Chapter 74: Falling for Liu Shuhui

Cui gave her eldest and second daughter-in-law the same task of managing the household, and it depended on who completed it better.

It is winter now, and the days are getting colder day by day. Soon the test of being the head of the household will come.

Duke Xu's mansion was a big consumer of charcoal. The rooms of the main families all used floor dragons that consumed the most charcoal. The charcoal basins in the rooms of the concubines and maids were twice as many as those of ordinary families. Even the reception hall had to have some charcoal when no one was there, and the charcoal was used in abundance.

The Xu family is a wealthy and powerful family, so they can afford to use the charcoal. However, charcoal is hard to buy nowadays!

This winter was extremely cold and the demand for charcoal in the city increased sharply. Several consecutive heavy snowfalls outside the city blocked the roads and the charcoal supply in the city was insufficient. Li Niyue asked the managers to spend more money to buy charcoal but no charcoal was available.

Duke Xu's mansion was in urgent need of charcoal, and as the house was getting cold, she thought of Lu Lingjun.

Maybe Lu Lingyun has a solution.

Lu Lingyun saw Li Niyue's predicament and smiled suddenly.

We were short of charcoal, but she happened to have some.

"Prepare the carriage, I'm going out for a while." Lu Lingjun said to Shuanghong.

"yes."

A quarter of an hour later, Lu Lingyun, holding the warm Mrs. Tang in her arms, wearing a thick peacock fur coat, rode in a carriage to the west of the city.

Xikelai grocery store.

Business in front of the grocery store is very good. It is the end of the year and there is an endless stream of customers buying New Year's goods. In addition, Xikelai Grocery Store is the only store in the nearby streets that sells charcoal.

The charcoal sold in his grocery store was of average quality in the city; it was not the cheapest, nor was it the most expensive with prices rising every day.

However, the charcoal sold by Xikelai Grocery Store is limited in time and quantity, with only about 100 kilograms sold each day, providing a steady supply to the surrounding area.

"Miss, you're here!" Dongsheng, who was wearing a thick cotton coat, saw Lu Lingyun's carriage enter the backyard and hurried forward excitedly.

"Yeah." Xia Mei opened the curtain and Lu Lingjun got off the carriage. She looked around the yard where people were moving various goods in and out. "You've been busy these days?"

"Very busy! Business is good." Dongsheng looked at Lu Lingyun and his sister with joy. He noticed Xia Mei's thick new clothes and her rosy and plump little face. He couldn't hide the satisfaction and happiness in his eyes.

"Are you here for inspection, Miss?"

"Yes, call Zhiran."

"good."

Dongsheng called Zhiran from the front yard after a while.

When Zhiran saw Lu Lingyun, her face became even happier, "Miss, why are you here? Come in quickly, it's freezing cold."

Zhiran hurriedly greeted Lu Lingyun and entered the room in the front room where charcoal was burning.

This is the back room of the front shop, from where you can see the business going on in the shop outside.

"Miss, our business has been very good recently. With a stable supply of charcoal, everyone comes to our store to buy it. The grocery stores in the nearby streets are even asking us where we get the supply. We might as well take advantage of this and sell the charcoal in large quantities. We will definitely make a lot of money."

As Zhiran spoke, she added two more pieces of charcoal to the only charcoal fire in the room and told Lu Lingyun not to get cold.

Lu Lingyun smiled and said, "You don't have to sell it to anyone else. You can first bring 20 carts of coal to Duke Xu's mansion and give it to their eldest mistress, Mrs. Li."

Zhiran was startled, "Sell it to the Duke's Mansion?"

"Yes." Lu Lingyun nodded.

After giving instructions about the affairs at Duke Xu's Mansion, Lu Lingyun looked through Zhiran's accounts and arranged the subsequent sale of charcoal. At this time, she heard a familiar voice.

"You guys take the charcoal to Room 2 of Zhao's Inn later."

When Lu Lingyun looked up, she saw an acquaintance.

"Cuicui?"

Lu Lingyun spoke, and Cuicui, who was buying goods outside, heard the voice and looked inside, and saw Lu Lingyun sitting inside.

"Ms. Lu!"

The person who came was Cuicui, Wang Qiluo's personal maid.

Lu Lingyun called Cuicui into the house and asked, "Why are you here to buy charcoal? Don't you have enough charcoal at home?"

Cuicui's face suddenly turned red, and she waved her hands hastily, "No, no, no, we have enough charcoal in our house."

There were not many people in General Wang's mansion. General Wang came from a military family and did not like his family members to use charcoal. All the boys had to keep fit and keep warm like him. Only his wife, daughters and aunts used some charcoal. Before winter, they prepared a lot of charcoal at Lu Lingyun's reminder, so they had no shortage of charcoal.

"Then why did you come here to buy charcoal?" Lu Lingyun frowned slightly, "Are you going to deliver it to Zhao's Inn?"

"Ms. Lu, it's really nothing."

Lu Lingyun's face turned serious. "If you don't tell me, I'll go to your house to look for your aunt later."

"No, no, no!" Cuicui waved her hands hastily. After a while, she said softly to Lu Lingyun, "It's my daughter. She wants to send some charcoal to Mr. Liu from Zhao's Inn."

"Liu, Shu, Hui?" Lu Lingyun blurted out.

"It's him." Cuicui lowered her red face, "Our young lady has met Mr. Liu several times. She admires his talent and asked me to send him some charcoal in private to help him."

Lu Lingyun: “….”

Oh my God, that girl Wang Qiluo actually fell in love with Liu Shuhui.

She should have noticed it the last time she went to the theater with Wang Qiluo.

How could that girl be so bold!

"Miss Lu, please don't tell anyone. My young lady will blame you if she finds out." Cuicui begged Lu Lingyun softly.

Lu Lingyun snorted unhappily, "Hmph, go back and tell your young lady to come find me when she's free."

"Yes, yes, yes." Cuicui said repeatedly.

"Also, don't give charcoal to that scholar Liu."

"How can this be possible?"

At this time, the charcoal delivery boy came back and asked, "Where is the girl who asked me to deliver charcoal just now? The inn refused to accept it. She said it was not what she wanted!"

"See?" Lu Lingyun said angrily, "Just go back and don't come to deliver coal again."

How could Liu Shuhui, a stubborn but upright man, accept the charcoal sent by Wang Qiluo?

If she knew about this and other people knew about it, Wang Qiluo would no longer have to save face.

"yes."

Cuicui left the Xikelai grocery store.

Lu Lingyun also left.

When I went out, I saw Dongsheng and Xiamei standing under the eaves, chatting together. Dongsheng held his sister's hand in his palm and blew into it.

"Brother, I'm not cold. Look at me this year. I don't have any frostbite on my hands. I'm working in the young lady's room and it's very warm."

Dongsheng smiled with his eyes wide open, "That's great!"

His eyes were filled with affection and happiness.

At this time, he saw Lu Lingyun coming out, "Miss, you are out."

"Why don't you go inside?"

"I have to watch over the work." Dongsheng smiled innocently, "These things are to be given to the eldest lady Li of Duke Xu's mansion, right?"

"Well, send her a message and tell her I have as much as she wants, anytime she wants it."

"Yes, you can trust me in my work." Dongsheng patted his chest.

Lu Lingyun smiled softly, "Okay, when the Chinese New Year comes, you can go back home with Zhiran to celebrate the New Year."

"Okay!"

Dongsheng personally delivered the goods to Duke Xu's mansion, while Lu Lingjun led his men back.