Chapter 123 New Store Opens with Old Plaque

As his thoughts vacillated, Miss Jun already smiled, shaking her head.

"Thank you, no need, there's nothing to prepare," she said.

That must be politeness too, Ning Yunzhao smiled.

Someone ran out of the inn and called for Miss, then let out a sound.

"Tenth Noble Son Ning, you're here again?" Liu'er said.

Ning Yunzhao smiled.

"I just happened to pass by," he said frankly with a smile.

Liu'er gave him a glance.

"That's quite a coincidence," she said, elongating her tone.

"Yes, quite a coincidence," Ning Yunzhao said, smiling at Miss Jun and raising his hand, "I will take my leave first."

Miss Jun nodded in response.

"Oh right, I live in the Imperial College to the south of the city. If you have any matters, come find me there, and just tell the gatekeeper to look for me," Ning Yunzhao added.

Of course, one couldn't just walk in there, but he would make a point of instructing the gatekeeper that should a Miss Jun come looking, he must be informed without fail.

Miss Jun gave another bow.

"Alright," she said.

Her response contained not the slightest hesitation, forthright and unguarded.

Ning Yunzhao smiled again, turned, and strode toward the city, his departure swift and his steps light. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the crowd.

"What do we need to find him for?" Liu'er muttered, scoffing, "Feigned enthusiasm."

"It's the thought that counts. Even if we don't need it, we can be grateful in our hearts," Miss Jun said with a smile.

"Now it's the thought that counts? What about earlier?" Liu'er said, looking down the street and suddenly remembering something. "Miss, is he bothering you?"

Bothering?

Was it like the way Jun Zhenzhen bothered the Ning Family?

This gentleman's demeanor was elegant, his comings and goings proper and polite, his words sometimes baffling, but still openhearted.

Miss Jun shook her head.

"Why would he bother me?" she laughed. "It really is a coincidence. He said he was passing by on his way to his uncle's place..."

She paused here, her expression puzzled.

"What is it, Miss?" Liu'er asked hurriedly.

"Nothing," Miss Jun said.

She was just wondering how one could possibly pass by here on the way from Deyue Building to Ning Yan's house.

Deyue Building was by the South City Gate, while Ning Yan's official residence was near Chongren Square. Even if she wasn't that familiar with the capital, she knew these two places were not on the same route; how could she have taken a detour through the North City Gate?

Perhaps there was another reason.

"It really is a coincidence," she said to Liu'er with a smile, repeating herself.

As the maid and her mistress conversed, four or five people walked over.

"Miss Jun," they bowed respectfully, "the young master has sent his things."

"What has the young master sent now?" Liu'er said. "What can the capital not provide that we'd have to buy it ourselves?"

Miss Jun gave her head a pat.

"Let's take the things and go," she said.

Not far away was the De Sheng Chang money business. As Miss Jun entered, the shopkeeper and assistants greeted her with respect.

"Miss Jun, please come this way. The young master's items are in the backyard," the shopkeeper said, leading the way personally.

The carriage in the backyard had not yet been unloaded. It was attached to a long wooden box, wrapped up tightly.

"What is it this time?" Liu'er circled around, then gestured, "Open it up."

The servant boys looked at Miss Jun, who nodded, and they carefully opened the wooden box, unfolding the thick layer of cloth to reveal a signboard.

The fresh paint on the three characters of "Jiuling Hall" gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

Liu'er gasped.

"Jiuling Hall," she read. "This is our family's Jiuling Hall signboard, and it's arrived so quickly."

This was the signboard from Runan.

"Miss, let's keep the signboard here for now and send it over once the courtyard there is sorted," the shopkeeper suggested.

Indeed, Jiuling Hall, which would open in five days, wasn't ready yet; it was a spontaneous idea she had after arriving in the capital, and she hadn't yet told the Fang Family about it.

To have sent this so abruptly, the child was indeed astute. Or, perhaps, the speed of message delivery in the money business was astonishing.

Miss Jun herself was a bit surprised.

"A letter from the young master," one of the attendants presented a bamboo tube.

Of course, this was not a letter hastily delivered by a swift horse.

Miss Jun took it and opened it.

The message was succinct.

"The signboard is precious; Jiuli never parts with it."

Miss Jun pursed her lips in a smile.

Back in Runan, when the room had been demolished, she had carried the signboard back and forth every day, jesting that the signboard was precious and Jiuli would not part with it.

So, it wasn't that the message delivery of the money business was astonishingly fast. Instead, Fang Chengyu had already thought of the affections she hadn't expressed out loud.

That reticence in coming to the capital had finally been realized in the capital. Indeed, it wasn't enough to just take a glance and be content; she couldn't bear to leave.

Even when it wasn't an appropriate time to stay.

