Over the two-day weekend, Tang Xianling had slept well, eaten well, and made love to his heart’s content. On Saturday night, the two of them had gone at it until the wee hours of the morning—and on Saturday afternoon, Tang Xianling had slept so soundly that he wasn’t the least bit sleepy; in fact, he was full of energy.

“I’m not sleepy right now.” Tang Xianling felt completely limp all over.

Tieniu fetched some hot water, wrung out a washcloth, and wiped his husband’s body down. He then wiped down the bamboo mat and pulled the quilt over his husband to tuck him in. The next moment, Tang Xianling draped one leg over the quilt and groaned hoarsely, complaining that he was hot.

Huangfu Tieniu: “Put it in first and tuck it in. I’ll pour some water and fan you.”   

“Alright.” Tang Xianling shoved the leg haphazardly under the covers, leaving a bit sticking out.

Huangfu Tieniu tucked his master in properly, and Tang Xianling rubbed his leg against Tieniu’s palm. Huangfu Tieniu looked up hesitantly. “You said you were tired just now.” He was truly exhausted, at his limit—Tieniu could tell.

“I’m blessed with extraordinary stamina, and I’ve had a good rest.” Tang Xianling immediately began to praise himself.

Tieniu chuckled softly, stroking his husband’s leg but doing nothing else. He carried the basin outside to pour out the water, then returned, took off his outer garments, and saw that his husband had already fallen asleep.

He knew Xianling was exhausted; he’d just been putting on a brave face to tease him earlier.

Taking the palm-leaf fan from the bedside, Huangfu Tieniu climbed into bed gently and began fanning his husband slowly. The breeze brought relief, and Tang Xianling, feeling comfortable, stopped kicking off the covers.

Only after Xianling had fallen into a deep sleep did Huangfu Tieniu put away the fan, kiss his husband’s lips, and finally go to sleep himself.

On Sunday evening, Tang Xianling sat on the railing of his home’s veranda eating watermelon. He didn’t like watermelon seeds, so with every bite he’d spit them out onto the brick floor with a “pfft.” After a while, he decided to just let them fall—he was too lazy to catch them with his hand.

“Oh my, how did this weekend go by so fast!”

“I really wish I could just keep doing this without working.”

Jiang Yun couldn’t help but chuckle as she teased her Wu-ger, “What on earth are you babbling about?”

“There are just way too many watermelon seeds here.” Tang Xianling stopped eating, furrowed his brow, and stared down at the watermelon in his hand. Big Boss Tang intended to scare the watermelon seeds to death with his gaze.

To no avail.

“Never mind, it’s actually kind of fun to eat like this.” Tang Xianling happily went back to popping watermelon seeds.

Huangfu Tieniu had originally planned to take the watermelon to the kitchen, cut it into chunks, and remove the seeds, but seeing his husband happily munching on the watermelon and spitting out the seeds—occasionally wiggling his legs in sheer delight—he decided not to bring it up.

…It seemed that no matter what happened—even if it was unpleasant—Xianling could always find something to enjoy in it.

Tang Xianling ate two pieces and stopped; his stomach was so full it felt like it would burst, and eating too much would mean getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. So he grabbed a broom and began sweeping up, saying to his mother and Tieniu, “I’ll show you how it’s done—you two should spit them on the floor too.”

His mother caught the watermelon seeds in her hand, while Tieniu just looked on.

Huangfu Tieniu: “I don’t spit out watermelon seeds when I eat them. It’s a hassle, so I just chew them down.” Tang Xianling: “You’re a beast.”

Then, as if scolding a child, he said earnestly, “That’s bad.” 

Huangfu Tieniu:?

“Come next summer, you’ll have a string of melons growing in your belly.”

Huangfu Tieniu couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and Tang Xianling chuckled too. With a few quick sweeps of the broom, he swept the watermelon seeds into the dustpan, tossing the trash from his mother’s hands in as well. Jiang Yun said she’d clean it up later.

“It doesn’t matter who cleans it up; I’ll just do it while I’m at it,” Tang Xianling said offhandedly.

Jiang Yun couldn’t help but sigh, “Wu-ger is well-rested; he’s happy no matter what he does.”

Huangfu Tieniu nodded. It was the right decision to let Cui Dabao prepare breakfast; that way, his husband could get a full night’s sleep.

