Chapter 64 Birthday Gift, Exploring the South Wind Pavilion
Several children rubbed their hands on their clothes, trying to clean the dirt off, and eagerly ate their dumplings from the large plate without looking up. After finishing the dumplings, they gulped down the soup, which was made with pork bones and shrimp shells to enhance the flavor. Customers loved it, and the children especially so, each one practically licking the bowl clean. After eating and drinking their fill, they sat obediently in their chairs, their eyes shining.
The girl in the lead was more refined; after finishing her meal, she led her child to bow and thank him.
Zhu Mingyue felt a chill run down his spine. He frowned and tried to help the person up, but there were too many people for him to handle, so he simply dodged away from He An.
Seeing this, Li Zhengyang smiled and said, "Our manager doesn't like this kind of thing."
Hearing this, the children all went to look at Zhu Mingyue. He nodded slightly, agreeing with Li Zhengyang's words. It was just a few bowls of dumplings, and besides, it was just to thank them for helping shovel snow. There was really nothing to thank them for, and he felt unworthy of such a bow.
He coughed twice and got straight to the point: "I'm short of someone at my shop. Would you like to consider it?" He paused briefly and then made it clear: "Six hundred coins a month, lunch provided at the shop, and you can take any leftovers home after closing time."
He remembered that He An had paid 700 coins. This little girl looked two or three years younger than He An, and was also smaller in stature. She must have done less work than He An. If he paid her the same wages as He An just because of sympathy, it would be unfair to him. Even if He An was simple-minded and wouldn't think too much, his boss couldn't do such a favoritism last night.
However, upon closer examination, the little girl had actually gotten a good deal. The leftovers from the shop each day, supplemented by her wages, were enough to feed the children. With the remaining money, she could rent a single room in town, thus solving her food and clothing problems.
To everyone's surprise, the little girl bit her lip and said, "I don't want wages. I will work hard and just give us some scraps of food every day."
Zhu Mingyue laughed. What did they take him for? A heartless boss who exploits child laborers?
Even Li Zhengyang, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to give the little girl a good whack on the head. "Our shop is always busy. Just accept whatever wages the manager pays you. Doing your job well is more important than anything else. You can eat your fill in the shop every day, but these children still depend on you to support them! It's freezing cold outside at midnight. Are you prepared to let them freeze outside?"
The little girl shook her head and wiped away the tears in her eyes. Of course she couldn't bear to part with them. They were all orphans without parents, and most of them came from the same village. They had followed her through hardships since the beginning of her journey, and they were all very sensible and obedient. She had long treated them as her own younger brothers and sisters.
"I will work hard and never slack off. If I slack off even for a moment, may I be struck by lightning." She solemnly swore an oath.
Zhu Mingyue: ...
Li Zhengyang: ...
They dared not make such a vow, otherwise they might not even be able to leave the house on a rainy day, and would be blasted to smithereens in no time.
A boy who was more than half a head shorter than her also shouted, "I can work too, I don't want a penny."
Li Zhengyang teased him, "Alright, alright, you little guy aren't even as tall as my leg, you can't even wipe the table properly. I think you should hurry up and grow taller."
The boy blushed, covered his face, and was too embarrassed to say another word for a long time.
Everyone was amused and burst into laughter.
Zhu Mingyue waited until they finished laughing before interjecting, "I'll give you an advance on your first month's wages. While it's still light outside, go find a place to rent as soon as possible so we can settle them all in. As for the next couple of days, they can just make do in the shop." The shop didn't have beds, so they could only sleep on the table, but at least it was sheltered from the wind and snow, better than being out in the open.
With only one employee at the dumpling shop, He An's workload lightened considerably, allowing him to catch his breath.
Speaking of which, the little girl and Li Zhengyang share the same surname and are from the same clan. Her name is Li Cuier, and everyone calls her Xiao Cui. Her father used to be the accountant of a cloth shop in Suiyuan County. He was quite knowledgeable, and she learned arithmetic from a young age by being exposed to it. She also knows some characters, though not many, but enough for basic use.
