Chapter 124
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Xu San's face, but he quickly regained composure and clapped his hands with his fan. "Did you find out, Gu Erniang?"
Gu Ran nodded. "If you're worried about Xiaoju's business, there's no need to worry. We've been partners for many years. We have a contract, so we'll definitely follow the rules. Nothing will change just because I went to the capital!"
"Really?" Xu San suddenly realized something and glanced at Gu Ran subtly.
"Well, you might not know this yet, but there's a eunuch named Ren in the palace who has already given me a document stating that our Gu family's oranges and a variety of other products will be purchased in fixed quantities by the Jianzhou government and shipped directly back to the capital for the palace," Gu Ran said generously. "From now on, our Gu family's oranges will be tribute oranges for the emperor."
Xu San really didn't know about this and was shocked for a moment.
"I originally wanted to tell you after returning to Jianzhou, but it's okay to tell you now," Gu Ran said. "The batch of tangerines requested by the palace will also be shipped back to the capital before the New Year. From now on, our Gu family's early-ripening tangerines, aside from those used as tribute, will only be supplied to your Fusheng Trading Company."
Wouldn't Fusheng Commercial Bank be selling the imperial tribute tangerines in the future? The value of the Gu family's tangerines would definitely go up!
"How lucky we Fusheng are to be able to make this orange deal with you, Gu Er Niang!" Xu San said with a smile.
"It was you, Sanlang Xu, who had the foresight to recognize my talent and chose me, Gu Erniang, to cooperate with your Xu family's business." Gu Ran said with a smile, "For the sake of our friendship, Sanlang Xu, if you want to establish a business in Damao City, I can certainly help you with anything. However, I'm afraid I can't help you with any cooperation beyond business."
Xu Sanlang was a smart man. He heard the hidden meaning in Gu Ran's words and was startled for a moment. Then he smiled bitterly and nodded: "Okay, I will thank Gu Erniang here!"
After all, it’s too late!
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome!”
After that day, Xu Sanlang really no longer approached Gu Erniang like before. After Pei Liu confirmed this, he breathed a sigh of relief.
This guy is so shameless, who can guarantee that he won't suddenly become evil again?
It’s better to keep an eye on it.
Not to mention that Pei Liu was wary of Xu San and how he was on guard day and night, after sailing on the sea for more than a month, the official ship they were on slowly approached Cang Port.
In Cang Port, many officials who had already heard about General Qiao's recent return, after seeing this official ship, confirmed that it was the ship that set out from the capital to escort General Qiao back to Damao City. Many people came out to greet it, but they did not delay General Qiao's journey home. On the one hand, they sent people to Damao City to deliver a letter, and on the other hand, they quickly loaded all the money and supplies brought on the ship onto horse-drawn and donkey-drawn carts. On the other hand, they respectfully invited General Qiao and his party to get on the carriages prepared early, and then the scouts sent by the government led the way and escorted them to Damao City.
The journey of more than ten days was arranged very well by the local authorities. When they were about to enter Nanfeng County smoothly, Gu Ran felt mixed emotions.
Not only her, but even Pei Liu and Xu San were the same.
You know, three years ago, they were exiles on their way to Minzhou and had just come to Nanfeng County. They were deeply impressed by this large gathering place for exiles.
Gu Ran was particularly concerned because it was here that he was provoked by the thief.
Moreover, since we have arrived at this northern county government office, it also means that we are not far from Damao City.
They were prisoners at the time and only had a quick glance at Damao City after entering it. Later in Xiaxi Village, he often heard Lin Ersao and the He family talk about going to the school in Damao City to study. He never thought that one day he would have the honor to come to Damao City again.
Heading south from Nanfeng County, they drove along the official road for about an hour. Except for a small forest just after leaving the south gate of Nanfeng County, all along the official road were lined with houses and farmland. Gu Ran and his companions were surprised to find that the thousands of miles of land outside Damao City were not as deserted as the deserted land outside other prefectures, but had been reclaimed and utilized.
The closer you get to Damao City, the denser the residential areas become. There is even a fork in the official road every few hundred meters. When you go into the fork, you will see houses along the way. At a glance, you can see curling smoke from cooking fires and the city is bustling with people.
