Chapter 35
Even after school that day, Lu Shang still didn't come back.
At first Jiang Wanning didn't think much about it, but as the sky got darker and darker, until it was completely dark, and there was still no sign of him, she felt a little surprised.
She ate a few mouthfuls of food absentmindedly and couldn't help but go to the door to wait.
At this time, there were still some villagers returning home. After seeing her at the door, some still avoided her, but three or five of them raised their hands and greeted her.
"Is this Mr. Lu's wife? Is Mr. Lu feeling better these days?"
"Ah... yes, much better. You are——"
"I'm from the Zhang family in the north of the village. You can just call me Uncle Zhang!"
Perhaps because she had to concentrate on dealing with the villagers, Jiang Wanning's attention shifted a bit, and she was no longer obsessed with guessing where Lu Shang was going.
However, when the last villager returned home, no one passed by Lu Laoer's house anymore. Even the big yellow dog next door went back to its nest. The surroundings were too quiet, and Lu Shang still did not show up.
Jiang Wanning suddenly heard slow footsteps coming from behind her. Turning around, she saw that it was indeed Grandma Lu approaching. Her steps were a little unsteady, and the first thing she said when she approached was, "Shang'er hasn't come back yet?"
"It's already so late, why hasn't he come back yet? Where did he go? Maybe something happened on the way. The problem is, we don't even know where he went."
Without Jiang Wanning's response, Grandma Lu's anxiety became more severe.
She was pacing around the door, worried that she wouldn't be able to keep quiet. "I knew I shouldn't have agreed to Shang'er's business. With his body, how could he handle it..."
"I'll have a good talk with him when he comes back. He should just study. It's good to study. Otherwise, why would so many masters ask their sons to study? Shang'er is so confused!"
Jiang Wanning didn’t know whether Lu Shang was confused or not.
But she knew that what Grandma Lu said was totally unrealistic. Lu Shang even had the idea of changing his nationality to a businessman, so how could he give up his business in just a few words?
Besides——
Jiang Wanning couldn't say against her will that things were better before.
Just when Grandma Lu was about to go to the village entrance to look for someone, she saw a flickering light appear on the path in the distance. Jiang Wanning was shocked: "Is that my husband?"
Grandma Lu immediately raised her neck.
As the figure on the path approached, his face was revealed.
"Shang'er!" Grandma Lu called out immediately and ran over.
Although Jiang Wanning didn't move, her hands, which had been tightly clenched all night, slowly loosened. She couldn't tell whether she was more surprised or more scared.
In the distance, Lu Shang met Grandma Lu. He did not stop, but supported the old lady and walked home.
After seeing Jiang Wanning, he wiped his face and said, "What a day!" He was covered in dust and dirt. He didn't know where he had been. He was covered in mud and smelled terrible.
But he was in a very good mood and exuded joy. If there were no elders present, he would have wanted to pick up Jiang Wanning and spin her around.
Grandma Lu didn't pay attention to his emotions. After hearing this, she thought something bad had happened and her heart tightened: "What's wrong? Shang'er, don't scare grandma..."
"It's okay, it's okay. I'll wash my face first and then go in." Lu Shang had no choice but to comfort the old lady and coax her to go in first.
Most of the people in the yard had left, leaving only the two sisters Lu Xiaoxiao and Lu Qiu standing in the corner, apparently feeding the chicks.
Lu Shang saw it but didn't say much. He went to the well to fetch water. It was not enough to wash his face, so he scooped another bucket and poured it directly from head to toe.
Grandma Lu was immediately shocked: "Oh my, how can this be possible! I'm going to catch a cold..."
Before she could finish her words, Jiang Wanning had already brought a towel over. She also brought a larger thin blanket and wanted to wrap it around Lu Shang, but he waved his hand to refuse.
Lu Shang simply wiped his face and hair and sat down by the well before he began to talk about what had happened today. "I miscalculated today. I went to Gejia Village and hadn't planned on going anywhere else. But I ran into a half-grown kid there. He was the one I'd been looking for for a long time. Afterwards, we discussed it and went to Shuxi Village and Nanxing Village."
