Chapter 25: Introducing a partner costs six strings of cash!

After such a full meal, Wei Jinyun pushed the cart slowly to avoid getting a stitch in the side. Fortunately, her two younger sisters knew they were going to the Zhou family's Su Yuxuan today, and they were happy to grab the handles of her cart, each holding one side, pushing it properly and steadily.

Crossing the arched bridge, an old man carried a basket selling daisy flowers. The green and white flowers, clustered together in clusters, looked like small lanterns, carrying the fragrance of citrus. Wei Jinyun weighed two pounds and gave some to the two sisters to put in their purses and hang them up.

The two of them pushed the cart, smelling the fragrance all the way.

Su Yuxuan wasn't far from the provincial academy; it was originally a private school established in a separate estate from the Zhou family. The two were only about two miles apart. Zhou Zhuqing and Lu Lantang had been sisters since childhood. As a family of scholarly influence, they tended to buy houses near the provincial academy.

The three sisters didn't have to walk for long before Wei Jinyun, holding hands with her two younger sisters, stood outside the gate of Su Yuxuan. Although the house was a separate property and not very large, a whole row of lush bamboos lined the perimeter wall. The wind played with the bamboo shadows, creating a shimmering golden effect, creating a particularly elegant atmosphere.

Wei Jinyun knocked on the half-open door in front of her and heard someone calling "Come in". She pulled her sister's sleeves and collar several times, and then smoothed the strands of hair that were blown by the wind. She turned them around and looked left and right before stepping in.

Facing them was a small pavilion, with a few red carp swimming leisurely in a small pond beside it. Two windows were open in the inner room, and within, one could vaguely see a low table, where a dozen or so young men, about the same age as the sisters, sat.

A teacher in her thirties, dressed in a ruqun, was sitting in the corridor flipping through the roster. Seeing them approach, she looked up and smiled, "Are you the two girls from the Wei family? Come in, the headmaster is waiting in the inner room."

Wei Fuqiu turned around and tapped the back of Wei Jinyun's hand. "Sister, go to the stall first. We will naturally go back after the exam. We won't be able to do business for a while."

Wei Fuling also nodded and hugged Wei Jinyun, "Sister, please go back quickly. Every moment you delay is the same as delaying Grandma's two pieces of jujube paste sesame cakes."

The teacher, holding a pen beside him, chuckled softly, "Your two sisters look smart and will definitely pass. Don't worry, Miss Wei. There's tea and snacks inside. They can rest for a while after the exam before leaving."

Wei Jinyun naturally knew that the two sisters were obedient, and watched her two younger sisters follow the teacher inside.

Wei Fuling took two steps and turned back to wave, showing the little sparrow's posture clearly. Wei Fuqiu paused with each step, her back straight, and turned her face slightly when turning the corner.

After sending her sister off, Wei Jinyun went out and started pushing her stroller again.

The two little windmills she bought for them were stuck on her cart every day, whistling in the wind, which was somewhat like her unique signboard.

She stretched out her hands and touched both of them. Before the New Year's Day, she hummed a few words of good luck and felt that such days were very pleasant.

She parked the cart back to her old spot, and within half a minute, a customer came to buy cakes.

She was busy greeting customers, and a short line soon formed in front of Madam Qian's egg pancake stall. She flipped the pancakes deftly, but her eyes would glance towards Wei Jinyun from time to time.

When there were fewer guests in front of the two of them, she came over with a bowl filled with two freshly baked sugar-coated cakes. "Miss Wei, try Aunt Qian's new one. It's sweet with some sesame seeds."

Wei Jinyun was covering the mint square cake with gauze when she took the bowl. "Thank you, Madam Qian. Your cooking smells delicious. I'll make you a few cakes too. You can eat them together when Master Wu gets home from school."

Why is there so much feeding today?

Madam Qian leaned against the stall, wiping her hands with a towel, and said slowly, "If your parents were still alive, they would be so proud to see you run this dim sum stall so well. Speaking of which, it's just you, Sister Qi and Sister Ling left at home, and you have an elderly grandmother. It's really not easy without someone strong enough to take care of you."

Wei Jinyun took a bite of the sugar-coated pancake and swallowed it slowly before answering, "It's okay. The neighbors often help me out. Aunt Zhao, a connoisseur of cooked food, reminds me when the fruit is fresh at the market. Mr. Zhang from the stationery store also teaches my sisters to read. Although life is simple, it's going well."

