Chapter 49
Lu Shang looked at a loss for words, and finally said, "Didn't we agree that it would only be written guidance?"
"I know!" Feng He looked around and saw that both Lu Shang's houses were occupied. Disappointment flashed across his face. "But isn't Brother Lu a disciple of the old master? I was thinking of living with you so that if the master has any guidance or comments, I can be the first to know."
"Besides, with my qualifications, I'm afraid I can't fully appreciate your talent. With Brother Lu here, I can ask you for advice when the time comes. That way, your guidance won't be in vain!"
Lu Shang only remembered one sentence: "Live with me? It's not that I, the young master, don't want to host you, but all the rooms in my house are occupied, and there are really no extra guest rooms."
"I know, I know. I'm thinking of buying a house in this alley, somewhere close to Brother Lu. I've already sent someone to the real estate agency to ask, and I should get a reply by this afternoon at the latest."
He had already made up his mind. After greeting Lu Shang, he did not forget to say hello to Jiang Wanning.
Just as Lu Shang was thinking about how to persuade him to leave, he heard Feng He say, "By the way, Brother Lu, didn't Shopkeeper Fu say before that he would arrange a business banquet and invite merchants from Tang Town and surrounding towns to attend?"
"I'm already making contacts. So far, more than a dozen families have agreed to participate. Once we have thirty, I'll ask Shopkeeper Fu to make the arrangements. Then I can introduce you to them."
"..." Lu Shang, no longer reluctant, took two steps forward and took Feng He's hand. "Young Master, you've really taken the trouble. Why are you still buying a house? I have a study at home. If you don't mind, I can convert it into a bedroom for you."
Feng He was so focused on his studies that he didn't notice the change in Lu Shang's attitude.
But after thinking about it, he shook his head and said, "Let's wait for the servant to come back from the pawnshop. I also brought servants with me from home, so I'm afraid I won't bother Brother Lu."
Anyway, Lu Shang has already expressed his goodwill. Whether he accepts it or not is his own business.
Feng He came over early in the morning just to say hello to them. As they became neighbors in the future, they could interact more often. Now that he had greeted them, he still had to take care of some trivial matters.
Lu Shang happily said goodbye to him, and after watching him go away, he turned around and pulled Jiang Wanning back into the courtyard. As soon as the door closed, he couldn't help but hugged her, then quickly let go: "Aning!"
"Eh?" Jiang Wanning was startled, but when the touch in front and behind her disappeared, she suddenly felt a little lost.
Lu Shang has long wanted to expand his business, and now that Feng He has come to him, it provides him with an opportunity.
But after being happy, he felt a little conflicted and embarrassed.
Jiang Wanning happened to ask, "Wouldn't it be inconvenient for Young Master Feng to live so close?"
Lu Shang thought about it and decided to take care of his family first: "Don't worry about him. Not to mention that he doesn't live with us, even if he really lives in the same courtyard, he won't enter our room without permission. You just stay in the room. If there is any inconvenience, I can pass on the message for you."
"But now you have to manage the school and the letter stall, and you have to deal with the calligraphy work from the bookstore. You must not invest too much energy in him. The entrance exam is still a long way off, so you can decide whether to give him guidance once every two weeks or once a month."
I had agreed to Feng He's request for advice before because Jiang Wanning only took care of two children and had plenty of free time the rest of the time, so it wouldn't be a problem to teach one more person.
But now she has several jobs and is busier than Lu Shang all day long. If she didn't want to take advantage of the Feng family's favor and it's hard to go back on her word, Lu Shang wouldn't want her to worry about this anymore.
There is not much time for rest to begin with, and adding another person to take the imperial examination will make it even more tiring.
Besides, it’s not that Lu Shang is biased, but a person who has studied for more than ten years and still failed to pass the college entrance examination does not look like a good student. Who knows how much energy he will have to spend on him in the future.
Jiang Wanning understood and felt relieved: "I'll make arrangements."
