Chapter 85
By the end, both of them were speechless and just huddled together, experiencing this long-lost intimacy.
In the end, the wet nurse brought the child over. Little An An had been crying since he woke up, and neither the wet nurse nor Grandma Lu could comfort him, so they sent the child to Jiang Wanning.
Lu Shang went over and opened the door himself. He looked up at the baby wrapped in the cradle. At just one glance, he suddenly felt a sense of closeness in his heart.
He raised his hand, wanting to hug his little daughter whom he met for the first time, but because he had no experience, he didn't dare to really take over. He could only follow the wet nurse closely, and the more he looked at her, the happier he became.
After the wet nurse handed the child to Jiang Wanning, she tactfully retreated from the room.
This time, Lu Shang stuck to Jiang Wanning, watching her skillfully hold the child in her arms, cross-legged and rocking the child gently. But after a few gentle words of coaxing, little An'an's crying became softer.
Jiang Wanning raised her eyes and asked, "Husband, do you want a hug?"
Lu Shang widened his eyes: "Is it okay?"
"Why not?" Jiang Wanning smiled and carefully placed her daughter in Lu Shang's arms. Seeing him so stiff that he dared not move, she found it even more funny.
She helped Lu Shang adjust his posture and touched her daughter's face again. However, when she turned around, she found that the little girl had opened her black eyes and was looking curiously at her parents.
A baby of this age still couldn't see clearly, but Lu Shang still shouted in surprise: "Aning, look! An An is looking at me. Is An An smiling at me?"
Jiang Wanning nodded perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, my husband, please hold her tightly. I'll go change my clothes."
"Hey..." Lu Shang panicked, "I'm afraid I can't hold her well, otherwise..."
"It's okay." Jiang Wanning smiled, "It's okay, An An is very well behaved and won't move around. Husband, just sit by the bed. I'll be back soon."
"We'll go out after I change my clothes. Dad, Mom, and Grandma must have been waiting for a long time. I guess our relatives and friends who live nearby have also heard the news and rushed over."
After she finished speaking, she didn't give Lu Shang a chance to refuse and went to the back to change into new clothes.
Lu Shang was still stiff all over, his eyes fixed on his daughter, not daring to be distracted for even a moment.
And just as Jiang Wanning said, little An An is very well behaved. He rarely made a fuss when he was in his mother's womb. After he was born, except for crying a little occasionally, he was not like other children who had to stay up day and night.
Even the wet nurse said that the little lady was a loving one. She had taken care of so many families, but this was the first time she had met one so well-behaved. Especially at night, as long as she was fed on time, she would not cry or make a fuss easily.
Little An An was held by Lu Shang, and she didn't cry or make a fuss when she met a stranger. She just babbled curiously twice at first, and then she started to smack her little mouth and move her head from time to time. Her delicate little face just happened to rub against Lu Shang's chest, which made Lu Shang feel warm in his heart.
Slowly, Lu Shang's hands were not as stiff as before. He put one hand around the back of the swaddling clothes, and slowly pulled out the other hand, carefully touching little An An's hand.
The big palm gently wrapped around the small hand, and Lu Shang's heart almost melted.
Jiang Wanning had changed into a plain skirt at some point and was standing quietly by the side, watching the father and daughter getting along so well, a smile appeared on her face.
It was not until little An An started to babble anxiously that Jiang Wanning went over to pick up the child.
Lu Shang's eyes were still glued to the child, and he asked, "Has An An got a name?"
"Not yet. I'm waiting for you to come back and get it." Jiang Wanning said, and pulled the swaddling clothes on little An An's head down. Seeing that there was no wind outside, she carried the child out.
A baby under three months old is not considered heavy, but it still weighs more than ten pounds, and your arms will inevitably feel sore from holding them for a long time.
Lu Shang quickly figured this out. He stood guard beside Jiang Wanning and said, "If holding her is too tiring for you, then ask the wet nurse and other maids to stay by your side so they can take over."
"But after these last three to five days, I'll have a clear understanding of my subordinates' affairs and will stay by your side. From now on, I will help you. Wherever Aning goes, I will follow."
Although Jiang Wanning didn't know to what extent this statement could be put into practice, she liked it after all and responded in a low voice.
