Chapter 75
Gu Ran held his breath, pricked up his ears and listened, and found that the sound came from behind him. He slowly turned his head to see what was going on, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
It was the mountain deer tied to the ground that woke up at this critical moment.
Gu Ran walked over and, imitating Pei Liuniang's approach, punched the mountain deer on the head.
The mountain deer's head was probably very fragile. Perhaps it was frightened after being hit twice. I heard that mountain deer are prone to convulsions when frightened. In any case, it fainted again immediately.
After checking that the rope tied to the mountain deer was not loose, Gu Ran yawned and sat back next to the campfire.
I don’t know how long it has been, is it already the middle of the night when Pei Liuniang is here?
Should I wake her up?
As a courtesy, shouldn't I also spend a night here this time?
When Gu Ran was dozing off, he was suddenly patted by someone. Gu Ran immediately opened his eyes: "Sixth Mother?"
"Um."
Pei Liuniang was full of energy when she woke up, and her eyes seemed to be shining in the light of the campfire.
"It's my turn to be on duty. Why don't you go to bed?"
"good."
Pei Liuniang appeared in time and successfully solved Gu Ran's dilemma. She got up obediently, went into the cave, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Pei Liu first checked the mountain deer and saw that it was still unconscious, so he felt relieved. Then he sat down by the campfire, stirred the firewood, and threw some branches into the fire.
The air was hot and the bonfire was burning brightly. He must have felt very hot sitting nearby.
But Pei Liu's mood at this moment was very peaceful, and he didn't feel the stuffiness brought by the high temperature and bonfire at all.
Perhaps it was because he had just verified that there really were companions in this world who would not backstab him.
They left the island forest in the afternoon of the next day.
Before leaving Dayu Forest, Gu Ran caught two bamboo rats while passing through the bamboo forest. He also caught them alive, tied their limbs and threw them into a bamboo basket, and then brought them back to the cottage along with the mountain deer.
Because the small house was far away from other houses in the village, not many people saw the wild prey they brought out of the forest. But when they returned home, Lin Ersao and Xiaolan were both in the small house. They were shocked to see that they had brought back a whole deer.
"Gu Er, Liu Niang, you actually went into the miasma forest and caught such a big deer?"
"Aunt Gu, Sister Pei, you are so amazing!"
Xiaolan, who was originally holding the kitten, screamed, completely ignoring Xiaohei who jumped out of her arms in panic.
Smelling the scent of strange creatures, the cats in the cottage were all frightened. Big Orange even took a few of the kittens back to the nest for shelter.
"That's right, luckily Liu Niang is here!" Gu Ran smiled, took off the bamboo basket and put it directly in the kitchen to prevent the Lin family's aunt and sister-in-law from making a fuss when they saw the other two bamboo rats.
"Gu Er, are you planning to eat this mountain deer or keep it as a pet?"
"Eat, eat, Aunt Gu, I'll ask my mother to come and buy venison from you."
"No, didn't I tell you? We went into the mountains this time because someone asked us to, so we took the risk and went hunting big beasts." Gu Ran and Pei Liu said as they untied the ropes on the mountain deer. "In two days, I have to transport this mountain deer to the county town to hand it over to the customer, so we can't eat it or keep it."
"Oh!" Xiaolan reached out and touched the mountain deer, feeling very disappointed.
"Such a big mountain deer, does that customer really want the whole thing?" asked Mrs. Lin Er.
"I want them all." Gu Ran nodded.
Pei Liuze picked up the mountain deer with both hands and carried it to the donkey shed behind the main hall. The donkey was startled and screamed in fear. Xiaolan followed excitedly to see the deer: "Sister Pei, Sister Pei, you are so strong!"
"Yes, Liu Niang is so strong?" Mrs. Lin Er was also dumbfounded.
"That's right. It's because of Liu Niang's great strength and energy that I was able to reap such a great harvest in the miasma forest." Gu Ran nodded with a smile, pretending to regret, "If I had known earlier, I should have asked Liu Niang to move to our Xiaxi Village last year. Then I wouldn't have had to work so hard to earn a few hard-earned dollars last year."
"You call that a small business?" Second Sister Lin rolled her eyes at Gu Ran and calculated everything for her. "You make a lot of money selling rabbit and bamboo rat skins, don't you? And your grass jelly business, now that you're partnering with the city folks, isn't that enough money?"
Gu Ran chuckled.
"Tsk, if it weren't for the miasma forest, I would really want to go into the forest with you guys."
"Come on, your family isn't short of money, and you have a legitimate livelihood. Why would you follow our lead and risk entering the miasma forest?"
