Chapter 185 The eldest son is back

In a carriage heading to Wu County sat a young man about twenty years old, with a scholarly air.

From time to time, I lifted the curtain to look outside. There were many people coming and going on the road, including many businessmen and travelers.

The road is much wider than before, and from time to time you can see yamen runners patrolling with swords hanging from their waists.

Passersby were not as panicked as usual, but walked calmly, and the yamen runners even greeted them with a smile.

The closer you get to the county town, the more people there are. It's even more crowded when you get to the city gate. The cattle and horse sheds are bustling with people, more than during festivals in previous years.

When you enter the city, you will see shops, restaurants, and inns on both sides of the streets, decorated with lights and colors to welcome customers, as if they appeared overnight.

Many new grocery stores have opened that purchase vermicelli, honey, and tea oil, and villagers come in groups of three or four to sell their own products.

Every restaurant and inn here has its own signature vermicelli dish, which was quickly brought to full use and became a specialty of Wu County.

While promoting the sales of vermicelli, we can also promote the way to eat vermicelli to foreign merchants, killing two birds with one stone.

When the wind blows, the air is filled with the rich sweet aroma of brown sugar, wafting over from the sugar factory.

Cartloads of sugarcane were taken to the sugar factory, and carloads of sugarcane residue were taken to the paper mill outside the city.

A group of merchants gathered in front of the sugar factory, clamoring and making a fuss to buy brown sugar, and scrambling to sign contracts and pay deposits.

If there hadn't been a bunch of yamen runners standing at the door to maintain order, these merchants would have rushed into the sugar factory to rob.

Sugar paste is only available in small quantities in pharmacies and is a valuable medicine.

Now, a sugar factory has suddenly appeared, producing solid brown sugar, which tastes sweet and delicious. Not only does it have higher medicinal value, it is also a raw material for making desserts, and it is also sugar that can be eaten directly.

Fu Zhong and Hu Erlang only sold their products to the nobles in wealthy areas, and those with a keen nose would come looking for them just by smelling the aroma.

Governor Lu Zhaoshi, special envoy Wei Shutong, and Lingnan Road envoy Feng Xu received some of it and knew it was good stuff, but they didn't expect it to spread so quickly.

The sugar factory is blocked by merchants every day. Anyone who gets a few large jars of brown sugar will come out proudly as if he has found a treasure.

Wu County has a one-stop stocking shop, selling brown sugar, various vermicelli, honey, tea oil, all of which are good things. You can make a lot of money in one trip.

Hu Buwen didn't expect to find a traffic jam in front of his house. He suspected that this was not Wu County. He hadn't been home for only a year, so how could this place become something he didn't recognize?

After walking and stopping for half an hour, he finally arrived at Fulu Lane. Seeing the familiar high blue brick wall, Hu Buwen made sure that he was not in the wrong place.

The servant Ah Cai knocked on the door, and after a while the doorman finally opened it. "Who is it? Hey, Ah Cai, why are you back?"

The doorman was stunned when he saw Ah Cai, then he realized that it was the eldest son who had returned.

"Young Master is back!" The doorman came forward attentively and was ready to kneel down to serve as a stepping stone for the young master.

"Lai Ada, please go away! Don't disgrace the young master!" Acai hurriedly pushed open the doorman's door.

Hu Buwen frowned and glanced at the doorman, then jumped off the carriage and said, "We don't do this kind of thing!"

"Yes, yes, look at me. I haven't seen the young master for a long time. I am so happy that I forget myself. I deserve to be beaten. I deserve to be beaten!" The doorman said with a flattering look on his face.

Hu Buwen was too lazy to argue with the servants and walked inside. He hadn't seen his parents for a year and missed them very much.

The mottled corridors and columns were all painted with new colorful paint, and flowers and plants were planted in the courtyard.

It looks like a mansion, unlike the usual shabby and simple appearance inside and out.

"Congratulations, sir. After all these years of hard work, you have finally made it!" Mrs. Hu looked at the commendation letter from the provincial government and burst into tears of joy.