Madam Qian nodded, then glanced toward the entrance of the government school and casually remarked, "At your age, a girl from an ordinary family would have been engaged long ago. Don't you have anyone in mind...? Well, maybe someone like my son, who's literate and has a steady personality?"

Wei Jinyun understood a little bit, that this was to help her find a partner.

She put a few cakes in the wax paper and shook her head.

Seeing that Wei Jinyun didn't seem to care, yet seemed to be having some fun, Madam Qian continued with a gusto, "Speaking of which, my son Sheng was just saying yesterday that your jasmine cake was perfect with the poem he was reading, saying it was 'sweet and refreshing like a dream,' sweet and flavorful... Oh, what was it? Look, I can't remember it either."

She frowned and thought hard for a while, but couldn't remember what poem her son had written. While she was muttering, she looked at Wei Jinyun's face, "He is seventeen this year. Although he is not the top student in the prefecture school, he is honest and never causes trouble..."

"Aunt Qian, you're joking. I'm busy running my stall until sunset every day, and even after closing it, I still have to think about repairs inside the shop. I fall asleep at night, so I don't have time to think about these things."

Wei Jinyun stuffed the pastry into Madam Qian's hand, poured new tea for the new guest, and stopped talking about this topic with her.

There was only desire for the copper coins in her eyes, and she had no thoughts about Wu Sheng.

Madam Qian felt that she was rather soft-spoken when she spoke to Madam Wei, and she also smiled at people all the time, but she also inadvertently rebuffed all the words such as "Do you have anyone you like?" and "Discuss marriage."

He rejected her in disguise, but also gave her enough face and didn't embarrass her.

She looked at her busy figure greeting guests and realized that Miss Wei was as clear as a mirror in her mind. She knew what she wanted and no one else could interrupt her.

The boy in her family kept talking about "Miss Wei" at home all day long, and asked her to find out about it... Well, she did find out, but there was no hope at all.

Today's dim sum sold out especially quickly, perhaps because she didn't come to the stall yesterday, and several old customers took away some extra, so there wasn't much left.

Wei Jinyun was busy when he saw a man with his hair wrapped in a green scarf, wearing a short green cloth jacket and tied-leg coarse cloth trousers, squeezing through the crowd and coming to the front of the stall.

"What are you doing? How can you buy snacks like this? Go to the back!"

The people behind him saw him pushing and shoving, and immediately became angry.

"Gentlemen, I'm sorry, I have something to say, please bear with me."

He turned around and smiled awkwardly, then glanced at the counter in front of Wei Jinyun's stall and cleared his throat. "Is this Yunlaixiang?"

"Exactly."

Wei Jinyun nodded and said, "If you want to buy snacks, please let the people behind you go first. You have to wait a moment."

The man put on a smile and retorted, "Well, I'm not here to buy snacks. Miss Wei is a good cook. I'm a waiter at Wufengge Teahouse. Our shopkeeper Wu sent me to talk to Miss Wei about something."

"Shopkeeper Wu said that he saw your stall was doing well and your dim sum was unique, so he bought some to try, and they were really delicious. Our Wufeng Pavilion is one of the most prestigious teahouses in Pingjiang Prefecture, and we're in need of a skilled dim sum chef like Miss Wei. The shopkeeper sincerely invites you to work behind the scenes of our teahouse, paying you six strings of cash per month. You can have lunch and dinner in the teahouse."

As soon as these words were spoken, the vendors at the entrance to the prefectural school all turned their eyes to Wei Jinyun. Six strings of cash, with meals included, was a real steal for vendors like them who worked in the elements.

Although setting up a stall does not require you to wait anxiously for others to pay you every month, it is still a hard job that requires you to get up early and work late.

The money I earn every day is used to support my family. After deducting the cost of food and clothes, it is considered good if I can save a few hundred coins.

But I dare not get sick again because I can’t afford the medicine.

The waiter looked at the reactions of the people around him and was very satisfied. He puffed out his chest and continued, "Shopkeeper Wu said that as long as Miss Wei agrees, she will immediately become the top pastry chef of our Wufeng Pavilion! Not only will she be paid six strings of cash, but she will also receive lucky money during festivals and holidays by working in our teahouse. Your two young sisters can also help out in the kitchen, learn some etiquette, and get some wages. It's better than being out here in the sun, right?"

