Chapter 28: Not Expensive
Because there were so many people visiting, there was no time to walk and digest the food. The lunch I had at noon seemed to still be stuck in my chest, and I couldn't even drink tea smoothly. Fan Zengxian shook his head and laughed: "I'm really old!"
"Teacher, you are just over 40, how can you say you are old?" Su Yanli stood up and bowed, pointing to the snacks placed on the table by the waiter with a smile, "I brought some hawthorn slices, how about you chew a couple of them?"
Hawthorn is indeed a food that can cure diseases, so there is no need for teachers and students to be too serious when reminiscing about the past. Fan Zengxian nodded and signaled the servant to bring two pieces.
Su Yanli took this opportunity to order another gift. "The wine I brought you is also made from hawthorn. The New Year is a time for socializing and feasting. If you want to drink, drink two glasses of hawthorn wine. It will not only add to the atmosphere of the table, but also help stimulate your appetite and help digestion."
Fan Zengxian was very pleased that his students, whom he had not seen for a year, were so attentive and said, "During the Lantern Festival, he brought his family to my lantern shed to drink tea and watch lanterns."
The Lantern Festival in the Dayin Dynasty was very lively. The royal nobles would set up tents on the Imperial Street to enjoy the lanterns. Of course, apart from the royal families, the only court officials qualified to set up lantern tents on the Imperial Street were the heads of the Three Dukes and Six Ministries, and the adjutants of the six ministries - the Vice Ministers. Lord Fan was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a third-rank official. He was in charge of the assessment of all officials in Dayin and was a truly powerful person. Of course, he had a place in the Imperial Street lantern tent.
Su Yanli was nervous after hearing this: "Will it disturb the teacher?"
Fan Zengxian pinched a piece of hawthorn handed to him by the waiter and said with a smile, "It's okay." After that, he took a bite of the hawthorn and said, "It tastes good."
While praising the hawthorn slices, he looked at the student who was standing uneasy and saw that he seemed a little nervous. Was he short of money again? It didn't look like that!
No matter how nervous and embarrassed he was, he had to face what he had to face. Su Yanli took out a Jiaozi from his sleeve pocket and handed it over. "I've been bothering you for the past two years. I borrowed 40 or 50 taels of silver from you. This year, life is better and I have some surplus. I can finally pay you back."
It turned out that it was not a wrong payment, but a repayment. But where did he get the money from? Fan Zengxian frowned. The Five Classics Doctors of the Imperial Academy did not deal with common affairs, and did not handle money, so there was no opportunity for embezzlement. Did he sell calligraphy and paintings? I have never heard of it, so how could he live a comfortable life?
As if sensing the teacher's doubts, Su Yanli smiled slightly, "In order to buy a dowry for my daughter, I asked the servant to do some housework."
"What kind of chores?"
Su Yanli bowed and replied, "The hawthorn slices that the teacher eats are selling quite well in front of the temple, so..."
I didn't expect that Su Yuzhi had come to his senses and actually knew how to do business to support his family. Not bad, not bad.
However, he only borrowed forty or fifty taels of silver in total, and when he lent it out, he did not intend to ask for it to be repaid. Su Yanli was unwilling to do so, and the teacher and student had to push and pull for a while, and finally they got the teacher to accept it with great difficulty.
The visit was almost over. Su Yanli bowed and bent his waist to 90 degrees. "I will not disturb you anymore. I will take my leave first."
Su Zengxian waved his hand and said, "Qiran, send it down to Yuzhi."
"Yes, sir."
The servant led Su Yanli out.
In the study, Fan Zengxian had already eaten a piece. It was sour and sweet and delicious. The more he chewed, the more his mouth watered. "Take another piece."
The chief casually took another piece and asked, "Do you think it tastes good, sir?"
Fan Zengxian nodded, "It makes my mouth water, quite interesting."
