Chapter 40
When Lu Shang hurried to the city gate, he easily found everyone from Lujia Village gathered together waiting, including Lu Qi.
Perhaps because they didn't trust him as a scholar who changed his career to do business, only thirteen or fourteen people came from Lujia Village, two of whom were elderly men who obviously did not meet Lu Shang's requirement of being strong.
But he wanted to finish the business at Guanhe Tower today, so after a quick look around, he said no more, just called everyone over, passed through the city gate, and went straight to the carriage and horse shop.
Lu Qi had said this before, and since Lu Shang had ordered a lot of carriages and horses, and they would be collaborating many times in the future, the original price of 55 wen a day for a large cart was discounted to 50 wen a day. Since Lu Shang and his team didn't want a driver, they reduced the price by another 5 wen.
What he wanted this time was a cart pulled by two donkeys, with a flatbed cart at the back that was twice as big as an ordinary one. Ordinary families seldom rented it, and the carriage and horse business didn't often come across such orders. Occasionally, an escort agency would come to rent it for a month or two, or merchants from other places would come to them to replenish their worn-out carriages.
Therefore, the carriage and horse company did not have many such carriages.
Fortunately, Lu Shang did not ask for too many, only five. They collected four of them, and the manager went to the nearby market to collect one more. The total cost of the five cars was 225 coins.
After the donkey cart is put away, the next step is to go to Gejia Village to pull ducks.
After Lu Qi helped to establish a good relationship, he was about to return home, but he asked out of curiosity. When he heard Lu Shang say that they were just going to the village to bring the ducks back, and at most they would just get on and off the car to move the ducks, it didn't sound like it was a big job. So he decided to go with him.
So, when we left Tang Town again, there were five cars and fourteen people.
Unfortunately, there were only three people who could drive the cart. In order to prevent the people behind from being left behind, Lu Shang had to ask someone to lead the donkey, with two or three people in a cart, taking turns to rest.
As promised, he paid the workers four cents per person before work began, and would pay the rest when the work was finished.
No matter what they were going to do next, now that they had the real copper coins in their hands, the group of people relaxed their minds. They even paid more attention when they were on the road. When driving the donkey, they found a few vegetable leaves and hung them in front of it to make it speed up.
These villagers could only be considered temporary workers, so Lu Shang rarely explained business matters to them. Even when someone asked him about transporting ducks up and down later, he just brushed it off with clever words.
When supplying to the big restaurant in the town for the first time, the duck farmers in Gejia Village were afraid that there would be some shortcomings and wanted to terminate the cooperation. They picked out the best ducks and washed the mud off the duck feathers before sending them away.
A total of eight hundred ducks were delivered to the car one after another.
Lu Shang counted the price with them, which amounted to 17 taels and 6 cents, and paid in cash on the spot. Ge Jiahui, the villager in charge of this matter, also paid out of his own pocket and took out one cent as Lu Shang's hard work fee.
Lu Shang smiled and refused: "I received the intermediary fee from Guanhe Tower, so there is no reason for me to take money from the villagers. Our business is open and aboveboard, and we don't do anything underhanded."
As he said, the cost of the intermediary alone for this trip was nearly two taels of silver, plus the difference he earned from it was more than two taels. Even after deducting the labor cost, he still earned four taels of silver for the day.
In Lujia Village, Lu Laoer might not be able to earn so much money by working on the farm for a year, let alone save it. Otherwise, how could Wang Cuilian have saved only ten taels in more than ten years?
Lu Shang took out the contract he had brought with him and said, "There's also this contract. It's ready to be stamped and verified at the government office. I was afraid you couldn't wait, so I sent it here first. You can take a look at it first. If there are no problems, I will go to the government office's Ministry of Commerce to stamp it in two days and send it back to you in a few days."
Ge Jiahui couldn't read, so he quickly called a scholar from the same village over. After listening to him read it, his face became more satisfied: "Great, great, thank you, Boss Lu!"
The villagers of Lujia Village who were waiting to depart were amazed to see the previously gloomy and taciturn Mr. Lu suddenly become eloquent. After being amazed, they couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder he can work for the master in the town."
When leaving Gejia Village, Ge Jiahui brought a basket of ducks with his eldest son, saying that he wanted Lu Shang to try them for fun, and if he liked them, he would give them to him later.