General Qiao, who had been away from his hometown for more than ten years, could no longer sit still when he saw the scenery that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Instead of taking a carriage, he rode a horse and galloped all the way on the official road, obviously very excited.
Gu Ran and Pei Liu, who were sitting in the carriage behind, also lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery outside, marveling at it and talking in low voices.
When the towering city walls came into view, a dense mass of black spots also appeared.
At first, the two men thought it was a jungle outside the city. As they got closer, they saw that it was actually a large army lined up in battle array.
They were the garrison troops of Damao City, and they came to welcome General Qiao in person after receiving the news.
Sure enough, General Qiao, who was leading the way, could no longer restrain himself as he watched the army leave the city, and galloped forward at full speed. Gu Ran heard a loud roar, a horn blast, and a cry that reached the sky: "Welcome General Zhengnan back to the city!"
"Welcome General Zhengnan back to the city!"
Gu Ran watched as General Qiao roared and ran to the front of the formation. He jumped off his horse and knelt down in front of the horse in the middle.
The soldiers on that horse and those around him also dismounted and surrounded General Qiao.
"That person should be Marquis Dingsheng!"
Xu Sanlang, who had already jumped off the carriage and changed horses, walked to the front of Gu Ran's carriage and looked at the city gate from a distance. He exclaimed, "It's actually Marquis Dingsheng who has come to greet General Qiao in person, along with General Wang, General Song, and General Shi."
Gu Ran also heard a little about the military generals in Damao City while on the official ship.
In addition to General Qiao's ancestors who were military generals, there were nine other families who followed Emperor Wu in the conquest and unified the territory. They were the ten major families who were granted the title of Wolf's Lair according to their merits. Among them were the Wang family and the Song family mentioned by Xu San just now, as well as the Shi family.
Later, when Emperor Wu moved the capital, many descendants of these ten families followed him to the imperial capital, while many were sent to the northern border and western defense. Those who stayed in Damao City assisted Marquis Dingsheng in unifying the southern border.
When the families of these generals heard that General Qiao had returned home, they all brought their troops to welcome him. Even Marquis Dingsheng came in person. It was quite a big show.
Gu Ran and her companions' carriage also arrived at the city gate under the watchful eyes of the army.
General Qiao had been helped up long ago, his eyes were red. Standing beside him were both veteran and young generals, all armed to the teeth. The most eye-catching among them was a tall and imposing general. Everyone respected him, and he must be the Marquis Dingsheng that Xu San mentioned.
"Second Mother!" General Qiao called out to Gu Ran when he saw the carriage coming.
Gu Ran got out of the car and quickly walked to General Qiao: "Grandpa Qiao!"
"She is the Second Mother of the Gu family who saved me, and she is also my adopted granddaughter." General Qiao said to Marquis Dingsheng, "Second Mother, this is Marquis Dingsheng of Damao City."
After General Qiao said this, not only did Gu Ran quickly pay his respects to Marquis Dingsheng, but Pei Liu, Xu San and others behind him also saluted.
"I greet you, Lord Marquis!"
"No need to be so polite." Marquis Dingsheng looked at Gu Ran and nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, Madam Gu, for saving the life of the general of Damao City. This marquis will reward you handsomely!"
"Thank you, My Lord!" Gu Ran was very happy.
She has already received a reward in the capital. If she receives another reward, won’t her wealth double?
With such joyful anticipation, Gu Ran, Pei Liu and others surrounded the group of soldiers and officially entered Damao City from the north gate.
"General Qiao!"
"It's General Qiao who's back!"
"Welcome General Qiao back to the city!"
"General Qiao!"
Inside the city, on both sides of the Five-horse Carriageway, there were actually many people gathered to welcome General Qiao back home.
General Qiao and Marquis Dingsheng rode side by side through the outer city amid the cheers and shouts of the people.
Seeing the scene in the city up close, Gu Ran was surprised again. The last time he arrived in Damao City, he took a quick glance at the Nanfeng County under its jurisdiction and felt it was prosperous.
