Carp Talk (VI)
The journey lasted seven days, and the scenery changed significantly along the way. As the trees around him grew increasingly lush and tall, Xiao Lin knew that the journey would not be much longer.
After a long journey, the Wan family members, with the help of the coachman, found the house arranged for them by Wang Hu. After tidying up, they settled down. Xiao Lin and his group came to the "shop under his name that had an accident" mentioned by Chu Mo - it was still Liuxiangju.
However, something big happened to this shop - for some reason, the local people did not like to drink tea, so Liu Xiangju Chunchun was just wasting money on running the shop, with only outgoings and no incomings.
Seeing that the shop was on the verge of bankruptcy, the owner of this shop sent an urgent letter to Chu Mo, asking him to come and inspect it.
Whether to close the store or not is entirely up to him.
The store cannot be closed for the time being, after all, the three of them still have to live here.
So, when he saw Chu Mo for the first time, the shop owner immediately rushed over and cried to him about the difficulties he had faced over the years.
His words and actions hinted that he hoped Chu Mo would give him more money after closing the store.
Chu Mo was also generous. The shop owner was obviously exaggerating the facts, but he found out and didn't say anything. He even gave the shop owner a lot of extra money and asked him to hand over the shop back.
The shop owner was naturally delighted to make a huge profit so easily. He counted his belongings in a few seconds and disappeared like a rabbit.
"He ran away so fast." Mu You muttered, and then put the bag he was carrying on the table without permission. "Boss Chu, your store manager has run away. How can this store still be open?"
"I can't keep running..." Chu Mo stretched out his finger and gently brushed across the dusty tabletop. He said calmly, "But if you two want to stay here, you still have to pay me."
What? The store is closed down, and they're still trying to blackmail them?
Mu You was so angry that he started yelling and blurted out, "It's not... you... we... you... your shop is closed down! How can we work for you? What the hell are you expecting?"
This time, even Xiao Lin, who was usually gentle and kind, looked embarrassed. He hid behind Mu You and waited for Chu Mo's reply.
Who would have thought that his answer was simpler than they thought - "You can go to another shop and work as a waiter."
Chu Mo said this lightly and hastily sent the two of them away.
What? They'd traveled seven days to this dank little town just to get a job as a waiter in a shop? How interesting.
Mu You would not agree.
So he boldly asked, "Is it true that if we pay you two hundred coins a day, we can live here?"
Chu Mo raised his eyebrows.
"Okay!" Mu You agreed, and an idea struck him. "You still have a lot of unsold tea here, so why not make some milk tea for Xiao Lin and me and sell it!"
What Chu Mo said just now might be a joke, but Mu You was not.
Before Xiao Lin could agree, he ran excitedly to the kitchen, leaving Xiao Lin and Chu Mo looking at each other in silence.
Anyway, for Mu You, all possibilities come from impossibility, and wealth and honor must be sought in danger.
Then, regardless of others' dissuasion, he thought for a moment, grabbed a handful of black tea leaves and threw them directly into the pot of boiling water.
After a pot of tea has boiled thoroughly, filter out the tea dregs and prepare the milk so that you can mix it at any time.
Mu You took a deep breath, held the milk that was hard to come by in this era, and slowly poured it into the bowl.
Then, milk dripped into the tea, causing ripples. The ripples spread and reached the blue bricks under Wan Mian's feet, wetting the moss.
The fish in the pond shook their tails, causing another wave of ripples.
The house that Wang Hu bought for Wanzhe and the others was not big, but it had a fish pond.
In response to this, Wan Mian did not say a word and personally bought a few carp from the market and threw them into the pond to raise.
Seeing the fish playing with the water, his heart calmed down.
After settling everything, Wanzhe set off for the forest farm.
The forest farm was quite a distance away from the county, and Wanzhe took a horse carriage and traveled for a long time before arriving.
After getting off the bus, he looked around and sighed silently in his heart.
It is worthy of being the largest private forest farm in the whole Kuixi. The dense jungle stretches as far as the eye can see, and the trees are tall and thick. You can tell at a glance that they are top-quality wood.
However, Wanzhe is not responsible for managing the cultivation of these trees.