"It's all because of..." Mrs. Lin said, suddenly covering her mouth with her hands, her brows slightly furrowed. After a while, she slowly calmed down and looked down at her abdomen, "It's all because of this thing in my belly."
Gu Ran was stunned for a moment, then understood: "Are you pregnant?"
Mrs. Lin nodded shyly, "You and Liu Niang have been feeling unwell these past few days in the forest, and we only found out after seeing a doctor."
"Oh, then why are you coming to the cottage?" Gu Ran became nervous.
"It's okay. The doctor also said I should walk more. It's good for the fetus. I just need to pay more attention to it." Mrs. Lin smiled and waved her hand. "Besides, I'm not a squeamish person. Even though I'm pregnant, I don't feel any different from usual. I just ate an extra bowl of rice. Usually, people in our village don't make a big deal about it. There are even people who work in the fields while pregnant. Aren't they fine?"
"It's better to be cautious!" Gu Ran saw that Mrs. Lin's pregnancy was not obvious, so he couldn't help asking, "It's still early, right?"
"Less than three months." Sister Lin said, smiling sweetly, then sighing, and then looking at Gu Ran, "Our family's child, whether it is a wife or a husband, is planned to be sent to school."
"Go to school!"
"Yes. I've discussed this with my husband. He should be taught to read from a young age. Who knows, he might even become a top scholar in the imperial examination someday." Mrs. Lin's face was full of anticipation, but then she felt troubled. "Well, we already have two scholars in the family. If we add another one in the future, even if our family is wealthy, it won't be enough to cover the expenses of three scholars."
Now, not only is Lin Sanlang from the Lin family attending school in the county, but it is said that after the New Year, Village Chief Wu also sent Xiaolan to a private school in the neighboring Donglin Township to learn to read. Doesn't that mean they have two scholars now?
Gu Ran couldn't help but laugh: "You haven't even given birth yet, and you're already thinking so far ahead?"
"Of course. Tutoring costs money. Let's find a way to raise money for the baby in our belly. This is called...what are scholars called? Oh, I forgot. Anyway, we should plan ahead and make preparations early." Mrs. Lin snorted and glanced at Gu Ran.
"Alright." Gu Ran nodded, indicating that he understood the feelings of A Niang, the reserve Lin Ersao. "Then saving money will have to wait until you give birth to the baby safely! It's useless to think about it now. Protecting the fetus is the most important thing. You can't do anything else."
"Oh!" Mrs. Lin said she had nothing to say. She guessed that Gu Ran would still be busy after he came back, so she went to call Xiaolan, who was watching the mountain deer with great interest, and took her home.
Two days later, on May 15th, Gu Ran and Pei Liuniang moved the mountain deer and two bamboo rats onto the donkey cart. They also took the recently dried fairy grass with them, drove the donkey cart out early, and walked along the mountain road to the county town.
Originally, they planned to send it to the He family first, but the door of the He family's big house was locked and no one was there. After asking the neighbors, they said that they had all gone out to work, so Gu Ran asked Pei Liuniang to drive the donkey cart directly to the dock.
There's no one at home, but it's not like I won't see Uncle He and Aunt He at the dock, right?
Isn’t their livelihood just setting up stalls at the dock?
When Gu Ran arrived at the pier he had not seen for a long time, he immediately understood why there was no one in the He family's house.
Uncle He and Aunt He's original porridge stall has grown up now. They have incorporated their original stall and the stall on the other side into the stall. The original small porridge stall has suddenly become larger than two stalls.
People from the second branch of the He family also came to the dock to help with the business, busying themselves in the porridge shop.
When did Uncle He expand his business? She was still in the dark.
However, when Gu Ran thought about the doubled amount of money he had received in the past month, he felt relieved.
"Oh, is it Second Lady Gu?" Uncle He, with his sharp eyes, spotted Gu Ran immediately, stopped what he was doing, and greeted her cheerfully, "When did you get here?"
"Yeah! I just arrived."
"Why did you suddenly come to the dock? Are you here to see us or..." Uncle He's eyes fell on the donkey cart beside him, "Are you doing some other business?"
"Hey! I promised an old customer to deliver something to him."
Pei Liu parked the donkey cart, then took the dried fairy grass off the cart and handed it to Uncle He.
"Huh?"
"We originally went to Qilixiang, but there was no one at your house." Gu Ran explained, "So we had to send you here."
"Of course, our whole family is busy!" Uncle He laughed and quickly took it over and put it behind the porridge shop.
Gu Ran took a look around the dock and didn't see Xu Sanlang.
I don’t know when Xu Sanlang will come to the dock. Will he come too early?
"What time do you want to meet him?" Pei Liu asked.
