Chapter 38: The Wrong Line 3
◎You should become an official! ◎
Yan Yue suggested that she wanted to go to Shen Xuezhou's yard to take a look. Han Jing didn't mind at all and led the two of them there directly, and Shen Xuemin followed.
Obviously, Shen Xuezhou is not a person who seeks pleasure.
Compared with the exquisite and gorgeous porcelain and ornaments in the main hall, the side courtyard where he lived could be considered simple and rustic. The several large bookshelves in the study, filled with various books, pamphlets and manuscripts, surprised Yan Yue and Qi Zhaoyang even more.
Yan Yue looked through the manuscripts left by Shen Xuezhou. A small half of them were about shop reform, and most of them were about policies and current affairs.
Qi Zhaoyang also noticed it, and after looking at it for a while, he sighed: “I didn’t expect that Mr. Shen is actually a talent in politics!”
Shen Xuemin was surprised, and so was Han Jing.
Yan Yue didn't know what it took to be qualified to be an official, but Qi Zhaoyang had helped the royal family complete activities such as offering sacrifices to heaven and had come into contact with many officials. He said that Shen Xuezhou's casual handwritten calligraphy criticized current social ills and hit the nail on the head, making him truly suitable for political career.
Uncle Shen said: "Xuezhou was indeed a good student when he was young. Even the best teacher in Rongshan praised him highly."
Qi Zhaoyang asked: "Does that mean you didn't pass the exam?"
The eldest uncle of the Shen family paused before saying, "The old man of the Shen family set a family rule that forbids the descendants of the Shen family from entering the officialdom. Xuezhou had several arguments with his father when he was young, and in the end he had no choice but to give up that path. I thought that after more than ten years, he had already let it go..."
Yan Yue whispered, "Is his obsession to be an official? But now it can't be realized!"
Uncle Shen didn't hear clearly and asked, "What obsession?"
Yan Yue didn't dare to say anything and made an excuse that it was getting late and she wanted to leave.
The Shen family's master hurriedly asked the two to stay for dinner. Han Jing immediately responded, "Yesterday my sister and her husband went hunting and caught a deer. This morning they brought me half a deer. Why don't you two stay and have a taste?"
Yan Yue couldn't move her feet when she heard that. Qi Zhaoyang smiled gently, turned around and said to Han Jing: "Then I'm sorry to bother you."
Han Jing was very happy and said quickly, "No, no, no! It is an honor for the two immortal masters to stay for dinner!"
She led them back to the main hall, asked them to serve tea and snacks again, asked about their dietary restrictions, and instructed the kitchen to prepare the dinner menu.
Yan Yue asked Qi Zhaoyang in a low voice, "Do you feel that Madam Han has suddenly become very enthusiastic?"
Qi Zhaoyang had always been treated warmly, so he didn't notice it at first. But when he thought about it, he realized that when the two of them asked about Shen Xuezhou before, Han Jing was indeed not so enthusiastic.
After she gave the order, she personally took the tea from the maid's hand and handed it to Shen Xuemin: "I know that brother likes rock tea. This is Jin Junmei that my family just sent. Brother, please taste it."
Shen Xuemin quickly stood up and took it. Han Jing said, "I was just thinking of sending some to my brother! It just so happens that you guys are here."
Compared to his younger brother Shen Xuezhou, Shen Xuemin indeed seemed a little dull. He tasted the tea carefully, saying politely, "The tea soup is clear and bright, with a long-lasting sweetness."
Han Jing peeled some more dried fruits and handed them to Shen Xuemin. Shen Xuemin politely took the plate and ate them all one by one.
Qi Zhaoyang became more and more suspicious the more he looked, but Yan Yue was unaware of it and shamelessly asked Han Jing for the freshly peeled dried fruits. Fortunately, Han Jing didn't mind at all. She treated her like a child and handed her the freshly peeled plate with a smile.
It didn't take long before a sumptuous dinner was served on the table.
The venison was stewed until soft and tender, and served in a large, exquisite copper basin with a small charcoal stove underneath to keep it warm.
