Chapter 354: It’s time to step down. Of course, it’s not just these kids…
Of course, it was not just this group of children who were having fun. The other children were also very happy. The reason was that they received milk candies personally given by the top scholar. The candies were fragrant, sweet and delicious.
Moreover, this candy was distributed by the top scholar himself, which made the meaning even more special.
After Xu Yunfan’s wave of “promotion”, the milk candies were sold out as soon as they were put on the shelves, before anyone else could get there.
The price of milk candy is not cheap, one piece costs two cents, and it is a small piece. It is as expensive as a meat bun that costs two cents each. Some customers may feel that it is not cost-effective.
This thing is sweet, and it has a strong milky flavor, but it doesn't fill me up. The more I chew it, the more delicious it becomes. Rich people naturally wouldn't care about two cents, but seeing Yunrun Shop making another profit, they couldn't help but feel jealous. "Is Mr. Qin becoming more stingy as he makes more money? Some wealthy people become more generous the richer they get, spending thousands or even tens of thousands of taels without blinking an eye. But some people, earning tons of money every day, become even more stingy. They're selling this little thing for two cents. Are they taking us for granted?"
Some people were jealous, while others naturally refused to tolerate it. "If you think it's too expensive, then don't buy it. Did anyone hold a knife to your neck and force you to buy it? Is two cents a lot? Hasn't candy always been this expensive?"
"Anyone who says something like that is obviously brainless, or just sour grapes. If you envy Mr. Qin's family for making so much money, why don't you make some yourself? Two cents a piece of candy is so expensive? How much did white and brown sugar cost per pound back then?"
"It's not that expensive. I heard that these candies were made in Dongwu Country before being shipped back. The shipping fee, labor cost, material cost, everything have to be paid for. Before, when the people from Dongwu Country went back, the Qin family asked them to transport a batch of things over, and the escort fee alone was this much." The man who spoke held up six fingers.
"Six hundred taels?"
"Six hundred taels? Why don't you go back and get some sleep?"
"How much is that? It can't be six thousand taels, right?" Spending six thousand taels just to transport something?
"That's right. Do you know how far it is from the capital to Dongwu Kingdom? The Qi family's caravans that travel to other countries take at least several months, and at most a year and a half to return. Do you think they just walk, ride horses, and take carriages along the way? If you encounter bandits, you'll know that six thousand taels is not much."
"The Qin family doesn't have any caravans. They hire the Qi family caravans. They go here and there to collect silver. A piece of candy costs two cents, which is a very fair price."
"Fair? How can it be fair? Mr. Qin's family is so rich. How much does a food city make in a day? He is so rich, shouldn't he benefit the public?"
"Oh, you say the Qin family is stingy? Well, I've never seen anyone so stingy in my life. When Beijin Prefecture was hit by a snowstorm, he donated supplies. When Pingjin Prefecture had a child with a fever, he provided both medicine and food. How much silver must those dozens of carriages of quilts and bedding be worth? They only gave these away. It's too stingy. They should donate all their property. Then those of us who buy their salt, rice, and candles can all eat shit."
"That is, whether they give more or less, or even nothing at all, you can't say a word against them. For those who don't give, do you know if they are unwilling to give because they can't afford it? And for those who give, whether they give more or less, you have no right to take it for granted just because of their wealth. If you give too little, you'll even be blamed by some people."
The person who said that milk candy was expensive was criticized and could not say a word of rebuttal. Qin Run didn't know about these things. He was very busy recently.
Salt is expensive, so why not let my younger brother and brother-in-law have a steady supply of salt to sell and make a lot of money?
Third and fourth sisters Fang traveled to many places and looked at the map countless times before finally finding a salt lake.
The initial investment in the development of the salt lake is not a small amount. Qin Run allocated the funds and then had to go to the Qi family to discuss the establishment of a caravan with them.
When Demonno was on a diplomatic mission, he not only signed a contract with the royal family to purchase salt from the Dayan royal family, but also cooperated with the Qi family caravan on the transportation of goods such as sugar. As a result, the royal family, the Qi family, and the Xiaoqin family made a lot of money.
But more problems also followed. There were many small countries nearby, and it was not enough to just send a caravan to each of them. The establishment of a caravan was urgent.