"Around noon." Gu Ran said.
Because she was afraid of being too early or too late, she made an appointment at a time when she usually set up her stall at the pier.
When she was selling roasted grass jelly in the county town, she took a boat from the Donglin Township ferry and probably arrived at the dock at this time. Now that they were driving the donkeys here, it should be around the same time.
Since I didn’t see anyone, I guess he hasn’t arrived yet. I can only wait a little longer.
"Hey, Gu Erniang, take a look, is this money correct?"
Uncle He came back from behind the porridge shop, holding a purse with jingling copper coins in it.
Gu Ran looked at the bustling people coming and going at the dock, took the purse and went into the donkey cart, counting each penny. This time, sixty bundles were delivered, each bundle costing twenty cents, which was about one or two hundred cents.
The number is correct.
Seeing Gu Ran accept it with a smile, Uncle He breathed a sigh of relief, "Second Aunt Gu, if you have dried fairy grass in the future, you can always send it to us."
"Is the livelihood good?"
"That's right. Not only has our stall grown, but the stall outside the official school has also hired two more people!" Uncle He smiled. "It is said that the students also like to eat this stuff. And people from the commercial market in the city also come to our stall to buy it. So everyone in the family was asked to run errands to deliver roasted grass jelly. In the future, the more of this grass jelly, the better."
"That would be great."
The more prosperous the He family's business is, the more money she will make. Gu Ran began to regret not harvesting some fairy grass in the mountains when she went into the mountains with Pei Liuniang this time.
"I'll try to send it to you more often in the future."
"Why!"
Uncle He was in high spirits as his business was good. Knowing that Gu Ran was waiting for someone at the dock, he asked them to park the donkey cart on the side of the porridge stall to avoid being seen by the officials in charge of the dock, who might even charge them a parking fee.
Gu Ran and Pei Liu were pulling the donkey cart towards the porridge stall when a merchant ship slowly approached the riverbank at the pier and stopped on the side. After a short while, the crew dropped anchor and put up the side planks. Soon, a group of people got off the ship, carrying luggage of all sizes.
When the second group of people got off the boat, Xu Sanlang, who was holding a fan, and his butler and servants were among them.
When he walked to the dock, he looked around at first glance and his eyes fell on the He family's porridge shop. He saw Gu Ran sitting on the bench in front of the porridge shop, talking to someone. His face lit up with joy and he strode towards the porridge shop.
"Gu Erniang!"
Hearing Xu Sanlang's voice, Gu Ran turned around and smiled: "Hey, Xu San, I finally got you here."
"Oh, what a coincidence! I just arrived and saw you here. Did you get... the thing I ordered?" Xu Sanlang sat down next to Gu Ran. Then he noticed Pei Liu sitting next to Gu Ran. He was startled, and then shocked: "Her?"
"Well, Pei's Sixth Lady, Xu San, you still recognize her, right?"
Xu Sanlang's expression faltered slightly, and he nodded with mixed feelings.
How could I not recognize him?
He and Pei Liuniang are from the same place. The Pei family massacre was such a big deal that all the people in Zhengzhou knew about it. The Xu family was also well-known in Zhengzhou and they shared information well, so of course they had heard about it.
When they were exiled together, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at her because of her outstanding appearance.
So when Gu Erniang said that her hunting skills were taught by Pei Liuniang, did she really mean it?
Does Pei Liuniang really have the ability to hunt? Looking at her delicate appearance, it doesn't seem like it.
Pei Liu also glanced at Xu San at this time, and finally remembered that this man was indeed one of the prisoners who were exiled with him. From the past to the present, he has always looked like a decent human being.
"This time, we were able to hunt what you wanted, thanks to Liuniang's help!" Gu Ran smiled and patted Pei Liuniang's shoulder.
"So what did you hunt for me?"
"Just put it in the donkey cart and go take a look?"
So Gu Ran and Pei Liuniang took Xu Sanlang and his group to the back of the porridge shop.
Gu Ran walked to the back of the donkey cart and opened the rear door. Xu Sanlang and his companions looked inside and their eyes widened. "Is it a deer?" Then they took a closer look and asked, "Is it alive?"
"Yes, fresh ones. Xu San, you're a regular customer, so of course I have to prepare fresh ones for you."
What other mountain flavor can compare to living mountain food?
Xu Sanlang laughed heartily, "Gu Erniang, you are really good. Very good, very good."
"We've weighed this mountain deer, and it weighs about 56 kilograms." Gu Ran said as he picked up a bamboo cage next to the mountain deer. "Also, here are the bamboo rats you asked for, two of them, a total of 15 kilograms."
Xu San glanced at the bamboo rat and nodded happily.
