Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 222

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he invited He Yuzhu to accompany him south to purchase goods, hoping to spend his honeymoon with He Yuzhu.

When He Yuzhu woke up and checked his watch, it was already afternoon. Chen Xueru, who had been resting on the other side, immediately perked up and came over to lie down in He Yuzhu's bed.

Unfortunately, the bed was too narrow, so she could only sleep on He Yuzhu's body. However, this was exactly what Chen Xueru wanted, so she reached out to undo her belt.

An hour later, Chen Xueru was exhausted, but He Yuzhu, who was still full of energy, asked about heading south.

When it comes to silk, everyone knows that Suzhou and Hangzhou are the main production areas. Chen Xueru had been sourcing her silk from Suzhou.

Chen Xueru introduced the situation here. Guanqian Street is located in the center of Suzhou's ancient city. The area is a prosperous commercial area with many famous shops, many of which have a history of over a hundred years.

One of the time-honored shops was Taixiang Silk Shop, one of the four major silk merchants. It was Chen Xueru's supplier, and she had a very good personal relationship with the eldest daughter of Taixiang.

"So all we have to do is place an order and pick it up?" He Yuzhu hadn't asked about the details beforehand and thought it would be complicated.

"Yes, we've known each other for many years. Actually, all it takes is sending a telegram and Sister Qingmo will arrange the shipment."

Chen Xueru's smile was quite sly, and He Yuzhu instantly understood that Chen Xueru wanted to take this opportunity to go out with him and spend more time together.

"They didn't explain it clearly before."

"If I explained everything clearly, would you still come out to me?" Chen Xueru retorted.

Of course I can!

"That's more like it. So what's the difference between me telling you and not telling you?"

Life on the train was very boring. It would take three days and two nights to travel from the capital to Suzhou. The two of them were very bored in their small room. All they did was eat and sleep. Of course, with a beautiful woman in their arms, they also did some other things.

When the train finally stopped at Suzhou Railway Station, Chen Xueru got off the train looking radiant, with He Yuzhu carrying the luggage and following behind.

"Huh, why didn't Sister Qingmo come to pick us up?"

Chen Xueru walked along the exit all the way to the outside of the train station, but did not see anyone who was supposed to pick her up.

"I thought Sister Qingmo would come to pick me up in person, but I didn't expect that she wouldn't even send a helper."

Chen Xueru was a little angry, feeling embarrassed in front of He Yuzhu. On the train, she had confidently declared that she and Qingmo were best friends and that Qingmo would come to pick her up personally. She hadn't expected that not only did Qingmo not come, but not even a single shop assistant from the store would be sent.

He Yuzhu advised, "Perhaps she forgot because something came up. Let's go to Guanqian Street to look for her first."

Chen Xueru looked somewhat displeased and muttered, "Let's not go to Taixiang first, let's go to the hotel, I need to take a shower."

Although I slept in a soft sleeper on the train, I didn't have a chance to take a shower for the next two nights and could only wipe myself with warm water.

Chen Xueru always felt that she wasn't clean enough, that there were traces of He Yuzhu left on her body, and that she felt sticky and uncomfortable.

"Alright, let's take a shower and rest for the night before we go to buy more goods, and then we can go sightseeing."

There's a saying: "Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou." Since we've come all this way, we should definitely stay for a few more days. This is He Yuzhu's first time visiting Suzhou.

They hailed a rickshaw and the two of them arrived at the Sihai Hotel on Guanqian Street. They booked a superior room, and after entering, He Yuzhu carried Chen Xueru into the washroom.

It took two hours to take this bath, and then He Yuzhu asked, "What good food is available here?"

When a chef visits another place, the first thing that comes to mind is to taste the local cuisine.

"Yes, I've been here twice before. You can try 'Lu Gao Jian's Pig Trotters,' a Suzhou-style dish from Songhelou, as well as Shengchunyang Ham and Gongtang Zongzi Candy."

"Okay, let's go have a big meal first, and then we can take care of business tomorrow."

Having already arrived at Guanqian Street, there was no rush to see Ye Qingmo, so the two quickly went to Songhelou.

Songhelou Restaurant, founded in 1737 (the second year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign), is the most prestigious and oldest restaurant in Suzhou's Su-style cuisine. Originally a small noodle shop, it later expanded to include Suzhou-style dishes, emphasizing the selection of ingredients, knife skills, and cooking techniques. It utilizes the unique methods of stewing, braising, simmering, and simmering to create dishes that are excellent in color, aroma, taste, and presentation. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong tasted "Squirrel Fish" at this restaurant during his three southern tours. Its main dishes include "White Sauce Vegetables," "Three Shrimp Tofu," and "Honey Glazed Ham," among which the signature dish "Squirrel Mandarin Fish" is a favorite among diners.

The food made by a century-old brand is perfect. After tasting all the signature dishes, He Yuzhu secretly pondered them.

"What's wrong? Is it not good?" Chen Xueru asked when she saw him remain silent.

"It's delicious. I'm working on how to make these dishes."

"What? You have that skill? You can make it after just one taste?"

"Isn't this a very simple thing? It's like a tailor seeing a new style of clothing and being able to cut it out himself. It's the same principle."

"Nonsense! I don't believe you. Every cooking method has its own secrets. You think you can learn it just by tasting it?"

"What if I had that ability?"

"I don't believe it. Don't try to fool me." Chen Xueru believed that she was not an ordinary, naive girl. She had never heard of anyone being able to make a unique delicacy just by trying it.

