Chapter 420: Showing Off

Old man Chen looked at Ruhua's departing back and scratched his head anxiously, "Old woman, our family is almost out of food. We finally have some money, it would be great to buy some food, why do you still want to eat meat!"

"What, no?"

"Okay, but if we don't have food, we'll starve."

"That's none of your business. I'm just asking, do you want to eat some stew?"

"I want to, I dream about it, but..."

"Okay, stop saying but!"

Before Old Man Chen could finish his words, Old Lady Chen interrupted him impatiently.

"What do you have to worry about? Our third brother has been gone for quite some time. He must have already made it home. As long as we hold on for another month or so, our hard times will be over. We can eat delicious food every day. We have to nourish our bodies well."

Old man Chen nodded and said, "Yes, I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Zhan Cai should have arrived in Ningjing a long time ago. If everything goes well, he should be back in more than a month."

"As long as my son passes the imperial examination and returns, we old couple will finally have our hardship quenched." Old Mrs. Chen's eyes were filled with hope. "By then, no matter what, I'll have my son find me some maids and servants, make me some silk clothes, and hire a few chefs who can make sesame cakes. Then we can eat and drink, enjoy ourselves, and live a proper and good life for a few days."

"Oh, my dear old woman, there are so many delicious foods in the world, why are you obsessed with sesame cakes?" Old man Chen shook his head and smiled, "If our son really becomes a high-ranking official, who would still want to eat sesame cakes?"

Old Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes in displeasure. "That's easy for you to say. I've lived for most of my life, and the best thing I've ever eaten is a big sesame seed bun. So, tell me, what else is delicious in the world?"

Old man Chen squinted his eyes and thought for a moment, then licked his lips and said, "There aren't many delicious ones left. There are things like tofu pudding and fried dough sticks, soy milk, big meat buns, or pancakes. None of them are better than sesame cakes."

"Okay, man, you know a lot!" Old Mrs. Chen swallowed her saliva. "I've heard of all this, but I've never eaten it. I don't know what fried dough sticks and tofu pudding taste like?" Old Mrs. Chen smacked her lips.

Old man Chen shook his head. "How would I know? I used to smell the delicious fumes from frying dough sticks in town, and seeing people eating them with their mouths full of oil, they must be delicious."

"Oh, that thing is fried, it must taste good. When my son comes back, I will ask him to treat me to a meal of fried dough sticks and tofu pudding."

"Yes, and those big meat buns that are so greasy that they ooze out when you bite them, and those pancakes as big as a pot lid. We have to try them all."

"Okay, old man, please stop talking. I'm so greedy now." Old Mrs. Chen raised her hand to wipe the saliva from the corner of her mouth and said with a smile, "I'm just looking forward to my son coming back soon so that I can eat delicious food with him in the future!"

The more the old man and his wife talked, the more they felt that such a good day was about to come, as if Chen Zhancai had already passed the imperial examination.

It is said that Chen Zhancai embarked on the journey to take the exam with full of ambition and passion.

In order to get to Ningjing faster, he spent five taels of silver to buy an old donkey as a means of transportation.

Climbing mountains and wading through water, walking in the morning and sleeping at night,

After more than a month's journey, we finally arrived at the long-awaited Ningjing City.

Looking at the bustling streets with people coming and going, shops lining the streets, and hawking sounds coming one after another,

Chen Zhancai couldn't help but sigh in his heart, it's worthy of being Ningjing, it's so lively.

In order to avoid being looked down upon, he did not rush to find an inn, but instead found a place to sell his donkey, and then went to a cloth shop to buy a set of clothes.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man, saddles make the horse, bells make the dog run merrily, the cowherd and the weaver girl in the sky, the lame donkey and the broken cart on the ground,

Although Chen Zhancai's appearance is not good, he looks much more energetic after putting on new clothes.

With a folding fan, he looks like a rich young man.

After leaving the cloth shop, he immediately found an inn.

It is really like "clothes and hats cover up villains, words and conversations suppress gentlemen, respect the clothes first and then the person, respect the skin first and then the soul,

The waiter saw Chen Zhancai's elegant demeanor and mistakenly thought he was a rich young man from outside. He did not dare to neglect him and hurriedly greeted him warmly.

"Sir, please come in. Would you like to stay overnight or have a meal?"

It was the first time that Chen Zhancai was called "Young Master". He felt comfortable and couldn't help but put on airs.

"I'm going to stay for a while. Do you have any good guest rooms?"

"Yes, yes, yes, sir, please follow me." The waiter smiled apologetically and led Chen Zhancai to the door of a guest room on the second floor. "Sir, are you satisfied with this room?"

Chen Zhancai looked around and was stunned. He saw that the room was full of high-quality mahogany furniture and many famous calligraphy and paintings were hung on the walls.

He couldn't help but feel regretful. He let you pretend, but now it's difficult to get off the tiger's back. How could he afford to live in a room like this?

He was nervous inside, but pretended to be calm on the surface and asked, "How much is this room per night?"

"In reply to the young master, it's not much, only three hundred coins a night."

"What, three hundred coins?" Chen Zhancai couldn't help but blurt out.

The waiter quickly explained with a smile,

"Don't worry, sir. This price is not expensive at all. Our inn emphasizes making guests feel at home. Before you even get up in the morning, we have someone bring you clean water and soapberries for washing. Three meals a day will be delivered to your room, and even footbath water will be delivered at night. If it's winter, someone will warm your bed. Someone of your status shouldn't find it too expensive, right?"

"Not expensive, not expensive. That's not what I meant." Chen Zhancai was so flattered by the waiter that he couldn't help but boast. "You don't know, I often go out with my father on business. I never even look at small shops like yours. But today I see that although the shop is small, the service is excellent. A night for only three hundred coins is really amazing!"

When the waiter heard this, he almost jumped up with joy. Oh my god, he is really a rich young man. This is the God of Wealth who came to our door. As long as we serve him well, there will be benefits.

Thinking of this, he nodded and bowed hurriedly, trying to find something to say, "It seems that you are from a wealthy family. May I ask whether you are coming to Ningjing for business or for pleasure? If you are here for pleasure, I can be your guide. Whether it is eating, drinking, having fun, or exploring beautiful women, I will make sure that you are satisfied."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. Although I come from a wealthy family, how can I do anything wrong? A good man should put national affairs first. When I win the imperial examination one day, it won't be too late to visit the beautiful scenery of Ningjing."

"Oh, it turns out that you are a man of great talent and knowledge. If you can succeed in your studies, I hope you will give me more support."

The waiter was a new employee of the inn. He was also a bit confused. He thought that Chen Zhancai in front of him was a rich young man. He couldn't help but have a trick in his mind.

If I were to meet such a wealthy and capable young man, even being a horse stirrup for him would be better than being a waiter.

If you can get a government job, that would be even more amazing!