Chapter 55
Lu Shang had been away for over a month, and most of the time he only slept for two hours in the wild, while also carefully listening to the movements around him. He woke up countless times during the night, and naturally had no restful night.
Now that I have such a beautiful girl in my arms, I can't help but relax.
Just like that, when he regained consciousness the next day, he found that there was no one in his arms. He reached out and touched her, but even the place next to him felt cold. There was no trace of Jiang Wanning in the room.
Right now, he was extremely excited and wanted to think of Jiang Wanning all the time, whether he opened his eyes or closed them.
He immediately got up from the bed, shook his dizzy head, and put on his clothes quickly. He originally wanted to go find someone directly, but when he passed by the dressing table, he saw his own shabby appearance again.
“…”Forget it, I’d better take a shower first.
It was only when I left the room that I realized that Jiang Wanning had arranged everything before she left, including hot water for bathing, clothes to wear after washing up, and a soft and easy-to-digest breakfast.
She told all of this to Grandma Lu, and as soon as Lu Shang left the house, she relayed it all to him.
Lu Shang couldn't help but smile and agreed cheerfully, "Okay, then I'll eat first and then take a shower!"
"Did Aning go to school?"
Grandma Lu said, "Yes, the days are getting later and later. When she left the house, it was still dark outside. But Wan Ning also said that she was going to discuss with the neighbors and Grandpa Pang and others to adjust the school time."
"Okay, I'll ask her later."
Lu Shang was the last one to get up. Grandma Lu had already eaten with Jiang Wanning earlier. He asked and then, without waiting for Grandma Lu to help him serve the rice, he simply stood in front of the stove, drank two bowls of hot porridge in a daze, and ate three buns.
Grandma Lu sat next to him and watched. Seeing that his appetite had improved so much, the smile on her face never faded.
After eating and drinking, Lu Shang immediately took a shower, shaved off his stubble, and tidied himself up carefully. He only stopped when he saw that he had regained his previous fresh and handsome look.
He strolled to the dressing table and looked left and right, thinking in his heart -
He wasn't the most handsome man, but at least he wasn't ugly, right? Just barely... could he be a good match for Aning?
With this in mind, he tidied up his appearance, went out to say hello to Grandma Lu, and turned to go to the school. On the way, he ran into a familiar neighbor and said without hesitation: "Oh, yes, I'm going to see Aning!"
When he arrived at the school, the children inside were taking a quiz.
Jiang Wanning was patrolling the room, and when she turned around she saw him sneaking around the back door. She couldn't help but smile, and then she became a little mischievous, and signaled Lu Shang with her eyes to come in and sit in the empty seat at the back.
Lu Shang was so dazed by her laughter that he didn't think much about it. Who would have thought that Jiang Wanning came over just as he sat down. She stretched out her hand from behind her back and a blank test paper in her hand fell in front of Lu Shang.
"?" Lu Shang was stunned.
Jiang Wanning didn't explain. She went to the bookcase in front and got a new brush and ink. She ground the ink and brought it to Lu Shang. She said in a breathy voice, "Lu Xiucai, try it too."
You should be happy to be called a scholar by your loved one.
But when Lu Shang looked at the test paper on the table, he really couldn't feel happy at all. The other children were concentrating on answering the questions, so he didn't even have the chance to refuse.
After a while, he could only nod heavily.
This small test paper is not difficult, or rather, small tests in school are never difficult. It is just a check on the children's learning results over a certain period of time, which also makes it convenient for Jiang Wanning to find out their omissions and fill in the gaps.
The test paper consisted mostly of word-filling and arithmetic. Lu Shang glanced through it roughly and at least there was nothing he didn't know.
After the quiz is over, it’s time to go home from school.
Jiang Wanning collected the papers from beginning to end. Only when she finished did the children notice Lu Shang's presence. It was only because Jiang Wanning collected the papers a little faster that they didn't realize that the famous Lu Xiucai was taking the test with them.
After Jiang Wanning sent the children away, Lu Shang went behind the desk to help organize the books, which could save some time.
The two of them were walking at the end, but the school did not need to be locked. After waiting for another quarter of an hour or two, Feng He's servants would come over, and then he would extinguish the stove in the school and then lock the door.
