"It's no problem."
The two of them drank a cup. Xu Jiang accidentally glanced at Lou Jing and Hu Xu, who were slightly drunk across from her. She laughed for a moment, then heard Du Hui say, "Let them be. An old fox and a young fox, neither of them will be able to get away with it."
Xu Jiang chuckled as she poured wine and toasted Du Hui. Then she asked, "Have you read the list I sent to you, sir?"
"I saw it." Du Hui put down his wine glass and said in feigned anger, "You're just throwing the difficult problems at me."
Xu Jiang smiled and said, "Then, sir, can you give me a price?"
"It's settled. Two volumes per set, six hundred wen per volume, and one set, twelve hundred wen. How's that?"
This price was not high compared to other bookstores, but it was not low for Xu Jianglai. Xu Jiang initially estimated the price, with the lowest estimate being one thousand wen for a set and five hundred wen for a single volume. The highest was the price given by Du Hui.
The two of them can be said to be in sync with each other.
"Okay, that's the price." After the two of them agreed, Xu Jiang asked, "When can the book be delivered to the Imperial College?"
"Let me inform you tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, you must write the contract and send it to the Imperial College before 9:00 PM. I will arrange for someone to pick you up. Don't miss the appointment."
"Don't worry, sir. I won't miss it."
"All expenses of the Imperial College are settled at the end of the month. You can then take the deed to settle the account."
"Yes." Xu Jiang said gratefully, "Thank you for your trouble, sir."
Du Hui snorted and poured another glass of wine, and Xu Jiang hurriedly toasted him.
After thinking about it, Xu Jiang told him what Zhou Shancai had sent to inquire about this morning, but she only mentioned the dispute with Zhou Huai.
"Sir, I don't think they'll give up. Now that they've joined your ranks, you'd better be careful."
"Could it be that they still dare to come to my house and act wildly?"
"Master, you must not be careless," Xu Jiang warned solemnly. "I noticed that he was hiding something behind his words that day in Xieyue Tower. Who knows, he might be doing some dirty things behind the scenes that we don't know about. Moreover, this collection of poems of mine, with the reputation of the Imperial College, will sooner or later reach his ears. He's bound to cause trouble, so it's best to be cautious."
Du Hui pondered for a moment and said slowly, "I understand. You should be careful then. He has caused trouble in the past, and today he sent people to inquire about it. There's no guarantee he won't do it again in the future. You and Madam Lin are girls after all, so you must be more cautious in your actions."
"It's saved my life."
Du Hui looked at her, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Then he glanced at Lou Jing and managed to utter a word after a long while, "Does that kid from the Lou family often come to your shop?"
"Ah?" Xu Jiang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly felt a heat rising from her neck and rushing straight to her head, making her tongue unable to move straight. "Son, I... this."
"What are you panicking about?" Seeing her eyes flickering and her hands and feet fluttering, Du Hui understood what she was saying, so he said earnestly, "That boy from the Lou family was raised under my nose. Although he's been aloof from others, he's a good person, and a good match for you. Although you come from the market, you're independent, self-reliant, down-to-earth, and kind-hearted, with a broad vision, no less than those ladies from prestigious families. Since you've chosen him, don't let the Lou family's status hinder you from belittling yourself or feeling inferior to others."
Xu Jiang was both embarrassed and touched. She found it incredible that Du Hui could think so much of her. Seeing that he had misunderstood her, she said, "I have never thought of myself as inferior to others."
My master taught me since I was young that apart from the mountains, rivers, seas, and the vast universe, nothing and nothing is worth my compromise.
So is the master, and so is she.
Du Hui felt relieved, "That's good." Then, worried that she was being too stubborn and might ruin her marriage, he added, "Since you've promised to each other, don't try to do things alone. When two people walk together, they should support each other. Don't distance yourself from each other, or you'll end up parting ways sooner or later."
After saying this, I felt like I was hoping something bad would happen to them. My old heart was torn between these two. It was really difficult to deal with the affairs of my children.
Xu Jiang replied softly, "I will remember your teachings, sir."
Du Hui sighed, "You don't have to worry about the Lou family. Old man Lou Jing has had his eye on you for a long time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to host a banquet and lure you into his house. He seems generous, but he's been worried sick about his son all these years. It's a rare opportunity to run into someone with a poor eye, so he's definitely going to hold on to you."
Seeing Xu Jiang's face filled with doubt, he said nothing, letting her slowly explore and understand the situation later. The words that had been on his mind for a long time finally came out today, and Du Hui felt a rare sense of relief.
He poured himself a glass of wine to ease his sorrow, and just as he was drinking, he heard Xu Jiang say, "Sir, you've misunderstood. Although Zhaoyue and I have agreed to be together, we have no plans to get married yet."
What!
He choked on a mouthful of wine that went into his trachea, and immediately started coughing and crying.
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