Qin Run is busy, and Xu Yunfan is now a serious official. How can he spend half a day playing around like before? At home, Fang Zixi and Lord Qin are already tired enough taking care of three children, so Xiaobao and the others are naturally left with no one to look after them.
After finishing his post-job training, Xu Yunfan walked around the house. Qin Run was also there, which was rare. "Xiaobao and the others are not here again?"
"Well, they went out." Qin Run was tidying up the branches in the backyard. The Qin family's house was so beautiful now.
The four sisters of the Fang family live in the backyard. They are good at tidying up the house. They have planted a lot of flowers in the backyard, and rows of flower walls make it look like a fairyland. Several rooms face the sea of flowers. As long as you open the window, you can see the colorful flowers in the garden, which are fragrant and intoxicating.
Xu Yunfan asked someone to dig a swimming pool. There was a big gate separating the backyard from the middle yard. Usually, even Fang Zixi and others had to say hello before entering. Only Xiaobao and his friends had no problems. They even liked to go to the backyard whenever they had time and often played in the water with the Fang sisters.
Xiaobao is a guy who has two uncles to accompany him every day and is protected by several beautiful aunts. He is so happy. Now that there are two more uncles and a younger brother in the family, the little guy rarely goes out to play.
Xu Yunfan came back and walked towards the backyard. He looked left and right, but apart from Qin Run, there was no one else in sight. "Where did they all go?"
Qin Run: "Several sisters went to the Food City and the factory to inspect. Xiaobao and An Ge'er should have gone to Qinxuan Road."
Last month, Xiao Moyun and Qin Moxi turned one month old, and Xiao Hengzhi held a grand banquet. After the banquet, there was a lot of meat left over.
Xiaobao had experience and sat aside, staring at the leftovers that were taken away with his big eyes. He did not ask if he could pack them up now, but waited until all the guests left before calling Qin An and Qin Mu. The three children took out a stack of bags from their small backpacks.
Xu Yunfan was not originally required to help entertain the guests, but Xu Yunfan was too famous. After chatting with the Xiao family, everyone came to Xu Yunfan again. Xu Yunfan had no time to take care of the children.
Qin Run had come to the kitchen from the backyard at some point, "Xiaobao."
"Daddy, look, there's so much meat." Xiaobao happily pointed at the dozen or so bags of meat he had packed, smiling so happily that his big eyes turned into two crescents and his two little hands were greasy. If it were any other child, he would probably be scolded by the adults, but Xiaobao knew that he had done nothing wrong and his daddy would not scold him.
Qin Run glanced at his brother Qin An who had stopped to look at him, and his voice softened, "Why pack so much meat?" He guessed a possibility, but still asked for confirmation.
Qin An: "Xiaobao said that many children in the orphanage have no meat to eat. We have so much meat at home that we can't finish it all and it would be a waste to throw it away. Besides, it's all clean, so we packed it up and gave it to the children."
"But it's too much." Qin Run squatted down and roughly counted the meat piled high on the sack. "It's a bit hot now. The children won't be able to finish all the meat. It will go bad tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
"Ah?" Qin Mu was anxious. "Brother, what should we do? My brother-in-law said that waste is shameful. It would be a pity if we can't finish it."
If they had known earlier, they would have eaten a few more pieces, Qin Mu thought. They were afraid that there would not be much left, so they deliberately ate two less pieces of meat. Now they heard that the meat would stink if they couldn't finish it, and they felt very sad.
Qin Run thought for a moment and said, "How about this? You can send a few bags today and a few bags tomorrow. I'll freeze the rest for you, and you can send them over tomorrow."
"Daddy." Xiaobao stomped his feet happily and leaned over to kiss Qin Run, "Daddy, you are so good. Xiaobao loves you so much."
"Baby, daddy loves you too." Qin Run also kissed Xiaobao and softened his heart. Influenced by Xu Yunfan, the three children now don't know how to be reserved. They say they like you when they speak and love you when they keep silent.
Qin Run had been to the orphanage on Qinxuan Road. On the night Xu Yunfan came back from Uncle Fang's house, he stood by the window and looked at Xiaobao playing outside. He just stood there and watched for a long time.
This was the first time that Xu Yunfan brought negative emotions into the room. He was apparently fine during dinner, but perhaps he was too uncomfortable to hold it in, so he couldn't help but show it even though he knew he shouldn't.