"It's not a matter of distance, it's mainly—" Even thinking about it now, Lu Shang felt dirty, "I went to a few duck houses and a few pig pens, and I happened to encounter a big pig going crazy. I got covered in mud and ended up like this."
Grandma Lu gradually came to her senses: "So... nothing bad will happen?"
"It's not a bad thing. After all, I found the person I needed, so it was worth it. I'm always more happy than unhappy." Lu Shang said, "I just made you worry."
"It's okay, it's okay. As long as the person is fine..." After hearing this, Grandma Lu felt a little distressed and had no other thoughts.
As for her words that she had just vowed to persuade Lu Shang to study again, they were now swallowed back into her stomach: "Then have you eaten? Grandma will cook you some food?"
"No, I ate the roujiamo I took away this morning in the afternoon. Now I'm all dirty and can't eat anything. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning."
"It's getting late, grandma, you should go back and rest. Aning and I will be going back too."
Thinking that he had visited several villages that day, Grandma Lu couldn't bear to see him endure it any longer, so she asked him a few more questions and then went back to her room first.
But Lu Shang didn't go back to the room directly. He looked up at Jiang Wanning and said, "A Ning, please find me some new clothes. I'm going to take a shower. I can't go in the house in this outfit."
"Why don't you wash it at home? I'll boil some water for you. You go inside and wipe it, and I'll wait outside." Jiang Wanning hesitated, fearing that something might happen to him in the middle of the night.
"No need to bother. You can go back first. I'll just rush over the wall."
Jiang Wanning nodded: "Okay, I'll go get you some clothes and soap nuts."
After everything Lu Shang needed was prepared, Jiang Wanning didn't stay outside any longer and quickly hid back in the house. Because Lu Shang had to take off his clothes to take a bath, the two sisters who were feeding the chickens also had to go back.
I have to say, the smell of being fucked by a pig is not something that can be washed off easily.
Lu Shang rubbed the soap nuts three or four times before the smell on his body was almost gone. He had to rub the mud on his head harder to get it off.
He originally wanted to finish it quickly and go back to his room to sleep early, but in the end it took him half an hour to wash himself clean again.
He shook his head, quickly put on his clothes, and brought a few basins of water. He first washed away the mud and water on the ground, and then soaked the dirty clothes in them. Finally, he could go back to his room.
Jiang Wanning had changed into her pajamas and was leaning against the head of the bed waiting for him.
When Lu Shang entered the room, he first sniffed around to make sure there was no strange smell on his body before getting on the bed. When he turned around and saw the ointment Jiang Wanning had used to wipe her hands, he paused.
"Aning...can I use your ointment?"
Jiang Wanning didn't understand, but nodded anyway.
Then I saw Lu Shang digging a large piece out of the small box, and smearing a layer of ointment on everything from his face to his feet that was exposed, and he was determined to make himself smell good before he was done.
Jiang Wanning was so amused that she could only say, "That's enough, it smells good already."
"Really?" Lu Shang could not forget the stinky mud that filled the air this afternoon. He sniffed it from front to back and left to right before he was completely done with it.
He slid down the bed and let out a loud breath the moment he lay down.
Jiang Wanning looked at him curiously, thought for a moment and asked, "Did my husband find a veterinarian today?"
Lu Shang looked over in surprise: "How did you know?"
"Didn't you say you met someone you'd been looking for for a long time, and he'd been talking about wanting to find a professional veterinarian recently? Could it be something else?"
Lu Shang chuckled and said, "It's the veterinarian."
He turned over, looked at Jiang Wanning sideways, and recounted what happened today in detail.
It turned out that he went to Gejia Village to visit the farmers in their village. It was said that several families who also had duck houses were in Gejia Village. It was also a coincidence that the ducks of one family were suffering from the heat and were being treated.
