Chapter 418 Shen Zhong Gives Gifts
Three days later.
At Sanshan School in Lianshan Town, the gatekeeper walked into Dong Wei's study holding a wooden box made of huanghuali wood.
He saluted Meng Zhili and said, "Master, sir, Shen Zhong from Lianshan Town sent a gift to you, sir."
"Who allowed you to accept it?" Meng Zhili frowned and spoke in a somewhat unfriendly tone.
The servant was so frightened that he suddenly knelt on the ground.
"Sir, it was not I who wanted to take it away. He put down the things and got on the carriage and left. I couldn't stop him." The servant explained hastily.
"Open it and take a look." The father-in-law and son-in-law looked at each other.
Dong Wei spoke.
"Yes, sir." The servant put down the wooden box tremblingly.
There is no lock on top.
Because the workmanship was so exquisite, the servants used particularly gentle force for fear of damaging the embossed patterns on the wooden box.
"Master, sir, please look." After opening it, the servant opened his mouth in fear, his eyelids twitched twice, and then he turned the wooden box to face the father-in-law and son-in-law.
"Hmph, eight gold ingots, that's quite generous. But why are there two wooden boxes inside? Let's open them together." Seeing what was inside the wooden box, Meng Zhili sneered.
He pointed to the small wooden box next to the gold ingots and said.
"Yes, sir." The servant quickly stood up, turned around, and squatted on the ground to open the wooden box.
"Sir, it's tea." Two wooden boxes were opened.
The teapot was filled to the brim.
"Is this... ice mist tea?" The knowledgeable Dong Wei picked up a tea leaf, smelled it first, and then looked at it repeatedly.
The so-called ice mist tea grows on a high mountain in the coldest north, where there are few people.
Every winter, many people can be frozen to death, but there is only one kind of tea tree that grows on the top of the mountain, closest to the clouds, also known as cloud tea. This kind of tea tree only grows some tender buds in summer, and is like a dead tree at other times.
After the young buds are picked and roasted into tea, they are covered with white frost, as if covered with a layer of snow, and feel cool to the touch.
It also has a subtle fragrance.
Very magical.
Picking these tea leaves is extremely difficult.
First of all, the summer in that place lasts only twelve days.
Secondly, climbing up that high mountain is extremely dangerous. Even if you manage to climb up alive, it will take at least five days to go up and down.
That is, each person can only pick twice at most.
Otherwise I can’t bring it down.
If you become greedy and go up the mountain for the third time and encounter a snowstorm, you will definitely not come down alive.
Outsiders, who are not familiar with the shape of the mountain, can easily enter the beast's territory or fall off the cliff.
Therefore, those who are responsible for picking tea are the villagers living in the local area.
In summer, they would carry bamboo baskets up the mountain.
A basket of tea leaves could be sold for ten taels of silver, and each person could earn twenty taels every year.
Although twenty taels may seem like a lot, if ten people go, at most only eight can come back.
The summer there is like late autumn in Lianshan Town.
There were no edible wild vegetables or fruits anywhere to be seen.
You can only bring your own dry food.
In short, picking is extremely difficult.
Some people wanted to earn more, so they carried not only bamboo baskets but also cloth bags. As a result, when they came to the way to climb down the mountain, they lost their grip with one hand and fell down.
Die without a complete body.
After picking the tea leaves, you must go down the mountain within two days.
Otherwise the aroma of the tea will be lost.
It will be worthless by then.
For two whole days, the villagers didn't even sleep. Apart from going to the bathroom, they even ate their dry food while walking and didn't dare to rest at all.
The tea that merchants buy from the villagers has its price marked up at various levels.
In the end, it was sold at a sky-high price.
Ice mist tea is usually drunk in the summer. It not only removes the heat from the body, but also soothes dryness and calms the mind.
Moreover, the tea tastes not strong but has a hint of sweetness.
Don't even mention a box, just gently pinch some with your hands.
You can sell it for ten taels of silver.
Two boxes of ice mist tea are worth at least five hundred taels.
Even though Dong Wei had drunk this kind of tea before, he was still stunned by Shen Zhong's generosity.
"If I remember correctly, this Shen Zhong is engaged in tea trading, right?" Meng Zhili narrowed his eyes.
Ask the servant.
This person is in charge of guarding the gate.
He has a thorough understanding of some of the powerful businessmen in the city.
"Yes, Shen Zhong used to buy tea leaves from all over the country and resell them. He made a fortune from this and bought a lot of land and houses. He also did jade business, so he was well-known for being wealthy in the town."
The servant knelt on the ground and bowed his head and replied.
He was afraid that if he raised his head and made eye contact with Meng Zhili, he would be impolite.
"Did he say anything? Or did he leave any message?" Meng Zhili continued to ask him.
With such a big investment, it is impossible to say that you have nothing to ask for.
I’m afraid there are still many requests.
"He did leave two sentences behind. I will learn them for you, the adults."
"My son Hechi is now eleven years old. He passed the imperial examination last year. He is still young and alone in Jiangnan. I was worried about him, so I called him back. I heard that Sanshan Academy is the best academy nearby, so I thought of sending him here."
"Oh, by the way, my son Hechi admires the County Master the most. I wonder if he can meet him in the academy tomorrow. That would be my son's wish. Alas, parents are pitiful. I only have this one son, and I can't bear to see him disappointed."
The servant imitated Shen Zhong's tone.
I learned exactly what he said before he left.
It's so lifelike.
"Humph, you're trying to get close to me, Dad. Should I return this gift now, or..."
Meng Zhili and Dong Wei have a good relationship.
Logically, he should call him father-in-law.
But he only called him dad. If it weren't for the different surnames, outsiders would probably think that Dong Wei was Meng Zhili's biological father.
"Don't worry. Send someone to deliver it. If someone with ulterior motives sees it, it will be hard to explain. Others will think he has your back. Since he said he will come tomorrow, just wait. Don't go back tonight. Stay one more day. I see that your throat is a little uncomfortable. Tomorrow Fubao will come. Let her take a look at you."
Mentioned the god-granddaughter.
Dong Wei's tense face relaxed.
"Okay, I'll listen to Dad. You put this box on the table." Meng Zhili said to the servant who was kneeling on the ground.
His tone became much calmer.
Not as fierce as before.
The servant breathed a sigh of relief.
Ever since his aunt became the county magistrate, he has been like a mouse seeing a cat.
I'm so scared.
It is clear that Meng Zhili has never punished him.
On the other side, Shen Zhong, who had just delivered the gifts, arrived at the door of his house.
He was helped by servants, got off the carriage, and walked into the house with his head held high.
It's not hard to tell his mood from the joy on his face.
"Master, what happened?" Duan Lian'er, who was guarding the garden, saw him coming back and hurried to greet him.
"Okay, I have delivered the gift anyway. As long as you don't give it back to me, then it's settled. Tomorrow, I will take He Chi to Sanshan Academy."
Shen Zhong stroked his beard and smiled.
He gave me two boxes of ice mist tea.
Plus eight gold ingots.
One gold ingot can be exchanged for two hundred taels of silver.
Eight pieces equal one thousand six hundred taels.
With ice mist tea.
That’s more than two thousand taels.
Shen Zhong was full of confidence. He firmly believed that Meng Zhili would not return the wooden box.