Mr. Chen was familiar with these two children. Tangtang and Guoguo were incredibly beloved, with their two similar adorable looks and their bright and sensible personalities. Mr. Chen was enthralled by Tangtang and Guoguo, and he rushed to welcome Xu Ran and the others.
He and Qin Shuwu knew each other because they both had businesses in town. Mr. Chen gave Qin Shuwu a friendly smile "Mr. Qin is indeed a sight to behold! I feel humbled by your presence."
Qin Shuwu smiled, "Sure. Since this is my first visit here, will Mr. Chen treat me nicely?"
Qin Shuwu was obviously joking, which pulled their friendship closer together right away. Mr. Chen smiled and replied, "Of course, I will do my best to help you. Simply order any of my specialty meals today, and I will only charge you half the price."
Charging him half the price would do Qin Shuwu a favor while also allowing him to get paid without being dismissed. Mr. Chen was obviously a qualified businessman, communicating in a smooth and pleasant manner. Especially because he indicated he could order any of the restaurant's signature dishes, many of which were limited in supply.
Xu Ran gave a kind smile. "Can you two, Mr. Chen and Brother Qin, skip the formalities? We're on the verge of going hungry. If you truly want to help us, Mr. Chen! Serve us a few dishes right away!"
Tangtang and Guoguo also looked at Mr. Chen with an expectant look, which was irresistible to Mr. Chen, who immediately said, "Sure, sure. I'll serve you dishes immediately. Tangtang and Guoguo, order whatever you like."
The waiter came over as soon as Mr. Chen said this, reporting the names of the dishes for them. Tangtang and Guoguo exchanged blank looks with Xu Ran, as they had no idea what the waiter had mentioned.
Xu Ran was likewise taken aback because he didn't recognize the names. If they were written down, he might be able to predict them literally.
Mr. Chen, Xu Ran paused for a while and added, "Mr. Chen, do not report the dish names because we have no idea what they are. Just serve a couple things to us right away, but not the ones I brought over. We'd want to try something new for meal."
Mr. Chen was annoyed when he heard it. "Xu Ran, are you serious? You are bored with those dishes that the others are desiring but fail to get! If you are so bored with them, why don't you send some to me?"
Having rubbed it in, Xu Ran quickly got up to appease him, "Mr. Chen, calm down.I don't intend to do anything else. I brought two children to your restaurant for the first time. Is it okay if I give them something they've never had before? Keep the rest of the food for the other guests. Isn't that better?"
"Humph!" Mr. Chen snorted coldly, obviously not wanting to talk to Xu Ran.
Xu Ran whispered to Mr. Chen, "Mr. Chen, I have an good idea. Get me a private room and I'll share it with you."
Mr. Chen's eyes lighted up the instant he heard the word "idea," but he didn't show it on his face and kept his indifferent demeanor.
Xu Ran pulled at Mr. Chen's sleeve. "Mr. Chen, I'm serious. If you don't agree, I'll share it with someone else."
Xu Ran pretended to leave.
Knowing it was a blackmail, Mr. Chen could not help but get angry!
"Stop! Xu Ran, remember this. If you can't come up with a good idea today, I will charge you twice the price today."
Xu Ran smiled, "What if you're satisfied?"
"Satisfied, then I'll treat you to a free meal!" Mr. Chen still wore an arrogant look on his face.
Xu Ran was amused by the situation. He hadn't expected Mr. Chen to still be moody at his age. Fortunately, there were not many people in the restaurant at the time, and they were eating in their seats without seeing this scene, or else he would have been mocked.
Mr. Chen directed the waiter to accompany Xu Ran and the others upstairs to the private room, and he indicated a few foods that the waiter should alert the cook about. He also requested that the server deliver a plate of pastries for the two children.
It was quite thoughtful.
They were the only ones on the upper floor. The two kids were starving and threw themselves into the pastries. Qin Shuwu took advantage of the chance to question Xu Ran "What is your idea, Xu Ran? So mysterious!"
Xu Ran chuckled, "It's nothing sophisticated, but it will be much more convenient once applied in the restaurant."
"Then tell me, what's the idea? The suspense makes me itchy." Qin Shuwu said unhappily.
"Yeah! Me too. Tell us!" As soon as Qin Shuwu finished, Mr. Chen pushed the door open and entered.
