55 Master Wanjun
◎Could it be that Big Brother has gotten involved with those brainless scoundrels again...◎
After hearing Ye Yunzhao's explanation, everyone started to think: "County Magistrate Ye, since this is a promotion project for the county, then shouldn't the county provide the necessary supplies for building the mushroom shed...? "
As soon as these words came out, the others looked at Ye Yunzhao with sharp eyes, but Aunt Wang was very dissatisfied in her heart:
"What are you talking about? If it weren't for County Magistrate Ye who came up with this brilliant idea, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to come up with it even if you dug your brain out and washed it in a mountain spring!"
How dare you say such nonsense? My family was the first to build a mushroom shed, and my son went to the back mountain to pick up the required yellow clay and bamboo! How dare you ask County Magistrate Ye for money! How shameless!
The person who had just asked the question also became anxious: "Auntie Wang, what are you talking about! What's more, the mushroom shed hasn't even been built yet, and you know that we can grow balayage mushrooms? I really don't believe it! If balayage mushrooms can grow all the time, I'm afraid the whole mountain will be full of them! Why would we need to search the mountain bit by bit to find them?"
What he said made sense. Even Aunt Wang felt nervous after hearing it, not to mention others. Everyone agreed with him.
The man laughed again and said, "Auntie Wang, when the weaving fungus you've been dreaming of grows out, I'll come take a closer look. I hope you'll slap me in the face! Hahahaha..."
After the man led the others away, a hesitant woman remained at the door. "County Magistrate Ye, can you really grow the woven hat fungus?"
Ye Yunzhao smiled and nodded: "Of course."
"My family doesn't have any strong people. If we want to build a mushroom shed, it will probably take a long time... This... Is this even possible?"
Ye Yunzhao smiled and said, "Yes, it can be done. The weaving fungus grows very quickly. If you learn from Aunt Wang, you should be able to catch up with the second wave of weaving fungus growth."
Seeing her confident words, the woman seemed to have made up her mind: "Okay! I'll learn!"
Ye Yunzhao asked them to sit in the courtyard. She took the stick Erya used to write with and began drawing on the ground while talking:
"Building a mushroom shed isn't easy. I've carefully observed the direction of the sun rising and setting in Lingnan County. The best way is to have the shed face south, with the south wall a foot and a half lower than the north. A two-inch-wide square window should be opened on the east wall, and the door should be as small as possible on the west wall, just enough for one person to pass by by bending over.
Oh, Brother Laiwang, the hole you dug is a bit too deep. About... a foot deep will do. After the mushroom shed is built, it needs to be exposed to the sun for a day and a night to ensure the walls are strong enough before proceeding to the next step.
That's all the work we need to do in the early stages. Aunt Wang, you have a lot of people, so if you're quick, it could be done in two days. I can take it a bit slower, but it's best to finish it within ten days. Otherwise, if you plant one day late, you'll earn one day less!
After Ye Yunzhao finished speaking, she laughed, and the people sitting around her also laughed. After listening to her clear and logical explanation, everyone felt relieved and looked at the big pit in the yard with hope, as if they really saw the weaving mushrooms popping out one by one.
Seeing that they were in a good mood, Ye Yunzhao asked, "Do you know where the former county school teacher lived?"
She had thought a lot over the past two days. If she put the mushroom shed and mushroom cultivation on the agenda, she would have much less time to go to the county school. However, Sun Ning was not very literate. He could teach them to weave bamboo baskets and small items, but he had no idea how to learn reading and arithmetic.
Moreover, there would be more and more skills involved in the future, such as Aunt Hu's pig-killing skills and Fang Niang's dressmaking skills... In short, Ye Yunzhao needed to minimize the time she spent in the county school. The reason was simple: the county school education took at least five or six years to see results, and she needed to teach ordinary people how to make money, so that they could quickly solve the problem of food and clothing.
In addition, it is not easy to grow the woven hat mushroom, so she thought of hiring a teacher. The best and simplest way is to find a ready-made teacher.
Hearing this, Erya was stunned. Aunt Wang also asked in confusion, "Why? County Magistrate Ye, you won't go to the county school to teach them anymore?"
My own granddaughter is learning everything from Ye Yunzhao. If it were someone else, I'm afraid it would delay Erya! Besides, who else in Lingnan County can compare to the talent and knowledge of County Magistrate Ye, who entered the officialdom through the imperial examination?
Ye Yunzhao quickly smiled and shook his head: "Of course I will go, but growing mushrooms is a big deal and not an easy task. I am busy on both ends and can't take care of it all."
