Xichun and Aunt Zhang divided all the gifts among themselves, counted the number of people needed, and asked Brother Qiangzi and Taozi to run errands and deliver them to everyone.
Everyone was surprised to receive a gift, and they all put it away. The Fu family was really generous; each of them received quite a few gifts, including fabric and pastries, which they could take home to make several sets of clothes and have a few meals with.
"The Fu family is really good at dealing with people; they gave so many things. They're so generous." Aunt He and the others had also helped out, so they received some things as well.
"The Fu family is indeed very polite. Aunt Zhang, Aunt He, please go ahead with your business. I'll go and give this to the An family." Xi Chun took out her share and divided it out. Apart from a piece of cotton cloth, she gave one share to the An family and the other to Xue Wei tomorrow.
She only learned about the two people's help yesterday, so she naturally couldn't ask the Fu family to send her a share as well. Therefore, she shared her own things with them as a way of thanking them for their voluntary help.
"Miss Chen, are you getting ready to set up your stall?" An Wuji heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Xichun there. They had also heard the commotion when the Fu family came, but An Wuji wasn't familiar with their family and didn't go in to ask.
"Yes, we'll open our stall tomorrow. The sooner we open, the sooner we can earn money. Now that there's no one to stop us, doing business is much easier. Oh, by the way, this is a gift from the Fu family. Your whole family can use it."
“What are you going to do with this? I’m not just helping the Fu family. Those thieves also have a grudge against me. If it weren’t for your help, my whole family would probably have been killed by those thieves. Now that they’ve been caught, I just wish they would be beheaded as soon as possible. They’re so wicked. It was actually the county magistrate who sent those people. I wonder what will happen to him in the end.”
An Wuji gritted his teeth with hatred when he thought of those people. His family had worked so hard to save money for so long, and those people had robbed it all. It pained him to see them like that.
"That depends on the court's decision. I think Young Master Fu will inquire about it. We should just listen to what they say. This time, it was thanks to your help that the Fu family was able to get things so smoothly. There are some fabrics here that are more suitable for girls to wear. You can make clothes for your sisters."
"Alright, I'll accept it then. Thank you, Miss Chen." An Wuji didn't dwell on it too much and accepted the gift. He also mentioned that they had made some pancakes today and would send some over to them later so they wouldn't have to cook dinner.
The stall was finally open, and customers who hadn't had fried chicken and hot pot for days came drawn by the aroma.
"Miss Chen, you've finally opened your stall. It's been a while since I've had this taste, and I've really missed it."
"Yes, the thought that those villains have finally been caught makes me feel so gratified. I'm going to have to order a lot of meat to celebrate today."
Many people thought the same way, which helped Xichun's business reach new heights. Xichun was already planning to open a shop so that no matter the weather, it wouldn't affect their business.
"Miss Chen, you're open for business today?" Fu Changfeng came over carrying his goods and greeted her naturally.
"Yes, Young Master Fu, where are you going? When are you going to take the imperial examination?" He came yesterday but left without saying much.
"I came to see you. You helped my family a lot this time, so I am very grateful. I have been busy dealing with family matters for the past few days and only managed to find some free time today. I have to go to Yizhou Prefecture tomorrow."
"That's great. As long as it doesn't interfere with your exam, I'll make some dry food today so you can take it with you on the road tomorrow."
"Alright, the dry rations you made are even tastier than what my family prepares. Miss Chen, can I come and talk to you after you've packed up?" Fu Changfeng nodded, but seeing that there were quite a few people around, he was too embarrassed to continue.
"Okay, come to my house." Seeing that he seemed to have something to say, Xichun didn't refuse.
After a busy day, Xi Chun found Guo Xuewei, handed her the things, and then went home. Fu Changfeng waited in the alley for a long time, found a small stone, and kicked it while reading a book.
"Young Master Fu, what are you doing here so early? Wait for me a moment, I'll put my things down and then come over." Xi Chun laughed when she saw him like that.
"Miss Chen, let me help you." Fu Changfeng didn't hesitate, put the book in his arms, rolled up his sleeves and helped.
"What do you want from me?" Seeing his hesitant expression, Xichun led him to a nearby street, where no one paid any attention to them except for the laughter of children.
"Xichun, I've come here to thank you for two reasons, and also to tell you that I've liked you for a long time. I don't know if you'd be willing, but if you agree, I'll have my parents come to propose marriage after I finish the college entrance exam."
Fu Changfeng boldly explained his purpose, though he was still a little nervous. Although he had previously expressed his feelings for her, he hadn't said it so directly, and he was worried that he might be being too abrupt.
“Young Master Fu, if you pass the provincial examination, you will become a Xiucai, and later you may become a Juren, a Jinshi, and even an official. I am just a girl from the village, and I will probably go down the path of business in the future. Although I also have feelings for you, I think we will take different paths in the future.”
You can marry a lady from a wealthy family in the future. If you marry me, it may not help your career. If you regret it later, you can still be an official, while I may have my reputation ruined by this marriage. So if you really like me, I hope you can stick to your original intention instead of taking a bunch of concubines or even divorcing me and remarrying.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
