"Young master, we don't have much cash on hand, so we'd better save it."
Ignoring Zhu Xi's advice, Lin Xiangzhi said to the waiter, "Give me a plate of crispy pork ribs, a plate of mushroom stewed black chicken, a plate of braised venison, and a plate of steamed seafood."
"Young Master Jia is very generous today. Please wait a moment, I will try my best to send it up as soon as possible."
Lin Xiangzhi ordered all the most expensive dishes, which were also the most profitable in the inn, making the waiter beam with joy.
The waiter scurried off to the kitchen, and Zhu Xi glanced around.
He lowered his voice and said, "Young master, you've ordered so many dishes. Steamed seafood is from the sea. How can we live like this?"
"Why not? My head is practically hanging on the mast, can't I even have a decent meal?" Lin Xiangzhi lifted the hem of his robe and strode up to the second floor.
Zhu Xi was used to the young master's frugal ways, but now this spendthrift behavior made him uneasy.
Zhu Xi quickly caught up with him.
Upon entering the room, Zhu Xi took a bundle from the wardrobe, then took out a money bag and dumped it all onto the table.
"Young master, I'm not lying to you, this is all the silver we have."
Lin Xiangzhi, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, walked over and picked up the largest silver ingot, weighing it in his hand. "This is a full twenty taels; it's not enough for one meal."
"Young master, that's our travel money home. If we eat and drink like this, it'll be gone in no time. Are we going to have to beg our way back?"
Zhu Xi pretended to snatch back the twenty taels of silver.
Lin Xiangzhi tossed the silver into the air, and Zhu Xi caught it with both hands.
"Young master, perhaps it's not too late for me to return those dishes." Zhu Xi quickly put all the silver on the table back into his money bag and made as if to leave.
Lin Xiangzhi took out a seal from his waist and waved it in front of Zhu Xi. "Look carefully. With this in your young master's hand, he won't have to beg all the way through Wanling."
The movement was so fast that Zhuxi couldn't even see the words clearly.
Zhu Xi asked, "What is this? This servant doesn't recognize it."
Lin Xiangzhi quickly put away the seal and said with a smile, "This is the seal of Wantong Bank. That person gave it to me. I can withdraw cash at any Wantong Bank without any limit. I can spend it however I want."
Zhu Xi naturally understood who her young master was referring to, and her eyes lit up immediately.
"Would you like a drink, sir? I'll go tell the waiter that if there's good food, bring a pot of good wine too, so as not to waste the delicious meal."
"What are you drinking for? We still have important things to discuss when the Black and White Impermanence come back soon."
Lin Xiangzhi couldn't help but chuckle at Zhu Xi's mischievous little money-grubber look.
Zhu Xi secretly grumbled to herself, thinking that the Emperor had played many tricks on her young master when he was still the crown prince.
Tomorrow's breakfast should include at least two eggs and a basket of meat buns.
Taking advantage of the emperor is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Lin Xiangzhi washed his hands and changed into comfortable robes. Soon after, the waiter brought over two plates of cold dishes and a plate of peanuts.
"We didn't order this dish. My young master ordered crab and prawns." Zhu Xi was worried that the waiter might have lost the steamed seafood dish, so he hurriedly asked the waiter.
The waiter bowed and scraped politely, "Young man, please don't be in a hurry. This is what the manager instructed. You gentlemen have been staying at our inn for some time now, so these few dishes are a complimentary gift from us."
Zhu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and instructed the waiter, "Remember to bring extra rice later, enough for six people."
Zhu Xi asked for extra rice not for himself, but for the Black and White Impermanence, who had an astonishing appetite and ate twice as much food at each meal.
Zhu Xi once suspected that they were reincarnated starving ghosts.
The waiter, already used to it, grinned and said, "Alright, please wait a moment."
The waiter had only been gone a short while when the Black and White Impermanence returned.
Before they could even catch their breath, they began reporting the information they had gathered that day.
"Young master, according to the dockworkers, the owner who owns the most cargo ships is surnamed Li."
“Yes, I know, Guo Baoxian’s father-in-law’s house. Go on.” Lin Xiangzhi picked up a small booklet from the table.
Wu Chang looked ashamed. "It's a pity we didn't find out the backgrounds of the other owners. The waters in Jiangzhou are too deep."
Lin Xiangzhi gestured for the two to sit down and talk, then lightly flicked his index finger and thumb on the book. “The rest of the owners are just officials from Jiangzhou, and their positions are not low, otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten a share of this pie.”
He then handed the booklet to the Black and White Impermanence, saying, "Take a look and see if the prices I found out today are different from what you found out."
Black and White took the booklet and looked at it carefully. After a moment, Black and White pointed to the blank space and said, "There is no difference. The price is transparent. Young master, just calculate the income of the millet transported by the dock and you'll be all set."
The Black and White Impermanence announced the numbers, and Lin Xiangzhi quickly wrote down the most important ones.
Lin Xiangzhi estimated that the waiter would bring the food soon, and said to the Black and White Impermanence, "Wash your hands and prepare to eat. I have an important task for you two. We'll talk about it after the meal."
When traveling, Lin Xiangzhi didn't follow any rules. When the food was served, both the Black and White Impermanence were dumbfounded.
The fragrant mushroom and black chicken soup, and the crispy pork ribs are golden brown, looking crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Black and White stared at a plate of meat dishes they couldn't name, their vibrant colors tempting them to look away.
"Don't just stand there, sit down and eat with us. We've been eating together for so long, why are you two acting like strangers today?"
The waiter put down the steamed seafood and gave the group a deep look.
Thinking to himself, "This master is really good. He treats the three servants like family. Every meal is the same for both master and servants. Today, he ordered a sumptuous meal and we all enjoyed it together."
Such a boss is hard to find even if you searched with a lantern in Jiangzhou.
"Please enjoy your meal, sir." The waiter closed the door behind him as he left.
Zhu Xi hurriedly went over and pulled the door bolt.
"Is this... Lord's birthday today?" Wuchang asked, looking at the delicious-looking food.
Lin Xiangzhi sat down first, pointed to the chair opposite him, and said, “It’s not anyone’s birthday, so stop dawdling. The food will get cold and won’t taste good. You’ve all worked hard these days, so consider this an early Lantern Festival.”
Zhu Xi's stomach was already rumbling with hunger. She picked up the bowls and chopsticks on the table, set them out, and served a bowl of rice to both Lin Xiangzhi and herself.
Then he handed the rice bowl to the nearest person, Black and White, saying, "Brother Black and White, take it. Don't be shy. As long as the young master is bold, we can celebrate the Lantern Festival every day."
Black and White: "..."
Impermanence: "..."
What does this mean? Has Lord Lin made a fortune?
No, wait, that's audacious! What kind of fortune did they make?!
At Lin Xiangzhi's repeated urging, the two thanked him, sat down, and picked up their chopsticks.
A moment later, the group devoured the food in no time. Zhu Xi drank a bowl of black chicken soup, burped contentedly, and reluctantly put down her chopsticks.
After Hei Bai Wu Xian saw Lin Xiangzhi put down his bowl and chopsticks, the two of them, one holding a rice bowl and the other a soup bowl, divided the rice and chicken soup cleanly.
The two men, Black and White Impermanence, put down their chopsticks almost simultaneously, saying with lingering relish, "Sir, we've finished eating. Please give us your instructions if needed."
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