Chapter 221: Paw Pad
After the others had walked out of sight, Shang Wan nudged Lu Chengjing’s waist with her elbow. “Husband, you must work hard. Those people have power and influence. If we anger them and they decide to deal with our little Spiritual Medicine Pavilion, we’ll have to close our doors.”
The saying that the people should not fight against officials is not just empty words.
Even if Zhong Li agrees to her conditions, there’s no guarantee he won’t go back on his word. Even with a contract, who can do anything when his father is a marquis?
If it really comes to that, the contract would just be a stamped piece of scrap paper.
Lu Chengjing understood Shang Wan’s meaning. His slender eyelashes trembled lightly, and he nodded gently.
Shang Wan: “Things at home are all sorted out now. You’ve hand-trained Shi Tou and Xiao Huan for half a month, and they can fully take over that big pile of household tasks. Plus, I’ll be watching, so nothing will go wrong. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can go back to the county school to study.”
“Mm.”
Shang Wan looked up at the deep blue sky, but her hand reached out to poke Lu Chengjing’s waist, teasing, “Future top scholar?”
Lu Chengjing chuckled lightly, raised his hand to grab the hand poking at his waist, and intertwined their fingers.
He asked in a low voice, “If I don’t pass the top scholar exam, will Niangzi divorce her husband?”
“Mm…” Shang Wan lowered her head, pretending to think deeply. “Then I’ll have to consider it carefully.”
Lu Chengjing shook their intertwined hands, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
Shang Wan turned to look at him, her words light and playful. “Look at me—young, beautiful, capable, and good at making money. Why would I settle for less?”
Lu Chengjing seriously considered the question and nodded in agreement. “Niangzi makes a good point.”
“So?”
“Your husband will give it his all.” Lu Chengjing tightened his grip on Shang Wan’s hand and placed it over his chest.
Shang Wan’s lips curved up. Just as she was about to tease her fox some more, her peripheral vision caught a round little dumpling suddenly tumbling out from the threshold.
“Yuan Yuan!” Shang Wan yanked Lu Chengjing and pressed down on him, making Lu Chengjing lie on the ground to serve as a meat cushion for Yuan Yuan.
Lu Chengjing, who was instantly spun around: “???”
The little baby girl who fell into Daddy’s arms blinked her big eyes, looked down at her own dad, and lifted her small hand to pat her chest in aftershock.
That was close—almost face-planted.
Shang Wan bent down to pick up the baby and patted her little bottom. “Did you get hurt?”
Yuan Yuan shook her little head and turned to look at her dad.
Lu Chengjing silently stood up and rubbed his chest, his gaze fixed darkly on Shang Wan.
Shang Wan gave a dry laugh and held up Yuan Yuan. “Would you let your daughter fall on the ground?”
Lu Chengjing certainly wouldn’t.
“Daddy, good!” Yuan Yuan’s bright, sparkling big eyes curved into crescents, and she grinned sweetly at Daddy with her little mouth wide open.
The little one pounced over, thoughtfully rubbing Daddy’s chest for him, and even puffed at it with her pursed little mouth.
Any frustration in Lu Chengjing’s heart instantly vanished into thin air.
Shang Wan helped pat the dust off Lu Chengjing’s robe and pulled him back into the shop.
Evening closing time.
Shang Wan invited everyone to the Qionghua Restaurant across the street for a good meal.
Aunt Zhou and the others kept telling Shang Wan not to spend so much, saying the food at the neighboring eatery was already very good.
Shang Wan insisted. It was a great start today, thanks to everyone’s help, so it was the perfect time to celebrate.
The children were naturally thrilled and crowded around the adults as they headed to the restaurant.
The meal was enjoyed by all, host and guests alike. Everyone left the city before the gates closed.
Two ox carts and one donkey cart were packed full. The children chattered nonstop all the way, and the laughter and cheerful voices only stopped when they reached the village.
Everyone went back to their own homes and told their families about the day’s events.
——”You didn’t see the scene—crowds of people, the shop was almost too packed to stand in.”
“Wow, must’ve made a lot of money, right?”
“They spent a lot too. Today’s medicines were half price—that’s basically throwing silver away. I felt heartbroken just watching.”
“It’s not your silver. They don’t mind, so why do you? Are you going to the shop to help tomorrow?”
“I’d love to. Two taels of silver a day, just for chatting and smiling, with meals provided and tea snacks in the afternoon. Where else can you find such easy work? But Shopkeeper Shang already picked her people.”
“Sigh, how come you couldn’t get picked? How did the others manage it?”
“You have the nerve to say that to me? I at least went for a day. What about you?”
“Alas! Forget it. Let’s just focus on processing the medicinal herbs well—we could earn quite a bit that way.”
“Exactly. I just hope the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion keeps going strong forever, so our family can have another source of income to help pick a good marriage proposal for our daughter.”
·
——”City folks are rich. That All-purpose Ointment at ten taels of silver per bottle—they bought it without batting an eye, and several boxes at that.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t spend that kind of money.”
“Shoo, what do you know, you who digs for food in the fields. Here, smell this—the White Jade Paste smells so nice. Xiao Huan smeared some on my wrist, and I can still smell the fragrance. When I have money, I’ll buy a box to try too.”
“It smells nice, sure, but with your old wrinkled face, all sallow and skinny, no matter how you fix it up, it’s the same. Why waste that money? I’d say save the silver to get a wife for our son.”
“Money I earned with my own skills—I can spend it however I want. For the son getting a wife, isn’t there you? If you as the dad don’t step up, are you expecting me as the mom to do it?”
·
——”Shopkeeper Shang really spends money—they made cabinets out of glass, top-notch even in the city. When sunlight hits it, it shines so bright. If I had a piece, I’d worship it.”
“Dream on. How could our family have such a fine thing?”
“We don’t have it now, but who knows about later? Shopkeeper Shang told me to come help at the shop tomorrow, but there’s still a pile of stuff at home.”
“Pah, what stuff at home? Leave it all to me. You just follow Shopkeeper Shang and work well—maybe our family will depend on you in the future.”
“Then you better watch those medicinal herbs in the house carefully. Tomorrow remember to take them out to dry and turn them often—don’t get lazy.”
“Got it. We have two salted duck eggs at home. Tomorrow I’ll boil them for you to take along—don’t go hungry.”
……
Conversations like these played out in various homes, but Shang Wan was unaware.
Having stayed up all night last night and worked hard all day today, once the excitement faded, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The others were exhausted too, sleeping soundly in their rooms, dead to the world.
The next day, the whole family overslept.
Sunlight streamed through the window, dancing on their eyelids.
A sudden scream jolted awake everyone still in their dreams.
“What happened? Fire?”
“Thieves again?”
“Ouch, this light is piercing.”
Little Friend Chu Xu, with chicken nest head, rushed over from the front courtyard and banged on Xiao Huan’s door. “Aunt Xiao Huan, what’s wrong? Did you see a mouse?”
“Not a mouse.” Xiao Huan opened the door, already neatly dressed, holding a wooden comb in her hand.
She turned Chu Xu around and combed his hair while saying, “Overslept. We still need to hurry to the city to open up. Have Older Sister and Brother-in-law gotten up?”
Chu Xu wanted to shake his head, but Xiao Huan was still holding his hair, so he didn’t dare move.
“Everyone except me is still asleep.”
Xiao Huan quickly finished combing his hair and patted him. “Go wake everyone one by one. I’ll go to the kitchen and boil some noodles. We’ll eat and then head out.”
“Okay.”
