Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out: "How about I go with you? You're getting bored at home."
This was the suggestion made by Xie Yulan, which was filled with some concern and a slight desire for adventure.
“That’s great!”
Wen Zhu happily agreed, with a hint of joy in her eyes, as if this journey together would make her journey more enjoyable and memorable.
So, Xie Yulan hurriedly asked the maids to pack up their things. The maids were busy running around, carefully packing all the necessary items. Then, the two girls walked out of the mansion together.
Outside the mansion gate is a bustling street scene with a constant stream of pedestrians, which makes people feel particularly relaxed.
"Yu'er, where are you going?"
At this moment, a clear and friendly male voice suddenly sounded, attracting the attention of the two girls.
Wen Zhu looked back and saw several people dressed as scholars walking out of the door. The person leading the group had some similarities with Xie Yulan. From their conversation, it could be seen that this was obviously a communication between brother and sister.
Judging from the address, this should be Xie Yulan's brother. There was a hint of concern between his brows.
Seeing this, the others knew it was inconvenient to interrupt the conversation between the brother and sister, so they quickly bowed and quickly stepped aside, leaving the brother and sister to communicate privately.
"I'm going to Guanghua Temple with my bestie. Are you busy?"
Xie Yulan looked directly at her brother, her tone challenging.
Obviously, she didn't want to change her originally planned itinerary because of her brother's appearance.
"Huh, isn't it okay for me to care about you guys?"
My brother seemed a little dissatisfied and raised his voice slightly.
In his opinion, as the elder in the family, he has the right to inquire about his sisters' activities outside.
"You just love to tell tales. Mom has already promised today. It's useless for you to say anything."
Faced with her brother's questioning, Xie Yulan seemed very proud.
Her mother's support gave her more confidence to refute the other party.
Seeing this, Xie Yulan's brother clasped his fists and apologized to them, revealing a gentle smile: "How about I, your brother, act as your escort? That way I can guarantee your safety."
"Haha, then I'll let you be my bodyguard."
After hearing her brother's words, Xie Yulan couldn't help laughing. Her laughter was mixed with recognition and gratitude, and it also added a lot of fun to the rest of the journey.
As they walked and talked, Xie Yulan casually asked, "Brother, aren't you meeting up with your friends today? How come you have time to come here?"
There was a hint of curiosity in this sentence, but it also expressed welcome for her brother to join their trip.
"Oh..." My brother sighed, "We were originally planning to get together with some friends, but that friend named Baili Ce had some family problems, and he didn't want to accept help from anyone. The places he chose to organize the event were very expensive, and everyone else disliked the cheaper places, so this thing has never been finalized."
"Baili Ce?"
Wen Zhu repeated it softly. The name sounded familiar to her, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
"You know this person too?"
Xie Yulan's brother looked at her and asked, seeming a little surprised.
"Is he a good writer?"
Wen Zhu asked curiously.
"That's right! It seems that even the people in the inner house know Brother Baili's name."
Xie Yulan's brother said in surprise, "I didn't know he was so famous."
The reason why Wen Zhu had heard of Baili Ce was because he later became the top scorer in the imperial examination.
The servants often talked about it in private. No one would have thought that Baili Ce, who came from an ordinary family, could stand out among so many outstanding talents and win the title of top scholar. This caused quite a stir at the time.
"So where do you want to gather? I have a nice teahouse here."
Wen Zhu suggested with a smile, hoping to solve their problem.
"This is a bit difficult."
Xie Yulan shook her head slightly. "You may not know that the cost of drinking tea and eating at our Yuhuchun is very high, and considering Baili Ce's current financial situation, he can't afford these expenses."
Xie Yulan's brother was very surprised after hearing this: "I can't believe that Yuhuchun is actually your property, sister-in-law. It's my honor to meet you."
Seeing Wen Zhu's puzzled expression, he patiently explained, "Our group of friends get together every month to discuss academic matters, and we take turns covering all expenses for the gathering. However, Baili Ce hasn't been doing well lately, and money is tight. Although we offered to help him share the expenses, he insisted on shouldering them himself. This puts us in a difficult position. Although Yuhuchun offers a pleasant environment and excellent service, the cost of living at this restaurant is indeed a bit high for Baili Ce and beyond his means."
After hearing these words, Wen Zhu smiled thoughtfully, and then asked: "If I give them a 50% discount on all the expenses here, will Baili Ce be able to pay the bill easily?"
This sudden suggestion obviously surprised Xie Yulan and her brother.
"If we do the math that way, it's possible he could afford it."
But then, Xie Yulan continued with a hint of worry, "But this would be too unfair to you. You'll definitely lose a lot of money because of this. Furthermore, given Baili Ce's personality, even if the discount is offered out of good intentions, he might feel embarrassed to accept this special benefit."
But in the face of these worried words, Wen Zhu maintained a relaxed and cheerful expression and said, "This is not only to help Baili Ce, but also to welcome everyone to my restaurant. As long as you choose to gather here to discuss academic matters, I will be happy to give you a half-price discount."
"By taking this approach...aren't you afraid of suffering heavy losses?"
At this time, Xie Yulan's brother couldn't help but ask.
Facing this question, Wen Zhu still smiled and replied, "I have complete faith in the abilities and knowledge of every friend here. I believe that among this group, someone who will achieve a place on the imperial examination list will surely emerge. Even if there isn't one yet, when everyone gathers together to exchange ideas and share knowledge, it will in itself make my shop even more attractive. Therefore, operating in such an atmosphere full of wisdom and culture, I believe business will surely flourish."
After hearing these words full of positive energy, Xie Yuxuan thought for a moment, then raised his thumb in a gesture of praise: "How rare! Sister Yulan, this sister really knows how to identify and employ people. After listening to her just now, even I feel as if I have seen hope, as if one day I too will have the opportunity to pass the imperial examination!"
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