As early as when the couple went out, the maid guarding the door went to report the news. When they walked into the hall, the three members of the family were all waiting there.
After seeing Lu Shang, Grandma Lu was the first to come forward and hold his arm. She wanted to say, "You've lost weight from being tired," but after looking left and right, she couldn't go against her conscience. After a long while, she finally said, "Shang'er hasn't lost much weight in the past few months..."
The others laughed, and Jiang's mother added, "It's good that he didn't lose weight. This means Lu Shang didn't suffer in the capital!"
Since they were all family, there was no need for unnecessary formalities. After a few brief greetings at the door, they went into the hall together. Grandma Lu and Mother Jiang gathered around Jiang Wanning and helped her look after the child.
Lu Shang was pushed aside and had to sit on the side with Jiang's father.
It has been two months since the news of Lu Shang being chosen as the top scholar came back, but such an unexpected surprise is still exciting to talk about even after such a long time.
Seeing that everyone was really curious, Lu Shang had no choice but to recount what he had seen and heard in the past few months.
When talking about the turning point at the Qionglin Banquet, Jiang's mother and Grandma Lu reacted more strongly than Jiang Wanning. Grandma Lu even patted her chest and said fearfully, "Being an official is still very dangerous..."
Father Jiang also had a serious expression on his face. He pondered the two types of business reforms that Lu Shang mentioned. He felt itchy and quickly asked, "Can you elaborate on the nationalization of business that you mentioned?"
Lu Shang smiled and said, "If you're interested, Dad, I'll tell you in detail the next day. I'm going to start thinking about opening a business soon, so you can give me some advice."
"However, compared to the imperial business, there is another matter concerning our family. I wonder if you and mother would be happy to hear it."
He signaled to Jiang Wanning to tell him the imperial pardon order.
As Jiang Wanning finished speaking, the hall fell into a long silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Father Jiang asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you serious?"
Lu Shang said, "It's absolutely true. Even before I left the capital, there were rumors in the capital about the Jiang family's pardon. It's just that it takes time for the emperor to draft and send the decree, and I was in a hurry, so I couldn't bring it back with me."
"I estimate that the letter of pardon will be delivered in ten days or half a month."
For a long time, Jiang's father had many grievances against the new emperor, especially because his two children suffered hardships one after another. First, his son broke his legs due to harassment by officers and soldiers, and then his daughter was forced to be sold to a sickly man in a remote mountain village as a wife for good luck.
If it weren't for his wife, Father Jiang would have wanted to bang his head against the ground and die.
But later, as time passed, he began to regret that he had not been cautious enough. It was because the King of Qin gave him several valuable ancient books and attended two banquets hosted by the King of Qin that he was assigned to the King of Qin's camp.
Later, when the previous emperor passed away, the princes fought for the throne. The Qin prince's foundation in the capital was no match for the Sixth Prince, who had made great military achievements. The Qin prince took a risk and almost harmed the Sixth Prince's wife, which made him have a grudge with the Sixth Prince. With the Sixth Prince's ascension to the throne, that is, Emperor Showa, the Qin prince and his party became the first targets to be liquidated, and the Jiang family was also among them.
When in the north, Jiang's father cursed the new emperor several times for his harsh methods, saying that he would suffer backlash sooner or later. After cursing the new emperor, he blamed himself for not acting appropriately.
Just for those few tattered books, he ruined an entire family. Fortunately, his children found a place to go. Otherwise, if even one of them did something wrong, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.
Decades passed, and the Showa Emperor, whom he cursed to be retaliated against, not only did not face opposition from his ministers, but instead implemented a series of new policies with tough measures.
Take the reform of the imperial examination system, which was opposed by many court officials. In Jiang's father's opinion, he could not find any fault with it. Especially when his own family benefited from the new system, his long-standing resentment towards Emperor Showa also faded little by little. When he asked about the Jiang family's pardon at this time, he was in a complicated mood and could not speak for a long time.
Jiang Wanning wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but when she turned around, she found that Jiang's mother was already in tears.
She couldn't help but ask softly, "Is mother thinking of something sad?"
Mother Jiang wiped the tear marks on her face with a handkerchief, but in the blink of an eye, her face was wet again. She said in a hoarse voice, "I was thinking of your eldest brother... Zhiyu. He's in the Northwest Camp, and because of his crimes, he hasn't been able to get promoted for a long time."