Later, he went to Kyoto and saw the prosperous scene of the imperial capital where the saint lived. In theory, he had seen the most magnificent city in the Great Sheng Dynasty. Even if Damao City was the second largest city, he would not be moved. But when he was actually there, he realized that the prosperity of Damao City was even better than that of the imperial capital.
The streets and alleys are interconnected and bustling with traffic. Pavilions and towers are scattered like layers of mountains, and there is a prosperous scene everywhere.
What amazed Gu Ran even more was that the sentry tower and barracks that were said to constitute the inner city's walls were actually built against the mountain.
When the convoy arrived at the first gate of the inner city, Dazhu Gate, she thought it would be open to welcome guests like the North Gate. However, the convoy passed through Dazhu Gate and then walked along a section of the downtown official road, and finally arrived at the most prosperous Guanyun Gate of the outer city.
Many people from Damao City had gathered outside Guanyun Gate early to welcome General Qiao back to the city. When they saw him return, they cheered for General Qiao just like they did at the North Gate.
As General Qiao walked along, he saw that people from his hometown were welcoming him wherever he went, and he was already in tears.
Finally, Gu Ran, Pei Liu and others, together with General Qiao, were led into the inner city of Damao City from Guanyun Gate by several generals including Dingsheng Hou, while Xu San and others went to find a place to rest.
Having not returned home for many years, General Qiao naturally has a lot of things to do. Just to find the families of the soldiers who died in battle or were wrongly killed, to redress their grievances and distribute pensions, it will take a lot of energy and time.
So Gu Ran and Pei Liu were brought to the Qiao family mansion. After General Qiao had someone settle them down, he went on to do his own work.
Gu Ran and Pei Liu didn't say much either. After resting for a few days in Qiao's house, they decided what to do next.
At first, they planned to take the official ship since it was on the same route as General Qiao's southward journey. When they were in Cang Port, Gu Ran was a little hesitant about whether to go to Damao City. Although she was General Qiao's adopted granddaughter, Gu Ran knew her own limitations.
What General Qiao said at that time was nothing more than the Yuan family forcing him to recognize her as their relative in broad daylight, and he just took advantage of the situation to recognize her as his adopted granddaughter in order to help him out of the predicament.
So that I, a woman, can have someone to rely on.
Moreover, even if General Qiao took it seriously, what could she do for him?
You can't be so shameless as to follow me to Damao City and intend to inherit General Qiao's family business, right?
But thinking about it, it was the second largest city in the Dasheng Dynasty, and it was not easy to come here. Besides, she had some acquaintances in Damao City - He Qinghuan's family, and Lin San, were also studying in Damao City. So she decided to come to Damao City first to take a look at the herbal jelly shop opened by the He family, and then return to Jianzhou.
It only takes four or five days to travel from Cangzhou to Jianzhou by water, which is very close.
So here I come.
After a good rest, they planned to visit Damao City and meet He Qinghuan and Lin San.
The steward of the Qiao Mansion - after the unjust case ten years ago, all the masters and servants of the Qiao Mansion were gone, but Marquis Dingsheng did not move the mansion to others, so the huge house has been vacant for so many years.
Two years ago, when it was learned that General Qiao was framed and wrongly implicated, and that his whereabouts were unknown, Marquis Dingsheng sent people to renovate the Qiao Mansion and purchase household items. He also found some of the old people who had worked in the Qiao Mansion and survived, and added some new people. He slowly tidied up the original Qiao Mansion, hoping for General Qiao's return.
Therefore, as soon as General Qiao returned to the city, all the affairs of the Qiao Mansion began to operate in an orderly manner.
When the steward of the Qiao Mansion heard that the two ladies staying in the mansion were the general's saviors, he did not dare to neglect them. When he heard that they were going out, he immediately arranged a carriage and called two nimble guards to follow.
The coachman was kind enough to tell them the difference between the inner and outer cities of Damao, as well as what to eat and do in the city.
Gu Ran only then realized that the Qiao Mansion was only two streets away from Shenglin Academy, where students from all over the world wanted to study. As for Shenghua Academy, where He Qinghuan studied, it was built in the outer city area.
Since it was on their way, they decided to go to Shenglin Academy first.
