CHAPTER 189: CHAPTER 189 OPENING

The four discriminated men were quite dissatisfied.

But to suggest going in, they truly didn’t dare.

Messing with anyone but the Eldest Sister-in-law was their unanimous realization.

They set up a table at the entrance and cracked sunflower seeds.

Su Jin and Xie Jingchen walked in only to see them fighting over the last peanut, battling fiercely.

During the fight, the peanut flew towards Su Jin, and Xie Jingchen reached out and caught it.

Su Jin laughed and said, "Why are you sitting out here?"

Chu Shun raised his hand, pointing at the big stone, "Eldest Sister-in-law, what does this mean?"

"No men allowed," Xingxing read aloud.

"It’s quite clear, it means no men can enter," said Xingxing.

"...."

Of course, they knew it meant no men could enter.

But!

"Why can’t men enter?" Chu Shun asked.

"Because I’m doing business for women," Su Jin said.

"...."

"Business is differentiated by gender?" Prince NanAn said.

Su Jin looked at him, "The Prince hasn’t been to a brothel, has he?"

Prince NanAn, "...."

Cough, cough!

Prince NanAn’s face turned red, and he couldn’t stop coughing.

Chu Shun patted his shoulder, "Our Prince has at least passed by a brothel a hundred and eighty times."

"But he never dared to go in even once," the Heir of Marquis Beining laughed.

"Why?" Xingxing asked curiously.

"Because Prince NanAn said if he dared to go in, he’d send him to the Great Buddha Temple to become a monk," the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo laughed.

"...."

Prince NanAn knocked away Chu Shun’s hand, saying, "You went in, but would you dare do anything?"

Chu Shun lightly coughed with his mouth covered, "Eldest Sister-in-law is still here, mind your words."

"Eldest Sister-in-law probably doesn’t understand, right?" Prince NanAn said softly.

Su Jin, "...."

Can she say she understands everything?

At this moment, she still had to pretend not to understand.

No.

It’s pretending not to hear.

She stepped into the courtyard, and after entering, turned back, saying, "Come in, after we open tomorrow, you won’t be able to enter anymore."

Chu Shun and the others felt rather gloomy.

They stared at the shop being renovated, unexpectedly unable to enter, especially since the backyard was lush with flowers and trees, more exquisite than their own mansion gardens.

Along the way, there were pavilions and kiosks, rocks and artificial mountains, a feast for the eyes.

There was a study room, with thousands of books which were moved from the neighboring bookshop.

Inside, there were six rosewood desks, equipped with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, for people to write poems and paint pictures.

Opposite the study was a chess room, and since it’s a place for entertainment, how could mahjong be absent?

The restaurant, of course, need not be mentioned.

Because the restaurant only served women, it was built not very large, favoring tranquility and elegance.

...

Su Jin was quite satisfied.

Xingxing happily said, "With such a wonderful backyard, it’s hard for the business not to do well."

She was eagerly looking forward to the shop opening tomorrow.

Su Jin and the others headed back, just stepping out into the courtyard, when they saw the steward approaching quickly.

Seeing him, Prince NanAn asked, "What’s the rush, what’s happened?"

The steward, with a headache, said, "Knowing the shop opens tomorrow, many people brought charcoal asking if the shop would take it."

Su Jin, "...."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

Chu Shun and the others’ shoulders were shaking.

At this point, they still thought the Eldest Sister-in-law’s shop was selling charcoal.

But the Eldest Sister-in-law did open the shop quite willfully.

Originally intended to sell medicine, but because of showing affection with Brother Jingchen in the street, they ended up with charcoal all over their faces.

To avoid losing face, they decided to let everyone openly apply charcoal on their faces, and thus this shop was born.

To buy ice for the charcoal store opening, they had no choice but to open an ice shop.

One shop after another opened, yet the medicine shop had yet to appear.

"Are they in front of the store?" Su Jin asked.

"In the backyard," the steward replied.

These charcoal sellers weren’t foolish enough to bring their charcoal to the front door.

Su Jin headed towards the backyard.

The door was open, two servants guarding it.

As she walked out.

Su Jin was taken aback.

The entrance to the backyard was almost entirely blocked by wooden charcoal, making it impenetrable.

And the ones carrying the charcoal were all poor folks, their clothes patched over patches, looking dusty and ragged.

Su Jin, always soft-hearted, couldn’t bring herself to tell them to take the charcoal back.

The steward asked, "Eldest Young Madam, should we send them all back?"

"Forget it, just buy all the charcoal," Su Jin said.

"But it’s so much," the steward commented.

"It’s fine."

The charcoal sellers were deeply grateful to Su Jin.

Usually, only in autumn does anyone buy charcoal, but because of the Eldest Young Madam, they gained an extra income.

Charcoal isn’t worth much, and buying it all didn’t cost much.

But the steward was troubled.

"Where do we put all this charcoal?" the steward asked.

Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen.

Xie Jingchen sighed, "I have a four-section courtyard, send it there."

Thus, the decision was made.

No one found it a problem, after all, compassion is universal.

However, Su Jin didn’t expect that there were far more people wanting to sell charcoal. Knowing the shop started buying, they all brought it to sell.

Su Jin had said she’d buy all the charcoal.

The steward gritted his teeth, and took everything people brought.

No rejections.

The Capital City’s charcoal shops were in fear and trepidation.

After all the Capital City’s ice shops closed down, was the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion now targeting the charcoal shops?

Was there no room left for others to survive?

...

The next day, the weather was clear, and the sun was bright.

After giving their morning greetings, Su Jin left the mansion with Xie Jingchen, heading to the shop.

Not just them, but Chu Shun and the others came too.

There was quite a crowd to watch the excitement.

At the auspicious hour, amidst the crackling sound of firecrackers, the sign was unveiled.

The gilded sign shone brilliantly under the sunlight.

The three big characters on it——

Beauty Pavilion.

The three words were graceful and enchanting.

Making those watching twitch their mouths incessantly.

Because above Beauty Pavilion was an even larger, grander sign.

The Best Charcoal in the World.

A charcoal shop called Beauty Pavilion.

Nothing elevated charcoal and insulted beauty like this.

Everyone laughed for a while and gradually dispersed.

Su Jin, "...."

Xingxing, "...."

Chu Shun and the others stood at the entrance, watching the bustling street, all with black lines on their faces.

Where were the promised waves of customers?

Where was the promise of counting money until their hands cramped?

"Has the shop opened?" Prince NanAn asked uncertainly.

"Opened, a grand fake opening," the Heir of Marquis Beining sighed.

Xingxing looked at Su Jin, "Miss, I have a bad feeling."

"What feeling?" Su Jin asked.

"Our shop might close just as it opened," said Xingxing with a face full of melancholy.

"...."

Su Jin covered her forehead.

Xie Jingchen looked at her, "Are you okay?"

Su Jin glanced at him, took a deep breath, "I’m fine, I finally understand what it means by ’good news doesn’t leave the door, but bad news spreads a thousand miles’."

She helped Mrs. Wang with face masks and sleep improvement, making Mrs. Wang look ten years younger.

Such a good thing, yet it never made its way out of Duke Zhen’s Mansion...