Lu Shang didn't feel as burdened when he picked up the things that the farmers raised themselves.
He accepted it with a smile, but when Ge Jiahui returned, he took out a hundred coins from his waist bag, which was exactly enough to cover the basket of ducks he had given.
Let’s not talk about the duck farmers in Gejia Village for now. On the other side, Lu Shang asked the convoy to stop by the roadside. After waiting for a while, he saw a half-grown boy running out of Gejia Village.
Lu Shang immediately stood up: "Brother Ge! Over here!"
When Ge Haonan heard the voice, a barely perceptible look of joy flashed across his dark face, and in an instant he was in front of the donkey cart.
Lu Shang pointed at the ducks on the cart and said, "These are the ones. Check carefully to see if there are any sick or old ducks. Don't let the owner find out about the problem after you send them to the owner. If that happens, not only I but also the duck farmers in Gejia Village will be left out."
Ge Haonan said nothing, nodded, and walked over.
There were eight hundred ducks on the cart, all locked in bamboo baskets. The baskets were stacked four or five layers high and fastened with hemp ropes. Now that they needed to be inspected, they had to be unloaded again.
The worker was a little unhappy when he heard this. Just as he was about to grumble, Lu Shang asked coldly, "Can you get paid just for loading and unloading ducks?"
"Eight cents a day, that's over two hundred cents a month, three taels a year. Where can you find such a good job? Why not introduce it to me? I won't bother with it."
The man who was unwilling to do so immediately shut up and obediently followed the instructions to unload the goods from the truck.
Lu Shang just stared and didn't help.
The people in front were moving the ducks down, and Ge Haonan was following behind to check. The two cooperated with each other, and it only took half an hour to finish the inspection.
After Ge Haonan finished his work, he ran back to Lu Shang and said, "Everything is fine. No problem."
"That's right!" Lu Shangxi said, "Put the ducks back together. Be careful not to bump or jostle them. If any of them die on the way, you won't be needed anymore."
Regardless of whether it is true or not, after this statement was made, the workers had to be more cautious.
As for why Lu Shang insisted on going through all this trouble, it was because Ge Haonan was from Gejia Village. He asked him to check in his own village. If nothing happened, it would be fine. But if something really happened, not only would the duck farmers be embarrassed, but Ge Haonan would also be looked down upon.
Lu Shang patted his shoulder and said, "Okay, the rest is none of your business. Just go home and wait. I'll get someone to pass on a message to you next time I need you."
Ge Haonan hesitated for a moment, looked up at Lu Shang's expression, and seeing that he did not seem to be pretending, he carefully agreed, said goodbye, and ran back to the village.
Lu Shang had said before that work would provide a lunch, but now they were on the road and there were no roadside stalls in the countryside, so he had to ask everyone to be patient for a while.
He added, "Those who want to eat, wait until the duck is delivered, and I will take you there to eat. If you don't want to eat with me, I will convert the rice into silver. A meal is five cents. You can choose."
Five cents!
Now, even those whose stomachs were growling with hunger stopped clamoring for food. All of them chose money and almost bowed to Lu Shang to express their gratitude.
It was noon, but the group of men were full of fighting spirit. Lu Shang was panting in the heat at the back, but the men in front were pulling the cart and holding the bamboo basket without any difficulty. They even quickened their pace several times, leaving Lu Shang far behind. After being shouted at by Lu Shang several times, they finally slowed down.
Later, Lu Shang calmed down a bit. He caught up with the man escorting the goods and said, "You are the second brother of the Xu family, right? Second brother's strength is really amazing. He has worked so hard for so long, but he doesn't look tired at all."
The second brother of the Xu family scratched his head. "This is just the beginning. Yesterday my mother told me that Mr. Lu's job was not tiring, but I didn't believe it. Now that I'm here, I know it's not hard at all, and the pay is good. I'm so glad I listened to her advice and came here, otherwise I would have regretted it so much!"
Lu Shang waved his hand. "I'm two years older than you, so just call me Brother Lu. Do you know any other fellow villagers who are doing odd jobs? There might be jobs like this soon, so you can introduce them."
"How about my maternal uncle?" The second brother of the Xu family said happily, "My uncle is from the next village. He is only seven or eight years older than me, tall and big, and much stronger than me!"