Lu Shang looked back and said, "I was wondering where all these stoves came from..."
Jiang Wanning smiled and said, "During the time my husband was away, Young Master Feng took great care of me and my grandmother. He would send people to deliver things every now and then. I really appreciate his care."
"It's not easy for me to get along with him. Now that my husband is back, I'll ask him to thank me."
Lu Shang nodded: "It should be."
When the two arrived home, Dabao Pang Liang and Lin Zhongwang had already returned and were helping Grandma Lin serve the meal.
At the dinner table before, Jiang Wanning would always chat with the kids, ask about their homework, or listen to their latest interesting stories, but now that Lu Shang has returned home, no one else is around at the table.
Grandma Lu had always felt that as long as Lu Shangyi and Jiang Wanning were talking, no third person could get in the way.
But today the feeling was even stronger. Not only could no one get in, but even they seemed to be in the way just standing next to them.
Anyway, Grandma Lu didn't know how to describe it, so she could only quickly finish her meal, call a few children, and quickly return to her room to leave space for the two young people.
However, neither Jiang Wanning nor Lu Shang noticed anything unusual. They continued to talk while eating, talking about everything from what they had seen and heard along the way in Lingnan to the situation at the school in the alley. The conversation lasted much longer than the meal itself.
An ordinary lunch took them a full hour to finish. If it hadn't been delayed any longer, the food would have gone cold. The two of them could still chat.
After dinner, Jiang Wanning wanted to wash the dishes, but as soon as her hand touched the dishes, Lu Shang slapped her on the arm.
She raised her head in confusion, and Lu Shang tapped her hand with his chin: "A Ning really has no memory."
Jiang Wanning lowered her head, then belatedly remembered the frostbite on her hands and quickly retracted her hand.
Lu Shang snorted twice and couldn't help but point his finger at her: "Why don't you go back to your room and warm up. I'll take you to the clinic this afternoon to see how to treat it best."
Jiang Wanning felt that she was in the wrong and nodded.
Not long after she returned to her room, Lu Shang followed her back. He was so excited that he refused to rest. He kept pestering Jiang Wanning and coaxed her to go see the fun things he brought back from Lingnan.
There seemed to be a lot of stuff in the two carts, big and small. Even after removing the large items like cloth and winter clothes, there were still a lot of small miscellaneous items left, and they were all bought for Jiang Wanning.
Lu Shang didn't know the preferences of women in the court, so he asked the shop assistants to choose the cloth and winter clothes for him. There were two pieces that were a bit expensive, but most of them were of good quality and cheap. Also, because there were many shops in Lingnan City, the same piece of clothing might be cheaper in another store. One piece of clothing didn't seem like much, but if he bought more, he would save more.
Jiang Wanning sighed softly and changed all her winter clothes.
After all, they were popular in the capital of a county. The styles of those winter clothes were beautiful and grand, and the style was very clear. Even if they were taken to the capital, they would not be inferior.
Lu Shang was delighted by what he saw and asked her to look at some jewelry.
He bought a whole box of jewelry. Nothing expensive, but they were exquisite and small, with many styles. There were seven or eight plain hairpins alone, and together with other rings, they were enough to dress Jiang Wanning up beautifully.
Every time he took out an item, he would ask Jiang Wanning if she liked it.
When the Jiang family was still in poverty, Jiang's father would occasionally bring back some gifts for his relatives when he traveled far away, but it was the first time that Jiang Wanning saw so many gifts, and they were all bought for her alone.
She wanted to say that there was no need to waste it, but when she looked up and saw the joy in Lu Shang's eyes, she couldn't say any discouraging words.
Jiang Wanning smiled and said, "I like it."
"As long as you like it, I'm glad. Oh, and I also found a jade ring that I thought would suit you the moment I saw it. I'm not sure if you're used to wearing these, but you can keep it and put it on the table as a decoration."
As Lu Shang spoke, he took out a jade ring from the bottom of the box.
Jiang Wanning took a look at it and thought it looked very familiar. It was not until she took it and looked at it carefully that she realized it was not the one she had bought in previous years. But this did not stop her from liking it.
She gestured lightly, her words filled with joy: "I had a similar jade ring before. The workmanship was better than this one, but the quality was not as good. I wore it for many years, but then I lost it."