Xu Ran said, "Mr. Chen, it's fine that you didn't knock upon the door before you came in. However you didn't even bring a plate of food here. That's too much!"
Mr. Chen was not expecting to be interrogated by Xu Ran. He said, with a smile, "Xu Ran, Remember this is my restaurant! After all, at the very least, I'm a shopkeeper. I'm not in charge of food service. You simply tell me what you're thinking, and then you can relax and enjoy your meal. I swear I'll never come up here again."
Only for a meal, there were so many twists and turns; Xu Ran was also troubled. As a result, he nodded "Okay, that's it! The concept is actually rather simple: create a menu and let customers to read it for themselves. Those who enjoy reading prefer to do so alone. Those who are unable to read will have the menu read to them by the waiter, avoiding any unpleasant situations."
Xu Ran took a breather before continuing, "The menu should be delicate, so that people will want to open it as soon as they see it. The names of the dishes on it should be excellent as well as simple to grasp. People will recognize what they're made of and whether they're something they'd like to eat as soon as they see them."
Mr. Chen burst into laughter upon hearing Xu Ran's words, "Ha-ha! This is a good idea! Okay! I will do as you said. You know, a lot of scholarly people frequent my restaurant and they are very particular about eating. Xu Ran, this idea is really good. Ha-ha! I'll have it made tomorrow. When it's ready, give me some advice."
Mr. Chen finished his speech and walked out just in time for the waiter to deliver the food. Mr. Chen waved his hand, indicating that the dinner was provided free of charge.
Xu Ran was unconcerned. He'd been hungry for a long time, and it was well beyond noon. The bill might be dealt with after the meal. Of course, being able to eat for free would be ideal.
Mr. Chen had claimed he would spare their payment, so Xu Ran didn't pay for the meal after dinner. Xu Ran not only ate his full, but he also packed some and took it away, oblivious to Mr. Chen's presence.
Qin Shuwu made fun of him, saying that he got more than he bargained for.
Xu Ran looked proud. Both eating and taking for free were also a skill set.
______
It was late when they arrived home. Tangtang and Guoguo handed the stuff they bought on the street to the other family members as soon as they got home, as if they were offering them some treasures. The items were not expensive, but they were the result of the two children's goodwill.
Everyone who received the gifts was overjoyed, and they lavished praise on the two children to the point of embarrassment. The twins then crept into the room, claiming to practice calligraphy.
______
Xu Ran opted out of the activities. He went out to the village head's residence after greeting those at home.
The family of the village chief was busy planting potatoes. They had purchased a few mu of wasteland with the intention of planting potatoes, but they had not employed labor to recover it. As a result, they were significantly slower than the others. When Xu Ran arrived at their house, there was no one there. While the weather was pleasant these days, the village head's family was hard at work.
Xu Ran had no idea where the village chief's property was. Xu Ran decided to stop looking for them after circling their house and seeing no one. He considered coming over for supper the next day! It might not be a good idea to disrupt their breakfast, but he'd find them eventually.
On his way back, Xu Ran felt compelled to pay a visit to the Xu Family. Xu Cheng would never be able to return. Anyway, the fact that the Xu Family had come down in this manner made it more or less his capacity to help them.
Xu Family's door was closed, and it was unknown whether anyone was home.
Xu Ran came to the door and knocked. The door was eventually unlocked, and the person who opened it was Xu Qiang, the individual who had previously bullied Tangtang and Guoguo. He had slimmed down considerably. He was taken aback when he realized it was Xu Ran. He didn't call anyone, and he didn't let him in.
At this moment, Elder Daddy Xu's voice came from inside, "Xu Qiang, who is it?"
Xu Qiang didn't say anything. Probably he didn't know what to say.
Xu Ran, for his part, remained silent and stood by the door. It was an awkward situation. When Elder Daddy Xu noticed that Xu Qiang had not responded, he cursed him.
In fact, Xu Ran was baffled as to why he was constantly cussing. Despite being a Ge'er, his cursing ability was superior to that of a modern woman.
Elder Daddy Xu went to the door and saw that it was Xu Ran. Looking even more sullen, he asked, "What are you doing here? Are you coming to watch how miserable we have come down to without Xu Cheng?"
