Chapter 33
Wang Cuilian couldn't remember when she started to become more and more afraid of her stepson.
Although Lu Shang was a person that people were afraid to approach in the past, Wang Cuilian rarely disobeyed him openly. He never cared about the big or small matters at home, and all the decisions were made by Wang Cuilian.
Now Lu Shang no longer has that gloomy air, but has become more majestic.
Just like now, Wang Cuilian hesitated for a long time and only said one sentence: "I, I am also thinking about you, why don't you appreciate it..."
Lu Shang chuckled twice, turned to Dabao and Pang Liang and said, "You two go back to the house first."
Although he had a smile on his face, his aura was not friendly. The two children were very sensitive and nodded quickly when they heard his words. But in the blink of an eye, they all ran back into the house.
As for Jiang Wanning, she didn't hear the order and continued to stay here.
Lu Shang asked, "I heard from Aning that Er Niang got back the things she stole earlier?"
Wang Cuilian was deeply stung by the word "steal." If it had been anyone else, she would have burst into a rage, but it was Lu Shang who said that. Even if she gritted her teeth, she could only smile and say, "Yes, I've got it back. Since you insist on having it, I can't disobey you."
"What did you get back?" Lu Shang pretended not to know.
Wang Cuilian looked away guiltily. "Just the ones they took away. I've been washing dishes and doing laundry all afternoon. I'm not like some people who sit around all day. Look how busy I've been all afternoon. My mind is a mess and I can't remember clearly."
It seemed to have become her habit to criticize Jiang Wanning openly or secretly. If she didn't take the opportunity to criticize her one day, she would feel uncomfortable.
It was just that she had targeted the wrong person, and Lu Shang wouldn't be angry about it at all.
The two of them would wash their clothes as soon as they changed them, and the dishes would be washed clean after meals. Even for the three meals a day, as long as Lu Shang had time, he would help out. There was no such thing as eating and drinking for free.
In his opinion, even if they are a family, it is not the turn of one person to serve the whole family.
Lu Shang sneered and completely lost his temper: "Since Second Mother doesn't remember, let's go and take a look together. It's just right for me to count and see if I have them all."
Wang Cuilian was completely panicked: "Count, count... Lu Shang, you see, I have other things to do, so I won't go with you. Besides, you don't know Er Niang's character well, so why would you need to count?"
Lu Shang stood there, neither moving nor speaking, and his attitude gradually made Wang Cuilian react, and a hint of anger gradually appeared on her face.
"I know! No wonder you started counting my sins as soon as you entered the house. It was Jiang who complained to you, right? I knew she had no good intentions—"
"That's enough." Lu Shang was furious and interrupted sternly, "Since Second Mother knows, she should also understand what she did. I told you before that you either get the things back intact or I'll report it to the police. Now it seems that Second Mother has chosen the latter?"
"You can't do this!" Wang Cuilian was also desperate. "No matter what, I am still your stepmother. I am your father's legitimate second wife. I am your stepmother! If you go to the government office to sue me, you are unfilial. You will be beaten by the county magistrate!"
"I know you're not happy about it, but the things are gone. Even if you kill me, I can't get them back. Lu Shang, you weren't like this before. It was all Jiang's fault!"
Wang Cuilian sat down on the ground and rolled over.
Lu Shang has plenty of ways to deal with the uncooperative shrew, but as Wang Cuilian said, she is still a stepmother after all. As long as he stays in the village, he can't be completely fearless.
Lu Shang took a few deep breaths and said, "Okay."
"Then let me ask, what about Er Niang's humiliation of An Ning?"
Wang Cuilian's wailing paused: "What?"
Lu Shang couldn't bear to repeat those words in front of Jiang Wanning, so he had to change the subject and ask, "Is Aning's indenture still with you?"
“Yes, yes…”
"Give me."
Wang Cuilian opened her mouth and asked, "Why?"
"I bought her with money. It cost me three taels of silver. It was all my money. Even if I bought her to be your wife, she should be mine!"
Hearing this, Lu Shang's anger was completely uncontrollable. He immediately took a half step forward until he felt someone pulling at his collar. Looking back, he saw Jiang Wanning's face full of worry. She opened her mouth and said, "Husband..."
