Xichun didn't care about what others thought. They were discussing marriage openly and honestly, not secretly or in a shameful way. As long as neither family had any objections, that was fine.
As the weather gradually turned colder, the restaurant's business improved. Xi Chun improved the hot pot base, creating a base that resembled modern Chongqing hot pot. Even people outside the restaurant could smell the aroma from miles away.
"Wow, this smells amazing! I see there are quite a few people waiting outside, and some are even saying they don't mind eating out and want us to set up a table." Taozi ran to Xichun's side and told her the good news.
“Our tables are all full now. Please ask everyone to wait a bit, or arrange for them to go to our original stall. We’ve already set up games there, so they won’t have to worry about the time.”
Xi Chun hadn't expected business to be so good, with so many people vying for a spot, so she specially commissioned the making of special number plates with the number written in capital letters on them. Those who couldn't get a table could choose to wait until the next day or wait in line.
Anyway, those who can come to eat here regularly are either wealthy farmers or business people from the city. As long as you are willing to wait, you don't have to worry. If you don't want to wait, there are other places to eat nearby.
“Okay, I’ve already sent Zhuwa with him.” Zhuwa is a village boy who is very close to Taozi. He used to be an apprentice at another family, but his master always thought he was stupid and that he wouldn’t learn anything, so he wanted to send him home.
When Taozi found out, he asked Xichun if she would like to hire him as a waiter. After asking him a few questions, Xichun agreed. The boy looked stupid, but he was actually a very talented person. His master was not willing to pass on his true skills to him. Instead, he only made him do chores every day so that his nephew could learn the craft. That's why he pretended to be stupid and was called back.
"Then remember to pay attention to the needs of the customers in the store. If there is anything that the waiters can't handle, you can handle it yourself. If you can't handle it, then come to me. You are now the head waiter of our restaurant, which is an important responsibility."
"Don't worry, boss, I guarantee I'll complete the task." Taozi was also very satisfied with his new position and was getting more and more used to it.
Qiangzi still needs to handle the chili pepper business. His mind has been opened up now. Apart from handing over the business in the prefectural city to An Wuji for development, he is traveling to various counties and towns, trying to open up a larger market.
"Xichun, we're running low on ingredients in the backyard. We need to find someone to send a message to the village chief to keep sending vegetables. We also need to let them know that we're running low on meat and offal, and ask them to send more tomorrow morning."
Aunt Zhang was in charge of managing all the affairs in the kitchen. If any ingredients were missing, she would report it to Xichun, who would then immediately contact the relevant parties.
Busy days always pass quickly, and before you know it, winter is here. These days, Fu Changfeng has been attending banquets with friends and poetry gatherings with classmates, and he has been reading in his spare time. He has never had a moment of leisure. Originally, he would have continued to be engrossed in his studies, but after meeting Xichun that day, a few words of hers gave him a sudden enlightenment.
"Changfeng, I see you've been even busier these days than before you passed the county-level exam. You're always meeting up with friends. Have you ever thought about going to the prefectural city to study? Are you planning to stop here, or do you want to pass the provincial-level exam and become a jinshi (a successful candidate in the provincial-level exam) so you can protect your family in the future?"
“I have been asking my classmates and teachers recently. After passing the county-level exam, there is no need to return to the original academy. However, my ranking in the county-level exam was not in the top ten. In addition, I heard that the prefectural school has been neglected in recent years and there are not many successful candidates. So I think I will study hard at home.”
"But I see that you don't seem to be studying hard at all. Instead, you seem to be idling around. I've heard before that people who study really study so hard that they hang their heads from the rafters and prick their thighs with awls, never having a moment to rest. Think about whether your studies have improved recently, whether you've mastered your books, and whether you can make sure you can answer those old provincial examination questions that are circulating in the market correctly?"
“I’ve been listening to so much flattery lately that I’ve started to lose myself. I even thought to myself that I should have some fun now that I’ve finally passed the exam. Xichun, you’ve reminded me that I haven’t studied properly in a long time. I’m going back now and will not go out to have fun from today onwards.”
Fu Changfeng blushed deeply at these words. He reflected on his actions over the past few days and felt extremely ashamed. How had he become like this? His grand ambitions had been drowned out by sweet talk.
"Alright, study hard. Where there's a will, there's a way. If you want something to eat, feel free to come and try it. I'll make it for you myself." Seeing that he had finally come to his senses, Xi Chun didn't press her advantage any further. Men also have pride.
When Fu Changfeng returned home, he instructed Zhu Nian to refuse all visitors or invitations, and to focus on studying at home.
From that day on, Fu Changfeng truly devoted all his time to reading, and nothing else could distract him. Every morning, he would run several laps around the yard, saying that Xichun had told him that she used to exercise in this way to stay healthy.
The Fu family patriarch, patriarch, and eldest brother saw this and were very pleased.
When Brother Fu saw his younger brother like this before, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He thought that he should relax after passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar. Besides, it was only a few months late to start studying, so it shouldn't have any impact. Moreover, his younger brother had almost given up the imperial examination to save him before, so he felt a little guilty and didn't dare to say too much.
However, after listening to what his younger brother said, he understood Xichun's good intentions. Indeed, marrying a good wife can bring prosperity to three generations.
“I was worried before that if he kept playing like this, he would go back to his old ways and forget about studying. These things are all about going all out, but I didn’t dare to say too much. Now that we have a daughter-in-law, we can rest assured. Xichun is a good girl. When everyone is praising Changfeng, she goes against the grain. I think our family will really have to change its status in the future.”
Mr. Fu spoke to his wife with great pleasure, and Mrs. Fu nodded in agreement.
"She's a good girl. Our son has excellent taste. If it were any other girl, she would have been overwhelmed by joy. It's amazing that Xichun can remain so calm. Even I can't do that."
"Oh, if only our Changjin could meet such a good girl. We must find him a good wife as soon as possible, and we must not let him end up like that family." Thinking of her eldest son's marriage, Madam Fu felt a little sad.
"Okay, you should also hurry up and look for it for him. What happened before still dealt him quite a blow."
Master Fu was also anxious. There was an order of seniority, and Changfeng was already engaged. Changjin was the eldest son, so they wanted to arrange the marriage of their younger son after their eldest son got married.
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