Lu Zheng'an and Song Huaishu still hadn't visited Yuanyang when they came back. They originally wanted to go with Lu Changgen when he was going to Yuanyang to deliver goods, but they didn't expect to leave. The night before, Ji Yuexian suddenly brought someone over.
Not seen for a while, Ji Yuexian seemed to have lost a lot of money. Sitting in the main room of Lu Zheng'an's house and drinking two cups of tea, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
"Why are you here at this time? Has there been any news about the old lady recently?"
Ji Yuexian couldn't help but feel helpless when he heard Lu Zheng'an mention his playful grandmother. "Yueqiao is with me in the Northland. I originally wanted her to come back. Yueqiao said that the climate in the Northland is cool and she wanted to wait until autumn before coming back, so I just let them go."
With that said, Ji Yuexian leaned back on the chair. After glancing at the things placed on the wall, he turned his head and looked at Lu Zhengan and asked, "Where are you two going to pack your things?"
"Go and have a look at Yuanyang. We haven't been there since we came back."
Ji Yuexian sighed again when he heard the sound, "Let's wait for two days to pass. You two can go to Linzhou with me."
"Why are we going to Linzhou? I plan to go south after returning from Yuanyang." Lu Zhengan was a little confused.
Hearing this, Ji Yuexian couldn't help but glance at Lu Zhengan. "Looking at you, I have learned from the old lady, one by one, run out when nothing happens. Now Shen Ji Tea House is about to open, and Shen Nianjin mentioned before that he would take you there. If Zhu Shun hadn't mentioned it, I almost would have I forgot about this."
After Ji Yuexian's words fell, Song Huaishu immediately turned his head to look at Lu Zhengan, with an unknown glint in his eyes.
Did you know that he was jealous? He was upset again, and Lu Zhengan couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing Song Huaishu bulging his cheeks and staring at him, Lu Zhengan coughed dryly and said, "Linzhou won't go. With Boss Shen's status, those who went that day were either rich or noble. Neither Huaishu nor I We are familiar, but going away will only increase the embarrassment."
Hearing that Lu Zhengan refused, Ji Yuexian's eyes widened in surprise. "How many people dream of this opportunity? You have to think clearly."
"Of course I have thought it through." Seeing that Ji Yuexian wanted to persuade him again, Lu Zhengan hurriedly said: "I know you are doing it for our good, but you know our foundation very well. There can be more. Business is certainly a good thing, but doing it steadily is the right thing to do."
Knowing that Lu Zheng'an was right, Ji Yuexian thought about it and didn't force it anymore. Remembering that Lu Zhengan had just said that he would go south again, Ji Yuexian thought for a moment and took out a token from his arms.
"The Ji family still has some roots in the south. If you encounter any inconvenience when you are away from home, just take this token and go to Heyuanju. They will help you."
Lu Zhengan had guessed a long time ago that the Ji family might hide their strength. Now that Ji Yuexian had exposed the Ji family's trump card in front of him in such a bold manner, Lu Zhengan felt surprised and moved.
"In today's world, the sun is bright and the moon is shining brightly. We should be more cautious on the road. Huai Shu and I appreciate your good intentions. You should take back this token."
It is not easy for the Ji family to stabilize the current situation, and Lu Zhengan does not want to cause any trouble to the Ji family because of him.
Seeing Lu Zhengan hesitate when looking at the token, Ji Yuexian raised his hand and threw the token on the table. "It's getting late, and I have to hurry up. Please be careful on the road, and be sure to remember what I said."
...
Before going south, Lu Zhengan and Song Huaishu discussed and decided to go to Yuanyang. In addition to Lu Xingyi, the little devil, Lu Zhengan thought about it and even brought his mother-in-law with him.
Song Xiren had been staying in Yuanyang's shop for several months, and he already felt homesick. Now that the whole family appeared neatly in front of him, Song Xiren couldn't be more happy. Holding Lu Xingyi in his arms, he took a closer look at his wife, whose facial features were still the same as before, and slowly felt relieved.
"Oh, Zheng'an Huaishu, when did you come back from the south? How was it? Did this trip go smoothly?"
Seeing his father-in-law's excited expression, Lu Zhengan couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Song Huaishu was asked to accompany the three elders into the house, while he and Lu Tiezhu, who came with him to deliver the goods, moved everything into the warehouse.
