Chapter 3500 Mr. Zhuang 15
So the next day, the Zhuang family left the city with the farewell of their relatives, friends and neighbors.
Except for Zhuang Dalang, no one thought that they would come back. Didn’t you see that the luggage filled three carts? It was obvious that they had moved their family to the capital.
After leaving the city, the caravan waiting outside the city caught up and followed the dealer's luggage cart in a mighty procession.
Zhuang Dalang lifted the curtain and took a look outside, then asked Zhou Silang, "Are these all medicinal herbs?"
"Not entirely, about half and half. The other half is this summer's tea. Some tea gardens couldn't sell the tea, so they picked it and made it into tea bricks for collection. Since I have a car, I took it all away."
Zhuang Dalang said, "Luojiang County has made a lot of money in recent years from growing medicinal herbs and tea."
Also because of the market, Zhou Silang not only did this business himself, but also brought several merchants here. At the same time, he encouraged people in the county to transport things out by themselves. Now both water and land transportation are easier to travel than before, and there are not many pirates and mountain bandits. Even if you go out with a load on your back, the safety has been greatly improved. Although it is a bit hard, you can make a lot of money on a round trip. After a few more years, the money will be enough for a boy in the family to marry a wife.
This is something that ordinary people in Luojiang County would never have dared to imagine before.
But because the grain yield is high now and the imperial court is willing to redeem the land, they can have surplus grain even if they cultivate less land. In addition, with more and more oxen working in the fields, the labor consumed in the fields will be burned, and the surplus can be used to grow medicinal herbs, tea, or even to go into business.
Zhuang Dalang is the accountant of the Zhang family. The Zhang family is not only a wealthy family in Luojiang County, but has also been the chief clerk of Luojiang County. So he knows how fast the economy of Luojiang County has developed in recent years.
The source of all this is the Zhou family, and the Zhou family has such a relationship with his father. Whenever Zhuang Dalang thinks of it, he feels proud.
This was not the first time that Zhuang Dalang came to the capital, but the last time, he was young, and the capital had just experienced war. The country was not at peace then, and it could not be compared with the prosperity of today.
The car hadn't entered the city yet, but he felt something different when he was queuing outside the city. The gray capital in his memory suddenly had color.
Once I entered the city, the black and gray image of the capital city in my mind slowly collapsed and disappeared, replaced by the colorful and lively streets of the capital city.
Zhuang Dalang stared blankly at the bustling street.
Zhou Silang happily squeezed to the door and looked at the outside world with him. "How is it? I thought the capital is great, right?"
Zhuang Dalang said nothing.
Zhou Silang patted him on the shoulder and said, "The capital is no longer the capital it used to be, and you are no longer the Zhuang Dalang you used to be."
Zhuang Dalang suddenly felt a soreness in his eyes and a pinch in his nose. He turned his head slightly and faced Zhou Silang away, so as not to let him see the tears in his eyes.
Yes, the capital is different now.
Zhou Silang was afraid that Zhuang Dalang would feel uncomfortable, so he took the Zhuang family directly to the Princess's Mansion.
Mr. Zhuang and his men all went to the yamen today, and he didn't tell them in advance, so only Madam Liu and Zheng were at home.
Seeing that Zhou Silang really brought Zhuang Dalang and his family upstairs, they were very surprised and hurriedly settled them in the yard next to Mr. Zhuang.
"Everything has been cleaned up. You can settle down first. I will send someone to the palace to invite Mr. Zhuang back."
Zhuang Dalang said hurriedly, "Don't worry, it's not good to delay father's work."
"This is not a delay. Now that my son has arrived, it's normal for a father to take half a day off."
Zhuang Dalang's face turned slightly red.
Zhou Man and Bai Shan were unsure whether they could invite Zhuang Dalang, so they kept it a secret from Mr. Zhuang that Zhou Silang would return to his hometown to pick him up.
The servants of the Bai family were waiting outside the palace gate. They paid the guards and asked the eunuchs in the palace to help pass on the message.
The guards and eunuchs all had a good relationship with Zhou Man, so they readily took the money and agreed.
Isn’t it just a matter of spreading the word “Someone is coming to Mr. Zhuang’s house”? It’s that simple!
During the lunch break, a servant approached Mr. Zhuang and whispered, "Mr. Zhuang, your servants are here to report that someone has come to your house."
Mr. Zhuang's first reaction was disbelief. He instinctively thought someone was trying to transfer him out of the palace. He looked up at the young eunuch and, recognizing him as someone from the Eastern Palace, asked, "Who brought this message?"
"It's a man named Liu Gui."
They pretended quite well. Mr. Zhuang nodded to show that he understood, but he was unwilling to leave immediately. He decided to stay in the palace a little later today to see what they were planning to do in private.
Before he finished his meal, Zhou Man came over excitedly and said, "Sir, I'm here to take you home. Have you asked for leave?"
Mr. Zhuang was stunned. "Why would I ask for leave?"
"Go home," Zhou Man tilted his head in confusion. "Didn't Liu Gui send someone to tell you that Brother has come to the capital? I ran into Liu Gui in the imperial city when I just returned to the palace..."
Mr. Zhuang: ...
He looked up at her woodenly, "Which senior brother are you? Bai Zhi?"
He can be considered Zhou Man’s senior brother, and he used to call him that.
Zhou Man: "...Of course it's Senior Brother Zhuang."
Mr. Zhuang's eyes widened in surprise. He was still in disbelief even after getting on the carriage. After leaving the imperial city, he couldn't help but ask, "Is it true? Your senior brother really came to the capital?"
"Yeah, why would I lie to you?" Zhou Man told her fourth brother, and took the opportunity to praise herself, "I asked my fourth brother to go back and pick them up. I told you, there's no one in this world that my fourth brother can't pick them up."
Mr. Zhuang was excited, his eyes were slightly wet, and his fists clenched and unclenched.
When he returned to the princess's mansion and saw Zhuang Dalang standing in the yard, he was sure that his son had really come to the capital.
Mr. Zhuang couldn't help but smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were pressed together and refused to loosen.
Zhuang Dalang saw his father and saw that he was in good spirits. His white hair was even showing signs of turning black again. He didn't look any older than in previous years. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and hurried forward to greet him, "Father..."
Mr. Zhuang's eyes were slightly moist, and he reached out to support him. "Okay, was the journey difficult?"
Zhuang Dalang politely replied, "It's not hard."
"That's good, that's good," Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and then asked, "Have you had lunch yet? Are you used to the food here?"
"It's a habit. Madam Liu prepared the taste of Luojiang County. It tastes very good."
Zhou Man stood aside, listening to the father and son's conversation, and couldn't help but feel anxious. "Brother, Master has missed you so much. He's been thinking about you so often these past few years, wondering when you'd be able to come to Beijing to visit. So when we first moved in here, we deliberately vacated the two courtyards next to Master's. I didn't expect that one of the courtyards would finally be occupied today."
Zhuang Dalang also wanted to be more natural with Zhou Man. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister."
Zhuang Dalang only planned to stay for more than a month and go home after visiting his father, but Zhuang Dasao didn't think so. However, she had just arrived, and even if she wanted to stay, she didn't have the courage to tell her husband at this time.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