"This ring..." She looked up, her eyes glowing as she looked at Lu Shang, "I like it very much."
Lu Shang grinned and said, "As long as you like it."
He watched Jiang Wanning put the ring on her hand, but his eyes couldn't help but drift to her ring finger.
...I don't know if there is a saying about wedding rings in Dazhao.
The two cars contained not only useful things, but also some special foods. However, due to the long journey, they could only bring some naan and bacon, which had to be sealed with three layers of oil paper inside and outside, so that they could be kept for half a month to a month.
It took an hour just to organize these things.
There was a noise coming from the primary school, so Xiang Min pushed open the gate and quietly went into the school.
Jiang Wanning took a plain hairpin and put it on under Lu Shang's fixed gaze. She turned the ring on her finger out of habit and said, "I'll go see them."
There was a letter stall to open this afternoon, but Lu Shang was thinking of the chilblains on her hands and refused to let her catch a cold outside. He personally stood guard in front of the stall for half an hour and persuaded those who were not in a hurry to go back.
There were two people who were really anxious, so he did it for them. After all, the handwriting was just a little ugly and the figurine was a little abstract. At most, he wouldn't charge them.
Jiang Wanning was so happy that she apologized to the customer who came to write the letter in a nice voice. Then, according to Lu Shang's suggestion, she closed the stall early and went to the clinic to have a hand checkup together.
Chilblains are not something that can be cured overnight. Even if the disease is cured with medicine, it will recur next year.
After prescribing two prescriptions, the doctor at the clinic only told Jiang Wanning to stay away from cold and avoid cold water. Once the wound stopped itching, it might be almost healed, but she still needed to pay more attention to it every year.
After leaving the clinic, before Jiang Wanning could react, Lu Shang put gloves on her hands and said, "Did you hear me? From now on, you should put a basin of hot water in the school and warm it by the stove. You are not allowed to touch cold water."
"As for the house, I know you're embarrassed to ask grandma to do the housework by herself. In that case, let's hire a maid. I'll go to the dentist tomorrow and find a skilled maid."
"Hiring a maid?" Jiang Wanning asked in surprise, "Isn't that a bit of an overreaction?"
Lu Shang said, "Aning, you know I still have to leave, you don't want me to be uneasy along the way, right?"
The trip to Lingnan was just the beginning. As long as he cooperated with the Li family, Lu Shang would definitely have to travel far away.
He had only been back for one day, and Jiang Wanning didn't want to think about the unhappy things, so she deliberately avoided it, but now she brought it up.
She was silent for a long time, then nodded slowly: "Okay."
This time when Lu Shang came back, he couldn't stay at home for too long.
He rested at home for two days, and during the trip he took Jiang Wanning to a pawnshop and picked out a woman in her forties. The woman refused to sell her body, so even though she was nimble and skillful, she had no chance of marrying into a wealthy family and could only move around in small households.
However, Lu Shang still could not accept the human trafficking. He heard that Aunt Jiang was hardworking and meticulous in her work, and that she had no burden at home, so he quickly decided to marry her.
From then on, Aunt Jiang went to work at the Lu family, with one day off a month and one tael of silver a month. On weekdays, she washed clothes and cooked, and also helped Grandma Lu feed the chickens and ducks. There was nothing else she did.
Aunt Jiang's residence was in the study. Lu Shang moved all the important papers in the study to his room, leaving only an empty bookcase and a desk. He added a bed inside and it became a simple residence.
After all, they are servants working in the house, so there is no question of whether to treat them poorly or not.
The next day, he hurried to the house where the farmhands lived, delivered goods for two days, met with the owners of several restaurants, and after listening to Lu Qi's report on the situation over the past month, he spent two nights checking the account records.
Just the accounts of these three restaurants made him dizzy. After finishing, he couldn't help but say, "Either Lu Qi should come to school, or Dabao should teach his father. He is a manager, so he can't even do the accounting."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanning couldn't help but glance sideways at the messy words in his hand, not knowing how to comment.
It was true that Lu Shang did accounting, but he used words and numbers that he was familiar with, and no one could understand it except himself. Jiang Wanning had questioned it before, but Lu Shang explained the accounts in an orderly manner, which completely dispelled her doubts.
