Chapter 38
With the new home ready, everything is back on track.
Originally, he should have invited acquaintances or neighbors to a housewarming party, but the ducks from Guanhelou could not be delayed any longer. After thinking about it, Lu Shang decided to wait until the delivery of this shipment was completed before doing it.
He has even thought about the banquet. He will invite the shopkeeper Fu and the young master Feng to join him and prepare a fish banquet.
Speaking of Guanhe Tower, Lu Shang suddenly remembered: "Aning, do you remember that last time, the young master wanted to ask for some advice so that he could pass the imperial examination?"
Jiang Wanning thought for a long time and finally managed to gather some impression. She had no memory of the young master, but she vaguely remembered Lu Shang saying, "My husband said he knew an old gentleman?"
Lu Shang stretched out a finger and waved it left and right: "No, not the old man."
Without waiting for Jiang Wanning to ask, he turned his fingertips and said, "It's you."
"Me?" Jiang Wanning was filled with astonishment. "How could I be the old man..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly realized: "My husband wants me to guide him to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar?" And just recently, she had said this to Pang Liang.
Lu Shang only cared about one thing: "A Ning can do it, right?"
"I——" Jiang Wanning was just a scholar, so it was fine. However, the person who needed to be taught was different, so the situations that followed were naturally different as well.
If it was just about teaching a few-year-old child, Jiang Wanning would not be afraid at all. Children are the easiest to understand, and it is much easier to get along with them than with adults.
But if the student was replaced by an adult man, she would be a little hesitant.
Lu Shang didn't force it, but simply asked, "A Ning, do you have any concerns?"
Jiang Wanning opened her mouth. She had already thought of several plausible reasons, but in the end, all she said was, "I don't want to..."
Lu Shang's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly adjusted his expression.
He didn't ask why she didn't want to, but chuckled, "That's fine. Next time I see him, I'll refuse. I'll still base it on your wishes."
It was this consideration that made Jiang Wanning frown.
She thought for a moment and continued, "My husband said last time that it was thanks to that gentleman's guidance that you were able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. I've only been in Lujia Village for less than half a year, so this isn't a secret. It would be easy to find out with just a few questions. If the young master sees that I'm a woman and becomes suspicious and investigates, I'm afraid there will be misunderstandings and even resentment, which would be bad."
"If we don't meet, and only communicate through books and homework, he is just a scholar, so it doesn't matter if we don't meet. He can also accept the favor of my husband."
Lu Shang's eyes suddenly lit up: "Is it okay if we don't meet?"
"Unless it's rotten wood, nothing is impossible."
"That's really great!" Lu Shang laughed out loud, looking at Jiang Wanning with a proud raised chin, he felt that she was becoming more and more dazzling.
But there are too many things that can be tampered with in the books. If Feng He wants to be convinced, he must show some level of skill.
"I know how to gain his trust." Jiang Wanning stood up, rummaged through the bedside table for a while, and took out a book hidden at the bottom.
When she came back with the book, Lu Shang looked at the words on the title page and found them somewhat familiar.
Jiang Wanning said, "This is a copy of 'Current Affairs' that I copied, with some crude annotations. Even if Master Feng can't tell good from bad, I'm sure there are people around him who can."
"Some of these annotations are what my father told me, and some are my own shallow insights. Since I didn't intend to give it to anyone, I wrote them all down here. However, just reading what my father said is incomparable to any other books on the market."
After Jiang Wanning finished explaining, she looked up and saw Lu Shang looking at her in surprise.
She didn't know what the other person was thinking, and was afraid that he might misunderstand something. She retracted her hand on the book and said subconsciously, "I copied this in my spare time while teaching Dabao and the others. Liangliang was told by his mother to bring it with him every time he came back. I borrowed it and copied a copy when I had nothing to do. I was thinking—"
Originally, she thought that if she gave the book to Lu Shang, he would have a better chance of success than others when he took part in the imperial examination in the future.