Wu County has made great contributions by presenting the Jiangdong plow, has been effective in governing the Li people, cares for the people, and has made remarkable political achievements. This year's official evaluation was excellent and reported to the Ministry of Personnel.

She was promoted to the seventh-rank county magistrate of Wu County. After so many years of hard work, she finally became the chief official of Wu County.

Mrs. Hu read the document over and over again, savoring the words on it over and over again.

"Look at you! You're just a county magistrate of the seventh rank, what's so great about you!"

County Magistrate Hu, no, it was County Magistrate Hu, stroked his beautiful beard and complained that his wife was ignorant, but his eyes showed unconcealed pride.

This Mr. Su is really capable. If it weren't for his guidance and offering the Jiangdong Plow, how could I have had the subsequent opportunities and the favor of my boss?

It all has something to do with Mr. Su. I am just picking up fallen peaches!

Erlang cooperated with the Su family and Huanggou Village, and his business grew bigger and bigger. Then a wealthy boss appeared, and the Hu family's grocery store suddenly flourished, and the business reached Jiangnan.

The wife stayed at home, responsible for sourcing goods, while Erlang and the Fu family moved around in Jiangnan.

Mr. Mo and Manager Liu were responsible for forming the caravan and transporting the goods.

With his wealth increasing exponentially, County Magistrate Hu deeply felt what it meant to be blessed with great fortune. Not even a door panel could stop it!

The house that was previously so stingy and reluctant to renovate has now been completely renovated and looks brand new, a truly prosperous house.

The most surprising thing was that he was unexpectedly promoted to county magistrate!

County Magistrate Hu felt light all over and dizzy even when walking. He hurried back to the backyard to share his feelings with his wife.

"So what if I'm ignorant? My husband is successful and has been appointed as a county magistrate. Aren't you envious?" Mrs. Hu scolded with a smile.

"Envy! Envy! Who wouldn't envy Madam for having good taste! Finding a good husband!" County Magistrate Hu said with a smile while hugging his wife.

"Husband!" The couple looked at each other affectionately, with deep love.

"Aye, mother!" An untimely voice interrupted the ambiguity between the two.

The couple hurriedly separated and turned around, "Da Lang! Why are you back?"

"Uh! The academy is on vacation, son..." Hu Dalang wondered if his parents had forgotten him since he hadn't been home for a year. Aren't they on vacation at this time every year?

"Oh, look at my memory!" Mrs. Hu laughed. "I've been so busy all day that I forgot it's almost New Year's Eve!"

The business is so huge that I am so busy all day that I completely forget about time. Before I knew it, it is the end of the year.

"You haven't eaten yet, hurry up and serve the food!" Mrs. Hu ordered the housekeeper outside the door.

"Madam, the order has been given!" said the housekeeper with a smile.

On the table were braised meat with vermicelli and roast duck with konjac, which are currently the most popular vermicelli dishes and the specialty of Huang Si, the chef of Fumanlou in the provincial capital.

Hu Dalang was eating silently. He was very polite at first, but later he relaxed and ate three bowls of rice in a row.

"Ah! So delicious! I haven't felt so full in a long time!" After finishing a bowl of brown sugar and egg dumplings, Hu Buwen stroked his round belly and sighed.

"Mother, after enjoying this delicious meal, I suddenly realized that all I ate before was pig food!"

"You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about? Be careful or your father will beat you up!" Mrs. Hu covered her mouth and giggled.

My eldest son has lost a lot of weight after not seeing him for a year. As a mother, I love to see him eat with relish. The more delicious the food, the happier I am.

Seeing her eldest son finish all the food, Mrs. Hu felt very satisfied and felt that all her preparations were worthwhile.

"Drink some hawthorn water later to help digestion. Don't eat so much next time!" Mrs. Hu reminded.

"It's better to be home than anywhere else! I have my mother to take care of me!" Hu Dalang said with a smile.

"You little rascal, you're about to get married, but you're still acting like a spoiled brat when you were little. What are you going to do when you get married?" Mrs. Hu poked her eldest son's forehead and scolded him with a smile.