Chapter 42
Jiang Wanning was still confused until she was taken to the bookstore.
But after all, she had arrived at a place she was relatively familiar with, and there were seven or eight other people in the store. Even though she was being watched by two strange men from behind, she was not so scared.
Instead, the expressions of the two men, one tall and one short, changed after they came in. The taller one continued to follow Jiang Wanning closely, while the shorter one put on a fawning smile and walked to the counter. "Hello, boss, hello, boss. I wonder if you have any pens or paper to borrow for writing letters?"
Boss Huang looked up from his abacus, impatiently about to send him away, but suddenly he caught sight of Jiang Wanning and was taken aback for a moment: "Madam, is it you who wants to borrow it?"
Jiang Wanning nodded, then shook her head again. "No, I don't know who they are. They stopped me at the door just now, and before I could even ask, they rushed me in."
Boss Huang sensed something was amiss and looked at the other two for a long moment before saying, "Ma'am, come here. I'll get you some paper and ink."
The two men didn't hear anything wrong and were actually a little happy when they heard it.
But when Jiang Wanning walked behind the counter, Boss Huang's expression suddenly changed. He asked sternly, "Who are you? What do you want to do to Madam Lu?"
This sudden reversal caught the two men off guard. The shorter one was stunned, and the taller one stammered, "Write, write a letter... We've been waiting here for half a month, waiting for her to come so she can write a letter for us. We even have the money ready."
As he spoke, he took out the purse hidden at his waist and poured the copper coins inside into his hand. At a glance, there were about twenty or thirty copper coins.
Boss Huang was also a little confused: "Did your wife... misunderstand something?"
After comparing the testimonies, several people discovered that there were indeed some misunderstandings.
It turned out that the two men came from Pingshan Village, which is the farthest village from Tang Town and the poorest among the nearby villages.
Pingshan Village has no farmland suitable for farming. Villagers make a living by hunting. There are many ferocious beasts in the surrounding mountains, and the number of villagers who die in the mountains every year is incalculable. Over the years, there are fewer and fewer young and middle-aged people in the village, and life naturally becomes more and more difficult.
The two of them happened to see it when Jiang Wanning helped the old woman write a letter more than a month ago. They had never thought that there would be a time when their family would send letters. Unexpectedly, at the beginning of the month, a group of hungry wolves came to Pingshan Mountain. Not only did they occupy the mountains and fields, but they also went to the village to make trouble every now and then, stealing chickens and ducks, and even rushing onto the country road to hurt people. No one was willing to take over even after they reported it to the government office.
The villagers were miserable, and there were not enough people in the village to subdue the hungry wolf. The village chief was really at a loss, so he wanted to write to the villagers who had gone to the army to see if he could ask them to come back and subdue the hungry wolf.
The tall one was called Cai Qin and the short one was called Cai Mian. They were both sons of the village chief. They came to the town at their own expense. They were illiterate and afraid of being cheated, so they remembered the girl who could draw little figures and hurried to the bookstore to wait for others.
However, Lu Shang had long forgotten about the letter writing matter because he had been moving and doing business recently. Jiang Wanning was also busy teaching her two children and gradually forgot about it.
It was a pity that the two brothers had been guarding the door of the bookstore for more than half a month. They were also among the people who stopped Lu Shang before. Lu Shang's comfort gave them hope again, and they continued to wait until today, when they finally met Jiang Wanning herself.
Listening to them slowly telling the whole story, Jiang Wanning couldn't help but remain silent.
To be honest, she didn't really take the task of writing the letter seriously, nor did she think that someone would really put the hope of the entire village on her and wait for her for half a month.
She couldn't imagine how she would bear so many sins if the villagers of Pingshan Village suffered greater casualties because of her.
"I—" Jiang Wanning didn't know what to say. She lowered her head, took out some money from her waist, and pushed it to Boss Huang. "Could you please give me two pieces of paper and a set of pens and ink?"
After Boss Huang brought the things over, she looked at the Cai brothers and asked, "What are you writing?"