"Now that the Jiang family's crimes have been pardoned, if your eldest brother knew that he could also be rewarded according to his merits, I wonder how happy he would be... He wanted to be a general all those years ago!"
When talking about her brother, Jiang Wanning couldn't help but fall silent.
Later, Lu Shang said, "I know this happened too suddenly. I'm sure my parents haven't reacted yet. Why don't you two think about it again after you go back and decide whether to reinstate me and return to the capital, or retire and stay in Songxi County."
"Whatever you choose, Aning and I respect your decision."
"Also, I've already told Aning that I'll basically be based in Songxi County for the next few years. I probably won't enter the court until I've made some achievements as a maritime merchant."
"But sea merchants don't have so many restrictions. Whether I stay in Songxi County or go to the capital, I can do it. Wherever Aning goes, I will go. It all depends on your opinion."
Just as Lu Shang finished speaking, Grandma Lu suddenly raised her hand: "I, I will go wherever An An goes. I will listen to you."
Lu Shang didn't react at first, until he thought about what Grandma Lu said twice, and was surprised: "Grandma, didn't you always go wherever I go before? Now that An An is here, it doesn't matter where I am?"
Grandma Lu said embarrassedly: "You can't say that. Anyway, wherever your great-grandson is, you must be there too."
Lu Shang looked bitter: "Grandma, don't say anymore, I understand everything. From now on, I will have no status in this family. An An is the most favored one."
Everyone laughed, and the previous dull atmosphere was greatly dispelled.
They sat together and talked for a while, and then it got dark outside.
Lu Shang had been traveling for over a month and seldom had a good meal on the road. When he did have a hot meal, he ate twice as much as usual, especially the tender celery fried by Jiang Wanning, which almost all went into his stomach.
An An slept in the master bedroom at night. Jiang Wanning fed her in the first half of the night, and in the second half of the night, a wet nurse would prepare goat milk in advance and knock on the door when the time came.
When Lu Shang didn't come back in the past, An An would sleep on the inside of the bed.
He had only been back for half a day today, and the servants in the mansion had already prepared a crib for the child. The fence was built high and surrounded with cotton cloth, so there was no need to worry about the child falling at night.
The small bed was placed at the head of Jiang Wanning's bed, within reach.
Although Lu Shang wanted to put his daughter between him and Jiang Wanning, he also wanted to hug Jiang Wanning, so he had to reluctantly give up his daughter. He would wait until he was relieved of his longing for his wife before thinking about getting close to his daughter.
In the next two days, the number of guests visiting the house gradually increased.
Most of them are business partners who have dealings with Lu Shang. This time they heard that he was the top scorer in the high school entrance examination and wanted to deepen their friendship with him early.
In addition to those who came to congratulate Lu Shang, there were also several families from the private school. They had passed the palace examination and were either directly appointed as officials or had already submitted substitute applications. But no matter which one, at least they had passed the imperial examination and were considered to have joined the gentry.
The Feng family and the Pang family came on the same day, with less than half an hour's difference between the two families, and happened to catch up with Jiang Wanning returning from the private school.
Feng He actually received the transfer order. After a few months of home leave, he will immediately rush to his post. After five years, if he passes the assessment of the Ministry of Personnel and performs well, he can continue to be promoted.
Although the Feng family did not plan to go to the post with him, in the future, the two elders of the Feng family could say that they were the county magistrate's parents when they went out. This was considered a complete change of family status and they had left the business community.
This time, no matter what Jiang Wanning said or how she refused, they had to offer a heavy gift. Apart from the gold and silver that were displayed openly, the more important ones were the house deeds and land deeds in various places, as well as several business lines handed over to Lu's Logistics. If calculated in gold and silver, these would add up to hundreds of thousands of taels, which was enough to buy half of the Feng family.
Pang Liang's family was born and raised in a farming family. Even though Pang Liang passed the imperial examinations and the provincial examinations in the past two years, the life of the Pang family has not changed much. Grandpa Pang still drives his ox cart back and forth between Tang Town and the counties under it. When he is in the mood, he drinks a few sips of wine, and then praises Master Jiang's greatness to the villagers and brags about his promising grandson.