The bones in front of Yan Yue were piled up like a small mountain. She raised her bowl and took the ribs that Han Jing picked for her. She said politely, "Madam, you should eat too! You only take care of us, but you barely even move your chopsticks!"
Han Jing smiled and said, "I don't eat much on weekdays, but seeing Miss Yan eating so happily today, my appetite has been opened. I ate a lot more than usual!"
Yan Yue's movements froze, and a sentence suddenly popped up in her mind: "This meal is delicious only when you rush to eat it!"
I haven't thought about that monster for a long time. I wonder how he is doing now? Are you still eating people?
Yan Yue shook her head, threw away the sudden thought, and said: "More people eat, more food will be eaten!"
Qi Zhaoyang almost couldn't hold back his expression, and he quietly touched her from under the table, trying to remind her to be careful with her words.
Yan Yue asked him puzzledly: "Why did you kick me?"
Qi Zhaoyang held his forehead helplessly, and Shen Xuemin hurriedly said: "It's okay, it's okay! The little fairy has a simple mind, which is good. The Shen family is deserted now, and it's true that they don't even enjoy their meals. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
Yan Yue asked stupidly, "Mr. Shen has two children, and Madam Han has two too. Can't you just eat together? It will be so lively with four children together!"
Everyone at the table was stunned. Qi Zhaoyang quickly said, "Don't blame me, Mr. Shen and Madam Han! She is still young and has only a vague understanding of worldly ethics. It's inevitable that she said something childish."
Han Jing had already reacted, and smiled softly while covering her mouth, "I think that's a solution!"
Qi Zhaoyang was so shocked that he was speechless, and Shen Xuemin was also a little at a loss: "Ah, this is... we should get together more often..."
Only Yan Yue was unaware and said as if she had been recognized, "Look at you! We are a family, so we should get together and have fun. What's the point of living alone?"
Qi Zhaoyang seemed to have no idea how to stop Yan Yue from talking, and hurriedly whispered in her ear: "The Second Master of the Shen Family is standing behind you!"
Yan Yue was so busy eating that she forgot about the black umbrella behind her. It was already dark, so Shen Xuezhou and Zhou Lin naturally came out.
She looked back and saw Shen Xuezhou sitting on a chair not far away. His expression was unclear. She couldn't help but ask, "Do you think it's bad?"
Shen Xuezhou opened his mouth, but paused for a moment before saying, "Nothing bad. It's pretty good."
Before Yan Yue turned around, Shen Xuemin had already asked suspiciously: "Little Fairy...who are you talking to?"
ah!
Yan Yue covered her mouth and looked at Qi Zhaoyang for help.
Qi Zhaoyang sighed helplessly, and was thinking about how to help her get out of it, when Shen Xuemin asked immediately: "But... Xuezhou?"
Yan Yue looked at him in surprise, "How did you know?"
Even Han Jing was shocked: "It's the Second Master? The Second Master is here?"
Seeing that things had come to this point, Yan Yue did not intend to hide it anymore, but still asked the two curiously: "Aren't you afraid?"
Han Jing said calmly, "He and I are husband and wife. Although we can't say we have a deep affection for each other, we don't have any grudges against each other either. Why should I be afraid?"
Shen Xuemin's eyes were red, and his tone was a little excited: "Master Qi said earlier that there were ghosts wandering around the shop and the house, so I guessed it was him. Even if he becomes a resentful ghost, he is still my brother! I am not as smart as him, and I have not been able to help him in these years. I am an incompetent brother... "
Shen Xuezhou's eyes also turned red. Yan Yue relayed his words to Shen Xuemin and said, "Second Master Shen said that he was naughty since he was a child, and you always went to plead for him, even took the blame, and helped him get punished. How can you be considered incompetent?"
"It's really Xuezhou..."
Shen Xuemin's eyes were filled with tears. He wiped his tears with his sleeves and said, "What's the point of talking about things from childhood? I am the elder brother, and it is my duty to protect my younger brother!"
Yan Yue said: "He said that his brother was not doing his job well."
"When he was young, he relied on his intelligence to stand out in every aspect and attract the attention of the whole family. He didn't realize it at first and thought you were dull and boring."