Lu Shang repeatedly said to himself, "Calm down!" and gently brushed Jiang Wanning's hand away. "It's okay, don't be afraid."
He turned to look at Wang Cuilian, his eyes full of sternness: "Three taels of silver, right?"
Wang Cuilian didn't understand what he meant and nodded.
"Wait!" Lu Shang said, and strode back into the room. He kicked the door open without even closing it. No one knew what he did inside, but he soon came out again.
He threw a few pieces of silver in front of Wang Cuilian and said, "Three taels, give me the indenture."
Wang Cuilian's eyes widened in shock. When she came to her senses, her first reaction was to gather all the silver coins in her palm and then get up from the ground: "No, no!"
"Three taels was the previous price. I also raised her for several months, fed her, clothed her, and even gave her a place to live. Three taels is not enough. Ten taels is needed!" Wang Cuilian originally wanted to say more, but she was afraid of Lu Shang, so she only said ten taels.
But these three or two taels are the limit of what Lu Shang can take out in a short period of time.
He had received a large advance payment from Guanhe Tower before, but he also had to consider the subsequent expenses and did not dare to act rashly.
After spending the five taels of silver he had spent in advance on purchases in the town and on business in Shuxi Village, there wasn't much left. He had to search his entire house to scrape together these three taels. If he gave these three taels away, he would really be penniless.
I never thought that Wang Cuilian could be so shameless.
Lu Shang opened and closed his palms, and even thought about exchanging the banknotes for more, but this time, Jiang Wanning hugged his arms tightly.
She shook her head vigorously: "Husband, don't... It's not worth it, it's too much..."
That’s ten taels of silver.
No matter how much she wanted to keep the indenture in her hands, she couldn't let Wang Cuilian get it for free.
Lu Shang turned his head and looked at him, his eyes dark: "Don't you want the body contract anymore?"
"Yes, what I want—" Jiang Wanning's voice trembled a little, "Once I hand the calligraphy over to the bookstore, I'll have the money and can redeem it myself. I can get my indenture back. There's no need to rush for a day or two."
Counting the days, she only has one or two days left to hand in the calligraphy.
Hearing this, Lu Shang finally regained some composure.
Wang Cuilian, who was standing next to her, had her eyes shining. She wanted to raise the price again, but Lu Shang gave her a glare and stopped her from talking.
Lu Shang spoke each word slowly, "Then it's a deal. Ten taels of silver for Aning's indenture. I still need seven taels."
"Since Second Mother is so clear about everything, don't blame me for having to explain everything to you. Tonight I'll ask Uncle Pang how much he spent on the gift he sent me, plus the price of the pork and fish. Please make up for it all, Second Mother."
"As for saying that reporting to the authorities is unfilial... haha." Lu Shang curled his lips, "To be honest, Second Mother, I have no intention of continuing the imperial examinations. This little bit of fame doesn't make any difference. Second Mother, you should think about whether you can survive the prison first."
At this point, the two of them had completely torn their faces apart.
Lu Shang went to the kitchen, took out the backpack that Wang Cuilian had brought back, and threw it in front of her. Before leaving, he pointed at the poultry and livestock in the corner and said, "Don't let me see you get close to those chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits."
After saying that, he pulled Jiang Wanning back to the room and slammed the door shut.
Dabao and Pang Liang heard the noise in the yard clearly. Although there were many things they didn't understand, they could hear Lu Shang's anger.
After the two came in, Dabao and Pang Liangquan stood up, carefully retreated to the wall, lowered their heads, and took a long time before they dared to take a sneak peek.
Lu Shang hadn't been so angry for a long time. When he calmed down, his chest felt burning and his vision was blurry.
Seeing that he was not in good condition, Jiang Wanning hurried to pour some water, helped him lie down, helped him unbutton his clothes, and fanned him with a book on the bedside.
After half a quarter of an hour, Lu Shang finally calmed down a little.
He closed his eyes, raised his hand and grabbed Jiang Wanning's wrist: "No need, take a rest."
"Once I get your indenture back, I'll go look for a suitable place to live in town, and we'll move out." This time, he didn't ask any more questions, but made the final decision, "It's just you and I, we won't stay at the Lu family anymore."