No manpower, no reputation, there was money, but it was the troublesome kind that could sink at any moment and be difficult to save.

But...

Miss Jun's hand caressed the three characters of Jiuling Hall.

Without manpower and reputation, at least she still had herself, and the skills her master had taught her.

Her master often liked to say one thing, which was 'if there's no way, then let's give it a try.'

Now there was no other way, so let's give it a try.

"Miss Jun, are you really going to open on the twenty-eighth?" the shopkeeper asked hesitantly at her side.

Miss Jun looked at him.

"What? Is that not okay?" she asked.

The shopkeeper hurriedly shook his head.

"No, I'm just worried that it's too hasty and the preparations won't be thorough," he said.

Miss Jun smiled.

"With money, what can't be bought?" she laughed.

This young lady was indeed quite domineering.

It was said that she had cured the young master's illness, and for her, Old Lady had even taken out the imperial decree granted by the first emperor that she had kept hidden for twenty years.

The shopkeeper became even more respectful.

"Decorations and utensils are certainly purchasable, but what I mean is, to invite peers from the capital and those with reputations to the opening day might be too rushed," he said, without being insincere, "as you know, for those people, having money might not be enough."

Miss Jun patted the shop sign, signaling to cover it up.

"No need," she said, "Forget those people. Even if there are no medicine cabinets, as long as the place is clean, a consultation table is set up, and my sign is hung, it's enough to open for business."

How can you open so stealthily?

Although Miss Jun was well-known in the Fang Family and Runan, this was now the capital, where talents from all over the world flocked, and famous doctors were everywhere.

Without making a big show to get recognized, I'm afraid there won't even be a chance to make a splash.

You can't just use the imperial decree to force people to come for treatment.

"Miss Jun, this capital, it's not easy to establish oneself," the shopkeeper sincerely said.

Miss Jun nodded.

"Yes, what's easy to do?" she said with a hint of reflection, looking at the now-covered shop sign, and stepping out, "Let's go."

Liu'er quickly followed.

Just like that, they left? The shopkeeper shook his head and smiled, young people... He hurriedly followed, respectfully seeing them off.

On a summer afternoon, the dense green banana leaves by the window brought a bit of freshness, and the middle-aged man and young man playing chess by the window exuded a touch of leisure, while the girls on both sides fanned and watched the game.

Ning Yunzhao pondered for a moment, then picked up a piece and placed it down.

The middle-aged man opposite him, dressed in a Taoist robe and bearing a slight resemblance to him, suddenly laughed.

"You've lost," he said, "Yunzhao, your skills have really improved."

A middle-aged woman came in from outside, followed by two maids carrying trays; hearing the remark, she laughed.

"Yunzhao has always been good at chess, it's just you who never admit defeat," she said with a laugh.

Ning Yunzhao stood up and called out to his aunt.

These two were naturally Ning Yan, the Second Old Master Ning, and Second Madam Ning.

"Have some cooling refreshment," Second Madam Ning indicated for him to sit down, personally handing a bowl to Ning Yan.

Ning Yunzhao took the bowl from the maid's hands, effortlessly picking up the spoon with complete ease.

He had spent more than half of his life growing up in front of his uncle, feeling more at home here than in his own house.

"...Have the gifts for the twenty-eighth of June been prepared? Would you like to review them again?"

Second Madam Ning's voice reached his ears, and Ning Yunzhao paused mid-spoonful, biting the spoon.

The twenty-eighth of June, gifts?

"Uncle, Aunt, do you also know about her opening?" he asked, looking up in surprise.

Ning Yan and Second Madam Ning also looked at him in surprise.

"What opening?" Second Madam Ning asked.

Ning Yunzhao came back to his senses, putting down his spoon.

"No, I meant, what are the gifts for on the twenty-eighth of June?" he asked.

Was this what he meant? Second Madam Ning thought to herself, but not asking about what others deliberately avoid was common knowledge to everyone.

"The wedding of Princess Jiuli and Thousand-Man Commander Lu," she said smilingly, going along with the conversation.

The wedding of Princess Jiuli and Thousand-Man Commander Lu?

"On the twenty-eighth of June?" Ning Yunzhao asked.

"Yes," Second Madam Ning nodded, smiling as she looked at Ning Yunzhao's perplexed face, "What's the matter?"

Ning Yunzhao made an 'oh' sound and shook his head.

"Nothing, nothing." He lowered his head and continued with his spoon.

It's also the twenty-eighth of June, what a coincidence.

Jiuling Hall, Jiuling.

He suddenly became alert, noticing the goosebumps densely dotting his exposed arm from the slid-off thin summer clothes.

Princess Jiuli.

This was really too much of a coincidence.

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Have a pleasant weekend~~