When Lu Zheng'an washed his hands and led Lu Tiezhu into the inner room, Secretary Song Huai was talking to Song Xiren about his experiences going south. Seeing Lu Zheng'an and Lu Tiezhu coming in, he hurriedly greeted them to come in and sit down for tea.
Song Xiren looked at Lu Zhengan who was becoming more and more stable, and felt extremely pleased. Recalling what Song Huaishu said just now, Lu Zhengan wanted to go south again, so he asked, "Huaishu said, do you still plan to go south?"
"I have this plan. In addition to collecting some more dried mangoes, I also want to look for nuts and durable fruits that are not common here. It can also add more varieties to our shop. ."
After listening to Lu Zheng'an's words, Song Xiren nodded in agreement. "Well, it's good for young people to go out more and gain experience. Although we, the old guys, are old, we can still move. You don't have to worry about the things at home, just leave them to us. We? That's it."
Hearing this, Lu Changgen also nodded in agreement.
Seeing that several elders supported him, Lu Zhengan was very moved. Together with Song Huaishu, he stood up and bowed to several people. "Thank you, father, and uncle Chang Gen. I will leave the shop and workshop to you first. Huai Shu and I will definitely come back before the year."
At the same time, in Linzhou's Shenji Tea House, the wealthy businessmen from Linzhou who came to support Shen Nianjin were chatting with each other and did not notice the "twisting pattern plates" placed on the table. On the contrary, the relatives of the wealthy businessmen in the inner hall tasted the preserved fruits on the plates, and their eyes immediately lit up.
After carefully looking at the items on the plate, they found that they were not items from any dry goods store they were familiar with, and they all became curious.
"This preserved fruit tastes good. It's strange. Although it has a bit of a smell, it tastes sour and sweet in your mouth, and you can't stop eating it."
"This dried peach also has a very good taste. It's as sweet as candied fruit, and the peach taste is also very strong."
"The taste of their dried peaches is quite familiar. Yunxiangzhai seemed to have sold them for a while before. However, after Yunxiangzhai collapsed, this kind of dried peaches could no longer be found. Unexpectedly, today I actually ate it at Shenji."
With that said, the maid of Shen Ji Teahouse asked for advice: "Madams, you are well-informed. All the dry goods in our teahouse are exclusively supplied by the Lu family, except for their main account in Yuanyang." You can't buy it anywhere else."
Upon hearing the name 'Lu's Dry Goods', everyone present felt strange. However, being able to supply Shen Ji exclusively is definitely not just for ordinary people. The female family members who came out to socialize here all came with a purpose. After thinking about it for a few times, they secretly planned to find out the details of the Lu family when they went back. .
The opening of Shen Ji Tea House inadvertently helped Lu's dry goods create a huge momentum. Although these wealthy businessmen who heard the news did not find out the details of Lu's, they all set their sights on Yuanyang's. ?Lu's dry goods. However, in just two months, the shop's revenue has more than doubled.
Lu Zheng'an, who was bidding farewell to his elders, had already taken a boat to Yongzhou with Song Huaishu and Lu Xingyi, as well as Zhao Dayang and Lu Tiezhu from the village. Except for Lu Zheng'an and Song Huaishu, it was the first time for several people to take a boat. They stood on the deck and looked at the scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait that was constantly retreating, with their eyes full of excitement.
However, the time on the ship is still boring after all. In the first few days, a few people will still stand on the deck and watch the scenery. However, after a long time, it becomes boring.
How many people? Except for eating, they stayed in the house and slept in the room every day.
The same was true for Lu Xingyi, but although the little girl felt bored, she didn't cry. She took the book her grandma had brought with her before leaving and asked Lu Zheng'an and Song Huai to tell her stories.
But telling a story over and over again is really boring. Song Huaishu thought about it for a while and then worked with Lu Zhengan to teach her how to read. Although the little children don't have much patience, they teach a few every day, and by the time they arrive in Yongzhou half a month later, they have learned a lot.
How many people were not in a hurry like last time, so the journey was extremely slow. By the time the carriage arrived outside Chizhou City, it was already mid-July.
