There were several lanes in Tang’an County reserved for wealthy households. Xie Yushu found a reliable-looking housing agent and inquired about purchasing a property.
She’d already decided: she wanted a three-courtyard house.
At first, she’d considered a two-courtyard—enough for her, Su Chi, and her father. They didn’t need much space.
But Su Chi’s pregnancy had made her reconsider.
She hadn’t thought about children before, but now that one was on the way, she had to—what if Su Chi found one child wasn’t enough and wanted more?
She had no objection. However many he wanted, she’d agree—she could afford them.
Besides, her business was growing, profits were substantial, and once the little one arrived, they’d need to hire a few live-in helpers.
The house couldn’t be too small. Xie Yushu ruled out two-courtyard homes and only looked at three-courtyard properties.
She told the agent her general requirements. The agent smiled and led her to Hedong Lane to view the first property.
The first was a three-courtyard house whose previous owner had moved away two years ago. The agent had regularly had it cleaned, so it was bright and spotless, with no hint of mustiness.
Lighting and ventilation were impeccable. Some furniture—bed frames, tables, chairs—had been left behind by the previous owner. Nothing too precious, but all the essentials for the main rooms, side rooms, and smaller chambers were present.
At the back of the western courtyard was a lotus pavilion and a pond. The pond had dried up, overgrown with wild grass—it would need to be dredged and refilled.
Xie Yushu paced through the front and back yards twice. She noticed there was spare space in both, enough to plant a few osmanthus trees. In autumn, the whole yard would be filled with fragrance—the fallen flowers could be made into osmanthus honey and cakes. Su Chi would love that.
“The previous owner was a businesswoman like you. She moved to the prefecture with her family two years ago after striking it rich. Though she was a merchant, she loved literature and the arts—her tastes were refined, and the layout naturally reflects that quiet elegance.”
Xie Yushu nodded—it really was lovely.
She had the agent show her the other two properties. After viewing all three, she found the first one still suited her best.
The other two were also three-courtyard, but their layouts were less satisfying—spacious at first glance, but the back courtyards felt cramped, with side rooms pressed too close together—messy and unattractive. The first house was superior in every way.
Xie Yushu made her decision quickly and asked about the price.
“The first one is 620 strings, the second is 530 strings, and the third is 480 strings,” the agent reported.
Xie Yushu understood—the prices matched the quality. The first house was clearly the best overall.
At 620 strings, it wasn’t a fixed price—there was room to negotiate, probably around 20 to 50 strings lower.
After more than half a year in business, she had enough profit on hand—nearly 700 strings in liquid funds. The rest was tied up in operating costs for the workshop and base.
Su Chi’s money chest likely held a few hundred strings, but Xie Yushu didn’t want to touch that.
A good price on the three-courtyard house, plus the shop, furniture, and hiring a few live-in helpers—700 strings should be enough.
Seeing her hesitation, the shrewd agent quickly changed tactics: “If the price is too high, I have several two-courtyard homes—not as large, but more than enough for you and your fulang. They’re only 300 strings.”
“550 strings.” Xie Yushu wasn’t interested in two-courtyard homes and went straight for a deep cut.
“Absolutely not! Miss, you’re cutting far too deep—no one negotiates like that!” The agent’s eyes went wide in shock.
“This is one of the best locations in Tang’an County—the layout, the furniture—what part of it isn’t worth 620 strings?”
“600 strings.” The agent held up six fingers, also taking a step back.
“570 strings.” That was roughly Xie Yushu’s target price.
“Oh, miss—that’s too low.” The agent gritted her teeth and relented further. “590—I can’t go any lower. I’ll talk to the original owner.”
“I don’t want to haggle endlessly. I like this house and genuinely want to buy it. Ask the owner. If the price works, I’ll take it.”
“Final offer—580 strings. If not, I’ll walk. I’ll find another agent—I’m sure they’ll have other listings.” Xie Yushu shrugged casually.
The agent hadn’t expected her to be so tough. She gritted her teeth, looking defeated: “Fine, fine—I’ll ask the owner. Come back tomorrow for my answer.”
After leaving Hedong Lane, Xie Yushu headed to the commercial street.
The county’s streets were twice as wide as the town’s. People streamed through, and shops stood one after another—in far greater variety than in the town, with many shops she’d never seen before. Colorful shop banners fluttered in the wind outside many storefronts.
She didn’t rush to ask. Instead, she walked the entire street from end to end.
The street wasn’t far from Hedong Lane—a quarter-hour walk—which suited her fine. Su Chi wouldn’t be too tired commuting between shop and home.
The shops varied in size. Since they were moving to the county, she naturally wanted a larger one, to give Su Chi room to work.
Her fulang had so many ideas—he’d been planning to introduce new spring dishes, but then the little one came along, and she and his father had ordered him to rest at home until the first three months were safely past.