He An observed for half a month and found that Li Cuier was a little hesitant in the first two days after she arrived, but she got much better afterward. She handled people and customers in an orderly manner without any mistakes, so he felt at ease and let her be. When he was particularly busy and couldn't free up his hands, He An would also hand over the accounting to her.
After some time, as the New Year approached, the streets gradually became even more lively than before, even more so than the streets dedicated to the spirits.
The dumpling shop after seeing off its last customers in the afternoon,
"What? It's not even Chinese New Year yet, it's the perfect time to make money, why are you closing down?" Li Zhengyang was shocked, and several times thought he had misheard.
He An was also puzzled: "Yes, boss, isn't everything going well? There are more people on the street these days than before. We can't serve that many customers every day, which has allowed other food stalls to take advantage. But we are indeed selling more dumplings than before."
Zhu Mingyue slumped in the chair, exhausted like a dead fish, letting the two of them jump around in front of him, because he didn't want to move at all.
After a long while, he shook his slightly trembling wrist and said weakly, "I can't do it anymore, I really can't do it anymore!"
Li Cuier trembled her lips and said weakly, "Manager, isn't all you need to do in the kitchen is make dumplings and cook them?"
The implication was clear: Zhu Mingyue's job was the easiest, even for an eleven or twelve-year-old girl.
“That’s easy for you to say,” Zhu Mingyue said with a pained expression. “You and He An have so much energy. You’re so busy, yet you’re unwilling to tell people that there’s no room in the shop. You really don’t refuse anyone who comes. I don’t know how you convinced them to squat in the shop and eat.”
Every time he looked out from the kitchen, the ground was covered in a dark mass, and his vision would go black.
He mentioned He An and Li Cuier several times when this phenomenon occurred.
Unexpectedly, these two became quite bold, letting his words go in one ear and out the other, completely disregarding his words. On one occasion, he even caught them talking badly about him behind his back, saying that the shopkeeper was foolish for refusing money offered to him.
Zhu Mingyue said: He's not stupid!
Humans are not machines and cannot operate at high intensity all the time. Even machines need to be shut down and maintained regularly, and humans also need rest!
His resentful gaze swept over the three people in front of him: "It's no use saying anything now. If this keeps up, I'm going to collapse from exhaustion. You guys can do it!"
Li Zhengyang rubbed his hands excitedly: "Then you go back and rest. We'll take care of the shop for the next few days."
Zhu Mingyue: "..."
We've seen plenty of bosses exploiting their employees, but we've never seen employees eagerly exploiting themselves. In later generations, this would be considered blatant labor traitors, a situation despised by all.
"Heh," he sneered, "I was just kidding. The shop is closed for now and will reopen after the Lantern Festival."
All three were heartbroken and wailed, "So much hard-earned money!"
He An's heart clenched, and he pointed to the street outside the door: "Shopkeeper, aren't you just letting other shops profit for nothing by doing this?"
Zhu Mingyue dodged the question: "We've been competing with other people for business all year round, so let's just give it to them at the end of the year. He An, you and your Brother Li should learn from this, don't be so narrow-minded!"
Li Zhengyang: ...Are you talking about me?
He couldn't help but puff out his chest: "Yes! Let them earn it for a few days, it won't hurt."
"Damn it!" He An glared at him. What kind of face was that? The three of them weren't like this when they were discussing things in the backyard.
He An was so angry that he stopped mentioning the matter altogether.
Zhu Mingyue secretly curled the corners of her lips, thinking to herself, "The divisive tactic is indeed effective. These guys are plotting right under my nose, and they think I don't know!"
The thought of being able to sleep in comfortably at home tomorrow and not having to get up early to "go to work" in town for the next two weeks makes him incredibly happy.
No, he had to be reserved. He suppressed a smile and said to He An, "Besides the fact that this month's wages have been paid in advance, they will still be calculated as a full month's wages. You've all worked hard, but no one will receive an extra 600 coins as a year-end bonus."
"What's a year-end bonus?" Li Cuier blinked, turned to Li Zhengyang and asked blankly, unsure whether she should accept the money.
Li Zhengyang shook his head: "I don't know! I've never heard of it."