As for Pang Liang's parents, they have failed to discipline him because Pang Liang has rarely been home in recent years.
But even without his parents' supervision, it did not prevent Pang Liang from going to high school. He was no longer as timid and cowardly as before. Although he was always teased by his classmates in the private school for being a little old-fashioned, he gradually dared to make his own decisions and was no longer responsible for his own decisions.
This time the Pang family came to thank Jiang Wanning, and Pang Liang's cousin Lin Zhongwang was also there.
Lin Zhongwang has now firmly established himself in Lu's Logistics. After another three to five years of experience, he will be promoted to the position of general manager, and will have the same status as Lu Qi.
Even now, his monthly salary is not a small amount, and the Lin family's life has improved greatly. When they heard that the Pang family was coming to thank the teacher, they hurried over, holding gifts in both hands, all to thank Jiang Wanning for his teaching that day.
Lu Shang's guests were still in the main hall, so Jiang Wanning invited all three families to the backyard.
She knew that even if she refused their gifts of thanks, she would not be able to return them all in the end, so she simply gave up and asked someone to take the things to the back. She would think about how to return them later when she had made up her mind.
Seeing Jiang Wanning accept the thank-you gift, several families looked relieved.
Grandpa Pang was the first to sigh, "Ten years have already passed in the blink of an eye. Back then, I only wanted my good grandson to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar in the future, which would have been a great honor for our family. Who would have thought that he would really be just as Master Jiang said, and become a Juren and then a Jinshi? This is something we ordinary people dare not even dream of! It's a blessing that I didn't look down on you just because Master Jiang was a woman, otherwise I would have missed such a great opportunity."
Jiang Wanning smiled and said, "You knew the truth that year and were willing to trust me. Naturally, I can't let you down."
"Oh——" Uncle Pang wiped his face, not knowing what to say.
He could only thank him a few more times and push Pang Liang again: "My dear grandson, please remember who has carefully raised you for ten years. Although Master Jiang is not your biological parent, his kindness to you far exceeds that of your parents! If you do anything to let Master Jiang down in the future, our Pang family is not so heartless, and you can forget about being a member of our Pang family!"
Pang Liang showed no displeasure at being lectured. He bowed his head and said respectfully, "Yes, Grandpa, don't worry. I will definitely remember your kindness in my heart."
After the Pang family, Lin Zhongwang's mother said something similar. Regardless of whether she was sincere or not, at least her attitude was shown.
Lin Zhongwang works at Lu's Logistics. If he ever does something to offend Jiang Wanning, the Lin family won't have to do anything. I'm afraid Lu Shang will avenge his wife first.
The two elders of the Feng family had frequent contacts with the Lu family. In the last few months of Jiang Wanning's pregnancy, Mrs. Feng often came to visit at home. It was inevitable that she would say a few personal words, which naturally included the high hopes that their Feng family had for Feng He, and the gratitude to Jiang Wanning that could not be expressed in words.
This time, the two of them didn't say much. Madam Feng spoke for the Feng family, saying, "From now on, if Master Jiang needs anything, we Fengs would be ungrateful and unkind if we said no!"
Jiang Wanning was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and kept saying "You are so polite", and personally poured tea for several families.
She said, "As a teacher, teaching and educating is my duty. Besides, among the few families we have, I have been with you for the longest time. Pang Liang is my only student, so I should treat him well. Master Feng has placed his trust in me, so I should return the favor and live up to your expectations."
"Even if it's Zhongwang, you can just think of it as a little selfish motive on my part, all for the sake of training a capable steward for my husband."
Having said that, the benefits to several companies are real.
In this era, the kindness of a teacher is comparable to the kindness of giving birth to a child. As the saying goes, respect teachers and respect the elderly. No matter whether they are officials or businessmen, as long as they are not so heartless, they will remember Jiang Wanning for the rest of their lives.
Considering that it would take several hours for the Pang family to get back to Tang Town and it was getting late, Jiang Wanning invited them to have dinner at her house.
After dinner, we found an inn for them to rest in the city for one night and return home the next day.
After the Enke exam ended and Lu Shang passed the high school entrance exam, the Lu Mansion was flooded with guests. Some even came without knowing Lu Shang at all. Facing Lu Shang's doubts, they simply presented him with gifts and said, "It doesn't matter if we didn't know each other before. After today, we will know each other..."
