Chapter 8: Mistaking the Wife

  It's already late in the evening, and it's about to get dark. Who would still be visiting at this hour? Could it be that the prescription has taken effect and someone has come to deliver money?

  Song Kai opened the wooden door of the shop, and a woman stood outside, her head wrapped in a veil, wearing a long gown, with both hands tucked into her sleeves, making it impossible to see her face clearly.

  "Madam Liu?" Song Kai wasn't very sure and asked.

  "Come in," said the newcomer, who was Liu Yuxiang. She walked straight in through the door, gave a nod to Ah Fu, and let her eyes linger on Nie Rongzhen for a few seconds before heading towards the back yard.

  Song Kai re-locked the shop door and followed Liu Yuxiu into the backyard.

  "Song Lang, I hope you're in good health," said Liu Yuxiu, lifting her veil as she spoke.

  The veil was lifted, revealing a delicate and charming face, round and plump with a soft complexion, with bright red lips pursed into an arc, exuding a hint of elegance.

  Song Kai looked for three seconds, suddenly heh-heh laughed, it seems that the heavens still have compensation for themselves, although they were innocently blown to death, but now gave themselves such a beautiful wife like a flower, hmm, not bad.

  Liu Yuyuan looked at Song Kai with a puzzled expression, stretched out her hand and patted Song Kai's shoulder, "Song Lang, are you okay? You're not stupid, are you?"

  "It's nothing, it's nothing," Song Kai hastily shook his head. "Come on, Liu's wife, go to my room and sit for a while."

  Liu Yuyan didn't feel shy at all, she just waved her hand and said: "I'll be leaving soon, Song Lang, I came this time to thank you."

  "Cough, cough... there's no need to thank me, it was you who saved me. I only realized after jumping into the river that I couldn't swim, so it should be me thanking you," Song Kai said, rubbing his hands together as he thought about how far things had progressed with Liu Yuxuan - holding hands? Kissing? Or maybe...

  "I'm not talking about that," Liu Yuwan gave Song Kai a white eye, "I'm saying... um, I'm saying you jumped into the river to save me and tarnished my reputation. Now when those people come to propose, most of them have changed their minds."

  "Ah!?" Song Kai's mouth was wide open, it turned out that he should be thanking him for this matter.

  Liu Yuxuan's cheeks flushed slightly, "No matter what, Song Kai, I'm very grateful to you. In this world, only you understand my heart, and only you have always supported me in pursuing... pursuing that elusive love. Alas, I don't know if it's foolish of me to persist like this, but the shadow of that person will always appear before my eyes at midnight, in my dreams, and I... I really can't bear to give up so easily..."

  "Wait, wait," Song Kai was confused by what he heard. From Liu Yuexian's words, it seemed that he wasn't her lover after all. "Liu Niangzi, the person you're talking about, the one who haunts your dreams, isn't... me?"

  Liu Yuxuan's mouth slightly opened, with a somewhat incredulous expression. Then she smiled lightly and said, "Bookworm, you really have forgotten many things, haven't you? We are bosom friends who share all our secrets, close confidantes in the boudoir. Have you forgotten that? However, speaking of which, Song Kaige, if...if that person never appears again, I'll marry you and you can take me as your wife. It's not bad at all. Although you're a bit silly, you're very kind-hearted and have always been good to me."

  Song Kai let out a long sigh, "So that's how it is! Ah..."

  "I'm sorry, Song Lang, because of me, Yang Huaiyan beat you up and you forgot all these things," Liu Yuxiu said softly.

  Song Kai waved his hand, and he finally understood that he and Liu Yuxian were not childhood sweethearts, but just good friends. Five years ago on a snowy night, Liu Yuxian was rescued by a middle-aged man carrying a long knife, and since then, she had been thinking of this man constantly. At the age when one's emotions are first awakened, coupled with secretly reading some heroic stories of saving beauties, Liu Yuxian took that knife-carrying man as her dream lover, and was enchanted to want to marry him.

  It's just that in this era, there is no such thing as free love, and for women, there is no right to choose one's own marriage. Now that Liu Yuyan is over twenty years old, there are naturally many people coming to propose, and her father Liu Jiqian is also eager to marry her off. Although Liu Yuyan strongly opposes it, she can't stop the fact of getting married after all.

  Liu Yuyan was anxious and came up with a plan with Song Kai. Song Kai spread the word outside that he and Liu Yuyan were childhood sweethearts who had been betrothed since they were young, but due to his current downfall, he couldn't marry her yet. However, they had already secretly agreed to spend their lives together, and the two of them wanted to use this reason to stop others from coming to propose.

  However, Liu Yuyan was indeed beautiful, and even though Song Kai spread the word about his relationship with Liu Yuyan everywhere, people still flocked to the Liu's house to propose, and yesterday, Song Kai was even beaten up by Yang Huaiyan.

  Having figured out the cause and effect, Song Kai let out a long sigh of depression.

  Liu Yuyuan's right hand stretched out from her sleeve, with a small gold ingot in the palm of her hand. She handed it to Song Kai and said: "Song Kai, if things really don't work out, then sell this shop. Neither you nor Fu Bo have the heart for business. You should continue studying and taking exams to achieve success."

  Song Kai grasped the gold ingot and shook his head, saying: "Let's talk again, I want to try once more."

  Liu Yuyuan didn't say much more, turned around and walked towards the back door, saying: "I have to go back, recently Father has been really annoying me, restricting my freedom."

  Song Kai nodded.