The words were a little harsh, but Xu Ran thought it could be understood. He shook his head, "I don't mean that. I'm just here to check."
"Check? What are you checking? Whether are we dead? But I have to disappoint you. Our family are still alive and well." He said that with a smug expression.
Xu Ran thought Elder Daddy Xu's remarks today were the smoothest he'd ever said, as well as the most serious, which was probably because they'd never spoken properly before. Xu Ran said, "I can rest assured because you guys are doing so well. I'll return right now."
Xu Ran then made a left turn. Perhaps Elder Daddy Xu had some unspoken words or wanted to curse, but he didn't hear them. When Elder Daddy Xu watched Xu Ran turn around and leave, he became even more angry. They were in desperate need of Xu Ran's help right now, but before he could say anything, Xu Ran had fled without looking back.
"Bah!" After Xu Ran left, Elder Daddy Xu spit and cursed. Then he closed the door and pulled Xu Qiang in.
Xu Qiang eventually opened his mouth and didn't ask what he really wanted to know. To survive in this house, he and Xu Hui had no choice but to rely on Elder Daddy Xu and Xu Houcai. He was no longer the Xu Qiang who only knew how to intimidate the weak and fear the strong after experiencing so much.
Elder Daddy Xu didn't seem eager to let Xu Ran depart that easily. He started cursing again after entering the house, and he even started smashing items.
With a hoe on his shoulder, Xu Houcai returned. Upon seeing this, he inquired of Xu Hui and Xu Qiang as to what had occurred. With a shake of his head, Xu Hui indicated that he had no idea what was going on. Xu Qiang paused for a time before informing him of Xu Ran's presence and the remarks he had spoken.
Xu Houcai sighed and went to put down the hoe without saying anything.
While working, Elder Daddy Xu was still cursing tirelessly.
Xu Houcai simply shook his head at this. This family was no longer what it used to be.. All had fallen apart. He had no idea how long he could hold on or what he was going to do with the two kids.
Xu Houcai sighed.
Xu Qiang and Xu Hui, who were standing outside the door, exchanged silent glances. Nobody knew what they were thinking except themselves. When Xu Ran returned home, he ate dinner and went to bed. Xu Ran was fatigued after the day had passed. He seemed to be able to unwind only when he was sleeping.
_____
Xu Ran went to the village head's house early the next morning to ask for the mountain since he wanted to settle the situation as soon as possible. This was something the village chief expected to happen sooner or later. During the spring festival, he had gone to Yamen to ask about it for Xu Ran.Xu Ran was informed by the Yamen that as long as he paid money and received the deed, he was the rightful owner of the mountain.
The cost of buying the mountain was calculated using half the cost of purchasing wasteland, which was less than he had anticipated. However, because the area of the mountain Xu Ran picked was not tiny, he had to spend a significant amount of money on it.
Xu Ran was allowed to enter the residence by the village chief, who told him, "Xu Ran,I've already clarified everything with the purchase of the mountain, and my field work is nearly complete. As a result, I'll accompany you to town today to manage the situation, so you don't have to worry about it every day."
Xu Ran was very happy after hearing this, "Village chief, thank you so much. I'm really not at ease if I can't get this deed for the mountain! Without it, I can do nothing on the mountain."
"Xu Ran, why are you buying this mountain? I don't think you've ever mentioned this, " asked the village head.
Even if the village head or the rest of the villagers knew about it, Xu Ran didn't think it would bother him. Not to mention the fact that purchasing the mountains or fruit trees would be quite costly. If the people had that much money, they would not have chosen to live in such a place.
Thus Xu Ran told the village head frankly that he wanted to plant fruit trees on the mountain.
He didn't expect the village head to agree with him. The village head told him, "When I was young, I saw this somewhere else. Many people there were growing fruit trees and relying on selling fruits for living. Their life was much better than ours. Xu Ran! Just try your best to do it! I will definitely support you. In the future, we will have to rely on you for help."
Xu Ran didn't expect the village head to have such an idea. He nodded and replied, "Village chief, of course, I'll try my best to help our village."