Jiang Wanning pondered for a moment and said, "Then my husband can take care of the arrangements. Since there are people at home this afternoon, it wouldn't be a problem to ask Lu Qi to come over and learn to read and keep accounts together."
"Hmm..." Lu Shang just had this idea, and whether it could be implemented still needed careful consideration.
A day later, Zhan Shunan and his companions came back, bringing with them the two brothers Cai Qin and Cai Mian. Upon asking, they learned that the two brothers had visited all the villages under Tang Town in January and personally visited all the families who came to collect herbs.
Cai Qin said, "There aren't many herbs on the mountain in autumn and winter, so we didn't get much. However, one family did pick up some wild ginseng. It was a little young, but luckily it wasn't damaged at all, so we can sell it for 70 or 80 taels."
"Okay, okay." Lu Shang was overjoyed. "Thank you for your hard work."
"You guys should follow up on the medicinal herbs first. Since there aren't many herbs on the mountain in autumn and winter, why not wait until spring to deliver them to the clinic? I'm also very busy lately, so I'll have to trouble you with the rest."
"As long as you think the herbs are good, you can write them down first. If you are unsure about the price, please wait. It's not a big deal. Wait until I come back."
"Then there's Village Chief Cai's salary. I've thought about it and think I might as well make it the same as yours. Is that okay?"
Cai Qin and Cai Mian waved their hands repeatedly, "No, no, Dad said that he's already very happy to be able to help the boss, and he absolutely cannot accept any money. Besides, my brother and I already work for you and have already owed you a lot, so we can't be greedy."
Lu Shang also couldn't spare the time to go to Pingshan Village, so he couldn't persuade him anymore and had to agree for the time being.
After we have dealt with the logistics team, the next thing to deal with is the most important Li family.
When Feng He learned that he had returned, he quickly held a banquet at Guanhe Tower. There were only three people at the banquet, him, Lu Shang and the eldest son of the Li family, and the shopkeeper Fu. In fact, it was Lu Shang and the eldest son of the Li family who did most of the talking.
The servant sent by the Li family said he was leading the way, but in fact he was also observing Lu Shang and others.
In just two or three days, the servant had told Master Li everything he had seen and heard along the way. Master Li was extremely satisfied with the superb skills of Zhan the Hunter and others, as well as Lu Shang's caution.
It was at the welcoming banquet on this day that the Li family and Lu Logistics officially decided to cooperate. With the signing of the contract with the Li family, it also foreshadowed the beginning of the second long journey.
It is now the end of December. If I leave before the New Year, I will not be able to come back until March or April, and I will not be able to stay at home for the New Year.
However, the Li family was in such a hurry for this batch of goods that they were even willing to pay an extra 10% for the intermediary transportation fee. They also promised that as long as the timber was delivered intact and on time, the Li family's timber business would be entirely under Lu Logistics for at least one year.
Lu Shang really couldn't resist such a great temptation. After much hesitation, he finally agreed.
According to the agreement between him and Mr. Li, the logistics team would set out as soon as New Year's Day on January 1st, first going to the Li family in the provincial capital to pick up the wood, and then set off for Lingnan.
There is a lot of goods on this trip. The Li family can provide the carriages and horses, and only the Lu family needs the manpower to escort the goods.
After careful consideration, Lu Shang decided to have forty people escort the goods. In addition to the eight people who went to Lingnan last time, another group would be selected. The requirements for this group could be slightly lowered, but good physical skills were a hard indicator that could not be lowered.
After these forty people were selected, they were given a few days off and would return after New Year's Day.
As for the others, they would still follow the monthly leave method, and the specific arrangements would be left to Lu Qi.
After everything was settled, there was only one last thing left, which was also the most difficult for Lu Shang -
How should I tell Jiang Wanning that I can’t spend the New Year with her?
Not long ago, he was holding Jiang Wanning in his arms and fantasizing about going to the provincial capital during the New Year. He heard that the New Year festival in the provincial capital was very lively, and there would be a fireworks show on New Year's Eve.
Lu Shang stayed at home for two days and seemed to have no changes, but Jiang Wanning was still sensitive to his emotional fluctuations.