"That's fine. Anyone from Lujia Village, as long as they work hard and are honest, can give it a try. The same goes for everyone else. If you know anyone, you can come and give it a try."
Frankly speaking, these dozen or so people are enough to bet on 800 ducks. Adding more people may not necessarily improve efficiency, but will only increase costs.
But Lu Shang's success was not limited to the Guanhe Tower.
He pretended not to notice the vague stares from others, chuckled, and talked about some farm anecdotes, reminding people to be careful from time to time. Finally, he walked safely all the way.
In the evening, the carriage carrying the meat ducks entered Tang Town.
When they arrived at Guanhe Tower, it was the time when business was very busy. When Manager Fu heard that the meat duck had arrived, he was surprised for a moment, and then he was overjoyed.
"Okay, okay! Hurry up and hire someone to unload the goods! And please bear with us, our dear customers. To celebrate the re-launch of our signature Typhoon Shelter Crispy Duck, every table of customers who come into the restaurant tonight will receive half a crispy duck. Tell the kitchen to prepare it early!"
His arrangement was met with applause from the audience, and the guests were willing to wait.
After Manager Fu and Lu Shang hurriedly handed over the goods, they asked the waiters to help unload the goods. Some of the animals were slaughtered on the spot and sent to the kitchen, while the rest were kept in the backyard.
Lu Shang took out the note he had prepared earlier, which he had asked Jiang Wanning to write this morning: "This is the quantity, price and shipping costs of this purchase. Shopkeeper Fu, please take a look."
This action made Shopkeeper Fu look up to him even more. He smiled, put the note away, and said, "Okay, I'll have the accountant write it down later."
The most taboo thing in doing business is the confusion of money. Lu Shang did the accounts on his side, but Guanhelou, as the buyer, naturally should have their own accounts.
When a wise man speaks, he doesn't need to say too much.
After the ducks at the back were gathered, the steward came forward and said, "Eight hundred ducks are just right. There are no sick or dead ducks. After feeding them water, they are all in good spirits."
Shopkeeper Fu was very surprised: "This Lu family's goods, what was it... they are really good. There are so many ducks and not a single one is damaged. Not bad."
"Lu Logistics," Lu Shang said, "can't afford any losses. Otherwise, while compensating for the duck is a small matter, the subsequent series of losses will require a large sum of money in compensation."
"Huh?" Shopkeeper Fu was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized, "Hahaha, that's right, I actually forgot about Lu Logistics' compensation clause. Very good, very good!"
"Then I'll send the next batch of meat ducks at the same time next month?" Lu Shang asked.
Shopkeeper Fu nodded and said, "But, if the ducks run out beforehand, I'll send someone to tell Mr. Lu, and you can decide how to arrange it."
Lu Shang agreed, then remembered, "I haven't had time to tell the shopkeeper yet. I've moved to Tang Town, just two streets behind the county government office. My family is planning a housewarming party in three days. I'd like to invite Shopkeeper Fu and the young master to come."
Shopkeeper Fu congratulated Lu Shang and personally saw him off.
After that, he returned the rented carriage and horses, and paid the villagers the remaining wages, and, yes, the five cents for the meal.
Regardless of whether it was tiring or not, most people were happy to have earned thirteen cents in just one day, and they kept saying, "We'll come again next time!"
You can come, but Lu Shang wants to say something ugly upfront: "I told the aunts and the ladies yesterday that as long as you are a strong man with some strength, you will know after working for a day. The work here is not too hard, but not everyone can do it."
Although he didn't call out names, the two elderly people in the crowd felt a burning sensation on their faces and took a few steps back unconsciously.
But both families were well-known poor families in Lujia Village. The whole family could only eat one meal a day, and the children and wives were so hungry that their faces turned pale. However, they had limited strength and few jobs were wanted in the town. How could they give up the job that could earn them money after so hard of effort?
Fortunately, at the end, Lu Shang suddenly said, "But we are just fellow villagers. I am not the kind of person who is ruthless. It doesn't matter if you don't have much strength. As long as you can do the work, then I want you."
"Everyone has seen me driving the carts back and forth today. There aren't many people who can drive. I'm in need of a few drivers. If you can't match the strength of others, you can learn the skill of driving a cart. Then you can help me with loading and unloading goods. The wages are the same."
