Chapter 339 : Making A Living (2)

As Yuxi had expected, Yun Qing disagreed with her plan to open a restaurant. It wasn’t that he had this manly idea of keeping Yuxi out of the limelight, but opening a restaurant was tedious. He was afraid that Yuxi would be tired because of it. “You don’t have to worry about supporting our family. I can still afford to do it.” Although his salary was not much, he got a lot of booties every year, and with all that he earned, he could still support his wife and children.

Yuxi said softly, “I won’t be tired. I’ll just ask about it on weekdays, and I’ll definitely let Han Ji and the others take care of the specific things.”

Yun Qing still disagreed.

Yuxi only wanted to inform Huo Changqing about her plan, not help her persuade Yun Qing to agree with it. She treated Huo Changqing as an elder and felt that she needed to give him a heads up on such a big thing. Otherwise, if she didn’t say a word about the restaurant’s opening, there would be a perception that she was treating him just like an outsider. As for Yun Qing, although his nature was a bit stubborn, Yuxi believed that as long as she slowly ground him, she could always make him agree in the end. Of course, if he was still obstinate with his opposition, she could bring out Huo Changqing’s name at that time.

Yuxi persuaded him with a smile, “Husband, I’m really not going to get myself tired. Just let me try it! Husband, please agree with me, okay?” Momo Quan taught her that one couldn’t be hard on men and had to be flexible. She should ground her high-grade well-tempered steel husband until he turned soft and could be wrapped around her finger. In fact, in her two lifetimes, this was the first time she acted coquettishly, which made her feel awfully uncomfortable.

Yun Qing hesitated. “You will need to prepare many things to open a restaurant. Do you know how to handle these things?” A restaurant was different from others as one had to pay attention to every aspect.

Yuxi smilingly responded, “Husband may not know. My mother has seven or eight small and big stores under her name, including a silk store, a rice store and a workshop. If she has to handle each store personally, won’t she be exhausted? As long as we choose a good shopkeeper, I will only control the general direction of the restaurant. Husband, please let me try it out! Don’t worry. I will take care of my health and make sure to not tired myself.”

Seeing the expectation in Yuxi’s eyes, Yun Qing finally nodded and said, “Since you want to do it, you can go ahead and do it. Having Han Ji alone to handle won’t be enough. I will pick another person for you.” Han Ji was a foreigner, and he couldn’t even speak the dialect of Yu City. If he went out to talk about business, he would definitely be bullied.

Yuxi smiled. “Okay! Thank you, Husband.”

Yun Qing’s agreement to Yuxi’s proposal came with conditions. “But if I find out that you only care about the store and do not pay attention to your rest, I will have to shut down the restaurant.”

Yuxi shook her head and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t make fun of my body. By the way, if we’re truly going to open the restaurant, then first, we have to purchase a batch of wine now.” After saying that, she told Yun Qing about the method of purifying wine. This method was very simple. If someone one couldn’t trust got it, one wouldn’t be able to do it as an exclusive business, like in her previous life, where the secret couldn’t be kept.

Yun Qing nodded and said, “I’ll leave this matter to Hao Dazhuang then.” Hao Dazhuang was a soldier under Yun Qing who had a glib tongue. It’s just right for him to do such a thing.

Yuxi shook her head and said, “Husband, you can just send that person to me when the time comes.” Hearing this statement from Yun Qing, she knew that he did not know how to handle everyday affairs. So instead of letting him command blindly, it was better not to let him interfere.

Yun Qing also did not force Yuxi as he said, “Alright, he will be for you to use from now on. By the way, this restaurant will be put under your name.” Putting it under Yuxi’s name was tantamount to saying it was her private property, which had to be incorporated into the dowry.

Yuxi smiled brightly. “Husband is very kind.”

The following day, Xu Wu handed Yuxi three thousand taels of silver, saying that this was what Yun Qing gave him for her to open the restaurant. “The General said that Madam can inform Yifu if it is still lacking.” All of Yun Qing’s money was in Huo Changqing’s hands!