But later on, Lu Shang thought about changing his nationality to a merchant. Jiang Wanning was unsure of his future plans, so she didn't bring it up again. The annotated handwritten book was also pushed to the bottom of the box.
Lu Shang was searching for clothes in the closet and never looked at the paper, pen, and books underneath, so naturally he didn't notice the extra manuscript.
Jiang Wanning said vaguely, "If anyone else needs it, there's no need to spend a lot of money to buy it."
However, Lu Shang did not understand her implication. He took the book and flipped through a few pages. Around the neat and regular small characters, there were dense annotations in different handwritings. The annotations alone were comparable to the main text.
"Give this to Master Feng?"
Jiang Wanning nodded: "That should be enough."
"Of course it's enough!" Lu Shang said, "I mean, giving him such a good thing right from the start is too cheap. I heard from Uncle Pang before that he consulted many people and spent a full ten taels to buy this book alone. Now that it has your meticulous annotations, shouldn't it be worth a hundred taels?"
Jiang Wanning observed his expression, which seemed to truly be filled with regret. She finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "How can you convince others without sincerity?"
"My dear husband, if it seems suitable, please give it to the young master. When Liangliang comes back later, I will just copy it again. It won't take much time."
Lu Shang knew that top students and poor students did their homework differently.
If he was asked to copy and annotate a book, even twice in a row, he would definitely scratch his head and cheeks, feeling annoyed and irritated, and would even want to throw the whole book away.
But for those who have already achieved success in academic studies, copying books or making annotations is probably as simple and commonplace as drinking water or eating.
Obviously, Jiang Wanning is the latter.
But Lu Shang still said: "Just estimate it yourself and don't get too tired."
"Now that we've moved to town, if you need paper or pens, just go buy them. If you don't know the way, ask two neighbors to accompany you. Thank you later."
"All the money in the family is with you. If there's anything missing, just make the arrangements. If it's still not enough, tell me and I'll find a way."
Lu Shang believed that he was the head of the family, and making money to support the family was his responsibility, and there was no need for anyone else to worry about it.
Jiang Wanning agreed to all of their requests, and then found a piece of fairly neat cloth to wrap the annotated manuscript, and casually placed it on the table, making it convenient for Lu Shang to pick it up at any time.
After another day of rest, the next day at noon, Grandpa Pang arrived on time with his two children. Grandpa Pang brought some fresh vegetables from home, gave some to Jiang Wanning, and took the rest to the market to sell to pass the time.
"Then I'll leave first and come back to pick them up in the evening," said Uncle Pang.
Coming to the town from the village so suddenly, the two children were timid and curious. Even Dabao, who was usually bold and lively, was a little shy. Holding hands with Pang Liang, they followed Jiang Wanning closely to visit their new study room.
Of the two rooms in the west wing, one is arranged as a bedroom, and the other is where the children study. There are no beds or cabinets in it, only square tables and bookshelves. The square tables are big and small. When they learn to read together, they use the big table, and when they practice alone, they use the small table.
Jiang Wanning also prepared a sandbox for each of them, which was piled on the bookshelf when not in use. If they wanted to draw or practice painting, they would take the sandbox down.
Since the two children were curious about everything, Jiang Wanning took them for a walk, climbed the rockery together, and looked at the livestock behind the rockery.
Then, seeing that it was almost noon, Jiang Wanning took them out to buy food.
The iron pot for our house has not been approved yet, so we can only buy food during this period. Occasionally, a kind neighbor will give us something, and we can make do with a meal.
The new home is right next to the county government office, and there are relatively few stalls nearby. If you want to buy cheap and good food, you have to go two blocks away. Aunt Tian’s grocery store is also there.
There were many people on the street, and Jiang Wanning was afraid of accidentally losing the child, so she had to find a small shop nearby, bought four vegetarian buns and two meat buns, and then went home the same way.
Unexpectedly, this trip completely aroused the curiosity of the two children.
