Chapter 73: Arrival in Qinghe Town
The gates of Qinghe Town loomed ahead, bustling with traders, performers, and carts groaning under the weight of goods. Colorful banners fluttered in the breeze as hawkers called out their wares and curious townspeople peered at every newcomer as if they were gossip wrapped in fabric.
Su Yanyue adjusted her hairpin, brushing dust from her sleeves as the ox cart rolled into the wide cobbled road. "We made it."
"Finally!" Su Lin stretched his arms wide. "It smells like opportunity!"
"It smells like steamed buns," Su Rui corrected.
"Opportunity and steamed buns!" Su Zhi declared, already reaching for his pouch of coins.
"Do not spend all your copper on snacks," Yanyue warned.
"But it's to support local businesses!" Zhi argued earnestly.
Yu Shiming, walking beside the cart as always, merely raised an eyebrow.
The crowd grew thicker as they passed through the town center. Stalls filled every corner, each merchant barking louder than the next. Lanterns swayed from poles, and streamers danced overhead. Qinghe was alive—noisy, nosy, and nosily noisy.
They soon reached the temporary market square designated for the fair. Rows of empty but marked stalls lined the large open yard. Yanyue found her assigned spot—close to the center, thankfully.
"Alright, we start setting up," she clapped her hands.
As she and Yu Shiming unloaded the crates, the triplets had a very important task: hanging the Phoenix Fragrance banner.
It was a simple task.
It should have been simple.
But somehow, all three climbed onto the same barrel, wobbled, and fell dramatically into a merchant's fruit cart nearby.
The merchant shrieked, "My pears!"
"We're fine!" Su Lin declared from under a pile of apples.
"Is that a pear in your ear?" Su Zhi asked his brother helpfully.
Su Rui handed a fruit to the furious stall owner. "Payment?"
Yanyue sighed, mortified, while Yu Shiming simply pulled the boys out by their collars and handed over more than enough coins.
"Apologies," he said with a nod.
"You're paying for all of this, you hear?" the fruit seller huffed, but upon closer look at Yu Shiming's face… her tone changed. "Well… er, no lasting damage. Be careful next time."
The triplets blinked. "She changed tone really fast."
"She thinks Father is handsome," Su Zhi whispered.
"Should we be worried?" Su Rui whispered back.
Yu Shiming pretended not to hear any of it.
As the sun set behind the tiled roofs, their stall took shape. The tea tins were arranged in neat rows, the tasting cups placed just so, and the banner—finally and miraculously—hung straight.
Already, people were glancing over.
"That's the Phoenix Fragrance stall," someone whispered.
"She's prettier than I imagined!"
"Do you think the tea's really that good?"
Su Yanyue kept her face calm, though inside, her heart fluttered. Her hard work, her long nights… it was all leading to this.
"Get some rest," Yu Shiming said beside her. "Tomorrow will be loud."
She nodded, brushing her hands on her apron. "Loud… and worth it."
From behind a curtain of silks across the street, a pair of sharp eyes observed the Phoenix Fragrance stall.
"So, the Phoenix Lady finally appears," the scholar-like stranger from before murmured to himself. "Let's see what secrets you bring with your scent."