They returned to the main hall, and Xu Jiang pulled Uncle Cao over to discuss business. When Uncle Cao heard that she wanted to customize some pottery jars, he clapped his legs and agreed.
"That's easy to do. They just opened a new kiln and are testing it these days. I'll take the boss there once they're ready to take on a serious job."
"Then I'll trouble you to take care of it." After this matter was settled, Xu Jiang thought of Lu Zhen's household registration and asked, "Uncle Cao, have you discussed how to accommodate Lu Zhen? If you really want to be a family, go and transfer your household registration as soon as possible. The official documents will take two or three months to go back and forth, so don't delay. If you feel that he is not destined to be with your family, don't force it, and don't give me a chance to refuse. Even if the government can't handle his affairs, I'm still here."
Aunt Cao, who was listening, interrupted and said, "Master, what you said makes me sad. Jin'er should have been my child. God must have had pity on him and us, so he and I were destined to be together." Then she slapped Uncle Cao and scolded him, "I told you long ago that the government office should handle the household registration transfer, but you've been dragging your feet."
Uncle Cao flattered him, "I've been busy these days. Dali and I will go tomorrow."
Aunt Cao refused, "Why wait until tomorrow? Let's do it today!"
Xu Jiang smiled and advised, "Aunt, the urgency isn't just for one or two days. I'm just giving you a heads-up. I want to get it done quickly so the child can start school next spring." She added, "I think he must have been to school before, or perhaps his family has hired someone to teach him, so he knows a little bit. He's also intelligent and eager to learn. He's a promising young man; who knows, he might have a bright future."
Aunt Cao was delighted to hear this, and Uncle Cao and Mrs. Zhuang also had smiles on their faces.
Zhuang said, "I just heard the boss say he wants to come and teach him. Will that be a hindrance to you?"
"How could I possibly do that? A few days ago, Third Brother Xu found me a capable assistant who's been taking good care of the shop, saving me a lot of trouble. Besides, I don't come here every day, only once every seven days. Once he starts school, he'll have his own teacher, and I can just let him go. It won't delay anything." She then took Aunt Cao's hand and joked, "Besides, when I come here, I can enjoy the delicious meals cooked by Auntie. It's really killing two birds with one stone."
Aunt Cao clapped her hands and said happily, "Good, good, as long as the boss is willing to come, there will be delicious food."
After sitting for a while, seeing that the rain had stopped, Xu Jiang stood up and said goodbye.
The Cao family couldn't persuade her to stay and had to send her out. Aunt Cao came out of the kitchen holding a jar and tied it to the donkey despite her resistance.
"This is the pickled fish I made. It's almost ready to eat after being marinated for a few days. You can take it home and steam or fry it."
Zhuang smiled and said, "My mother's skill in making fermented fish is second to none on this street. Boss, take it back and try it. I'm sure you'll like it."
"Since sister-in-law said so, I won't be polite."
Xu Jiang left Cao's house and went to the West Market. On the way, she passed by Jisheng Bookstore and saw that it was crowded with guests. She couldn't help but feel envious.
However, when she thought of what happened to Hu Xu that day, she couldn't help but sigh. If she opened a bookstore like this, she would have to step on the backs of scholars, so she would rather stay in her own little corner and be a hermit in the bustling city.
Just as she was about to leave, a voice called her.
"Madam Xu, what are you doing here?"
Xu Jiang looked up and saw that it was Yuan Zuzhi, whom she had met at the banquet in the building that day. He was coming out of the bookstore, accompanied by two servants, each holding a few books.
"Hello, Mr. Yuan. I'm just passing by and was on my way to the West Market." After replying, he asked, "Are you here to buy books?"
When she asked, Yuan Zuzhi couldn't wait to show off, "I took a fancy to several collections, they are rare and out of print. Several people were vying for them, but in the end I got them."
When Xu Jiang heard that it was a rare and out-of-print copy, she couldn't help but be curious and asked, "What kind of rare and out-of-print copy is it? Can I borrow it to take a look?"
"Why not?" Yuan Zuzhi called the servant over and showed the book to Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang took one and opened it, only to find that it was the "Donglingzi Collection".
Dong Lingzi was a prominent scholar of the previous dynasty. He founded a school of thought, wrote numerous books, and had countless disciples. Later generations referred to him and his disciples as the Dongling School. His teachings had a profound influence on later generations of scholars and are also highly respected by scholars today.
The pages of this collection are yellowed, the printing is old, and the annotations are blurred. It looks like an old item from the previous dynasty.
She counted them and sighed, "It's really rare to find such a complete set of ten volumes."
"Isn't it? I almost had a fight with those old enemies over this collection."
Yuan Zuzhi's expression became more and more proud.
Xu Jiang looked at the remaining volumes again and found that there was something fishy in them. She wanted to warn him, but since they were in front of someone else's bookstore, it was not appropriate to say anything. So she suppressed her doubts and just expressed her congratulations to Yuan Zuzhi.
Yuan Zuzhi smiled and said, "I haven't been to Madam Xu's bookstore yet. I wonder what good things they have there. When I have time, I will definitely visit her."
"That's great. I still owe you two jars of mushroom oil. Maybe I'll catch up and take them back." Xu Jiang thought for a moment and said, "Not to mention, I have a really good set in my shop. It's the Dongling Selections and Annotations by the Unasked Taoist. It's not as rare as yours, but it's still rare on the market. If you like Donglingzi, you might want to take a look and see if it catches your eye."
"Really?" Yuan Zuzhi said happily, "I don't know that the Taoist is Dong Lingzi's favorite disciple. He has inherited his true teachings, and his annotations on his poems and essays must be better than others. If my lady really has this collection in her shop, please keep it for me so that I can see it!"
After saying this, he regretted it and said impatiently, "Forget it, I can't wait until another day. I have time now, so I'll go right away!"
Xu Jiang tried to stop him, "Don't worry, sir. It doesn't have legs, so it can't run away. I'll keep it for you."
"Oh, I forgot my wife was going to the market. Well, I'll just wait until the next day off and then I'll come visit you."
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