Even after lunch, the two of them were still clinging to Jiang Wanning, talking to each other, and every word they said was about going out to play.
"Auntie, when are we going out again? It's so lively outside!"
"Sister, can we go out again after we finish our studies?"
Jiang Wanning didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she didn't dare to really agree. She also threatened, "This isn't the village. You mustn't run out on your own. Otherwise, if you run into human traffickers, they'll kidnap you and sell you off. You'll never be able to come back!"
"Ah!" Dabao exclaimed and turned to look at Pang Liang.
The two little kids exchanged glances and said in unison: "No, no, no!" It was obvious that the two of them had discussed the plan to sneak away when Jiang Wanning wasn't noticing. Fortunately, the baby died in the womb, otherwise, if something really happened, no one could bear the consequences.
While Jiang Wanning was feeling scared, she was determined to take good care of the two little kids.
Just as Jiang Wanning was helping her two children adapt to the new environment, Lu Shang also became busy.
Tang Town is not big, so it is inevitable to run into acquaintances when you go out.
Lu Shang was planning to go directly to Gejia Village, but who would have thought that when he rented a car at the coach shop, he ran into Feng He as soon as he went out.
Or rather, Feng He discovered him first.
"Mr. Lu! Mr. Lu!" Feng He's shout was not a big deal. Most of the people in the carriage and horse company looked over, and even the manager who had just signed an agreement with him looked a little surprised.
Lu Shang was helpless and had to ask the driver waiting on the side to wait for a while, then took Feng He and went outside to talk.
As expected, Feng He opened his mouth and said, "Lu Xiucai, the gentleman you mentioned last time?"
Lu Shang didn't expect to meet him, so naturally he didn't bring the annotated handwritten book with him. It's not that he couldn't go back to get it, but he was afraid that it would accidentally reveal any clues and make Jiang Wanning have to think about it.
He replied, "Yes, I have, but the master said that he needs to consider it carefully for a few more days. Young Master, don't be anxious. Just wait for the result."
"Oh, Mr. Lu, you don't understand. This isn't something you can just relax about. The main thing is that I've told my family that I've found a great scholar who wants my father to take over the family business! If you give me a definite answer, I can make preparations early!"
Lu Shang smiled bitterly: "Well... let me put it this way, the master actually wants to accept you, but he hasn't been out for a long time and is still hesitant about whether to go to your house. It just so happens that I'm moving these days, so the master said that he will wait until I'm settled here before going and he will give me a clear answer."
After hearing this, Feng He felt like he was floating. "D-Did you really mean it?"
Without waiting for Lu Shang to answer, he clapped his hands and said, "I'm going back to the capital today to see my father! After I hand over the family business to my father, I will come back and concentrate on my studies, and strive to get a good score on the next exam!"
"Oh, no—" Lu Shang wanted to persuade him not to be so excited, but Feng He was so excited that he didn't listen to him at all. He turned around twice on the spot, came back to his senses and gave Lu Shang a bear hug. In the blink of an eye, he had already left quickly.
As for the Guanhe Tower business that Lu Shang cared about, no one even mentioned it.
Lu Shang: ...Okay.
Feng He was not in a hurry to see the business of Helou, but Lu Shang had to pay attention to it.
He hired a donkey cart from a horse and carriage agency for thirty cents a day. The donkey, the cart, and the driver were all at his disposal for the whole day.
He first went to Gejia Village in a donkey cart, found the families from whom he had bought ducks last time, and after stating his intention to cooperate with them for a long time, he was immediately treated as a guest of honor.
Several farmers did not expect such a good thing to come to them. They made tea and boiled sugar water, and a group of people crowded into a room, waiting for Lu Shang to give a good price.
If domestic ducks are taken to the market for sale, they are mostly priced at around 40 wen. In summer and autumn when there are more ducks, they are sold at a lower price. In spring and winter when there are fewer meat ducks, it is not impossible to sell them for 42 or 43 wen. If someone in the village buys them, they can even sell them for 50 or 60 wen.