With Qu Heng and several county magistrates coming to visit, the Lu family became extremely popular.
Father and Mother Jiang no longer had the heart to think about the letter of pardon, and hurried out. Father Jiang helped to greet the guests, while Mother Jiang helped Jiang Wanning to look after the children. Even Grandma Lu was old, and with so many people coming and going, they were afraid that she would be disturbed and have heart palpitations.
It took Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning a full ten days just to deal with the visitors from all sides.
This was because Lu Shang had announced that he would hold a banquet at his house at the end of the month, which blocked some guests.
Before Lu Shang went to Tang Town to inspect the logistics team's business, the Jiang family's letter of pardon was finally delivered to his door.
The emperor personally instructed that although the Jiang family had made mistakes and knew their faults, their crimes did not deserve death. Moreover, considering that Jiang Zhiyuan had written countless books that were still in use today, the emperor valued talents and wanted to re-employ Jiang Zhiyuan and promote him to the position of Prince Taifu to show his favor.
Jiang's father and mother thanked him and accepted the decree, but did not reply whether they would return to Beijing to resume their posts.
After the two elders received the imperial edict and stood up, they saw Qu Heng rushing over on horseback. In front of countless people, he knelt before Jiang's father, kowtowed three times in a proper manner, and said loudly: "Students congratulate the teacher and his wife for clearing their grievances!"
Only then did everyone realize that the prefect of Songxi County was also a student of Scholar Jiang.
"This Lu family is truly remarkable! Producing a top scholar is already impressive enough, but it turns out the female teacher who opened the private school also comes from a distinguished background. She's a respectable young lady in the capital!"
In just two days, the entire city was filled with rumors about the Lu and Jiang families. When common people passed by the gate of the Lu Mansion, they couldn't help but stop and watch, wanting to see what kind of magical and magnificent family this was.
Later, I heard from the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict that in addition to sending a letter of pardon to Songxi County, the emperor also sent an imperial edict to the Northwest Camp. The first was to clear the charges against the eldest son of the Jiang family, and the second was to order the general to count his achievements and report them to the court so that he could be rewarded.
After receiving the letter of pardon, Father Jiang went to the study and talked with Lu Shang for the whole night.
After he came out, his eyes were clear. As soon as he walked out of the room, he saw the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict. He accepted the emperor's reinstatement and promotion. Two days later, he returned to Beijing with his wife and eunuch to resume his post.
Although Jiang Wanning said that she would not interfere with the decision of Jiang's father and mother, she was surprised by Jiang's father's behavior.
She asked while Lu Shang was playing with Xiao An'an, and only then did she realize that this was somewhat related to Lu Shang.
It turned out that Jiang's father could not make up his mind. He was worried about the disputes in the officialdom if the emperor reinstated him. If he made another wrong move, it would be another disaster for the Jiang family. Moreover, the series of suppressions against the Jiang family when the new emperor first ascended the throne also made him feel wary.
But on the other hand, the Jiang family has been officials for generations, and he couldn't bear to let the Jiang family's official career end with him.
Lu Shang kissed his daughter's hand and replied, "From what I've heard from my father, I still want to return to the court to serve as an official. I'm just afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing again in the future, so I'm a little timid."
"But I'm thinking that I've been a commoner these past few years, so if I were to get involved with an official, I'd probably be at a disadvantage. If Dad really returns to the court as an official, with the dual status of Grand Secretary and Prince Taifu, it would be a protection for me in my business and for you in running a private school."
"I told Dad that it would be a good idea to return to the court for a few years. After a few years, when I enter the court, it won't be too late for Dad to retire."
Jiang Wanning understood, leaned over and touched her daughter's cheek, without asking any further questions.
Two days later, Jiang's father and mother left and returned to Beijing to resume their posts under the escort of court officials and soldiers.
Lu Shang went to Tang Town and checked all the account books for the months he was away. He also looked at two compensation accidents. Because they were force majeure factors, he reduced the punishment for the transport workers.
Jiang Wanning had to take care of the students in the private school and help organize the banquet at the end of the month, so she had less energy to focus on her daughter.
Fortunately, Grandma Lu was still at home, and with her and the wet nurse taking care of her, Jiang Wanning was relieved of all worries.