As soon as these words came out, the two people hiding in the back immediately squeezed out: "Really?"
Lu Shang nodded: "Two elder brothers, please learn how to drive a cart quickly. If you can't help next time, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you idle here."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Lu, don't worry, I will go to learn it when I get back!" The two were excited and grateful. Even after Lu Shang walked away, he could still hear their voices of thanks.
Lu Shang sighed and shook his head, but he couldn't say anything more.
There is no curfew in the small villages and towns far away from the capital. Only at night, the streets become deserted and pedestrians hurry home.
Lu Shang walked for most of the way before he came across a noodle stall. The stall was owned by an elderly couple. One of them was responsible for greeting customers, while the other was guarding the half-person-high stove, his face flushed from the steam.
"What would you like to eat, sir? We have chicken noodle soup and vegetarian noodles. Chicken noodle soup is five cents a bowl, and vegetarian noodles are two cents a bowl. If you don't have enough noodles, you can get more for free."
"Please give me a serving of vegetarian noodles, and pack me a serving of chicken noodle soup later."
"Okay, would you like some eggs or shredded pork?"
"No, plain noodles are fine."
Lu Shang finished his meal with a slurp, took the packed chicken noodle soup with him, and this time went straight home.
When he got home, the lights in the houses of his neighbors on both sides had been turned off, and Grandma Lu had gone to bed early. Only the lights in his and Jiang Wanning's room were still on, becoming the only ray of light in the endless darkness.
Just as he turned around to close the door latch, he heard the sound of the door opening and closing behind him.
When I turned around, I saw that it was Jiang Wanning who came out to greet me.
Lu Shang strode over without even noticing that his expression had changed, his eyebrows curved, and the corners of his mouth were raised high.
"Have you eaten yet?" Lu Shang asked before slapping his head. "It's already this late, I think you must have finished your meal. I also brought you some chicken noodle soup. Would you like some more?"
Jiang Wanning took a look, took the bowl of chicken noodle soup, and asked casually, "Did your husband eat out?"
"Well, I'm done eating. It's just too late, so I shouldn't eat too much. I just had a quick snack. If I don't have anything to do tomorrow, I'll have two good meals at home."
Hearing this, Jiang Wanning couldn't help but smile.
"I'll go get two pairs of chopsticks and eat the chicken noodle soup, otherwise it will clot tomorrow." Not only did she bring two pairs of chopsticks, she also brought a bowl.
While Lu Shang was washing his face, she divided the chicken noodle soup into two portions, one with more noodles and shredded chicken, and the other with more soup.
Lu Shang took a look and subconsciously wanted to switch the faces in front of the two people.
Only Jiang Wanning refused and said, "I don't like to eat at night, my husband, please eat quickly."
Lu Shang had no choice but to sit down and quickly eat half a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
He had just said that it's not advisable to eat too much at night, but after a bowl and a half of noodle soup, he still inevitably felt a little full. And if he was asked to go out for a walk to digest the food...
Lu Shang turned around and lay down on the bed, rubbing his face vigorously: "Let's wait until tomorrow."
Jiang Wanning couldn't help laughing.
Lu Shang didn't seem to do any hard work that day, but supervising alone took a lot of his time, especially since this was his first business order, so he had to do it well.
After a hard day's work, he didn't want to say a word.
Jiang Wanning noticed his fatigue, washed the dishes, and turned off the lights when she returned. She waited until she got into bed before saying a few words, "I took grandma to see a doctor today. The doctor said she was just depressed for a while, so she shouldn't be angry anymore and just take good care of herself for a while."
"And today, when I went out, I ran into the old lady from Aunt Tian's family. Grandma and she had a great chat and we agreed to go to the end of the alley to make strings together the day after tomorrow. I saw that Grandma was bored at home, so I didn't stop her. Tomorrow, when I'm free, I'll take her to the street to buy some beautiful colored strings."
As he spoke, he heard his breathing gradually become lighter.
Jiang Wanning tilted her head and saw that Lu Shang had fallen asleep. She stopped talking, smiled softly, pulled up the thin quilt, and fell asleep.
