Chapter 505 - 264: Laixi’s Betrothal
After finishing their tofu pudding, while Huai Zi paid, Juhua and the other girls went over to Huzi’s stall to look at his fish.
A large wooden basin, half-filled with clear water, held all sorts of local fish: long, thin loaches; black and yellow sand gourds; flat, smooth-skinned fish; and silvery baitfish, along with some crucian carp. They were all leaping about energetically as the young Huzi bent over, scooping the crucian carp out and placing them into a separate basin.
Seeing such lively fish was enough to make one think of the cool, clear waters of the Little Qing River and the black-canopied boats drifting lazily upon it!
Seeing the girls staring at his basin, Huzi smiled a little shyly and asked, "What kind of fish are you looking for? These little ones were just caught, so they’re very fresh. I’ve already taken out the dead ones and set them aside. The crucian carp are big, too. See? They’re all a few taels each!"
Juhua laughed. "We’re not buying, just looking. We wanted to see what kind of fish the boats on the river catch."
Hearing this, Huzi simply smiled without another word. He didn’t shoo them away, letting them look as long as they liked.
When Zhang Huai returned, the group wandered around for a while longer, buying some daily necessities like needles and thread. Then Juhua said to him, "Huai Zi, let’s go take a look at my shop."
Liu Xiaomei chimed in eagerly, "I want to go see it too!"
Xiu and Cui’s eyes also lit up with anticipation.
Zhang Huai and Zhou Xiaoman exchanged a smile. "It’s on our way back anyway," Zhang Huai said. "The shops are over on that end, not far from Laixi’s place and the Erli Village dock. Your brother thought it would be a convenient spot for getting on and off the boats, which is why he bought the property there."
’I’m a landlady now,’ Juhua thought, a smile playing on her lips as she quickened her pace.
When she saw the row of storefronts, built with green bricks and small tiles, Juhua was overjoyed, even though the area in front was deserted and the newly planted willow saplings were only a few feet tall.
She inspected the property carefully, then glanced toward the distant market town, gauging the distance. She turned to the group with a smile. "Don’t worry. In another two years, this place will be bustling. You saw how crowded it was when we walked over from the center of town. If people keep building houses over there, they’ll only get farther from the dock. It might be a bit inconvenient to build here for now, but once more shops open up, this could form a New Street, and that part will become the old street."
Zhang Huai laughed. "It won’t even take two years. Four units are already rented out, though the tenants are just using them as homes and the storefronts for storage. Laixi says a lot of people have been asking, mainly because the rent is so cheap."
Juhua nodded. "This area hasn’t developed yet, so of course the rent can’t be too high."
Liu Xiaomei grinned. "Once this area takes off, Juhua, you should open a business here too!"
Juhua smiled but didn’t reply. ’It’s not impossible,’ she thought. This little town didn’t feel overly commercial or mercenary; it had a more leisurely, lived-in feel. To be more precise, it had a strong rustic charm, the people were down-to-earth, and the market itself felt quiet, peaceful, and relaxed. Living here still felt like being in the countryside.
At the end of the row of houses was an empty plot, already enclosed by a courtyard wall. This was the land the Zheng Family had reserved for their own house. ’I should probably wait another two years to build,’ Juhua thought. ’I’ll plant some trees first.’
After lingering for a little while, the group returned to Laixi’s shop. He rushed out to greet them impatiently. "What took you so long?" he asked Juhua. "Did you finish your shopping? I’ve been waiting to have a meal with you all!"
Zhuzi and her friends had already arrived. Li Changxing was there too, waiting for them after having sold all his fish. When the younger girls saw Juhua and her companions, they burst into another round of laughter, comparing what everyone had bought.
When he heard that Laixi wanted to treat everyone to a meal at a tavern, Li Changxing chuckled. "I’d love to stay, but I’d feel too guilty. There are so many of us, the money you made today won’t be enough to cover it. How about this? I’ll come back in a couple of days, and you can treat me by myself, Laixi. That won’t cost you much."
Everyone roared with laughter. Zhou Xiaoman jeered, "You sure think highly of yourself. Do you really think Laixi is treating *you*? He’s treating the girls. You’re just getting a free meal on the side."
Laixi beamed. "I know plenty of people from all over, but I can’t go around pretending I’m rich and treating everyone to meals all the time—I don’t have the savings to show off like that. But today you all came with my cousin and Huai Zi. It’s rare to have everyone together, so I can certainly afford to treat you all to one meal. We’re just going to a small tavern, not a fancy restaurant. It won’t cost much." He finished by looking at Juhua and Huai Zi, then glancing over at Liu Xiaomei.