Xie Yushu knew Su Chi’s passion for earning money. Once the baby was stable, he’d be diving straight back into the shop. She couldn’t let him handle it all alone—she’d need to hire at least two more people for her own peace of mind.
She went to find an agent specializing in shopfronts nearby and asked about the market on this street.
The agent was clearly experienced. Spotting Xie Yushu’s distinguished bearing, she laid on the flattery: “This street is lively—customers stream through from dawn till dusk. If you set up shop here, you’ll never lack business. And look around—these are all comfortable households with money to spare. If your goods suit their taste, you’ll make a fortune.”
The agent talked a good game, but Xie Yushu wasn’t fooled. How could an ordinary shop make a fortune?
With her own business already providing for the family, getting Su Chi a shop was more about keeping him occupied and happy. Making money was secondary—she couldn’t be bothered to call the agent out.
The agent leaned in and lowered her voice: “Miss, shops on this street are in high demand—there aren’t many vacancies. If you’ve got your eye on one, you’d better act fast.”
“Let’s go take a look.” Xie Yushu told her to lead the way.
As the agent had said, there were indeed few empty shops on this street—just a handful scattered here and there. Some large, some small, and even a two-story one.
Seeing Xie Yushu remain silent, the agent assumed she wasn’t interested.
“If none of these suit you, there’s a new street being completed in the west part of town—all shops,” the agent offered with an apologetic smile. “Though, of course, business there won’t be as good as this street. It’s a bit quieter.”
“No, this is fine.” Xie Yushu shook her head. The west side was far from Hedong Lane—Su Chi would be too tired going back and forth. She couldn’t bear that.
Though there weren’t many vacancies on this street, one shop caught her eye. It was easily twice the size of the shop in town, with a spacious back kitchen and a large dining area for customers—room for five or six tables on each side, with spare wall space for a long counter against the wall. Nothing wasted.
After some back-and-forth bargaining, Xie Yushu secured it for sixty strings.
They exchanged money for the deed and keys—deal done.
Afterward, Xie Yushu headed to the workshop on the east outskirts of town.
Ye Youchun had been shuttling between here and the base, but now that Xie Yushu was moving her life and business to the county, she could leave Ye Youchun in full charge of the base.
The workshop had hired a fulang specifically to cook. The food was decent. Xie Yushu ate lunch with her workers.
“Master, you’re moving to the county?” Xie Jiu asked between mouthfuls, curious.
Since Xie Yushu had taken her in and helped re-establish her household registration, Xie Jiu had come to see her as her master. She’d even let Xie Yushu change her name to Xie Jiu—from then on, she was a servant of the Xie household.
Though Xie Yushu disliked the whole buying-and-selling-people business and had only signed a long-term work contract, Xie Jiu still treated her as her master.
“Mm. We’ll be moving soon—it’ll be more convenient for managing the workshop too.” Xie Yushu nodded, then turned to her: “When I move, you’ll come back to the Xie household with me, specifically to protect the fulang and watch over the house.”
Xie Jiu was strong, honest, and genuinely useful. The workshop had enough hands now—she wasn’t needed there. But the household badly needed someone to guard the property, and she was perfect for the job.
“Got it.” Xie Jiu refilled her bowl and grinned. Whatever her master said, she’d do. She was sticking with her master for life.
The next day, Xie Yushu went back to the agency. The agent was already there waiting, beaming as she told her the owner had agreed. She’d managed to convince the owner’s daughter—who was in town—to accept the offer.
“The owner’s daughter wants full payment upfront,” the agent said.
“Fine by me,” Xie Yushu agreed.
She’d already exchanged her seven hundred strings into silver notes. She handed over five hundred and eighty strings, plus a tip of one hundred wen.
The agent thanked her profusely and handed over the prepared deed.
With everything settled, she entrusted the shop and house keys to Xie Jiu, instructing her to find a few people to clean and maintain the properties.
With that done, Xie Yushu didn’t linger in Tang’an County. She headed straight back.
After just two days, she already missed Su Chi.
Back home, she first rested with Su Chi for a bit. When she woke, she placed the two newly acquired deeds by the bedside and went outside to retrieve the fruit his father had chilled in the well that morning.
The fruit had soaked in the well for most of the day—cold and refreshing, with the crisp coolness of the well water.
Just looking at the fruit made your mouth pucker—it looked so sour.
Since getting pregnant, Su Chi had developed a particular craving for sour things, especially fruit.
The fruit had been carefully picked by his father at the market—specifically chosen for its tartness. He knew his son’s tastes perfectly.
Before leaving for the shop, his father had reminded her to take the fruit out once it was chilled, to satisfy Su Chi’s craving. The weather was warming up, and Su Chi’s appetite had waned a little.
Inside the room, the windows were propped wide open. The early summer breeze drifted in, gently stirring the sheer bed curtains.
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