"If you don't trust us, find another place to weigh it."
"I can trust it, of course I can trust it." Xu Sanlang nodded repeatedly.
"So, how much silver are you willing to pay for this mountain deer and two bamboo rats?"
"Three..." Xu Sanlang quickly calculated, "I'll give you a round number, sixty taels of silver, how about that?"
"Okay." When Gu Ran heard this, he found it was more than he expected, so he agreed immediately.
I will have to do other business with Xu San in the future, so I have to negotiate it carefully, and I won’t be afraid of not having a steady flow of money in the future.
Xu Sanlang waved to the steward beside him. Steward Xu instinctively reached for his purse, then looked around. Seeing so many people watching, he smiled and said, "Sir, why don't you let the two girls rest on your boat for a while and bring these mountain treasures aboard?"
"Boat, your boat?" Gu Ran was surprised.
"That's right. Otherwise, how could I possibly load all the goods I've collected?" Speaking of ships, Xu Sanlang smiled triumphantly. He also felt his steward was right, so he invited them, "Ladies, come with me to see my Xu family's merchant ship."
Gu Ran and Pei Liuniang looked at each other and felt that trading at the dock would indeed attract attention, so they untied the donkey cart and led it towards the dock where the ships were docked.
When they reached the boat, Pei Liu turned the donkey cart around, with the rear of the carriage against the sideboard. Manager Xu then called for someone to move the mountain deer and two bamboo rats from the donkey cart onto the boat.
"Gu Erniang, Pei Liuniang, please, please."
Gu Ran and Pei Liuniang followed Xu Sanlang onto the Xu family's merchant ship.
According to Xu San, this merchant ship was the cargo ship sent by the master of the Xu family to accompany him when he first heard that Xu San wanted to make a living in Fujian.
At this time, the boat was already filled with all kinds of mountain products that Xu San had purchased in the counties and villages along the coast.
The guys who got off the ship earlier have already gone to pick up items from various suppliers in Yongchang County, including Hefeng Fur Store. After collecting a round of goods, they will set off for the seaport.
In the harbor, there is another large ship anchored that Mr. Xu built for his son at a huge expense.
The large ships are responsible for collecting local specialties at the harbor, as well as imported goods shipped across the ocean. Products from the south and many items from foreign countries can all be sold at a high price as long as they are shipped to the north.
After the big ship has purchased a full load of goods, it will set sail to the north. Previously, because Xu San was a prisoner, he could not leave Fujian easily. Now that Xu San has been cleared of his charges, he can travel back and forth between the north and the south on the merchant ship, depending on Xu San's wishes.
But no matter whether Xu Sansui leaves with the ship or not, this small merchant ship will stay here and continue to purchase different southern products in four seasons. When the big ship returns, the items can be directly loaded on board. This can shorten the time required to purchase goods and allow the big ship to make two more trips, thus earning more money from the goods.
It was Gu Ran's first time to set foot on a merchant ship of the Great Sheng Dynasty, so he couldn't help but feel curious.
"I remember, Xu San, you said these mountain deer and bamboo rats were prepared for your father? Has your father arrived?"
"That's right." Xu Sanlang nodded.
Goods from the south can be sold at a high price when shipped to the north, but similarly, goods from the north can also be sold at a high price when shipped to the south. Besides, if the merchant ship transports so much goods to Zhengzhou, then if it returns empty-handed from Zhengzhou, wouldn’t that be a waste?
So now in Jianzhou Prefecture, Fusheng Trading Company's shop has expanded again. Not only does it make a living by purchasing local specialty products, it has also bought two shops specifically to sell goods shipped from the north to the south.
Business was booming, and we even started to take on large orders from big merchants in the south who were purchasing goods from the north. It was really in full swing.
Since this is related to his own business, Mr. Xu came to Nanmin in person to inspect his own business.
Gu Ran looked at Xu San with uncontrollable envy in his eyes.
Look, this person has good luck. Although she was exiled, she spent the past year worrying about how to improve her family's poor environment and saving money penny by penny. But in the blink of an eye, she opened up the flow of goods in Fujian and ran her business very successfully.
Another experience of being frustrated by comparison.
"By the way, Gu Er Niang, I will hold a banquet for my father in five days. Do you want to come?" Xu San said this with a smile on his face. With a wave of his hand, Manager Xu not only presented her with a box, but also an invitation on the box. It was the invitation to Gu Er Niang to attend the banquet at the Xu Mansion in Jianzhou.
"This..." Gu Erniang picked up the invitation and unfolded it, glancing at Pei Liuniang.
Xu Sanyi noticed Gu Ran's look and quickly said, "If Pei Liuniang is interested, please come and see me."