There is no such thing as cheap and affordable prices among fellow villagers. Even the big rooster that Grandma Lu bought a month ago cost sixty cents.
So when Lu Shang offered a price of twenty cents, everyone was furious.
"Master, please don't make fun of us. Twenty cents a duck, just go around and see who will sell it to you!"
"We're not asking for forty cents, but thirty cents, right? Our ducks are raised with good food, unlike other families'..."
"If the master is not sincere, then we won't talk about it. At worst, we can continue to find a market ourselves, but we can't sell off all your hard work at a low price!"
Lu Shang did not refute and listened quietly until their emotions gradually calmed down. Then he waved his hand and explained everything he had learned recently.
"I understand what the folks are saying, but this long-term supply is different from selling it individually. Just talking about stability, it can't be compared with selling it one by one, right?"
Someone was about to retort, but Lu Shang raised his hand to stop him: "Why don't you listen to me first?"
"Having discussed stability, let's calculate costs and profits. Everyone knows the duck farmers in Shuxi Village, right? Coincidentally, I asked them, and they say ducklings are three for one cent these days, so a thousand ducklings only cost about three hundred cents. Excluding those that die during the breeding process, at least five hundred ducks will be left."
And this is still the lowest possible estimate. For example, the Yang family in Shuxi Village raises ducklings, and only one out of ten dies. When the weather is favorable, there is not much loss in the entire duck house. The only real cost is feed."
Some people felt a little guilty, but others were still stubborn: "Then, then raising ducklings doesn't cost money? We use only good stuff!"
"Now we're talking about duck feed. Don't worry." Lu Shang took a sip of water and continued, "I've seen before that the duck feed in Gejia Village is mixed with wheat, right?"
"I admit that wheat and grain are more expensive, but generally speaking, ducks can be slaughtered after five or six months. No wheat or grain is used in the first month, and in the following months, wheat bran mixed with grains is used. Assuming three meals a day, a thousand ducks only need about twenty cents a day of feed, which works out to only four or five cents per duck."
"Am I right?"
The villagers may not be as good at math as he is, but after all, they have raised ducks for so many years, and they know how much it costs to raise a duck from birth to sale.
Moreover, the feed here contains little wheat and grain, and most of it is grass collected from the surrounding mountains. Apart from the daily effort, there is not much money involved.
Lu Shang asked with a smile, "I'm offering a price of twenty cents. Ask yourselves, is there really no profit to be made? Furthermore, this is a collaboration with a major restaurant in town. It's not a natural disaster or man-made disaster. Once it's settled, it's a lifelong guarantee."
For the farmers in the village, they don't ask for much. They don't dare to hope for great wealth and honor. It would be good enough if they could live a stable life and have enough food and drink.
Even if some people still wanted to tangle with him, there were always those who couldn't resist the temptation: "Master, what do you mean by cooperation with the big restaurant?"
"Guanhe Tower," Lu Shang said, "Guanhe Tower wants to cooperate with a new group of duck farmers. I'm here to discuss this cooperation on their behalf."
After these words were spoken, more people were interested.
"Master, please be kind and give us some more money. My whole family has put all their efforts into the duck house. It's our livelihood for the whole year."
Lu Shang pretended to be embarrassed and said after a long while, "Twenty-two coins, no more."
"If that doesn't work, then I can only look for other duck farmers. After all, I'm just a matchmaker. I can't decide the price the owner offers."
Several families hesitated and went out under the pretext of discussing something, leaving only three or five people inside to keep him company. However, the farmers didn't know what to say, so they had to keep pouring tea and water for Lu Shang. In the end, it was unknown whether the business was successful or not, but Lu Shang was satisfied with the water.
After a long time, the people who went out to discuss the matter came back one after another.
One of them stood up and said, "Master, we all agreed."
Lu Shang put down his teacup and smiled widely.
Both parties agreed, and the next step was to discuss the specific details of the cooperation.
