The fifteenth day of the first month, the Lantern Festival, was also a good day for the opening of Wang Ji Lou.
Early in the morning, there were signs in the Ji Residence. The lanterns in the garden were all replaced with a new cluster of bright red, indescribably festive. Even outside the small courtyard where Yu Shu lived, there were two lanterns hung to match the occasion.
Yu Shu left after leaving a message. She had a lot of things to do today. First, Wang Ji Lou opened at noon. She didn't know how long she would be busy. In the evening, she still had to pick up Yu Xiaoxiu to accompany Aunt Cui for the festival. If she had time, she wanted to go to Huixing Street again. Maybe Jing Chen would come back tonight or tomorrow morning.
Horse Street was crowded today. The teahouses and shops on the nearby streets all opened today as if they had made an appointment. On the third day of the Lunar New Year in Anling City, the night was not allowed, the peddlers were not allowed, and the noise was not allowed. The small merchants and peddlers from the south of the city all wandered to the north of the city. Stalls were set up one by one by the roadside. All kinds of colored lanterns were hung out. There were also people making glutinous rice balls and selling sugar figurines. At this time, there was not much noise, but it would be more lively if the lanterns were lit at night.
Yu Shu deliberately passed by the front door of Wang Ji Lou. She was not surprised to see that there was a long horizontal plaque made of red silk on the elegant door outside the building. It was decorated with colorful flowers and attracted a lot of attention from passers-by. However, the door was not opened.
Going around the back door, it was a mess. The originally empty backyard was filled with sundries. Lin Fu was instructing Gui Liu and a few temporary hired helpers to carry things up and down. When they saw Yu Shu, they all put down what they were doing and greeted her.
Yu Shu motioned for them to continue working, then turned around and entered the kitchen at the back of the building. Xiuqing and two cooks were preparing the desserts that would be used today. There were seven or eight steamers on the two-foot-long stove, and white steam was rising from them.
In the front building, the tables and chairs were orderly. There were fifteen to sixteen jars of old wine behind the counter. Xiaodie and Xiaoqing were pasting colored paper on the stairs. It was seven feet high from the ground. There were nearly a hundred colored lanterns hanging vertically and horizontally above their heads. They were all square holes made by the palace. Yu Shu knew that the small black and black words on them were puzzles. This was a gimmick for today's opening. Anyone who could solve the puzzles by picking up the lanterns would be exempted from paying for a table of food and wine. This move by Xue Rui was impressive.
Both the front and back of the building were making final preparations for the opening at noon. Everyone was so busy that Yu Shu was the only one who was free.
Seeing that there was nothing for her to do, Yu Shu went to the second floor. Yesterday, she went to Zhao Hui's house for her birthday and left Kim Bao with Yu Xiaoxiu. She was afraid that it would run around when there were too many people today.
Just as she took the account book and sat down at the desk, Xiaoqing knocked on the door. She said that the hot water was ready and asked her to take a bath and change clothes. She also said that the tailor sent the new clothes yesterday afternoon.
"Miss didn't come yesterday. The clothes were placed in the room next door. Let me bring them over for you to take a look. The stitches are very meticulous."
Hearing this, Yu Shu was stunned and asked her to bring the clothes to this room. Xiaoqing went to carry a pile of neatly folded clothes and put them on the bed. Yu Shu shook them out and looked at them one by one. They were even more exquisite than the paintings that day. She couldn't help but like them.
She asked Xiaoqing to send someone to bring the hot water up. She washed and changed her clothes.
After taking a bath, Yu Shu sat in the elegant room. She wore a clean white undershirt and a cotton-padded jacket as she sat in front of the pear mirror. Her face was pink from the hot water. She didn't know if it was the effect of the pills she took these days, but the yellowish color on her face faded and her skin became smoother.
Other people couldn't move their hands away, so Xiaoqing went to the back of the building to ask Madam Bai to comb her hair.