Aunt Wang understood and said as if recalling something: "The teacher before... it seems like it was five or six years ago..."
The woman at the side added: "I remember it was a female teacher, named... named..."
"Call me Master Wanjun!" Aunt Wang slapped her thigh fiercely.
"Yes, yes, Master Wanjun has beautiful handwriting!"
Ye Yunzhao's face showed a hint of curiosity. He had never thought that in the small Lingnan County, there were female teachers five years ago. You know, even in a prosperous Yongzhou, female teachers only appeared in recent years.
She asked curiously, "Do you know where Master Wanjun lives?"
"County Magistrate Ye, you've asked the right person," Aunt Wang said with a smile. "Master Wanjun has married in Yuezhou City! On her wedding day, she even asked me to help prepare a banquet in the village!"
Aunt Wang was gentle and easy to talk to, and she was also a delicious cook. Whenever there was a wedding or funeral in Lingnan County, if the family was well-off, they would invite Aunt Wang to prepare the banquet. This was also the reason why Wang Laiwang was able to marry an embroiderer as capable as Fang Niang.
The woman beside him suddenly realized, "That's right, I still remember there were big meatballs on the table that day! Your cooking skills are really the best in Xixiang!"
Being praised in front of Ye Yunzhao, Aunt Wang felt a great sense of satisfaction in her heart. Her face suddenly lit up with life, and she declined, "No, no..."
Ye Yunzhao also echoed, "Auntie Wang's craftsmanship is indeed amazing. I remember when we were making the three-legged plow, it was Auntie Wang who helped make lunch for a few days. The taste was so good that you will never forget it."
These words made Aunt Wang smile brightly, and Ye Yunzhao took the opportunity to ask, "Do you still remember which family in Yuezhou City Master Wanjun married into?"
The woman scratched her head and said embarrassedly, "I don't really remember... I just remember that he seemed to be an official, maybe living in the east of the city..."
Aunt Wang rolled her eyes and found an excuse to send Wang Laiwang and Erya back into the house. She lowered her voice and gossiped to the woman, "I remember that Master Wanjun went to be someone's... a concubine..."
The woman seemed to be thinking about something and did not speak. Ye Yunzhao was confused for a moment. Be a concubine?
The county school had a problem and was stripped of its right to run by the Yuezhou prefect. Thinking carefully, it was five or six years ago. Five or six years ago, a talented female teacher was reduced to becoming a concubine.
Ye Yunzhao didn't know what had happened to her, but he suddenly recalled his original mentor, a female scholar. However, the mentor in his memory was very demanding, rarely smiled, and his words and actions showed his pride, a common trait among scholars.
A proud person would not bother to serve others with his beauty, let alone become a concubine.
Ye Yunzhao sighed softly. Lingnan County was located in a remote area. If Master Wanjun really made such a choice, she would not blame her for anything, and she had no right to blame her for anything. "Then do you know where Master Wanjun's family lives?"
The woman said, "We've already moved to Yuezhou City to live a good life!"
Aunt Wang also said, "I heard that Master Wanjun's in-laws are very good. They were married for only a few days, but they already brought four or five members of her family to Yuezhou City. So, Master Wanjun must have a happy family and a harmonious relationship with her husband..."
Aunt Wang's voice became increasingly quiet, her words growing less and less confident. Ye Yunzhao understood the underlying meaning: if life were easy, there would be no need to come to such a remote and impoverished place to make a living.
Is this really a compromise? Ye Yunzhao was unwilling. She smiled lightly, her brows filled with expectation: "Thank you two aunts for telling me, but please don't tell anyone else about this."
Perhaps fearing she'd lost confidence, the woman replied, "But I've never seen Master Wanjun at the annual ancestral worship ceremony. Perhaps it's because life in a large mansion is difficult. Alas... being a concubine is always inferior to being the main wife..."
Aunt Wang, who was sitting opposite her, thought about it for a moment and understood her intention. After looking at each other, they nodded in tacit understanding.
Ye Yunzhao stood up, gave some brief instructions on some things to pay attention to when setting up the mushroom shed, and then left in a hurry.
*
Chen Jingshan had been in a bad mood the past few days, and had originally wanted to use the opportunity of going to Lingnan County to buy water chestnuts to "run into" her a few times...
That wasn't right. He breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been looking for a chance encounter. Lingfen Cake had been quite popular recently, and he had clearly gone there to thank her, nothing more, nothing more...
But every time he went there, it was always those useless yamen runners from the county government who were in charge. Whenever this matter was mentioned, Chen Jingshan felt unhappy all over.
