Chapter 54
54
Cheng Yeran was aloof and didn't explain to him, but his eyes were always fixed in his direction. He watched him finish the breakfast and carefully took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
Shen Yuntang: "...When did you use a handkerchief?"
"Don't ask." Cheng Yeran made a hushing gesture, stood up and walked towards the door. "I have just asked the waiter about the exact direction of the bakery owner's house. Follow me."
Shen Yuntang: “…” I miss my puppy.
He followed Cheng Yeran and drove across a street into a small alley. After wandering around in the alley for a long time, he found a family with the surname Wang.
There are only a couple in this family, about 30 years old. The husband looks older and more mature, while the wife is more gentle.
Before coming, Cheng Yeran found out that these two originally had a five-year-old child, but he later died of illness.
The family spent all their money on the child's medical treatment, which led to the shop's capital chain being cut off. Then, a beverage shop across the street opened and took away their business. They could no longer support themselves and planned to sell the shop, use the money to buy a piece of land in their hometown, have another child while they were still young, and live an ordinary life.
Cheng Yeran came to them and told them his purpose. After they looked at Cheng Yeran's attire, they did not believe in Cheng Yeran's ability and wanted to refuse him tactfully.
Cheng Yeran told him that he was in the tofu business and told him the name of the village where he lived. The shop owner immediately responded, "Are the tofu that are selling very well in the county town recently yours?"
"That's right. I came here this time to buy your shop, but we don't know how to make pastries. We want to hire you and your former associates to continue running the shop. But I have one request. You must keep it a secret and not mention that I bought the shop. To the outside world, you are still the boss."
Boss Wang quickly invited the people in, asked his husband to pour tea, and brought some snacks over. "I can help you contact the previous clerk, but our child passed away not long ago. My husband is weak, and living here will inevitably make him sad when thinking of his dead child. I just want to sell the shop."
"Since your husband is weak, he can't go to the village to farm. If he gets sick, it will be difficult to find a doctor. Besides, when you have children in the future, it will be inconvenient to send them to school. Although there are schools in the village, the teaching level is definitely not as good as in the city." Cheng Yeran knew that they were sad, but he just observed Boss Wang's husband. He was frail, dressed neatly, and had delicate fingers. He didn't look like someone who could do farm work. They would probably regret this decision after going to the village.
This reminded Cheng Yeran of their time, when many people always wanted to live a secluded life in the countryside, thinking that going to the countryside was like going to a paradise. However, after experiencing two days of dry toilets, swarms of mosquitoes in the yard in summer, and life without running water and internet, they would immediately regret it.
They just idealized country life too much, but not everyone is the same. He just shared some problems with Boss Wang.
Finally, he added, asking Boss Wang if he knew how to dig a pit toilet. Have you ever experienced the feeling of taking off your pants in the toilet in the summer and a swarm of flies and mosquitoes swarming over and biting your butt?
Boss Wang was stunned by these words. His husband just came in with tea and snacks. He turned pale with fright when he heard these words and immediately gave up the idea of going to the countryside.
However, the two of them did not agree immediately and changed the topic to the price of the shop.
While eating his snacks, Cheng Yeran negotiated the price with him, and finally they settled on a price that satisfied both parties.
Cheng Yeran said to Boss Wang, "If you can't meet my request just now, I won't want this shop. I'll give you some time to think about it. We were originally going to go back to the village today, but for you, we can stay one more day. I'll come again at this time tomorrow."
"But our business is not good. Even if you buy it, you may not make money. It is better to change it into a tofu shop." Boss Wang is also a down-to-earth man. Even if the shop has nothing to do with him in the future, he still considers Cheng Yeran.
"I've tried your dim sum. It's nothing special, but not bad. It's definitely not as good as the dim sum at the drink shop across the street," Cheng Yeran paused, "but it's not hopeless. Sometimes you don't have to eat dim sum."
"You don't want to eat it? If you make snacks and don't eat them, are you going to offer them up?" Boss Wang paused and said, "Yes, why didn't I think of that?"
After traveling through time, Cheng Yeran discovered that there was an ancestral hall in the village. Offerings had to be made on the first and fifteenth days of every month, and people had to take turns cleaning the hall on other days. It was taken very seriously.