They didn't dwell on it for too long and soon left the house again.
That day, the two of them did not leave Tang Town. They walked around the streets and alleys, tried some new food, and bought some inexpensive but exquisite gadgets.
Considering that Jiang Wanning hadn't had new clothes for a long time, and even the ones she had at home were mostly leftovers from others and altered, Lu Shang cursed himself for being negligent and turned around to take her into the clothing store.
Based on the taste that Jiang Wanning had developed since childhood, there was no clothing in the entire clothing store that could really make her heart flutter. However, considering her family situation, even the skirt that cost only three cents would make her hesitate for a long time.
After looking around, she still wanted to buy the fabric and make it herself at home, so she could save nearly half of the money.
But when she told him her plan, Lu Shang turned around and called the shop assistant over. He pointed at Jiang Wanning and asked, "Do you have any clothes that would suit her?"
"Your Excellency, you have a natural elegance. You look great in anything you wear!" the clerk said as he picked out a few of the most expensive pieces in the store and gestured them in front of Jiang Wanning. "Look, this brocade dress suits you so well!"
Of course there is no unsuitable clothes, but if the price is right, it is difficult to choose.
In the end, Jiang Wanning picked out three dresses, two of which were plain dresses with only a little decoration on the cuffs or hems, and a set of brightly colored tops and Ruyi skirts, both in bright pastel colors.
There is no such thing as trying on clothes in clothing stores. You can only hold the clothes in front of you to try them out.
But as soon as this pastel-colored dress got close to Jiang Wanning, she looked brighter.
The waiter immediately praised loudly: "Madam, this dress looks really good on you. It makes you look young and energetic. This color suits you very well. Why don't you pick two more pieces?"
Lu Shang was very moved by what he said, and finally gritted his teeth and bought the whole thing.
The three sets of clothes cost a total of two taels of silver. The two plain skirts only cost four taels each. Only the watercolor skirt was a little more expensive, but because the material was ordinary, it was not much more expensive.
After the waiter packed the clothes, Lu Shang naturally took them and held them in his hands.
After leaving the clothing store, he couldn't help but say, "When our family gets richer, I'll take you to buy something better. I heard someone mention satin before. It's said to be light and comfortable."
"It must be embroidered satin." Jiang Wanning said with a smile.
"Yes, yes, that's it!" Lu Shang remembered.
Jiang Wanning just responded softly with "OK", without reminding him that the brocade satin was mostly only popular in the capital, and a piece of finely crafted brocade satin could often be sold for hundreds of taels of silver.
She was no longer a rich lady from a wealthy family. Compared to those overly luxurious silks and satins, cotton was more practical.
The two leisurely days passed in a flash, and as the monthly vacation at school came to an end, Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang became busy again.
Feng He only showed up once at the Lu family's door yesterday. According to Lu Shang's idea, it would take at least three to five days for him to really settle down. Unexpectedly, when he went out the next day, he ran into the Feng family's carriage and servants.
Just as he was stunned, Feng He got off the carriage and came up to him when he saw him.
"What's this, Young Master?" Lu Shang asked tentatively.
Feng He laughed heartily. "Yesterday I bought a house here and had my servants pack it up overnight. Now it's time to move in! Brother Lu, are you free? Why don't you come to my humble abode and stay for a while?"
Lu Shang did not refuse and followed him to the new house. He stopped at the door and looked a little puzzled: "I remember there was an elderly couple living here before?"
"Someone was living there, but I traded a shop on Tanghua Street and a house next door for it. It just so happened that the couple could sell some small items in the shop, so they readily gave it to me."
Not only did they change the deeds for the two houses, but they also completed the change within half a day.
Lu Shang had never seen any wealthy people since he came to Dazhao, and this was the first time he saw one. It turned out that the rich young man was so efficient. Moreover, he had money and connections under his command, so if he really had an idea, his subordinates would help him to get it done.
