Chapter 406 Extra 16

Pei Xuan was shocked and asked hurriedly: "How do you know? Who does he do business with?"

Pei Yan spread his hands and said, "The head shopkeeper of the Tao family's main store in Beijing told me. He said that he and a few poor people from the south didn't have much money, but they also had some capable people. But everyone knew that he was your nephew, so he came to tell me about it."

The fact that he "specifically" mentioned this to Pei Yan was most likely because Pei Fei was using Pei Xuan's name to do business with other people.

Pei Xuan had a headache and said, "This is really hard to handle!"

He couldn't go around telling everyone that his nephew had split up with him a long time ago.

"Is he short of money?" If that's the case, it would be even more difficult to deal with, Pei Xuan said, "It's only been a few years, is it possible that the money we gave him is gone?"

"That's not impossible." Pei Yan said coldly, "Don't forget what kind of personality our sister-in-law has."

Pei Xuan didn't say anything for a long time. When he went back to see the second wife in the evening, he couldn't help but talk about this matter with her: "I know what Xiaguang meant was 'This is the trouble I caused, I have to solve it myself', but this child is too disappointing. Instead of studying hard, he used my identity to compete with those merchants for profits. What's the difference between this and asking for bribes?"

Wouldn't all his caution and prudence over the past few years have become a joke?

The second wife had not expected this either, and gave her husband some advice: "Since Third Uncle said so, he must know who is doing business with him. Otherwise, why don't you tell your colleagues around you tactfully that these related households have nothing to do with you?"

"Do you even need to tell me this?" Pei Xuan sighed, and said, "You should also tell the people around you."

The second wife nodded.

Pei Xuan said again: "Doesn't Atong's wife come here often? Why don't you talk to her too?"

The second wife thought for a moment and said, "Should we give them some money?"

Pei Xuan shook his head and said, "Since it's severed, it's better to sever it completely. We can't have them come to our house whenever something happens. Then why split the sect? Atong is a scholar, doesn't he know what splitting the sect means?"

The second wife replied "yes" in a gloomy voice, and became worried about her son. She asked, "How is Ah Hong? Did the second shopkeeper Tong say anything?"

Speaking of this somewhat lazy son, Pei Xuan smiled: "Xiaguang is not a person who is easy to talk to. If he does something wrong, Xiaguang will definitely not turn a blind eye. Don't worry."

After Pei Hong returned from Baoding with the second shopkeeper Tong, Pei Yan sent her to the Pei family's main store in Beijing to help with the year-end inventory. She went out early and came back late every day, but she was excited as if she had taken Wu Shi San, with a rosy face, which was completely different from the sad face she had when she was forced to study by Pei Xuan in the past.

Pei Xuan wondered, "Could it be that Ah Hong is really a good businessman?"

The second wife smiled and thought, maybe Pei Hong was happy because she didn't have to see Pei Xuan's worried face every day!

But when her son came back, she took the opportunity to ask Pei Hong while serving him midnight snack: "Doing business is so interesting! There are so many things to do at home, and you don't even know how to help your mother."

In two days, the house will need to be dusted.

At this time of year in previous years, Pei Hong would be forced by Pei Xuan to practice writing Spring Festival couplets. After the Little New Year, she would pick a few of the couplets he wrote and paste them on the pavilions and towers at home.

Pei Hong swallowed the butterfly cake in her mouth hastily and said, "Mom, it's not that I won't help you, I just have something important to do now. If you need Spring Festival couplets, let Jiang'er help you. Anyway, he is young, and he will be praised as long as he writes well. Please don't make it difficult for me."

Pei Xuan was a famous calligrapher of the time. It was not that Pei Hong was not hardworking, but compared to his father, he was somehow less talented. In addition, his academic performance was considered rare among other people, but compared with his cousins, it seemed very ordinary. This was one of the reasons why Pei Xuan felt anxious when he saw him.

But it’s different when you go to the shop.

In this dynasty, everything is inferior except for education. There are very few people who have studied in the business world, not to mention that he has been personally taught by Pei Xuan since he was a child. If he were to go out, he would be a talented person, respected and praised. Moreover, most of this respect and praise is from the heart. Some people even think that if Pei Tong's branch had not separated from their family and the Pei family was strict with rules, he would not have been forced to follow Pei Yan to manage the chores. He would definitely have passed the imperial examination like Pei You or Pei Yan and had a bright career.

This couldn't help but make him secretly happy.

So much so that he didn't want to tell his parents that he made a small mistake when he went to Baoding and almost made a wrong decision... But his third uncle also said that if you don't make mistakes when you are young and inexperienced, can you still make mistakes? Do you make mistakes when you are old and have experienced many things?

So making mistakes is not scary; what is scary is making mistakes over and over again and never making any progress.

He has been working very hard these days, following the lead of the shopkeeper Tong Er to learn how to read the accounts. Today, he discovered some minor problems.

Although the account was just recorded in the wrong place, Tong Er, the second manager, said that if the accounts of such a large family business could be recorded randomly, there would be a big mess in the family.

For example, his third uncle never looked at the accounts, but how come he could tell whether the accounts were roughly correct just by listening to the shopkeepers talking about business? It was because he was very familiar with what should be recorded in which account, how much cost, how much profit, and what the year's harvest would be like. He could get a rough idea by thinking about it. He would then pick up the important accounts and take a look, and he could make the shopkeepers behave themselves and not dare to move.

