Chapter 19 Master Fang Accepts Disciples
"Why is this town so lively today? It seems like there are suddenly so many more people?"
"You don't know yet, do you? Qingfeng Tower is holding a poetry gathering. They say that Master Fang is going to use the gathering to take on a disciple. Even the county magistrate is here."
"Oh my, even the county magistrate is here? That's quite a sight! By the way, who is Master Fang?"
"Master Fang, you don't know? He was once the Imperial Tutor. You know, the Emperor's teacher..."
A vegetable vendor and an elderly woman buying vegetables nearby were chatting enthusiastically.
Taking the opportunity, Ye Wan interjected, "That must be quite lively. Can we sell things over there?"
She and Lin Anyuan brought Sanya to town early this morning in Old Man Sun's oxcart.
When she arrived in town, she learned that Lin Anyuan had disappeared for two days to rent a stall for her, which made her feel a surge of goodwill towards him.
This man may be sharp-tongued, but he's capable of getting things done.
Once she gets the indenture back, she'll have the skills to support herself and won't mind helping Lin Anyuan out.
It's not easy for a grown man to raise three daughters.
She applied a little makeup before going out today, so her skin wasn't as white, but her features were still more delicate than most people around her.
The vegetable vendor turned around and saw Ye Wan, and greeted her warmly.
"That won't do. Qingfeng Tower is a place for rich people. Even if we were to sell, we'd have to go through the back door. Madam, what kind of food are you selling?"
As long as it's not someone competing with him for business, it's fine.
"Hot and sour noodles, cold noodles, would you like to try some, brother?" Ye Wan said, already deftly filling a bowl.
The vegetable vendor hesitated for a moment, not having much hope, but still tried a small bowl.
And guess what? It actually tastes delicious!
At this time, Qingfeng Tower.
"On the ninth day, is it certain that Master Fang will come to a place like this?"
From his window seat on the second floor, Chu Xiujie had absolutely no interest in this group of pretentious, impoverished scholars.
Some people aren't even scholars; they just know a few characters and come here. It's a pipe dream for such people to want to become Master Fang's last disciple.
This poetry gathering to accept disciples feels like a joke. Even a great scholar like Fang would lose his status in a place like this.
Chu Jiu, who was standing to the side, spoke in a low voice, "Boss, this is the only news in town right now."
Finding someone in the vast sea of people, especially someone who is intentionally hiding, is not an easy task.
"Well, we have to try our luck. What if they actually come?" Chu Xiujie sighed.
"Master Zhang."
"Master Zhang has also arrived."
Just then, a portly man entered through the main entrance downstairs. He was wearing a silk robe and looked like a black pig that had come to life.
Immediately after, another sedan chair arrived, and a middle-aged man dressed in a low-key manner entered.
Zhang Fuhu, who had previously been arrogant, went up to greet him, "Lord Wu, I didn't expect you to come to Qingfeng Tower as well?"
Magistrate Wu was taken aback when he saw Zhang Fuhu. "Zhang Gui, what brings you to Qingfeng Tower? You can write poetry too?"
Why would someone like that come to join in the fun? Isn't this just making a fool of themselves?
Zhang Fuhu's complexion was not good, but he was so ugly that others could not tell.
"Lord Wu, what are you saying? How could I not know it? I'm definitely better than those poor, pedantic scholars."
Magistrate Wu smiled and went straight up to the second floor.
Zhang Fuhu's face was grim. He thought to himself that sooner or later, once he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, he would see how Magistrate Wu would fawn over him.
"Where is Lin Anyuan? Why hasn't he arrived yet? Is he not coming?"
Looking left and right but not seeing Lin Anyuan, Zhang Fuhu's face turned even uglier.
The lackey whispered, "Master, since he said he would come, he definitely will. If he doesn't come, he'll be in big trouble later."
Lin Anyuan had better not come; he'll suffer the consequences later.
Zhang Fuhu felt much more at ease knowing that Lin Anyuan was counting on him for his life.
Just wait and see, he'll definitely make a name for himself today.
...
...
“I’ve already said I won’t come, but you insist on making me come. It’s a pipe dream for such a great scholar to accept students in this place. You’re just making a fool of yourselves.”
Liu Wenshu, holding the ice basin in the carriage, spoke weakly.
He was afraid of the heat; it was too hot. Even with the curtains lifted, the carriage was still hot, like a steamer.
The inkstone was also hot, and it said, "Young master, why don't you go to Qingfeng Tower? It's cool there, and you can sit down and have some tea."
Liu Wenshu tugged at his collar to cool off. "We still haven't found the woman who sold pears?"
He ate one pear that day, and took the remaining three back to his grandmother.
Grandma, who had been coughing, stopped coughing immediately after eating those three pears. She praised him for being filial and even said she wanted to eat more.
Not to mention his grandmother, Liu Wenshu himself was also thinking about her.
He'd never eaten such a delicious pear in his life; ten taels of silver was really not expensive.
They sent Yantai to look for someone, but so many days have passed and they haven't even seen a trace of him.
“Oh dear, young master, I’ve asked around every household. There are plenty of families in town that grow old pear trees, but none of them are the same as the ones from that day.”
Yantai also wanted to taste what the pear that the young master and the old lady had been longing for tasted like, but she just couldn't find anyone to help her.
"You mean she might not be from around here?" Liu Wenshu guessed.
Yantai cracked his whip. "Impossible! Those pears were so fresh, they looked like they had just been picked from the tree. In this hot weather, if they came from somewhere else, they would have rotted long ago."
What does it taste like?
After saying that, Yantai shrugged.
"Selling hot and sour noodles! Cold noodles, hot and sour noodles, delicious and inexpensive!"
The spot where Ye Wan set up her stall was still a bit hot when she first set it up, but now it's perfectly cool under the shade.
She gave Sanya a cushion to sit on and play with, and then she started calling out to her.
They even held a tasting event, and some people bought it after trying it.
"Young lady, what are these noodles made of? They're so smooth and delicious," an older woman asked.
Ye Wan smiled and said, "Big sister, come again if you like it!"
If she said it was sweet potato starch, who knows, she might just make it at home herself. Don't underestimate the wisdom of the working people.
She's poor, and poor people aren't generous.
Then, she whispered to a middle-aged man next to her, "Brother, you've already tried it twice. If you think it's delicious, please support the girl. My husband is nearby, and he'll beat me up if he sees this."
The middle-aged man was initially a little unhappy, but upon hearing the following words, his chauvinistic tendencies kicked in.
"He married such a capable wife, how could he bear to beat her? Girl, come on, a large one! Both kinds."
"Hey, come back anytime after you've had your meal, brother!"
Ye Wan smiled warmly, "Who says being good-looking is useless?"
She and Sanya stood there, all clean and tidy, making everyone who ate feel comfortable.
Yantai, who was driving a carriage not far away, rubbed his eyes.
"Young master, isn't that the one who sold pears last time? He looks all dark-skinned, are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Wenshu poked his head out of the carriage.
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