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Then if I can do it, you have to promise me what I said tonight."

Chen Xueru blushed and rolled her eyes. When she was taking a shower earlier, He Yuzhu made a request that was a bit too much for her, so she refused it outright.

I didn't expect to be waiting for you here. After thinking for a moment, I asked, "Did you and her do this before?"

He Yuzhu nodded: "Of course."

"Okay, I promise you, as long as you can make it when you get back."

Chen Xueru regretted blurting it out; the knowledge was too embarrassing, and she wondered what would happen if she actually did it.

He Yuzhu simply smiled and confirmed the matter. After enjoying the delicious food, he went to the ancient Xuanmiao Temple.

Guanqian Street, as the name suggests, got its name because of the ancient temple Xuanmiao Temple located there.

Guanqian Street in Gusu City is also a shopping and food paradise for tourists, with everything from time-honored snack shops to various specialty shops.

Similar to Yandaixie Street in Beijing, it is also a famous street.

However, business was more important, so the two got up early the next day, tidied themselves up, and then went to visit Taixiang Silk Shop.

Taixiang, founded in the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1870), is the only "China Time-Honored Brand" enterprise in the Suzhou silk industry.

Although there are few records about the founding date of Taixianghao, this time-honored brand has long been famous among its peers. Mentioning Taixianghao is almost a household name, and there is a saying in Suzhou that goes, "If you want to eat at Songhelou, then go to Taixianghao."

Of course, the Taixiang Ship has not yet been put into public-private partnership and is still owned by the Ye family.

When He Yuzhu entered Taixiang, he saw that it was already packed with people, all of whom were selecting various fabrics.

It mainly sells fine silks and satins, but also other fabrics. There are many colors and styles, and it is bustling with activity. Its business is much better than Chen Xueru's silk shop.

Chen Xueru stopped a waiter and said, "Please inform him that I am Chen Xueru from Qianmen in the capital, and I wish to see your young lady."

The waiter said, "So it's Miss Chen. What a coincidence, Miss Chen is currently unwell, and it's the young master who's in charge."

"Sister Qingmo is sick? What kind of illness is it?" Chen Xueru asked hurriedly.

"Yes, the young lady has been sick for many days. The young master said it was the plague, so he sent her to the old house in the countryside to recuperate."

"Oh, I see. She actually contracted the plague. Sister Qingmo is really unlucky. Let me inform the young master first."

"Okay, please follow me."

The waiter led the two men to the waiting room, served them two cups of fragrant tea, and then excused himself to report.

Chen Xueru said with emotion, "I never thought Sister Qingmo would be so unlucky. Her husband passed away the year before last, and she didn't leave behind any children. She finally managed to get through the pain, and now she has contracted the plague."

"Yes, I never expected to contract the plague. This disease has a very high mortality rate."

Chapter 165 Is the Young Lady Under House Arrest?

Plague is a highly contagious disease primarily transmitted by fleas from the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is a zoonotic disease widely prevalent among wild rodents. Clinically, it manifests as fever, severe toxemia, swollen lymph nodes, pneumonia, and hemorrhagic tendencies. Plague has caused several major pandemics throughout world history, resulting in tens of millions of deaths and an extremely high mortality rate.

However, the plague is mainly transmitted through unsanitary food, and it was quite strange to He Yuzhu that Ye Qingmo, as the young lady of Taixiang, would also contract this disease.

Chen Xueru was very sad and said, "Don't scare me. God bless her, Sister Qingmo will definitely pull through."

The two exchanged a few words, and then the waiter came out and invited them inside.

He Yuzhu followed him into the office and finally met the eldest young master, Ye Qingxian. After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Xueru first inquired about Qingmo's condition.

According to the eldest young master, Ye Qingmo's symptoms were relatively mild and not life-threatening. However, since it was an infectious disease, Chen Xueru was not allowed to visit him.

Chen Xueru said with great regret, "Then I will come to visit again when Sister Qingmo is better."

"You're too kind. I'm so glad my sister has such a good friend."

"You're welcome."

After discussing the topic of Qingmo, Chen Xueru took out a list. This time, a large quantity was being imported, most of which would be shipped to Russia in the north. She earnestly instructed that the goods must be in perfect condition.

"Don't worry, you've been a loyal customer for many years, so there won't be any problems with the goods this time. It's just that you need a large quantity, so it will take three days to prepare the goods for you. I'll have to trouble you to wait three days."

"sure no problem."

After discussing it, the two confirmed the order, paid a deposit, and agreed to pay the balance once the goods were on the train.

He Yuzhu was unfamiliar with the fabric and silk business and barely spoke throughout the entire process, only observing this so-called young master.

I always felt that this young master didn't seem like someone who knew how to do business. He made several mistakes when talking about business, and it was only after Chen Xueru reminded him that he corrected them.

I feel like a complete novice; I don't understand some of the details, and I have to go out and ask people before I can confirm anything.

After the business deal was finalized, as they walked out of the Taixiang shop, He Yuzhu asked, "Wasn't this young master in charge of the business before?"

"You noticed it too?" Chen Xueru asked back.

“What’s so difficult about that? I’ve seen plenty of business people, but I’ve never seen anyone do business like this.”

Chen Xueru didn't answer, but turned and walked towards a teahouse, ordered a pot of Biluochun tea, and then said to He Yuzhu:

"I didn't tell you about this young master before, mainly because he's not in charge of the business."

He Yuzhu didn't speak, but simply sipped his fragrant tea and listened attentively.