Chapter 57
It was late at night and the lights in the Lu family's east and west bedrooms were off. Only two soft sounds could be heard from the east wing from time to time. Listening carefully, one could hear a few chuckles in between, and then return to breathing of varying degrees of intensity.
Lu Shang held Jiang Wanning tightly in his arms, feeling her fear and trepidation as she came closer cautiously, and her cool and soft lips that rubbed against his chin from time to time.
Like a timid little animal, it gradually tests the hunter's bottom line until it falls into the hunter's hands.
God knows how much self-control Lu Shang must have exerted to force himself not to go on.
"Go to sleep." His eyes were dark. He pressed his index finger on Jiang Wanning's lips, stroking her small lip beads carefully. Then he blocked her eyes as if trying to cover up his own faults and kissed her on the corner of her forehead.
After meeting again after a long separation, the two didn't know what to talk about. After turning off the lights, they just entangled themselves tightly, whispering in each other's ears, and would not stop until they died.
The next day, Jiang Wanning woke up early. She thought it was a beautiful dream, but when she opened her eyes, she found her arm across her waist. When she glanced sideways, she saw a familiar face that made her heart beat violently uncontrollably.
By this time she should change her clothes and wash up so that she can have breakfast and arrive at school on time.
This kind of life was so familiar to her that it couldn't be more familiar. No matter when, not even on the eve of Lu Shang's departure, she had not been able to interrupt it until today -
Jiang Wanning moved her fingers but showed no intention of getting up.
Since you have been diligent for so long, it’s okay to make an exception occasionally, right?
She quickly made a decision, and slowly moved towards Lu Shang, put her arms around his arm, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
So the class that day was forced to be suspended due to the absence of the teacher. A group of people waited for half an hour, but Jiang Wanning still didn't come. After a final discussion, they sent Xiang Min and Pang Liang to the Lu family to look for her.
Unexpectedly, Grandma Lu was waiting at the gate. After listening to their explanation, she smiled and said, "Your teacher is ill today. We will suspend the school for one day."
"Good boy, I'm sorry for keeping you here. Please tell the others to go home quickly."
Xiang Min nodded and asked again, "Is the Master seriously ill? I'll go get a doctor for him."
"Hey—no, no, good boy, you're so thoughtful. Your teacher is just too tired. Just a good day of rest will be fine. Amin, you should go home first, okay? And Dabao, Liangliang, and Zhongwang, ask them to come over to your house and play too?"
"Okay." Xiang Min said with a serious expression, "Grandma, don't worry. I will take good care of them and will never let them disturb the Master's rest."
"Haha, good job, Amin, you're so good. When your teacher gets better tomorrow, come home and grandma will cook you some sweet dumplings..."
Perhaps because of the precedent of Jiang Wanning, Grandma Lu was very accepting of the girl's enrollment. Seeing that Xiang Min was small and well-behaved, she was even more partial to her. But I wonder if she will still think the same after seeing Xiang Min fighting with a group of younger brothers.
Now that the most troublesome school had been arranged, Grandma Lu was relieved of a lot of her worries.
She carried the small stool back to the yard. A moment later, when Aunt Jiang came back, she hurried to greet her and looked into her basket: "Have you bought the old hen? Go stew it quickly. When Wan Ning wakes up, you can give her some nourishment."
"Okay, don't worry, old lady, everything will be fine." The two looked at each other and smiled kindly at the same time.
Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang were completely unaware of the two people's imaginations outside. When they woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Lu Shang was a little drowsy from sleep. He first pulled Jiang Wanning over and kissed her, then he remembered to ask, "What time is it? Is school closed today?"
Jiang Wanning only answered the first half of his sentence and then sat up.
It took Lu Shang a while to understand the meaning. He rested his head on Jiang Wanning's forearm and laughed triumphantly.
Jiang Wanning felt a little embarrassed and gave him a gentle push, "Hurry up and get up. Grandma has been missing you for a long time. I don't know when you came back yesterday. Did you talk to Grandma?"
