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As they approached the Li Family Tavern, Xing Ruyi suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose and tightened her thick cloak, muttering, "Who is talking about me behind my back?"
Due to the cold weather, the Li Family Tavern opened earlier than usual compared to other seasons. It wasn't because Si Niang and the others were particularly diligent; rather, those who enjoyed good wine were already lining up outside.
When Xing Ruyi arrived, Bell was busy outside heating the cold Peach Blossom Wine, and the fragrance of peach blossoms wafted through the chilly air.
Today, Bell was wearing a pink cotton jacket, and the scent of the Peach Blossom Wine mixed with it made her seem even warmer. Before Xing Ruyi could greet her, the girl set down the wine she was holding and ran over. Her two hair buns bobbed lightly in the air, making her look quite adorable.
"Aunt Ruyi, you're here!"
Bell floated over like a pink cloud and dove into Xing Ruyi's embrace. Fortunately, she was dressed warmly today; otherwise, she might have fallen to the ground from such a collision.
Xing Ruyi steadied herself and cupped Bell's round face in her hands, asking, "Why are you calling me 'Aunt' today?"
"My sister-in-law told me to call you that. If I call you Sister Ruyi, it would make her feel old. If I call you Concubine, Aunt Ruyi, you aren't married yet; it would sound like I'm calling you old to outsiders. So after thinking it over, I can only call you Aunt. Aunt Ruyi! Aunt Ruyi!"
"Aunt Ruyi is fine; it sounds nice." Xing Ruyi teased as she gently pinched Bell's cheek. "From now on, you can call me Aunt Ruyi, and I'll call you Bell. You are my beloved niece now."
"Bell has gained a loving aunt!" Bell said as she took Xing Ruyi's hand and led her into the tavern. "Sister-in-law is back; Auntie is weak and sensitive to the cold. You should sit in the back room first; I'll get a brazier for you and bring a pot of freshly heated Peach Blossom Wine. It will pair nicely with the meal Sister-in-law made this morning."
"Your sister-in-law is back?"
"Yes, she returned before it got dark. It was your shop's clerk who brought her back. Unfortunately, I only heard the sound of hooves and didn't see the carriage. Sister-in-law said your family's carriage is very beautiful."
"Clever girl! You just want to ride in my family's carriage. Don't worry; there will be opportunities."
"When?" Upon hearing this, Bell forgot about getting the brazier and stood at the door with wide eyes.
"In a few days, once everything in town is settled, I'll take you and your sister-in-law somewhere fun. At that time, we can ride in that carriage together."
"Really! Where are we going?" Bell's face lit up with excitement but then shook her head: "No way! If Bell goes out with Sister-in-law, what will happen to the tavern? If people come for our Peach Blossom Wine and can't get any, they'll be heartbroken."
"That's indeed a problem. How about I take your sister-in-law along while you stay behind to watch the tavern?" Xing Ruyi pondered seriously. "Originally, I wanted you and Yin Yuan to be my flower children at my wedding, but it seems that's not going to happen now."
"Aunt is getting married! Is it to Lord Chang?"
Xing Ruyi hurriedly covered the bell's mouth: "What do you mean, Lord Chang? Of course, it's to Aunt's fiancé!"
"Aunt's fiancé? I've never seen him, but Lord Chang often mentions Aunt to my sister-in-law. I can tell that Lord Chang likes Aunt, and I thought Aunt liked Lord Chang too. I didn't expect that Aunt actually has a fiancé? I can't believe anyone could be better than Lord Chang!"
"The one Aunt Ruyi chose is naturally the best among them. Of course, Brother Chang is good too, but unfortunately, when Aunt met him, she already had this wonderful person by her side. So, Bell, you can eat whatever you want, but be careful with your words. If you cause trouble for Brother Chang and let Aunt's angry fiancé hear it, you’ll definitely be in for some trouble."
"Hmph, he really can't compare to Lord Chang! Lord Chang is always kind; even if I say something inappropriate, he wouldn't get angry." The bell pouted. "What was that about Aunt being a flower girl? Why don't other people have this custom when they get married?"
"Of course not, because that's a tradition from Aunt's hometown!" Xing Ruyi tapped the bell's forehead. "Anyway, you're not going, so why are you asking about it?"
"Who says I'm not going! Aunt Ruyi getting married is a big deal! This Tavern can close for a day or two without any problem. Anyway, Aunt always has clever ideas; the business won't suffer too much."
"You're right about that! Your Aunt Ruyi getting married is indeed a big deal!" Li Siniang entered while lifting the curtain, holding a newly lit brazier in her hands. "Why are you here so early? It's getting colder; if there's anything going on, just have Li Mao call me and I'll come over."
"Just taking a stroll outside is warmer than staying at home." Xing Ruyi rubbed her hands together. "How is Li An's situation?"
