Mr. Peng looked at the basket of melons, his eyes shining, and said, "You're a good guy at least having a conscience, knowing I've been craving these lately. Last time, Jiaren sent over a winter melon, it was so sweet! It's a pity that the kid is too stingy, he hasn't sent any more since."
Mr. Wen only took two cantaloupes and stuffed them into his hands, saying, "You should be content. Outsiders don't even get to eat these. I can only give you two this time to satisfy your craving. Next time I come, I'll bring you more. This basket is for Dean Zhou; I have something to discuss with him."
"I knew it! You only come here when you have something to ask. What are you plotting against our academy this time? Which disciple are you going to squeeze in this time?"
Mr. Peng called his page to take the melon away, but Mr. Wen refused to sit down and drink tea. "This matter is urgent and cannot be delayed. Call Jiaren over, and we will go to see the dean together."
Mr. Peng asked suspiciously, "What exactly is going on? Don't try to trick me!"
"Don't worry, it's a great thing. Otherwise, why would I let Jiaren go and show his face?"
"That's true, then you wait."
Mr. Peng sent someone to the school dormitory to find Jiaren, and then led Mr. Wen slowly toward the dean's courtyard.
Just as the two arrived at the door, Jiaren also arrived.
"Sir, teacher!" He bowed his head in greeting, his forehead covered with a thin layer of sweat, perhaps from walking too fast.
Mr. Wen patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'll take you to see the dean. There's good news."
"Yes, teacher." Jiaren was curious, but didn't ask any further questions.
Soon, the three of them sat down with the dean for tea.
Mr. Wen politely presented the melons, and then got down to business.
Zhou Yuanzi was pleasantly surprised to hear that the books from Taihua Academy were to be sent here for copying and would be kept at the academy for a year for students to browse.
Mr. Peng was overjoyed; his old friend really hadn't tricked him!
He quickly took on the task of copying the book, and Jiaren promised to copy it well with his classmates.
The dean, of course, would not refuse, and settled the matter in just a few words, and Jiaren was also put on his mind.
After all, a year later, when the Li family moves those four hundred-plus handwritten copies back, even if he wanted to see them, he would have to borrow them from Jiaren.
The deal was settled smoothly, and the dean, having received a benefit, generously gifted Mr. Wen two cans of fine tea and invited him to a poetry gathering a few days later.
Mr. Wen readily agreed. As soon as they left the courtyard, Mr. Peng couldn't help but pat his friend on the shoulder, his face full of envy.
"You're really lucky. This poetry gathering is for famous people, and I'm not even qualified to attend. I never expected the dean to invite you."
Mr. Wen chuckled and said, "If you give him over four hundred books, he'll be willing to take you with him."
After saying that, he invited Mr. Peng to have dinner at Li's restaurant.
Mr. Peng refused. Firstly, the books would have to be moved into his yard to prevent them from being stolen. Secondly, he was also a book lover and couldn't wait to immerse himself in the sea of books. He had no interest in eating.
Soon, Jiaren's classmates were all called out to work.
They each carried a stack of books as they walked in, looking somewhat bewildered.
On the way, I happened to catch the students leaving school, and the students I met were even more curious.
Mr. Peng only breathed a sigh of relief after watching all the books in his collection being taken into his study.
After that, he had to label and sort the items, fetch pens and ink from the storeroom, and arrange tables and chairs for the students to copy the texts. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to see Mr. Wen off when he left.
Jiaren led Mr. Wen to the food shop, and Li Laosan was also happy to see Mr. Wen and Liu Biaotou and others.
Jia'an and Jiaxi were used to working as waiters, so selling food was no problem for them. They immediately took over the shop and told everyone to go to the back and talk slowly.
Jiayi and Liu Yang also lent a hand, and they were extremely efficient.
With this free time, Jia Huan quickly cooked and prepared dinner for everyone.
Jiaren, wanting to talk to his younger brothers, also squeezed into the front shop.
Some well-informed students couldn't help but inquire about the book collection, and Jiaren smiled and said, "I've always been here at the academy, so I don't know too much about it."
This can be seen as an indirect admission that their family sent over four hundred books.
The students were envious, but even more so, they were happy.
