The red sun hung high in the sky, tinting everything with a soft golden hue. The air was dry, filtering over the land without mercy. Weeds growing between the cracks in the stone pavement drooped, craving even the slightest drop of rain.
Before noon, the temperature had already risen sharply compared to dawn.
The three of them walked along the central street, checking every shop available for rent. The larger ones were too expensive for Gordan to afford. The smaller ones still asked for three hundred silver taels a month.
Sasha sat tiredly on a large stone at the corner of the street, head lowered, gently rubbing her sore, numb legs.
"Sasha, have some plum tea." Yuno walked over with a big bowl.
"Yuno, where's Gordan?" Sasha looked around behind him but didn't see him.
"He went to buy snacks. He'll be back soon." Yuno carefully handed her the plum tea, then turned around and ran back to the vendor, gulping down a cup of cold water.
Sasha stared at the bowl in her hands, feeling upset.
Gordan had originally wanted to take her to a teahouse to rest, but she refused, not wanting to spend more money. Unexpectedly, he went and bought food for her anyway. Besides feeling touched, she now felt a deep sense of guilt.
"Sasha, Gordan's back!" Yuno shouted and ran over to help take the food box from Gordan's hands.
"Sasha, Chunfeng Tower just got a batch of fresh pineapples and cold melons. Try some." Gordan opened the box and took out two plates of beautifully arranged fruit, placing them in front of her.
With both of them looking at her expectantly, Sasha had no choice but to pick up a piece of pineapple and eat it.
"It's really good. You two should eat some too." She looked at them warmly, but inside she felt like ants on a hot pan. She had never wanted to earn money so badly.
"Gordan, is there a broker's office nearby? Maybe they can help us find something?" Sasha asked. Rather than stumbling around blindly, it would be better to let professionals handle it. Time and energy were money. The three of them, being outsiders, were wasting too much by doing it on their own.
Gordan's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded.
Yuno sighed silently. Hiring a broker meant paying commission. But clearly, there was no avoiding that now.
Just as they were about to move on, four or five strong young men wearing light clothes walked by, chatting about their wages.
A thought flashed through Sasha's mind. She quickly called out, "Gordan, do you know who those men are?"
"They're probably dock workers from the nearby port," Gordan said, glancing back at them.
Right. Mistwater Town was by the sea, so of course there'd be a dock.
People came and went at the dock all day. Not just dock workers, but tourists and merchants too.
"Gordan, why don't we look around near the dock? It's not in the center of town, so shops might be cheaper," Sasha suggested.
Yuno's eyes lit up as if he'd just seen the light. "Gordan, Sasha's right. There are just as many people passing through the dock as here."
"But the wages there are low, and dishes might not sell for much," Gordan said with concern.
Sasha smiled gently, not bothered. "We can choose to sell more at lower profit. As long as the price and taste are right, we can still run a good business."
After asking around for a bit, half an hour later, they arrived at the "Dry Water" dock.
The place was bigger and livelier than they had imagined. Not only were there cargo ships docked, but many fishing boats were coming and going.
About a mile away was Wu'an Street, lined with snack stalls and small eateries. It was the main area for locals, fishermen, and dock workers to eat.
As luck would have it, one of the shops there was looking to sell. The shop wasn't big, just one floor, with ten small tables crammed close together. It reminded Sasha of a tiny back-alley diner she had once visited.
They arrived right around lunchtime and ordered three bowls of wontons. The taste was average, but the price was cheap—just five coins a bowl. The place wasn't crowded. Within thirty minutes, ten tables were just about filled. With that kind of table turnover, no wonder the owner wanted to sell.
"Excuse me, sir, may I ask your name?" Gordan waited for the shopkeeper to finish his work before stepping forward to talk.
"My name's Chen. Are you thinking of taking over this place?" Chen Ming asked with a smile. He had already noticed the three of them. After finishing their wontons, they hadn't left like the others but kept looking around. He figured they were interested in the shop.
"That's right. Mr. Chen, would you be willing to rent this shop out?" Gordan asked directly. If the owner wasn't willing, they would need to keep searching.
"Well…" Chen Ming hadn't expected them to ask about renting and was a bit surprised.
The shop had been up for sale for three months, with few inquiries. Those who had managed to survive here only did so by relying on owning the property outright.
The daily income was barely five hundred coins. There was almost no profit. The only reason Chen had kept it this long was because it had been passed down from his ancestors, and he had a special attachment to it.
"Alright then. You seem sincere. If you're willing to pay thirty silver taels a month, I'll rent it to you," Chen finally said after thinking it over. He offered a very generous price. He just didn't want to drag it out anymore and wanted to head to Liang City to reunite with his son.