Lu Shang shook his head. "He only said a few words. I didn't say much more. I only heard about Young Master Feng's success in the case when I arrived in the capital. I thought he might come to our house, but I didn't expect to actually see him."
When mentioning Feng He, Jiang Wanning frowned slightly.
Lu Shang said, "I spoke to them yesterday and asked them about their thoughts. They simply wanted to express their gratitude for your guidance. They originally wanted to hold a large banquet to express their gratitude, but Feng He was unsure of your intentions, so he quickly intervened. After much persuasion, only their family came over and brought the banknotes."
"I didn't know what you were thinking, so I didn't agree outright. I just explained the pros and cons and how we agreed from the beginning that you wouldn't teach in person, only through written instruction. It was Feng He who broke the agreement first, causing you to be unhappy."
Jiang Wanning's brows didn't relax, and she whispered, "It's not a question of breach of contract, it's—"
The words came to her lips, but she didn't know how to express them.
She was somewhat unhappy, but it was not entirely because Feng He had inquired about her identity and revealed it to her family. She seemed to be even more annoyed that it was clearly something she had done, but in the end it was attributed to a non-existent gentleman.
And all of this is just because she is a woman.
If she could change her gender, let alone being the son of a criminal, even if she was a criminal herself, as long as she had real talent and knowledge, I'm afraid there would be countless people coming to her for advice, instead of being so secretive as she is now, completely bound by the constraints of being a woman.
But isn't the purpose of studying to advance oneself? Why should we care about gender differences?
Take, for example, some of her close friends from the boudoir who she had met in Beijing. They were all well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood. What's more, they learned more than the scholars, such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They also learned housekeeping, accounting, cooking, and needlework...
If we really talk about ability, it’s hard to say who is better!
She said angrily, "Aren't you going to thank the teacher? I'll just agree. Now the Feng family elders know that there's no old master, just an unknown female teacher. If they are still willing to hold a banquet to thank the teacher, then I will go. At least they don't mind the embarrassment."
Lu Shang was stunned at first, but then said, "Did Aning misunderstand something?"
"Hmm?" Jiang Wanning turned her head, with a hint of anger still lingering on her forehead.
Lu Shang seemed to understand her thoughts. After feeling relieved, he also felt a little distressed.
If Jiang Wanning had been born in another era, with her talent and knowledge, she would have achieved great things. It's a pity...
He smiled and pulled her over, hands touching legs. "Didn't I just say they were going to have a big banquet? By then, the Feng family elders knew your identity. They were also conflicted, but in the end, they ignored your female body."
"Hasn't Aning heard? When the common people mention Young Master Feng, their first reaction is—"
Can the son of a merchant also win the first place?
This prejudice, like the idea that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent," is deeply rooted in the minds of too many people.
At present, Feng He is superior to many students, but it makes Master Feng proud. Since the son of a merchant can get into high school, what does it matter if there are old gentlemen or female teachers?
Mr. Feng had thought about it. When the thank-you banquet came, he would firstly praise the female teacher's talents, and secondly, he would show off that there were also capable merchants among his family. Even female merchants who were not optimistic about most people could be changed by him.
"The two elders didn't think that much about it. They were completely misled by Young Master Feng. In the end, they couldn't explain it clearly to you, and instead caused misunderstandings on both sides. Fortunately, I asked clearly, otherwise I'm afraid there would be resentment."
"Ah..." Jiang Wanning was stunned.
Lu Shang asked with a smile: "Then I will go tell the two elders of the Feng family that you have agreed to attend the banquet to thank the teacher?" As he said this, he pretended to get out of bed.
Jiang Wanning shuddered and quickly grabbed him: "No! That's not what I meant. I was just talking nonsense. I thought they..." He also thought she was not presentable enough, so he was only willing to give her some money in private.
"Then?" Lu Shang pinched her fingertips, "Mrs. Feng said she wants to come to your house tonight."
Jiang Wanning was silent for a moment: "...Then I'll go see Madam Feng."
"Okay, I'll do as you say." Lu Shang stopped there and did not interfere with her decision.
Having simply said this, the rest is all joy.