Lu Shang has always known that he has been alone for many years and has always been cold-hearted. Even after reincarnating into this body, he is just a familiar stranger to his family. To talk about family affection, it is really too shallow.
If Jiang Wanning had not aroused his sympathy at the beginning and had not always stayed by his side, he would probably not even have considered her.
And he could not forget, that day when the sky was getting dark, the little girl said to him seriously -
Husband, I earn money to support you.
Even now, Lu Shang wants to laugh every time he thinks of it.
After laughing, my heart couldn't stop beating.
He didn't think he had much ability, he just had some experience in business, and it just happened that he could make some money so that the two of them could live a better life.
The quarrel in the yard finally scared the two children. In the afternoon, Jiang Wanning didn't ask them to practice calligraphy, but instead talked about some stories they had read before.
"Legend has it that at the top of Nanshan Mountain, where the snow never melts, there lives a thousand-year-old lotus, a rare treasure..."
Dabao was amazed when he heard this: "So did the fox demon protect the snow lotus in the end, or was it taken away by someone?"
"It must be the fox demon guarding the snow lotus..." Pang Liang said crisply.
After that, the two of them started arguing about where Xuelian should go, and they still hadn't reached a conclusion until school was over.
Today, Lu Shang specifically stopped Uncle Pang. He first praised Pang Liang for his diligence, and while the two children were saying goodbye to each other, he asked, "Can you tell me the price of the things Uncle Pang sent you last time?"
Uncle Pang was stunned. He never thought that after so many days, Lu Shang was still worried about the previous gift.
Lu Shang cut off the beginning and the end, and said vaguely: "A thief broke into the house and stole all the things you sent me before. It was just a coincidence. Later we caught him, but she used all those things. I decided to ask her to pay the price."
Mr. Pang’s first reaction was: “Then report it to the police!”
Lu Shang smiled and said, "So please tell me what's inside and how much it's worth."
"Pang Liang is a good boy. He has been at home for so many days and has adapted well to everything, whether studying or not. As long as you don't mind, you can continue to study. There's no need to worry about formalities."
Uncle Pang was completely relieved by what he said. He counted on his fingers for a long time: "Among those things, the only valuable thing is a box of snacks, which is a bit expensive, about four taels, and some bacon and smoked meat, mostly pork, with only a small piece of beef, which adds up to about two taels of silver. And the others..." Adding up all the scattered things, it was about ten taels.
Even though he knew that Uncle Pang was generous, Lu Shang couldn't help but take a breath.
On the first day of class, Pang Liang brought the gifts his mother had prepared for Jiang Wanning. They were handkerchiefs and sachets embroidered by herself, and it was obvious that she had put a lot of thought into them.
They have both money and thoughtfulness, which shows that the Pang family cares about both their child and Lu Shang.
It happened that Mr. Pang asked, "Lu Xiucai, it's been a long time now. What about the apprenticeship gift?"
"There's no rush." Lu Shang continued to procrastinate. "There may be some changes at home recently. Let's talk about it after everything settles down."
"Ah? Oh, that's fine too. If Mr. Lu needs my help, please don't hesitate to ask for it!"
"Okay." Lu Shang thanked them and said goodbye to them.
That night, at the dinner table, Lu Shang counted the things Wang Cuilian had stolen and said tolerantly, "After all, I'm not as picky as Second Mother. I'll just roughly calculate ten taels. Second Mother, please return the money whenever it's convenient for you."
"I know Second Mother didn't take any of these things, and they were all sent back to her parents' home. I'm easy to talk to, so I won't ask Second Mother to pay for them. Whoever received the things should pay. Is that okay?"
Wang Cuilian stood up with a bang: "No!"
Who did she give the things to? Of course, she gave them to her beloved brother.
She was unwilling to pay for it herself, let alone ask her beloved brother to pay for it. That would be like asking her life to end.
