Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 63 Restaurant Sign
In addition to helping rehearse Yuefu songs and dances, Tan Huaike was also busy opening his own restaurant.

Renovation, recruitment, cleaning and decoration of the shop, discussing and researching recipes with Uncle Zari, formulating the menu, finding musicians Shan Yi to polish the music to welcome guests and entertain them, and choreographing unique dances by myself... It was really tiring and fulfilling.

Today she was going to pick up the custom-made door plaque. Shen Tu Zhuo was rarely free, so he took Ah Shuo and Ah Hui to help her, saving her and Pei'er the trouble of carrying such a heavy sign by themselves.

In the shop where the custom plaques were made, Tan Huaike went to the inner room to inspect the goods and paid the balance. The owner covered the entire plaque with crimson silk and handed it to them solemnly: "It's done. Be careful when carrying it, and don't pull the silk off."

Tan Huaike asked, "Is this silk cloth dustproof? Can we pull it off when we get back?"

The shop owner quickly waved his hand and said, "You can't do that, ma'am! This is a shop sign you ordered. According to the rules, it must be covered before opening. It's unlucky if it's exposed to the light!"

"Ah, this is the first time I open my own new shop, and I don't quite understand the rules here." Mohe's side is not so particular. Most traveling merchants do not have fixed shops. They often move around, selling the goods of their own tribe to other places, and then reselling the goods of other tribes back to their own homes.

Her father-in-law had a few shops in the former royal city of Mohe, but they had never returned since Tiluo conquered the place. After that, he and his people migrated to the Nashi River Valley and could only do business.

As for the Zhiyun Cloth Shop and the Baicao Herb Shop, both were abandoned by the Tan family. When she took over, she was only concerned with revitalizing them, and hadn't paid any attention to the rules. Even when the Zhiyun Cloth Shop moved to the Yunhe Xiangjie, she simply moved the sign and the goods over, without any special ceremony.

"Boss, please explain to my sister-in-law in detail how to do it." Seeing Tan Huaike's embarrassment, Shen Tu Zhuo took over at the right time.

"It's actually very simple. Just carry it back with the silk cloth attached, and don't untie it midway. Wait until the grand opening day, and have someone hang it securely. When the auspicious time comes, the owner will personally pull the rope and take it down. This is to bring good luck. After the ceremony, guests will flock to the house, and business will be booming."

"Okay, I appreciate your kind words." Tan Huaike thanked the boss, "I will definitely abide by this rule."

Ah Shuo and Ah Hui carried the plaque tirelessly and followed their master and mistress towards the restaurant.

Shentu Zhuo looked back at the plaque. The silk was so thick that he couldn't see what was engraved on it. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. "I'm the boss behind the scenes, but at this point, I don't even know what my shop is called. I was so busy giving instructions to Ah Shuo and Ah Hui that I didn't even think to go with you to take a look inside."

Tan Huaike laughed and said, "Who can I blame? You and I are both so busy that we barely meet each other. And since you didn't ask, how could I have thought of telling you?"

Shen Tuzhuo defended himself, "It's not that I don't want to ask, I just thought you hadn't decided yet and were waiting for me to come up with a name."

"How dare I trouble you with such a small matter?" Tan Huaike teased. "Your uncle is going to take part in the imperial examination. When you become a high-ranking official, I can ask you to give me a new name. It would be best if you could write a character for me personally. That way, my business will be more prosperous."

"Auntie is so snobby. Do you have to wait until I become a high-ranking official before you know how to cherish me?"

"Oh, Master Shentu, please forgive me, but what would you like to name this little restaurant of mine?"

"Hmm, let me think..."

Ah Shuo listened to the sarcastic conversation between the two people in front and couldn't help but say to Ah Hui: "What is the Second Young Master and the Madam doing? They are singing the same tune."

Ah Hui: “…Don’t worry about it.”

Ah Shuo muttered, "Those who know it think it's a name for a restaurant, but those who don't think it's a name for a child..."

Ah Hui: “…I told you to ignore it.”

Shen Tuzhuo had already figured it out: "Since it's my sister-in-law who's running the business, why not call it Caizhu Restaurant?"

Tan Huaike was stunned: "Caizhu Restaurant..."

It had been a long time since anyone mentioned this name, and I didn't expect him to remember it so clearly. Tan Huaike felt a little sentimental for a moment, thinking that this name was not bad. Ah Shuo was even more confused: "Colored beads? Stepping on pigs? What does this have to do with the lady?"

Ah Hui: “…”Who knows.

Then Shen Tuzhuo said again: "But I also invested money, so you should take me with you. Let's call it Caizhuo Restaurant!"

Tan Huaike rejected it: "It sounds weird and not very pleasant."

Ah Shuo agreed softly: "It really doesn't sound good."

Shentu Zhuo turned around and glared at him.

Ah Shuo grinned, "That's it. I forgot that the Second Young Master has good hearing. Did he hear everything?"

Tan Huaike stopped joking with him. "What a pity! There are so many things to prepare for the opening of the store, and I really don't have the time to discuss it with you properly. The store name was chosen a long time ago, and the county has also approved it."

"That's all right," Shentu Zhuo slowed down his pace and walked to Ah Shuo's side, wanting to open the red silk a little to see what was engraved inside. "I'll take a quick look."

"No!" Tan Huaike slapped his hand away and pointed at his nose in warning, "The owner of the plaque said that it can't be exposed to light before the opening. Uncle, are you trying to ruin my fortune by doing this?"

"It's not that serious...Okay, I won't touch this thing, so just tell me in person."

"That's fine. Come over here." Shentu Zhuo leaned over to listen. Ah Shuo and Ah Hui also listened intently. Tan Huaike spoke word by word, "We'll know on the opening day."

Ah Shuo understood: "Madam, you are teasing us."

Shen Tu Zhuo was not angry at all, but rather cheerfully said, "Okay, then I'll help you pull the rope and lift the cloth, and we'll be able to see clearly. Is that okay with you, sister-in-law?"

Tan Huaike nodded: "You are the one who pays for it, of course you can."

Ah Hui also understood. After talking for a long time, the second young master finally got what he wanted - he wanted to unveil the curtain together with the eldest lady to show that he was the backer of this restaurant and the sister-in-law, so as to stop the gossip.

And the lady also generously accepted his kindness.

These two people seem to be insulting each other, but they really have a tacit understanding.
-
In the restaurant, Pei'er was arranging people to clean the place when the door was suddenly pushed open.

Pei'er clutched a rag in her hand, thinking it was the Madam who had returned with the sign, and hurriedly said, "Madam, I've cleared a place to put it..."

Seeing the person coming, Pei'er panicked: "Fu, Madam Fu..."

Even though she had been with Tan Huaike in the Shentu Mansion for a long time, Pei'er was still deeply afraid of Tan Anfu. In her eyes, whenever Madam Fu appeared, it was always bad news. She would either beat or scold her, despise her for being stupid, or pick on the eldest lady.

Sure enough, Tan Anfu came to cause trouble again today.

She glanced around the restaurant and snorted coldly, "She's really planning to move the shop that my family donated and turn it into her own restaurant. She's not even embarrassed by it."
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　Next chapter: Sister, I advise you to think before you speak.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)