novelraw Chapter 459 - 437 (2)
Chapter 459 - 437 (2)
The carriage stopped in front of the store, and Sister-in-law Chai took Chai Tianlang back to Chai’s Store.
Li Yuzhu was walking towards their store, and as soon as Li Xing’an saw her return, he immediately asked, "Why did it take you so long?"
Li Yuzhu shook her head and sighed, "A girl from the Zhao family’s main house is sick and feeling down, so Sister-in-law Chai took me to see her. I’ll go treat her again in three days."
Li Xing’an frowned, "The Zhao family again. They seem to have a lot of issues."
"Their family is big with many people; isn’t it normal for someone to have a minor illness now and then?" Li Yuzhu said with a smile.
Li Xing’an also laughed, "That’s true." Then, thinking of something, he immediately asked with a serious face, "It’s someone from the main house again. Do we charge the consultation fee this time?"
Li Xing’an remembered the last time Li Yuzhu went to treat Old Mrs. Zhao. Mrs. Zhao promised to pay a hundred taels for the consultation, but in the end, she only gave a few taels to dismiss Li Yuzhu.
Speaking of the Zhao family’s main house, Li Xing’an didn’t have a good impression.
Li Yuzhu said, "Although she’s from the main house, she isn’t really one of the main house’s family members."
Mrs. Zhao despises her daughter, so regarding the consultation fee, I reckon Mrs. Zhao won’t pay for it.
That being the case, Fifth Miss Zhao doesn’t count as part of the Zhao family’s main house.
"What do you mean by that?" Li Xing’an asked, confused.
"She’s a daughter married out from the Zhao family, back to her parents’ home to recover from illness," Li Yuzhu replied.
Li Xing’an nodded, "Oh, she’s a married-out daughter, so we don’t have to worry about the consultation fee."
Xiao Chengzi and Liu Yanbai walked over together, calling her, "Miss Li."
Li Yuzhu nodded towards them and said with a smile, "Just right, you both are around the same age. Why not work together in the future?"
Mu Yuanxiu was brewing tea, and as Li Yuzhu walked over, he immediately handed her a cup, "Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."
Li Yuzhu accepted it with a smile.
Li Xing’an immediately followed, "What about mine, Mu Yuanxiu?"
Mu Yuanxiu chuckled and poured another cup, "For Third Brother."
Li Xing’an accepted it gladly, "Thanks a lot!"
Li Yuzhu took a sip of the tea, put down the cup, and said, "Today, let’s tidy up the store and not go to County Magistrate’s home. We’ll go tomorrow morning."
She needed to first put her medicine pills on display on the counter.
Her store was located at the corner, with the south door facing the main street and the east door facing an alley.
Using shelves filled with books, she divided the store into two sections, placing books in the larger one and, in the future, other goods, while placing medicines in the smaller one.
The printing machine they had brought was moved to the ground floor of the small two-story building at the back.
Beside the front floor kitchen, there was half an empty room intended to be used as a utility room, which was just perfect for placing the printing machine.
Li Xing’an had no objections, "Everyone must be tired from the carriage ride, so let’s rest after dinner and continue the work tomorrow."
Xiao Chengzi was a diligent kid, "I brought some ingredients. I’ll go make dinner."
After the stye on his eye healed, and with Li Yuzhu clearing up the rumors, Xiao Chengzi regained his confidence.
Liu Yanbai was not to be outdone, "I’ll help you with the stove."
Mu Yuanxiu said, "I’ll cook the meal."
The enthusiasm of the two boys was commendable, but did Li Yuzhu enjoy their cooking? Better if he did it.
The two young men laughed and said, "Let’s do it together then."
The three of them headed to the kitchen.
Uncle Gui, who had taken a nap, carried a basket of fodder to feed the two mules.
Li Xing’an pulled Li Yuzhu aside and whispered to her, "Third Sister, why did you arrange Mu Yuanxiu’s room next to yours?"
Li Yuzhu blinked, "Weren’t the two rooms we’re staying in arranged by you earlier? There’s one room in between. If he doesn’t stay there, where should he stay?"
Li Xing’an, "..."
There were three rooms upstairs, each taken by the siblings with Li Yuzhu in the east room and Li Xing’an in the west room, leaving the middle room vacant.
"Change it, change it. I’ll stay in the middle room." Li Xing’an gritted his teeth and said.
If the two of them stayed in adjacent rooms, they could knock on the wall at night to pass notes.
In the dead of night, what’s the propriety of a man and a woman passing notes?
Seeing Li Xing’an’s serious face, Li Yuzhu couldn’t help but laugh, "Third Brother, are you sure you want to change? The middle room is slightly smaller. Your room is bigger, and it has a large bed with a wardrobe, while the middle room doesn’t have a wardrobe."
Li Xing’an said, "As long as I can sleep, change it, change it."
Li Yuzhu laughed, "Alright, alright, change it, change it."
Li Xing’an acted immediately, swapping his and Mu Yuanxiu’s luggage between the rooms.
Once the room exchange was done, downstairs, Mu Yuanxiu called Li Yuzhu and Li Xing’an down for dinner.
The siblings came downstairs, immediately greeted by the aroma of lotus root stewed with pork bones.
