Huaxia Trading Company.
Chen Xiaocai got off the mule cart. Two years ago, because there weren't enough mule carts, Lu Lin bought another one for Chen Xiaocai.
"Big Brother." Upon returning to Huaxia Trading Company, Chen Xiaocai first went to see Chen Xiaomi.
Chen Xiaomi glanced at Chen Xiaocai and said, "You're back! Xiaocai seems to be getting more and more capable."
Chen Xiaocai is already fourteen years old. In this day and age, she can be considered an adult.
Chen Xiaocai smiled shyly and said, "Brother, you flatter me."
Lu Lin walked in, and Chen Xiaocai nodded to him.
Looking at Chen Xiaocai, Lu Lin felt that Chen Xiaocai was becoming more and more sophisticated, and looked like a successful person.
Back then, Lu Lin was so short-handed that he could only trick Chen Xiaolai, a "child laborer," into becoming the manager. Over the years, Chen Xiaolai seems to have gained valuable experience and is doing quite well in Liuzhen, even making friends with some important figures there.
"Is Grandma Shen alright?" Lu Lin asked.
Previously, Granny Shen had always worked for Lu Lin. Later, when the maids at home became more skilled, Lu Lin thought about it and sent Granny Shen to Liuzhen.
If Granny Shen were in Liuzhen, she could help with cooking, so Lu Lin wouldn't have to worry about Chen Xiaocai and Shen Chi being too busy to eat.
Grandma is doing well. Although Grandma Shen is quite old, she is in a good mood, so she looks quite energetic.
"Brother Lin, I heard that Lu Chengyu passed the imperial examination and became a scholar." Chen Xiaocai asked.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yes, we succeeded." It's been many years since then, and the Lu family has spent a lot on Lu Chengyu. It would be unreasonable if they didn't succeed this time.
"Actually, this scholar is nothing special."
When Chen Xiaocai lived in the countryside, he hadn't seen much of the world and thought that being a scholar was quite respectable. However, in recent years, he had been living in the town and had met many important people. He had gradually become capable of handling things on his own, and the scholar was no longer so mysterious to Chen Xiaocai.
To be honest, there were more scholars in the town than in the county, where the learning conditions were better and the chances of passing the exam were higher.
Over the years, Chen Xiaocai has seen quite a few impoverished scholars.
Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiaocai and thought to himself: Xiaocai is really different now. In Lu Lin's opinion, this Xiucai is equivalent to a graduate of a prestigious university. It is not easy to become a top student of a prestigious university. Top students have a high starting point and have a great advantage when looking for a job.
However, graduating from a prestigious university doesn't guarantee success.
Chen family
Lu Chengyu's passing the imperial examination and becoming a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) was a significant blow to Chen Jing.
After causing a major disaster a few years ago, Chen Jing was forced to drop out of school. In recent years, Chen Jing has been overworked and looks much more haggard.
Hearing that Lu Chengyu had passed the imperial examination and was beaming with pride, Chen Jing couldn't help but think that if he had continued his studies back then, he might have also passed the imperial examination and become a scholar.
Thinking of this, Chen Jing suddenly felt that the time was not right and his talents were wasted.
Grandma Chen was also very indignant. She was very strong-willed and didn't get along with Grandma Lu. When Chen Jing got into trouble, Madam Wang often made fun of him. Later, when Lu Chengyu failed the imperial examination, Grandma Chen spread rumors in the village that Lu Chengyu was nothing special. Now that Lu Chengyu had turned things around, Grandma Chen sighed at home, vaguely wondering if her decision to make Chen Jing stop studying was the right one. If Chen Jing had continued studying, she might have had her moment in the spotlight. Grandma Chen always felt that her grandson was no worse than Lu Chengyu.
Looking at the current state of her home, Old Mrs. Chen felt somewhat discouraged. The trouble Chen Jing had caused back then was truly enormous. Although several years had passed, the Chen family still hadn't recovered.
"I heard that Zhang Rui has settled down!" Chen Chun'er married far away, and the two families don't keep in touch much, so the old lady doesn't pay much attention to this grandson.
However, after Zhang Rui started following Lu Lin, the old lady took him to heart.
Grandma Chen was very curious about how much money the Chen brothers, Xiaomi and Xiaocai, could earn. When people from the village who frequently went to the city mentioned it to Grandma Chen, they would inevitably praise the three Chen brothers, saying that they were now respectable people and that their clothes were different from those of the villagers.
Since Old Mrs. Chen couldn't ask Chen Xiaomi directly, she went to Zhang Rui to inquire. Although Zhang Rui wasn't very shrewd, he knew a little about the feud between Chen Xiaomi and the Chen family. He relied on Chen Xiaomi, his cousin, for his livelihood, so naturally he couldn't betray his own family and didn't say anything. In fact, Zhang Rui didn't quite understand either, but he always felt that Chen Xiaomi had a lot of power.
"I think so," Old Chen said.
Old Mrs. Chen curled her lips and said, "They are all unfilial. Such people will get their retribution sooner or later."
Since Old Mrs. Chen couldn't get the information she wanted from Zhang Rui, she assumed Zhang Rui was one of Chen Xiaomi's group and didn't say anything nice about him when they talked about it.
Lu Family
"Alright, alright, we've finally made it!" The old lady said with some pride.