Two days later, Lu Shang rushed back from Tang Town and took over the trivial matters at home, while also taking care of the important task of looking after the children.
Jiang Wanning then had time to reorganize the private school. He also met with several teachers introduced by Qu Heng and those who applied for the position on their own. Finally, he hired three male teachers, one who taught poetry and prose, two who taught classics, and Jiang Wanning was responsible for teaching the remaining policy questions and current affairs.
As for the girls' school, Xiang Min was responsible for the overall situation. The students who had been in the private school for a long time became teachers, teaching the new female students. In addition to Jiang Wanning's teaching of reading and writing, they spent more time teaching.
In this way, Jiang Wanning took over most of the affairs in the private school.
At the end of the month, the Lu family held a banquet. The original thirty tables were all occupied, and there were still guests coming in at the door. Jiang Wanning had no choice but to temporarily book a table at a restaurant and add a buffet at the door of her house, which was also considered a banquet for the people passing by.
In this way, August passed slowly.
The September home visit leave is halfway over, and many students who are being appointed as officials are about to rush to their posts.
People who had little relationship with the Lu family did not know that Lu Shang had another mission and thought that he had also returned to the capital, which was why the number of guests in the house was reduced.
Little did they know that Lu Shang always stayed at home, willingly being a househusband. He was in charge of everything, from arranging the rear house to taking care of the children.
In mid-September, Zhan Shunan brought thirty people to our home.
These thirty people were all natives of Songxi County. Some had no family ties, while others were willing to move with their families, meaning they could go on sea trade.
Lu Shang personally asked about the situation of each of their families, picked out two and sent them to the logistics team in Tang Town, and kept the rest. He gave them half a month to pack up and set off for Beijing at the end of the month to wait for Li Hui's merchant ship to go to sea.
Afterwards, he nominated two more people to replace Zhan Shunan's position, and Zhan Shunan was transferred to the capital, where he was responsible for the development of the logistics team in the capital and the newly assigned sea transportation matters.
There are only Zhan Shunan and his wife in his family, so it is convenient for him to move directly to Beijing.
Unlike other farmhands, Lu Shang directly bought a house for them, right in the center of the capital, with three rooms and a small courtyard. It was directly named after Zhan Shunan and cost more than six hundred taels.
He didn't tell the other party about the cost of the new house, but only handed the deed to Zhan Shunan: "You work for me and are leaving your hometown, so I naturally can't let you down. Take this deed and you can move in directly when you arrive in the capital."
"Don't be so quick to refuse. Houses in the capital are hard to find. You can live anywhere, but it wouldn't be nice for my sister-in-law to live outdoors with you, right? Besides, after two years, when you and your sister-in-law have a child, the location of this house will be perfect."
Zhan Shunan clutched the deed tightly, remained silent for a long time, then bowed his head and said, "Thank you, boss."
Later, Lu Shang told this to Jiang Wanning, and Jiang Wanning agreed: "Brother Zhan has worked in Lu's Logistics for so many years and has made countless contributions. He deserves this house."
Speaking of the house in the capital, Lu Shang asked again: "Now that my parents have returned to the capital, does Aning want to live in the prefectural city or return to the capital in the future?"
Jiang Wanning pondered for a moment. "From what my husband said, are the maritime merchants still mainly active in the capital?"
Lu Shang nodded slightly: "That's true, but I don't go out to sea, it's the same wherever I go."
Jiang Wanning said, "But there's always a time difference between when the news reaches the capital and when it reaches Songxi County. Why don't we move to the capital in a year or two? That way we can be closer to our parents and it will be more convenient for you to handle your affairs in the future."
"Besides, even if you don't move in the next few years, you'll still have to move to the capital in four or five years after you've completed your mission as the emperor and entered the court. It's better to move there early while An An is still young so she can adapt early."
"Okay, then I'll listen to you. In a year or two, we'll move to the capital." Lu Shang asked again, "Do you want to look after the house now?"
"Let's not do that for now, right?" Jiang Wanning thought for a moment. "Wait until Mom and Dad are settled. Why not ask Mom to keep an eye on them for us? There's still time."
"Okay!" Lu Shang agreed.