…
With the ducks delivered from Guanhe Tower, Lu Shang did have a few days of free time.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep for several days, so this time he slept until noon. Jiang Wanning and Grandma Lu were already busy preparing lunch in the kitchen when he finally woke up.
I don’t know if it was due to psychological reasons, but after staying in the town for two or three days, Grandma Lu felt better and looked more energetic. She can now go out and do some simple housework.
Jiang Wanning was afraid that she might accidentally bump into something, so she didn't want her to go into the kitchen to help.
But Grandma Lu didn't go to the kitchen. She went to the back of the rockery to feed the chickens and ducks. The chicks that were only the size of a palm not long ago have now grown a lot bigger and their feathers have become hard.
After much thought, I felt more at ease if I could keep the old lady under my watch.
Jiang Wanning had no choice but to call her to the kitchen and just do some light work like washing and picking vegetables. Fortunately, there were few people in the family and three or five people could not eat much, so three dishes and a soup would be enough.
When Lu Shang came over again, Jiang Wanning didn't even have to touch the soup. He took on the rest of the work by himself and drove the old man and the young boy out.
Then it’s time to eat and take a nap. After waking up, they study and learn to write. The life of ordinary people is monotonous and boring.
Only Lu Shang, listening to the sound of reading coming from the west wing, was reminded of the joke he made in the county government office yesterday.
Whether he likes it or not, in the eyes of outsiders, he is a former scholar. However, a scholar who cannot recognize a few words is no longer a funny thing.
Besides, he is often away on business, and he can't always ask others to write and read contracts. The most appropriate thing is for him to recognize a few words himself.
It was not impossible for him to go directly to Jiang Wanning to learn how to read. In front of his family, Lu Shang did not care about face or anything like that. He was just afraid that Jiang Wanning would misunderstand something.
He struggled with it for the entire afternoon, and even went to the government office to have the deed stamped. He struggled until the evening before he finally made up his mind.
So that night, when Jiang Wanning was writing calligraphy, she found that the person next to her was getting closer and closer, until Lu Shang affected her brushstrokes. She could only look up helplessly: "Husband?"
Lu Shang chuckled twice, his eyes drifting around unconsciously: "Aning, I want to tell you something, don't think too much about it..."
"What?" At this time, Jiang Wanning didn't realize that something was wrong.
Until Lu Shang said: "That's right, I can't read, can you teach me to read?"
"Learn to read... What?" Jiang Wanning was stunned for a moment. She looked at Lu Shang in surprise, as if she couldn't understand what he was saying. "What do you mean, you can't read?"
"Hasn't my husband studied for many years? He even passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. Even if... he can't be illiterate, right?" Jiang Wanning said this, but she couldn't help but think of the many clues in the past few days, like the incomprehensible strokes on the paper, and the business registration he transferred without hesitation.
Lu Shang patted the back of her hand soothingly and said softly, "A Ning, calm down. Listen to me—"
Jiang Wanning actually had nothing to be upset about. She thought about how difficult her life was in the Lu family, but she managed to get through it day by day. Now it was just that the person next to her had become illiterate, which was not that difficult to accept. She was just shocked for a moment and a little dazed.
"Actually, ever since I recovered from my serious illness, my mind has been foggy. At first, I could vaguely remember the books I'd read and the words I'd learned, but somehow, my health got better day by day, while my previous knowledge became worse and worse."
"Until half a month ago, I realized I couldn't recognize words anymore. I couldn't even write my own name... I was afraid that if I told you, you would dislike me, so I kept it a secret. I'm sorry, Aning. If you're upset, just scold me."
As he spoke, Lu Shang lowered his head.
But he had been in the Lu family for so long, and he had never seen Jiang Wanning scold anyone, let alone get angry with someone. How could a young lady who was raised in a scholarly family scold others?
Sure enough, after Jiang Wanning's shock faded, she was actually beguiled by his words and hurriedly defended herself, "No, no, I don't dislike you, husband... I'm not unhappy either, I'm just a little surprised. Did I make you sad?"
Lu Shang was just pretending, so he shouldn't go too far.
He sighed softly, "No, I'm right to be surprised. Even when I discovered I couldn't read, I was shocked for days. Later, I was afraid of being exposed, so I didn't even dare to be a scholar. It just so happened that the business of Guanhe Tower gave me new ideas, so I hurriedly changed my business registration to a merchant."