When Tang Xianling returned from taking out the trash, he heard what his mother and Tieniu were saying. He didn’t argue—times had changed. Before, they’d had no choice but to work to make ends meet, but now that things had eased up, they could “pursue their dreams” and open a small restaurant!

When he first started eating watermelon, he’d whine about not wanting to go to work, but it was just him complaining—he actually really enjoys cooking, especially seeing the look on diners’ faces after they’ve eaten; you can tell it’s “delicious” without them even saying a word.

That night, he went to bed early—he’d eaten too much watermelon. In the early hours of the morning, Tang Xianling got up once to use the bathroom. He got up too, and Tieniu got up as well, so the two of them held hands and went to the bathroom together.

They went back to sleep, but after less than two hours, the back gate creaked open.

“Who is it?” Tang Xianling’s body was like an alarm clock on workdays—it woke him up automatically at the right time. Huangfu Tieniu threw on some clothes and got up. “If you snooze a little longer, Brother Cui might be here.”

“Then you go open the door and greet him. I’ll just doze for another ten minutes.”

“No rush. He’s here early; you can sleep a little longer.” Huangfu Tieniu had no intention of going back to sleep. He tucked the quilt around his husband, then got up and hurried to open the courtyard gate. Sure enough, standing outside was Cui Dabao.

“Brother Cui.”

“Brother Tieniu.”

The two exchanged greetings. Huangfu Tieniu led Cui Dabao into the kitchen and began explaining to him where the red beans were stored, where the charcoal fire was, and which stove was usually used for boiling bean paste.

“The beans have been soaking all night. This is the jar for the dried plum vegetables.”

Huangfu Tieniu went to fetch water. “There aren’t many people getting water right now, but later on, there’ll be a line.” Cui Dabao grabbed a bucket and followed him.

By the time the two returned with the water, Tang Xianling had just gotten up and dressed, though he still looked a bit listless, with drooping eyebrows and downcast eyes. Cui Dabao then saw Brother Tieniu slip a toothbrush into Mr. Tang’s hand—the bristles were already dipped in tooth powder.

Mr. Tang took it and, with practiced ease, squatted by the water channel to brush his teeth.

Brother Tieniu scooped up some hot water, adjusted the temperature, and wrung out a washcloth. Just then, Boss Tang had finished brushing his teeth. Little Brother Tieniu handed him the washcloth, took the cup with the toothbrush from Boss Tang with one hand, and carried it back to put it away.

Mr. Tang wiped his face; he seemed to wake up considerably, as if he’d just noticed him, and greeted him with a smile: “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Boss.” Cui Dabao watched as Boss Tang took the washcloth to wash his face. After washing, Boss Tang wrung out the washcloth himself, hung it up to dry, and then poured out the dirty water.

It wasn’t Brother Tieniu who helped pour it out.

Tang Xianling: “For breakfast today, just watch me work. Don’t help out just yet.” 

“Got it.”

“If the neighbors ask, just say whatever you need to say. You can handle that, right?” After asking, Tang Xianling explained, “You can keep the monthly salary a secret.”

Cui Dabao nodded in understanding. “I know what the boss is worried about. Making breakfast is a proper job; I’m not afraid of what people might say.” He smiled again, joking at his own expense, “I used to be ‘Old Man Cui,’ after all.”

Tang Xianling couldn’t help but chuckle as well.

At 6:30 in the morning, everything was ready in the kitchen—dough, red bean paste, and fillings were all prepared. They began moving supplies to the front, and by 6:40 or 6:45, the ovens were preheating.

Tang Xianling said, “Later on, we’ll take these two ovens apart and replace them with two cylindrical ones. That way, they’ll bake faster and take up less space. You’ll need to get a handle on the heat control then.”

The current two-chamber oven had been converted from a large two-chamber stove used back when Old Master Tang was still around. It took up a large corner of the shop, so it definitely had to be dismantled to free up space, and the flue would need to be modified as well.

“We’re open,” Tang Xianling said.

Cui Dabao felt a bit nervous, but mostly excited, as he pulled open the shop door. He exchanged glances with the customers waiting outside, and the customers waiting outside: ?!!!

“I want—,” 

“I’m first.” 

“Isn’t it a bit late today?”

Then, all at once, they fell silent.

They exchanged glances. Zhang Ming spoke first: “What’s with you—you’re here so early.”

“Just because I didn’t come to eat last week, does that mean I have to be hanging out here in the middle of the night?”