"Xu Ran! To be honest, the Xu Village must thank you. You have no idea how long there hasn't been a Xiucai in our village. Over the years, we haven't had a single student. This is the most embarrassing thing for us in comparison to the adjacent villages. Furthermore, the villagers' lives are not prosperous, and those with children under the age of marriage are particularly concerned. They are forced to ask people from all walks of life to help them find partners, and they are worried that their requests will be turned down. Alas!"
The village head sighed heavily, his tone full of helplessness.
For a brief moment, Xu Ran was stunned. He had not anticipated the title of Xiucai having such an impact. He certainly noticed a large number of children on their way to school! Why, therefore, was there no Xiucai in sight?
Xu Ran expressed his doubts after thinking about it.
The village head turned around and replied, "Xu Ran! You may not be aware of all these. Because the payment for private tutors in this area is very low, we now have a large number of students. Another factor is that several surrounding villages do not have schools. The third reason for the increased number of students this year compared to previous years is entirely due to you. Many people wish to bring their children to the school here since you are the Xiucai in the Xu Village. As a result, they believe they, too, can be blessed like you. Aren't your two darling sons enrolled in the school as well? You may not be familiar with all of them, but others are."
Even more startled was Xu Ran when he learned of this. He had not expected there to be a moment in ancient times when news spread so quickly.
The village chief waved his hand, "All right. Let's stop talking about this. By the way, have you eaten breakfast? If not, why not eat at my house? After that, we'll go to town together."
Xu Ran said, "I'm returning for breakfast, village chief. It's all set up by my family. I'm just checking in to see if you have any free time. You are welcome to wait for me at home after breakfast. I'll come to your gate in a carriage and take you up."
With that, Xu Ran went away without giving the village chief a chance to keep him.
The village chief shook his head helplessly as he saw Xu Ran running back. He was perplexed as to how he could still be so rash, despite the fact that he was the father of three children.
When Xu Ran came home, he discovered his breakfast on the table. He sat down after hurriedly washing his hands and urging Tangtang and Guoguo to have breakfast. They should go to school after eating. He also stated that he will be traveling to town today. He informed the family that some Yamen runners may arrive for lunch at noon, and Xu Ran allowed Shao Yu to cook a few additional dishes.
To avoid unnecessary difficulties, he advised Shao Yu not to take potatoes, dried bamboo shoots, and other similar items out.
Shao Yu nodded, "I got it. Don't worry! I will definitely prepare the dishes well."
""I'm not sure how many Yamen runners will come for dinner this time," Xu Ran said, before continuing, "but we need to prepare enough food." This time, don't bring any wine with you. Pretend we don't have any wine in the house. Put the wine in the cellar, Shao Yu. Drinking too much, I'm afraid, will cause problems."
"Okay, I will store the wine away," Shao Yu said.
Xu Ran considered it and concluded that nothing else should be done. After all, the Yamen runners had only come to eat and not to explore their home. There should be no difficulties. He was a Xiucai now, after all, and the Yamen runners wouldn't bother him for no cause.
Xu Ran first sent Tangtang and Guoguo to school after breakfast. Then he turned around in his carriage to fetch up the village chief. The village chief informed him on the way that the Yamen runners would most likely accompany them today. As a result, they had to be kept for lunch. He reminded Xu Ran to prepare himself.
Xu Ran assured him, "Village chief, don't worry! I have already enjoined my family about it."
The village chief smiled and said "That's all right. Despite the fact that these Yamen runners are small officials, they are nevertheless government employees. Things will be very difficult in the future if the reception is poor. I'm not going to chatter now because you already know."
Xu Ran smiled, "No matter what, thank you for your reminder."
Both of them didn't go on talking and drove the carriage all the way to the town.
They revealed their purpose to the Yamen when they arrived. Xu Ran and the village head had been seen by the Zhubu (the sector official in chief) several times. He recalls Xu Ran in particular, who used to come with a Xiucai certificate to request for a tax exemption.
Indeed, Xu Ran and the village head had been here quite frequently.
The Zhubu was informed of Xu Ran's plans. The Zhubu was astonished to learn that Xu Ran was planning to purchase a mountain and gently reminded him, "Xiucai Xu, buying a mountain isn't cheap. So, how big of a mountain do you want to buy?"
Xu Ran smiled. "I'm not sure how large this mountain is. I have to ask someone to measure it first."
