Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1402 - 715: Gift

Lian Manman had high expectations for the Shunde Store Roast Duck Restaurant, but she was not eager for quick success. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, everything needs to be done step by step.

The Shunde Store, backed by the Shen Family’s dry shares, was not advertised to the public. However, discerning people knew from the Shen Family’s banquet that the Shen Family was behind the Shunde Store. As for the plaque of the Shunde Store being personally inscribed by Shen Liu, not many people knew. This was because Shen Liu seldom wrote for people. In terms of daily affairs, 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

or correspondence, Shen Liu rarely used Yan, but frequently wrote Wang.

Due to the excellent early preparations, the Shunde Store thrived smoothly after its opening. The Lian Manman family delegated management authority to Shopkeeper Chen and did not intervene in the daily affairs of the Shunde Store.

Despite this, the family was not idle.

Wu Lang was going to Shengjing Academy to study and take exams and would sometimes follow Mr. Loo to the Shen Mansion to help with errands. Xiao Qi would either study with Mr. Loo or Master Chu. Lian Shouxin, on the other hand, brought along his steward, with plans to acquire one or two more shops.

Besides the Shunde Store, they also planned to open a shop in Prefecture City, primarily selling produce from their manor, mainly wine and products from the Lotus Pond. Additionally, they intended to buy any other suitable shopfronts. Besides opening their own business, they could also rent them out for income.

Compared to others, Lian Manman was not the busiest but she was not idle either. Affairs in the house on Pine Tree Alley were managed by her. Every morning after waking up, she usually spent two or three quarters of an hour arranging matters for the day in the house. After breakfast, she sometimes went to the Shen Family to keep Shen Jin company. If she was free, she would invite Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, or Xiao Qi to accompany her to tour Prefecture City.

However, she spent most of her time preparing gifts for Shen Jin.

This time Shen Jin was going to the capital, essentially getting married. It was a major event for any young girl, which the Shen Family, due to constraints, had not arranged. As a friend, Lian Manman put in considerable thought into preparing a dowry for Shen Jin.

The Shen Family was both wealthy and noble, so sending gold or silver jewelry would be nothing special. The best gifts were thoughtful, unique items that money couldn’t buy. As soon as she knew Shen Jin was going to the capital, Lian Manman started thinking about this. Later, Wu Lang returned from the south, bringing back Hepu ducks. As she planned to make Peking duck, she also thought about how to use the duck feathers.

Lian Manman planned to give Shen Jin duck feathers. Of course, she wouldn’t just pack a bag of duck feathers for Shen Jin. If she was to send them, it would be as down products. After discussing with her family, they decided to give Shen Jin a down comforter.

A down comforter is fluffy, lightweight, and warm, a perfect choice for a lady’s chambers.

Lian Manman put in a lot of effort into making the down comforter.

First, she selected the finest duck feathers. She chose the semispherical feathers from the Hepu duck’s back and waist and the soft, light down feathers with short shafts and thin, supple quills from the body, tail, and wings. These were the lightest, warmest feathers on a duck. After selecting the feathers, the next step was washing. Besides using soapberry water for a thorough cleaning, Lian Manman asked Wang Youheng to help prepare a scented cleanser similar to bath beans. After repeated washings, the feathers were dried.

The next crucial step in processing duck feathers was sterilization. In this era, without the ready-made chemical sanitizers from Lian Manman’s previous life, she had to resort to a primitive method of high-temperature steam to disinfect the feathers.

After three rounds of high-temperature steam sterilization, a final touch of fragrance was added during the last round, leaving the processed duck feathers with a faint fragrance.

After processing, the duck feathers were packed into fine cloth bags for a final drying session. Thus a batch of duck feathers was ready, and these processed duck feathers could be used as padding for covers, garments, or pillows. As long as they were regularly aired and kept in a dry environment, items made from such duck feathers could last a long time.

With the processed duck feathers ready, the next step was finding suitable fabric. To find the right material, Lian Manman nearly bought a sample of every fine fabric, eventually choosing the finest, softest Jiaxing Su Ruan Satin as the lining for wrapping the feathers.