Wang Cuilian started cursing on the spot: "Do you think I don't know what you are up to? You just don't like me for not giving you Jiang's indenture, so you're just trying to get back at me! I've worked so hard for the Lu family for over a decade, and in the end, it's not even worth these few taels of silver—"
"I gave birth to several children for your Lu family and raised them with great difficulty. Even when Lu Shang was sick every day, I took care of him without complaint. In the end, you treat me like this. I am so miserable—"
Perhaps her acting was too realistic, and Lu Laoer couldn't bear to listen anymore.
He looked at Lu Shang and said slowly: "Shang'er, your second mother has had a hard time, otherwise -"
"Otherwise, just give me Aning's indenture, and the theft will be forgiven." Lu Shang said coldly.
Grandma Lu's eyes lit up, and she stood up, leaning against the table. She hurriedly pushed Wang Cuilian and said, "Go and get Wan Ning's indenture contract! Shang'er doesn't bother with you anymore, what else do you want... Those are snacks and meat. Do you really want to go to jail?"
"Besides, since Wan Ning has become Shang'er's wife, it's only right that she give her indenture to Shang'er for safekeeping."
Wang Cuilian was unwilling, but had no choice. She was pushed and shoved by Grandma Lu all the way. After lingering in the house for a long time, she finally took out a yellowed piece of paper with an official seal at the bottom.
After Lu Shang took it, he handed it to Jiang Wanning: "Is this it?"
Jiang Wanning tried her best to control herself before she could speak clearly: "Yes."
Lu Shang nodded, picked up the bowl again, and started eating first in the silence at the table.
After eating two bites, he suddenly remembered: "Oh, and the three taels of silver I gave to Er Niang this afternoon, don't forget to return it."
Wang Cuilian: “…”
Wang Cuilian didn't say a word. She gasped and fainted on the spot.
For a moment, everyone was in chaos.
Lu Lao Er frowned and dragged her back into the house. Grandma Lu rubbed her hands anxiously, and asked about the situation. The others also surrounded her.
For a moment, only Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning were left at the table.
Before Jiang Wanning could feel any panic, she heard Lu Shang say with a smile in her ear: "Okay, the indenture is in place. I'll return the calligraphy in a couple of days and lend Aning some money to see if we can rent a room in town. I'll pay you back later."
Perhaps because he needed to borrow money from his wife, Lu Shang felt a little embarrassed.
Jiang Wanning didn't notice any of this, she just repeated it several times in her mouth -
Go to town and rent a room.
After a long while, she grinned and said, "Well! No need to return it!"
Lu Shang didn't care or curious about what happened to Wang Cuilian.
After returning to the room, he and Jiang Wanning discussed their savings and considered their requirements for a house in town.
Jiang Wanning said, "If possible, it would be best to have two rooms, one for living and the other for studying. This would save the children from having to stay with us all day, and would also be more orderly."
Lu Shang agreed, but he was thinking about three rooms in his heart.
There was one room for him, one for Jiang Wanning, and another for the study.
Now the two of them live together, but that is because of limited conditions and they have no choice but to do so.
But if we move out and live together again, wouldn’t it be a bit...
Lu Shang said in his heart that he only regarded Jiang Wanning as a younger sister, but when he thought about really having to live apart from her, he inexplicably felt uncomfortable.
But he didn't realize at all that just from these days of interacting with Jiang Wanning, many of their actions were not what siblings should have.
That night, he did not mention the matter of the indenture. Jiang Wanning also had some selfish thoughts. Seeing that he did not say anything, she did not mention it either. She just held the indenture tightly in her hand.
The next day, Lu Shang left a little late, practiced two sets of fitness exercises with Jiang Wanning, and showed up in front of his family before leaving.
Wang Cuilian was probably still sick and did not show up until he left.
He also made it clear yesterday that the chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, etc. in the house all belonged to Jiang Wanning. No one was allowed to touch them without her permission, let alone take them for themselves. They became public property of the family.
It is true that Lu Shang spent a lot of money on recuperation and studying in recent years, but after he passed the examination to become a scholar, his monthly salary was greatly supplemented. Moreover, with the tax exemption of being a scholar, it is difficult to say who benefited more.
Unexpectedly, not long after Lu Shang left that day, Grandma Lu came to find Jiang Wanning.
She didn't blame him for what happened yesterday, but instead said, "Wan Ning, I see you've been teaching the two children to read and write."