That cheap?
Gordan, Sasha, and Yuno were all stunned. The price Colson set was much higher than they expected. Each of them smiled happily and immediately signed a six-month contract with Colson to officially take over the shop.
But soon, another difficult problem appeared.
This place was half an hour's walk from Xiaohe Town, and it took an hour by ox cart. Traveling back and forth each day would take at least half a day, which was very tiring.
"Should we move to live here? Houses nearby should not be too expensive," Sasha thought carefully. Moving was the best choice. After working hard for some time and making money, nothing would be a problem.
"Okay," Gordan said, deciding to take a risk. There was no turning back now. They could only take it step by step.
The next half month was busy but fulfilling.
After some renovation, the shop looked brand new, clean, bright, and spotless.
All the dishes were decided by Sasha.
Since their customers were mainly fishermen and porters, they focused on cheap and quick meals.
On the eighth day of July, the Bright Moon Restaurant officially opened.
Early in the morning, there was no shouting, no firecrackers, and no lion dance. Only the smell of braised pork spread far down the street.
At first, Gordan and Yuno did not understand why Sasha needed star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon, licorice, and other herbs. Later, when a big pot of pork turned soft and red-yellow in color, they understood the secret.
Soon, an old woman carrying a basket came in, leading a boy of about seven or eight years old.
"Hey, what is this delicious smell?" The old woman sniffed and looked around the shop. When she saw Gordan, surprise flashed in her eyes. When she noticed the woman walking toward her with her face partly covered, she was a little stunned and curious about their relationship.
"Auntie, it's the smell of braised pork. Our Bright Moon Restaurant opens today. For the first three days, everything is 20 percent off. Would you and the boy like to buy some?" Sasha warmly introduced.
"Miss, are you the owner of this shop?" The old woman looked at Sasha with doubt.
In Dayong, many women ran businesses, but most were older women with children. Young women like Sasha usually stayed at home, loved and cared for by husbands and parents. No one would let them carry the burden of running a business. The old woman's eyes toward Gordan became unclear.
"Yes."
"No."
Gordan and Sasha answered at the same time but with different answers, confusing the old woman.
Yuno saw the awkward expressions between Gordan and Sasha and grinned. He quickly changed the topic: "Auntie, would you like to buy some braised pork? The regular price is fifty wen for half a catty, now only forty wen."
"That expensive!" The old woman was shocked. She almost thought she misheard.
"No, no. I think your shop is a scam. You say 20 percent off for the first three days, but even after the discount, forty wen is still expensive. I could buy two catty of good meat with that!" She said and wanted to pull her grandson away.
"Auntie, raw meat and braised pork are not the same," Yuno frowned. If she did not want to buy, that was fine, but no need to be so exaggerated.
"Grandma, I want to eat braised pork." The boy sucked his finger and pulled his grandmother's sleeve. The smell was so strong that he kept swallowing his saliva.
Sasha glanced at the old woman, then quietly took a small bowl, scooped some braised sauce, mixed it with some rice, and handed it to the boy with a smile. "Little brother, try this. Is it tasty?"
The boy quickly let go of his grandmother's hand, took the bowl, and put a spoonful of rice soaked in sauce into his mouth.
"Delicious!" He licked his lips and looked at the old woman. "Grandma, I want more!"
"Xiao Yu, I will ask your grandpa to cook a pot of braised pork for you when we go back," the old woman said and tried to pull him away.
"The taste is different. I don't want grandpa's braised pork. I want the braised pork here." The boy tugged on her sleeve, pulling her back.
"Miss, can you let my grandma try the braised pork rice you just gave me? If she tastes it, she will know how good it is." The boy looked at Sasha eagerly.
"Of course." Sasha smiled gently and mixed more braised pork rice for the old woman.
The old woman thought, why not try? She took a bite without hesitation. The rich meat fragrance burst in her mouth instantly, awakening her taste buds with the unique flavor.
"If it were cheaper, I would buy some." The old woman raised her voice, glancing at the big pot on the stove.
"Auntie, what you tasted just now was some sauce. The braised pork tastes even better and more fragrant. The meat is made from good ingredients and needs constant attention to the fire for a long time. Forty wen for half a catty is just to earn a little hard work money. Also, we only offer this discount for the first three days. After that, it is full price. Would you like to think about it?" Sasha spoke calmly. Although she studied trade, she was not good at dealing with people. To quickly establish herself here in this new world, she was trying hard to change herself.
Gordan silently watched Sasha's every move and was even more drawn to her.
The woman in front of him was like a light gently shining on his heart, painting all the beautiful things.