Because of the different climate, most of the crops grown in the south are rice. Lu Zheng'an and his party were riding on the road in a carriage. Farmers on both sides of the road were bending down to harvest rice ears. Lu Xingyi lay outside the car window and kept looking outward. Looking around. Lu Zhengan was afraid that she would fall out, so he kept holding on to the hem of her clothes and dared not let go.
An aunt who was sitting on the edge of the field drinking water and resting looked at Lu Xingyi, who had only one head exposed from the window of the carriage, and couldn't help but smile. "This girl is so good-looking. Look at her eyes, which look like black grapes."
Although Lu Xingyi didn't know what Black Grape's eyes looked like, he could tell that this nanny was praising her. He leaned against the car window, tilted his head and waved to everyone, saying thank you sweetly.
When Song Huaishu saw Lu Xingyi like this, he couldn't help but smile and pat her butt. "Hey, you girl, you really don't know how to treat others. How can I say hello to you?"
Hearing this, Lu Xingyi immediately turned his attention to his father. "Why are you talking about me? That nanny praised me. Nao Nao taught me not to be rude."
Listening to his daughter's words, Song Huaishu couldn't help but choke. Subconsciously, he turned his head to look at Lu Zhengan, only to see the other party looking at them with a smile.
"You have to be a mother to teach your children. If you are afraid when you see someone, that will be a headache." Lu Zhengan said, holding Lu Xingyi in his arms. Stretching his somewhat stiff legs, he said to Zhao Dayang, who was driving the car outside, "Dayang, let's stop under the shade of the trees in front. We've been walking for a long time, let's get out of the car to do some exercise and have something to eat before we leave. ."
Several people were almost falling apart due to the jolting of the carriage. When Lu Zhengan said this, they immediately responded readily.
After a few people stopped the carriage, Lu Zhengan jumped out of the carriage while holding Lu Xingyi in his arms. He turned around and supported Song Huaishu? After getting off the carriage, he raised his hands and stretched.
Because Hualong Town is located in the north, it is not suitable for growing rice. Lu Tieniu and Zhao Dayang, who had never seen rice before, came to the field and looked at the rice ears with their heads hanging down, their eyes full of curiosity.
"Is this rice? Why doesn't it feel like it?"
The elder brother who was cutting rice next to him couldn't help but laugh when he heard Lu Tieniu's words. He held up the straw hat on the armrest and said with a smile: "The two brothers are from other places, right? This rice has to be threshed and dried after harvesting. It can only be put into the pot after it is pounded."
The two of them suddenly blushed after hearing what the eldest brother said.
After getting off the carriage, Lu Xingyi started to have fun, running around looking around and looking busy. Lu Zhengan saw Song Huaishu looking tired, so he asked him to rest aside. He followed Lu Xingyi and walked around with her.
The climate between the north and the south is different, and the vegetation growing in the two places is also very different. Lu Zhengan looked at the wild flowers blooming along the roadside and broke a few willow branches from a willow tree beside the roadside. He formed a circle and made a gesture on top of Lu Xingyi's head, ready to help her make a wreath.
When Lu Xingyi was at home, the aunt and aunt in the village coaxed her to play and also knitted it for her. After seeing his father circle the willow branches, he began to look for wild flowers of various colors on the roadside.
However, there are many snakes, insects, rats, and ants in the south, and many of them are poisonous. Lu Zhengan was afraid that Lu Xingyi would be injured, so he called Song Huaishu to help look at Lu Xingyi, then went to the side to look for him, and went to the nearby slope to solve the emergency problem.
However, just as Lu Zhengan was about to walk through the bushes, he was suddenly tripped by a tree vine. Lu Zhengan hurriedly stretched out his hand to hold on to the tree next to him to steady himself.
Perhaps because of too much force, a fruit fell from the tree and landed at Lu Zhengan's feet. After Lu Zhengan saw the fruit at his feet, he was stunned for a moment, and then he quickly looked up.
I saw that the vines above my head were densely covered with gray-brown kiwi fruits. Because they were purely wild, the kiwi fruits were not very big. Lu Zhengan picked a softer one and took it off. I opened it and took a sip. A sweet and sour taste instantly filled my mouth.
Seeing so many wild kiwis above his head, Lu Zhengan forgot about his urgent problems for a moment and picked some softer ones and carried them to the avenue with the hem of his clothes.