Every household in the village has statues of Buddha or gods. Although most of them are paintings or made of wood and are not very expensive, you still have to burn incense. There are also temples on the mountains near the village, which usually attract many pilgrims.
There are three temples in this county town, which shows how devoutly people in this world believe in the existence of gods.
"If you are capable, you can negotiate with the three temples in the county to use our cakes for snacks in the future. We can make a brand out of it and make people think of our brand when they think of cakes for offerings. We can monopolize the cakes for offerings in the entire county and make enough money." Cheng Yeran told the idea of bean powder again, "Give out the remaining bean powder every morning. Beggars and poor people can come to the door to ask for a bowl. It would be best if you can make an excuse that you dreamed of a god descending to earth and asked you to do this, so that you can spread your reputation for kindness."
After hearing his words, Boss Wang felt a surge of blood in his body, and he felt better again. However, he did not immediately agree to Cheng Yeran, saying that he would think about it and would give Cheng Yeran an answer tomorrow.
Cheng Yeran said, "Don't use my method and go it alone without selling the shop to me."
Boss Wang sighed, "Even if I wanted to do this, I don't have the extra money to support me. Besides, you have such ability. Even if I don't sell the shop to you, I won't be able to compete with you if you open another shop."
Boss Wang had previously lost business to the beverage shop and was afraid of the risk of competition. He saw that Cheng Yeran was a capable person, so he decided to follow Cheng Yeran.
Boss Wang also proposed an idea, "I want a share of the store's profits in the future."
"I can give you a commission. I'll give you a certain percentage of commission for each transaction." Cheng Yeran treated him as a salesperson. The more he sold, the more he got. The more he got, the harder he worked as a salesperson.
When Boss Wang sent Cheng Yeran and the others out, he seemed like a different person, radiant and glowing.
When he arrived at the door, Cheng Yeran remembered something and asked Boss Wang about the location of the school in the county.
Boss Wang has been doing business in the county town for so many years that he naturally knows. "There are two schools in the county town, one is a public school and the other is a private school. The public school can only be entered after passing the examination for a scholar, and there are also requirements for grades. There is no tuition fee, and subsidies are given. However, if you fail the examination within three years, you will be advised to drop out. The other private school charges a high fee, but the teachers there are all famous. Not everyone can enter, and you need a recommendation to enter. In addition, in recent years, the test scores of private schools have been better, and students with good grades have gone to private schools."
When Cheng Yeran heard that he was asked to make a recommendation, he wondered if it was the school that Xia Xiaowu went to?
He couldn't get a recommendation, and he wasn't even a scholar, so he asked Boss Wang, "Can I get into that private school by paying money?"
"Of course you can, but ordinary people like us should forget about it." Boss Wang shook his head, not thinking that Cheng Yeran could afford that money.
After leaving Wang's house, the two returned to the inn and parked the donkey cart.
Nanxi
, went back to the room and ordered a few dishes.
"Your idea just now is quite good, why didn't you tell me in advance?" Shen Yuntang asked him.
"I performed it on the spot. Am I awesome?" Cheng Yeran grinned foolishly, and didn't forget to lean against him and rub against him to act coquettishly. After rubbing against him twice, he suddenly sat up straight, "Forget it, I'm a mature man now."
Seeing him sitting upright, Shen Yuntang chuckled, "You'd better stop acting like a mature man. I'm not used to it."
Cheng Yeran came close and pinched his chin, and said to him in a domineering manner: "Man, you are being stubborn, you obviously like it."
Shen Yuntang clapped his hands: "When did I say I liked it?"
"You didn't say it, but your body language has betrayed you." Cheng Yeran scratched the tip of his nose with his fingers. Although this action made him feel greasy, he still endured the discomfort and insisted on doing it. This is what the domineering CEOs in TV dramas do, so how could it be wrong? Just now, Shen Yuntang was staring at him in a daze, obviously fascinated by him. He wanted to keep up the good work.
Shen Yuntang couldn't help but shuddered: "You talked less this morning. Although I don't know what medical beauty is, you don't talk less."
"Oh?" Cheng Yeran nodded, "So you like people who don't talk much."
"I don't like people who talk little. I want you to return to your original state." Shen Yuntang was afraid that if this continued, she would not be able to control the urge to beat him up.