He hadn't taken a few steps inside the forest farm when a middle-aged man, bent over, hurried over to greet him, his face full of smiles. "Boss Wan, you're here! I'm Zeng Guo, the chief foreman of this forest farm, and also, hehe, your right-hand man."
Wanzhe responded casually and turned to check the account books.
After looking through the account books, I found out that the wood from this forest farm basically ended up in the homes of wealthy and powerful people.
After all, he is a noble man and will never worry about money.
Even though people know that the price of timber here is relatively high, they still come here to buy timber, which makes the owner of this forest farm make a lot of money.
While Wanzhe was still absorbed in pondering these account books, Zeng tiptoed to his side and reported, "Master, Lord Yunchong just called to say that he's planning to build a new house and needs to purchase some high-quality fir wood. The money has been paid. Do you think we should order someone to count the wood and prepare for shipment now?"
Wanzhe thought for a moment and thought that this was a good opportunity. He just happened to familiarize himself with the transaction process and see where he should start in order to complete the "task".
So Wanzhe nodded pretending to do so and followed Zeng Guo to the timber removal site.
When Wanzhe and Zeng Guo arrived at the clearing site, many workers were already busy sorting the wood. Soon after they arrived, they finished counting the wood and reported them one by one.
Wanzhe looked at the tall and solid timbers in front of him, waved his sleeves and asked the workers to leave, leaving only two workers who looked stronger.
Then he pulled Zeng Guo to his side and whispered in his ear, "Tell them to replace some of the wood with inferior wood."
When Zeng Guo heard this, he was immediately panicked and speechless.
But after he met Wanzhe's gaze, he had no choice but to give the order.
Upon hearing the news, the workers naturally looked at the new boss with strange eyes.
Wanzhe also discovered something.
He then pulled a thick purse from his sleeve, weighed it in his hand, and handed it to Zeng Guo. "You've worked hard, and this is your wages. Don't tell anyone about this. We'll continue to do this work, and you'll always be paid. But if you tell anyone about this, not only will you lose the extra wages, I guarantee you'll lose your jobs too."
"Yes, sir. We are all smart people. You make money and help us make money together. We can't thank you enough!"
Zeng Guo showed that hypocritical smile again, which was disgusting to look at.
Wanzhe stood aside with his hands behind his back, watching Zeng Guo distribute the silver in the purse to the two workers and whisper a few words to them one by one.
It seemed that everything was about to be done, and now all that was left was to hand over Wang Hu's share to his house.
It was the first time Wanzhe had done such a thing, and he was still scared.
After the cargo ship carrying timber tied up the tarpaulin and hoisted the mast, the captain gave the order and officially set sail.
Wanzhe's heartstrings were immediately tensed.
He knew very well in his mind that there must not be any mistakes in every link here.
Even though Wang Hu had told him to do his job with peace of mind, this was only his one-sided statement. If something really happened, it would not be easily resolved by just a scolding.
Success or failure depends on this one move.
While Wanzhe was arranging everything at the forest farm, Wanmian was leisurely spreading fish food at the house.
As each piece of fish food was caught in the mouth of a carp, Wan Mian's thoughts would increase again.
After his family arrived in Wuhu County, he was extremely frightened and excited.
In the following days, the Wan family father and son could not sleep at night and were heavy with worries. Fang Che and Fang Jingyu also noticed that something was wrong with the father and son, but even though they found something wrong, they could not intervene.
Every night, Fang Jingyu would go to bed later than Fang Che. She would only return to the servants' bedroom after confirming that Wan Mian's forehead was no longer covered in sweat.
If Wan Mian was frightened all night, she would stay with him all night.
Since she was young, her heart and eyes have been filled with him.
But she was of low status and limited ability, so all she could do was to stay by his side and never leave him.
So they spent some days in this cautious and fearful manner, until one day a month later, the Wan family finally received a letter -
"The goods have been received and found to be undamaged. Thank you, boss."
When Wanzhe held the yellowed letter paper in his hand, he could not control his heartbeat at all. With every word he read, his throat tightened a little. It was not until he finished reading the signature that his heart sank into his stomach with a bang.
"That's great, that's great..."
In order to calm himself down, Wanzhe took a sip of strong tea and then slowly stood up.
He dragged his legs and moved to a small wooden box. He opened the box with his index finger, and the things inside were revealed to the world again - they were the stacks of silver bills that he had kept safely.
