Chapter 350 Visit
Shuqi was prepared and presented the account books for the past two years, quickly reciting several figures representing Shengyuan's income, expenses, and profits over the past two years.
The ledger couldn't be read in a short time, so Sheng An simply flipped through a few pages and put it down. He asked about the difficulties Shengyuan had encountered in the past two years, mainly asking if they had caused any trouble.
A hint of pride appeared on Shuqi's face: "The whole of Qingzhou knows that you, young master, have become the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination and have a bright future ahead of you in the capital. No one would dare to be so foolish as to come knocking on your door and cause trouble."
It's no exaggeration to say that the customers who came to eat treated him with great respect, and ordinary people passing by the entrance of Shengyuan didn't even dare to make a loud noise.
They also kept their master's instructions in mind and dared not be perfunctory with the guests in the slightest. Just as their master had when he was still at Shengyuan, they treated them with meticulous care.
Based on the numbers Shuqi had just reported, Sheng An knew he wasn't lying, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face: "You did a great job."
Everyone was extremely excited to receive her approval, even happier than when they received a substantial year-end bonus.
They knew very well that as long as Shengyuan continued to thrive, they could stay here for a long, long time.
These days, it's not easy to find a kind and generous master. Countless people like them, who sold themselves into slavery, envy their good life now.
Sheng An said some encouraging words, inquired about everyone's recent situation, and then returned to the small building with the account book.
Just a short while later, the three Zhang brothers arrived with two large carts full of New Year's goods.
Xu Cuilian personally purchased all of these items for Sheng An and the others after receiving Xu Jinnian's urgent letter.
This naturally includes cured pork and sausages.
Xu Cuilian no longer runs this business. She passed the recipe on to Lin Yuying and Wang Xiaofang so that their lives could be a little easier.
Of course, to be fair, 20% of the money earned should be given to Zhang Zhaodi and Zhang Daikui's branch of the family.
The eldest son's family doesn't participate in production or operation; they receive 20% of the profits, which is like getting something for free.
Originally, Zhang Zhaodi and Zhang Daikui didn't want it, but Xu Cuilian insisted that they accept it.
The second and third wives had no objection to this, since the recipe for cured meat and sausages belonged to the entire Zhang family, and this distribution was fair.
Sheng An accepted the two truckloads of New Year's goods without hesitation; there was enough for his family to eat until after the New Year.
After resting for two days, Sheng An sent people to deliver invitations to the Fang and Ye families.
We should have visited Mr. and Mrs. Jiang at their residence first, but they always return to Jinling for the New Year at this time of year, so we can only visit them after the New Year.
The Fang and Ye families received Sheng An's invitation, and the next day Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua, along with their respective wives, went to visit.
More than a year has passed, and the four of them haven't changed much.
In their eyes, however, Sheng An had changed quite a bit.
However, what attracted the four of them the most was Zhuozhuo, who was nestled in Sheng An's arms, staring at them with wide, curious eyes.
"Look how good this child is. My sister-in-law is so good at having children. They are absolutely adorable."
Liu Yanran touched Zhuozhuo's little hand and saw that she didn't dodge or avoid it, showing a bold and fearless attitude, which made her even more fond of her.
Sheng An said modestly, "She's quite mischievous; she's always trying to outsmart me."
Liu Yanran couldn't help but chuckle: "This child is smarter than my two kids."
As if in response to her words, Zhuozhuo suddenly stretched out her little paw and grabbed the golden hairpin that was swaying on her head.
Seeing that the little one had fallen into her old habit again, Sheng An quickly grabbed her little hand and scolded her gently, "That's impolite."
Zhuozhuo stared at her mother with her big, innocent eyes, then gave Liu Yanran a sweet smile: "Auntie~"
Liu Yanran's heart almost melted. Before Sheng An could stop her, she took off the gold hairpin from Zhuozhuo's hand and said, "Here, you can play with it."
Worried that the gold hairpin might prick the little one, she used her fingers to fold it in half.
Sheng An sighed and said, "Sister-in-law, you spoil her too much."
Liu Yanran didn't care at all: "It's just a hairpin. My family's jewelry store has plenty. I'll let Zhuozhuo choose one herself later. Consider it a gift from me to her when we first met."
Sheng An remained silent, glancing at the gifts they had brought—gifts for the little guy to meet.
Seeing the friendly interaction between Zhuozhuo and Liu Yanran, the other three couldn't sit still either, and took out their jade ring ornaments to tease the little one.
Zhuozhuo accepted everything offered, flashing a sweet smile, calling out "Uncle" and "Auntie" with ease, and easily won over all the items.
Sheng An covered his face, highly doubting this girl's nature.
No, we have to correct this bad habit of hers properly, and we absolutely cannot let her develop the bad habit of asking people for things.
Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua were very concerned about Xu Jinnian's situation, and Sheng An responded to them one by one.
Upon learning that their friend had caught the Emperor's eye and was now serving as the Emperor's personal attendant, the two were genuinely happy for Xu Jinnian.
Ye Yunhua said with emotion, "Among the four of us, Master valued Mingyu the most, and Mingyu has never disappointed Master."
Fang Qingzhou smiled and said, "Master once said that Mingyu is born to excel in officialdom."
"To roam freely in the officialdom" is a euphemism; to put it more bluntly, it means to manipulate power.
Back then, Master Jiang made an exception and accepted Xu Jinnian, an older student, and later even entrusted him with his own connections, precisely because he valued this point.
After inquiring about Xu Jinnian's recent situation, the two then asked about Tan Zhenlin.
Upon learning that Tan Zhenlin was doing well and was about to get engaged to the daughter of the General's Mansion, they were happy for him and discussed going to the capital together to offer their congratulations once the wedding date was set.
At noon, the four of them had lunch at Shengyuan.
On the way back, Fang Qingzhou and Ye Yunhua rode in the same carriage.
As the carriage drove away from Shengyuan, Fang Qingzhou's expression turned serious: "My sister-in-law's sudden return is probably suspicious."
Ye Yunhua thought so too, and suggested, "Why don't we go to Jinling and ask the Master about the situation?"
They wouldn't feel at ease until they figured it out.
Fang Qingzhou thought for a moment and shook his head: "The New Year is coming soon, and Master's wife's condition may fluctuate. I'm afraid Master won't have the energy to deal with these things."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunhua couldn't help but sigh: "We can only wait until the Master returns to Qingzhou to discuss this further."
Unaware that the two had become suspicious, Sheng An was preparing the New Year's Eve dinner in the small kitchen when her thoughts drifted to the capital, and a trace of sorrow appeared between her brows and eyes.
Grandma Sheng walked in and saw that her granddaughter looked absent-minded, so she guessed what she was thinking and felt a little bad.
Leaving my grandson-in-law alone for the New Year, I wonder if he'll even eat properly.
There are many social engagements during the Chinese New Year, and drinking is inevitable. Without my granddaughter by my side to remind me, will I ruin my health by drinking too much?
Thinking about it, Grandma Sheng couldn't sit still any longer: "An'an, let's go to the capital after the New Year."
Sheng An snapped out of her daze and asked in surprise, "So soon?"
Grandma Sheng tapped her granddaughter's forehead: "Jin Nian is a vigorous young man. What kind of wife would you be if he didn't see you for a long time?"
Sheng An's face flushed, forgetting all about feeling embarrassed:
"Grandma, your grandson-in-law gets up earlier than the chickens and goes to bed later than the dogs every day. Even if he had a flirtatious mind, he wouldn't have time to philander."
Grandma Sheng: "..."
That makes some sense.
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