“Mr. Tang, why did you invite Old Man Cui in first?”

“If he went in first, he went in first. I don’t see anything grilled yet.”

“When did Old Man Cui get here? How come I didn’t see him?”

Everyone chattered away. Since everyone in the neighborhood knew each other, they spoke bluntly and without reserve. Tang Xianling came out, a smile on his face, looking cheerful. And said, “I’m too busy with breakfast service, so I specially hired Cui Dabao to work at my place.”

Cui Dabao: “That’s right. I’ll be working at the breakfast shop from now on.” 

Diners: ???!!!

This left them even more astonished.

But after a moment’s thought, they began to understand: Father Cui was gravely ill and on medication, and Cui Dabao—who used to be a good-for-nothing slacker—had been driven to work for the Tang family. This could be considered an act of filial piety.

The neighbors immediately chimed in with warm, good-natured teasing: “Well done, Old Man Cui! We all eat pot-sticker buns here, but you’re the one with the connections—you’re the first to land a job here.”

“From now on, Old Cui won’t have to wait in line for his bread.”

Everyone laughed heartily; no one said anything about Old Man Cui losing face by working as a laborer for the Tang family. Cui Dabao chuckled cheerfully, “No problem, no problem. Everyone, get in line.”

“Just you wait—we’ll have to take orders from Grandpa from now on.”

Zhang Ming was at the front of the line. When it was his turn, he chatted with Cui Dabao for a few moments.

“How’s Uncle Cui?”

“Not bad. He ate a lot yesterday. It’s just a broken arm—he’ll be fine after a hundred days of rest.”  

“As long as he can eat, that’s good,” Zhang Ming said.

Cui Dabao thought to himself: That bowl of char siu rice that Boss Tang cooked smelled absolutely delicious. Not only did his father love it, but even Douzi—who was pregnant and usually couldn’t stand the smell of meat—ate it without throwing up.

After a few words, Cui Dabao had to go put more buns into the oven and take some out—this task used to be handled by Huangfu Tieniu, but today he’d shown Cui Dabao how to do it; Tieniu would still remind him about the timing and heat.

Cui Dabao took careful note.

The diners in the shop took one look and, the more perceptive among them, began to speculate: Old Man Cui didn’t seem to be here just to help out; it looked like he was learning how to make pot-sticker buns. Was Boss Tang planning to completely hand over the breakfast service to Old Man Cui from now on?

It made sense. Business at Tang’s Eatery was booming in the evenings; word was that the skewered meat was selling exceptionally well, though takeout orders had dropped off a bit. If Boss Tang handed breakfast duties over to Cui Dabao, wouldn’t that be like opening a full-fledged restaurant?

No one would ever wonder whether “Mr. Tang could actually make a restaurant work in Baxing District.”

It’s plain for all to see that the Tang family’s business is thriving—whatever they sell flies off the shelves—and most of their customers are people from other neighborhoods with a bit of money to spare.

With that in mind, some people were still curious: “If Boss Tang were to open a restaurant, what kind of food would he serve? Would he still serve pork? I wonder if he’d try something different.”

It hadn’t rained much that week, so by Thursday, Cui Dabao was ready to start making the buns. He handled everything himself—kneading the dough, preparing the filling, mincing the meat, and so on. When the freshly baked buns were handed to the customers, even though Cui Dabao had tasted them himself and knew they were fine, he still watched them with bated breath.

Zhang Ming hadn’t received his bun yet; he was still waiting in line. Seeing Cui Dabao’s anxious expression, he couldn’t help but tease him: “Look at how scared Old Man Cui is. Why don’t you just tell us if it’s good or not?”

The customer, who had received a pancake and was chewing it slowly, chuckled and said, “I was just teasing Grandpa. It’s delicious.” Then, his smile faded as he nodded and added, “It really is delicious. It tastes just like the ones Boss Tang makes.”

“Then I’ll have to try some,” Zhang Ming said.

Cui Dabao’s heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled.

Tang Xianling was also relieved. He realized he needed to inform his customers—he hadn’t mentioned yet that the shop would be closed for renovations. That evening, as he was grilling meat in front of the shop, someone approached him and asked, “Is this the Tang family shop in Baxing District?”

“Yes, is there something I can help you with? I’m the owner here,” Tang Xianling asked, looking at the unfamiliar man.