This was no secret in the Lu family, so Jiang Wanning nodded readily.
Grandma Lu added, "Look, you teach other people's children, but why don't you teach Guangzongyaozu's children? Learning to read and write is a good thing."
"Ah?" Jiang Wanning was a little confused, not knowing why Grandma Lu said that.
Soon, she had the answer.
Grandma Lu said, "Yesterday, when Wang mentioned it, I realized that learning to read and study does cost money, but that's all because you have to find a teacher and buy books, paper, and pens. But now we have a teacher ready at home, which saves us a lot of money."
"I heard Shang'er doesn't really want to take the exam anymore, but our family can't end like this, right? I was thinking, you should bear a little more hard work and bring Guangzong and Yaozu with you, and teach them to read a few words. In the future, they can take the exam and become scholars for our family, just like their eldest brother!"
Jiang Wanning asked, "Have they both ever been to school?"
"No way! They're so naughty, they won't read at all. They still can't type a single word!"
"Oh, I see..." Jiang Wanning couldn't find a reason to refuse, so she had to agree reluctantly.
She didn't take the matter too seriously. After all, they were just two children at home. No matter how naughty they were, they couldn't cause any trouble.
Wang Cuilian still didn't come out during lunch.
Grandma Lu told Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu about studying with Jiang Wanning. Lu Laoer must have been informed in advance, so he just said, "Study hard and don't just play around."
Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu had no right to refuse, but judging from their expressions, they were still unwilling.
After taking a nap at noon, the two brothers went to Jiang Wanning's room.
Their house was not big to begin with, and with five people coming in at once, even though four of them were young children, it was still a bit crowded.
Considering Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu's foundation, Jiang Wanning had to make some concessions. "Then let's review what we learned before today. Dabao and Liangliang, do you still remember what we learned before?"
While the two of them were writing, Jiang Wanning went to teach the two Lu brothers how to write their own names.
A few days ago, Fan Sanniang and Grandpa Pang bought paper and pens for their children, so the two brushes they had before were left idle and were just right for the two brothers to use.
Lu Guangzong had been taught a lesson by Lu Shang several times, so he didn't dare to act rashly in front of Jiang Wanning. At most, he would keep silent and didn't dare to do anything else.
Lu Yaozu was different. Wang Cuilian had just called him over last night and told him about Jiang Wanning's bad things for a long time. Now he looked at her with full resistance.
When Jiang Wanning was grinding ink and handing him a pen, Lu Yaozu suddenly pushed her and said, "Go away!"
Fortunately, Jiang Wanning had a round stool behind her to block her, so she was able to stabilize her body, but all the ink dots on the tip of the pen flew out and splashed all over her body.
...Okay.
Jiang Wanning looked at the ink spot on the hem of her skirt. She wasn't really angry.
With Wang Cuilian in front, the other people in the Lu family were nothing special to her.
Moreover, she has known since childhood that some people's fate is predetermined, just like some people insist on being poor all their lives, and don't want to change or make progress. If you chase after them and try to pull them back, not only will you not get any gratitude, you may even be resented.
At times like this, respecting the fate of others is the best thing to do.
Jiang Wanning put down her pen and asked calmly, "Are you still going to study?"
Lu Guangzong still didn't speak.
Lu Yaozu shouted: "I don't need you, I want my big brother to teach me!"
"But my husband is out and won't be back until very late. Besides, he never teaches anyone. It's always me who's lecturing."
Lu Yaozu still disagreed: "Get out!"
Jiang Wanning's expression darkened. She looked at the two of them deeply and decided to move away from there.
She glanced at Dabao and Pang Liang. The two of them were curious, but they also held the pen obediently and wrote down the learned characters stroke by stroke.
"Today's task is to write the characters we learned twice. Once you're done, you can leave school."
"Okay." Dabao and Pang Liang responded one after another.
After arranging everything for the two of them, Jiang Wanning stopped guarding the table. She walked to the corner, opened the locked cabinet, took out the cloth underneath, and locked it again.
I saw that what she was holding in her hand was the moon-white cotton cloth that she had bought in town before. The cotton cloth had been cut into the shape of a short shirt.
Jiang Wanning has been sewing short shirts since Lu Shang went out.