After listening to Feng He's explanation of the process, Lu Shang couldn't help but feel envious.
The house Feng Hexin bought was located in the middle of Wuming Lane, on the outside. It was about ten households away from Lu Shang's house, which was a perfect distance.
After entering the house, Lu Shang did not look around, but just followed him into the hall.
I don't know how many servants came to the Feng Mansion. In just one night, they quietly decorated the new house. It was a small house with everything you need, including a bedroom, a study, a living room, etc., and the yard was filled with flowers and potted plants.
After the servants served tea, Feng He sent everyone away. When there was no one else in the room, he asked with surprise, "Brother Lu, have you ever read Mr. Lu's article 'On Current Affairs'?"
Lu Shang was startled, then said, "I took a quick look."
Feng He's eyes lit up, and he felt like he had found a confidant. "To be honest, some time ago, after I returned to the capital, I asked the master there to read that book. He exclaimed that it was a treasure. Although 'Current Affairs Essays' can be found on the market, the annotations in it are definitely not something that an ordinary person could write!"
"My teacher was a juren (a successful candidate in a different school). Even he, after reading it, said that the annotations were rigorous and profound, beyond the comprehension of a mere juren. Anyone who could write such annotations must be a person of high moral character and prestige."
What is even more exciting is that the annotations on the book are still fresh, and the occasional changes make them seem more authentic.
The gentleman who was a juren said, "This batch of writing must have been written by the old gentleman as he was thinking, or perhaps it was a spontaneous work. In the end, it turned out to be a good thing for us."
Given Feng He's level, the book would be of no use to him. However, according to Mr. Juren, this book is hard to come by, so it is not a bad idea to keep it as a family heirloom.
Mr. Juren's words undoubtedly strengthened Feng He's determination to become his disciple and study.
Even the fact that he was able to successfully sell off the family business and come here to study without distraction was due to the scholar's praise for the old gentleman, which made his father willing to give him a few more years.
Lu Shang had no idea there was such a thing, but that didn't stop him from feeling increasingly uncomfortable the more he listened. He said in a strange voice, "I see... I didn't know your annotations would be so precious."
If he had known it was so valuable, he would have stayed at home and watched.
Feng He just smiled and said, "Even the Juren scholar found it difficult to understand this masterpiece, so it's no surprise that Brother Lu couldn't understand it. I just don't know if I can understand even a little bit of it in my lifetime."
The college entrance examination was divided into three parts: the interpretation of the Book of Songs. Before going to bed last night, Jiang Wanning mentioned that she needed to take a brief look at Feng He's level of interpretation of the Book of Songs. She left two assignments and asked Lu Shang to pass them on.
Since they happened to meet today, Lu Shang repeated the question and said, "The teacher asked the young master to answer it within ten days, and then I will pass it on to her. I need to see the young master's level first so I know where to start."
Feng He quickly wrote it down: "I will complete the teacher's examination as soon as possible, but I will have to trouble Brother Lu in the future."
"It's okay, it's not a big deal." Lu Shang suddenly became curious, "Come to think of it, I don't know how old the young master is?"
"I'm ashamed. I'm twenty-five this year, the age when I should be getting married and starting a family, but now I've accomplished nothing. I even turned down the marriage proposal my family had arranged, causing displeasure among the elders in my clan."
Lu Shang had always been called Brother Lu, and he had long suspected that he had been called too loudly. Now when he asked, he found out that it was indeed the case.
He laughed: "Then the young master should call me his brother. I came of age two years ago and am a few years younger than the young master."
Feng He was stunned for a moment.
Lu Shang had to say a few words of comfort, and after discussing the "old teacher's" strictness in the coursework, he said goodbye.
This was the first assignment Feng He had to hand in, and he was extremely nervous. He agreed to ask Lu Shang to give him some advice after he finished the first draft.
Lu Shang agreed verbally, but once the homework came into his hands, there was no doubt that it would be passed on to Jiang Wanning, and there was no question of any modification.
