Everyone cheered immediately, partly because they wanted to go home right away, and partly because of the delicious food Meng Zhao had mentioned.
The travelers were initially reluctant to come to such a far place, but after the journey, they came to appreciate Meng Zhao's kindness.
These days, although we've been rushing around, we've stopped when we need to rest, and every night we have roof tiles to cover our bodies.
They brought their own food when they came, but Meng Zhao still arranged food for them from time to time. Usually, they would lose weight after a trip, but this time, they would probably gain two pounds.
They were really lucky to have met such a boss. Along the way, they told Gu Changwu many times that they should call them again if he needed anything next time.
After returning from the dock, everyone split up and set off. After all, it was a rare opportunity to get out of town, and everyone wanted to see more and bring back some gifts for their families.
Meng Zhao instructed the others, "If you go out, go together, and don't go too far. Once the sun sets, hurry back to the inn. Remember the name of the inn, and if you don't know the way, ask for directions."
Most of them were older than Meng Zhao, but they all obediently listened to her instructions. After all, no one was stupid; she was willing to give you these instructions because she was taking responsibility for you. Otherwise, who would care about your life or death?
After saying everything that needed to be said, Meng Zhao took Shen Yun to the street. Although the results of this trip were not as expected, since they had finally come out, they definitely had to bring back some local specialties for their families.
These past few days she had visited many shops and already had a plan in mind. First, she went to a fabric store and picked out two pieces of fabric for Gu Shi. She specifically chose fabrics with slightly plain colors. If she had picked out some with nice patterns, she would probably have to wear them herself or the two children.
Then he went to a bookstore. Judging from its appearance, the store must have been around for a long time, as the interior was a bit worn. Meng Zhao's gaze slowly swept over the bookshelves, and he picked up a few books to browse through.
She was surprised to find that several of these were not printed copies, but rather handwritten manuscripts by the authors themselves.
Seeing her looking at the books so intently, the bookstore owner stepped forward and said, "Young lady, these books you are looking at were acquired from an old scholar in the village a few years ago. That old scholar studied hard all his life, but he was still just a scholar. His career was not smooth and his fate was full of misfortunes."
"Before he died, he sold these old books to me, hoping I could find them a kindred spirit. But my shop is not doing well, and I haven't sold any of them after so many years. Young lady, if you are interested, just name your price and take them away."
While listening to the bookstore owner speak, Meng Zhao flipped through the books and roughly understood why the books were not selling. The content recorded inside was basically unrelated to the imperial examinations. It consisted of the old scholar's observations and experiences along the way when he traveled to the capital for the examinations.
The content is complex and disjointed. One page describes passing by a waterfall and marveling at the wonders of nature, while the next page complains about the filth on the streets of a certain place, saying that there is excrement on both sides of the road, making the whole street stink.
After casually browsing through a few pages, even Meng Zhao felt that the old scholar's thinking was too unconventional. These booklets did not seem like travelogues, but rather like diaries recording his feelings. Moreover, they were not written every day, but rather he wrote down whatever came to mind.
But Meng Zhao was very interested in it. Compared with the travelogues and local chronicles she had seen before, the descriptions in these booklets were closer to the lives of ordinary people, and the language was simpler and easier to understand.
"Boss, could you please find all of this scholar's books? I'll take them all," Meng Zhao said decisively.
To everyone's surprise, the other party was actually willing to buy these items. The shop owner was overjoyed and quickly found them all, stacking them together to form a total of more than ten books.
Meng Zhao didn't want to be taken advantage of, but she also didn't want the old scholar's years of hard work to be taken away at such a low price. So she voluntarily paid one tael of silver, feeling that these things were worth the price.
The bookseller was overjoyed to see these long-neglected books sell for such a price.
"Alright, thank you, young lady. When I return to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors this year, I will also burn some paper money at the old scholar's grave and tell him that his books have finally found their destined owners."
When it came time to buy a gift for Shen Qinghe, Meng Zhao was a little worried.
Although he was the male protagonist in the original book, he didn't seem to have any hobbies. Meng Zhao originally thought of buying him a calligraphy brush, but while browsing in the bookstore, she accidentally discovered a set of chess pieces on the shelf that was very beautiful, so she asked, "Boss, what material are these chess pieces made of?"
"These chess pieces are made from a type of stone that is a specialty of our Huian County. This material is hard, durable, and not easily scratched, making it very suitable for making chess pieces that are long-lasting."
Meng Zhao reached out, picked up a chess piece, and examined it carefully. The stone felt slightly cool to the touch, had a pure color, and was polished smooth and delicate. When piled together, it looked lustrous and shiny. So he said, "Please put this set of chess pieces on for me as well."
Although Shen Qinghe doesn't have many hobbies, there are a few scenes of him playing chess in the original book, so this gift should be appropriate.
Then came the task of preparing a gift for her mother. Xu Yunrong loved cleanliness and pleasant smells, but since her family ran a pork shop, it was impossible to completely eliminate any unpleasant odors, which often caused her worry.
When Meng Zhao was reading the county annals, she noticed that Huian County was famous for its spices, including several renowned and highly praised varieties. Before she came, she decided that she would bring some back for her mother no matter what.
Taking Shen Yun to the largest spice shop in Huian County, as soon as they stepped into the shop, a light and elegant fragrance wafted towards them, making them feel comfortable and relaxed.
As soon as you enter the store, a shop assistant greets you warmly: "Young lady, is there a specific purpose for your purchase of spices? Please tell me, and I will recommend a few of the most suitable incense products for you."
Meng Zhao replied, "I mainly want to use it to scent clothes or the room."
"Okay, then please come with me. These are all suitable for use as incense."
Meng Zhao followed the shop assistant as instructed. The counter was filled with a dazzling array of spices, including coil incense, stick incense, cone incense, balm incense, and the most common type of incense beads that could be placed in a purse.
As the shop assistant explained the flavors of the spices one by one, Meng Zhao would occasionally take a sniff himself.
Finally, we decided to choose a perfume balm called "Spring Colors in Snow" for her mother. This perfume balm has a light and elegant scent and can be applied to the body. According to the shop assistant, as long as it is not washed off, the fragrance can last for four hours.
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