At this time, Lu Xingyi was waiting expectantly for the wreath made by her father. When she saw her father coming out of the bush with something in his pocket, she immediately came over with curiosity. Holding his father's arm, he stood on tiptoes and looked into his arms.
"Father, what did you pick? Why are they all hairy?"
Hearing this, Lu Zheng'an couldn't help but laugh, "This is a kind of wild fruit. It's sour and sweet. It's delicious." As he said that, Lu Zheng'an picked a big one and handed it to her, "Go and get it." Your dad will break it open for you and try it. If you like it, pick some more and go."
Lu Xingyi looked at the hairy and ugly fruit in his hand with some hesitation, turned to look at his father who was two steps behind him, frowned and said, "Dad, this fruit looks better than the ones in the village." Still dark."
After listening to Lu Xingyi's words, Song Huaishu suddenly laughed. "Careful Junsheng will beat you if he hears it."
Junsheng is the "grandson" of Liu Changshan. Although he is young, he can walk and follow his grandfather in the mountains, so he is tanned by the sun. Lu Xingyi is less than a year older than Liu Junsheng, and the two of them play together the most.
Lu Xingyi didn't care about his father's threats. Instead, he waved his little hand and said, "We are far away from Junsheng, so he can't hear us."
After that, Lu Xingyi looked at his father and opened the fruit. He saw that the inside was green and had black seeds. He frowned and licked it with his little tongue. After tasting it carefully, I saw that this ugly fruit was really as sweet and sour as my father said, and I immediately laughed happily.
"Dad, father didn't lie to me. This fruit is sweet and sour, okay? You are eating it, please try it quickly."
At this time, Lu Zheng'an came over with a food box. When he heard his daughter say this, he couldn't help but lift his finger and hit her on the forehead.
"You little heartless one, when did father lie to you? You and daddy wait here, I will pick some more, and we will eat on the way."
Lu Tiezhu and Zhao Dayang, who were chatting with someone, saw Lu Zhengan carrying a food box and heading into the bushes. They thought something was wrong, said hello to the rice harvester, and walked over to Song Huaishu.
"What is Zheng An doing?" Lu Tiezhu asked.
"I found some wild fruits on the slope? I said I picked some and wanted to take them with me to eat on the road."
As Song Huaishu spoke, he helped Lu Xingyi wipe the juice from the corners of his mouth. When they raised their heads, they found that Lu Tieniu and Zhao Dayang had followed Lu Zhengan's footsteps.
Maybe there are few people to eat, but Lu Zhengan and the other three The food box was filled in just a moment. Lu Tiezhu raised his head and looked at the beeping wild kiwi fruit above his head. While eating, he cried out that it was a pity.
"This fruit tastes so good, but no one eats it. It's a pity."
Hearing this, Zhao Dayang pointed to the large kiwi tree above and couldn't help but smile: "Uncle Tiezhu looked up and saw that there are people everywhere here, and I guess no one can eat them. But. , this fruit? It tastes really good. If it can be made into dried fruit or preserved fruit, I guess it can be sold in large quantities."
"Indeed, but this kiwi is too small. Peeling it is difficult."
Hearing what Lu Zhengan said, Zhao Dayang weighed the fruit in his hand and couldn't help but nodded in agreement. He reached out and took the food box filled with kiwis from Lu Zhengan's hand, and then the three of them walked out.
However, Lu Zhengan talks about trouble, but he still thinks about it in his heart? Looking back at the trees full of kiwis, Lu Zhengan decided that if there were any more kiwis on the way back, he would take some back even if they were boiled into jam.
At night, Lu Zhengan found an inn in the town and stayed. Seeing that there were many stalls on the street, Lu Zhengan was curious and asked the innkeeper: "Sir, are you guys celebrating some festival here? Why is it so lively?"
"The guest is from out of town, right?" Seeing Lu Zheng'an nod, the shopkeeper stroked his goat's beard and smiled: "These two days are our local harvest festival. If the guest is not in a hurry, he can spend two days. Let's go again."
As soon as the festival was over, Lu Xingyi's eyes suddenly lit up in Song Huaishu's arms. "Old uncle, is there anything good to eat during the harvest to save energy?"
The shopkeeper saw Lu Xingyi and replied with a smile: "Of course, there are plenty of things to eat and play. Tomorrow, ask your adults to take you to the street to watch." Just know it."
