Set Up a Stall
Not long after the meal, Qi Liangshan and Wen Ge’er headed back home.
Lin Qiao was in the kitchen washing dishes, and after Yang Lan finished tidying up the courtyard, he went to find him.
“Lin Qiao, there’s something I want to ask your opinion on.”
Lin Qiao paused, looking at him in surprise. “Husband?”
Soon, a blush spread across his face. “What does Husband want to say? I’m afraid I can’t be of much help, I don’t know anything.”
Yang Lan said, “It’s related to you.”
Lin Qiao’s eyes widened, and he wiped his hands on his apron, looking at him anxiously, fearing he might say something about not wanting him anymore.
“In just over ten days, I’ll be going to the academy in town,” Yang Lan said.
Lin Qiao was taken aback. His family didn’t have anyone studying in town, so he wasn’t familiar with this and nodded seriously.
Yang Lan pressed his lips together. “The academy is far away, and by the time classes end, it’ll be nearly dark. I won’t be able to make it back. We get two days off every two weeks, so I can only come home then. I’ll have to stay at the academy dormitory during the weekdays.”
“Two weeks…” Lin Qiao’s face instantly fell.
During this time, he had been living with Yang Lan and had grown accustomed to his presence. Only when Yang Lan was home did he feel at ease.
However, studying was important, and he couldn’t hold his husband back.
After thinking it through, Lin Qiao forced himself to perk up and smiled. “Don’t worry, Husband. I’ll take good care of Father, so you don’t have to worry about things at home.”
Yang Lan, however, took his hand. “But I want you and Father to come to town with me.”
Lin Qiao was stunned, looking at him in disbelief. “But we don’t have a house in town…”
“We can rent a place. Besides, I don’t like staying at the academy,” Yang Lan replied.
Lin Qiao was tempted but had to consider many things. “Living expenses in town are high. If I can’t earn money, what about your studies?”
Yang Lan’s heart softened at his words. “That’s why I wanted to hear your opinion.”
Lin Qiao looked at him.
Yang Lan said, “If you’re willing, we can set up a stall in town. Once we’ve saved enough, we can open a shop. Your cooking is excellent, even better than the taverns in town. I’m sure business will be good.”
“Set up a stall, open a shop?” Lin Qiao’s eyes widened. These were things he had never dared to dream of before.
Yang Lan nodded. “Do you remember what Uncle Wang said? His second son, Wang Changjun, started with a stall and gradually built up to the successful vegetable shop he runs now. We saw it last time.”
Hearing this, Lin Qiao was indeed swayed.
“Husband, do you really think my cooking could sell?”
Yang Lan immediately said, “Of course it can! I’ll invite my classmates over to support your business.”
Lin Qiao smiled and, after a moment, nodded. “Alright, I really want to go to town with Husband and try setting up a stall.”
“Then I’ll talk to Father about it,” Yang Lan said.
With Lin Qiao’s agreement, there was hardly any need to persuade Zhang Shi. Just the incident from this morning was enough to make him resolute about leaving Willow Leaf Village.
Seeing this, Yang Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Now that he had clearly broken ties with the other members of the Yang family, and Yang Xinlong’s family had been severely reprimanded by the clan elders for past matters, once he went to town, those people would surely look for opportunities to trouble Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao.
This was something he didn’t want to see.
Yang Lan was always quick to act. That afternoon, he took some gifts and went to see Uncle Wang.
He was in luck. When he arrived, Wang Changjun happened to be home, saying he returned every ten days to settle accounts with the villagers who supplied vegetables.
Yang Lan brought a rooster, which was considered a very generous gift in the village.
Wang Changjun’s husband served him some sweet water, just like half a month ago, but this time, both of their moods had undergone a dramatic change.
Especially Wang Changjun’s husband, who had observed Yang Lan’s changes over this period and was quite pleased, now genuinely treating him as a junior.
Yang Lan sat at the table, took a sip of the sweet water, and got straight to the point. “I’m here to ask Brother Wang for help. My husband wants to set up a small food stall in town, but we don’t know anything about it, so we’ve come to seek some advice.”
He spoke humbly, and Wang Changjun felt quite comfortable hearing it, sharing everything he knew without holding back.
Yang Lan then learned that setting up a stall in town wasn’t something you could just do casually; there was a lot to it.
First was the location.
Stone Town was situated by a canal, with a moderately sized dock to the north. The flow of people was considerable, and the economy was relatively good.
Because of the dock, the foot traffic on North Street was much better than on South Street. Many passing merchants and escorts would dine on North Street.
Wang Changjun said, “As for South Street, it’s where the town’s residents mainly live. Generally, vegetable shops, butcher shops, and general stores do better there. There aren’t many food stalls, and business isn’t great.”
Yang Lan nodded. Since he and Lin Qiao wanted to do a food business, it seemed they should head to North Street.
Next was the stall fee.
The magistrate of Stone Town was an honest and practical official. His first act upon taking office was to deal with the local thugs who extorted protection fees, making life much easier for the vendors.
Especially on North Street, where the crowd was diverse and many were not locals, there were daily patrols by constables, ensuring safety.
“If you just rent a spot on the street, it’s only ten coins a day. For an extra ten coins, you can store your pots, bowls, tables, and chairs in a warehouse managed by the government,” Wang Changjun added.
“That’s quite convenient.”
After taking a sip of water, Wang Changjun asked, “Have you decided what you want to sell, Scholar Yang?”
Yang Lan shook his head. He only had a rough idea and needed to discuss the specifics with Lin Qiao.
Wang Changjun nodded. “Then you should find some time to visit the town, and pick out a stall spot.”
“Thank you, Brother Wang!”
Leaving the Wang household, Yang Lan walked with a spring in his step. The more he learned, the more feasible the idea of setting up a stall seemed. Especially with the good security in Stone Town, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone bullying the two Ge’ers when he was at the academy.
Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao had been waiting in the courtyard for quite some time. Seeing him return, they immediately gathered around.
“How did it go? Is it feasible?”
Yang Lan smiled. “Of course it’s feasible.”
With that, he shared everything Wang Changjun had told him.
After hearing it all, Zhang Shi and Lin Qiao’s brows relaxed considerably, feeling that perhaps they really could do it.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to town to check out the stalls,” Yang Lan said.