Zhulan took out her finished drawings. “Tomorrow I’ll have a craftsman make some unique wooden vases and bamboo baskets. What do you think of my drawings?”

Zhou Shuren took the stack of drawings. “I have to say, your drawings are getting better and better.”

“Thank you.”

Zhou Shuren looked through them. “The wooden vases you designed are all very good. Madam Zhou, your tea party will definitely be a great success.”

Zhulan took the drawings. “That’s what I was thinking too. My preparations will be finished in two more days. When are you taking your days off?”

Zhou Shuren sat down and said, “We’ll be off in four days.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Zhou Shuren also thought it was wonderful. He was finally going to get the book he had been looking forward to for so long.

Early the next morning, Zhulan asked Steward Ding’s eldest son, Gu Yu, to find a carpenter. There were many carpenters in Lizhou City. Those who had worked at the Zhou residence liked to work there. Not only were three meals provided, but the pay was also settled daily. If they didn’t eat at the residence, they could take their food home. Many people inquired about whether there was any work available at the Zhou residence.

Zhulan then asked Steward Ding to look for shops. Zhulan had specific requirements for choosing shops: first, the shop must be large; second, the location must be good, even if it is a bit expensive.

The people of Lizhou City had settled down and had some money in their hands. With money came demand, and within a month, the number of merchants in Lizhou City had increased significantly, mainly cloth merchants and general merchandise merchants. At least there wouldn’t be a situation where people had money but couldn’t buy soy sauce and vinegar.

With more merchants, Lizhou City also gained some vitality, and the prices of shops and houses rose considerably, especially houses. Some far-sighted wealthy families from nearby cities bought many houses in Lizhou City.

As for shops, many were still observing, waiting for more merchants to enter the market before making a purchase.

Steward Ding was a well-known figure in Lizhou City, with a very high level of recognizability. Steward Ding first selected a few suitable shops and reported back to Zhulan. Zhulan went to see them by carriage. The shops were all on the main street, and according to modern calculations, one was about 150 square meters, and several were about 120 square meters.

Zhulan chose two shops, each 120 square meters, because they were adjacent. This way, the two shops could support each other, and if a merchant needed a larger space, they could be combined, increasing the rental income.

The two shops were very cheap, costing only 190 taels in total. Including brokerage fees, it came to 200 taels.

Most shops in Lizhou City were currently vacant, and Zhulan didn’t plan to do business. Although many officials liked to invest in merchants or register businesses under outsiders’ names, Zhulan had no intention of doing so.

She would keep the shops and rent them out next year. Actually, she preferred estates and land to shops. Being an official had one advantage: as long as Zhou Shuren held his position, their estates would always be profitable, and they wouldn’t have to worry about being cheated by merchants.

Zhulan bought the two shops in Lizhou City purely as an investment. She believed that after the autumn harvest, the prices of both houses and shops in Lizhou City would skyrocket.

Another advantage of being a border prefecture was the ease of trade with foreign tribes. Although the current dynasty had crippled the foreign tribes, it hadn’t prohibited trade. As long as Lizhou City had goods that attracted foreign merchants, its tax revenue would soar.

Apples were scarce not only in the current dynasty but even more so among foreign tribes, especially in winter when dried vegetables were considered valuable, let alone fruit.

Zhulan, who was digging ice cellars, never considered transporting her apples north to sell; there were good buyers nearby, so why go to such lengths?

Time flew by, and Zhulan’s invitations were delivered to the residences of officials in Lizhou City. Zhulan’s family had also completed all preparations.

The women were invited to the garden; the weather in the sixth lunar month wasn’t too hot, making it perfect for entertaining guests outside.

The front courtyard was where Zhou Shuren entertained his colleagues.

As for the food, the pastries were all made by the kitchen under Li Shi’s instruction, and the dishes and wine were all from a prearranged menu. Zhulan didn’t have much information; her only source was Zhou Shuren. She genuinely didn’t know who liked what. To avoid any oversights, a table was set with sixteen dishes: four spicy, four salty, four sweet and sour, and four light. Several types of wine were also purchased.

This time, Zhulan invited everyone of rank. There were quite a few officials of rank in the city, and their wives all brought their daughters and maids. Fortunately, Zhulan’s garden was large; otherwise, it would have felt crowded.

Among these wives, Zhulan paid particular attention to Hua Yiren, the wife of the Tongzhi, and Miao Shi, the wife of the Tongpan.

The wife of Tóngzhī Chen was forty-two years old, a short woman from the south with a soft, gentle accent and a somewhat slender figure. Well, to be fair, all the ladies who came today were rather thin—years of eating vegetarian meals and carefully maintaining their figures meant that even after more than a month of nourishing tonics, they still hadn’t put much weight back on.

The wife of the Tongpan, Miao Shi, was thirty-five years old. She was good-looking and not short either, with a graceful movement. Born into a wealthy family, Miao Shi was very good at maintaining her appearance, looking only about thirty.

Zhulan sized up the two women, while Hua Shi and Miao Shi also sized up Zhulan.

Hua Shi was surprised. She had heard her husband say that Lord Zhou came from a family of scholars and farmers, so in her mind, Lord Zhou’s wife was a vulgar peasant woman. Even though Yang Shi’s nephew had become a general, it didn’t change her past background. Especially since Yang Shi had only been buying and farming land in Lizhou City, she and Miao Shi felt contempt for her.

Even though her husband said that Lord Zhou was extremely shrewd and capable, that only represented Lord Zhou; she still looked down on Madam Zhou.

She had been waiting for Yang Shi’s invitation to watch the show and also to use Yang Shi’s vulgarity to intimidate Lord Zhou. After all, with Lord Zhou in Lizhou City, her husband had nothing to do. She had come today to see the spectacle, but unexpectedly, she was dealt a blow. Yang Shi was clearly a few years younger than her, but how could she seem ten years younger? Leaving aside her appearance, what about her demeanor?

This woman didn’t seem like she came from the countryside; she looked more like someone from an official family than her who came from one.

Miao Shi composed herself, thinking, let Yang Shi and Hua Shi fight it out. She didn’t like either of them anyway, and at least for now, Yang Shi seemed quite formidable!

Zhulan and the others took their seats, smiling as they said, “I’ve been in Lizhou City for over a month and haven’t had a chance to get to know you all. Today, I’ve specially prepared a tea tasting banquet, and I would like to invite you all to sample our tea.”

Hearing the agreeing voices, Hua Shi felt a tightness in her chest. They used to fawn over her. Putting down her fan, she smiled and said, “I’m a tea lover, and my family has a tea garden. I wonder what kind of tea Lady Zhou has brought? It must be excellent; I’ll have to savor it carefully today.”

Zhulan maintained her smile. This was provocation! She had initially felt sorry for Lord Chen, but now she felt no sympathy. She hoped Zhou Shuren would swindle more books.

Miao Shi covered her mouth with her fan. This was a perfect match. Should she try to smooth things over? Forget it, it was better to just watch the show.

(End of Chapter)

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