She stood in front of the counter and quickly wrote the letter according to the two brothers' instructions. As they wished, she also added enough small figurines to accompany it. Even if she removed the words, one could understand the meaning by just looking at the small figurines.
The two brothers were overjoyed when they received the letter. Cai Qin carefully put it away and said, "How much is it? I'll give you the money now!"
Jiang Wanning shook her head: "No need, go and mail the letter quickly. If you send it now, it can be delivered tonight. If you send it later, you will have to wait until tomorrow."
The two were shocked by her words, and Cai Mian shouted anxiously, "Then brother, let's go quickly!"
Cai Qin was also a little anxious. Seeing that Jiang Wanning refused to accept the money, he had no choice but to thank her again and again: "Thank you, thank you, you are a good person, good people will be rewarded, thank you so much-"
The two brothers ran out while shouting their thanks. Their thanks could still be heard even after they left the door. However, Jiang Wanning felt that their thanks were too heavy and made her feel uneasy.
Boss Huang also sighed: "What a world..."
Jiang Wanning slowly exhaled, handed in the copybook, and refused to take new paper. Instead, she said, "Mr. Huang, could you please lend me a table and a chair? I'll be outside receiving some letters this afternoon. I'll pick it up before I leave."
As long as he doesn't quit, it's fine. Boss Huang breathed a sigh of relief.
Considering that Lu Shang was not here today, it was not safe for a woman like Jiang Wanning to be outside alone. Boss Huang did not want to lose the God of Wealth, so he simply paid for two thugs to guard the door of the bookstore. If anyone made a move, they would rush over immediately.
Jiang Wanning found a little boy and went home to tell Grandma Lu and Dabao to go to the neighbor's house for lunch. She didn't even bother to eat and quickly set up the stall.
She was afraid that passers-by would not understand, so she asked Boss Huang to buy a piece of cardboard, wrote the words "letter writing" on it, drew a little man, a table, paper and pen below, and used a long line to lead the letter to the pattern of the post station.
No one was interested in the letter stall for the first hour after it was set up. Occasionally, passers-by would take a curious look, but their families had no need for it and would not waste money on it.
After the hottest time of noon, there were more pedestrians on the street. Some people who needed to take care of their distant relatives passed by and asked tentatively.
Jiang Wanning said, "No matter how many words there are, each envelope costs eight coins and will be accompanied by a simple pattern, just like the one shown above."
"How much?" The passerby suspected he had misheard. "If I, if I write thirty-four characters, it will cost eight cents too?"
"It's eight cents, and there will be illustrations. Write first and pay later. Pay when you are satisfied." As she spoke, Jiang Wanning cut off a piece of yellow paper, about an inch in size. According to her writing habits, she could write twenty or thirty words on it.
Jiang Wanning added, "Usually it's just one piece of paper. If you really can't write on it, you can add two cents and get another piece of paper."
The passerby who asked the price was still skeptical. First, he didn't believe that a little girl could write letters and draw pictures. Second, he didn't believe that such a good thing could happen to him.
Eight cents for a letter?
It must be a lie!
Just as he was hesitating and about to leave, he saw two more people coming to the side, a man and a woman holding each other's arms, they must be a couple.
Jiang Wanning didn't know them, but they remembered Jiang Wanning.
But she looks much better recently, and a little different from when I saw her a few days ago.
The woman asked, "Are you the girl who helped the old woman write letters before?"
Jiang Wanning nodded and repeated her charging standards.
The couple's faces lit up with joy. "Could you write a letter for us? It's just a dozen words. We'd appreciate it if you could include some drawings. My son works at the docks, and we're worried he won't be able to find someone who can read the letter."
"Okay." Jiang Wanning ground the ink and picked up the pen, writing the words according to their requirements, and then filled the two sides and the bottom with small figures.
The couple was extremely satisfied with the girl. After paying, they thanked her profusely and turned to the passersby who had been waiting to see her: "This is a good girl! You have to trust her!"
