Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs

Chapter 50

Time flew by, and it was already the third day of the month, with only a few days left before the shop would open.

Lu Yao had a carpenter make two wooden countertops and four tofu molds. The total cost, including labor and materials, came to just three hundred fifty cash.

The shop didn't need any fancy decorations; a simple and clean setup would be enough to open for business.

Speaking of which, the carpenter was introduced by Uncle Liu from next door. Ever since that day when Lu Guangsheng talked to him and Lu Yao gave him a jar of wine, the old man's attitude changed instantly.

Not only did he bring over two baskets he had woven himself, but he also told Lu Yao to let him know if there was anything else he needed, emphasizing that they were family and not to be shy about asking for help.

It just so happened that Lu Yao needed wooden countertops, so he asked the old man if he knew any carpenters. The old man immediately led him to a nearby carpenter. With an introduction from someone familiar, the labor costs were reduced by several dozen cash. It truly proved the saying: distant relatives are not as helpful as close neighbors.

The finished countertops were carried to the shop by Zhao Beichuan. These countertops were quite large, as Lu Yao planned to sell other food items besides tofu in the future, such as bean curd sheets and dried tofu. If conditions allowed, he could even sell some soy milk and tofu pudding for breakfast.

Customers who came to eat might take a piece of tofu home with them.

When the weather got warmer in a few months, unsold tofu could be made into dried tofu. This process was very simple: cut the tofu into slices, sprinkle salt on them, steam them, and then press them down. The resulting dried tofu could be stir-fried or served cold, both delicious.

Finally, the sign hanging above the shop remained. Lu Yao compared it to others and sewed one himself. White background with black letters, embroidered with "Lu's Tofu" in large characters, surrounded by a red triangular border for decoration. It looked quite professional.

Zhao Beichuan, upon seeing the sign, realized belatedly that his husband could read.

"Lu Yao, you can read?"

"Yes, I..." Lu Yao was taken aback. If he said he learned from Xu Dengke, would that be too suspicious? But without that excuse, he couldn't explain why a farmer's son would know how to read.

Seeing that Lu Yao hesitated, Zhao Beichuan didn't press further. He ruffled Lu Yao's hair and said, "My husband is really amazing!"

Feeling guilty, Lu Yao smiled. He needed to find a chance to explain things clearly. Although Zhao Beichuan didn't seem to mind, he must feel uncomfortable inside. Lu Yao couldn't keep burdening the original body with this deception!

The name "Lu's Tofu" for the shop was decided after discussing with Zhao Beichuan. Yesterday, Zhao Beichuan went to the government office to inquire about the regulations for opening a shop in town.

The official told him that every shop owner had to pay taxes to the government each month, at a rate of twenty cash per thousand. If the amount exceeded a certain threshold, the shopkeeper would automatically be registered as a merchant.

Although being a merchant didn't affect ordinary people much, merchants were still not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. In other words, if the shop was registered under Zhao Beichuan's name, Xiaodou, Xiaonian, and their children would become merchants and lose the opportunity to take the exams.

Lu Yao wanted to give Xiaodou a proper education, so he couldn't let him become a merchant. Therefore, registering the shop under his own name was the best option, affecting only one person.