"No." Pei Liu glanced at the invitation card and saw that there was only Gu Er Niang's name on it, and said coldly.
Xu San patted his fan awkwardly and shouted at Manager Xu, "How can you be so rude? Go and give Pei Liuniang a replacement invitation."
The manager was smart and immediately apologized and left.
Gu Ran took the invitation away and opened the box. Inside was a row of five silver ingots, each weighing ten taels. He immediately smiled and held the box in front of Pei Liu for her to see. "Hey, it's fifty taels. The payment has been made."
"Of course. I, Xu San, keep my word. My words are as good as gold."
Xu San proudly flapped his fan, unfolded it, and fanned himself. Then he remembered something. "Oh, by the way, June is almost here. Gu Erniang, when will your red mushrooms be available?"
"Ah!" Gu Ran was fascinated by the silver ingots. When she heard Xu San's call, she remembered that she hadn't told Pei Liuniang about the red mushroom yet, and she didn't dare to go to see her. "The time is not right yet. The mushrooms haven't grown yet, so I don't have any for you."
Pei Liu was wondering what red mushroom was. After listening to Gu Ran's explanation, he understood that red mushroom was a kind of mushroom. There was no such mushroom in the mountains yet, so he didn't think much about it.
"If you pick any, remember to send them to the dock. Even if I'm not here, my people will come to collect them on the first and fifteenth day of every month, and you can sell them to them."
"Oh, I see."
After looking at the silver, Gu Ran closed the box and asked Xu San what southern goods he wanted to order. When he was leaving, the manager hurriedly brought him the invitation to supply Pei Liuniang.
Pei Liuniang was disgusted and refused to accept the invitation, but Gu Ran accepted it with a smile.
After getting off the dock, Gu Ran looked at the huge merchant ship and said, "No wonder Xu San is so arrogant. If I had a ship like this, I could do as much business as him."
"You want to buy a boat?" Pei Liu asked, having misheard.
"In no mood."
It’s enough to be envious, but how can you really afford a boat?
A merchant ship this big would probably cost several hundred taels of silver!
Besides, even if he bought a boat, would he still make a living by selling southern goods to the north like Xu San did?
Xu San has the Xu family's support, sufficient sources of goods and customers, and he is also a royal merchant. He is not worried at all that he will have no place to sell the goods he buys. But what is behind her?
He has neither the people nor the power. If he wants to emulate Xu San and make a living, he will probably end up starving.
Gu Ran was melancholy for a moment. Then, seeing Pei Liuniang go and pull the donkey cart that she had asked Xu to help look after, she came over and sat on the front shaft. She looked at the two pieces of paper in her hand and said, "Liuniang, what do you think? Should we go on this trip?"
Pei Liu thought of Xu Sanlang who was chatting and laughing just now, and frowned subconsciously.
He didn't know why, but he really disliked this young man from the Xu family who was so elegant in front of Gu Erniang, but...
Pei Liu glanced at Gu Ran: "Do you want to go?"
"Of course I want to go. It would be nice to broaden my horizons!"
She had been to Jianzhou when she passed by the provincial capital when she was exiled. She had come to Yongchang County quite often, but after regaining her freedom, she had never been there once.
"If you want to go, go ahead!"
"Then will you come with me?"
Pei Liu hesitated for a moment, his eyes fell on the invitation, and finally nodded.
"That's good. Let's go get some nice cloth and make a beautiful dress. We need to dress up for the banquet."
Gu Ran touched the box in his hand and smiled happily.
Today they finally made a big deal. She and Pei Liuniang each earned thirty taels of silver!
Now that I have the money, under normal circumstances, I would definitely start shopping and fill up both space slots. But since Pei Liuniang is around, I have to be more restrained and buy more.
When they passed by the porridge shop, they greeted Uncle He and then drove their donkey cart to find an inn.
It takes two hours to drive a donkey cart to and from the county town. It is too late to go back now, so Gu Ran decided to stay overnight in the county town before coming.
After booking two rooms at the inn and asking the innkeeper to help look after the donkey cart, the two headed straight to Zuiyue Tower.
Gu Ran hasn't eaten out for a long time. He has earned so much money today, so he must treat himself to a good meal.
In the entire county, Zuiyuelou was not the most expensive, but it was the most famous. Gu Ran had eaten there several times and thought the food tasted good. After hearing that Pei Liuniang had never eaten at a restaurant in the county, Gu Ran felt sympathetic and immediately offered to pay for Pei Liuniang's meal so that she could have a good meal.
When Pei Liu heard that Gu Ran wanted to treat him to a meal, he smiled slightly all the way.