The man who asked the question at the beginning did not hesitate any longer. He gave the money immediately and wrote a letter to a distant relative who was doing business. Because he had too much to write, he added another piece of paper at the end.
While Jiang Wanning was writing the letter, more and more people gathered around her.
Among them, there were those who had seen her before, enthusiastically introducing her skills to those around them, and pointing to the words on the sign in front of her desk, saying, "Look, how vivid!"
Eight cents was not a very expensive price for many families in the town.
They were used to seeing letter-writing stalls that charged only a few cents for a word, so when they saw something so affordable, they all rushed forward and lined up, regardless of whether they really needed it or not.
The two thugs hired by Boss Huang saw that there were more and more people, and fearing that they might not be able to take good care of the place, they stood behind Jiang Wanning. With these two strong men in charge, no one dared to cause trouble.
As for the letter-writing stall not far away, no one paid any attention to it long ago.
By the end of the afternoon, Jiang Wanning had received about a dozen letters, and the money she received was barely enough to cover the cost of writing. If there was any profit, it probably wasn't enough to buy even a meat bun.
But she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After she finished writing to the last old man and took the sweaty copper coin from his hand, a relieved smile appeared on her face.
She stood up and called to the old man who was about to leave. She picked up three coins from the copper coins and handed them back to him: "It's getting late. Take this money and take a ride on the ox cart. Be careful on your journey."
The old man was stunned for a long time, his lips trembling. He put his hands together and bowed to Jiang Wanning: "Thank you, girl, thank you..."
There were still many people who had not yet made it in line. They were afraid that Jiang Wanning would not show up for a long time after she left, so they surrounded her and insisted on asking for her exact time.
Jiang Wanning pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's wait until noon the day after tomorrow. From now on, I will come every other day, arriving at noon and leaving when the sun sets. If you are in a hurry, please go ahead. If you are not in a hurry, please wait a little longer."
"As for those who ask me to write letters, the price will always be the same. You don't have to worry about the price going up later. Or if you bring your own paper and pen, I will only charge you three cents for your hard-earned money."
In the afternoon, Boss Huang came to see her once and called her Madam Lu. He then told the people around to listen. Someone asked, "Will Madam really come back the day after tomorrow?"
"He will definitely come." Jiang Wanning assured again and again, and finally asked the surrounding people to disperse.
She sat at the table for a whole afternoon, and when she stood up she felt her shoulders were sore and her hands, which were used to holding a pen, felt a little uncomfortable.
She asked the thugs behind her to help move the tables and chairs back, and received the next batch of calligraphy copybooks.
Boss Huang was a little worried: "Madam, now that you're setting up a letter stall, do you still have time to write calligraphy?"
Jiang Wanning said, "Don't worry, Boss Huang. I won't delay your calligraphy. It's still two or three copies per ten days. Besides, you know my house. If I break the appointment, you can just come to my house and catch me."
"Hey, ma'am, you're joking. I feel relieved now. Be careful on your journey, ma'am."
After leaving the bookstore, Jiang Wanning went to the market to buy some eggs, meat and vegetables. However, when the stall was closing time, many vegetables and meat were no longer fresh. She picked out some and bought some with barely enough sleep, only to make dinner for tonight. She would go out to buy more the next morning.
When they got home, the two children had already left. Grandma Lu said they had done their homework and placed it on the table. Jiang Wanning went over to take a look. The handwriting was a little sloppy, but the number was sufficient.
Jiang Wanning felt a little headache when she thought that she would often be away from home in the future.
Lu Shang came back very late that day, with a fishy smell on his head and body. When asked, it turned out that he had gone to the river to fish. He proudly brought two big grass carps to show Jiang Wanning.
"I delivered the fish and vegetables from Fengyuan Village to Guanhelou today. Shopkeeper Fu said that several other restaurants would like to cooperate with Lu Logistics. After discussing with Young Master Feng, he plans to organize a banquet next month so that they can get to know each other."
"These are the fish I caught myself in the river. Fengyuan Village has a lot of fish. I fumbled around for quite a while and caught dozens of them. These are the two biggest ones. Tomorrow I have to go to Lujia Village to transport peaches. I'll make you fish soup when I come back the day after tomorrow."