Half a month later, Zhan Shunan set out from Songxi County with the newly selected farmhands. In addition to these farmhands, their team also had family members, so their pace would be much slower.
Fortunately, they were not in a hurry and could arrive before Li Hui's merchant ship set off.
At the end of October, news came back from the capital that Jiang's father had been reinstated and was appointed as the Prince's Tutor. Jiang's mother also had her imperial title restored and had found the Jiang family's former house.
The original Jiang Mansion has been vacant for many years. They only had time to clean up the main courtyard, and they had to hire people to clean up the remaining courtyards.
As Jiang's father was reinstated, he was entrusted by the emperor with the important task of compiling a book in the court, which demonstrated the Jiang family's resurgence. His former students also gradually came to visit him.
Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang read the letter sent by Jiang's father and mother together, just sneered and did not say much about their actions.
After putting down the letter, the two of them returned to their respective tasks.
In a blink of an eye, it was winter again and the end of the year was approaching. Lu Shang learned that the people taken away by Zhan Shunan had boarded the merchant ship, but he didn't know the situation on the ship yet and had to wait until the merchant ship returned.
He had found shipbuilding craftsmen in the past few months. Since the court was paying for it, he no longer had to worry about a shortage of silver, and the merchant ships could use the best materials.
In addition, he also began to recruit boat workers in various places, asking the logistics team to take the recruitment letters to various places, and then asking the government office to help post them. Regardless of whether they had experience in sailing, if they were able to apply, they would receive special training afterwards. The wages would be calculated based on the number of days at sea, 22 cents per day.
Up to now, there are already eighty boatmen who have applied for the job.
The merchant ships that Lu Shang wanted to attack were very large, two in total, each requiring more than 200 people, and he had to continue recruiting.
At the same time, Jiang Wanning's private school also recruited a new batch of students.
But this group of students only consisted of girls, most of whom came from ordinary families. They agreed that if they did well in their studies after three years, they could help find jobs, either working in Xiang Min's embroidery room or as accountants in the logistics team.
Speaking of the logistics team's accountant, we have to mention that since the middle of the year, Lu's Logistics has started recruiting female accountants. These female accountants do not need to live with the long-term workers. They have a special room for handling account books, which is full of women. As long as they calculate the accounts for the day, they can go home after work.
At the beginning, there were only a few women who came to apply for the job.
It was Lu Qi who made the decision and raised the female accountant's salary by 10%, which was enough to recruit a few people. Later, when they became proficient in their work, he gave them more rewards, which made the female accountant's reputation known.
Nowadays, some women also work outside, but most of them are in embroidery rooms and other places, and most of them are older women. Women in their teens and twenties basically still stay at home.
This was the result of a discussion between Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang one day.
For example, there were countless female students in her private school, but very few of them could actually put what they learned into practice. Most of them would go home to get married when they reached a certain age. The so-called few years of studying in the private school were nothing more than an insignificant experience in their long life journey.
Lu Shang said, "Until one day women can take the imperial examinations and enter the court like men, the so-called admission of women into the imperial court will only be an option for a few families."
"I have an idea—"
"Husband, please speak." Jiang Wanning said in a slightly deep voice.
Lu Shang said, "What I'm thinking is, why not recruit a group of girls from poor families first and use arranging jobs for them as an introduction, just like the schools in the alleys back then. If there's something profitable, people will be tempted."
"Let's say one day women earn more money than men, will they still be trapped at home? Especially for ordinary people, a few taels of silver a year is not a small amount of money."
Jiang Wanning asked, "Then how can I find a job that can support women?"
Lu Shang tapped the back of her hand: "Have you forgotten me, Aning?"
Jiang Wanning still didn't understand something: "Husband said...but aren't the logistics team all men? The few women are elderly women who do the laundry and cooking for them. How can there be any jobs suitable for young women?"
Lu Shang smiled and said, "Just because there isn't any now doesn't mean there won't be any in the future. The logistics team mostly involves physical labor, which is definitely not suitable for women. But the work in the accounting office is universal."
…
This is how Lu's Logistics set the precedent of providing female accountants.
Before the Chinese New Year, Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning went to Tang Town together and distributed holiday gifts to the managers and farmhands in Tang Town. There were also holiday gifts from other places, which were the same as those in Tang Town, but they did not go to deliver them in person.