The waiter looked around again. He had heard the shopkeeper say there were two young girls, but why was there no one around?

Old Guo, who was selling fragrant drinks, was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands together and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Oh my! Six strings of cash! Miss Wei, what are you hesitating about?"

Madam Qian also came over, lowering her voice but unable to conceal her eagerness, "Ms. Wei, please agree quickly. A teahouse is so respectable, sheltered from the wind and rain, it's definitely better than setting up a stall!"

Wei Jinyun seemed not to hear the discussions and urgings around her. There was no surprise or excitement on her face, and she was a little too calm.

When the waiter's face was almost smug, Wei Jinyun raised his head and said, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Wu, for your consideration and for bothering me, little brother, to make this trip."

The guy thought she agreed, and just as the smile on his face was about to grow wider, he heard Wei Jinyun's unexpected turn of events.

"However, I appreciate Wu Feng Pavilion's kindness. I will not accept this mission."

"ah?"

The guy's eyes widened. "What did you say? Can't you do it?"

He couldn't believe his ears. Wasn't six strings of cash enough?

He ran around in the teahouse all day long, his throat was hoarse from shouting, his legs were weak from running, and he didn't even get a penny of salary in a month.

He might as well learn some pastry-making skills tomorrow, kneading rice dough and making flowers, and earn so much money.

There was a wave of disbelief around him, and Lao Guo was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

"The salary offered by Manager Wu is indeed tempting. But teahouses have their own rules. The preparation of dim sum and its cooking method depends on the owner and the customers. I'm used to being wild, so I like to think of new seasonal things and follow my own ideas. Besides, I already have my own private shop, so if I really go there, I won't be able to stay for long."

While refusing, Wei Jinyun also packed dim sum for several regular customers behind him. "Please ask the waiter to report to Shopkeeper Wu on my behalf and thank him for his kindness. In the future, if Shopkeeper Wu wants to try any dim sum, just let him know the style and quantity in advance, and I will make it carefully and send it to him."

The waiter was dumbfounded as he listened to her. It would have been great if the six strings of cash had been given to him, but this woman looked down on him.

He was just running errands and shouting, so he couldn't pay attention. He muttered a few words and then stomped his feet and walked away.

well.

It would be great if I could give him these six strings of cash!

Old Guo, who was selling fragrant drinks, sighed heavily, "Alas! Six strings of cash! Miss Wei, you, you are really..."

Mrs. Qian also shook her head and muttered while stirring her egg pancake batter.

The six strings of cash were tempting, but it was nowhere near as good as being the boss. She didn't want others to profit from her new ideas.

Wei Jinyun finally had some free time. After drinking a bowl of tea, he waited for the school to end.

As before, when the bell of the provincial school rings, it is time for the students to start the race.

"Huh, I'm number one today."

Zhu Zhishan blew a light breath, "Brother Tang, Brother Wu, you still need to practice... What does today's vegetarian hangover ice taste like?"

"Peach scent in June."

"Give me one!"

Perhaps it was because Wei Jinyun didn’t come yesterday, the ones running in the lead in today’s race were not the usual ones.

He was already furious because he didn't make it into the top ten in the exam, and then he heard Tang Yin bragging in the provincial school about how delicious Miss Wei's two fruits and two flowers snacks were. He also heard that Miss Lu's tea-making skills were superb. What was even more enviable was the master's pipa... Who has ever seen the master play the pipa?

It's more like flicking them on the forehead.

It really makes them angry.

Even if I memorized more homework overnight and wrote two more policy papers, I would definitely not fail next time!

The twenty or so cakes that Wei Jinyun had left were eaten up in an instant.

The pastries were sold out so quickly that Wei Jinyun had some free time and leaned against the cart waiting for her sisters to come back.

You must not answer the call.

She was the little follower and did whatever the two sisters said.

Wei Jinyun looked up at the sky, and Wu Sheng beside him also looked up. Wei Jinyun looked at the Daidaihua, and he also looked at it.

When Wei Jinyun turned to him, he immediately felt embarrassed and tiptoed to Madam Qian's side.

He tugged at the hem of Madam Qian's clothes, his voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "Mom, have you asked?"