Yuxi took the silver ticket with both hands and said with a smile, “I know.” He gave her the capital to open the restaurant, but the restaurant would be her private property. This husband of hers was really thoughtful.

After finishing the household chores, Yuxi went into her study and wrote down what she wanted to prepare for the restaurant. After writing it down, she was going to show it to Master Yang to see what she had missed.

Zisu entered and informed her, “Miss, Eldest Young Miss Fu has come over and wants to meet with you.” She felt that Miss Fu really did not know about etiquette. She did not even send a post informing her visit.

Yuxi also felt very uncomfortable but did not show it on the surface. “Go prepare tea and cakes.” After saying that, she went out to welcome her guest.

Moxiong

Image Credit | The image rightful owner via NewHanfu (Hanfu History of Ancient Chinese Underwear, Jan 15th, 2020)

When Yuxi arrived at the yard, she caught Fu Qingluo wearing a white muslin gown over a flashy pink moxiong, revealing her beautiful neckline and clearly visible collarbones. She looked very charming.

Yuxi secretly let out a sigh of relief in her heart. Fortunately, Yun Qing did not like this type of woman. Otherwise, she would really have to start worrying. She smiled and asked, “What brings Miss Fu here?”

Fu Qingluo brought two pots of chrysanthemums. The yellow and orange flowers looked gorgeous. Fu Qingluo smiled and answered, “I guessed you should like these flowers and plants like my Dasao, so I brought you two pots of chrysanthemums.”

Yuxi smiled and responded, “Thank you, Miss Fu.”

Fu Qingluo took a look at Yuxi. Since her visit was sudden, there was no time for Yuxi to change her clothes, not to mention dress herself up. This time, she wore a light blue dress, embroidered with a few specks of red plum on it, and there was a white belt tied on her waist. Her dark silky hair was tied into a bun and was only inserted with a plum blossom white jade hairpin. Despite its simplicity, it still made Yuxi appear fresh and elegant.

Fu Qingluo’s gaze lingered on Yuxi’s face for a moment. Looking at it, which was still white and red without using rouge and powder, she commented with a smile. “Yun Qing has always wanted to marry a gentle and lovely well-bred girl. Now, he has gotten his wish.” Han Yuxi’s appearance was awfully outstanding, but not to the level where it was capable of causing the downfall of a state. But the quiet and gentle temperament of a noble lady was what men liked best. At least, it was what Yun Qing was fond of.

This didn’t sound right. Yuxi suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and responded with a smile, “I wonder what Miss Fu wants by complimenting me?” Unless one was extraordinarily close or had an urgent matter in the capital, it was highly impolite to come to the door without prior notice.

After Fu Qingluo sat down, she put her whip on the table next to her. She did not drink the prepared hot tea but only ate a piece of cut honeydew melon. After eating, she smiled as she answered, “It’s nothing much. I thought you were bored staying home alone, so I came to see you.”

Yuxi truly wanted to say I don’t know you well, and my boredom has nothing to do with you. But her upbringing did not allow her to let out such words. “Thank you for your kindness, Miss Fu. But I have a lot of things to do in my residence, and I’m too busy all day long.” It meant that she was not bored at all.

When Fu Qingluo heard this, she said, “What are you busy with? It’s just some chicken feathers and garlic skins, like embroidering clothes. Oh, that’s right, I heard that your embroidery is superb. Let me undergo the eye-opening experience, too, if you don’t mind.”

Yuxi took out the handkerchief in her sleeve and handed it to Fu Qingluo. Her previous impression of Fu Qingluo was not good, but not bad either. At this moment, she even wanted to sigh.

Fu Qingluo took the handkerchief, looked at the front and then the back, and was surprised. “Is this double-sided embroidery?” After saying that, she looked at Yuxi and asked, “Did you really embroider this?” Her words were full of suspicion.

No one could blame Fu Qingluo for being suspicious. In fact, many people’s first reaction to hearing about this matter would be dubious. The official ladies in Yu City knew that Yuxi was an outstanding embroiderer. Still, they did not know that she could do double-sided embroidery. Even Yuxi herself wouldn’t proclaim that she could do it all over the street.