But it sounds so tempting! Six hundred coins is no small sum; it's equivalent to Li Cuier's wages.
As for whether or not he could accept the money, Li Zhengyang said gruffly, "The shopkeeper is so generous!" What a joke! Zhu Mingyue is already so rich that he's too lazy to make money. If he doesn't accept this money, he might even get angry.
Li Cuier followed closely behind: "Thank you, shopkeeper."
He An opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only said "okay," and it was clear that he was still a little depressed.
Zhu Mingyue saw this but wasn't unhappy. This kid just valued him too much, feeling that he had done him a favor, and wanted to do what he could to help him earn more money.
He gently comforted him, "Take the money and go out while it's lively outside. Go shopping and buy some things. You'll also have more time to talk to your mother, won't you?"
Mentioning this, He An's pent-up frustration indeed subsided considerably. The shopkeeper's kindness and consideration for them in everything he did were truly admirable.
On the contrary, he said behind the shopkeeper's back that it was foolish not to make money, and that he was guilty, sob sob sob...
Zhu Mingyue: ? ? ? What's wrong now? Why is she looking at him with such a guilty look? How many bad things has He An said about him behind his back?!
Zhu Mingyue spent two very comfortable days at home as she wished. Xie Pei did the work while she slept, Xie Pei cooked while she warmed the fire. She was so comfortable that she almost lost her bearings. She even celebrated her birthday during that time.
Even pigs sometimes can't get used to fine food. Perhaps Xie Pei was taking too good care of him, letting him do nothing all day. Zhu Mingyue, who was used to being busy, actually felt a sore back on the third day of lying down.
Working is tiring, lying down is tiring too; he laughed at his own useless body.
He hesitated for a long time before finally reluctantly putting down the storybook and getting out of bed.
Never mind, it's only just past 9 AM. I'll just call Li Zhengyang and we'll go to the county town for a stroll. The festival is coming soon, and the county town must be bustling with activity. Xie Pei has already bought rice, flour, oil, and other necessities. He can also buy some pastries and meat.
He left a note for Xie Pei and went out. A few people saw him on the way, and as usual, they avoided him like the plague. However, these people were afraid of him but also wanted to keep an eye on him from a distance. They would also gather in twos and threes to point and whisper about him.
To avoid suspicion, Zhu Mingyue didn't knock on the village chief's door, but instead sent Er Ya to circle his house twice. The effect was remarkable; it was like baiting a fish and luring out Li Zhengyang, that cunning fellow, in no time.
When Li Zhengyang came out, he saw Zhu Mingyue leaning against the shade of a tree not far away. He ran over, his eyes filled with amazement, but his tone of voice was completely different: "Mingyue, what are you doing here?"
Zhu Mingyue raised an eyebrow: "What, are you disappointed?"
Li Zhengyang scratched his head, watching helplessly as Er Ya, having completed her mission, flew straight back towards the Xie family without any hesitation. He then offered a perfunctory explanation: "I wasn't too disappointed." He had assumed that Er Ya had finally been moved by his sincerity and had come to visit him on her own initiative.
Zhu Mingyue: "..." Asking would only humiliate him, since in Li Zhengyang's eyes he was no longer as valuable as Er Ya.
Seeing that he didn't speak for a moment, Li Zhengyang looked Zhu Mingyue up and down thoroughly, clicking his tongue and saying, "Your outfit is quite eye-catching, it must be worth quite a few taels of silver!"
However, Zhu Mingyue's temperament certainly suited this outfit, especially the multicolored long-eared fox fur, which made her face as beautiful as jade and her lips as white as rouge, so beautiful that it was hard to tell her gender.
"I don't know," Zhu Mingyue raised her hand and rubbed her face with her sleeve, feeling the fur on her skin. "Xie Pei hunted a fox and had someone tan it to make a cloak."
It was Xie Pei's birthday gift to him yesterday. In addition, there were rabbit fur gloves, which were warm and beautiful. He also sewed a rope on the two gloves so that he could hang them in front of him at any time and wear them whenever he wanted.