The man replied, “My surname is Feng—Feng Gu. A fellow named Tieniu asked me to deliver a message to Cuilin Town earlier. But it rained nonstop on my way back, so I was delayed for a few days…”

Tang Xianling still had a skewer of meat in his hand and couldn’t put it down, so he first said to Feng Gu, “Thank you for your trouble. I’m busy here—why don’t you come inside and have a seat?” Then he remembered there wasn’t much space inside, so he called out to his mother.

“Mother, this is Mr. Feng, who brought a message for Second Sister—”

“I’m not worthy of the title ‘Mr.’—just call me Feng Gu.”

Tang Xianling said, “Mother, please take Mr. Feng inside to sit for a while.” He then turned to Mr. Feng and added, “Don’t rush off. Please sit down, have a cup of tea, and a meal—it’s on me.”

Feng Gu initially declined. He had already accepted a tael of silver from them—a substantial sum—so how could he possibly accept a meal on top of that? But the aroma wafting from the kitchen was so enticing that he found himself swallowing hard. Seizing the opportunity, he bowed his hands in thanks.

Jiang Yun was delighted, though she felt a bit nervous about how to broach the subject. She first ushered Mr. Feng into the back courtyard to sit down, poured him some tea, and even personally brought him a boxed meal.

Mr. Feng had initially intended to be reserved and exchange polite pleasantries, but as soon as he looked down at the food on the plate, his stomach began to growl. “Then I’ll eat first.”

“Please, please, help yourself.” Jiang Yun left Boss Feng to eat in the main hall while she went to the front to greet the others, but her mind was elsewhere. She was also a bit afraid to hear news of Erniang; she always had a bad feeling about it.

Tang Xianling had called out to Tieniu earlier: “I’m busy here. You go with Mother to entertain Mr. Feng first. If there’s a letter from Second Sister, bring it out and let Mother read it.”

So Jiang Yun went to the front hall, but she hadn’t been there long before Tieniu reassured his mother and accompanied her to the main hall in the back courtyard. By then, Feng Gu had devoured his meal in a flash, without a shred of decorum, and felt a bit embarrassed when he saw the hostess arrive.

Tieniu brought over some tea, poured a cup for Mr. Feng, and explained, “My mother is worried about Second Sister and wants to hear about her recent situation as soon as possible. Please forgive her for her impatience.”

“Not at all, not at all.” Feng Gu had intended to ask for forgiveness for his lack of manners while eating, but seeing the expressions on the faces of the mother and son across from him—which showed not the slightest hint of mocking his wolfish eating—and realizing their concern was for a close relative, he simply handed over the bundle.

At the same time, he explained, “Madam Cui also sent a bag of walnuts and a bag of pastries. However, on the way back, it rained continuously, making the road difficult and muddy. The cart overturned, so the bundles got a bit dirty. I’ve checked them—the walnuts are fine, but the pastries are a bit crumbled and have some mud on them.”

“And there’s a letter—it’s fine, at the very bottom.”

Jiang Yun had already unwrapped the bundle. The oil paper holding the pastries was covered in dried mud spots, and the pastries had crumbled to bits. After so long, even the long-lasting peach shortbread had gone bad and was inedible. The walnuts were still fine; some had their shells rolled off and gotten muddy, but she’d wiped them clean.

The most important thing was the letter, wrapped in wax paper.

Jiang Yun handed the letter to Tieniu; she couldn’t read. Huangfu Tieniu took the letter and asked Boss Feng to eat first while they went out to the courtyard to read it. They’d be back shortly and wanted to ask about Second Sister’s well-being.

Feng Gu nodded, stood up, and said, “Of course, of course.”

By the time Tieniu and his mother had gone to the courtyard veranda to read the letter, Feng Gu could finish the rest of his meal, take a sip of tea, and tidy his clothes. In the courtyard, Huangfu Tieniu read the letter slowly.

Second Sister Tang Zhen was illiterate, but Feng Gu could write. With Tang Zhen dictating and Feng Gu putting pen to paper, the letter was written in a slightly stilted style—though not excessively so, since Feng Gu was merely a small merchant and couldn’t compose anything too eloquent.

In the letter, Tang Zhen wrote that everything was fine. Her father had passed away; at the time, she was heavily pregnant and about to give birth. Fearing it might be a boy, her family wouldn’t let her travel, and she lamented that, as a daughter, she felt unfilial for not being able to see her father one last time. She also mentioned how well-behaved and obedient her eldest, second, and third daughters were, noting that they were all doing well. Life at home was comfortable; the grain harvests had been good for the past two years, and the family had opened another shop…

Tang Zhen had intended to share only the good news and not the bad, but by the end, she couldn’t help but let some resentment slip through.