The long-servant really didn't take this inconspicuous little thing seriously. After hearing that the adults said it tasted good, he couldn't help but open the gifts sent by the Su family. The first one was a square box, which had been opened. It was the hawthorn slices that the adults ate. There were a lot of them. There were five or six small boxes in the square box. It seemed that it was enough for the adults to eat for a while.
The second one was two exquisite small jars with bright glaze. "Sir, this is probably the hawthorn wine that Dr. Su mentioned."
I have heard of sake, rice wine, yellow wine, and grape wine, but I have never heard of hawthorn wine. Su Zengxian was a little curious, "Pour a glass and let's see."
The attendant put his hands in front of him and said, "Sir, the lady won't allow you to drink too much."
"Didn't you hear Yuzhi say just now that this is a good wine to help with digestion?"
Lord Fan has three hobbies: writing, playing chess, and drinking wine. Su Ruojin had not originally planned to make hawthorn wine, but she specially made a large jar of hawthorn wine for Lord Fan and picked out the best for him.
As soon as the cork was opened, a sweet and fragrant aroma wafted in the study. The wine was then poured into a white porcelain cup. The red and white colors complemented each other, and the wine was clear and translucent. It was obviously a top-grade wine. The long-time attendant was very surprised: "Sir..." and brought the cup to Fan Zengxian.
Fan Zengxian, who had seen many good things, couldn't help but pick up the wine cup and take a sip. As soon as it went down his throat, the wine aroma was fragrant and sweet between his teeth. The taste was endless: "Good wine."
Dr. Su's gift really touched the adults' hearts. The long-time attendant couldn't help but open the third flat paper box, which was divided into four small compartments. The first compartment seemed to contain pastries, but it was so crystal clear that one could even see clearly whether the osmanthus flowers inside were curled or loose.
"Sir, look quickly, does this look like the amber I saw in Prince Jin's mansion last time?"
Fan Zengxian was also intrigued. He stood up, put one hand behind his waist, and slowly walked to the osmanthus cake. He picked up a piece and held it up to the light to look at it. "Yuzhi's gift this year is not ordinary!"
After hearing what his master said, the long-servant thought for a moment: "Sir, does Dr. Su want you to move him?"
Fan Zengxian seemed not to have heard what his attendant said. He looked at the second frame. There were colorful small particles, but he didn't know what they were. He looked at the third frame. It was dark red in color and delicate in appearance, but he couldn't tell what it was. He bent down to smell it, and a slightly sour and sweet smell came to his nose. It seemed that the pastry was made with hawthorn. Su Yuzhi was having something to do with hawthorn.
"Inkstone, how much does hawthorn cost per pound in the market?"
"When hawthorns are on the market, vendors carry baskets and sell them for three cents a pound. I heard that grocery stores sell them for three pounds a cent." The long-servant reacted, "Sir, these snacks look exquisite, but they are actually not expensive."
Having just passed the age of 40, Fan Zengxian still has a lot of room for advancement, such as his superior, the Minister of Personnel, and the three central ministries, so he now needs to be careful in what he says and does, and only accept gifts that are harmless.
As long as it’s not expensive.
Fan Zengxian asked his attendant to put the wine away and said, "Give the rest to the madam."
"Yes, sir."
When officials interacted with each other, the gifts would eventually end up in the hands of the mistress of the house, who would then return the gifts one by one.
It was not until dinner time that Su Yanli returned home.
Cheng Yingzhen stepped forward and asked, "Sir, how is it?"
Su Yanli nodded with a smile, "The teacher not only met me, but also asked me to go to their lantern shed to enjoy the lanterns during the Lantern Festival."
When Su Ruojin heard this, her eyes lit up instantly and she couldn't hide her smile.
Seeing the Second Lady smiling like a little fox, Shu Tong couldn't help but pull her aside and complained in a low voice, "Six taels, it's almost as much as your monthly salary."
Su Ruojin glanced at her parents who were talking about family matters, turned her head, and whispered, "Why did the old woman surnamed Xu have such red eyes that she didn't do anything? Why did the patrolman from the military department just wander around the stall and didn't dare to do anything?"
(End of this chapter)
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