Chapter 73: Delivery
After entering the city, they immediately went to the inn to deliver the goods.
They had agreed beforehand on twenty days, and Boss Li kept his word, waiting for them at the inn the whole time.
Boss Li had his subordinates check the goods, confirmed there were no problems, and settled the remaining payment.
“Boss Li really does big business, so straightforward.” Zhang Zhaodi beamed with joy. “If you pass by here again next time, come to us for orders, and we’ll give you a discount.”
“Then let’s wish our next cooperation a success in advance.” Boss Li said with a hearty laugh.
“Boss Li is so straightforward, we sincerely want to make friends. How about lunch together at noon?” Su Yaoguang extended the invitation.
“No, I need to hurry. We should have set off long ago, but we stayed twenty extra days waiting for this batch of goods from Boss Su. Next time, there will definitely be an opportunity.”
Su Yaoguang and her daughter personally came to deliver the goods, while the others rested in the hall, waiting for Su Yaoguang and the others to finish the transaction before leaving.
After receiving the remaining payment, Su Yaoguang went with Zhang Zhaodi to the meeting hall.
Seeing them approach, the others looked at them expectantly.
“It’s done.” Zhang Zhaodi smiled brightly. “We’ve received the remaining payment. That Boss Li really is very straightforward.”
Wang Huanzhi said to Su Yaoguang, “Yaoguang, I’ve lost my prayer beads. Help me look for them!”
Zhang Yingdi said, “I’ll help you go.”
“Yaoguang is a bit more familiar with the boss here. If the boss or shop assistants ask, she can greet them. You’re thin-skinned and never like to trouble others.”
Zhang Yingdi had nothing to say.
But Su Yaoguang saw that Wang Huanzhi had something to say, so she said to Zhang Yingdi, “My uncle-in-law is concerned about you. You’ve been taking care of him all day, and he doesn’t want you to be so tired. I’m free today anyway, so I should properly show some filial piety to my uncle-in-law. Come, little uncle-in-law, let me help you.”
“Yaoguang is right. Usually it’s you taking care of your brother-in-law. Today let Yaoguang help out, and you rest here with us a bit longer.” Zhang Zhaodi comforted.
Su Yaoguang supported Wang Huanzhi out of the hall and headed to the backyard.
“Yaoguang, you said that Boss Li runs a theater, and he has an out-of-town accent, right?”
“Yes, little uncle-in-law, is there something wrong?” Su Yaoguang asked.
“Something’s very off. While we were resting in the hall earlier, we saw Boss Li’s young servant and others—they all had local accents. Since it’s an out-of-town theater, most of the people around him should be from out of town. How come there are so many locals?”
“You make a good point, but it’s also possible he just hired many local shop assistants. Still, I’ll keep it in mind since you mentioned it, uncle-in-law.”
“Just keep an eye out.” Wang Huanzhi coughed. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”
“Little uncle-in-law, you didn’t really lose your prayer beads, did you?”
“I just had some doubts in my mind and was afraid you hadn’t noticed, so I wanted to remind you. Don’t worry, the prayer beads have been on me the whole time.” Wang Huanzhi said.
Su Yaoguang helped Wang Huanzhi back, then had Jiang Jing drive the ox cart to take them to the academy to pick up Zhou Wangshu. She still had some other matters to attend to.
After the others left, Su Yaoguang found a few little beggars across from the inn and used ten copper coins to hire them as her informants.
“In a bit, when you see the fat uncle come out from inside, follow him and his subordinates and see if they leave the city or go somewhere else.” Worried the little beggars wouldn’t recognize the fat uncle, Su Yaoguang described some of his features.
“Sister, don’t worry. You’ve paid us wages, so we’ll definitely handle the matter for you.” The oldest little beggar was clever and perceptive, seeing through Su Yaoguang’s intent.
“If you have any news, go to the ready-to-wear clothing shop and find Boss Chun E. Tell her there’s a message for me, leave your address, and I’ll come find you. Then I’ll settle the remaining money.”
“There’s still remaining money?” the little beggar asked.
“Of course. These ten copper coins are just the deposit. Once you gather the information, I’ll give you the rest.” Su Yaoguang said. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t have a name. My parents said I was unlucky and called me Surplus. Later, during the famine, they wanted to trade me for another child to eat, so I ran away.”
Su Yaoguang pityingly touched the little beggar’s head and said gently, “Since they didn’t bother to give you a name, let’s pick one ourselves. Start fresh, and I’ll call you by your new name from now on.”
“I don’t know how to pick one, I can’t read.” The little beggar made a bitter face. “If I pick, it’d be something like Iron Stone, Water Born, or Cold East.”
“Then you’ll be called Chaoyang! From now on, our days will be bright and sunny—don’t pick gloomy names like that.” Su Yaoguang said.
“Thank you, sister. Then I’ll be Feng Chaoyang.” The little beggar grinned happily. “Sister, just wait for my news. I’ll definitely get it figured out for you.”
Su Yaoguang instructed Feng Chaoyang, then headed to the academy to meet up with the others. When she arrived at the academy, Jiang Jing and the others were waiting at the doorway and hadn’t seen Zhou Wangshu yet.
Su Yaoguang went to the doorway and said to the old gatekeeper, “Old man, isn’t it lunchtime now? I want to take my younger brother out for a meal—could you do me a favor!”
The old man said, “I’m just a gatekeeper—how could I make that decision? Not long ago, some scholars inside broke the rules. Now the teacher won’t let anyone out.”
“Alright then, I’ll go find the teacher—that should be fine, right?” Su Yaoguang slipped him some copper coins.
The gatekeeper old man’s expression softened: “Then wait a moment, I’ll go in and announce you.”
After the gatekeeper old man went in, Zhang Zhaodi spat: “We said all the nice words, and he still wouldn’t let us in. Sure enough, money makes the ghosts push the millstone.”
“He’s just following orders—don’t make things hard for him.” Su Yaoguang said. “He can’t let people out, but he can let people in to find the teacher.”
The gatekeeper old man soon came back out and invited Su Yaoguang inside. Su Yaoguang met the teacher, explained her purpose, and the teacher told her about the recent events.
“We used to allow scholars to go out at noon. But a few days ago, some scholars went out at night and broke the academy’s rules. According to the new rule, each had to clean the outhouse for a month. They made a huge fuss, saying the punishment was unreasonable, so it was dropped. But since the punishment was dropped, we can only manage more strictly now—no leaving the academy at noon. From now on, except on rest days, they can’t leave the academy at any other time, and all three meals must be eaten in the academy’s canteen.”
“In that case, can things from outside be sent in?” Su Yaoguang asked.
“That can be done.” The teacher, seeing the large and small gift packages Su Yaoguang was carrying, didn’t make things too difficult for her.
“Then in a bit, we’ll send some things for Zhou Wangshu. Please do us the favor, teacher.”
“Alright.” The teacher nodded in agreement.