"Smells so good." Li Yuzhu grinned as she headed towards the kitchen.
Uncle Gui chuckled, "Who would have thought, Yuanxiu can cook too."
Li Yuzhu laughed, "He’s a jack-of-all-trades."
Li Xing’an was jealous, with a sullen face.
The kitchen was divided into two rooms, one for cooking, and the other, slightly bigger, had a large round table surrounded by a few chairs.
Xiao Chengzi was bustling around, serving food and rice.
Seeing Li Yuzhu and the others approach, Xiao Chengzi smiled and said, "I dug the lotus roots from the pond, bought the ribs from the village when someone was slaughtering a pig for the New Year. I bought some to bring back."
Li Yuzhu was surprised, "Xiao Chengzi, where did you get the money to buy the meat and bones?"
Xiao Chengzi replied, "Miss Li, how could you forget? I helped you with the printmaking, and you paid me. Plus, I worked at the Qianwen Book Society, and they increased my wages because they knew I knew the Lord County Magistrate. I now earn a thousand wen a month."
Xiao Chengzi’s mother was only his stepmother, his biological father had died of illness, and the house was occupied by his stepmother.
With nowhere to go, Xiao Chengzi either squeezed into the warehouse at the book society for the night or slept in the earth temple until Li Yuzhu organized her shop. She told him she would hire him here as a clerk and provide a place to stay. Xiao Chengzi was delighted and agreed immediately.
He quit his job at the Qianwen Book Society and came here.
Li Yuzhu laughed and said, "Great, great, you work here, and your wages remain the same."
Xiao Chengzi was overjoyed, "Thank you, Miss Li."
Liu Yanbai dared not mention wages. Xiao Chengzi was skilled, while he knew nothing. Having a place to live and meals satisfied him.
Noticing Liu Yanbai looking enviously at Xiao Chengzi, Li Yuzhu also said, "Liu Yanbai, you can be a clerk here. Although starting as an apprentice, apprentices earn a wage too. Not for the first month, but learn first. By the second month, based on your performance, you’ll earn ten or twenty wen a day, we’ll see."
Though sympathetic to Liu Yanbai, she didn’t play the Bodhisattva.
Furthermore, in front of the Bodhisattva, none are diligent.
If praying brings benefits, no one would work; everyone would just be praying to gods and Bodhisattvas.
Liu Yanbai happily said, "Of course, Miss Li, I will definitely follow Brother Chengzi and learn earnestly."
Uncle Gui patted Liu Yanbai’s shoulder, "Work hard, don’t disappoint Miss Li."
"Got it, Uncle Gui." Liu Yanbai nodded earnestly.
Mu Yuanxiu handed chopsticks to everyone. "Enough chatting, let’s eat."
Besides a bowl of lotus root with pork ribs for each person, there was a bowl of rice and two plates of vegetables.
Li Xing’an looked at the table full of delicious dishes, eyes widened, asking Mu Yuanxiu, "Mu Yuanxiu, did you make all these?"
Mu Yuanxiu nodded, "Yes, Third Brother, try the ribs; they’re stewed very tender."
Li Xing’an ate in silence, thinking to himself, is Mu Yuanxiu an Immortal or what? How can he do everything? It’s too much!
Did he learn all this to try to woo his third sister?
After finishing their meal, Xiao Chengzi and Liu Yanbai went to wash dishes, while Li Yuzhu told Mu Yuanxiu about Li Xing’an switching rooms with him.
"He doesn’t trust you to stay in the middle room," Li Yuzhu emphasized.
Mu Yuanxiu stifled laughter, his mouth twitching, "I don’t sleepwalk at night; Third Brother’s worried too much."
.
Early the next morning, Mu Yuanxiu was guarding the shop with Xiao Chengzi and Liu Yanbai, while Uncle Gui stayed in the shop to rest.
Li Xing’an and Li Yuzhu took a mule cart to the county magistrate’s family to meet the County Magistrate and his wife.
They first went to the County Magistrate’s study to meet him.
Li Yuzhu noticed that the County Magistrate looked much healthier than two months ago. She wondered if it was due to improvements in marital life with the County Magistrate’s Wife.
The County Magistrate was happy to see them and invited them to stay for lunch.
The siblings thanked him and then went together to see the County Magistrate’s Wife.
Because they visited frequently, the Lord County Magistrate allowed them to walk around the residence freely.
When they reached the back garden, Li Yuzhu again saw the County Magistrate’s concubine.
The concubine was talking to a woman.
The woman’s appearance was unfamiliar, but her attire was fairly lavish; perhaps a relative of the County Magistrate Mansion?
Li Yuzhu didn’t plan to pay attention to the concubine, but the concubine saw her, bowing from afar, "Miss Li." Then she paid respects to Li Xing’an, "Third Young Master Li."
The woman turned, nodded to Li Yuzhu and Li Xing’an, but said nothing.
Not acquainted, hence only a nod of greeting.
However, the concubine started to introduce Li Yuzhu and Li Xing’an, "This is Fourth Young Madam Qian."
Li Yuzhu was surprised, Fourth Young Madam Qian? Related to the former in-laws of Miss Liu from the Qian family? Li Yuzhu was captivated by the surname.