After leaving Feng He's house, Lu Shang did not go home. Instead, he rented a car from a carriage shop and went straight to Yangning Village.
The cooperation talks on fresh dates with Yangning Village went very smoothly. Since the dates from their village were the first batch of fresh dates on the market, they were big and sweet, so the price could be a few cents higher.
But don't underestimate these few cents. After all, two cents are added to a pound, so a hundred pounds will be two cents.
Guanhe Tower needs to brew drunken dates, and they purchase them once a month, each time requiring over a thousand kilograms. The intermediary fee alone is four coins, and Lu Shang can also take a profit from it, so he can make one or two taels of silver a month.
As the saying goes, a little bit adds up to a lot, and even a little bit more is good.
The fresh dates from Yangning Village replaced the peaches from Lujia Village. Yangning Village, Gejia Village and Fengyuan Village were on the same road, which saved detour time and the goods arrived nearly an hour earlier.
After walking like this for two days, after work one day, Hunter Zhan stopped Lu Shang, looking a little reserved.
Lu Shang asked: "What's wrong?"
Hunter Zhan sighed. "It's been half a month since we started working for you, boss. We live in a nice house, eat good meals every day, and even have someone to wash our clothes. We get paid at the beginning of each month. Logically, we should work even harder for you, but why is there less and less work lately?"
"We're not saying anything bad about you, but we have so much free time every day that it makes us feel ashamed. We feel like we're not only failing to repay you, but we're also wasting your house, food, and money."
Lu Shang thought something had happened and was stunned when he heard this.
He glanced to the side, only to see others nodding their heads, amused and relieved.
No matter what, it is better to have these people thinking about him in their hearts than to recruit a group of people who are only interested in himself.
He raised his hand and patted Zhan the Hunter's shoulder, explaining to him and everyone else, "There really hasn't been much logistics business lately. This is mostly because I only have the cooperation with Guanhe Tower."
"I won't hide it from you all. If we were only delivering goods to Guanhe Tower, twenty or thirty people would be enough. But I've already hired fifty permanent workers, and some will be coming after autumn. If we're only delivering goods to Guanhe Tower, we're really redundant. But that doesn't mean many people are useless. It's just that it's not time for everyone to work hard yet."
Lu Shang said, "This month might be the last period of free time for everyone. Next month, there will definitely be new cooperation. By then, you will be assigned to different delivery routes. You may not be able to finish the work even if you work from morning till night. This is why I said that the wages will be increased in the future."
After hearing his explanation, Hunter Zhan breathed a sigh of relief.
But he quickly added, "Since there's not much work this month, we can't just take the boss's money for nothing. Since we can get a raise later, we can certainly take a pay cut if there's no work now!"
"We'll follow the boss's instructions and take advantage of the less work to keep ourselves healthy. However, we won't get paid as much. We only work half a day now, so we'll only get half the pay. When we work full days in the future, we'll get the full pay."
"Yes, Brother Zhan is right!"
"Boss Lu, we can't just take this money for nothing. Besides, you're also providing us with food and lodging, which is already very good..."
Hunter Zhan's proposal was quickly responded to by a crowd. Lu Shang tried to speak several times, but his voice was drowned out by the crowd's agreement.
In order to reassure them, Lu Shang finally agreed to temporarily reduce this month's salary by half.
However, the wages of long-term workers are paid monthly, and the wages for September will not be available until early October. Even if he agrees now, he can still pay them on time when the next wage is paid.
If he could buy the loyalty and hard work of so many people with just a few cents of money, Yu Lu would only make money and not lose money.
At the same time, Feng He lived in the nameless alley for three or four days, wrote a rough draft, and finally remembered to go out for some fresh air.
After he came out of the study, Liu Shun, who had served him since childhood, came over. After asking about his plans, he slapped his thigh and said, "Master, you should finally take a break! I know you are ambitious, but you can't stay stuck in the study all day."