When I arrived at Zuiyue Tower and asked the waiter to book a private room, I unexpectedly met acquaintances. They were Lin Sanlang, a student from the Wu village chief's family who was studying in the county town, and Chen Erlang from the Shen family.
"It's Gu Erniang, why are you also..."
Chen Erlang was startled when he saw Gu Ran first. He was about to make a joke, but then he saw Pei Liuniang, who was standing next to her, looking at him with cold eyes. He couldn't say the next words. He coughed dryly and pulled the arm of Lin Sanlang, who was standing outside the building and looking around without noticing. "Look, Lin San, Gu Erniang from our village is here too!"
"Yeah, what a coincidence?" Gu Ran greeted them with a smile.
But Pei Liuniang's face, which had been clear and bright, suddenly turned cloudy. How could she run into someone from the same village like this? It was really troublesome.
Lin Sanlang seemed to be waiting for someone. When he heard Gu Ran's voice, he turned around and noticed Pei Liuniang. He was startled, then looked around the street and saw that the person he was waiting for still hadn't appeared. So he walked up to them and asked, "Are you going into the city today?"
"Yeah, it's time to come and take a look once in a while." Gu Ran looked at the two students, "What about you?"
"We are also finishing school today, so we invited our classmates to get together."
"Then I won't bother you anymore..."
Just as Gu Ran was about to enter the private room, Shen Erlang on the other end of the room started talking: "What a coincidence, do you want to have dinner together?"
Gu Ran, Pei Liuniang and Lin Sanlang all looked at him.
Chen Erlang was embarrassed: "It's rare to meet! We are all from the same village..." Chen Erlang saw that no one agreed, so he patted his chest and said: "I'll treat you, I'll treat you, how about it?"
"Oh?" Gu Ran crossed his arms and smiled.
Lin Sanlang glanced at Gu Ran, remembering the rumor he had heard that the lady from the Gu family had a big appetite, and gently reminded him: "Chen Er, are you sure you brought your purse with you when you go out? Don't forget to bring the silver like last time and have us pay for it!"
"Of course I'm sure." Shen Erlang nodded vigorously and reached out to touch his bulging purse. He didn't notice the strange expression on Lin Sanlang's face and said generously, "My father was worried that I wouldn't have enough money in the county, so he prepared some pocket money for me early on. You can eat whatever you want. Don't worry that I can't afford it!"
"That's good." Lin Sanlang smiled faintly, "Then Gu Erniang, Pei Liuniang, it's better to meet by chance than to invite each other. It's a rare coincidence that we meet by chance. Shen Er is the host. I wonder if you can do me the honor?"
"Reward, reward."
Someone is willing to treat us, how can we miss such a good opportunity?
Gu Ran put his arm around Pei Liuniang's shoulders and whispered, "You don't have to spend your own money to have the feast. It would be a waste if you don't eat."
Pei Liu glanced at Gu Ran's hand holding his shoulder and nodded for some unknown reason.
"Then, Shen Er, where is the seat you reserved? Lead the way."
"Hey, this way."
Shen Erlang booked a large private room on the second floor that could accommodate eight people.
There were only four people seated at the table, so Gu Ran couldn't help but ask, "You said you were having dinner with your classmates. How many people are there? Can we accommodate them?"
"There's room, there's room." Chen Erlang couldn't help but glance at Pei Liuniang again. Seeing that she had sat down next to Gu Erniang, he scratched his head and pretended to sit down next to her casually. Seeing that Lin Sanlang was still standing outside the private room, he asked the waiter to bring tea while saying, "Hey, we invited two other junior brothers from the official school, and also invited two junior sisters to come over. There are exactly four of us, just enough to sit at one table."
"oh!"
Gu Ran nodded and looked at Lin Sanlang standing at the door of the compartment. "Lin San is waiting for your other junior brothers and sisters, right?"
"Hey!" Chen Er laughed, his eyes fell on Pei Liuniang, and he waved to the waiter: "Come on, come on, come and introduce us, what delicious food do you have in Zuiyue Tower?"
The waiter had just brewed tea and brought it to them. Hearing what Shen Erlang said, he smiled perceptively and said, "Hey, our Zuiyuelou's signature dishes. Master Shen comes here often and is a regular customer. He basically knows them all. Does he need us to introduce them? Madam, if you want to know what delicious dishes we have at Zuiyuelou, let Master Shen recommend them to you!"
Chen Er coughed dryly, blushing and glancing at Pei Liuniang quickly, then looked away again. "Well, Pei Liuniang, do you prefer fish or wild delicacies?"