Qin Run knew he was unhappy and asked him what was wrong. Xu Yunfan said sullenly, "I feel very uncomfortable here."
He pointed to the left side of his chest, where his heart was.
Xu Yunfan felt sad and indescribably annoyed.
"I used to not understand why my cousin would give up a good job and go to work in impoverished areas. Later, I learned that there were thirty-six children in the orphanage on Qinxuan Road. It wasn't a lot, but raising them with only three husbands was incredibly difficult."
"Perhaps you think my life is a mess. I don't get involved in business, and I haven't even taken the imperial examination yet. I'm a bachelor, and my monthly salary is only a few dozen taels. In the capital, I can barely afford to eat, drink, defecate, and urinate. Why do I still look down on the suffering of the world?"
"Yes, there are many things happening outside the window in this world. There are far more people who are hungry and cold than just a few. I can't handle it all by myself. There are so many unfair things. Even if I want to, I am still powerless. It seems that I still need to climb higher and gain more power. Yesterday, the people of the Right Prime Minister tried to pick a fight with me again. It's time for this old man to step down and give up his position."
Xu Yunfan is very ambitious, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
"Yes, there are too many people suffering in the world, and we can't take care of them all, but within our capabilities, we can do better than anyone else. Yunfan, I know you have a kind heart, I know everything."
Xu Yunfan scratched his chin embarrassedly, "No, I'm not that kind. If anyone offends me, I will bear a grudge and will not show mercy when it comes to revenge."
"What's wrong with that?" Qin Run thought. Isn't that the case with all people? Even Buddhas can't completely abandon their emotions, let alone ordinary people in the world. "Yun Fan, you are really different from the young masters I've met. So different that I feel fortunate for it."
If Xu Yunfan was like other young masters, as he had said before, his other half would definitely not be an ugly boy with a bad reputation and a younger brother from Dali Village.
Whether he weighed the pros and cons or had no choice, his choice would never be him from the beginning.
"What's different?" Xu Yunfan turned around and faced Qin Run, who was only a step away from him. He leaned his back against the window frame, looking very lazy, completely different from his previous worried look. "Don't I look different? They used to call me the Prince of Beijing Circle. Those rich second-generation officials were proud to know me. If anyone got close to me, it would be a big deal."
Xu Yunfan is indeed a genuine child of an aristocratic family. He has seen and learned a lot, and the education he received since childhood, self-awareness and environmental factors have already determined his state of mind and pattern.
"Really?" Qin Run pretended to be skeptical. Having been in Beijing for so long, how could he not know that the higher the status and the wider the network of contacts, the easier it would be to handle some things.
It's easy, making a fortune is just a matter of decision.
No wonder, those rich masters in the town, after having money, want to be powerful and try their best to squeeze into bigger places.
Xu Yunfan folded his hands in front of his chest, feeling proud. "That must be true. My father and mother are both at the top of the rich list. My second uncle is a politician and a well-known figure in the central government. My grandfather was the top leader in the army before he retired. He was at the same level as my grandfather. They had a good relationship. They liked to chat after drinking some horse urine. They talked about child engagement after a while. Later, the two families lived close to each other. They were childhood sweethearts. My father also understood the saying "the one who is close to the water gets the moon first", but he chose to strike first. Otherwise, my father would not have been able to pursue my mother. After all, sometimes childhood sweethearts can't resist the gift of luck!"
Because the two families live close to each other, cousins are actually no different from real brothers and sisters.
Not to mention my uncles.
As the saying goes, a nephew standing outside the door is not considered to be the extinction of the family. In ancient times, the uncles of those princes dared to help them to seize power and usurp the throne. So, Xu Yunfan's status in the eyes of his uncles is needless to say, and his cousins have to stand behind. Such a person is powerful and influential, and who would not flatter him? This is what created Xu Yunfan's fearless character.
"No wonder." Qin Run stared at Xu Yunfan, took a step forward, leaned into his arms, and touched his face. "So you have this kind of personality because you were spoiled. No wonder you don't even take Song Tong seriously."
With the beauty in his arms, Xu Yunfan hugged Qin Run's waist, feeling quite distracted. "Song Tong? He's just a second-generation official. What's there to be afraid of? In our place, my background is bigger than his. Even Master Song has to call me Master Xu when he sees me. I have a strong background here too. My father loves me so much, I'm even less afraid of him."