However, when he arrived at Shenglin Academy, he found out that today was a holiday for Shenglin Academy. Although he was allowed to go in and take a look, Gu Ran came to the academy mainly to see Lin San rather than to see the academy itself. Moreover, it was said that the number of people allowed to visit today was full, so he left in disappointment.
When the coachman led them to the outer city, Gu Ran thought: Shenglin Academy is closed, but Shenghua Academy should not be closed as well, right?
But if Shenghua Academy is also closed, where can we find Huanhuan and Lin San?
They didn't know where the He family lived, but since they had opened a shop, someone in Damao City must know about it. So Gu Ran asked, "Uncle Li, do you know where I can buy grass jelly in Damao City?"
"Burning grass jelly? What is that?"
"It's a snack that came from Minzhou. Uncle Li, haven't you heard of it?"
"I haven't heard of it. Second Madam, do you want to eat it?"
"I want to eat it, and I also want to find someone who sells grass jelly."
"But, I'm afraid we don't have the food from Minzhou in Damao City!"
"Yes, there must be. I know the family that sells the grass jelly. She said they opened a shop here, so that's why I wanted to find them."
"Oh, is this a shop opened by an acquaintance of Second Lady?"
"That's right."
"Then I'll go ask later."
When the carriage left the outer city, Gu Ran saw a thriving commercial street market, which was still as bustling and noisy as when he entered the city. He asked the coachman to stop the carriage aside, and Gu Ran and Pei Liu got off the carriage and went for a stroll in the market market.
When she was in the capital, Gu Ran bought a lot of special foods. Unfortunately, because Pei Liu was always with her, she didn't dare to stock up more in her own space. Now that she was in Damao City, she naturally had to buy some local special foods. It would be best to find a chance to go out alone and buy more food so that she could put it away and eat it at any time.
While they were thinking about how to get rid of Pei Liu, the coachman found them and said that he had found out where they could buy grass jelly in the city and asked them when they would be there.
It is better to do it now than to wait for a better day, so of course it is now.
Gu Ran and Pei Liu followed the coachman into the carriage. It seemed like it had only been driving for a short while when it stopped again.
Gu Ran opened the curtain, and the first thing that caught his eye was the plaque of Shengyun Academy. He couldn't help but wonder, "Uncle Li, why did you bring us to Shengyun Academy?"
"It's not Shengyun Academy, it's a roasted grass jelly shop."
"Where?"
"That!"
Following Mr. Li's finger, Gu Ran saw a street market next to Shengyun Academy. Among the various restaurants and shops, there was indeed one with a sign that said He's Roasted Grass Jelly. He immediately laughed: It turns out that the Roasted Grass Jelly shop is right next to Shengyun Academy!
Yes, Huanhuan came to Shengyun Academy to study, and probably knew a lot of female students, so it was natural for her to develop this group of potential customers first.
When we were in the county, wasn't it Huanhuan who suggested setting up a stall near the government school? We also targeted students as our main customers!
The grass jelly shop in Damao City is not big, but it is still bigger than the small shop in Jianzhou Prefecture’s harbor.
The shop is small, but there are quite a few diners inside, and there are also customers in front of the shop carrying food boxes to take away.
Looking at the people busy in the store, not only Uncle He and Aunt He who had not been seen for a long time, but also Lin San who had not been seen since going to Shenglin Academy, was greeting diners with another waiter. As for He Qinghuan, he was behind the small counter, acting as a cashier.
"Wow, I didn't realize this grass jelly shop is actually open."
When Gu Ran and Pei Liu walked into the store, neither the He family nor Lin San noticed. Gu Ran said this, and they thought the man's words sounded familiar. When they looked up, they were immediately surprised: "Oh, this, this is, Gu Er Niang?"
"And Pei Liuniang?"
Gu Ran watched He Qinghuan put down the account book and ran over. He looked at her, then at Pei Liu, incredulous: "Second Sister Gu, is it really you?"
"It's really me! Absolutely genuine!" Gu Ran said with a smile.
"Why did you guys come to Damao City?"
"I know, Junior Sister. A few days ago, General Qiao returned to the city..." Lin San also walked over quickly, also with a look of surprise, "So..." Then he looked at the customers in the store, "Let's talk in the back."