Just like his father.

The Ministry of Revenue was such a big business, and as long as it passed through his father's hands, nothing would go wrong.

It is a famous stratagem.

Although the emperor thought the Pei family was too wealthy, he was still willing to employ his father.

Pei Hong thought about these things and felt her back straightened a little.

He diligently picked up a piece of pea yellow for the second wife and said with a smile: "The family has been busy since December. I am learning skills from my third uncle and Tong Er, the shopkeeper. I am like a little apprentice. I have to get up earlier than chickens and sleep later than pigs. I have to listen to my master and serve him tea. It is harder than studying. I can't rest before the New Year. Don't wait for me at night. There are so many maids and old women around me. If they can't take care of my food, clothing, housing and transportation, what are they for? You might as well go to bed early and get up early, look good, and look energetic. Wait until the New Year to go out with us to pay New Year's greetings. When others see you, they will think you are my sister!"

The Second Wife listened to his playful smile, feeling angry and amused. She scolded him a few words, and waited until he finished his supper and put away the dishes before returning to the inner room. She repeated Pei Hong's words to Pei Xuan and said, "Why do I feel that since he went out, his tone of voice and behavior are becoming more and more like his Third Uncle? Will he be like his Third Uncle, with a sharp tongue like a knife, and be able to piss people off to death when he is upset?"

Pei Xuan didn't like what he heard and asked, "Has Xiaguang ever been disrespectful to you?"

The second wife blushed and said hurriedly, "Third uncle has always been respectful to me. Isn't it because I see that Third uncle never shows mercy when talking to others?"

"Repay evil with justice, and repay kindness with kindness." Pei Xuan said, "People like Xia Guang are the ones who clearly distinguish between their own people and others."

The second wife promised that she would never judge her son's right or wrong again.

As for Yu Tang, he had been asking people to inquire about the situation of Shen Fang's sister.

But Hangzhou is far away from the capital, so news is not so convenient for the time being, so we can only wait.

Shen Fang probably knew that Yu Tang would not find a marriage for Wei Xiaochuan so casually, so he did not mention it again and focused all his attention on studying. Even during the Chinese New Year, he only went to his ancestral home on the first day of the New Year to greet his uncle who lived there and wish a happy new year to the Pei brothers. The rest of the time he stayed in his room studying.

Wei Xiaochuan, Zhang Hui and others did not go anywhere except to pay New Year's greetings to the Pei brothers.

Yu Tang and Mrs. Pei and other female relatives were very busy, visiting relatives and friends, greeting people on New Year's Day, welcoming guests, and visiting their families. They were busy until the 15th day of the first lunar month when the lanterns were put away. But Miss Zhang sent Yu Tang a message saying that there was a monk who stayed at Hongluo Temple and was very effective in praying for children. He would leave after the second day of the second lunar month. Yu Tang hurriedly sent a message to Miss Pei, and also had to prepare for the Spring Examination for Wei Xiaochuan and others. She was very busy. Pei Yan made arrangements and got the list of examiners in advance.

The chief examiner was Fei Zhiwen and the deputy examiner was Wang Chunhe, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.

Pei Xuan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.

This time, Pei Yan gave Pei Tong and Wei Xiaochuan a little advice: "Xia Guang and Lord Fei have a better personal relationship than I do, especially in recent years, they have often exchanged letters and poems. Lord Fei is the chief examiner and will not read the papers in person, but you must not violate his taboos. As for Lord Wang, there is no need to say more. When Xia Guang was a scholar, he had several arguments with him about articles and knowledge. I am afraid that he understands Lord Wang's preferences better than his friends do."

Everyone burst into laughter.

There were no outsiders this time, only a few people from Lin'an who came to take the exam and Pei Tong.

When leaving, Pei Xuan also specifically reminded Pei Tong: "Don't tell anyone about this. Including Gu Chaoyang. Examinations are no small matter, and people's hearts are hidden."

Pei Tong nodded solemnly and left.

This was the third time he had been in trouble. He was under great pressure and did not go out during the New Year. Even when Gu Chang returned to Beijing, he only went to meet him once. He knew that Gu Chang would probably stay in Beijing as an official after this report on his duties. He did not ask which government office he would go to, and Gu Chang would not tell him.

However, Gu Xi was very anxious. He asked her whether Pei Xuan wanted him to talk to him, and also encouraged Gu Chang to give Pei Tong some guidance on her homework.

Fei Zhiwen was the chief examiner for this term, so Gu Chang could not visit his home anymore, so all his previous plans had to be rescheduled. Seeing Gu Xi so impatient, he felt uncomfortable and criticized her: "What's wrong with you? I haven't been away from Beijing for a long time, why are you so impetuous? You'd better stay away from your mother-in-law! Otherwise, you will become more and more like her."

Gu Xi was furious.

Yin had no choice but to come out and appease both sides: "Little aunt is just too worried. Old master, please don't be angry with little aunt. We are all doing this for your sake." Then she poured tea herself and invited the brother and sister to sit down: "Drink some tea to moisten your throat. If you have anything to say, talk it out."

Happy May Day everyone!

I haven’t finished writing yet... There’s even a special chapter 17... Do I really talk too much?

(End of this chapter)