Xu Yunfan has a clear distinction between father when there is trouble and father-in-law when there is no trouble.
Qin Run chuckled, "Don't let your father hear this, or he'll scold you again."
"I know, my father-in-law loves to nag."
Later, the two of them talked about more and more distant topics. Although Qin Run didn't say anything about the orphanage at that time, he just personally brought a batch of things there in the winter.
After seeing the situation in the orphanage, Qin Run finally understood why Xu Yunfan was unhappy.
It also made sense why, after he was able to intervene in some matters of the Ministry of Justice, he immediately drafted a law to give these children the greatest protection of their rights.
At the same time, Qin Run used to think that he earned a lot, but now, he feels that it is not enough, not enough, he wants to earn more.
Later, when Qin Run went to the orphanage again, Xiaobao went with him twice. After coming back, Xiaobao had the habit of taking away food whenever he attended a banquet. He didn't ask for much, and only took away the portion for the table where he sat. Xiaobao naturally did not miss the banquet at Prince Xiao's Mansion today. His main point was to share the food equally, not just the food but the people.
Some people also think that Xiaobao's behavior is shameful. Is it that Xu Yunfan needs him to eat, or is it that the Fang family, the Xiao family, and even the Qin family can't afford to raise a child?
It would be fine at any other time, but doing this in this situation is too cheap.
How could these second-generation officials and rich people who have no shortage of food and drink know how painful it feels to be hungry?
It just so happened that the Xiao Qin family, several people on the same household register, big and small, no matter whether they were born into wealth or status, had all experienced hunger without exception. They knew how hard it was to get a meal, and how precious a piece of meat was.
In the eyes of these people, the leftovers on the table have the only fate of being thrown away, but these leftovers that they disdain are rare delicacies in the eyes of some people.
Sure enough, words and actions are really important. Xu Yunfan is obviously doing a good job, but even such a good Xu Yunfan used to worry that he would not be a good father. Qin Run felt that Xu Yunfan was the most suitable one, seeing how well he raised his children.
Qin Run took out a few bags of meat and pinched their faces one by one. "You can take these bags with you today. Do you need a carriage prepared for you?"
The car Xu Yunfan gave to Xiaobao and the others was not slow. Most of the time, the children of Xiaoqin's family drove themselves when they went out. Everyone in the capital knew whose children they were. What's more, there were secret guards following them. Who would dare to take advantage of them?
Xiaobao: "Daddy, let's go in a carriage. It's too far. Xiaobao is still too young and has no strength to protect his uncles."
"Okay, listen to our Xiaobao. Daddy will arrange a carriage for you. Remember to go home on time in the afternoon, okay?"
"Brother, we remember that we will never indulge in play." Picking up the two bags of meat, Qin An looked up and said to Qin Run: "Brother, the two younger brothers will not be home tonight. We will go home soon to play with our nephew Dabao."
Dabao is Xu Qingtang's nickname, given by Xu Yunfan. He was originally going to call him Xiaobei, which is a combination of Xiaobao and Dabao to form the word "baby", but Xiaobei sounds a bit feminine, so he was just called Dabao. Although "baby" and "big and small" cannot be combined, they can still be combined.
Xiaobao and his two friends packed up a lot of meat, and it took them three deliveries to finish delivering all the meat in their home. Because of this, they became familiar with the children in the orphanage and would visit them every now and then.
Look, today is over again.
When Xu Yunfan heard that the children had gone to the orphanage again, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh, "I thought they ran away to avoid school."
"Of course not. They're very conscientious." Qin Run spoke for Xiaobao and the others. "They've completed the homework you assigned them. I checked and they didn't make any mistakes. It's obvious they put their heart into it and weren't perfunctory. Last time, they heard the children at the foundling home say that people from the imperial court would be coming to help them repair their house today, so they went over to take a look. Last time, I also wanted to renovate the foundling home, but Uncle Xiaoguo said he wouldn't let me spend any more money."
Xu Yunfan: "You've already done a lot. They're just worried that you'll spend too much money and feel bad. You gave them face quilts and several hundred kilograms of charcoal, as well as bacon, dried vegetables, and coarse grains. It may not seem like much, but they definitely know the reason."
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