Dabao and Pang Liang are both relatively easy-to-care-for children. Jiang Wanning only needs to give them a little guidance and check on them from time to time, and they can complete their homework well. During this time, Jiang Wanning is free.
She seized the opportunity and cut the cotton cloth according to Lu Shang's body shape. Due to limited fabric, she could only sew a short shirt.
The remaining cloth was used to make purses and the like, and another piece was set aside to make bibs for Ma's children.
During this period, Jiang Wanning has been using hand cream carefully. The calluses on her hands have faded a lot, and her skin has become more tender.
Unfortunately, she hadn't touched needlework for a long time, and when she picked it up on the first day of the new year, her skills were still a bit rusty. Two days ago, she accidentally pricked her hand, and her finger, which had just begun to heal, had one or two more scars on it.
That is to say, the wound left by the needle tip was very small, so Lu Shang did not discover it.
Seeing Jiang Wanning concentrating on sewing, Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu, who were left in front of the table, were stunned.
In their imagination, the sister-in-law should coax and beg them so that they can start writing and not go to their father and grandmother to complain.
So what is the situation now?
Lu Yaozu was still stunned, but Lu Guangzong sensitively sensed that something was wrong.
But he had never touched a pen before, so even if he wanted to write, he couldn't do it now. Asking him to give in to Jiang Wanning was even more impossible. He could only stare at the yellowed paper and scratch his head, with no idea what to do.
As for what the two of them did, Jiang Wanning knew everything.
But people should always be responsible for the mistakes they make, and the same goes for children.
In a blink of an eye, it was almost time to go home from school. Jiang Wanning put away the half-finished shirt and gave some pointers on Dabao and Pang Liang's brushstrokes.
"Now that you know about twenty characters, we'll start learning the Thousand Character Classic tomorrow. When you get home, you can ask Mom and Dad to clear out a flat piece of sand, similar to where you draw, for you to practice writing large characters."
The two of them took notes carefully and pestered Jiang Wanning to tell them two strange stories. They were so frightened that they were taken home by their families.
As for the two brothers Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu who were attending school on their first day...
Grandma Lu pulled one student by the hand and asked, "What have you learned?"
The two were dumbfounded.
Jiang Wanning sent Dabao and Pang Liang back and casually mentioned, "I think my fifth and sixth brothers don't seem to want to learn to read. Today they almost spilled ink and stained a piece of paper. Grandma, can you please persuade them again? After all, this piece of paper is not cheap..."
She advised gently, with an awkward look on her face.
Grandma Lu didn't react at first, but when she heard that the paper was soiled, she felt heartbroken.
"What kind of paper is this? Could it be Shang'er's paper?"
Jiang Wanning said, "Exactly. My husband was the only one in the family who bought paper and pens. I thought my fifth and sixth brothers were brothers to my husband, so I gave them to them. Who would have thought—"
"Ouch! You two are disobedient!" Grandma Lu was angry and slapped them both, one on each hand.
Just as she was teaching her grandson a lesson, Lu Shang also rushed back.
He didn't ask why. He just said hello to Grandma Lu and called Jiang Wanning back to her room. As he passed by, he casually said, "Has she gotten into trouble again? Don't let her off easily, or she won't learn her lesson."
Then I heard the sound of beating getting louder behind me.
Jiang Wanning tried hard to maintain her expression, but as soon as she returned to the house, she couldn't help laughing.
Lu Shang also smiled and said, "Are you happy to see them get beaten?" It turned out that when he entered the room, he heard Jiang Wanning complaining to Grandma Lu.
Others couldn't see what Jiang Wanning was thinking, but Lu Shang knew it clearly.
Especially when she mentioned Lu Shang, she extinguished the last bit of Grandma Lu's favor.
No one can shake Lu Shang's position in Grandma Lu's heart.
Jiang Wanning was not afraid of being exposed and was still happy.
She told him that the two brothers wanted to study with her and asked Lu Shang what he thought.
Lu Shang had no idea that Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu were going to study with him. After all, "Once I find a house in town, we'll move out, and they won't be able to follow me."
Jiang Wanning didn't want to appear too anxious, but she still wanted to ask, "How long will it take to find a house?"