In this way, whether you are illiterate or change your business registration, there are legitimate reasons.
But these were all lies. After Lu Shang said it once, he was afraid to look Jiang Wanning in the eye. He used the action of drinking water to hide the guilt on his face.
Unexpectedly, these few short sentences made Jiang Wanning think a lot——
Yes, after decades of hard study, she finally got the status of a scholar, but it had to be lost in a hurry due to an accident, and she was even relegated to the lowest level of business. As the person involved, her husband's fear, fear and grief would only be greater than hers.
Not only did she not notice her husband's predicament at the first time, but after he pointed it out, she showed such a shocked expression, causing him sadness. This was really wrong.
As for the ridiculous things like forgetting knowledge and coming back to life, maybe God gave Lu Shang a new life but took back his knowledge as a reward.
Lu Shang didn't know that in just a moment, Jiang Wanning had filled all the gaps for him.
He only saw Jiang Wanning's eyes becoming increasingly sad and full of pity, and finally tears welled up in her eyes. He suddenly panicked: "Aning, you——"
"It's all my fault. I made my husband face this alone for so long." Jiang Wanning exhaled slowly, suppressing the sourness in her nose. "Whatever my husband wants to do, just tell me. I will definitely cooperate with him."
When she looked up again, she had already put her expression into order and revealed a very faint smile.
Lu Shang was silent for a moment, and finally suppressed the guilt in his heart.
After all, it is better to make Jiang Wanning sad for just a short while than to tell her that "your husband is dead and now he is just a wandering ghost from outside."
Lu Shang said slowly, "Although I've changed my business registration and am not afraid of being exposed, doing business still requires writing contracts. If I can understand and write them myself, I won't be afraid of being cheated. So I thought I'd ask you to teach me again."
"Then..." Jiang Wanning was a little unsure of the extent of his learning.
Lu Shang added, "You don't have to teach me individually. I'll be at home during this period, so I'll go to class with Dabao and the others. Once I'm more familiar with the class, you can teach me individually."
"Okay." That's what he said, but adults and children always learn at different speeds.
Jiang Wanning had already made up her mind and would work out a new teaching schedule in the next two days. She would then teach Lu Shang to read individually so that he could master it as quickly as possible and at least he wouldn't have to worry every day.
Lu Shang didn't know that what was waiting for him was an ancient version of a sprint class. As soon as he talked it out with Jiang Wanning, he had a way to learn to read and write, and he felt relieved.
He also wanted to take advantage of these few days to hold a housewarming party at home, so he discussed the party with Jiang Wanning.
Jiang Wanning had learned how to arrange a banquet before, but those were the lavish arrangements only ladies from wealthy families could have. Now, in a small village, if she could just treat everyone to good food and drink, she would win praise from the neighbors.
The next day, the two of them told Grandma Lu about this matter again.
Grandma Lu had also attended some new house banquets in the village. It was nothing more than buying a few pounds of meat, cooking a big pot of vegetables, and providing enough rice and steamed buns. That was it.
Lu Shang said, "I was planning to hold a fish banquet. I wanted to recommend a few dishes to the restaurants in town, so besides the neighbors, there would also be guests from outside the town."
This touches upon Grandma Lu’s blind spot in knowledge.
Fortunately, there was Jiang Wanning among them. She thought for a moment and said, "Leave it to me. I'll be responsible for arranging the banquet. My husband only needs to invite the people you want, as well as the fish banquet that day. Do you want to do it yourself, or teach me in advance?"
Lu Shang had no better choice, and he trusted Jiang Wanning a lot, so he agreed readily.
He did not prepare any more invitations. He only went to invite some guests in person. Manager Fu and Feng He had already been invited, and the rest were people he dealt with more frequently.
Like the manager of the carriage and horse business who I often cooperate with, Mr. Huang from the bookstore, and Mr. Pang who comes to pick up the children every day.
Lu Shang saw Mr. Pang off and said, "When you come tomorrow, you can ask Fan Sanniang's family if they want to come. It will make the party more lively."
"Okay, okay, what about your father and the others?" asked Uncle Pang.
Lu Shang smiled lightly: "Dad and the others are very busy, they definitely don't want to bother with the trip back and forth. Anyway, grandma is already here, so there's no need to take anyone else with her."