"Since that's the case, I'll send someone to go with you guys then!" With that, the Zhubu sent for two Yamen runners, saying that he had assignments for them.
There were no high-ranking authorities in such a small village, and the Zhubu was essentially the top authority. There was usually nothing major going on. If there was something significant, the Xiancheng (county magistrate's assistant) would be summoned to deal with it. Xu Ran, on the other hand, had never met the Xiancheng before.
The Zhubu didn't talk much. He just told the two runners to take the tools and go with Xu Ran to the Xu Village.
Normally, the Yamen runners would walk to Xu Village. Today, Xu Ran and the village chief arrived by carriage, so they simply took a ride. The Yamen runners asked Xu Ran how much he paid for the carriage in a roundabout way along the route.
Xu Ran understood what they meant by asking this question, but he couldn't tell the truth. Xu Ran then replied, "You're joking, my lord. How am I going to be able to afford this carriage? This carriage belongs to one of my friends. He has a small business in town and has just ventured afield. He requested me to help him take care of the horse because no one else is. It's for this reason that I'm taking the carriage out today."
The Zhubu did not provide them with any specific information. Furthermore, the other runners had previously gone to the Xu Village for the land measuring, thus these two runners were unaware that Xu Ran was a Xiucai. They simply hired him as a field farmer.
They made him very upset with their expressions when they glanced at Xu Ran's carriage and horse. Fortunately, Xu Ran was driving the carriage from the front, while the village chief sat inside with the two Yamen runners.
When Xu Ran arrived in the village, he didn't feel it was appropriate to urge them to go for the measurement right away. He had discovered on the way that these two runners were neither friendly nor courteous.
Xu Ran also believed that if they both viewed his house, their perspectives would diverge even more. He was worried that they wouldn't believe his carriage story. There was, however, no way out. He hadn't expected things to turn out the way they did. He would have requested Shao Yu to go to the bamboo house to prepare the dinner if he had known about it sooner.
Xu Ran sighed. He was about to stop the carriage at the door of his house when the village chief stopped him, "Xu Ran! Go to my house! Your spouse may be busy taking care of the children and cannot serve the meal to the two officials. So why not go to my house? My spouse should be free at home today."
The village chief had seen through the two Yamen runners' thoughts, Xu Ran knew. He took a breather before continuing to push the carriage ahead. The village chief's willingness to help him was fortunate. He felt compelled to thank the village chief after this happened.
When they arrived at the village chief's house, Xu Ran put the carriage to a halt. The village chief exited the carriage first, then proceeded to the yard to proclaim the arrival of their visitors.
Spouse Chen happened to be at home. Xiaomi grabbed the corner of his clothes and stood next to him. He looked outside and saw that the two people who came down from the carriage. As he didn't know the two new comers, he hid himself behind Spouse Chen.
Spouse Chen was stunned when he saw the two men dressed as Yamen runners. However, he remembered what Xu Ran had said in the morning and understood what was going on.
He persuaded Xiaomi to go inside the house to play; then he smiled and greeted the guests.
Spouse Chen was, after all, the village head's spouse, and he'd seen a lot of Yamen runners over the years. He was well-versed in the proper manners. He welcomed the visitors into the house and offered them warm water.
Xu Ran took the opportunity to say that he wanted to go home and report his family that he would have lunch here.
Before the Yamen runners could say something, the village head waved at him, "Go, just go ahead! But you have to prepare well, understand?
Xu Ran nodded in a hurry, "Definitely."
Xu Ran then walked away, nodding at the two Yamen runners. He returned and instructed them to relocate to the bamboo house.
The village head smiled as Xu Ran walked away and said to the two Yamen runners, "Please don't laugh at us, my lords. Xu Ran is a scholar who only recently become a Xiucai. He didn't know anything about his relatives. As a result, he must rely on his spouse for help. I hope you two comprehend what I'm saying."
Xu Ran's Xiucai identity seems to have been revealed accidently by the village head. Despite the fact that Xiucai was not a high-ranking official, the Yamen runners did not dare to offend Xu Ran.
Hearing that Xu Ran was a Xiucai made the two Yamen runners frown. They had hoped to make a fortune on this trip, but it now appeared that they would be unable to do so. They knew Xiucai wasn't a high-ranking official, but he was a recognized scholar nonetheless.
06.11.21