For some reason, Wanzhe's eyes suddenly became warm, and then a teardrop flowed out and fell vertically onto the silver note placed on top.
That tear seemed to express all the bitterness of his single-handedly running the Wan family business over the years, and also marked the beginning of the Wan family's glorious future.
The first transaction was a great success, and Wan Mian immediately proposed to prepare a family dinner, one to celebrate the opening of the business, and the other to make his "guilty conscience" seem more normal.
After receiving Wan Mian's instructions, Fang Jingyu immediately went to the street to buy ingredients to prepare a big meal.
This was the first time Fang Jingyu went shopping alone since Wan Mian dismissed the Wan family's original servants. She wanted to take Fang Che with her, but Fang Che had also been assigned something by Wan Zhe, so the two had to prepare for the family dinner separately.
Arriving at the market, Fang Jingyu walked and looked around while carrying a basket.
Because it has been raining for the past few days, the ground is covered with mud and water. The land has become increasingly muddy due to being trampled by people passing by.
Walking on the street, her ears were filled with the shouts of vegetable vendors and the bargaining sounds of people in the market.
The people here are loud and noisy.
Suddenly, Fang Jingyu caught a glimpse of a fisherman carrying a fish basket. At first glance, the fish in his hand was extremely plump, so she walked up to him and asked the price without saying a word.
"Aunt, what kind of fish is this?"
"Crucian carp, just caught from the river, very fresh."
"Okay, then I want it!"
"Okay!"
Fang Jingyu happily poured out copper coins from his purse and handed them to the fisherman. Then he took the fish from him and put it into the basket with some effort.
Just after saying goodbye to the fisherman, the fish was so "fresh" and lively that it jumped out of Fang Jingyu's vegetable basket and directly jumped onto the stall of another vegetable seller next door.
This was not the end yet. Fang Jingyu, who was rushing to catch fish, was a little unfamiliar with the technique and was in a panic. His elbow knocked over several vegetable baskets on the stall, and the fruits and vegetables inside rolled to the ground, covered in gray mud.
The vegetable seller was very unhappy when she saw this and yelled at Fang Jingyu: "You've ruined all my vegetables. How can I sell them?"
Fang Jingyu had never seen such a scene before, and her eyes were filled with panic.
But she didn't have much money on her, and after buying the fish, there was almost nothing left, not enough to buy all the vegetables.
She originally planned to go back after buying the fish, but she encountered this problem at the last minute?
She was so anxious that she stood there picking at the corner of her clothes.
"How much? I'll pay."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Fang Jingyu. She turned around and looked carefully. It was Wan Mian who had washed up.
Hearing that someone was willing to pay, the auntie immediately calmed down. She leaned forward, glanced at the ground, and replied with a mutter: "These fruits and vegetables are of the highest quality. For so much, it should cost at least a hundred coins..."
The people watching around heard it and immediately started talking about it.
How could these fruits and vegetables be worth a hundred coins? She was clearly bullying the little girl and trying to take advantage of her to extort money.
When Fang Jingyu heard the old lady asking for a hundred coins, she was so angry that she started to curse: "A hundred coins for this little wilted vegetable? I could buy a whole pot of delicious food with a hundred coins!"
The people around her also followed her in scolding the aunt, and Fang Jingyu was even more determined to take action.
But Wan Mian stopped her, took out some silver from his sleeve and placed it in front of the aunt, saying sternly, "Here are two hundred coins, enough to buy your entire stall. I hope you will take good care of your vegetables in the future and don't do these shady business anymore, it will damage your virtue."
After saying that, Wan Mian pulled Fang Jingyu back home without looking back, leaving the onlookers with different opinions.
But Fang Jingyu didn't think that this matter could be let go. After thinking it over, she let go of Wan Mian's hand and yelled at him: "A Mian, what's wrong with you? That much silver is enough for me to buy vegetables several times!"
"Ah Jing, can't you see that person is just pushing his luck? You, Chunchun, are being bullied!"
"I know, but it's okay for me to be angry for a while..."
Before Fang Jingyu could finish her words, Wan Mian interrupted her: "Something's wrong! Of course it's wrong. Ah Jing, listen carefully. Today, my Wan family is different from before. From now on, I, Wan Mian, will not allow anyone to bully my family!"