"Your family and Fan Sanniang's family are just two families, so we can just ride in one car."
Since Lu Shang had said so, Uncle Pang didn't say anything more and left happily with the child.
While Lu Shang was hiring people everywhere, Jiang Wanning was so busy that she could hardly stand.
Although we are going to have a fish banquet tomorrow, it can't be all fish. If there are people in the family who don't eat fish, it would be a bit rude to have a table full of fresh fish.
Fortunately, she has been moving around the town more frequently recently and knows where the vegetables are the freshest and most juicy, and where the meat is the cheapest and most affordable. As for some side dishes, she has to go to specific places to buy them.
While buying vegetables and meat, she did not forget what she promised to Grandma Lu. She made a special trip to the tailor shop on the next street and bought a few balls of colored thread and a small bag of colored beads for decoration.
Just like this, half a day passed by in the shopping.
There were so many things to buy that Jiang Wanning had to put them down and rest after every two steps. Fortunately, Lu Shang came to find her, and she was able to return home safely.
After returning home, Jiang Wanning said as she cleaned up the dishes, "I'm not sure how many people will come, but based on the number of people we invited, there might be around a hundred. We can set up five tables, with twenty people at each. We can borrow a table from Aunt Xu's house; her bun shop has several large tables."
"As for the dishes... besides the fish feast, we also need to prepare some other dishes. I think it would be fine to just have one table for the fish feast, and the rest can be handled like a normal housewarming party."
"If there are 20 people at a table, there should be at least 25 dishes. The staples should be steamed buns and noodles. No matter how much is left, have them pack it up and take it home."
She arranged everything very well, and Lu Shang had nothing to add.
In the afternoon, Jiang Wanning went to invite the neighbors to attend the housewarming party, and Lu Shang went out again. This time he went to Fengyuan Village, which is the closest village to Tang Town. It takes two hours to walk back and forth.
He ordered fifty fish from the village, and seeing that their vegetables were also fresh, he added another thirty kilograms of vegetables and planned to deliver them to his home early the next morning.
That night, everyone went to bed early, waiting to get busy the next day.
The housewarming party was scheduled for the evening, and Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning had one day to prepare. However, there were so many things to prepare that even a whole day might not be enough.
Unexpectedly, in the morning, Grandpa Pang came with his family and Fan Sanniang's family. The women from both families drank some water as soon as they entered the house, and then rolled up their sleeves and went to the yard or the kitchen to help.
The men played with their children at the doorstep and came in from time to time to help fetch water.
In the afternoon, several neighbors came to help. Aunt Xu and her husband moved a large table and added more than 40 chairs, almost emptying the entire bun shop. The remaining chairs were borrowed from other families.
Fortunately, there is strength in numbers, and many tedious matters have been arranged bit by bit.
After a while, Mr. Huang from the bookstore and the manager of the carriage and horse company also came over. They both brought gifts, but Lu Shang had to prepare a fish banquet and could not accompany them.
Jiang Wanning went to the room to get the calligraphy copy, and then led Boss Huang to the primary school in the west wing and asked him to check the new calligraphy during this period.
The manager of the carriage and horse agency followed him into the school without saying a word.
Not long after, Manager Fu and Feng He also came over. They brought a lot of gifts, and this one alone was worth as much as all the gifts from before.
As soon as the two arrived, the yard suddenly became quiet, and even the children held their breath.
Until Lu Shang poked his head out of the kitchen and said, "Manager Fu and the Young Master are here! I'm so sorry, I still have to prepare a fish feast here, please forgive me for my negligence."
Feng He's mind was full of his old husband. He endured the stuffiness in the kitchen and went into the kitchen under everyone's puzzled gaze.
Lu Shang turned around and almost bumped into him. After hearing his purpose, he was helpless.
Jiang Wanning took the thing from his hand and said, "Husband, go first. I'll watch the fire."
"Okay, I'll be back soon." Lu Shang patted her hands twice.
Feng He saw the interaction between the two people, but he was anxious to get the old man's answer, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
Lu Shang wiped his hands at the kitchen door and led Feng He to the bedroom.
He had originally wanted to prepare tea, but Feng He was too anxious and didn't give him the chance to do anything extra. He asked immediately, "Did the old man give you an answer?"