"You don't like me because I'm quiet. Do you like me the way I am?" Cheng Yeran approached again.
"..." Shen Yuntang couldn't stand his constant pressure and turned his head away quickly, "Who likes your original appearance? Just continue to be like this! I don't care about you."
"Yeah." Cheng Yeran said very coldly.
Shen Yuntang pushed the man away and took a breath. "Are you planning to go to the academy later?"
"Although I want a recommendation, you should go and ask. At least you can get in by spending one or two hundred taels of silver." After Cheng Yeran traveled through time, he bought things by spending a few cents at a time. One or two hundred taels was already a sky-high price in his eyes. This was a county town, and the villagers had no idea how much money he had spent.
Paying money to enter the academy is a shady operation, and the academy will certainly not publicize how much money he spent.
In the afternoon, the two of them found out the way to the academy and went there, but they were driven away before they even got through the door.
When they arrived at the door, a servant was sweeping the steps in front of the academy. When he saw them coming, he waved his broom and drove them aside, "Go away, this is a place you can come to? Get away, poor bastard, and don't mess up this place where we study."
"The academy is such a holy place, why is there a mad dog tied at the door? Aren't you afraid that it might bite people?" Cheng Yeran lost interest in this academy. Even the cleaning servants were so bullying, so the students inside would not have good character.
Moreover, he didn't want to be classmates with Xia Xiaowu. This guy was too annoying. It would be better for him to work hard, pass the exam to become a scholar, and go to the school run by the county.
"How can you talk like that? Who are you calling a dog?" The servant who was sweeping the floor swung the broom to hit him, but not only did he miss, he was also grabbed by Cheng Yeran.
"I don't have time to fight with a dog." Chen Yeran snatched his broom and threw it on the ground, then turned around and pulled Shen Yuntang away.
"Shouldn't we have changed our clothes before asking?" Shen Yuntang tugged at his own clothes, then looked at Cheng Yeran's clothes. "Scholars all wear long gowns, and you look like a peasant, so he has that attitude."
Cheng Yeran wanted to say what was wrong with being farmers, and that was not a reason for him to look down on the two of them, but he looked down at his clothes again. However, in reality, there are many people who judge a person's identity by their clothes and appearance. They had been looked down upon many times because of their clothes and appearance during the past two days since they entered the county town.
"Make a set of clothes for yourself and then ask again. People will indeed decide how much they respect you based on how you dress." Shen Yuntang pulled him towards the cloth shop, "Let's go buy some fabric. The wheat harvest has just finished, so I'll make you two more sets of clothes so you can change them when you go to school."
"Just buy the ready-made ones," Cheng Yeran held his hand and rubbed his fingers, "I feel sorry for you."
"I know your size and can make it more suitable. Most of the clothes I buy will be inappropriate and people can see it at a glance." Shen Yuntang also liked to make clothes for him, and she liked to show them to him as soon as they were done, just to see how happy he was.
Cheng Yeran leaned close to his ear happily and said, "How do you know my size so well? Did you touch me secretly while I was asleep?"
Shen Yuntang blushed and pushed him away. "Don't say such obscene things! Don't wrongly accuse me. Didn't I measure your size last time? I even measured the size of your shoes."
Cheng Yeran patted his chest and said, "But now it has changed. Do you want to touch it again tonight?"
Shen Yuntang had touched it a few times, but it was not his initiative. Cheng Yeran had to hold his hand and touch it. But he had peeked at it many times, and it was indeed beautiful...
Shen Yuntang pinched the palm of his hand. How could he think of that kind of scene on the street? Wouldn't he be a vulgar person?
"You still have to touch it, otherwise I won't allow you to." Cheng Yeran circled around him and wagged his tail like a puppy.
Fortunately, there was no one on the road, otherwise Shen Yuntang would have had to escape.
"You're not going to play the role of a cool and mature man anymore?" Shen Yuntang just hoped that he would shut up.
"It turns out that mature men are more attractive to you." Cheng Yeran seemed to be thinking about something.
Seeing him like this, Shen Yuntang guessed that he must be thinking about something. Although he couldn't guess what he was thinking, Cheng Yeran finally shut up.
When he arrived at the cloth shop, Shen Yuntang deliberately picked out some colors that scholars would wear, and also chose medium-priced ones that would not be too shabby nor particularly conspicuous.
