Early the next morning, Li Jingyun got up as usual and rushed to Fengle Fang. Li Shimin walked slowly on the street, holding Li Jingyun and Li Mingda by the hand. A pleasant aroma wafted through the air.
The streets were filled with hawkers shouting. Every few steps, there was a stall selling wontons, meat pies, or saozi noodles.
Li Jingyun rubbed her full stomach. She had to save some room for the ice cream mountain made by Princess Gaoyang. Despite her cravings, she could only look.
Fengle Fang was close to the imperial city. They arrived in less than a quarter of an hour. There was a large crowd gathered there. Li Jingyun squeezed through to take a look and found that they were looking at her portrait.
The girl in the painting wore a light green dress and a bright yellow ruqun. Her hair was pulled up into a triangular bun, adorned with a few simple palace flowers. Her face was natural, and she looked up with a big smile.
She took a closer look. To her surprise, the painting really resembled her. But she had no idea when this painting was made.
Could it be that Princess Gaoyang had someone paint it while she was asleep?
"Father, Hongxuan, Sizi, you're finally here. Come in quickly," said Princess Gaoyang. She was becoming more and more like a businesswoman, acting with efficiency and determination.
Looking out of the window, she happened to see Li Shimin and his two daughters approaching. She immediately greeted them.
Li Jingyun waved and shouted, "Sister! When was this portrait painted? Why don't I know about it?"
"Of course you don't know. Yan Liben painted it based on my description. How about it? Isn't it exactly like you?"
Li Jingyun looked at the painting and then at herself. There were only some minor differences. Otherwise, they were almost identical. Yan Liben was truly talented!
Princess Gaoyang walked out with a smile, followed by Li Ke and Li Yin.
Li Shimin was a bit surprised to see them. "Why are you here? Ke'er, aren't you preparing to take office in Songzhou? How do you have time to come?"
"Father," Li Ke bowed respectfully and then explained, "The ice house involves two younger sisters, Gaoyang and Chengyang. And since I've taken care of all the trivial matters recently, how could I not come and take a look?"
"Third Brother!"
Li Jingyun rushed into Li Ke's arms.
She still remembered how her third brother had taken her horseback riding. The grass was green beneath their feet, and the sky was blue above. It had been an exhilarating experience.
But because of this incident, their parents had scolded them, saying it was too dangerous. They had also cited the saying, "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall." In short, they were not allowed to do such things again.
They had also told Li Jingyun that if she wanted to ride a horse in the future, she should learn by herself. She was not allowed to let her brother take her. She remembered how she used to stand in front of her brother on the horse, cheering and pretending to fly.
"Hongxuan, it's only been a few days, and you've already figured out how to make ice with saltpeter. Listen to the people outside. They're all praising you. The price of saltpeter has even gone up because of you," said Li Ke as he caught his sister and gently ruffled Li Mingda's soft hair.
"Hongxuan was instructed by an immortal. It's only natural for her to achieve something," said Li Jingyun, looking extremely proud. Her cute appearance made everyone burst into laughter.
Li Yin pulled Li Mingda over. "I heard that last night, Daoist Sun Simiao examined the pulse of Mother and you sisters. Did the Daoist say anything?"
"The Daoist said that Mingda and I are in good health. But although Mother seems to be getting better, the root cause of her illness has not been completely eliminated. She still needs some medicine prescribed by the Daoist," said Li Mingda. Her memory was excellent, and she repeated exactly what Sun Simiao had said. Li Jingyun nodded in agreement.
"Father, come in. I've reserved a table for everyone upstairs," said Princess Gaoyang.
She had just asked someone to add a few more tables and chairs. Otherwise, there would not be enough space for all the guests.
Secondly, there were too many guests on the first floor. It was crowded and not very convenient.
"Let's go. Let's see what kind of ice house Gaoyang has built," said Li Shimin, looking at his children with tenderness in his eyes.
His children had grown up and had their own careers and pursuits. They no longer needed his worry. The ice house was magnificent, spacious, and luxurious. He had heard all the praises from the people just now and felt extremely proud.
He was easily moved to tears. He was so proud that he almost shed tears.
Empress Zhangsun had wanted to come today, but unfortunately, Daoist Sun had to give her acupuncture. She had to come another day. It was a pity that she could not see the grand opening in person.
A man and a woman walked down from the second floor, followed by several children. They all bowed together.
They were Li Chengqian, Su Rui, Li Tai, Li Zhen, Li Zhi, Su Gui, Princess Xinxing, and Princess Jinshan.
"Greetings, Father!"
Everyone bowed together.
To the passersby who did not know their identities, they were just a large family.
Li Jingyun watched as Su Gui made funny faces at her. He did not dare to look up for fear of being seen by his father. The scene was so funny that Li Jingyun almost burst out laughing.
However, she did not expect that her sister-in-law would bring Su Gui here. Had she discussed it with her elder brother and come here together to celebrate the grand opening of the ice house?
"You all know that Gaoyang is opening an ice house? You're all here," said Li Shimin with a smile. His children were all around him, getting along well with each other. This was exactly what he had always wanted.
"Exactly! Such a rare event. How could we not come and take a look?" said Princess Xinxing, beaming with joy.
She and Princess Gaoyang were about the same age. Their mothers had both passed away early, so they had always been close.
Everyone went upstairs. From there, they could overlook the bustling crowd below. Li Jingyun was craving the ice cream mountain. She urged her sister, "Sister Gaoyang, it's almost the second quarter of the ninth hour. Why haven't you announced the grand opening yet?"
"You're not urging me to welcome the guests. You're clearly urging me to serve the ice cream mountain from the kitchen," said Princess Gaoyang.
Looking at the time, she realized that it was almost time. She walked down to the entrance of the first floor and announced in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, my ice house is about to open. When it gets hot, come here to cool off. Our prices are more affordable than others! If you're a boss who needs ice, come and talk to me. We can discuss the price! Today, everything is 30% off. Would you all please come and take a look?"
It was quite a shock to see a princess personally welcoming guests at the door.
But the effect was excellent. Guests flocked in one after another. On the first day of opening, the threshold was almost broken. Not only were the first, second, and third floors full of people, but there were also many people waiting for takeout, standing at the door, eating ice cream and taking a break.
Princess Gaoyang was beaming with joy. The ice house was a great success on the first day, and the revenue was substantial. She was so busy that her feet never touched the ground. Every now and then, a waiter would come to her and say that a merchant wanted to buy ice from her.
Li Jingyun was also enjoying her first bowl of ice cream mountain. The top was decorated with crystal-clear lychees. The taste was delicious. With each spoonful, the summer heat seemed to disappear.
She looked at every guest who came in, imagining them as big copper coins. Her appetite increased, and she ate even more.