"I've given my brother all the methods; whether they work or not depends on An'er’s fortune." Li Siniang touched Xing Ruyi's hand. "You're dressed so warmly, yet your hands are still so cold? You're the shopkeeper of Ruyi Rouge in Luoyang City; your medical skills are comparable to those of a deity and even better than Liu from Jishengtang. Why don’t you use those skills to take care of yourself? Could it be true what they say—that doctors don’t treat themselves?"
"If it were an illness, I could certainly try to treat myself, but this is a matter of constitution. Even if I were a living deity, there would be no remedy." Xing Ruyi rubbed her hands again. She had always been afraid of the cold and bundled up like a bear in winter. In her own time, at least there was the miraculous invention of heating; during the deep winter months, it wasn't too unbearable. But who knew that unexpected events would occur—she encountered a fox and inexplicably ended up here.
The climate of the Golden Tang Dynasty was much better than in her time; it wasn't too cold at all. However, her constitution was already special and because she practiced ghostly arts and often wandered in the underworld, she became increasingly sensitive to the cold. With the brazier in the room, it was naturally much warmer. Xing Ruyi repeatedly rubbed her hands together and initially wanted to ask Si Niang about being followed by spirits last night but realized that Si Niang was just an ordinary mortal. If she mentioned it, it would only add to her worries. So she casually brought up another topic before subtly asking.
"Si Niang, have you seen a mother and daughter pair recently? The girl looks about three or four years old?"
"No, why do you ask this all of a sudden?"
"Oh, it's nothing; I'm just helping someone inquire about it. You’re here at the Tavern; you probably see and hear more than I do." Xing Ruyi continued and activated her Ghost Eyes to carefully look around the house as well as at Si Niang and the bell to see if there were any evil spirits present before finally feeling relieved.
"I've already decided to marry the fox. Originally, I planned to have a simple ceremony here in Luoyang City, but the fox wants to return to his hometown. As the saying goes, 'When marrying a husband, one follows him,' so I can only go along with him. Si Niang, you know I'm an orphan; here in the Golden Tang Dynasty, besides you and Brother Chang, I have no other relatives. Therefore, I would like to invite you as my maternal family members to attend the ceremony together. I wonder if Si Niang would be willing?"
“Fox Demon, what are you talking about? You're getting married, and even if you don't want to, I, Li Siniang, will shamelessly go.”
“Si Niang, don't rush. Let me finish.” Xing Ruyi squeezed Si Niang's hand: “The fox's hometown is very far away. Once you go, it might not just take ten or fifteen days; it could be half a year. I've already discussed with the fox about temporarily closing the place. Brother Chang and Shengzi can take a long leave once their current cases are settled with Lord Xie. The only difficult part now is here with you. I know this Tavern was left by your Husband. If you leave for half a year, who knows if the business will still be this good when you return? So, Si Niang, you need to think carefully.”
“What is there to consider? Those who like my family’s Peach Blossom Wine won’t stop coming just because I close for half a year. Those who don’t care probably won’t mind whether the shop is closed or temporarily out of business. Besides, I trust you, Fox Demon. When I reopen after half a year, the business will surely be better than now; it won't be worse. Even if my business does decline, the silver I've earned this year is enough for me and Bell to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.” Li Siniang patted Fox Demon's hand: “Just closing one Tavern doesn’t mean all my wealth is gone; I won’t feel heartbroken.”
“Not enough! Still not enough!” Xing Ruyi burst into laughter: “Actually, what I just said was just presenting the worst-case scenario. There are still good things that Fox Demon hasn’t mentioned. Don’t worry, when your Tavern reopens, it definitely won’t be like it is now. I, Xing Ruyi, guarantee that your Li Family Tavern’s Peach Blossom Wine and you, Li Siniang, will become famous!”
“Alright, don’t!” Li Siniang waved her hand: “This current stall is already enough for me to handle. I'm not like you, Xing Ruyi. I neither have that great talent nor that great ability; making a name for myself is something you can do alone. At most, I’ll help you out from behind and try not to cause any trouble.”
Li Siniang chuckled as well. “Actually, I’ve already heard from Brother Chang about your marriage to Young Master Yin, and I've been prepared for it. Originally, I was thinking about how to secretly follow you all; now it’s good—I don’t have to worry about anything. Just so you know, all the expenses on this journey will be on you, big Shopkeeper. I still need to save that box of silver notes to buy a dowry for Bell.”
“Fine! It’s all on me!” Xing Ruyi said with a smile, though her eyes were slightly moist.
While Xing Ruyi and Li Siniang were talking, Bell lifted the curtain from outside and said, “Sister-in-law, someone has come to buy Medicinal Wine. I don’t know what to recommend here. Why don’t you come out and take a look?”
Xing Ruyi felt there was a shadow behind Bell. She looked up and saw an unfamiliar man. Just as she wanted to take a closer look, she heard both Si Niang and the man exclaim in surprise at the same time: “It’s you!”
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