Mrs. Qian was talking to Lao Guo when he pulled her so hard that she stumbled and sighed, "You're like a monkey! You scared me!"

Wu Sheng glanced at Wei Jinyun again, and seeing that she wasn't paying attention, he quickly asked, "Mother, just, just asked Miss Wei... if she has a lover?"

Madam Qian smiled and teased him deliberately, "I did ask."

"So what did she say?"

Wu Sheng's eyelids twitched, and his fingers nervously picked at the corner of his clothes, then at his book bag.

"She said..."

Madam Qian drawled out her tone, "Right now, I'm just thinking about making the snacks well and making sure you guys enjoy them."

Wu Sheng's face fell, his shoulders slumped, and he sighed heavily, "That's it? Nothing else?"

"What else?"

Madam Qian patted the back of his head and said, "Are you going to tell me who you're going to marry?"

Wu Sheng saw that Madam Qian didn't say anything more, and he was so anxious that sweat broke out on the tip of his nose. His book bag couldn't bear his strong digging and was tortured. "Mother, didn't you praise Madam Wei? You said her jasmine cake was a hundred times more delicious than other people's, and she was also very beautiful. You said I..."

Madam Qian laughed so hard at his question that she almost fainted. "I'm praising you. I told you guys to wait for her to open her stall every day. Just now, the waiters from Wufengge Teahouse came to ask her to be their master. I also said that our boy is honest, obedient and sensible."

"So what did she say?"

Wu Sheng's eyes lit up, his voice became louder, and he quickly covered his mouth, fearing that Wei Jinyun would hear him.

"She said thank you for taking care of the business and just do it with your heart."

Madam Qian spread her omelet and asked, "Isn't this enough?"

Wu Sheng's face fell again, his lips curled up so hard that a bottle of oil could be hung on it. He sighed heavily, "That's it? Then...then you didn't ask mother again, in her heart, does she really not have any young men she looks up to?"

"No."

"So, then she likes guys with meaty arms? Like my dad, who would help her fetch water and chop wood?"

The more Wu Sheng spoke, the softer his voice became. He almost swallowed the last few words, and then he let out a long sigh.

He looked at Wei Jinyun, who was so bored that he started staring at the table in meditation, and felt very worried. His worries were in vain.

Miss Wei, what kind of young man does she like?

"Maybe it's me."

Tang Yin suddenly appeared and patted Wu Sheng's shoulder with his fan.

"You are dreaming in broad daylight."

Wu Sheng threw the egg pancake into his arms and said, "You should go back to painting your beautiful lady."

Wei Jinyun counted all the two kilograms of daisy flowers, a total of 492.

Finally, the sisters came back.

Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu came running over, one in front and one behind. Wei Fuqiu was the first to reach Wei Jinyun's stall, while Wei Fuling was a little slower because she was holding a small cat in her arms.

"What's going on? What's going on?"

Wei Jinyun asked the question first, more anxious than she was about checking her college entrance examination results herself.

"That's naturally..."

Wei Fuqiu stroked her chin pretentiously and paused for a moment, "Wait until the autumn breeze in October and you can start school. Sister Ling and I will go together."

"Oh, I'll tell you."

Wei Jinyun ran to the stall and hugged his two sisters in his arms. "They say my two sisters are smart. Let's go to the market and buy half a pig, a chicken, and a fish. Let's have the feast!"

"Sister, are you going to take this raccoon back with you?"

Wei Fuling stroked the head of the raccoon in her arms. "On our way here just now, Sister Qi and I saw it leaning against the wall, exhausted. We shared the fish cakes that Master gave us... Sister, it also... doesn't have a mother."

She lowered her head and frowned.

"That won't do."

"Is it not possible?"

Wei Fuling's brows furrowed even more tightly, and she no longer had the slightest bit of joy in her expression about starting school.

Wei Jinyun rubbed her head and quickly spoke, "We can't just take it back like this. We have to take good care of it. Let's go to the market and buy it a basket of small fish, okay?"

"OK!"

My sister always loves to make people laugh when she speaks.

Wei Fuling held the raccoon slave on her feet and quickly kissed Wei Jinyun on the face, "Sister is the best!"

The raccoon in her arms was about three months old, with brown and black markings and short, shiny, smooth fur. Its green eyes were like jade dipped in water, and its ears were dotted with black. Perhaps from eating their fish patties, it had regained some spirit.