Lu Shang just asked out of curiosity, and then he found out that the dark and thin young man was actually a family that had been treating poultry and livestock for generations. Although he was young, he had been taking care of the chickens, ducks, cows and other animals in the village for many years.
Just like this summer disease that is a headache for many duck farmers, the young man only came to see the doctor twice and prescribed a few cheap medicines, but the disease was almost cured and most of the ducks regained their vitality.
After hearing about this, Lu Shang was extremely happy.
After the young man finished treating the duck, he invited him outside and told him that he wanted to hire him as a full-time veterinarian to help judge the condition of poultry and livestock.
The boy's family was of average financial status. Although there were not many people who could treat poultry and livestock, few farmers would spend money to treat their livestock unless it was necessary. He could not make much money throughout the year by relying on this skill, and it was better to earn more by digging crops in the fields.
The boy's name is Ge Haonan, a fourteen-year-old boy who is very cautious when facing strangers.
It was only after Lu Shang gave him money, one tael of silver a month, that he began to believe it a little.
Lu Shang said to Jiang Wanning, "You know what? Ge Haonan is young, but he's very skilled in treating livestock. I took him to several duck houses, and he explained everything clearly. He even identified the problem with the mad pig and solved it with just one glance."
"If he's going to use it frequently in the future, one ounce of silver a month is still too little."
He admired Ge Haonan very much, and even became interested in Jiang Wanning.
"Then if there is a chance in the future, my husband can bring him home for a meal and give him some money during festivals. This will also help win his heart."
Lu Shang nodded in agreement.
Now that the veterinarian she'd been looking for had been found, Jiang Wanning asked, "Has the duck issue also been resolved? Has the deal with Guanhelou been finalized?"
"It's almost done." Lu Shang said, "Shopkeeper Fu doesn't agree to use the previous source of goods. I went to Gejia Village today to see that the quality of their ducks is not bad. Next time I will bring two and ask Shopkeeper Fu to take a look. If it works, then it will be done."
"And after having Ge Ge take a look today, I think there's nothing wrong with the Yang family's ducks. I'll see if I can sell their ducks elsewhere. That would be another business opportunity."
"That's fine..." Jiang Wanning lay down, her hands on her belly, and couldn't help but murmur, "I can't believe how smooth these days have been."
Indeed, Lu Shang recovered from his illness. Although he still had flare-ups, he looked much healthier on a daily basis. He was full of energy whether he was going out or working. Even the business he had negotiated with Guanhelou had a good result after so many days of hard work.
Not only did she open a primary school, she also made money in the town's bookstore. Even though she was still bullied by her mother-in-law at home, Lu Shang helped her to block most of the trouble.
All this was unreal... She was afraid she was dreaming.
Lu Shang couldn't say anything to comfort her. He just squeezed Jiang Wanning's hand and said, "Go to sleep."
No words were spoken that night.
The next day, Lu Shang slept until noon before getting up. He waited until the sun outside was not so bright before going out.
What he had to do today was simple: go to Gejia Village and buy a few ducks.
The real highlight will be tomorrow.
He would take the ducks to Guanhe Tower to ask Manager Fu to take care of them. If he could secure the deal, he would use the rest of the time to look at and book houses.
For this, Jiang Wanning specially gave Dabao and Pang Liang a day off. The two children had been studying for half a month, and it was time for them to take a break.
The children were of course happy to have a holiday, but the thought of not seeing their friends for a whole day made them reluctant to leave. They stood at the door of Lu Shang's house, holding hands and talking for a long time.
In the end, even Fan Sanniang couldn't stand it anymore: "Alright, alright, if someone didn't know, they would think you were parting ways and would never see each other again!"
"Auntie, would you please invite Liangliang to my house for dinner at noon the day after tomorrow?"
Pang Liang glanced back at his grandfather, and without waiting for his grandfather's instructions, he turned back and said happily, "Okay, let's go to my aunt's house for dinner!"
"Hey, good boy, you're much better behaved than my little brat..."