When checking out, Cheng Yeran specifically asked the shopkeeper to tear a black strip of cloth to tie together the materials they bought.
"Why do you specifically want the black one?" Shen Yuntang asked him after leaving the cloth shop.
"It works." Cheng Yeran returned to his mature man's appearance.
Shen Yuntang was confused, but he didn't ask any more questions. After all, they were often together, so he could see when the other one used it.
After returning to the inn, the black cloth was covered over his eyes.
Cheng Yeran blindfolded the panicked young husband, tied his wrists and pressed him on the table, and said in his ear with a deep, magnetic, mature man's voice: "Let's do something different today."
…
The two of them tossed and turned for half the night, and Shen Yuntang felt dizzy. Sometimes he felt that time passed too fast, and sometimes he felt that time passed too slow. Especially after being blindfolded, he could not see the other person, and the other person treated him with a tone and actions that were completely opposite to usual, which made him very uneasy, but also very exciting.
The next morning, Cheng Yeran stretched out one hand and lifted the bed curtain. The sunlight shone through the gap in the curtain onto Shen Yuntang's skin which was covered with red marks. His skin was originally fair, but with these red marks and teeth marks, he looked miserable.
Shen Yuntang really couldn't get up, so he lay on the bed to catch up on his sleep. Cheng Yeran fed him some porridge and went out.
I locked the door for him before going out, for fear that someone would break in when he was away.
He was thinking about Shen Yuntang and planned to go early and come back early.
Boss Wang's house was not far from the inn. When he arrived, Boss Wang gave him a very quick reply. The two signed the contract, paid the money, and all they had to do was go to the government to register.
Boss Wang said that the county magistrate has been quite busy lately. A few days ago, the son of the county magistrate fell into the water. After he was pulled out, he had a fever all over his body and kept coughing. All the doctors in the county were helpless. Now he is having a headache and is trying to find a doctor.
"How come all the doctors in the county are helpless? Is it that serious?" Cheng Yeran knew that the medical level in ancient times was backward, but he didn't expect that the county magistrate's child would have no choice but to wait to die if he fell ill?
"There are many things to say here. You don't live in the county town, so the less you know, the better." Boss Wang said meaningfully.
Cheng Yeran didn't know what he was talking about. He was worried about Shen Yuntang. He didn't know whether he was awake or hungry. He wondered if he would be bored staying alone in the inn after waking up.
On the way back, he deliberately quickened his pace, but was blocked by two men in an alley. He had a good memory and remembered that these two were the ones who had stared at his purse on the street the day before yesterday.
The two men blocked Cheng Yeran in the alley, one in front and one behind, and without any preparation, they said directly: "Brothers are short of money recently, lend me some money."
Cheng Yeran covered his purse with his hands, his brain calculating rapidly. These two strong men were taller than him and looked fierce. He didn't know if they had any weapons. If they fought, he might not have the upper hand. Even if he could win, he would be injured. Shen Yuntang would definitely feel sad when seeing this.
He also didn't know the power of these two people in the local area. If they were a local gang of thugs, and he had offended these two people today, what would he and Shen Yuntang do if they were blocked by them again when they came to the county town in the future?
There was only about two taels of silver in the purse, and he didn't feel sorry at all. He pulled the purse off his waist and threw it to them, "That's all, no need to return it, get out of the way."
One of the scarred burly men shook the weight of the purse and stuffed it into his arms with satisfaction, but still did not give way. "I remember you have a little beauty by your side. Where is the little beauty? Bring her out to have a cup of tea with us.
йāиＦ
We treat you as a thank you for lending us the money. ”
Cheng Yeran's face darkened instantly when he heard this. He picked up a stone from the ground beside him and shook it in his hand, "You are so shameless."
"Who are you trying to scare with a broken stone?" The scarred man was amused by his action and took out a knife from his pocket. "Do you know who they are? The people nearby are all ours. Either you bring them here, or we will find them ourselves. You can choose."
"I choose you to shut up." Cheng Yeran threw a stone at his head with force. He was knocked to the ground by the stone, and the knife was kicked away by Cheng Yeran.
He cracked his knuckles and turned to avoid the attack of another strong man, a scary look on his face, "I haven't moved my muscles in a long time, I'll play with you guys."
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