Li Zhengyang didn't know whether to envy Xie Pei or him. He silently sighed that the two were as close as family. Zhu Mingyue was good at making money, but she lacked common sense in some aspects.
For example, this fox fur cloak was just the right width to completely cover Zhu Mingyue, and its length reached her calves; it certainly couldn't have been made from just one fox. He didn't know exactly how much he wanted, but he was amazed by Xie Pei's skill.
Foxes frequently steal chickens in the village, but they are very cunning and can never be caught. Xie Pei not only caught one, but also managed to use it to make a cloak for Zhu Mingyue.
He dodged the snowflakes falling from the tree and asked, "Are you free today?"
Li Zhengyang nodded, "I have time. What could possibly happen in this freezing weather?" He seemed a little confused, so he immediately asked, "What do you want to do?"
Zhu Mingyue: "Can you come with me to the county? I'm getting so bored staying at home, my bones are about to fall apart."
"Great! Great!" Li Zhengyang's eyes lit up when he heard this. He was also tired of staying at home. The first day was fine, but the second day his parents found fault with him in every way, and even complained that he ate too much at noon.
He bought meat with his own money, hoping his mother would cook it for him. But his mother marinated the meat instead, saying she wanted to save it for the New Year. He didn't even see the meat broth. He complained that there was no oil in the food at home and was scolded by his father.
They say he has the appetite of a pig in a sty, able to eat a whole trough of rice in one meal and still want meat. They say that apart from Zhu Mingyue, who is kind-hearted and doesn't mind, no one else could afford to raise him.
Li Zhengyang secretly grumbled to himself. He heard from Zhu Mingyue that Xie Pei had a bigger appetite than him, but Zhu Mingyue didn't mind at all. Every time He An saw a lot of good pork belly, he would buy some back, because Xie Pei loved to eat it.
Even though they're family, his own son doesn't have the same status as someone else's brother-in-law. It's a sad story.
"Wait a moment, I'm going to go get some money from my mother and also ask if the family is lacking anything."
Zhu Mingyue asked in surprise, "You've spent all your money so quickly?"
Li Zhengyang was even more upset when he was asked that question. He shook his head and said, "No, I just bought two catties of meat."
"and you……"
Before Zhu Mingyue could finish speaking, Li Zhengyang raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Alright, stop talking." He kept stabbing Zhu Mingyue in the chest with a knife.
He was envious and jealous: "I have to hand over my wages every month," and couldn't help but sneer sarcastically, "Unlike you, Xie Pei never asks for your money."
Zhu Mingyue paused, but ultimately didn't say anything. Forget it, she decided not to argue with him. If he told Li Zhengyang that Xie Pei not only didn't ask him for money, but also voluntarily gave him the money from selling wild animals and furs, Li Zhengyang would explode on the spot.
He was still hoping Li Zhengyang would accompany him to the county, so he casually hummed in agreement and waved his hand, urging him, "Go and ask your mother for money!"
Li Zhengyang was both angry and aggrieved. What did he mean by asking for money? He was clearly just asking for a portion of his own money back.
Shangyang County was indeed bustling with activity.
Last time during the Ghost Festival, most of the items sold on the streets were for the deceased. This time, it's quite different; the streets are all ablaze with red, creating a very festive atmosphere.
He and Li Zhengyang had agreed that he would go to Nanfeng Pavilion first to wish Xu Linguang a Happy New Year in advance. This time he didn't bring any food, but he brought a lot of dried goods he made himself, including salted duck, smoked meat, and salted duck eggs, which Xie Pei also thought were delicious.
It was right before the New Year, and even the most unreliable people were forced to stay at home. Nanfeng Pavilion was much quieter, and there were hardly any people downstairs to greet guests. He couldn't see clearly who was walking around, but he was sure that the madam was not there either.
He pulled his hat down further and stepped inside, whereupon someone immediately came to greet him.
"Please come in, sir."
A crisp sound rang out, and Zhu Mingyue looked up, her heart immediately filled with joy—it was Huanxue!
Huanxue was still dressed in thin clothes, with only a cloak tied around her neck, and her gaze toward his outer garments became more eager.
Zhu Mingyue called out to him in a low voice, "Huanxue?"