"It just so happens that I've been looking around these past two days and found something good. I'm sure you'll be interested, Master!"
Feng He scratched his head in the study for several days. The two questions on the meaning of the scriptures seemed simple, but when he really started to write, he found that he could not write anything at all. He flipped through countless books and could only squeeze out half a page of paper.
Just for this test, Feng He has stayed up all night for two days. His eyes are now blue and black, and he has no interest in any of Liu Shun's good things.
He lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, then said softly, "Get out of the way, don't block my way."
Liu Shun had been with him since childhood, and he wasn't afraid when he heard that. He made way for him and kept on nagging him, "Master, please don't disbelieve me. Just follow me. You'll definitely be interested when you see me!"
"If you don't want to say it, then don't go."
"Oh, come on, come on, I can't stop talking! Master, please don't go back to your room!" Liu Shun said hurriedly, "When I went out shopping these past two days, I noticed that many children would appear in the alley every morning and noon, and they all came from the same place."
"Master, what do you think they are going to do?"
Feng He still ignored him, stood there and waited for two breaths, and seeing that he still didn't say anything, he turned around and went back to the study.
Liu Shun had no choice but to confess: "They went to the school!"
"School?" Feng He finally became interested. "What school? I don't remember there being one around here."
"Hey, I knew you were interested, so I found out a long time ago!" Liu Shun said, "There wasn't a school in this nameless alley originally. One was only built last month, in a warehouse deep in the alley."
"Besides, the children in this school are all from ordinary families in the alley. I heard that the teachers there don't charge tuition fees, but instead charge a daily tuition fee. Even this tuition fee is very cheap, only two cents per person per day!"
Feng He turned around and asked, "What kind of school only costs so little? Is it really a scam?"
Liu Shun's expression was exaggerated: "Not only that! Young Master, you would never have guessed that this school is not only cheap, but the teacher is also unusual. She's a female teacher who's younger than me!"
Young, female teacher.
Although Liu Shun had not yet mentioned any information related to her, Feng He's heart still skipped a beat and he had a vague guess.
Feng He frowned and thought for a long time: "Has Shopkeeper Fu asked about Lu Shang's family before? Besides him, is there any information about his wife?"
"I think so." Liu Shun thought for a long time, "It seems that Mr. Lu's wife was bought by his family to bring good luck. His wife was originally a noble lady in Beijing, but later her family fell into poverty and was exiled. That's when she came to us. Besides... I heard that the wife's surname is Jiang?"
Feng He's eyelids twitched, and he quickly asked, "When do you think they'll have class?"
Seeing that he was indeed interested, Liu Shun was even more proud. "From morning to noon, the get out of class should not be over at this time. Young Master, do you want to go and take a look?"
Feng He casually took off the ring on his hand and threw it to Liu Shun: "You are still useful, kid, why don't you lead the way quickly!"
Liu Shun's eyebrows lit up with joy, and he put the ring on his thumb and said, "I'm here, Master, come this way!"
…
Since the opening of Jiang Wanning's school, there has always been a situation where classes are extended, and classes rarely end on time. Today is no exception.
She had just finished teaching the last three characters and took a sip of water while the children were practicing on the sand table.
But the moment she turned her head, she found two people standing behind the window, staring at her intently.
"!" Jiang Wanning was startled and her hand lost its balance, knocking the teacup to the ground.
The children below were startled and looked up at the same time, and at the same time they saw Feng He and his servant outside the window.
Jiang Wanning was soaked in water, but she had nothing to wipe it off, so she could only wipe it off with her hand. Then she looked out the window and managed to curl the corners of her lips: "What's going on with Master Feng's family?"
Feng He was not at all embarrassed after being discovered. He first bowed to Jiang Wanning, and then actually greeted the children in the school.
He walked in through the main entrance and stood at the doorway and asked, "I accidentally found this place and learned about your talent. I wonder if I could have the honor of attending a couple of your classes?"
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