Who wouldn't want to read more books and broaden their horizons?
Some thanked Jiaren, while others wanted to join the copying team to be among the first to see the book.
Jiaren responded with a smile, neither humble nor arrogant, handling the situation with ease.
Jiayi and the others watched, all admiring their eldest brother's patience and tact.
Once the food in the shop was sold out and the doors were closed, the banquet in the backyard was also prepared.
Jia Huan has been working on her own for so long, and her skills have only gotten better.
The table was set with eight dishes, all common home-style dishes, yet they were delicious and visually appealing. Paired with a pot of wine, everyone ate, drank, and chatted, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
The boys finished eating early and begged Jiaren to take them out for a walk.
This is also the busiest time of day in the commercial street, where all kinds of things are sold.
Jiaren took his pocket money and bought snacks for Jia'an and Jiaxi, and also bought a little toy for his younger sister, asking his younger brother to help him take it back.
Jiayi and Liuyang are older now, and they don't want their older brother to spend money. They're happy to just watch the excitement, but most of the time they're asking how things are at the academy and whether their brother has been bullied.
Jiaren felt extremely warm inside and asked them if they had suffered any hardships in the mountains.
The brothers walked and talked, their conversation warm and lively.
That night, everyone slept in the backyard of the shop. In the summer, there was no need to cover themselves with quilts, so it wasn't troublesome. All they needed was a clean kang (heated brick bed).
The next morning, Mr. Wen and Chief Escort Liu returned with their men.
Last night, because Mr. Peng made an exception and allowed him to stay out once, Jiaren hurriedly returned to the academy after breakfast.
And so, the shop returned to its usual quiet.
But at noon, Gou Sheng came running for help. It turned out that Jia Ren and more than 30 classmates were so engrossed in copying books that they didn't have time to come out for lunch.
From now on, I'm afraid that lunch and dinner will have to be delivered from the food stall.
Without hesitation, Jia Huan agreed on the spot.
So he would prepare the meals early each time and take Gou Sheng'er to deliver them.
There are no secrets in the academy. The gatekeeper already knew that the Li family had brought great benefits to the academy, so when Jia Huan came and went, the gatekeeper not only did not stop him, but was also very polite.
Jia Huan would occasionally bring the doorman a couple of meat buns, and they gradually became more and more familiar with each other.
Meanwhile, back at Suijintan, the grain and wages were distributed again last night.
This is the second time this has happened, and there will likely be countless more in the future, so the villagers are much calmer now.
Those who are supposed to carry grain should carry grain, and those who are supposed to receive money should receive money.
Because the Li family lost the third son's family from earning work points, and Li Laosi and Jiayi wasted a month in the mountains, the Li family inevitably received less in this round of work distribution.
The old lady didn't think much of it, and happily accepted the wages. Then she led the women to divide the fine cloth that Young Master Ye had bought.
In this way, women can make clothes for the elderly and children when they have nothing else to do.
Seeing this, the villagers cherished the idea of "more work, more gain" even more.
Even in the Li family, with fewer people working, they still received less pay. They weren't treated unfairly. The village truly treats everyone equally!
Jiayin is a money-grubber. She spent a long time counting money with her grandmother at night, and in the morning she was unusually lazy and stayed in bed.
When the sun was high in the sky, Madam Cui came over for a short visit. She saw Jiayin wearing a red longevity bib and sleeping with her arms and legs outstretched. She smiled and sat down with Old Lady Li under the eaves to cut fabric.
Why did Fu Niu sleep in so late today?
"This girl was drooling over the silver last night and wouldn't let go, so she went to bed late. She's probably still dreaming about getting rich right now, and she won't get up no matter how much I call her." Old Mrs. Li peeked out the window, smiling indulgently.
Just then, Jia'an came running in from outside, shouting, "Grandma, something happened in the valley?"
"What happened? When did you get back?" Old Mrs. Li asked, standing up in surprise.
Jia'an hurriedly tugged at his grandmother's sleeve, "We just got home, Grandma, hurry up, they're about to start fighting!"
Grandma Li was worried about her granddaughter and wanted to go inside, but Madam Cui said, "Auntie, go check on her first. I'll bring Fu Niu on my back and come right away!"
Served at midnight~~
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