She observed for another two days, and seeing that Lu Shang was in a very low mood, she had no choice but to ask, "My husband, do you have anything to say to me?"
A hint of surprise flashed across Lu Shang's face: "Why do you say that?"
Jiang Wanning came over and said, "I've noticed that my husband has been distracted these past two days. Last night, when he was practicing calligraphy, he made several mistakes. I reminded him but he didn't correct them. That means his mind isn't focused on practicing calligraphy."
"Also, these past two days, you've been sleeping late at night and waking up early in the morning. It's hard to concentrate. I wonder what you're thinking about." She pondered for a moment, then asked bluntly, "Is it because your husband is going to Lingnan again?"
"..." Lu Shang smiled bitterly, "I can't hide anything from you."
Perhaps because she had been mentally prepared, Jiang Wanning remained calm. "When are we leaving? Can we wait until after the Lunar New Year next month, or are we going to rush out in the next few days? Or can we be back in a month or so?"
Lu Shang held her hand, carefully avoiding the scars on her joints, and whispered, "We can't wait until the New Year. If we leave after New Year's Day, we won't be back for more than a month. This time we have goods, and the round trip will take at least three months. If the city is closed during the New Year's holiday, it may take even longer. The eldest son of the Li family and I are pushing for a return date of mid-April."
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Wanning's shoulders shook: "So long?"
It is true that time flies, but there are also several four-month periods in a year.
Jiang Wanning felt like the past month and a half since he left was already a year long, so how come it had more than doubled?
Lu Shang was even more embarrassed. "Because we're delivering goods to our boss, the goods must be our priority on the road. I originally wanted to take you with me, but now it seems that I can't. And your travel permit... I've asked for it, but it's not going to be easy."
Jiang Wanning knew that the obstacles for her to go along were too great, and asking Lu Shang to give up this business deal was something she felt unwilling to do, not to mention whether he was willing or not.
Her expression changed several times, and after a long time she let out a sigh: "It's okay, I understand."
"Go ahead, my husband. I'll wait for you to come back."
Lu Shang held up her face, and as expected, Jiang Wanning looked calm, with only an abnormal red tint at the corners of her eyes.
"Aning..."
Jiang Wanning pulled the corner of her mouth and tried to comfort him: "Everything is fine at home. We've been through a stable life before. Besides, we still have Aunt Jiang at home now. Grandma and I can relax completely."
"My husband has a good eye. Aunt Jiang is really hardworking and she's also very good at talking. She often makes Grandma smile from ear to ear. Even when she cooks, she takes everyone's taste into consideration and even takes care of the children..."
She couldn't say the rest of the words because Lu Shang lowered his head and kissed her lips, leaving only the hot breath in her nose.
Lu Shang had experienced starting from scratch once, but this was the first time he had experienced such a constant bondage.
It was not until today that he realized why people always say that the land of beauties is the tomb of heroes.
In the following days, Lu Shang never went out again. He stayed at home every day, either talking with Grandma Lu or following Jiang Wanning to school. He wanted to stick to her from morning to night.
On the contrary, Jiang Wanning accepted the reality early on and packed his luggage while teaching.
The school was closed on New Year's Day, and the few of us were too lazy to cook, so we simply went out to eat as a family. We went to Guanhelou and ordered the restaurant's most famous signature dishes, along with two pots of wine. It was quite a joyful occasion.
After New Year's Day, Lu Shang left as scheduled.
On the day he left, Jiang Wanning personally sent him to the city gate, and the two of them hid aside and talked for a long time. It was mostly Lu Shang who was nagging and giving instructions, and he would say a few words about big and small things. If it weren't for the urging of Zhan Liehu and the others, he would have continued talking.
With Lu Shang's departure, the Lu family suddenly became deserted again.
But he was just going on a long trip, and life had to go on as usual. Grandma Lu was taken care of by Aunt Jiang, which saved Jiang Wanning a lot of worries. In a blink of an eye, another month had passed.
After entering February, Tang Town experienced two consecutive heavy snowfalls, and the arrival of heavy snow also meant that the end of the year was approaching.
Aunt Jiang asked Jiang Wanning for leave before the New Year to go back to her hometown to spend the New Year with her family. She didn't come back until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
After Aunt Jiang left, only Jiang Wanning and Grandma Lu were left at home.