Lu Shang happily calculated the cost with her. The total value of the timber brought by the Li family was about three thousand taels. According to the agreed 20% labor fee, he would get a full six hundred taels. Even after deducting the commercial tax, he would still have more than five hundred taels left.
This money is enough to cover the cost of buying a house, renting a house, and renting a carriage. Any further expenses after that will all come from one's own money. There is no need to worry about embezzling the payment in advance and not being able to make up for it when the time comes.
Lu Shang said, "We can't get the intermediary wages until the logistics team returns. This batch of long-term workers who have been escorting the goods have been exhausted for three or four months, and they will have to take a few days off after they return. In addition, their wages for this period have not been paid yet. I will calculate it in a couple of days."
Speaking of wages, Jiang Wanning mentioned: "I gave gifts to the farmhands at the end of the year, but I didn't pay attention to the time. At the last minute, it was too rushed and I couldn't take care of it alone, so I had to exchange the gifts for silver and give each person one or two taels."
A farmhand's annual salary is only three taels, and even with the monthly bonus and attendance bonus, it will not exceed five taels. He can get one tael for free just during the Chinese New Year, which is actually a lot.
Jiang Wanning said, "I hadn't originally planned to give them so much, but when I heard about their work, I saw that they hadn't slacked off even when you were away, and they were still diligent in their work every day. This was also their first year, so I decided to give them a little more. I also asked someone to send some home to the long-term workers who went out with you."
Lu Shang's first reaction after hearing this was: "Do you still have money?"
His logistics team rarely made huge profits, and mostly made small profits but quick turnover. They could only earn seven or eight taels a month. Even if they added in the extra income from Jiang Wanning's writing letters and calligraphy, by the end of the year, they would only have saved about a hundred taels.
Sure enough, Jiang Wanning said, "It's enough to support the family."
"Besides, we still have the money prepaid by the restaurant. If we really run into any emergency, we can just continue to embezzle it."
Lu Shang did a rough calculation in his head. Although he didn't make much profit in the past six months, he didn't lose money either. He could still make about ten or twenty taels. Besides, this was only the first year. Not only could he win over the hearts of the farmhands, but he would also make money once Lu's Logistics became famous.
Just the Li family's order alone is enough to fill all the gaps.
After he had roughly calculated the amount, he added, "Aning has done a great job. I was so focused on the Li family's timber that I neglected the farmhands in town. As long as I don't lose money, the rest will come slowly."
"I didn't do anything bad, did I?"
"Of course not!" Lu Shang leaned over and kissed her, "Thanks to Aning!"
In a blink of an eye, the two of them had been talking for another half an hour. The sun was already high in the sky outside. Although Grandma Lu could wait, she was also afraid that something might really happen to them. She tiptoed to the door, listened carefully, knocked on it, and called out, "Shang'er, Wanning, are you awake?"
"It's getting up, grandma, we'll be out right away!" Lu Shang responded loudly.
It was the first time that Jiang Wanning was called to bed by her elders. She didn't dare to delay any longer and quickly got out of bed to wash up.
While she was washing her face, she saw Lu Shang take out the spring dress he had just brought back yesterday, and rummaged through her dressing table for a long time, finding a table full of jewelry.
Then he stared at Jiang Wanning straight, without saying a word, just staring.
"..." Jiang Wanning couldn't bear it any longer and said helplessly, "I know, I know. I'll just change into new clothes."
Even though they had slept in the same bed for a long time, she was still not used to changing clothes in front of Lu Shang. She took the spring clothes, went to the back to change, and only stood up after she was done with everything.
This time, Lu Shang looked at her with more than just a straight gaze.
Jiang Wanning found it funny and did not ask immediately. Instead, she sat back in front of the dressing table, put on earrings and forehead ornaments, added a silver bracelet, and finally combed her hair and picked out suitable hairpins and hairpins from the table.
There was no rouge or powder at home, only a few pieces of lip balm, but she didn't mind the simplicity and carefully dyed her lips.
She had taken good care of herself over the past six months and had regained her youthful spirit. As she grew older, her face also gradually matured, and her eyes and eyebrows revealed a bit of charm.