Huanxue paused, feeling that the voice sounded familiar. He shifted his gaze from the clothes to the face.
Zhu Mingyue's eyebrows and eyes were mostly obscured by the brim of her hat, and she was looking down, so her whole face could not be seen.
He thought this person was really fair-skinned and dressed really well, but he couldn't remember when he had ever met him.
He asked cautiously, "Do we know each other?"
Zhu Mingyue explained to him, "We met before. I came to see Xu Linguang before the Ghost Festival." He pursed his lips, afraid that Xu Linguang might not remember, and then quickly added, "The one in red."
“You are that girl in red!” he whispered.
Upon hearing this, Huanxue remembered that the woman in red who had been offered free hospitality by Xu Lingguang that day was still vividly etched in his memory. It was no wonder he felt a sense of familiarity yet couldn't quite place her; the girl had been veiled that day, making it impossible to see her face clearly!
"Have you come here today to see Young Master Xu?"
Zhu Mingyue looked around, then nodded: "Yes, please pass on my message."
To everyone's surprise, Huanxue said regretfully, "Miss, you're a bit late. Young Master Xu left Nanfeng Pavilion half a month ago."
Zhu Mingyue's breath hitched, and after a long while she asked, "Will he come back? Did he say when he would return?"
"I don't know," Huanxue shook her head. "They left quite suddenly, without taking anything with them. I'm afraid only the madam knows anything about it; none of us know anything."
Zhu Mingyue understood immediately; Xu Lingguang must have had some urgent business to leave in such a hurry.
After pondering for a moment, he pursed his lips and said, "In that case, I won't bother you any longer." He then took out twenty copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to him.
Huanxue didn't refuse him. Apart from basic food, clothing, and shelter, their income depended entirely on bonuses. Now that Nanfeng Pavilion's business was dismal, he was lucky to get even a copper coin, so he was naturally very happy.
He looked around and, seeing no one was watching, hurriedly put the money in his pocket. Then he smiled at Zhu Mingyue and said, "Miss, please wait for me at the door for a moment. There's something I need to give you."
Zhu Mingyue guessed that Xu Lingguang had asked someone to leave something for him before he left. She waited at the door for a while and saw Huanxue come over with a package in her hands.
He was stopped and questioned midway. After opening the package, he turned around and stormed off with a livid face.
Huanxue walked up to him and chuckled, "This is what Young Master Xu asked me to give you before he left. He specifically instructed me to keep it safe and give it to you when you come."
Zhu Mingyue took the package; inside was a small box, about the same size as the box he kept for storing silver at home.
He didn't open it right away, but simply nodded slightly to Huanxue: "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Not to mention that Zhu Mingyue would reward him with money every time she came, just because of the fierce and threatening face Xu Lingguang gave him when he handed over the package, he wouldn't dare not take good care of the package and hand it over to the person in front of him personally.
Before leaving, Huanxue stopped him and kindly advised, "With the New Year approaching, the streets are crowded with all sorts of people. Young lady, please remember not to linger outside. Even though you are dressed as a man today, you still can't keep out those with ulterior motives."
Is this a veiled insult about a madam? Zhu Mingyue responded and waved goodbye, feeling somewhat helpless. Even dressed like this, Huanxue didn't question his gender at all, still calling him "girl" repeatedly, and even saying he was a woman dressed as a man. It seems his previous cross-dressing was still too deeply ingrained in people's minds.
street
Li Zhengyang was squatting on the ground with a dry blade of grass in his mouth, waiting for him idly. When he saw him, he quickly got up and went to greet him.
He spat out the dry grass and wondered, "Why is it so fast today?"
Zhu Mingyue picked up the unopened dried goods and showed them to him: "Since the person wasn't at Nanfeng Pavilion, I came back."
"Then what is this?" Li Zhengyang looked at the package he was holding in his arms. The patch on the outside was not very tight and looked like it was about to fall apart.
He quickly reached out and lifted the cloth, but in just two seconds, his expression changed instantly. He covered the cloth again, muttering something he couldn't understand.
Zhu Mingyue was stunned: ...
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