Because Jiang Wanning taught many children and charged very low tuition, many families, grateful for her kindness, sent gifts to her home before the Chinese New Year. Even Fan Sanniang came in person following Grandpa Pang's car.
Jiang Wanning did not refuse, but simply returned a holiday gift of equal value.
As more and more people came to give holiday gifts, Grandma Lu's heart began to flutter.
She had wanted to return to Lujia Village for a long time, but in the past six months, she had either delayed because of being busy, or been interrupted by Lu Shang and taken elsewhere. After all this, she had vaguely understood -
The grandson didn't want to ask her to go back.
For various reasons, she did not mention it again. The room in the town was filled with more and more new clothes and household items, and it was no different from the small house in the village.
But she still remembered that she had sons, grandchildren and granddaughters in Lujia Village.
Since Lu Shang is not here and it’s Chinese New Year, is it time to go back to Lujia Village?
Grandma Lu hesitated for a long time and finally mentioned to Jiang Wanning that she wanted to go back to Lujia Village to stay for a few days.
They should have gone home for the New Year reunion, but Jiang Wanning said, "I'll stay and take care of the family."
Grandma Lu tried to persuade her several times but to no avail. She thought that there were so many people in Lujia Village, and they would never need an old lady. But if she really went back, Jiang Wanning would be the only one left in the town, and no one would spend the New Year alone.
With such a comparison, it is self-evident what to choose.
Grandma Lu was very insightful and made the decision after hesitating for less than half a day.
Aunt Jiang returned to her hometown. After two days of cooking, she gradually regained her skills. Seeing that Jiang Wanning could eat hot meals as soon as she returned home, she found her usefulness at home again.
Jiang Wanning had already made up her mind that if Grandma Lu insisted, she would ask Grandpa Pang to send her back.
But after a few days, Grandma Lu never mentioned returning to Lujia Village again. She even invited Grandma Tian to her home to ask her how people in the town celebrated the New Year. The two old ladies went to the street together to buy window decorations and couplets.
Every day when Jiang Wanning returned home, she could see subtle but obvious changes in her home, and the slightly cold house gradually became prosperous.
Jiang Wanning and Grandma Lu both understood this change.
It was already the 27th, and all the universities and primary and secondary schools had their annual holidays, and Mr. Huang's bookstore was also about to close.
After Jiang Wanning submitted her last batch of calligraphy this year, she received another two taels of reward money from Boss Huang. It was a reward for her submitting the calligraphy on time every ten days, and it was also a good start for the New Year.
The two taels of reward also reminded her, and she made a special trip to the residence of the long-term workers of the logistics team.
It was just a coincidence, because if she had come one day later, the farmhands would have had their day off.
The end of the year is one of the most important festivals in Dazhao. On the first day of the lunar year, there will be no vendors on the streets. Restaurants will naturally close for a few days, and accordingly, there will be no need for deliveries.
Jiang Wanning was not familiar with the farmhands and only knew Lu Qi.
She called Lu Qi over to ask him about it in detail. When she heard that their wages would not be paid until Lu Shang returned, she made up her mind and asked, "Besides delivering the goods, did my husband give us any other instructions?"
Lu Qi was confused: "Is there anything else you want to explain?"
Jiang Wanning understood: "Then tell everyone to wait for a while. You come home with me and I'll pay everyone's wages. And didn't I tell you before that there will be gifts for festivals? You've all worked hard during your husband's absence. I'll take care of the rest. Just listen to my arrangements."
"This this..." Lu Qi was stunned for a moment.
Jiang Wanning didn't give him a chance to refute. She took him back to get the money and then hurried back.
The working hours of the farmhands were all recorded. Jiang Wanning was quick at calculating, so as soon as Lu Qi read out the hours, she would calculate the corresponding wages and pay them to the farmhands together with the monthly bonus without missing a penny.
The farmhands had thought they wouldn't get their wages before the New Year, but now that things have turned around, they are extremely happy.
But that wasn't all. Jiang Wanning added, "Everyone has worked hard in the past three months. The New Year is approaching, and I should have packed some gifts for everyone. However, my husband is away, and I just remembered this. I'm afraid I won't be able to prepare it in time, so I'll convert the gifts into cash. You guys have to go through the trouble of shopping for them yourself."
