Chapter 232 Unexpected Visitor
The day before their departure, Xu Jinnian and his three fellow disciples were invited to Master Jiang's house for dinner.
Sheng An didn't sit idle; he arrived at Shengshi Restaurant early in the morning to hold a general meeting for all employees.
The meeting was very clear: during her absence from Qingzhou, Baolan would manage all affairs of the restaurant, and the manager would consult Baolan for advice on any matters he was unsure about.
Bao Lan is more opinionated than Bao Xiang and Bao Yun, and her loyalty to Sheng An is beyond doubt, so Sheng An is very at ease letting her manage the restaurant.
After giving Bao Lan some instructions privately, Sheng An rode back to Sheng Garden.
Shu Yan quickly stepped forward, took the reins, and reported to Sheng An, "Master, a guest surnamed Zheng is looking for you and is waiting for you in the small hall."
A guest surnamed Zheng?
As Sheng An pondered, he walked into the small hall, unable to recall when he had ever met someone surnamed Zheng.
Upon entering the small hall, Sheng An was startled to see the young man sitting at the tea table on the left. His profile was strikingly similar to Xu Jinnian's. She then retrieved a memory from some obscure corner of her mind.
It was Zheng Wenying!
It's been three years since I last saw him, and he's grown so much!
Three years ago, Sheng An and Xu Jinnian went to Pingzhou for sightseeing, and Zheng Wenying acted as their temporary tour guide.
Later, Zheng Wenying's three younger siblings were seriously injured and on the verge of death. It was the couple who lent Zheng Wenying thirty taels of silver that saved their lives.
At the time, thirty taels of silver was nothing to Sheng'an. He never thought he would get it back after lending it out. He never expected that Zheng Wenying would come to Sheng'an Garden today.
"Sister Sheng!"
Hearing footsteps, Zheng Wenying looked up and saw a familiar face from her memory. She excitedly stood up to greet him, her eyes red and glistening with tears.
Looking at the boy who was half a head taller than her, Sheng An smiled with satisfaction: "It's been years, and you've grown into a grown-up! How are your younger brothers and sisters?"
Seeing that her benefactor treated her with the same kindness as three years ago, Zheng Wenying was deeply moved, and her eyes reddened even more.
"Thank you for your concern, Sister Sheng. My younger siblings are doing well. We have all been doing well for the past three years."
Sheng An looked the boy up and down and saw that he was wearing a brocade long coat, deerskin boots, a jade belt around his waist, and a servant with him. He knew that the boy was indeed living a good life.
Sheng An's smile deepened: "I'm relieved that you siblings are doing well."
Since they weren't close friends, although she was curious about Zheng Wenying's opportunities, she wouldn't ask further if Zheng Wenying didn't say anything.
Zheng Wenying, however, did not hide anything and directly stated the reason why she was where she was today:
"After my younger siblings recovered, I found a job at a fabric shop, where I met a benefactor who changed my life..."
Zheng Wenying's parents died, and he had to support his three younger siblings while also repaying a huge debt of thirty taels of silver.
Thanks to his eloquence and tragic background, the shopkeeper kindly took him in as a teenager, and he usually served ordinary customers in the shop.
Once, the owner of the cloth shop came to inspect the business and saw that Zheng Wenying was literate and quick-witted, a good candidate to attract business, so he developed a fondness for her talent.
After hearing about Zheng Wenying's tragic past and how he worked hard to earn money to pay off his debts, the employer was even more satisfied with Zheng Wenying, feeling that he was a person of noble character and a promising talent.
As a result, Zheng Wenying was personally trained by her employer.
The landlord has five young men like Zheng Wenying around him. He wants to choose the one he likes best to be his son-in-law, but he has no children and only has one daughter in his fifties.
This daughter suffered from a high fever in her childhood, and due to inadequate treatment, her mental age remained at that of a five-year-old. She is barely able to take care of herself, but she needs a reliable person to take care of her for the rest of her life.
After more than two years of observation, Zheng Wenying was chosen by her employer. She got engaged to the employer's daughter some time ago, and the two officially became husband and wife after the New Year.
Seeing that Zheng Wenying spoke so openly about marrying into the family without any sign of reluctance, Sheng An understood and sincerely said, "Congratulations!"
Zheng Wenying smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Sheng."
As he spoke, he took the box from the servant and placed it in front of Sheng An: "This is the thirty taels of silver I borrowed from Sister Sheng back then. Thank you for saving my life, Sister Sheng."
For three years, he kept thinking about repaying the money.
Now that he can finally pay it off, it can be considered a complete relief for him.
Sheng An accepted the box without hesitation.
Zheng Wenying breathed a sigh of relief, her smile becoming more relaxed: "When will Sister Sheng and her husband visit Pingzhou again? I'd like to extend my hospitality as their host."
Sheng An looked regretful: "I'm afraid there won't be a chance."
She told him that she and Xu Jinnian would be setting off for the capital the next day to participate in the imperial examinations.
Zheng Wenying exclaimed with delight, "It just so happens that I need to escort a batch of goods to Yongcheng. I can go with Sister Sheng and her husband tomorrow."
Sheng An also found it a coincidence and said with a smile, "Okay, let's meet at the dock first thing tomorrow morning."
Zheng Wenying nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
Sheng An invited Zheng Wenying to have dinner, and Zheng Wenying did not refuse.
Shengyuan's reputation had long since spread to Pingzhou, but Zheng Wenying did not know that Sheng'an was the owner of Shengyuan until this time when she came to repay the money.
At noon, Sheng An personally prepared a delicious meal to entertain Zheng Wenying.
Zheng Wenying was greatly amazed, only regretting that Pingzhou did not have a Sheng Garden, otherwise he and his fiancée would definitely have become frequent visitors to the Sheng Garden.
After seeing Zheng Wenying off, Sheng An had the gifts he brought moved to the storeroom.
She opened two boxes; one contained cloth, and the other tea, both of which were clearly very valuable.
Sheng An put everything away neatly. Looking at the storeroom full of things, she immediately made a list of New Year's gifts, which she would have her father-in-law send out later.
Items with expiration dates, such as tea, are too much for family members to use and would be a waste to keep in storage. It's better to give them away as New Year's gifts.
After finishing writing the list of New Year's gifts, Sheng An couldn't help but smile as she looked at it.
When these items were given as gifts in the past, the recipient would also send a New Year's gift in return. It was a back-and-forth exchange, so it was as if no gifts were actually given.
It's like visiting relatives during the Lunar New Year in a past life; the gifts were given out, and then returned exactly as they were.
In the evening, Xu Jinnian returned to the small building, and Sheng An told him about Zheng Wenying's visit.
Xu Jinnian still remembered Zheng Wenying. After hearing about his experiences over the past three years, he said quite frankly, "His father-in-law has good judgment."
Sheng An nodded: "He may not have romantic feelings for his fiancée, but he is a loyal and trustworthy person who values promises. I think he will treat his fiancée well in the future."
Xu Jinnian patted the top of her head: "A person who can get An'an to help must have good character."
Sheng An chuckled: "Don't praise me like that. I can't even guarantee that I won't misjudge people."
Human hearts are unpredictable. Having lived a lifetime longer than her peers, she had gained some insight into judging people.
Xu Jinnian took his wife's hand and kissed it: "It doesn't matter if I misjudged you, I will never let you suffer."
Sheng An tiptoed and kissed his lips: "Of course, Zhenlin and the others didn't call you 'old fox' for nothing."
Xu Jinnian deepened the kiss and didn't release it for a while.
The couple nestled together quietly, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
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