"Yes, yes, there is an answer."
Lu Shang's expression made Feng He's heart skip a beat, but he couldn't let go without a clear answer. "How?"
"The teacher said that there is no problem in teaching you to take the exam, but——"
Feng He couldn't listen to what was said next.
He raised his hand and slapped the table, laughing loudly: "Hahaha, I knew it! I knew that Lu Xiucai, you would be able to help me! Hahahaha——"
Lu Shang tried to interrupt him several times but failed, so he had to wait for him to calm down.
After an unknown amount of time, the crying children outside stopped crying. Feng He covered his mouth and coughed twice: "I lost my composure. I'm sorry to have embarrassed Mr. Lu. Did you say anything else just now?"
"Yes." Lu Shang said helplessly, "Although the teacher agreed to teach you, he is unwilling to come out of seclusion, even if it means teaching in person."
"Ah?" Feng He was stunned.
Lu Shang said, "According to Master's wishes, she is only willing to provide you with written guidance and test you regularly through written materials. If you pass, she will proceed to the next step."
"The teacher also knows that this is unreasonable, so she also gave me a copy of 'On Current Affairs' with her annotations. You can read it yourself or ask your teacher at home to review it. You should also go back and think about whether you can accept this teaching method."
As he spoke, Lu Shang handed him the "On Current Affairs" which had been on the table for some time. Thinking that this book was written stroke by stroke by Jiang Wanning, he felt a little reluctant to part with it.
Feng He took the book and said hesitantly, "If I want to become your disciple..."
"At least not now," Lu Shang said. "The master rarely accepts disciples. Even though I was taught by her, I couldn't become her disciple. Besides, you're not even a scholar now, so how can you become her disciple?"
After hearing this, Feng Hefang felt a little ashamed.
"Okay, I still have to go to the kitchen to busy myself for a while. Young Master, you can go out for a walk or read in the study next door. I won't bother you anymore."
After all, this was his and Jiang Wanning's bedroom. Allowing Feng He to come in was already Lu Shang's greatest tolerance. As for leaving him alone in there—
Goodbye, I won’t say goodbye.
Putting aside Feng He's dilemma, Lu Shang went out and greeted everyone he met, then returned to the kitchen after a while.
From morning to night, it's a busy day.
If Jiang Wanning hadn't replenished him with water from time to time, Lu Shang felt that he would have fainted.
Jiang Wanning's face also turned red from the heat. Later on, she didn't have the strength to speak at all. She just buried her head in preparing the dishes and didn't want to move at all.
In the evening, the entire housewarming party was finally ready.
Jiang Wanning and the neighbors who came to help brought the dishes to the other four tables. Various vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, cold dishes and snacks were served one after another. There were a total of thirty-three plates prepared for each table.
Then there are noodles and steamed buns, all made with white flour. The noodles come in either meat or vegetarian sauces. The meat chunks in the meat sauce are clearly visible, and the eggs in the vegetarian sauce are also in large chunks.
As soon as these things were served, there were exclamations from everyone around.
After the dishes for the four tables were prepared, Lu Shang personally brought out the whole fish feast on the main table. The brightly colored dishes were served one after another, accompanied by his chanting, which made everyone dazzled.
"Chopped pepper fish head——"
"Sour fish soup——"
"Sweet and sour carp——"
"Secret vinegar fish——"
There were thirteen fish dishes in total, all of which no one had ever heard of.
"This last one—squirrel mandarin fish!"
Although Lu Shang couldn't find different varieties of fish, the fish in Fengyuan Village were fresh enough. Even common fish species could have a good flavor as long as they were cooked with skillful techniques. Moreover, their appearance and spirit were outstanding, which was enough to make up for the difference in variety.
The last dish was served, and the fish feast was complete.
Lu Shang took off his apron and said, "Thank you all for coming. The dishes are all served. Let's start the feast."
The food is all there, as are the drinks.
There were no expensive drinks. Even the cheapest sake in the shop only cost twenty cents for a large barrel. But with such delicious food in front of us, who would care to drink?
Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning finally sat down. Looking at the housewarming banquet that cost a full ten taels of silver, Lu Shang felt a pang of pain in his heart. He could only keep his eyes on Shopkeeper Fu, hoping that he would like these fish and then ask him to earn them back.
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