"In addition to the festival gifts, there's also the year-end bonus. Considering that the longest you've worked here is only half a year, I'll include the festival gifts in this and give each of you one or two taels of silver."
"As for any other arrangements, since my husband hasn't told me yet, I can only wait until he returns to discuss them. I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. Thank you for your hard work."
After saying this, Jiang Wanning took out the red envelopes that she had prepared earlier and handed them to everyone personally, even the women who were washing clothes and cooking in the yard.
If someone feels that small change is not satisfying enough, then I will exchange it for ten strings of coins. That is a big bag full of copper coins. Just hearing the sound makes people happy. Holding it heavy in my hand, I feel that all the hard work of the past six months is worth it!
As for the farmhands who followed Lu Shang to Lingnan, Jiang Wanning did not calculate their wages and would settle the accounts after they returned. However, they were given the festival gifts and year-end bonuses, still one or two taels per person, and asked people from the same village to take them back.
By the time the farmhands were all arranged, the day was over.
The workers took the money and, without knowing who instigated them, they all knelt down and insisted on kowtow to Jiang Wanning before they would leave. Jiang Wanning was unable to stop them and could only hide in the house.
Even this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the farmhands, and for a while the whole house was filled with New Year greetings.
In the end, only Lu Qi was left to accompany her. Jiang Wanning smiled and took out another red envelope: "I won't worry about your wages. Just wait for your husband to come back and ask him to settle it for you. Since you've been so troublesome, I'll give you an extra two taels of silver for good luck during the New Year."
"And these—" She pulled out a few smaller red envelopes from another small bag. "These are for Dabao, Liangliang, and Zhongwang. They had their holiday early, so I hadn't remembered about them. I'm sorry you took the trouble to make this extra trip. This is just a small token of my gratitude as a teacher."
If it were any other time, Lu Qi would never accept these.
But everything at the end of the year is associated with good luck and fortune, and it is the intention of a teacher, so he cannot refuse it.
Lu Qi wiped his hands and took it with both hands: "Okay, thank you ma'am, thank you ma'am!"
Lu Qi checked all the houses and locked them, then sent Jiang Wanning back home before leaving Tang Town.
Before the street vendors closed, Jiang Wanning and Grandma Lu bought enough food and also bought two bunches of fireworks to join in the fun, waiting to set them off on New Year's Day.
On the 30th day, the grandparents and grandchildren had a simple breakfast and then began to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner. Even though there were only two of them, they prepared chicken, duck, fish and meat, without any ambiguity.
Amidst the hustle and bustle and the longing for people far away, the end of the year passes quietly and the new year comes again.
After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Aunt Jiang went back to work, the logistics team resumed delivery, and the children in the school were also forced to concentrate.
Although the Chinese New Year is about bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, for ordinary people, there is no difference between the New Year and the New Year.
Feng He had gone back to the city for the New Year, but unexpectedly, he returned early. He wished Grandma Lu a happy new year and then went to Jiang Wanning and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. I have inquired with my classmates in the city and learned that the college entrance examination will be held on March 3rd this year. I would like to take the exam. Could you please ask that gentleman if I have a chance to take the exam?"
Jiang Wanning was a little puzzled. "Didn't my husband just want to catch up on this year's entrance exam? Didn't he tell the young master about it?"
Feng He was startled, then overjoyed. "Yes, yes, yes, I was negligent! Then may I ask, Madam, how should I prepare for this final month?"
Jiang Wanning said patiently, "There's no need to panic. The Young Master has laid the foundation for the past six months. The next month will focus on consolidating your predictions about the exam questions. The rest is for the Young Master to remain calm and take the exam with a calm mind."
Although he said that, Feng He couldn't really stay calm.
He was at a loss: "But, but can I do it... I'm still a little afraid. Do I really not have to study late into the night for a month?"
Jiang Wanning suppressed a laugh: "Young Master doesn't trust himself, so how could he not trust me...Is that gentleman?"
"But that's okay. The master has assigned us new homework, and we need you to hand it in within three days. It consists of two scriptures and two policy essays. Please hurry up."