"Miss, how do you want to dress up?" Madam Bai looked delicate and quiet. She spoke in a gentle voice. Yu Shu thought that she would be wearing Hu clothing later, so she said, "Let's do a simple and clean style. There's no need for too many buns." Madam Bai understood.
She saw that there weren't many hairpins on the dressing table, so she used a comb to comb her freshly dried hair. She said, "Then, let's tie it into a bun. I'll use a silk ribbon to tie a hair band for Miss and a white jade hairpin. You don't need to wear something like silver-red and emerald. You'll look good."
Yu Shu didn't understand these things, so she casually agreed. She would only say that it was beautiful after her hair was tied up. Her facial features weren't exquisite, but she had a standard oval face. If she really followed the example of a noble young lady from a prestigious family, she wouldn't look good without the cloud and flower hairpin in her hair. Instead, she would naturally reveal her forehead and face. Her facial features were clear, and she looked more elegant.
She then changed into a pair of Hu clothing and short boots. She had a narrow waist and flat shoulders. When she stood in front of the mirror, she looked even more spirited. Her hands and feet were slender, and she was three points taller than a woman. Her facial features were bright, and she looked three points better than a man's.
Xiaoqing held a teacup and stood on the side. She looked at Yu Shu and blushed slightly. Madam Bai also felt embarrassed to stare at Yu Shu for too long. She dabbed some black powder on her face and slightly fixed the shape of her eyebrows before excusing herself.
At this time, someone spoke from outside the door, "Miss, have you finished packing? Young Master is here. Please go downstairs to see him."
Yu Shu was rubbing the snake oil ointment on her hands when she heard Xue Rui's arrival. She replied, "I'll go down now."
"Eldest Brother, you're here."
In the small hall downstairs, Xue Rui was listening to Lin Fu's report. When he heard the voice, he turned his head and saw the sunlight shining through the door. Yu Shu walked in, looking neat and tidy. She wore a dark green brocade dress with narrow sleeves and a long lapel collar. The dress hung straight down to her knees, revealing a pair of thin magnolia trousers. The trousers were tightly tucked into a pair of small leather boots. With her back in the sunlight, her slender and tall figure could be seen clearly. Her fine black hair was tied up, her face was bright, and her eyebrows were strange. She looked like a noble lady who had walked out from the murals of the previous dynasty.
Even though Xue Rui had seen all kinds of women until now, his eyes could not help but be dazzled by her.
Yu Shu didn't notice the unusual expression in Xue Rui's eyes. She walked over and even stood in front of him, and then she straightened her collar and praised. "The craftsmanship of those two tailors you found is really excellent. This dress fits me very well."
Xue Rui smiled and regained his senses. He picked up his teacup to conceal the trace of excitement in his heart and said, "It's good that you like it. I'll find them next time. Have you eaten breakfast? "
Yu Shu sat down on the armchair on the other side of the teahouse and replied, "Yes, I ate on the way here."
Xue Rui said, "I'll ask them to prepare the dishes. You can eat later. The kitchen will be busy at noon and will not be able to prepare."
Yu Shu agreed. Xue Rui looked at her and said, "Yesterday, I did not attend your birthday banquet as promised. Are you unhappy?"
Yu Shu smiled, "How can you be so petty? It's not like you did not come on purpose."
Xue Rui nodded, "Old Chui must have told you that the Ninth Prince has returned to the capital. Yesterday, he left the palace and came to our residence. It is inconvenient for me to leave."
Yu Shu was curious about the Ninth Prince. Hearing him mention it, she took the opportunity to ask, "Has the Ninth Prince been away from the capital for a long time? How come I have not heard anything about him in the capital? "
Xue Rui poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. He said, "It is not strange that you do not know. The Ninth Prince is the son of the Imperial Concubine. He is actually my cousin. Because his body was weak when he was a child, he was often troubled by ghosts and gods. So, he was sent to the holy land of the Daoist sects in the mountains to cultivate. He only returns to the capital once every three years. He does not show his face often. So, not many people talk about him."