  Heaving a sigh, Song Kai walked towards the front hall, Nie Lingdang came up with an inquisitive face, the wind chime on his wrist jingling loudly, "Ah, I really didn't expect it, Song Kai, your little lover's skin is quite white."

  Song Kai flipped his eyelids, "Continue working, oh, by the way, how much is this gold ingot worth?"

  "Wow! Gold!" Nie Ling rushed over like the wind, grabbed the gold ingot and held it in her palm, excitedly saying: "Although it's not even half a liang, it's almost enough to exchange for two strings of copper coins."

  A Fu's spirits lifted, "Dà Láng, with this small gold ingot, we can buy all the ingredients, but... without a great chef, it's ultimately not possible."

  Song rubbed his head and said, "Then let's hire a great chef."

  "What's recruitment?" Ah Fu was puzzled.

  "Right, just post a few notices and when we have enough funds, we'll hire a top chef with a high salary." Song Kai muttered.

  The guest house has been cleaned up, and the backyard has also been slightly tidied up. However, there are many things missing in the guest house, including even the most basic kitchen knife, which only has one small knife left that is only one foot long. Purchasing ingredients, purchasing knives, cutting boards, firewood, etc., and recruiting a head chef, half a tael of gold will definitely not be enough, but it can be made do with for now to start business.

  For dinner, there were only some vegetables and rice, although it was light, Nie Ling Tong ate two big bowls, and then patted her belly and went to sleep. She had been pampered since she was a child and had never done so much work before. Today, she was called back and forth by Song Kai for an entire afternoon, and she was really tired.

  The next morning, Song Kai opened the shop door early and stood behind the counter waiting for customers to come in.

  Nie Ling Tong could only move around the backyard with a hood due to his identity, while Ah Fu went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and the three people made preparations for reopening.

  However, reality is cruel, and it's already past noon, but there isn't a single ghost.

  "Big brother, I think there won't be any guests coming," Ah Fu sighed, with tears streaming down his face. "Now the weather is still a bit hot, and the dishes we bought will go to waste. I'm ashamed in front of Master, ashamed in front of Old Master, and ashamed in front of big brother."

  Nie Lingdang also walked over and said, "Why not buy some clothes instead?"

  Song Kai rubbed his own nose, it seemed that he was too optimistic, this Red Dust Inn was probably notorious, and if they didn't come up with some extraordinary measures, there would be no way to continue operating.

  Just then, footsteps sounded outside, and Song Kai's three people were shocked at the same time. Ah Fu went to meet them and saw a woman with a young servant boy coming over. He quickly wiped away his tears and asked with a smile: "Little lady, are you here for dinner or lodging? Our guest house has just developed a new...

  "Uncle Fu!" Song Kai sighed behind the counter, "Don't ask anymore, they're neither here to have a meal nor stay at the hotel."

  The woman in front of her smiled triumphantly, "Song Kai, is this your inn? Haha, it seems like you're going to lose."

  Song Kai looked at the woman and said, "You're here to give me money, aren't you? Hurry up and take it out."

  Sun Ximei saw that her words had no effect on Song Kai, so she snorted and pulled out a large gold ingot from her sleeve. "I know you're pitiful, my grandfather will give you some more money. Humph! Let's go."

  After finishing speaking, Sun Ximei took the young servant and left.

  "Ahhhhhhh!"

  Along with a strange cry, Nie Ling Tong rushed over, holding the gold ingot in his palm, and said with a happy face: "This is enough for ten taels! Heaven, just now that woman's expression was quite vicious, but she was generous with her money."

  A Fu also walked over in surprise, "Boss, what on earth are you selling? It's actually worth that much money?"

  Song Kai smiled and said, "Some things I casually picked up from books, didn't expect them to be so valuable."

  "Really? So there really is a golden house in the book?" Nie Ling's eyes were filled with dollar signs.

  Song Kai smiled.

  A Fu was stunned at first, then burst into tears again and cried out: "Master! Did you see that? Da Lang is not stupid, he's reading gold!"

  Song wiped his sweat and said: "Alright, with this money, it should be enough for the opening promotion. This time we're going to make a big splash..."

  Before he had finished speaking, footsteps echoed from the doorway.

  Nie Ling's exceptionally agile body dodged behind Song Kai.

  "Song Kai! You little scoundrel, how long do you want to harm my daughter!" At the entrance, a stout middle-aged man with three companions walked into the inn.

  "Ah Fu said in a low voice: 'It's Liu Niangzi's father, Liu Zhuanggui.' After finishing speaking, Ah Fu smiled and went forward to welcome him. 'Liu Zhuanggui, you've come. Do you want to sit down? Our store has just launched...' "

  "Shut up, you old thing!" Liu Jiqian scolded in discontent, shaking his protruding belly and staring at Song Kai. "Song Kai, it's not that I'm intentionally making things difficult for you, but the fact is that you're a poor and white-haired scholar, how could I possibly marry my daughter to you? If you continue to spread rumors and cause trouble, ruining my daughter's reputation, I...I'll tear down this broken shop of yours!"

  Song Kai thought for a moment and said: "Uncle Liu, if I really want to marry your daughter, how should I do it? How much betrothal gift do you want me to give?"

  "Give up on that idea of yours, I don't want your betrothal gift either. If you can just revive this shop, it'll be a blessing from our ancestors!" Liu Jiqian sneered coldly.

  Song Kai laughed, "Liu Shu, that's the deal. If I can revive this inn, you must let me marry Liu Niangzi. But if the inn fails, I'll never see her again."

  "Alright, it's settled then, remember what you said today!" Liu Jiqian sneered and turned around to leave with his men.