There were also several female accountants in Tang Town. Their festival gifts were no different from those of other people. Because they were female relatives, they even received an extra piece of cloth, which was the envy of others.
When the two returned from Tang Town, they heard from the doorman that a guest had come to their house and claimed to be the lady's brother.
Jiang Wanning was stunned on the spot, and after coming to her senses, she ran towards the yard.
Lu Shang did not shout, but hurriedly followed her until they reached the hall, where he saw a man and a woman sitting.
The man was not sitting on a chair in the hall. He had his own wheelchair with two wooden wheels that he could adjust himself and a push handle at the back.
The woman sat next to him, watching from afar, her profile looking very cold and indifferent.
Jiang Wanning stopped urgently at the door of the hall, and the sound she made caused the two people in the hall to turn around.
Only then did Lu Shang realize that the two people waiting inside were both good-looking. The man was handsome, and the faint scar between his eyebrows did not affect his temperament. Upon closer inspection, he was somewhat similar to Jiang Wanning.
Although the woman looked cold and lonely, her features were delicate and she exuded a heroic air.
The man smiled first and said softly, "Is Wanwan back?"
Jiang Wanning burst into tears instantly. Looking at the wheelchair behind Jiang Zhiyu, she choked and said, "Brother..."
The next moment, Jiang Zhiyu stood up from the wheelchair and took two steps forward. His legs were obviously inconvenient, but he was still able to walk.
Jiang Zhiyu said helplessly, "My legs are actually fine now, but Xiaobai is always worried that I won't walk too much, so he asked someone to make me this wheelchair. I have to sit in it to go in and out."
Jiang Wanning asked blankly, "Xiaobai..."
Jiang Zhiyu clapped his hands, led the woman next to him to his side, and introduced her again: "I forgot to tell Wanwan, this is Xiaobai, she and I just got married last year, you should call her sister-in-law."
Bai Shu nodded slightly and followed Jiang Zhiyu in calling out "Wanwan".
Jiang Wanning was still confused, but she still politely called "sister-in-law".
Jiang Zhiyu turned his gaze towards Lu Shang, looked him over calmly, and then asked, "Is this the Lu Shang that my parents were talking about?"
Lu Shang stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, brother, and sister-in-law."
After hearing this, Jiang Zhiyu's eyes finally showed a hint of satisfaction.
Later, the two learned that Jiang Zhiyu had been rewarded by the court three months ago and was awarded the title of General of Cavalry based on his military merits. He returned to Beijing with his wife to receive the title, and on his way back, he came to Songxi County to see his sister and brother-in-law, as well as his little niece whom he had never met.
Jiang Zhiyu took Bai Shu to stay in Songxi County for half a month. They visited Lu Shang's logistics team and Jiang Wanning's private school.
Later, I heard that although Lu Shang did not hold an official position in name, he was actually working for the emperor, and I felt completely relieved.
As soon as the New Year came to an end, Jiang Zhiyu and Bai Shu set out on their journey back to the Northwest Camp.
Jiang Wanning looked at her sister-in-law who had mounted her horse so swiftly and could not help but ask, "Sister-in-law, aren't you staying in the capital or Songxi County?"
Without waiting for Bai Shu to answer, Jiang Zhiyu chuckled first: "Even if I stay, your sister-in-law can't stay."
These words made Jiang Wanning even more confused, and in the end she still couldn't understand what it meant.
Only Lu Shang thought about the calluses on his sister-in-law's hands that he had accidentally seen at the dinner table, and he seemed to be lost in thought.
Two years later, two large ships named "Polang" set out from the waters of the capital. In April of the same year, Lu Shang and his family moved out of Songxi County and set out on the road to the capital.
Because of Grandma Lu and Xiao An'an, they did not rush on their journey. Instead, they walked and enjoyed the scenery along the way. It took them half a year to reach the capital.
On the day that Lu Shang moved into the Jiang Mansion with Jiang Wanning, people in the palace also received the news.
Emperor Showa put down the secret report and snorted softly, "I thought he wouldn't be ready to enter the capital before five years."
Thinking of the two wave-breaking ships that were entirely funded by the imperial court, Emperor Showa felt very pleased and couldn't help but wonder how much he would get in return when the merchant ships returned.
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