"Oh, I see."
After hearing about the Ninth Prince, Yu Shu could not help but think of Jing Chen. Both of them were sent to the Daoist sects to save their lives. The Ninth Prince could still come back to see his relatives once every three years. However, Jing Chen stayed for eighteen years. It was not easy for him to leave the mountain. On the way back to the capital, there were many twists and turns and he almost lost his life.
She did not know if the Ninth Prince and Jing Chen were from the same Daoist sect.
"Young Master, the meal is ready."
Yu Shu just thought of something when she was interrupted by the voices outside the door. She collected her thoughts and followed Xue Rui to the next room to eat.
When it was almost noon, there was a sudden sound of gongs and drums on Horse Street. The people on the street were attracted by the noise and gathered in the middle of the street. They gathered outside a newly built restaurant to watch the bustle. There were gongs and drums in front of the door. There were dragon and lion dances and embroidered balls flying. There was a long string of firecrackers hanging in front of the door. It was obvious that the restaurant was going to open today.
Yu Shu and Lin Fu stood at the door and watched as more and more people gathered outside. When it was almost time, Lin Fu reported to Yu Shu and went to the door to speak.
He had a loud voice. He first thanked the villagers for their support and asked Xiao Qing and Xiao Die to bring the plates out to distribute the happy points to the onlookers. He then took the opportunity to say a string of auspicious words to win the hearts of the people. Finally, he shouted loudly, "It is the auspicious time. Let our chief steward burn the red incense!"
Yu Shu knew that it was her turn to show up. She took the incense from Gui Liu's hand and a little smile hung on her face. She walked out of the door unhurriedly and stood in front of the long string of red incense in front of the door.
The onlookers outside the restaurant were guessing which family in the north of the city was behind such a big restaurant when they saw a young girl dressed in a strange outfit walk out. They were startled at first, but then they realized what was going on. They saw her raise her wrist high, and then they heard the sound of firecrackers exploding in their ears. The sky full of wedding smoke blinded their eyes. When the sound of firecrackers died down, they turned their heads to look, but the figure had already disappeared. The red silk plaque on the door had been uncovered, revealing the words "Wangji Tower" written in calligraphy.
Yu Shu lit the firecrackers and took off the plaque. She turned around and went in. If it was not for Xue Rui's inconvenience to show up, she would not have the chance to do such a 'glamorous' job.
Lin Fu took over Yu Shu's position in front of the door and welcomed them with a smile, "Guests, please come in. Our Wangji Lou has an auspicious opening today and it is held in the Upper Yuan Dynasty. Those who can guess the lantern riddles will be exempted from all drinks!"
Hearing that, the people outside the restaurant looked at each other and after a while, they all rushed into the restaurant.
Let's not talk about how they were dazzled by the exquisitely carved tables and chairs, bowls and saucers, as well as the rare glass screen when they entered Wang Ji Tower. In short, the twenty tables downstairs were quickly filled, and there were still customers coming in.
Yu Shu stood at the entrance to the rear hall and watched for a long time before she let down the curtain and went to the rear courtyard to report to Xue Rui. She just happened to miss two Young Misses who held round fans in their hands and covered their faces as they walked in with their maidservants.
"Two young ladies, there are no seats downstairs. There are private rooms on the second floor. Shall I lead you up?"
"Min Min, I think there are too many people here. Why don't we go somewhere else?" Ji Xingxuan liked peace and quiet. Seeing the noise here, it was hard for her to not like it. She frowned and turned to ask the person beside her.
Xia Jiangmin smiled, "I just heard from the people on the street that this restaurant is opening today. If you answer the lantern riddles correctly, you will be exempted from the meal. With such a good thing, why go elsewhere? Let's just stay here. Waiter, bring us upstairs."
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