This was not the first time, not the first time that Wan Mian's refreshing voice touched her heart.
She was stunned for a moment, then quickly hid her throbbing.
Although Wan Mian's words were righteous, she refused to admit it and refuted, "I know you have backbone, Ah Mian, but where does your family get the money to earn your backbone like this?"
Wan Mian looked at Fang Jingyu's anxious face and burst out laughing.
He reached out and touched Fang Jingyu's head, then smiled and replied, "Ajing, you really don't pay much attention to business matters. Our family moved here precisely to make a fortune. We just made a big profit recently, and my father is so happy that he asked you to prepare a delicious meal to celebrate. Ajing, as long as you know that our lives will no longer be as difficult as before, these silver coins are just a drop in the bucket."
Listening to Wan Mian's words, Fang Jingyu was half-believing and half-doubting, until she saw the youthful spirit on Wan Mian's face that she had not seen for a long time, she was truly convinced.
After all, for her, as long as Wan Mian can get what he wants, she will have nothing else to ask for.
Contrary to her, Wan Mian now felt a sense of joy he had never felt before in his heart - the feeling of not having to look at other people's faces, not having to be picky, as long as the mood came, he could just wave his hand and spend a hundred taels of silver, which was truly intoxicating.
And he, Wan Mian, now has the confidence.
After returning home, the Fang brothers and sisters hurriedly started cooking the dishes. Wan Mian also came to help. The banter of the three of them filled the entire kitchen, and they were in great joy.
By noon, the food was served.
Although they were just a few home-cooked dishes, the four of them enjoyed the meal to their heart's content. They passed food to each other, tasted the dishes, and joked back and forth, just like a family.
But just as they were enjoying themselves, they heard the sound of knockers at the door, accompanied by someone's calls from time to time.
Seeing this, Fang Che quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks and went to answer the door.
When I opened the door, I saw an old woman.
"You are..." Fang Che asked first.
After hearing this, the old woman nodded slightly, then said to Fang Che with a cheerful face, "Hello, our county magistrate wants to see your master. He has something important to discuss."
Anyone who comes is a guest. Although Fang Che didn't know who this person was, he still respectfully led the old woman and the county magistrate behind her into the house and brought them to Wanzhe.
"Oh! Master Wan is having a meal!" The county magistrate strode in with his hands clasped and a smile on his face, heading straight for Wanzhe.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Xu Hui, and I'm the magistrate of Wu County. Nice to meet you, Boss Wan!"
Although Wanzhe put down his bowl and chopsticks and stood up to greet him out of politeness, he had no idea why the county magistrate came here.
So he first secretly looked at the person in front of him, and then asked, "What brings you here, County Magistrate?"
Unexpectedly, Xu Hui suddenly burst into laughter, turned his head and looked Wan Mian up and down, nodded slightly, then leaned closer to Wan Zhe and whispered, "Master Wan, are you planning to get married?"
His words shocked everyone present. They thought it was just an ordinary visit, but who knew he had ulterior motives.
Wan's father and son exchanged glances, not knowing how to respond.
After a long while, Wanzhe stammered and asked, "County Magistrate...what are you thinking?"
"I just saw that you are a handsome and elegant young man with the appearance of a noble man. My daughter is just at the age of marriage. I have searched thousands of families for her but couldn't find a satisfactory one. Today I saw you, you are so handsome and I fell in love with you at first sight!"
Xu Hui was so happy that his laughter filled the whole hall, but he didn't notice that the faces of the Wan family members were getting more serious.
Especially Fang Jingyu, her eyes were dazed and her fingers were powerless.
"Master Wan, there's no need to worry that my daughter won't be able to help her husband's family after she marries. Just ask around in Wu County. Everyone knows that my daughter is proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Besides that, she's also skilled in needlework and cooking! Hahahaha..."
Xu Hui was still laughing heartily to himself, but Wan Mian's eyelids couldn't help but twitching a little.
After entertaining himself for a long time but with no one to support him, Xu Hui finally put away his previous expression and became much calmer.
He straightened his clothes and asked again, "What do you think?"
Faced with this sudden distinguished guest, the Wan family father and son seemed at a loss. In addition, considering what he was here for, Wanzhe and Wanmian looked at each other for a long time, still not knowing how to respond.
"this……"
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