Fan Sanniang liked such a well-mannered little boy. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She personally carried Pang Liang onto the ox cart and then waved goodbye to him.
After Grandpa Pang drove away, Fan Sanniang slapped her head and said, "Oh right! Wan Ning, I'll send you a basket of fresh peaches the day after tomorrow. They're all freshly picked and even sweeter than last time!"
Both Dabao and Pang Liang had to have a meal at the Lu family every day since they started school. Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang not only did not accept the offer, they didn't even ask for the money for the meal. Uncle Pang's family was expecting a big one-time gift, and Fan Sanniang just sent them some food every now and then.
Take her fresh peaches for example; the Lu family has never run out of them since the first time they were delivered.
Jiang Wanning knew she couldn't refuse, so she simply said nothing more and agreed readily.
At night, after Jiang Wanning finished writing the last piece of calligraphy, she and Lu Shang went to bed early in order to have enough energy to go to town.
That day, Mr. Huang from the bookstore gave Jiang Wanning four sheets of paper. Jiang Wanning worked overtime and had finished writing them all. However, in Lu Shangzhi's opinion, even if she had finished writing them all, it would not be easy to hand them in.
"Scarcity makes things valuable. If you give them out too often, Mr. Huang might think writing calligraphy is easy. If things keep going on like this, he'll inevitably lower the price. It's better to control the quantity. Three at most every ten days, that's enough."
Thirty taels of silver a month means nine taels of silver. If it is only used for daily expenses, it can support the food expenses of two people for a month.
Although Jiang Wanning thought that writing these calligraphy works was not a difficult task, she had a special trust in Lu Shang, so after hearing what he said, she agreed.
"Then I'll bring two tomorrow, and after a few times I'll increase it to three, and then I won't add any more."
The two of them took a final inventory of the things they were going to take with them tomorrow and quickly fell asleep.
Because of Pang Liang, Uncle Pang would not charge them any money when they went to Tang Town again. They brought a basket of live ducks with them, and in order to ensure everything went smoothly on the road, they left a quarter of an hour earlier. As for those villagers who missed the bus, they could only walk to the town.
The bookstore and the pawnshop were in the same direction, so the two went to Guanhe Tower first.
They arrived early, when Guanhelou was not yet open for business. There was only a waiter in the restaurant cleaning and wiping the tables and chairs. It was one of the waiters who had seen Lu Shang and Manager Fu discussing business who let them in.
The waiter hunched over and said, "Sir, I heard that the young master has come to Tang Town again. Manager Fu has gone to pick him up and will be back in a while."
Lu Shang raised his eyebrows: "That's perfect."
The waiter led him and Jiang Wanning to the private room upstairs, prepared some tea and snacks for them, and only left the room after making sure that the two had no other instructions.
When they were outside, Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning didn't say much. After tasting the tea and snacks, they waited quietly. Fortunately, Manager Fu and Feng He came quickly. They came back after only two hours.
When Feng He heard that Mr. Lu from Lujia Village was coming, he was even more excited than Manager Fu.
He rushed in in two steps at a time, excitedly, and was about to shout "Brother Lu", but when he turned around and saw that there was another person in the room, the excitement got stuck in his throat.
"Lu Lu Lu, Madam Lu..." He smiled shyly and bowed to Jiang Wanning.
Lu Shang knocked on the table in dissatisfaction: "Young Master, have you forgotten about me?"
Shopkeeper Fu, who was following behind, couldn't bear to watch any longer and hurried over. He pushed Feng He calmly and looked at Lu Shang with a smile on his face: "Why are you here again, Master Lu?"
After everyone was seated, Lu Shang got straight to the point: "I brought a few ducks this time, all bought from Gejia Village. They look good, and I'd like to ask for your opinion. If you both think they're good, I'll discuss pricing with them so we can finalize the cooperation soon."
As he spoke, he pushed the backpack next to him forward, removed the lid, and the ducks inside flapped their wings and rushed out like crazy.
Fortunately, Lu Shang was quick to close the lid again.