What a beautiful kitten, everyone who sees it will like it.

"Then let's go buy some food and have the feast?" Wei Jinyun turned around and went back to pack up the cart.

"Let's have dinner!"

Wei Fuling hugged Li Nu tighter.

"Are you done hugging me? Give me a hug."

Wei Fuqiu walked up to her and muttered, "It's hard to hold you."

Wei Fuling stretched out her arms, "Then I'll reluctantly let Sister Qi hug me as well."

Lu Lan was training new recruits today and was off duty a little late, but luckily he could still see the cart stall his sister mentioned at the entrance of the prefectural school from a distance.

"Why do you think the lord is walking down this road?"

Zhan Wenxing was riding on a horse, whispering with another subordinate, Jing Liulang, beside him.

"Didn't the Lord say to look around at the scenery and the people of Pingjiang Prefecture?"

"Does it really make sense to change into your official uniform to enjoy the scenery? And you're even wearing a light blue and white one? Your Excellency always likes to wear red and black in his private clothes... And, did you see, there's a bamboo basket hanging from your horse? And, you know, your Excellency always likes to buy sweets and snacks."

Taking a detour, changing clothes, and buying snacks all left Zhan Wenxing confused.

Lu Lan was wearing a moon-white suit today, with thin light green edges on the collar and sleeves. A belt of the same color was tied around her waist, and a sachet was hung on it.

Even though she was dressed more elegantly, she couldn't resist the cold aura around him.

His eyes were very fierce.

"That's nothing. Where did you get so much? And there's more. Maybe the master wants to buy a fish to put in it."

"Jing Liulang."

Zhan Wenxing rolled his eyes helplessly, "Did you come in through the back door?"

Why is it like this to be working in Pingjiang Prefecture?

My family and my colleagues...are not normal.

Since Lu Lan returned home yesterday, she had been wondering if he looked a little scary.

Normally, when the common people introduced him to others, they all said that it was more effective for the prisoners to see Lord Lu than to see the King of Hell.

He should not care what the people say about him.

Then he took off his official uniform and met her.

But, he didn't wear his official uniform yesterday.

Lu Lan thought for a while while riding on her horse, but couldn't figure it out, so she decided to return her bamboo basket first.

Wei Jinyun and her sisters fought over the raccoon, held it and rubbed its head, and then took it home. When she looked up, she saw several horses coming towards her.

The leader was... the one she saw in the tree last night!

Behind him followed the same men in official uniforms whom she had seen before on the arch bridge and on the day of the false lawyer.

He is the leader of the officers and soldiers, and he has this familiar and strong horse.

So he is.

Lu Lan?

He dismounted not far from her, straightened his clothes slightly, and quickly walked to her stall.

Wu Sheng was standing in front of Madam Qian's stall, arguing with Tang Yin about the wording of a poem. He noticed that there was sudden silence around him, and then he saw Lord Lu coming towards them.

Everyone in Pingjiang Prefecture knows Lord Lu.

His eyes are green.

Furthermore, the people following behind him were wearing official uniforms and carrying official swords, so anyone who saw them could guess who they were.

So, Lord Lu, who are you looking for?

"Greetings, Lord Lu."

Wei Jinyun hugged the raccoon and bowed, "I'm so sorry, we've sold out of today's cakes."

Lu Lan paused.

She knows him.

"I'm not here to buy cakes." Lu Lan walked up to her and said softly.

He took her bamboo basket, so he was in the wrong.

Lu Lan thought about it and decided that he still needed to express his apology first.

"for you."

Before handing over the bamboo basket, he first picked up the snacks he bought for her at the Changmen market.

Wei Jinyun stared at Lu Lan, whose eyes were sincere, and then stared at the green-eyed raccoon in his hand.

Finally, she stared at what he was holding - fried stinky tofu.

She couldn't help but "Huh?"

What's wrong.

Lu Lan tried hard to suppress the sharp looks she was used to getting in her daily life.

Doesn't she like eating this?

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The author has something to say: Lord Lu, next time you change your clothes, please change your subordinates’ clothes as well, okay?

Jinyun: [scared]

Lord Lu: She knows me [poor]

It will be uploaded tomorrow, so the update time will be after 23:00 at night [rainbow fart] Wife, please talk more, let's make it more lively, more lively.