"OK!"
It turns out that there is a small courtyard behind this herbal jelly shop, and the courtyard is two-story.
The lower floor can be used as a warehouse and for receiving guests, while the upper floor is the accommodation room.
Although it is not big, it has two side rooms. Uncle He and Aunt He usually live behind the shop, leaving one side room for Huanhuan. As for Lin San, he usually lives in the student dormitory of Shenglin Academy.
I happened to have a day off today, so I came to the store to help out. How could I have expected to meet Gu Ran and Pei Liu?
"We heard that General Qiao was rescued on Dunzi Island, so we were wondering if it was you, Gu Erniang, who saved General Qiao's life. We didn't expect that we guessed it right."
Both the He family and Lin San were very happy to meet fellow villagers in a foreign land.
Although they no longer lived in Xiaxi Village, when they moved to Damao City, they already knew that Gu Erniang had bought Dunzi Island to plant orange trees.
Because General Qiao was a general from Damao City, and the Qiao family was a century-old wealthy family in Damao City, everyone in the city paid special attention to General Qiao's information.
At first, we only knew that General Qiao was rescued. Later, we learned that the person who rescued General Qiao was a lady named Gu. Later, the story about General Qiao gradually spread from the capital to Damao City. As we heard more and more things, we learned that this lady from the Gu family was once the second wife of the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion in the capital, and had married into the Qin Xiang Mansion. He Qinghuan didn't know, so how could Lin San not know?
Wasn't it rumored that Gu Er Niang from Xiaxi Village was the wife of a marquis in the capital? He had even asked his own mother about this and learned about it, so he became even more certain that it was the Gu Er Niang they knew.
Later, they also learned that General Qiao had returned to the city. Like other people, they went to Guanyun Gate to welcome General Qiao back home. However, they did not expect that Gu Er Niang also followed General Qiao to Damao City.
"I originally wanted to go back to Jianzhou directly, but then I thought, it's rare to pass through Cang Port, which is so close to Damao City. If I don't come this time, I'm afraid it won't be so convenient if I come again in the future."
Although sea transportation is convenient, it is thousands of miles away, and traveling by horse and carriage is not as convenient as in the first life. If there is nothing to do, I probably won’t come again after coming here once. So I might as well come here and broaden my horizons while I’m on the way.
"I came to visit you guys!" Gu Ran said, "I didn't expect you to open a store so soon."
"Hey, I've finally saved enough money, and there happened to be a small shop here for sale, so I borrowed some money and quickly bought it." He Qinghuan also smiled and said, "I used to live in Shengyun Academy, and my parents rented an inn. This shop is good, the front is a shop, and the back can be used for living. If I buy it, my parents don't have to rent a house, and I can save some money on food and lodging."
"Yes, this shop is very close to Shengyun Academy."
"It's right next door," He Qinghuan said. "So even if you have to borrow money, you have to buy the shop quickly. The shops in Damao City are very popular. If you're slow, they'll be gone."
As they were talking, Uncle He and Aunt He brought over two bowls of roasted grass jelly, one for Gu Ran and one for Pei Liu. "Second Aunt, you went to the capital at the beginning of the year. I'm sure you haven't had roasted grass jelly in a while, right?"
"Aunt He is right. Let's try it and see if the grass jelly from outside Jianzhou is just as delicious."
Gu Ran picked up the grass jelly with a smile and took two bites.
"How about it?"
"It's indeed He's Grass Jelly, the most authentic taste."
Everyone laughed and asked a lot of questions about how they rescued General Qiao, how the capital was, and when they would return. Then they asked about their relatives and friends who stayed in Jianzhou when they left.
“Don’t worry, Shen Er is running the store in Jianzhou very well.”
"Uncle Yang paid quite a generous amount of interest to the little shop at the harbor at the end of the year."
"Uncle He and Aunt He also helped us a lot!"
"Village Chief Wu is doing well. Your second brother is now the manager of my orange grove and is very hardworking."
…
After hearing Gu Ran count the people that the He family and Lin San cared about, the He family felt relieved. Then they asked, "Second Mother, how long do you plan to stay in Damao City?"
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