Lu Shang estimated: "I will go to town tomorrow to hand in the calligraphy, then go to Guanhe Tower to ask the shopkeeper for some questions, and then go to the brokerage to inquire about the house. If it goes fast, it will be decided in ten days or so, and at the latest it will take a month."
"Or you can just find a random house to live in first, and then move on when you find one you like. What do you think?"
That being said, Lu Shang preferred to settle it all at once.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wanning shared the same opinion: "Why not spend a little more time and find a suitable one directly? Otherwise, it will be troublesome to move around all the time."
"Okay, then after I review it with the dentist, I'll take you to make the final decision."
Jiang Wanning didn't know how much influence her opinion would have, but Lu Shang's words always made her happy.
Before going to bed that night, Lu Shang talked about his harvest today: "I found a vegetable garden in Fengyuan Village. The villagers there only kept a small part of the land for farming. The rest of the land is planted with vegetables. There are all kinds of common vegetables. They look very fresh and juicy."
"Besides, their village is located downstream, making it convenient for fishing. I've seen several families with fish ponds, raising fish, shrimp, and crabs... These can be supplied to restaurants and other places, and some wealthy merchants will also purchase them. It depends on whether they can finalize the deal later."
"As for the meat ducks for Guanhelou, I asked a few farmers in Nanxing Village. I'll go over there next time to see if they have any meat ducks."
Jiang Wanning is a good person to listen to.
If she came across something she knew about, she would offer some advice, but that was it, and she wouldn't say much more. If she had never heard of it, she would listen carefully, and occasionally a question or two would make her want to talk even more.
Lu Shang was pleasantly surprised to find that Jiang Wanning had dabbled in many areas.
Even though she had never done farm work or plowed the fields, this did not prevent her from reading many important books on agricultural policies and being familiar with many of the agricultural laws of Dazhao.
Thinking about Jiang Wanning's age and then thinking about himself, Lu Shang couldn't help but feel ashamed.
The stars are twinkling outside the window, and another day has passed.
The next morning, Lu Shang put away the calligraphy written by Jiang Wanning, and when Grandpa Pang came to send his grandson off, he got on the ox cart.
In response to Grandpa Pang's doubts, Lu Shang had his own explanation: "I have left homework for them. Aning will help look after it for a day."
"Is that so? That's good, that's good." Uncle Pang also knew that it was impossible for people to spend all their time teaching their children. It was already good enough that they could make arrangements before leaving.
When Lu Shang arrived in Tang Town, he went to the bookstore immediately.
According to their previous agreement, today is exactly ten days.
What he didn't expect was that he was stopped at the door before he could even enter the bookstore.
He didn't know the person who stopped him, but the person who stopped him knew him: "I remember you, you are the husband of the girl who wrote the letter for me last time!"
Lu Shang was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered this.
At the beginning, he vowed to the onlookers that he would come again next time and the price would definitely be affordable.
In fact,
If he hadn't been stopped, he would have forgotten about it.
The person who stopped him looked around him, but when he couldn't find Jiang Wanning, he let him go and asked, "Where's your wife? Isn't your wife here? Didn't she say she would come to help everyone write letters?"
"Um, ahem—it's like this." Lu Shang said with an apologetic smile, "My wife caught a cold the last time she came to town. She's been recuperating these days, so she missed the appointment."
"Wait until she's better, we'll definitely come over when she's better!"
Others were skeptical about this, but Jiang Wanning was not there, so even if they didn't believe it, there was nothing they could do. After much persuasion, they had no choice but to let him go.
The bookstore owner came out as soon as he heard the noise outside. After seeing Lu Shang, his heart, which had been fluttering for more than ten days, finally settled down.
Lu Shang avoided the people in front of him and entered the bookstore when no one was paying attention.
There were more people in the bookstore today, so Boss Huang led him to the back.
When the curtain fell, Boss Huang couldn't wait any longer: "But is the calligraphy delivery coming?"
"That's right." As he spoke, Lu Shang took out the scroll on his back, and he and Boss Huang each took one and spread it out.
