse when it reopened. After that, she bid farewell.

Rong Yinshuang walked her to the door, watched her climb into the sedan chair, and then let out a deep sigh. Moreover, she pinched her cheeks to confirm this was all real.

‘It felt so surreal; I own a shop? 

That is amazing!’

Yet, the words Shopkeeper Yan had just spoken echoed in her mind, and the details in the documents were crystal clear… Initially, she only wanted to help people, but she never anticipated that so much value would come into play. Ever since that day, she visited Liu’er Lane, she realised Shopkeeper Yan was more than just a shop owner, and the man who could make a strong woman like her become a concubine was definitely someone extraordinary. Still, she never imagined Shopkeeper Yan would repay her in such a manner.

The reason she picked that teahouse wasn’t solely because it was once favoured by her husband. Truthfully, she had a bit of selfishness too. A well-established teahouse hosts and bids farewell to numerous guests daily, making it a hub for news. If she wanted to succeed in this business, she needed to gather some information, and the teahouse was the perfect spot.

End of chapter 23

Have a nice day!