Yuxi’s expression did not look good.

Zijin snorted coldly as she countered, “What? Does Miss Fu think that my Miss has taken someone else’s embroidery and pretended it to be her work? If you really think so, you will be very disappointed. This handkerchief was indeed embroidered by my Miss herself.”

Fu Qingluo laughed a little and said, “How come? It’s just that I find double-sided embroidery is a difficult thing to do. And I’m just a little surprised that Madam Yun can already master it when she isn’t that old yet.” She thought Han Yuxi was a girl without any temper, but now she seemed to have one! Apparently, her previous opinion of Yuxi had been ruined.

Yuxi smiled a little and said, “I’m just a little talented in embroidery.”

Fu Qingluo looked at Zijin and advised her with a smile, “Your Miss is already married to Yun Qing, so it’s about time you call her Madam.” Yuxi was already married, so how could she be called Miss anymore?

Zijin choked for a moment before letting out a challenge. “I heard that your martial arts skills are very high. I want to swap pointers with you. I don’t know if that is possible?”

Fu Qingluo was a little surprised. “You want to swap pointers with me?” After saying that, she took a serious look at Zijin, feeling that she might have made an error in judgement.

Zijin stepped forward and said, “I heard that Miss Fu is a superb martial artist and has even been to the battlefield. I really respect Miss Fu and would like to exchange a couple of moves with Miss Fu. I wonder if this is possible?” She used to feel quite good about Fu Qingluo and even envied her for living freely. However, this time she no longer felt this way. She only thought that this woman was too self-righteous and annoying.

Fu Qingluo didn’t care that Zijin was a maid either. She smiled while raising the handkerchief and said, “Okay, but this handkerchief will be mine if you lose.”

Zijin asked, “What if you lose?” She still had confidence in her own martial arts.

Fu Qingluo smilingly answered, “If I lose, you can make one condition. I will not refuse as long as it is within my ability.”

Zijin looked at Yuxi. When she saw Yuxi nod slightly, she raised her voice and said, “Alright.” She would make sure to suppress this woman so that she wouldn’t be arrogant anymore.

The two of them then competed in the yard. Fu Qingluo used a very flexible whip; Zijin with a knife, but did not use her usual one hundred sixty jin broadsword. The broadsword was too dangerous. If she accidentally hit Fu Qingluo with it, the incident would put her in big trouble.

It was not a life and death competition, just a sparring match. So Yuxi was not that worried as she just stood by the doorway, watching the two people measuring each other’s ability. In the beginning, it was as she expected, where each of them took turns to attack. Suddenly, she didn’t know what kind of wind had hit Fu Qingluo as she landed her whip on Zijin’s body.

Zijin didn’t want to suffer any loss either. There was no way she would just let her hands be tied and wait for death when Fu Qingluo started to fight her seriously. Thus she used the sword in her hand to be wrapped by Fu Qingluo’s whip and then used her palm to slap Fu Qingluo’s body. However, Zijin controlled her force by only using fifty per cent of her usual power.

Fu Qingluo took two steps back, tightly squeezed the whip in her hand and smilingly said, “I didn’t expect a hidden dragon and crouching tiger will be by Madam Yun’s side!” No wonder Yuxi could reach Yu City peacefully since she had such capable people around her. Fu Qingluo’s knowledge of Yuxi rose to another level.

Looking at the blood marks on Zijin’s body, Yuxi’s face turned very ugly as she said coldly, “Miss Fu, please go back. Zisu, see the guest out.” She only agreed in the beginning because it was just for sparring. Unexpectedly, Fu Qingluo started to get ruthless. This woman was really not a good person.

Fu Qingluo smiled a little and said, “It is inevitable that you will be injured in a fight, and you will get used to it after a few more times.” Since one wanted to compete, one had to be prepared to get hurt. She was also unwilling to go easy on her opponent in this type of competition.