After they finished their work, they opened the door and came out. Mrs. Chen was standing at the entrance to the main room, shouting, "Hurry and come eat! It's already afternoon."
She then called for Chunhua to bring water for the two of them to wash their hands.
Gu Zhang instructed his eldest son as he washed his hands, "Take all those pearl clams in the room and put them in the pond. Be careful with them."
Once his hands were clean, he and Gu Fei went into the main room to eat.
While they ate, Gu Fei brought up the matter of Old Huang's shop.
Mrs. Chen listened in from nearby, stitching a shoe sole as she did.
Gu Zhang frowned after hearing her out. "Ten silver taels a month for that storefront is a good price, that's for sure. I heard from Liu Zhuangtou the other day that even the lesser shops in Ping'an City cost twenty taels a month, and the rent has to be paid for the whole year upfront."
"It's just... that Er Laizi is a real problem."
