Although the boy was born smart, he was really not good at writing. How could he argue with the once romantic Master Shen? His fair face flushed red with anxiety: "You are the adult's friend, how can you say that the adult is wrong?"
"You are so protective of him, could it be that you have a crush on your master?" Chen Tang tapped his gold-painted folding fan, and was feeling proud when Lin Su reached out and pinched his waist to remind him.
Even though the young boy had feelings for her, the local customs here were all about being subtle and tactful. He had never been confronted with such a blunt statement before. He stood there for a moment, his cheeks flushed, tears welling in his eyes. "Nonsense! You... are not a gentleman!"
Chen Tang didn't expect to make someone cry, and was nervous for a moment. Then, when he met Yun Hui's eyes, he became even more uneasy.
Yun Hui pulled the young man to sit beside him, handed him a handkerchief, and said softly, "He likes to tease people. You don't have to pay attention to him."
The young boy tried hard to wipe away the moisture in his eyes. Yun Hui looked at Chen Tang and said, "Before I left the capital, Jing Chen gave me a gift and I didn't return it. Now he wants me to return double the gift."
This is not a gift, it is clearly a settlement of accounts.
Chen Tang chuckled and said to the young boy, "Don't be angry. I've always been outspoken, but today I felt close to you and said a few extra words. I apologize. If you find it rude, I will restrain myself in the future and not offend you."
The young boy looked up at Yun Hui and said to Shen Tang, "It's okay. I was a little petty. Please don't blame me for being rude."
"No blame, no blame." Chen Tang smiled and looked at Yun Hui and said, "I have apologized to your family member and he has been forgiven. Can you please not send the gift?"
Yun Hui glanced at Lin Su, and seeing that he didn't care, he knew that they were letting each other have a joke. "Okay, let's put it this way. When I left Beijing, the atlas that Brother Jingchen sent me is still well preserved. It's meticulously researched and eye-opening. I should repay a drop of kindness with a spring. I have collected more than ten times the number of Jiangnan names and will send it to Brother Lin for reference soon. Okay?"
"Thank you, Brother Ziyu, for your generous gift." Lin Su continued.
"Why don't you give it to me?" Chen Tang's expression was subtle.
Yun Hui picked up the teacup and asked, "What's the point of giving it to you?"
Chen Tang: “…”
Yun Ziyu, you've changed. You're no longer the pure Yun Ziyu you once were! Look at what a mess you've learned. A gentleman shouldn't say anything inappropriate.
No, why is it useless to give it to him?
Chen Tang glared at Yun Hui: "Do you know something?"
"What should I know? Why don't you tell me, Brother Jingchen?" Yun Hui said with a graceful smile.
How could Chen Tang possibly say that? If he guessed wrong, the location of him and his wife would be exposed.
As my husband's last stand, this matter must be kept secret.
"Nothing, thank you for your kindness, Brother Ziyu." Chen Tang felt that he really had to ask for a talisman.
It is a great joy to meet an old friend in a foreign land. A teahouse is not a place for long conversation. Yun Hui settled here and directly invited the two to visit his house.
He was a fourth-rank official, but his residence was simple. Although the yard was not large, it was clean and tidy, and was more than enough to accommodate Lin Su and his entourage.
"I was wondering where to live, but it's much cheaper to stay here with you, and I can also teach the little one to read and write." Although Chen Tang liked the spaciousness, he was not at all dissatisfied, and he was in a good mood because of something interesting.
"Then I'll wait and see." Yun Hui said with a smile.
The courtyards were separated and they settled down separately. Yun Hui had to deal with official business after his rest and was very busy, so the young boy was sent over to act as a guide and give some pointers.
The boy's name is Ming Zhao, and he lives up to his name. His smile can really clear away the haze in people's hearts.
Chen Tang was very excited to be a teacher as it was a rare opportunity, but he was stunned for a moment when he asked about the boy's family background.
Unlike what he had imagined, the boy's family was not wealthy. Instead, he had no parents. His parents fell ill and died in the flood, and he almost followed them. He was able to survive until now because Yun Hui rescued him, invited a doctor to treat his illness, and gave him a job after he recovered.
"I have a roof over my head and food to eat. I will never forget your kindness," the young man emphasized. "So you said I can't speak ill of you. He is the best person in the world."
Chen Tang was deep in thought, feeling quite fortunate that he had agreed to Lin Su's donation of the three million taels for disaster relief.
"You don't know, how could I dare to say anything bad about him." Chen Tang said with a smile.
"That's the best," Ming Zhao said, looking up. "Actually, I know you're a good person. My Lord said that the success of flood control and the availability of food and herbs were all thanks to the silver donated to us by the Shen family in the capital. I shouldn't have said those words to you that day."
"Hey, it's too formal to say these things. Just remember the kindness in your heart. In normal times, we just need to treat each other as teacher and student." Chen Tang inexplicably wanted to do more good deeds.
Having a fortune is just making a family rich. If he could save a few more people, dozens, hundreds or even tens of thousands of people, would such merit allow him to meet and stay with Lin Su for generations to come?
"Yes, sir, what does this sentence mean, 'Birds of prey are different from other groups, and it has been like this since the previous life'?" Ming Zhao asked, looking up.
Chen Tang tried to read that sentence, but the whole article gave him a headache: "You should start learning characters from the simplest ones. It won't work if you want to run before you can walk. From today on, copy the Thousand Character Classic first, then the Three Character Classic. Once you have mastered them, you can learn more."
"Yes." Ming Zhao was obedient and helped Chen Tang get off the stage successfully.
Lin Su was not as idle as Chen Tang. Jiangnan was in ruins and it was a good time to settle there. However, Jiangnan was already a prosperous commercial area, and a strong dragon could not defeat a local snake. It would take some time to coordinate everything. But even so, he was always available when Chen Tang looked for him.
"Madam, how about we donate more silver to various places?" Chen Tang came back excitedly, "The silver we donated that day saved a lot of people. If it can save the people from dire straits..."
He talked non-stop, and Lin Su listened attentively until Chen Tang stopped and asked excitedly, "How is it?"
If this happened in another era, it would definitely be a great thing, but in this era, winning over the hearts of the people too much would be a provocation to the emperor's authority.
But Chen Tang is kind-hearted, and good deeds should not be too harsh. Lin Su thought for a moment and said, "Why not try a different approach to this matter?"
Chen Tang was puzzled: "What's the alternative?"
"Instead of donating money directly, why don't you do it yourself and build a private school and hire teachers to teach children who cannot go to private school, or open trade routes to the mountain village, so that the isolated place can be completely connected to the outside world. It doesn't matter what the form is, it just requires some effort. What do you think, Jingchen?" Lin Su said carefully.
"Mutual benefit." Chen Tang pondered the meaning of his words and suddenly understood the deep meaning.
It is good for a wealthy businessman to donate money temporarily, but if he keeps donating everywhere, he will be suspected of buying the hearts of the people. Some places do not need relief, and the money may be embezzled by officials, which is harmful rather than beneficial.
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