Pei Liuniang frowned and glanced at Shen Erlang. Before she could say anything, Gu Ran withdrew his gaze from the door. After hearing Shen Erlang's question, he said to Pei Liuniang, "That's right, Liuniang. The seafood and mountain delicacies in Zuiyue Tower are both very good. You can eat whatever you want!"
Pei Liu's brows relaxed. "Well, Gu Erniang, do you know what's delicious here?"
"Ah, personally, I think the smoked goose here is pretty good, and the drunken spare ribs are also fried crispy and tender. As for side dishes, the fried liver and Tai Ping Yan are also good. As for seafood, I like their eight-treasure schoolbag fish and chicken minced fish lips. Of course, the fish rolls and Tai Ping Yan are also good. As for the main course, the eel eight-treasure rice is very tender and fragrant. For dim sum, I recommend the shrimp cakes and thousand-leaf cakes. As for the soups, the clam and conch seafood soup and the scallop and cabbage soup are more suitable for this time of year."
After all, she had been to Zuiyuelou many times, both eating and taking away, and she was very knowledgeable about the signature dishes of Zuiyuelou. Only then did Shen Erlang come to realize that Gu Erniang was also a regular customer of Zuiyuelou.
The waiter was also stunned for a moment, and then recognized Gu Ran: "Oh, sir, you are, that, the lady of the Gu family!"
"I am the wife of the Gu family. I don't know if the wife of the Gu family you are talking about is me, the wife of the Gu family."
"Well, of course I'm talking about you, the wife of the Gu family. You haven't come to patronize our Zuiyue Tower for a long time, but we all remember you." The waiter said with a smile.
"There are so many people coming and going in this restaurant, but you still remember her?" Shen Erlang expressed his disbelief.
"Of course I remember this lady from the Gu family. She was very generous the moment she came. She even ordered fourteen or fifteen dishes, and even charged extra for desserts and dim sum. She always finished everything before paying the bill. We waiters love her the most."
"Fourteen or fifteen dishes? So exaggerated?" Shen Erlang seemed to react and looked at Gu Ran with wide eyes.
I mean, how could Gu Er Niang eat so much in one meal? I didn't expect her to have such a big appetite!
Gu Ran suddenly realized the problem, coughed dryly, and glared at the guy unhappily.
The man knew he had said the wrong thing, so he slapped his lips and said with an apologetic smile: "Oh, I said the wrong thing, please don't be offended, Madam Gu!"
Pei Liu also understood, and seeing Gu Ran embarrassedly holding the teacup and drinking tea continuously to hide his embarrassment, he pursed his lips and glanced at Shen Erlang, "It's not an exaggeration."
"What?"
Gu Ran, Chen Er, and the guy were all stunned for a moment.
"I can eat this much too." Pei Liu said.
Not many people knew about his extraordinary strength. When he was the number one thief in the world, he was extremely intelligent and agile, but he also concealed his advantage of being able to lift a tripod. Those who knew about it died.
It was also because of this that many of the other killers of the No. 1 Thief took him lightly, and he took advantage of people's unpreparedness to solve many troubles. He also relied on this disguise to obtain the task of acting as a hidden chess piece, and when he took on Pei Liuniang's task, he killed the assassin who despised him and escaped.
Even now, only Gu Er Niang knows clearly, no, maybe it’s also Lin Ersao and that Xiao Lan who she saw that day.
But everyone knows that he has a big appetite, and he is not afraid of being known.
Is the guy from Zuiyue Tower talking about Gu Erniang's appetite right now?
As soon as this thought came to mind, Pei Liu couldn't help but speak.
What’s the big deal if you can eat it?
Eating is a blessing.
No matter how much Gu Er Niang eats, can she compare to him?
Gu Ran became more and more embarrassed. He laughed dryly and patted Pei Liuniang on the shoulder: "It's okay, it's okay. In fact, I didn't finish the meal, so I packed it up and took it away."
"Oh!" Shen Er and Pei Liu suddenly realized.
"Well, have you remembered the names of the dishes that Gu Er Niang mentioned just now?" Shen Er shouted at the waiter.
"Huh?" This time it was the guy's turn to be confused.
"I've ordered all the dishes that Gu Erniang just mentioned. Hurry up and write down the names of the dishes and have the kitchen prepare them."
"Oh, okay." The waiter smiled and nodded hurriedly to Shen Erlang. He turned around and said to Gu Ran earnestly, "Madam Gu, please tell me the names of the dishes again. I'll check if you missed any."
Gu Ran didn't care. He looked at Shen Er diligently pouring tea for Pei Liuniang. He reported the names of the dishes just now and added a few more dishes.
Anyway, there are eight people, and one of them can especially eat Liu Niang, so it’s always a good idea to add a few more dishes.
