nucmednet Chapter 329 I paid the bill
Chapter 329 I paid the bill
Wang Xiaoer looked at Hu Chengxin, who nodded. Wang Xiaoer then took a piece of tofu and put it in the small basket on the table.
The old scholar drew his sword and swung it under the table. Everyone felt a cool breeze pass by their ears. Looking over, the table was intact, but the tofu on it had been split into two pieces.
"Tsk tsk!" Everyone clicked their tongues in amazement. "This must be fake, right? It must be a scam."
Hu Chengxin's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?"
"I've heard that Madam Chen, the famous philanthropist of Lijia Town, is looking for a teacher for my child. I am not very talented, but I have come to give it a try." The old scholar stood with his head held high, quite arrogant.
"Yes, that's true, but..." Hu Chengxin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Please pay the bill first, we don't accept credit here." Hu Chengxin thought to himself, if everyone came here because of your reputation, wanting to eat for free, wouldn't this place be in chaos?
"Uh... um?" The old scholar was stunned. He hadn't expected that after showing off such a powerful move, the man would still dare to ask him to pay the bill? Daring to look down on him? His eyes flashed with murderous intent.
Hu Chengxin sensed this and immediately explained, "Please don't misunderstand, it's not that I don't believe in your skills, it's just that our restaurant needs to keep clear accounts. If we set a precedent for this kind of credit, some arrogant younger generations will do the same, and we won't be able to tell. Wouldn't that tarnish your reputation?"
The old scholar, still somewhat arrogant, thought it was very likely after hearing the story, and thus tossed down the silver.
Hu Chengxin quickly thanked him and added that if the estate hired a master craftsman, he would return double the money.
The old scholar's expression softened considerably.
Just then, Wang Xiaoming had ordered some things from the blacksmith's shop, so he took the old scholar to the manor.
Wang Xiaoming didn't say much along the way, but the old man kept marveling at how a mere Chen's shop could drive the local economy. From Lijia Town, all the way to Wangjia Village, the road was bustling with carriages and pedestrians. There wasn't a single empty plot of land; it was all planted with sweet potatoes or peanuts. Every now and then, someone would set up a small stall with a sign for snacks, such as Tian's or Li's. Regular customers wouldn't look for these, but some travelers passing by on the main road would buy some on the way.
When they reached the intersection of Wangjiazhuang, the traffic started to get congested. People from Chenjiazhuang were there to maintain order. Today it was Tie Tou's turn. Wang Xiaoming called out from the front, and the people next to him moved aside. The carriage entered the road into the village, but there was only one carriage at each end, and they remained motionless.
"I'll get off and walk myself, you can come from behind." The old scholar was impatient. He left those words behind, jumped off the carriage, and walked straight away.
Wang Xiaoming only had time to shout once. "Tie Tou, take this old master to find the mistress of the house."
"Hey!" Tie Tou responded from afar, but was still directing the carriage to turn. "To the right, a little more, hey~~ Alright! Hurry up, go to Wangjiazhuang from the right, go around there, you can get out too."
After saying that, Tie Tou quickly ran to the old scholar's side and said, "Master, this way please, I'll lead you inside."
"Hmm! What's this flowering plant? And that one?" The old scholar was squatting down, looking at the neat rows of plants in the field next to him, which looked like soldiers standing guard. Seeing that the young man was very polite, he stroked his beard with satisfaction and asked curiously.
"This is a chili pepper, and that's sugarcane," Tie Tou answered honestly, already looking like a big kid.
"This is a chili pepper!" The old scholar seemed to want to touch the chili pepper seedling with his hand, but then felt it was inappropriate and withdrew his hand.
Tie Tou swallowed his silent protest. In Wangjiazhuang, there was an unwritten rule that no one was allowed to trample on or arbitrarily damage the crops in the fields, otherwise they would be more than just scolded.
The old scholar glanced at Tie Tou's movements, smiled silently, and didn't say anything more. "Well, this Madam Chen has managed this place like a paradise described in a book. Look at this beautiful countryside. The wheat over there is already filling out and will be harvested next month. The wheat fields stretch out one after another, and the wind blows through waves of wheat, a truly breathtaking sight."
The twenty-odd acres of chili pepper fields are also lush and green, standing tall in the fields, one by one, row by row, symmetrical and harmonious, creating a strong visual impact, not to mention the vegetable garden, broad beans and sweet potatoes.
The old scholar looked around and found that Lijia Town was truly vibrant, unlike the lifeless atmosphere of the north. He had traveled south along the Yangtze River, listening to the locals' stories along the way, and only when he arrived did he realize that the people of Lijia Town were indeed different. There was a saying that went around here: "As long as you are diligent, you will not starve." Even if you go up the mountain to pick some wild mushrooms, as long as the people at Chen's Manor know them and they are edible, they will buy them from you at a not-so-cheap price.
The old scholar was initially skeptical, until he saw with his own eyes an old farmer carrying a basket of white mushrooms covered in what looked like a fishing net, and Chen Ji actually paid two taels of silver to buy them. The old scholar couldn't help but marvel. Judging from the shopkeeper's skill in handling goods, these mushrooms must have been bought before. He wondered if they were any good.
"Madam, an experienced teacher would like to come to our village to teach," Tie Tou said respectfully as he led him inside.
"Oh, good! Thank you for your hard work." Chen Wenfang came out with a smile, checking the dried meat that had just been made that day. "Master, please have a seat. What skills do you have? What could you possibly teach the children?"
The old scholar bowed politely and said, “I have been learning swordsmanship since I was three years old. I have lived a carefree and unrestrained life, and I have always been able to help the weak and punish the strong without any regrets. Now that I am old, I do not wish to take all my knowledge with me to the grave. I wish to take a disciple and teach him everything I know before I die. However, this martial art is profound. If it falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it may cause great harm. Therefore, I have been wandering here. I heard of your virtuous reputation and that you have taken in a beggar child, so I came here to meet you.”
Chen Wenfang quickly returned the greeting, saying, "Sir, you flatter me. I am just a woman, and it is thanks to these few people that I am willing to be supported in our village. It is a blessing and a good deed. The other workers have put in their labor and have been paid, which is also very reasonable."
"Hmm~" The old scholar drawled out his words with satisfaction, "My surname is Dugu and my given name is Wu Hui. Bring those children to the courtyard so I can see them. If I choose any, I will let you witness my swordsmanship."
Upon hearing this surname, Chen Wenfang felt a surge of excitement. "My God! Dugu! Dugu Nine Swords! Dugu Qiubai! My goodness! A legendary master among masters!"
"Okay, okay, Chahua, serve tea and snacks. Aunt Liu, go and tell Da Xiong to tell the two Taoist priests to send all the children to the training ground!" Chen Wenfang's words were like firecrackers, and she quickly made the arrangements.