Jiang Wanning couldn't remember how long it had been since she had dressed up so carefully. After everything was ready, she looked at the blurry face in the bronze mirror and felt a little dazed for a moment.
After a moment, she turned back with a smile and asked cleverly, "Does it look good, husband?"
"..." Lu Shang hesitated for a long time, feeling that his vocabulary was too poor. After looking at it for a long time, he could only say one sentence, "It looks good."
Jiang Wanning burst out laughing.
Just from the dressing table to the door, a distance of a few steps, Lu Shang turned his head to look at her several times, and the more he looked, the more amazed he was.
After leaving the room, before Grandma Lu and the others appeared, Lu Shang shouted loudly: "Grandma, come quickly! Let me show you the fairy!"
Grandma Lu didn't hear clearly and ran out in a panic. When she saw Jiang Wanning's appearance, she had the same reaction as Lu Shang. She was stunned for a long time and uttered: "It looks good--"
This time, Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang laughed together.
Lunch was the old hen soup that Grandma Lu had specifically ordered. Since she didn't say anything, Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang didn't think much of it. They just heard her ask the children in the school to leave early, and they felt relieved.
Lu Shang said, "Let's go out this afternoon and see if there's anything we need to buy."
"Okay." Jiang Wanning agreed.
Instead, Grandma Lu and Aunt Jiang kept exchanging glances and were confused for a moment.
——You did that all night, and you recovered so quickly. Can you go out now?
——The lady doesn’t look like that anymore. Did we misunderstand?
The family finished lunch, and Aunt Jiang washed the dishes. The two did not stay long. Grandma Lu watched them return to their room and could not help but say, "The more I see, the more I think we must have been mistaken!"
Aunt Jiang nodded in agreement.
Grandma Lu patted her thigh, feeling very sorry: "My great-great-grandson, he's gone again!"
…
Jiang Wanning's outfit was beautiful, but it was not very appropriate for going out.
This is because Tang Town is too small and most of the people in the town are ordinary people. Even the well-known merchant families may not dress so exquisitely, not to mention that with Jiang Wanning's appearance, it is easy to attract attention when she goes out.
Seeing her quickly change into casual clothes, Lu Shang felt both pity and satisfaction.
It’s a pity that he can’t see the beautiful Aning anymore, but the satisfaction is that only he can see the beautiful Aning!
Jiang Wanning had no idea what he was thinking. After packing up, she waved her hand in front of him, calling him back to life: "Let's go!"
"Ah... go, go, go!" Lu Shang suddenly came back to his senses and went out without holding her hand, saying that he was afraid of getting lost.
This time, Jiang Wanning went to a bookstore first, handed in three pieces of calligraphy, and received three taels of silver in exchange.
Boss Huang hadn't seen Lu Shang for a long time. When he learned from a casual chat that he had gone to Lingnan, he couldn't help but sigh, "I only heard that Lu Xiucai was doing business before. It's only been a short time, but he has made his business so big. He is indeed a capable person. He excels in everything he does."
"Mr. Huang, thank you for your compliment." Lu Shang declined modestly.
The two took the calligraphy and the money, exchanged a few words of greeting, and soon parted ways.
On the other hand, Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning said they were shopping for household necessities, but there was actually nothing they needed at home. It would be more accurate to say that they just wanted to take a walk together rather than shopping.
They walked like this for more than an hour, neither of them holding anything in their hands.
Seeing that it was getting late and Mrs. Feng might come over, Lu Shang suggested going home.
The two looked at their hands, then at each other, smiled at each other, and went to the vegetable market on the street to pick some fresh vegetables and pork. Turning around, they saw someone selling a lamb that had just been slaughtered, and bought three pounds of lamb chops.
When they got home, Mrs. Feng was already waiting there.
Lu Shang just greeted her and then accompanied Grandma Lu to the kitchen, leaving the yard to Jiang Wanning and Madam Feng.
Without Master Feng and Feng He around today, the two of them spoke more easily. Following Lu Shang's advice, Madam Feng said frankly, "We didn't think too much about it. We are truly grateful to you, Madam."