As the calligraphy revealed its full appearance, Boss Huang's breathing quickened: "This this this -"
Lu Shang had already admired them beforehand, and even looking at them again, he still felt proud. He asked, "Boss Huang, take a look at these two. Are you satisfied with them? My wife said that there's a blank piece of paper, and it would be a waste to keep it, so I just wrote them all and gave them to Boss Huang."
"Satisfied! Very satisfied!" Boss Huang carefully stroked the two copies of calligraphy, his eyes full of the words on them. One copy had beautiful and elegant fonts, while the other had wild and bold strokes.
If Boss Huang hadn't seen it beforehand, he would never have believed that this was done by one person, and a girl who looked so weak.
Lu Shang asked: "Then what about the reward we agreed on before..."
"What I said before doesn't count!" Boss Huang slammed the counter. "You can't buy a post like this for just 700 coins. I'll give you one tael of silver!"
As if afraid that Lu Shang would change his mind, he quickly took out two taels of silver and stuffed them into Lu Shang's pocket before continuing, "Sir, please discuss with Madam and see if you can change it to two taels of silver per ten pieces of paper. Regardless of the font, all will be charged at one tael of silver. If you can get more, I'll give you a reward."
After all, this was Jiang Wanning's job, and Lu Shang didn't dare to make the decision for her.
"Then I'll go back and discuss it with my wife. Let's just calculate it based on one post this time. After I ask my wife's opinion, I'll give the boss a reply when I come to submit the post next time."
Although Boss Huang felt regretful, he could do nothing about it.
But he still prepared four pieces of paper and insisted that Lu Shang take them back no matter what. "It's okay, it's okay. Just treat it as two payments at once. Take them all with you, young master."
Lu Shang had no choice but to accept them all.
After he left the bookshop, Boss Huang turned around and went to find the street messenger, paid him three cents, and urged him, "Go to Mr. Guo's house right now and tell him I found two excellent calligraphy pieces for the eldest son and will deliver them to Mr. Guo tomorrow!"
What two taels of silver? Once he presents the calligraphy to Mr. Guo, even two hundred taels will not be too much.
On the other side, Lu Shang carried paper and money and entered the Guanhe Tower before the crowds at noon.
After entering, he went straight to find Shopkeeper Fu. Coincidentally, Shopkeeper Fu had just returned from outside. When he saw Lu Shang, he immediately rushed over and said, "You are finally here. The young master has asked about this several times these days!"
Lu Shang apologized: "I've been visiting outside these days, and fortunately I've had some success. As soon as I saw any signs, I came to you immediately."
"Come on, let's talk upstairs." Manager Fu personally led him upstairs.
After the two sat down, Shopkeeper Fu didn't ask about business. Instead, he asked carefully, "I wanted to look for you a few days ago, but I ran into an emergency on the way and had to turn back. However, I heard someone say that there is a scholar in Lujia Village named Lu Shang. May I ask Mr. Lu..."
Lu Shang did not expose his clumsy lie and nodded slightly: "It is me."
“…” Even though he had guessed it long ago, Shopkeeper Fu was still shocked.
When he finally realized what was happening, Shopkeeper Fu was even more puzzled. "May I ask why Mr. Lu didn't continue his studies and started a business instead?"
Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, merchants have always been the lowest class. The shopkeeper didn't understand why Lu Shang, who was a scholar, would degenerate into a merchant.
Just like their young master, in order to be eligible to take part in the imperial examination, he had to register his household in his mother's family, so that he could escape his merchant identity and have the opportunity to take part in the imperial examination.
Shopkeeper Fu said, "Mr. Lu, you should know that once you become a merchant, your previous status as a scholar will be invalid, and your family will be barred from serving as officials for three generations. Isn't this just missing the point?"
Lu Shang never thought that there would be such restrictions in doing business.
Even though he had no plans to take the imperial examination again, he couldn't help but wonder, "Well, I'm still from a farming family. As long as I don't become a merchant, will it be unaffected?"
"That's wrong. If Mr. Lu doesn't register as a merchant, he won't be able to do many big businesses. After all, these businesses require signing contracts and documents to be stamped by the government. Without a merchant certificate, they can't be approved."
"Besides, there's the issue of commercial taxes. If you don't register as a merchant, how can you expect to pay them?"
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