"Later, he started to take over the family business, full of ambition to realize his vision, but he lost money on every business he made and was criticized and questioned. It was you who took over the shop that he had made a mess of, and gradually put it back on track. Finally, you won the praise of the elders and became the head of the family."
"He resented you in his heart. He felt that you were unwilling to reform, unable to adapt to changes, and only knew how to stick to the old ways. He relied on being honest and obedient to seize the power of the family, and his victory was not glorious. So within a few years, he started to make a fuss about dividing the family."
"He wanted the whole family to see that only by overthrowing the old calendar and innovating can the Shen family's business grow bigger and bigger. He wanted the Shen family to be not only the richest in Rongshan, but also the richest in the southwest region, and even one of the richest businessmen in our dynasty."
“It wasn’t until he died that I realized how wrong I was!”
"He has been with you for more than half a year. He has seen how you carefully planned each shop, how you cared for the servants, how you managed the supply of goods, and how you controlled the prices. He has also seen you working late into the night to negotiate with others without any slacking off."
"He finally understood how detailed the changes he listed needed to be. He didn't think about and experience the impact of each detail on the shop, the owner, the servants, and even the customers like you did."
"So, he was doomed to fail."
"And it is only natural for you to win the recognition of the elders, the admiration and trust of the merchants and servants."
Shen Xuemin wiped his tears and said, "No, no, no! I'm just stupid. The family has a heavy burden, and I'm not as smart as him, so I can only use this stupid method to destroy the legacy left by my elders. I understand his ideas, but I'm too stupid to think of how to help him realize them. If I had helped him, he wouldn't have..."
Qi Zhaoyang and Zhou Lin sighed softly: "Master Shen is really a simple and honest man."
Shen Xuezhou was very depressed, his figure slumped a little, no longer as arrogant as when they first met, and he seemed to have high aspirations.
"In fact, I have discovered that I am not cut out for this."
"My father asked me to run three shops that I worked hard on for three years, and there was no sign of improvement until I died. As for the small shop that I looked down on, I just casually gave it to Nan Qing, but she turned it from loss to profit in just one year."
"The same is true for Half Moon. I spent more than a month planning and thought of more than a dozen ways, big and small. Nan Qing came up with a solution just a few days after arriving there. With almost no changes and minimal money spent on building momentum, the teahouse has become the prosperous business it is today."
"So, I was totally wrong."
"I always thought I was talented and gifted, and I always thought I could create something that would change the world. But in fact, I am nothing."
"My father said that I was too ambitious and unwilling to be down-to-earth. The merchants in Rongshan City said behind my back that I was an uneducated second-generation rich man. I used to think that they were all ordinary people and stupid people who didn't understand my lofty ambitions. In fact, I am a waste! A waste who has accomplished nothing!"
The more he spoke, the more frustrated he became, and he hunched over on the ground.
Yan Yue did not repeat these words, but advised: "Don't say that about yourself! Everyone is good at different things. You are very suitable to teach others. Look how well you taught Nan Qing. Qi Zhaoyang said that you were originally suitable for politics and being an official."
Han Jing, who had been silent all this time, spoke up at this moment: "Right. Instead of reforming the business model of the shop alone, he might as well take the imperial examination and become an official. Maybe he can meet like-minded helpers."
Qi Zhaoyang agreed, "Second Master Shen is ambitious and good at finding problems and drawbacks, but not good at implementing details, which makes him suitable for the court. The most important thing for entering the government is to find problems. When solving problems, it is indeed a better choice for him to have a group of officials, big and small, to perfect the implementation."
"See, you're just in the wrong profession."
Yan Yue advised Shen Xuezhou: "You can't be blamed for this. These are the family rules set by your ancestors of the Shen family, and you can't resist them. You are obsessed with this and it's hard to get rid of it. It's better to let go of everything as soon as possible and start a new life."
Qi Zhaoyang echoed, "Yueyue is right. Second Master Shen has a gully in his heart, so it's better to let go of the obsession, continue his ambition in the next life, and fight fists in the court as soon as possible!"
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