"Boss Lu also said yesterday that Madam is definitely not the kind of person who is greedy for money. She was willing to guide He'er before because she wanted to be friends with He'er and asked him to introduce more merchants. If we talk about compensation, he has already made a profit."
"That's not what I meant. It's true that Boss Lu got to know the other bosses through He'er, but I also heard that Lu Logistics delivers goods quickly and on time, and they also have that compensation guarantee service. Even without He'er, it would have been a matter of time for them to become bigger and stronger. On the contrary, it's He'er who passed the imperial examination and ranked first in the high school entrance examination. That's something I can't even ask for."
Jiang Wanning lowered her eyes slightly: "Madam, your condition is serious."
Madam Feng thought for a moment, then slowly took Jiang Wanning's hand. "I've discussed this with Master again, and ultimately have chosen only two more suitable options. Madam, please listen to them."
"For the first option, if Madam is willing to show up, the Feng family will host a banquet in Fucheng and Tangzhen to entertain guests. Madam, please take a seat at the table. If you accept He'er as your student, it will be a way of thanking the teacher. If you refuse to accept him, it will be a way of thanking the master."
"As for the second option, if Madam really doesn't want to draw attention to herself, we will simply tell others that we were instructed by an expert and will not cause any trouble for Madam."
"But no matter which one it is, Madam has done a great favor to our Feng family. Whether it's money or a thank-you gift, I only ask Madam not to refuse it. Just consider it as a small token of our love."
When Feng He lived in Wuming Lane, he often sent various gifts to the Lu family under the pretext of showing his appreciation. Now that he was an elder, he still refused to owe them anything.
Jiang Wanning was not unable to distinguish between good and evil. Without the previous misunderstandings, she was a little shaken after hearing this.
She hesitated for a long time, then asked softly, "Then according to Madam and Master Feng, does the Young Master want to continue the examination?"
Madam Feng was startled, her eyes brimming with disbelief. "Madam, are you saying—Madam, are you still willing to guide He'er?"
Jiang Wanning shook her head. "It's not really guidance. Besides, the provincial examination is far from comparable to the imperial examination. There are many young talents among the scholars participating in the provincial examination, and there are several top scorers. The next provincial examination will be in two and a half years. Excuse me for being blunt, but in two and a half years, I'm afraid the young master..."
Mrs. Feng didn't care about these things. "I know, I know. As long as He'er can become a scholar, my master and I will be satisfied! We can't control whether he wants to take the exam or not. We only listen to his own opinion. Now it depends on you, madam. Are you willing to attend the teacher's appreciation banquet in the future?"
"I can go to the teacher appreciation banquet, but as for the public appreciation you just mentioned, forget it. My status is not convenient, so it's better not to show off."
"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say, Madam." Madam Feng was overjoyed and held Jiang Wanning's hand tightly. "Then when I get back, I'll bring the thank-you gift with Master. Don't worry, Madam, only the neighbors in the alley will know about this. We won't spread it to anyone else."
"Okay." Jiang Wanning finally stopped refusing.
Mrs. Feng was overjoyed, but a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face. "Actually, there's one more thing. Master doesn't want me to say more, but I can't help but ask Madam..."
"There are also nephews and nieces from my mother's family who are scholars. Unfortunately, they failed the imperial examination this spring. Recently, they came to the Feng family to seek advice from He'er. Several merchants who are friendly with the Feng family have also come to ask me -"
"That is to say, Madam, are you interested in taking on a few more students?" After saying this, she smiled embarrassedly.
Jiang Wanning couldn't help laughing: "Madam, are you here to study for someone else?"
"Eh..." Madam Feng wanted to refute, but she was right, so she simply accepted it. "Madam, you are so talented. I am fortunate to have met such a wonderful person like you, so of course I want to make some money for my children and nephews."
"If Madam is willing, my Feng family can take care of all the school affairs, including tuition and fees, and everything will be in accordance with the standards of the prefectural academy. All that's missing is Madam's consent!"
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