When Lu Xingyi heard what the shopkeeper said, he immediately turned around and hooked Lu Zhengan's neck. "Father, let's wait for two days before leaving. Neither dad nor I have seen each other. We are celebrating the Harvest Festival."
Lu Zheng'an took Lu Xingyi over, reached out and pinched her small nose, and frowned pretending to be embarrassed. Seeing that, Lu Xingyi pursed his lips and then reluctantly nodded in agreement.
However, before Lu Xingyi could finish being happy, Lu Zhengan immediately said: "Father promised you, but you have to obey his words. You must memorize the three-character scriptures that dad taught you these past few days. Otherwise I will be angry?"
Lu Xingyi originally wanted to refuse the bill, but when he heard that his father would be angry, he nodded and agreed.
Zhao Dayang, who was following Lu Zhengan, couldn't help but laugh a little while listening to the conversation between Lu Zhengan and Lu Xingyi's father and daughter. "Xingyi is not afraid of anything in our village. In the hands of Uncle Zheng'an, he behaves like a kitten."
Hearing this, Lu Tiezhu couldn't help but give him a white look. "How dare you be disobedient in front of your father when you were a child? I guess if you say no, the soles of your father's shoes will fall on your butt."
Hearing what Lu Tiezhu said, Zhao Dayang was immediately brought back memories. After taking a breath, he saw Lu Zhengan open the room and leave, and immediately followed him with his things.
...
The Harvest Festival is the biggest local festival, but it is a pity that Lu Zhengan and others did not catch up with the worship ceremony on the day. However, the various things on the street were enough to open the eyes of Lu Zhengan and others.
Lu Zheng'an's family of three went shopping on the street. In addition to clothes, jewelry, and unique snacks and toys, there were also many things produced by local farmers on the street.
The three of them strolled around the street and saw several stalls selling walnuts and chestnuts. After asking about the price, Lu Zhengan hesitated and bought it all.
Seeing him like this, Song Huaishu couldn't help but feel worried. "We have to go to Ningzhou next. Now that you have bought so many things, it won't be convenient for us to carry them, right?"
"It's okay. I asked the innkeeper yesterday and he said there is a warehouse in the town. We can store the things in the warehouse and just pick them up when we get back."
This was the first time Song Huaishu heard about the warehouse. He was even more curious when Lu Zhengan said that goods could be deposited and withdrawn. "Won't it be lost? Then can all the things we bought along the way be stored in the warehouse? If that's the case, it would be much more convenient."
"You will have to pay if you lose something at the warehouse. This is convenient, but you have to check if it is available locally. And when you return, you can only take the old route." After saying that, Lu Zhengan glanced at Lu Xingyi's eyes. Seeing that a candy seller couldn't move from her stall, he simply picked her up by the collar and put her on the cart with chestnuts and walnuts.
Song Huaishu also said at the side: "You promised me yesterday that you won't eat sweets anymore, but you forgot about it just one night later?"
When mentioning this, Lu Xingyi's expression became a little embarrassed. "I was just watching. I didn't want to eat." After saying that, Lu Xingyi pouted and turned to Lu Zheng'an and said, "Father, Daddy is bullying people like this, don't you care about him?"
Hearing this, Lu Zheng'an glanced at her and said in a calm tone: "I didn't see your father bullying you, how do you want me to control you? Besides, I am afraid of your father getting angry, so how dare I Leave him alone."
Looking at Lu Zheng'an's serious expression, Mr. Song Huai was speechless. "You are really talking nonsense. When did I lose my temper with you?"
"Why not? Didn't you lose your temper with me last night? If I hadn't known better? Hurry up and admit your mistake. You might have attacked me." Lu Zhengan said in a low voice with a smile in his eyes.
Seeing Lu Zheng'an mention what happened last night, Song Huaishu's face suddenly turned red and he wanted to reach out and block Lu Zheng'an's mouth. "My child, what are you talking about in front of me?" After saying that, Song Huaishu looked up at Lu Xingyi and felt relieved when he saw that his daughter did not hear the two people talking.
And Lu Xingyi, who was sitting on the carriage, looked at Lu Zheng'an who was being glared at by Song Huaishu, and muttered with his lips pouting: "My father is really a strict husband."