The old lady had been living a very frustrating life these past few years. When Lu Chengyu passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, the old lady made a special trip to the village.
Lu Chengyu's passing the imperial examination to become a scholar was quite remarkable. Many villagers came forward to flatter the old lady, making her extremely proud.
“Mother, I told you long ago, Cheng Yu will bring you honor,” said Madam Tang.
The old lady nodded and said, "That's right. No matter how much money Lu Lin makes, he's still just a laborer. Cheng Yucai, on the other hand, has a bright future."
Mrs. Tang smiled smugly and said, "That's right."
While Tang said this, she was still quite envious of Lu Lin's job. Who was Qin Yi? He was just a mountain dweller who didn't even have a place to live before. After following Lu Lin for a few years, he had already bought a house in town, and his two sons were also working for Lu Lin. They must have made a lot of money.
Chen Xiaomi's cousin, Zhang Rui, is a simpleton. His father is a pig butcher, and his family is not well-off. No one wanted to marry into his family. It is said that Zhang Rui works in Lu Lin's area and earns more than ten taels a year. So, he got married.
The people under Lu Lin are all doing so well, how could Lu Lin himself not be doing well? Tang Shi is still very satisfied that Lu Chengyu was able to pass the Xiucai exam. However, even if one becomes a Xiucai, it doesn't bring much money, even if the title of Juren sounds good. Although it can be tax-exempt and save a lot over time, it is still a long-term matter.
The Zhang family.
Zhang Qin was pleased to see Zhang Rui return.
"Big brother, you're back, big brother, you're back."
When Chen Chun'er saw Zhang Rui return, she said, "Arui, you're back. How many days of rest can you take this time?"
"Brother Lin said he'd give me ten days off, so I don't have to rush back. I can take care of the wedding arrangements first," Zhang Rui said, scratching his head somewhat awkwardly.
Chen Chun'er couldn't help but say, "Ah Lin is too polite."
Although Chen Chun'er said this, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't lose her job, and she couldn't delay the marriage. Her son was getting on in years and was about to turn 18. If she delayed any longer, she would have to pay taxes. She had met the girl in person. The girl was pretty and could manage all the household affairs. She seemed to be a virtuous woman.
Zhang Rui had been working at Huaxia Trading Company for a long time. At first, he received one tael of silver a month, and later, he received one and a half taels a month. In addition to his wages, Zhang Rui would occasionally receive some bonuses. Now he had nearly twenty taels of silver a year.
Zhang Rui nodded and said, "That's not true."
Many people envy his job. In Zhang Rui's opinion, the salary was secondary; the most important thing was that the food at Huaxia Trading Company was excellent.
"Are you getting used to it over there?" Chen Chun'er asked.
Zhang Rui nodded and said, "It's good, the business is doing very well."
Zhang Rui scratched his head, thinking to himself: The things in the shop are too expensive. Although his wages are not low, he can't afford most of the things in the shop. However, as an employee of the shop, he can get internal prices. Zhang Rui thought that since he was getting married, he could consider buying a pair of dolls from the shop to add to the festive atmosphere.
Many of the dolls sold in Huaxia shops are specially made for celebratory occasions. Wealthy families often buy a pair when they get married.
Chen Chun'er looked at Zhang Rui and said happily, "Do a good job over there."
Chen Chun'er looked at Zhang Rui with a hint of relief. Her son had finally made something of himself. Before, he would faint at the sight of blood and was often laughed at by the villagers.
Some harsh people said that Zhang Rui, such a big boy, fainted at the sight of blood and was not like a man. Others said that his family had killed too many living beings and had been tainted by too much evil energy, so they suffered retribution.
Liuzhen.
Upon seeing Chen Chi, Chen Xiaocai said, "You're back?"
A few days ago, it was the anniversary of Shen Chi's father's death, and Shen Chi and Granny Shen went back to the countryside to sweep his grave.
Chen Chi nodded and said, "Yes, we didn't stay in the countryside for more than a few days!"
“There’s nothing worth keeping,” Chen Chi said, frowning.
When Shen Chi returned to his hometown, many people caught up with him and asked about his recent situation. Many others told him that Lu Chengyu had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar.
Someone told Shen Chi that Lu Chengyu had passed the imperial examination and was destined for great things. Lu Lin was too ambitious. He said that Lu Chengyu's return to visit Lu Lin might help him out if Lu Chengyu became successful in the future. After all, blood is thicker than water, and they were cousins. Even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected.
Chen Chi told Chen Xiaocai what he had heard in the countryside.
Chen Xiaocai's face darkened as she said, "Who came up with this terrible idea? To even associate with the Lu family? In Chen Xiaocai's opinion, Lu Chengyu is a hypocrite. This guy, for the sake of his own future, can let his family marry off his cousin, causing the second branch of the family to die out. He can also let his family marry his sister off to a widower. What kind of good person can he be? Expecting him to bring benefits to the family is just wishful thinking."
Chen Chi shook his head and said, "Lu Chengyu is living a very prestigious life in the countryside."
He was just a scholar, not a high-ranking official.
Two years ago, Chen Xiaocai hired an old scholar to teach him and Shen Chi to read and write. After that, once they had learned enough characters, they bought books to study on their own. Their knowledge and experience were far beyond what the villagers could compare to, and they no longer had much respect for scholars. Shen Chi was the same way.
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