Since they were talking about serious matters, Feng He also became more serious. He stood up and came over, opened the lid a little, and took a quick look at the duck's feathers and size. He nodded and said, "Wait until the kitchen takes it to be slaughtered. I'll take a look at the meat and then see how the dish is."
"It's my duty." Lu Shang had no objection.
Soon, Manager Fu personally sent the duck to the kitchen, and Feng He finally had the opportunity to talk about the scientific examination.
He coughed twice and said, "I didn't realize you were a local scholar before. I apologize for any offense. I hope Mr. Lu will forgive me. To be honest, I have tried many times and failed many times. It's all because of my own failure."
"Now I have the honor of meeting Mr. Lu. I have also heard that Mr. Lu is a rare prodigy in the surrounding area. He passed the Tongsheng exam at the age of fourteen and became a scholar at sixteen. He also passed the exam on the first try every time. I really admire him."
Lu Shang used drinking tea to hide the embarrassment on his face. He didn't want to say that it was all in the past. Now he was probably no different from Dabao Pang Liang, who was learning to write at home.
But Feng He continued, "Business is business, but it's a great honor to have a personal relationship with you, Mr. Xiucai. Today, I, Feng, would like to ask if you would be willing to give me some advice. If I can pass the exam to become a scholar, I would like to hire you as my tutor."
The Feng family is considered a wealthy family. Being a tutor in the Feng family is very different from teaching a few children to read.
Although Lu Shang doesn't have this ability, but——
He tried his best not to look at Jiang Wanning, covered his mouth and coughed twice: "This... is not impossible."
Before Feng He could be happy, he changed the subject and said, "But Young Master, you know that I am now completely absorbed in business and have almost forgotten everything I learned from the books. I'm afraid that if I can't teach you well, it will only delay you."
"But I know someone who might be able to help the young master a little. I was able to pass the exam and become a scholar because of his guidance."
"Who!" Feng He's eyes lit up.
"That's unspeakable." Lu Shang said profoundly, "That lady doesn't want to be disturbed by worldly matters. I can only introduce the young master to her. If she doesn't want to, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."
"Young Master, please be patient. I will tell that gentleman about your situation when I return."
It's just a twist and turn, that's all.
Feng He suppressed his excitement, stood up and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Lu."
Feng He had already made up his mind. In order to ask for Lu Shang's favor, when the ducks came, he would accept them regardless of whether they were good or not. At worst, he would just go through the trouble of buying them again. This time, he would just consider it a favor.
However, when the freshly slaughtered duck came up, both the fresh meat and the prepared dishes looked and tasted the same as before.
Feng He was overjoyed: "Okay!"
He made the decision on the spot. The restaurant needed more than 800 ducks per month. According to the store's previous purchase price, each duck cost 25 cents. The actual purchase price would depend entirely on Lu Shang's ability.
If the delivery is once a month, the monthly delivery fee will be around two taels. As long as Lu Shang can control the price of meat ducks at twenty-three wen, that will be another one tael and six qian. Roughly speaking, four taels of silver a month will not be a problem.
This profit may not sound high, but it is just one dish. If a restaurant expands slowly in the future, there will be plenty of profit to be made.
"What about the five hundred taels before that?"
Shopkeeper Fu said, "Even if it's an advance payment, Master Lu, you can use it first and we'll settle it later if it's not enough."
"Thank you very much for your trust. I will send the duck to you as soon as I get back."
Feng He reminded: "There is also that gentleman.
"Remember, remember. Young Master, just wait for the news."
After some greetings, the restaurant opened to welcome customers, and Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning left.
Since Guanhelou's monthly demand for meat ducks is relatively small, the 500 taels they paid in advance can be used for about a year. Lu Shang only needs to set aside a surplus of three months, and the remaining money can be used for early circulation.
He tugged at Jiang Wanning's sleeve and raised his eyebrows: "Then shall we... go look at houses?"
Jiang Wanning smiled: "Yeah!"
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