Lu Shang took a large basin, poured half of it with water, and put the fish in.
"Just throw it in the kitchen for two days. As long as it doesn't die, that's fine."
Jiang Wanning heated up the food for him and wanted to talk about what happened this afternoon, but seeing Lu Shang's excited look, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
It was delayed like this until bedtime.
Lu Shang closed his eyes and calculated, "Today's fish and vegetables earned about two coins of silver. Although not as much as the meat duck, it's two coins a day, which makes six taels a month. It's probably enough to cover the family's daily expenses."
"Now that we've negotiated the vehicles and horses, we're leasing them on a monthly basis. Five vehicles cost two taels a month, which puts my mind at ease for now. The only problem is that I still can't find the workers. I'm worried that one day there won't be enough people to work, and that might delay the delivery."
"I was originally thinking of waiting a little longer, but now it seems I have to find the delivery workers as soon as possible. I can hire some short-term workers occasionally, but I also need to hire ten to fifteen permanent workers."
Jiang Wanning asked, "Husband, have you decided where to recruit? I remember there are people in the pawnshop who don't sell their bodies but only work, and the price is relatively cheap."
"A pawnshop..." In Lu Shang's mind, going to a pawnshop to recruit people was suspected of human trafficking. He couldn't get over it and was a little hesitant.
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Jiang Wanning speak again: "I have another place. My husband, have you heard of Pingshan Village?"
Lu Shang opened his eyes and turned his head in the darkness, vaguely seeing the outline of Jiang Wanning.
Now that they are more familiar with each other, they don't necessarily sleep back to back anymore.
Just like now, when Lu Shang turned his head, he met Jiang Wanning face to face. It was only because of the cover of darkness that they could remain calm.
"I think I've heard of it, but I haven't been there yet. What's the matter?"
Jiang Wanning pondered for a moment, "I went to the bookstore today to deliver some calligraphy, and I ran into two people at the door. They said they had been waiting there for over half a month, hoping to have me write a letter."
She deliberately concealed the thrill of the incident and only talked about the situation in Pingshan Village.
"I heard from the Cai brothers that many people in the village don't want to be hunters anymore. It's just that they can't make much money working outside, and often they can't find work at all. I think hunters must be strong and healthy. If my husband is short of people, why not look at them?"
After all, Jiang Wanning was still troubled by the affairs of the Cai brothers, and felt guilty about her own negligence, so she wanted to help them.
It was just a coincidence that Lu Shang needed someone, otherwise she really couldn't think of any other way.
Lu Shang took it to heart and finally remembered what happened in Pingshan Village.
Pingshan Village has been hunting for generations, and many families in the village are old hunters. Even Uncle Xu from Lujia Village learned the craft from an old hunter in Pingshan County.
If it weren't for the unrest in the mountains in recent years, most people would still be unwilling to give up this ancestral skill.
Jiang Wanning only thought that they were strong and powerful, but Lu Shang also thought that the hunters' hunting skills were even more rare.
If we recruit such a group of people to be responsible for transporting goods, not to mention their strength, the safety on the road will be greatly enhanced.
After realizing this, Lu Shang couldn't hide his excitement.
He turned around and hugged Jiang Wanning: "My dear Aning, you are really my lucky star!"
Jiang Wanning's face flushed and she couldn't help but struggle out of his arms.
Lu Shang was so excited that he didn't realize his abruptness for a moment.
After a while, the two of them calmed down a little.
While talking about Pingshan County, Jiang Wanning said, "As for the letter-writing stall, the cost of writing letters in town is really too high. Many people have to save money for a long time just to write a letter. I thought it wouldn't make much money, so I just consider it a convenience."
"Today I'm saying I'll set up a stall every other day and write for half a day each time. Is that okay with you, my husband?"
After all, it was a job that required exposure to the public, and Jiang Wanning made Lu Shang unhappy.