Adding to his troubles was the clueless shopkeeper who was standing before him. "Boss, this is the account book for last month's purchases of vegetables, wine, and meat. Please review it and stamp it."
Chen Jingshan felt an inexplicable irritation and threw the teacup on the table. "Didn't my brother take care of the purchasing ledger? Why is he so blindly sending it to me?"
Everyone in Lingnan County and even in Yuezhou City knew that the owners of Ruyi Tower were twin brothers. The younger brother, Chen Jingshan, was good at business, while the older brother, Chen Yuechuan, had many skills. Although he had retired from the army, his job as purchasing manager in the restaurant was not difficult.
Despite being twin brothers, they looked completely different. Chen Jingshan had a handsome face and a slender figure, the demeanor of a true gentleman, but he was also aloof and aloof, his words exuding a sense of distance. Chen Yuechuan, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was tall and had a rugged appearance, his face dark and rough from years of military life, but he was cheerful and easygoing. Therefore, the owner and waiter at Ruyi Tower had a closer relationship with Chen Yuechuan.
No matter how close the relationship is, no one will protect them in front of the ruthless Chen Jingshan.
The shrewd shopkeeper quickly straightened the teacup and said with lowered eyes, "The second master hasn't come for several days. I sent people to look for him twice, but..."
The second boss was Chen Yuechuan. Logically, the older one should be the boss and the younger one the second. However, because Ruyi Tower was founded by Chen Jingshan, he was the boss.
"But how?" Chen Jingshan quickly calmed down and asked.
"But I haven't heard anything about the second-in-command..." The shopkeeper handed the account book forward. "It's already the beginning of the month, and the shopkeepers from whom I purchased last month are all asking around..."
Ruyilou's purchasing method is very different. Relying on its good business, the seasonal vegetables, wine and meat purchased every month are all delivered by various shops. As for the silver and money, it has to wait until the beginning of the next month for Ruyilou to send people to each shop to settle the account.
The purchases were quite large, so before paying, the owner had to check the seal and confirm it. Only after the owner confirmed it was correct could the remaining balance be settled. Previously, things had always gone smoothly, but this time, because of Chen Yuechuan, it was already the fourth day of October, and the payment hadn't been settled yet. No wonder the other owner had sent someone to inquire about it.
Chen Jingshan naturally understood the key points. He took the account book, looked through it carefully, and only walked to the desk after confirming that it was correct.
Just as he was about to write his name, he suddenly stopped. The shopkeeper saw him pointing at a spot and asked, "I remember that the price of soybeans has been falling instead of rising. Why is it that tofu has been sold at such a high price for two consecutive months?"
Speaking of this, the shopkeeper also became angry. He said with dissatisfaction, "Boss, you know there are only two tofu shops in Yuezhou City. We have always ordered tofu from the north of the city, but who knew that the shopkeeper of this shop has been selling it at a high price for three consecutive months! I sent someone to buy some tofu from another shop, but the chefs in the kitchen didn't agree..."
"Why don't you agree?"
"They say it tastes bad. I can't taste the twists and turns inside, but the tofu in the north of the city is indeed more tender and smooth, and has a stronger bean aroma..."
Chen Jingshan hesitated for a few seconds before picking up the pen to write his name again. He then took out the seal from the mechanical box and firmly pressed it. "It's been three months since this happened?"
Hearing this, the shopkeeper's expression froze. In the first month after Chengbei Tofu raised its price, he had reported the matter in detail to Chen Yuechuan, but judging from Chen Jingshan's attitude now, it must be that the rough and tumble second boss had already forgotten about it.
After a while, he told everything in detail: "Yes... I have already told the Second Boss about this matter. Maybe he has been busy and forgot..."
Chen Jingshan snorted inwardly, handed the account book to the shopkeeper, and only instructed: "Since it's a few days late, send some smart people to deliver the money."
This was said in a subtle way, but the shopkeeper knew that the boss meant to find some eloquent people to come and apologize.
"I understand."
The shopkeeper took the account book and was about to leave when he heard Chen Jingshan ask, "My brother hasn't been here for three or five days. Did he tell me where he's been?"
The shopkeeper seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head. Chen Yuechuan was a soldier, and though he loved to talk and laugh, he had a murderous aura. No one dared to ask about his whereabouts.
Chen Jingshan nodded in understanding and watched him retreat out the door before returning his gaze to the teacup in his hand. His thoughts inevitably drifted further and further away.
Could it be that Big Brother has gotten involved with those brainless scoundrels again...
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