Feng He didn't understand what she meant at first, but when he got the question, he suddenly understood why Jiang Wanning said it was okay.
However, he found that those essay questions on the meaning of the scriptures were all extremely brilliant. Not long ago, he felt that his knowledge had improved a lot, but now, after reading them, he felt as if he was simply a mentally retarded person.
For the next month, Feng He lived in dire straits every day.
He was either scratching his head over the questions or getting red in the face over the comments on his answer sheet. Day and night, he was only thinking about memorizing and answering the questions, and had no extra energy to worry about the college entrance examination.
Two days before the college entrance examination, Jiang Wanning collected his homework and did not give him any new questions. Instead, she said, "There are only two days left before the college entrance examination. Young Master, you can go back home and prepare."
"..." Feng He was stunned for a long time, and finally realized the passage of time.
After he returned, there was another chaos. He quickly packed up his things and returned to the provincial capital. After having a night's sleep, he hurried to the examination room. He almost got to the wrong seat. When he came to his senses, the college entrance examination was over.
Feng He walked out of the examination room and was welcomed by the servant to the carriage. Feeling the bumps under him, he belatedly felt a little nervous. However, the examination was over, so no matter how nervous he was, it didn't seem to matter.
It was not until this moment that he realized the ingenuity of Jiang Wanning's arrangements for the last month.
The outcome of the college entrance examination only concerns Feng He. Jiang Wanning sent him away because she still has children in the school to teach.
Her mentality did not fluctuate at all. She still went back and forth between home, school, and the letter-writing stall, and occasionally went to the bookstore.
Grandma Lu has found a new job and is currently tidying up the yard with Aunt Jiang. She has to finish the vegetable garden and grape vines before spring and is so busy every day that she can't even stand.
And so it was March 15th.
Jiang Wanning was delivering a copybook to a bookstore when she heard a scholar inside say, "Are the results of the imperial examinations announced today?"
Only then did she remember that the results of the college entrance examination had already come out, but the results could only be seen in the provincial capital. She was far away in Tang Town and could not know the results first.
She just smiled at it. It wouldn't be said that she was completely calm, but she probably wasn't nervous either.
At the same time, the Feng family in the capital city.
The servant stumbled all the way and rushed into the hall like a flying bird. He ignored the guests in the hall and said breathlessly: "Congratulations, master! The young master has passed the test in his courtyard!"
"What!" Mr. Feng was shocked, and even the guests below looked over.
The servant had run all the way back from the notice board where the results were announced. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, plopped down on his knees, and kowtowed deeply to Master Feng. He added, "Young Master, you passed the imperial examination! And you even came in first! Young Master is the top scorer in the city this year!"
Mr. Feng's eyes were blank, and he could hardly believe what he heard.
As a father, he knew his son's abilities clearly, even though he didn't say it out loud. Last year, Feng He made a fuss for half a month, handing over the business, moving to Tang Town, and even finding some kind of husband. He was very angry.
Although he agreed later, he did not have much hope that Feng He could pass the academy examination and become a scholar.
Even after the academy exam ended a few days ago, Feng He vowed to him, "The questions this time were all within your expectations, sir. I've studied hard for most of them, and I'm sure I'll pass the exam this time!"
Mr. Feng said it was a good idea, but he didn't agree in his heart. At that time, he thought that even if Feng He could be at the bottom of the list, the Feng family's ancestors would be in great trouble.
Who would have thought that just half a month after the college entrance examination, such a surprise would happen to me.
First place in the provincial capital examination?
He couldn't even imagine what an honor this was.
Until the old friend below stood up and congratulated: "Congratulations, Mr. Feng, congratulations, Mr. Feng, this is a great joy!"
"Great joy, great joy..." Master Feng's hands were shaking, and it took him a long time to find his voice. "He'er passed the entrance exam and is truly the pride of the Feng family. I will hold a three-day banquet in his honor, entertaining the entire city!"
"And everyone in the mansion will be rewarded!"
The servant below kowtowed again and was about to accept the order to leave when he heard Master Feng suddenly change his mind: "No! It's not a banquet for guests, it's for my mentor, He'er's mentor——"
"Come here! Quickly prepare the gifts. I want to personally take him to thank the master!"
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