Unexpectedly, Lu Shang agreed as soon as he opened his mouth: "Of course, it's your business. As long as you think it's good, I won't object. But it's still not safe in front of the bookstore. Do you think you can find two thugs to protect us like Boss Huang, or go to another place?"
"I remember there's a letter writer not far from the bookstore. I'm afraid you've taken his business away, and he'll bear a grudge and do something terrible to you one day."
After hearing what Lu Shang said, Jiang Wanning also felt a little scared.
She thought for a moment and said, "What if I set up my letter-writing stall at the entrance of the alley? It's close to home, and I'm surrounded by neighbors I know. Even if there are bad guys, I can still shout for help."
Lu Shang thought seriously for a moment: "I think it's feasible."
"Then when you go again the day after tomorrow, I'll accompany you. I'll promote your stall and tell them where to find it. Once your reputation spreads, everyone will know you."
Even though he knew Jiang Wanning's temper, Lu Shang couldn't help but stare at her and say a few words: "When you deal with people, please don't argue with them. No matter who is right or wrong, I'm afraid you will suffer a loss. If you have anything to say, wait until I come back and talk to you. When you go out, your safety must be your first priority."
"Yes! I know."
In the second half of the night, Jiang Wanning couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep.
Lu Shang was worried about her letter stall, fearing that a little girl like her would be bullied and humiliated outside. He finally experienced the feeling of tossing and turning in bed.
No matter how anxious and angry Lu Shang was, the supply of fresh fish and vegetables to Guanhe Tower could not be interrupted for a single day. When he arrived at the city gate today, there were more villagers coming to work, about twenty people in total. Lu Qi was grateful to him for finding a market for his peaches, and came to help without asking for any money.
In addition to Fengyuan Village today, we also have to go to Lujia Village to pick up peaches. Time is very tight, so everyone went to the carriage and horse shop to catch the carriage and set off in a hurry.
Lu Shang didn't want to meet Lu Laoer and others, so he waited at the village entrance.
While he was waiting, as expected, he heard some gossip about the Lu family.
Just four days ago, Wang Cuilian came back.
However, not long after she entered the house, she heard a quarrel between her and Lu Laoer from the yard. Within half an hour, she was beaten out again.
Wang Cuilian was running wildly in front, and Lu Laoer was chasing her with a broom in her hand. They chased her around the village for several rounds, and finally Lu Laoer sprained his ankle.
After all this commotion, Wang Cuilian naturally couldn't come back. She returned to her parents' home covered in dust and dirt, cursing the Lu family as she walked, saying that none of them were good people and that they made a fool of themselves in the village.
But now many people were working for Lu Shang, so when they recounted the story, they omitted those dirty words and only said that Wang was beaten away again, and then secretly looked at Lu Shang's expression.
Lu Shang chuckled twice and turned to talk about the crops in the village.
Seeing that he didn't want to talk more, everyone could only put aside their gossiping thoughts.
The goods were not delivered until dark. Lu Shang gave each person an extra two cents as a reward for their hard work and four buns, which won him a lot of thanks.
The matter of recruiting workers in Pingshan Village had not been settled yet, so Lu Shang did not tell them.
But he has to go to check on the letter stall for Jiang Wanning tomorrow, and he has to go to Pingshan Village in two days. He will be away for three to five days, so he needs these people to be responsible for delivering the goods throughout the whole process.
Lu's Logistics had just started, and he couldn't afford any losses.
He could only make an agreement with these people that their wages would be doubled when he was not there, but if there was any mistake during the process, or the goods did not meet the standards, he would never hire them to work again.
Under the temptation of high wages, everyone promised to guarantee his work and told him not to worry.
Lu Qi even volunteered: "Brother Lu, go ahead and don't worry. I'll keep an eye on it and make sure nothing goes wrong!"
"Okay, then I'll leave it to you." Lu Shang patted his shoulder and entrusted him with an important task.
After arranging the delivery for Guanhe Tower, Lu Shang was finally able to focus on preparing for the letter stall and recruiting workers in Pingshan Village.
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