Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 66 Chen's Cloth Shop
"Hongbing, is your sister's matter settled today?"

"more or less!"

"Congratulations to you and your sister! Our neighborhood is about to have another happy occasion."

“I met your sister’s future in-laws this morning. They don’t seem difficult to get along with. Your sister will obviously enjoy a good life after she marries into their family.”

"Lend your auspicious words!"

"..."

Today, the Zhao family came to propose marriage, and Li Hongbing took it so seriously, causing quite a stir. Naturally, everyone in the courtyard was paying close attention.

Shortly after Zhao Weiguo and his group left.

As neighbors, they immediately started asking around as soon as they had the chance.

With a joyous occasion approaching in his family, Li Hongbing was in high spirits, his words radiating happiness.

……

"Hongbing, is there a cloth shop called Chen Ji near Qianmen Street near Fengzeyuan?"

While at home in the afternoon, Li Hongbing was thinking about what to do next when he heard Li Hongmei's question. He couldn't help but recall for a moment and said uncertainly, "I think there is such a shop."

I remember Li Hongbing used to get off at the Qianmen stop when he took the tram to work, so I have a vague recollection of it, but I'm not entirely sure.

After all, Li Hongmei handled everything from buying fabric to making clothes.

Whether in the past or present, Li Hongbing rarely worries about these things, and naturally doesn't pay much attention to them.

"I heard from my coworkers that this shop has a lot of fabrics, the quality is good, and the prices aren't too expensive. Since you're free this afternoon, would you like to come with me to take a look?"

With less than a month to go before her wedding with Zhao Weiguo, it's neither a short nor a long time, and many preparations need to be planned in advance.

On her wedding day, Li Hongmei naturally wanted to wear a festive new outfit, so she planned to buy some fabric and make it herself.

Moreover, after she gets married, she won't be able to take care of Li Hongbing at all times. Li Hongmei also wants to make several more sets of clothes for Li Hongbing before she gets married.

Even if she gets married, she will still be Li Hongbing's older sister, and she can still buy fabric and make clothes for him.

But if she forms a new family with Zhao Weiguo in the future, and even has children, she won't be able to devote all her attention to Li Hongbing like she does now.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Li Hongbing didn't object to Li Hongmei's suggestion at all, but said, "Let's take this opportunity to walk around and see what we need, and buy more of it."

It just so happens that he is off today, and Li Hongmei has also taken a day off, so both of them have time.

Such opportunities are rare.

Moreover.

He has money in his pocket now and is thinking about how to spend it.

Taking the time to go out and explore, and learn more, will help you better understand what you need to prepare and plan ahead.

Unlike before, when Li Hongbing went out with Li Hongmei, he didn't choose to run to improve his running skills and get some exercise. Instead, he went directly to the Beixinqiao stop to take the tram.

The siblings were in good spirits. Since their main purpose was to buy fabric, they didn't linger on the road and headed straight for Chen's Fabric Shop near the front gate.

Upon entering, Li Hongbing saw a girl who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old.

The young woman had bright eyes and white teeth, her eyes filled with laughter. Her uniquely styled wavy hair and figure-hugging cheongsam added to her mature charm.

However, judging from the abundance of collagen in her face, anyone with a little experience could tell that she is not very old.

Since it wasn't a day off, and it was only a short afternoon, there weren't many customers at this time. The girl leaning against the counter was playing with her hair out of boredom.

However, upon seeing the other person, Li Hongbing was stunned, and several times thought he was seeing things.

It wasn't that Li Hongbing was infatuated; rather, the other person looked remarkably like Chen Xueru from the TV series "The Little Woman Under the Zhengyang Gate," only the girl in front of him was younger.

"Oh, two guests, are you here to look at the fabric?"

Seemingly noticing the commotion in the store, Chen Xueru, who was bored, looked up and saw Li Hongmei and Li Hongbing entering the store. Her eyes lit up and a smile instantly spread across her face as she greeted them warmly.

"Hello, are you the shop owner?"

Seeing that Chen Xueru looked rather young, even younger than herself, Li Hongmei asked a question with some uncertainty.

"Yes and no."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xueru smiled and explained, "Our Chen's Cloth Shop is a well-established brand. This cloth shop is a family business passed down through generations of our Chen family."

Let me introduce myself. My name is Chen Xueru. This fabric shop was originally run by my father, but he hasn't been feeling well lately, so I'm temporarily taking over.

But don't worry, although I've only been in charge for a few days, I've been involved in this fabric shop business for a long time and even learned the craft from the master craftsmen in the shop.

If you have any questions, I can help you answer them. I will also try my best to meet your needs.

Our Chen's Fabric Shop produces a wide variety of fabrics, all of which are renowned for their quality, and our prices are fair and reasonable...

Seemingly sensing Li Hongmei's concerns, Chen Xueru directly revealed her identity and took the initiative to introduce her family's fabric shop to enhance Li Hongmei's approval and trust.

at the same time.

Upon hearing this, Li Hongbing gradually came to his senses, but his heart was filled with turbulent emotions.

Right.

Although the shop's sign reads "Chen's Cloth Shop" instead of "Xue Ru Silk Shop" from the TV series, some changes are normal as there are still several years before the story begins.

The problem is that what Chen Xueru just said basically matches Li Hongbing's impression of those situations very closely.

If Li Hongbing's guess is true, it means that this is not just a world exclusive to the courtyard house, but also contains characters related to the little woman under the Zhengyang Gate.

"Manager Chen, if I may ask, is there a small tavern on this street? Is the owner surnamed He, and is he an old man?"

Li Hongbing knew there was a small tavern on this street, but he didn't drink and had never been there; he only heard about it from the apprentices in the kitchen.

He hadn't thought much about it before, but seeing Chen Xueru here today made Li Hongbing want to verify it.

If even this matches, then today's findings will be quite a "surprise".

"You mean Old Man He, right?"

Originally, Chen Xueru's attention was entirely on Li Hongmei, but as soon as Li Hongbing spoke, Chen Xueru's attention shifted, and she couldn't help but sized him up.

Although Li Hongbing's question was a bit strange, Chen Xueru, who was a sucker for good looks, felt a sense of goodwill towards him because of his handsome features and fair complexion. She smiled and replied, "Young man, the tavern you mentioned is not far from our Chen's Cloth Shop, you can see it as soon as you step out the door."

However, if you're thinking of going there for drinks, I wouldn't recommend it..."

Chen Xueru couldn't help but say one more thing.

It wasn't just because Li Hongbing was young; it was also because almost everyone on the street knew that the tavern there diluted its liquor with water.

Exactly.

Because Old Man He was skilled at mixing drinks, and his prices were lower than other places, he became quite popular and accumulated a group of regular customers.

As fellow businesswomen, Chen Xueru felt it inappropriate to publicly expose others' shortcomings.

However, because of her good first impression of Li Hongbing, Chen Xueru still gave him a kind reminder.

(End of this chapter)