“…The fourth child has been born, but alas, it’s another ger—not a son. Bo’an has some complaints about me, and he blames my womb for being uncooperative.” Huangfu Tieniu frowned deeply and stopped in his tracks.

Jiang Yun’s eyes welled up with tears. Reading Erniang’s letter felt like looking back at her own past. Old Tang was a man who wanted a son; she had kept trying to conceive all those years, but to no avail. During that time, she had endured Old Tang’s cold stares, resentment, and harsh words—more than she could count.

Now Erniang was going through exactly the same thing.

“What else did your second sister say?”

Huangfu Tieniu replied, “She said she’s fine. Mother-in-law and Father-in-law have found her plenty of folk remedies and told her to take care of her health. With the family business doing better and better, they simply must have a son to carry on the family name.”

These words were all too familiar, as if Old Tang were standing right in front of her, stabbing her all over again. Jiang Yun listened, unable even to cry. Erniang’s life was so hard—her mother-in-law was harsh, and her husband didn’t even show her any affection.

How was she supposed to live like this? At this thought, Jiang Yun’s tears began to fall. She shouldn’t have let Erniang marry into Cuilin Town—she really shouldn’t have. Why hadn’t she been more assertive back then? Why hadn’t she looked out for Erniang more?

Huangfu Tieniu fetched some water and told his mother to wash her face, then went to ask Feng Gu about it.

No matter what Second Sister wrote in her letter, the underlying tone was heartbreaking, and Huangfu Tieniu couldn’t help but worry. In the main hall, Feng Gu had finished his meal. Seeing Tieniu arrive, he stood up. The two skipped the formalities and got straight to the point.

“Upon hearing the purpose of my visit, the Cui family was quite hospitable. They invited me to sit and rest, and then asked Mrs. Cui to speak with me.” As an outsider, Feng Gu chose his words carefully

He continued, “Madam Cui dictated the letter while I wrote it down, with her mother-in-law and father-in-law both present to entertain the guests.”

After all, he was a man from outside the family. Although the Cui family wasn’t particularly wealthy and didn’t have many formalities—Mrs. Cui even helped out with the shopwork—since he had come to see her, someone still needed to be present to keep an eye on things.

“Please speak plainly, Mr. Feng.” Huangfu Tieniu could tell from Mr. Feng’s expression that he was holding something back.

Feng Gu continued, “After I finished writing the letter, the Cui family returned the courtesy and saw me off. I didn’t feel comfortable lingering, so I couldn’t speak privately with Mrs. Cui. Later, while conducting business, I had to stay in Cuilin Town for two more days due to rain, so I inquired about the Cui family.”

“That’s when I learned that after Mrs. Cui gave birth to a ger, the Cui family had originally intended to give the ger away.”

“Give him away?” Huangfu Tieniu’s voice rose slightly.

Feng Gu nodded and quickly added, “I only heard this secondhand, so I can’t be certain. When I visited the Cui household, I heard a baby crying, so I assume they didn’t give him away—or perhaps the rumors circulating outside are simply incorrect.”

Jiang Yun walked in and heard this; her face went pale, and her hands trembled slightly.

“It can’t be a rumor. Old Tang wanted to give away Wu-ger before, too. If it weren’t for the full-moon banquet—with the whole neighborhood watching—when I gave birth, Old Tang said that if it was another girl or a ger, he’d give the child away…” Jiang Yun’s words were jumbled, and she could barely stand.

Huangfu Tieniu helped his mother sit down and said, “Mother, Mr. Feng said he heard a baby crying.”   

“I’m so anxious,” Jiang Yun said, her heart aching. “How is Erniang supposed to get by?”

“Will she end up just like me—soaked in bitterness, worn down by hardship, drifting through life in a daze with no hope at all…”

Seeing the mother and son weeping in sorrow, Feng Gu hesitated and decided not to mention the other thing he’d heard. After all, it was not uncommon for a man doing business away from home to have a lover or two.

Tang Xianling’s mind was preoccupied with what lay ahead; even now, Tieniu and his mother hadn’t come to speak with him—if Second Sister were safe and sound, she would certainly have come to let him know, but it had been half a day already.