After Gu Ran placed his order and the waiter left, Lin Sanlang, who was outside, finally came back with the remaining four junior brothers and sisters.
After seeing the two junior sisters who came to the table, Gu Ran smiled.
Lin Sanchener's junior sister, who had just entered the box, also laughed.
"Sister Gu, how could this be such a coincidence?"
"Yes, I just found out today that you are their junior sister!"
Shen Er and Lin San were stunned: "Do you know each other?"
"know."
That junior sister turned out to be He Jia Huanhuan.
He Qinghuan sat down next to Gu Ran and said happily, "My family's livelihood is based on cooperation with Sister Gu."
"Burning grass jelly?"
Chen Er and Lin San had both eaten the roasted grass jelly sold by the He family, so they asked in unison.
Gu Ran and He Qinghuan both nodded, and then smiled at each other.
Unexpectedly meeting here, He Qinghuan immediately started chatting with Gu Ran. "I just heard from my father when I got home from school that Sister Gu, you came to the city today. I thought you went back to the village, but it turns out you stayed in the city overnight!"
"Yes, I did some business with another customer, and since it was getting late, I decided to stay in the city for the night."
"Then why don't you tell my father? If you tell him, you can stay at my house for one night."
"That's too much trouble for you."
"What trouble is there? You should know that you and Liu Niang will come. My mother and my aunt will definitely welcome you."
The two people here were chatting happily, and Chen Er on the other end was also chatting with Pei Liu from time to time. Pei Liu remained silent, but his face was slightly depressed.
It was agreed that Gu Er Niang would treat us, but suddenly it was this kid from the Shen family who treated us instead. Then He Qinghuan came and kept nagging at the side, which was so annoying.
I really want to cut it with a knife and everything will be fine.
Pei Liu couldn't help but glance at Gu Ran. Seeing her smile, the depression in his heart gradually subsided.
On the other side, Lin Sanlang, who had finally waited for his junior sister to come to the banquet, also had a gloomy face, as if his home ground had been taken away by someone but he had nowhere to complain. He just lowered his head and drank tea silently.
The atmosphere at the table only improved when the dishes started to be served.
"You're welcome, everyone can eat whatever you want." There were not many happy people at the table, but Shen Er, the second son of the Shen family, was one of them. At this time, he generously invited everyone to pick up their chopsticks.
"Liu Niang, this is delicious, you try it." Gu Ran took the lead and put a piece of drunken pork ribs into Pei Liu Niang's bowl.
Pei Liu looked at the meat in the bowl, then saw that Gu Ran's bowl was empty and he hadn't picked up anything yet, and he immediately became happy.
Gu Er Niang was putting herself first, so she still valued herself very much. She immediately responded with a "yes" and started eating happily.
Shen Er saw this from the side, coughed, and followed suit. He looked at the table, picked up a scallop, and handed it to Pei Liuniang's bowl: "Pei Liuniang, this, this is delicious, try it."
Pei Liucai was happily eating the ribs that Gu Ran had picked up for her when she suddenly found an extra piece of meat in her bowl. She was startled and looked up, meeting Shen Er's gaze. She saw Shen Er looking straight at her and smiling at her ingratiatingly. The smile on her face that had not yet faded due to happiness immediately faded a lot.
But the atmosphere at the table was good, and Pei Liu, having been trained, knew not to lose his temper at this moment. Gu Ran also happened to turn around and look at him. Seeing the scallops, he smiled and said, "Sixth Lady, this stir-fried scallop is also delicious, but it has some chili in it. Do you like spicy food? If you can handle spicy food, you can try it."
"Eat." When Gu Ran asked, Pei Liu nodded subconsciously. After he came to his senses, he took a bite.
"How?" Shen Er and Gu Ran asked in unison.
Pei Liu suddenly felt a great deal of pressure, nodded, and forced a smile at the two of them.
Gu Ran was relieved: "I told you so!"
When Chen Er saw Pei Jia Liuniang's smiling face for the first time, he was stunned. The chopsticks in his hand fell to the table with a snap. He hurriedly picked them up and pretended to pick up some food to cover up his loss of composure. However, his other hand secretly pressed his chest: Oh no, my heart is beating too fast.
Everyone else at the table saw Shen Er's expression, looked at each other, and understood each other tacitly.
Pei Liu lowered his head to look at the remaining scallop meat in the bowl, pursed his lips, and ate the remaining scallops.
It's not that he can't eat spicy food, nor that scallops are not delicious, it's just that he feels uncomfortable eating the food that his husband picks for him.
It would have been perfect if the scallops had been given to him by Er Niang.
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