The duck farmers were originally worried about transportation, but when they heard Lu Shang say, "Just prepare the ducks. I'll take care of the transportation. Even if something happens on the way, you won't lose the money for the ducks, and I'll compensate the restaurant for its losses."
This was the first time anyone had seen such a thing, but the relevant terms were written in the deed, and once it was stamped by the government office, it would be protected by the law.
"So we really just raise ducks?" The duck farmer still couldn't believe it.
Lu Shang made repeated assurances, and finally everyone believed him.
The deed was made in four copies, one for the duck farmer, one for Guanhe Tower, one for the government office, and one for Lu Shang himself.
However, because he has not yet changed his business registration, the matter of going to the government office to get the stamp has to be postponed.
Lu Shang first paid the deposit for the ducks and agreed to pick them up in three days at the latest. This time, there were a total of 800 ducks, and the same demand would be met at the same time next month.
The nine duck farmers in Gejia Village supplied the goods together. As for how many ducks each family would provide and how much money each family would pay, it was all discussed privately among them. Lu Shang and the other nine families all put their fingerprints on the contract and left.
The farmers who had reached a cooperation agreement sent him out of the village together. On the way out, when they heard Lu Shang ask about the chickens and other things in the village, they introduced them enthusiastically.
By the time Lu Shang delivered the deed to Guanhe Tower and asked Manager Fu to sign it, it was already dark. He looked at the time and decided not to do anything else.
Coincidentally, when he returned, Uncle Pang had just arrived. He was not surprised to see Lu Shang coming back from outside. He greeted him familiarly and left most of the vegetables left in the car to him.
Those vegetables were all grown by myself. They were a little wilted after being kept cold for a day, but it didn’t affect their taste. If you peeled off the top layer, the ones underneath were still juicy.
Lu Shang thanked him and accepted it happily.
After returning home, he and Jiang Wanning sorted out the vegetables, left enough for two days, and divided the rest into more than ten portions, which they all sent to the neighbors around.
The things are not valuable, but they are a token of my thought.
That night, the two went to bed early.
Lu Shang habitually told Jiang Wanning what had happened that day, and then said, "I plan to go back to Lujia Village tomorrow. Firstly, it's for household registration. The transfer to business registration can't be delayed any longer. I have to go back and see if the family division can be done as soon as possible to avoid dragging down the whole family."
"Besides, I can't handle the logistics transport documents by myself. It's always inconvenient to find someone at the last minute, so I thought of going to Lujia Village to find someone. After all, I know him well, and if there is any problem, I know where his home is. If I go to him, he still has his family."
Jiang Wanning was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Regarding the transfer of citizenship... have you made up your mind, husband?"
The procedures for changing nationality in Dazhao were complicated. Most of the classes of scholar, farmer, merchant and artisan were determined at birth. Occasionally, farmers and craftsmen became members of the gentry, but their number was very small. As for merchants becoming scholars, there was only one family in the past hundred years, and there was no precedent for this.
In the darkness, Lu Shang sighed: "Let's take care of the present first."
If he could read a little, or had some basic knowledge of imperial examinations, he might have hesitated a little, but for Lu Shang now, the future of imperial examinations was too bleak.
Merchants did not have a high status in Dazhao, but if they could become imperial merchants or local gentry, they would have some say in the local area. Even if their descendants wanted to become officials, they could just follow Feng He's example and register their descendants' household registration with their relatives.
Jiang Wanning stopped trying to persuade him and added, "You can also invite grandma to stay with you for a few days, and then send her back after the housewarming party."
"Okay, I'll make a note of that."
The sounds in the house gradually died down. Jiang Wanning turned over and seemed to have touched something while half asleep and half awake.
The bed in the new house is more than twice as big as before, and is no longer as crowded as before. However, if you light a candle in the middle of the night, you can see at a glance that there is space on both sides of the two people, and the distance in the middle is very small. If you move a little, you can bump into each other.
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