He furrowed his brow and carried the skewers to the customers’ table. He made up his mind.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll finish serving today, but we’ll be closed for a month starting tomorrow.”

The diners were in the middle of their meal when they suddenly heard this “bad news.” Startled, their hands began to tremble. Seeing the grave expression on Mr. Tang’s face, they immediately grew anxious. “Is there some problem that’s keeping you from opening?”

“Or is someone causing trouble for Mr. Tang?”

“Which shop is trying to trip Mr. Tang up?” 

“Could it be that some thugs are causing trouble?”

Realizing the diners had misunderstood, Tang Xianling quickly put on a smile and explained, “No, no. I want to turn the shop into a restaurant. I need to do some renovations and finalize the menu. From now on, the restaurant will be open all day, serving both lunch and dinner.”

“What about breakfast?”

“I’ve found workers to keep the breakfast service running—it’s a separate operation,” Tang Xianling said.

The customers finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Actually, there’s no need to close for a whole month—we’ve got tables, chairs, and everything here.”

“Exactly, exactly. A month is a bit too long.”

Tang Xianling: “I have some family matters to attend to. We’ll close for a month, but on the day we reopen, I’ll treat every customer to a free dish.” 

“What kind of dish?” 

“Are you serious?” 

“Mr. Tang always keeps his word.”

Tang Xianling smiled broadly: “I mean it. Summer will be over by then, and the weather will be much cooler. I’ll introduce some new dishes at that time.”    

“New dishes?” 

“Will it still be pork?”

“Chicken, duck, fish, and meat—I’ll decide as I go. For those who love fish, I’ve just come up with a new grilled fish dish the other day…”

Hearing this, the diners’ appetites were whetted, and they couldn’t wait to order right then and there.

“Please spread the word—we won’t be open tomorrow, so don’t make the trip for nothing.” As Tang Xianling spoke, he thought of the yogurt stockpiled at home. “Today, everyone gets a free jar of yogurt. Thank you all for your support and patronage. See you next month.”

“No problem, no problem.” 

“Mr. Tang is so generous.” 

“You’re too kind.”

Tang Xianling called over A-Liang to bring out the yogurt jars. Since he was closing for renovations, he’d have to make a trip to the East Market tomorrow to tell the dairy shop there to suspend milk deliveries for a month.

The shop was bustling during the evening meal. Since Tang Xianling had generously given away the yogurt, the diners felt too embarrassed to accept it for free and ended up ordering some skewers. Some even packed up boxed meals—once they’d eaten today, they wouldn’t be able to get boxed meals even after the shop reopened—

But it’s no great loss.

Because Boss Tang was planning to turn the place into a restaurant, and restaurants always let you order à la carte, with a wider variety of dishes. From the sound of it, besides pork, he’d be able to prepare other dishes as well—though they wonder how his other meats would taste.

They haven’t tried it yet.

The news that Tang’s shop was turning into a restaurant spread quickly. No sooner had Tang Xianling announced it in the shop than every shop on Main Street knew about it.

“Opening a restaurant? I suppose it makes sense—his business has been booming.”

“How much will that dish cost? Thirty wen is too much—don’t let it end up with no customers.” And so the snide remarks began.

Old Zhao’s sugar-oil pancake shop heard the gossip too. The old lady grumbled on and on for a long time, muttering about how a young husband opening a restaurant was unheard of on Main Street, and so on.

Everyone else ran small food stalls, but his family was different.

Soon someone else chimed in: “The Tang family is going to close up shop for a month.”

“What do you mean, a month?” 

“Didn’t you just say they were opening a restaurant?” 

“Are they  closing down or opening a restaurant?” “They said they’re closing for a month to renovate the shop and will reopen once it’s done.”

As soon as the old lady from the Zhao family heard this, she covered her mouth and laughed heartily. With her seasoned wisdom, she declared, “No shop would dare to close for that long. No matter how delicious your food is, if you close for a month, the customers will have long forgotten you—who’s going to remember?”

Sun Honghong also thought her mother-in-law had a point and chimed in, “Their business is only good because of that opera excerpt. I hear even boxed lunches aren’t selling well these days. If they close for a month, that opera excerpt won’t be popular anymore either. I won’t even mention the teahouses in the East and West Markets—what’s there for them to be so cocky about?”

“If you’re closed for a month, who’s going to remember your place? Let’s see how arrogant Brother Tang Wu can be then!”