Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 422 Let's eat together and share the money together

After hearing what Shen Yu said, the servants realized that the basket of silver was to be distributed to them. They were stunned for a moment, and then burst into cheers.

Everyone was smiling and hurriedly thanked Shen Yu.

Some of the smarter ones knew that without the support of Lu Lang, the son of the county magistrate, Shen Yu would not dare to share the money, so they ran to Lu Lang and saluted him.

The people nearby saw this and realized that Lu Lang was still there, and they all thanked Lu Lang in varying degrees.

Shen Yu didn't care who everyone thanked. She put the money in her hand into the small basket and stood there waiting with a smile on her face, just like she usually did when distributing cakes.

After a while, everyone lined up consciously, and each person received a string of heavy money in their hands.

After the distribution was completed, someone looked at the empty bottom of the basket and asked in confusion, "Miss Shen, why is there nothing for you three?"

“Although we are the ones who chop wood and catch fish, without you selling them every day, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

This sentence reminded everyone, and the servants realized that when dividing the silver and money, Shen Yu did not include himself, Liushun and Qixi in the count.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu waved his hands and said, "This money is hard-earned. The three of us have to go shopping for food every day. Selling it is just a piece of cake. We won't share it."

Liushun and Qixi also said: "It is not easy to chop wood and fish in winter. We just drive the cart back and forth, which is very easy. Compared with your hard work, it is nothing."

But the crowd didn't listen to what the three said at all. They gathered together to discuss for a while, and then started to untie the hemp rope knot that tied the silver and money in their hands.

Shen Yu didn't know how to persuade them for a moment, but everyone acted quickly and each took out five cents of silver and handed it to Wang Dazhuang.

Wang Dazhuang lifted up the hem of his clothes and pocketed the pile of silver coins. He walked up to Shen Yu and the other two and said gratefully, "Miss Shen, two young men, here are three hundred coins."

"You think that selling firewood and river fish is a side job when you go shopping, but for people like us, it is not easy to carry a load of firewood or a few fish to the county town to sell every day."

"First, there are no big carts, and it takes half a day to go back and forth. Second, we can't find buyers even if we sell on the street."

"Take that big restaurant for example. People like us are chased away before we even get close to it. How can we bargain with the owner and get a good price?"

Everyone agreed, "Wang Dazhuang is right. Miss Shen, two young men, please take the money quickly. Otherwise, we won't be able to share the money with peace of mind."

"Miss Shen, we have been eating from the same stove for almost a month."

"I'm not afraid of being disliked by the girl. We treat the three of you as a family."

"If we want to share the money, we should all share it together."

"That's right, that's right. We treat you as one family. If you don't take our money, it means you don't consider us as one."

The young man even yelled at the three men to collect the money, as if not accepting the money would mean he despised them.

Shen Yu, Liushun and Qixi all felt warm in their hearts.

Having said that, how could he still refuse it? He simply took the small basket, took the bag of money, and thanked everyone with a smile.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the three of us would get the most in the end."

Everyone laughed and said, "Families have always loved the youngest. You three are probably the youngest among us, so it's reasonable for you to pay a few more coins."

Everyone talked for a few more words before packing up and leaving in groups of two or three after saying goodbye to each other.

Shen Yu was also preparing to go back to the guard room to string up the loose change and divide it among the three of them.

Although the money was not much, the sentiment was great, and Shen Yu was very happy.

Just as he was about to turn around, Wang Dazhuang came back and said, "Miss Shen, everyone asked me to ask you, where is your restaurant?"

"If we go to the county town in the future and pass by your restaurant, we can go in and see you."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "That's great. You're most welcome." Then he told the location of the restaurant.

Wang Dazhuang smiled and said "I'll remember it", then turned around and chased his companions.

Back in the guard room, Shen Yu strung the three hundred coins together, giving Liu Shun and Qi Xi one string each.

Liushun and Qixi said, "These servants are really nice. I never thought they would think of us when dividing the money. It's really rare."

The three of them chatted casually for a while, and when the yamen runners moved all the cooking utensils in the guard room onto the carriage, leaving only an empty stove in the guard room, Shen Yu followed Lu Lang and got on the carriage back to the county town.

After the car started moving, Lu Lang thanked Shen Yu: "Miss Shen, thank you very much this time. Without you, the construction work would not have been done so quickly and well."

"The three meals were adequately supplied, and there was hot water to drink at any time. None of the servants got sick, and they received rice and money in the end. I'm sure they were all very happy when they returned home."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "This is also the result I want most. Now I can prepare for the New Year with peace of mind."

Lu Lang laughed and said, "What's so good about the Chinese New Year? You have to follow the elders around to visit relatives and friends, and each family takes turns to host a banquet. It's the same every year, so there's no point."

Shen Yu, however, looked longing: "I heard that the New Year celebrations in the county town are very lively."

"There are lantern festivals, temple fairs, new music is performed on stage in Wazili, there are many places to have fun, and there are many small stalls with delicious food."

"During the Chinese New Year, the markets are closed, and so are the restaurants. Everyone can close their shops and go out to have fun."

Lu Lang listened to Shen Yu's lively talk, but sighed helplessly: "I will return to Beijing to prepare for the exam in a few days. During the New Year, except for following my grandfather to visit various families to pay New Year's greetings, I have to stay in the mansion to study and can't go anywhere."

Shen Yu comforted him, "You have studied hard for ten years. If you pass the exam next year, you won't have to work so hard anymore."

Lu Lang smiled and said, "If you pass the exam, you will become an official. I'm afraid it's better to be idle these days."

Shen Yu said, "Isn't it good to be an official? If you are a local official, you can do good things for the people, benefit the local people, and see the people under your rule live and work in peace and contentment. It is also a very fulfilling thing."

Lu Lang praised: "Although Miss Shen is a woman, her knowledge is as good as that of men. This is really rare."

Shen Yu smiled but did not answer. Instead, he asked, "Mr. Lu, since you are going back to Beijing, are you going to hold the poetry gathering you have been talking about for a long time? You have been putting it off for a long time."

Lu Lang was stunned, and then he remembered the poetry gathering that he had forgotten about again.

After winter came, he was busy taking care of miscellaneous affairs in the government office for his father and had not met with his classmates for some time.

It is indeed as Shen Yu said, the poetry reading has been postponed again and again. If it is not held now, it will have to be postponed until after the exams in April next year.