Old Zhang specially selected over a hundred pounds of aged grain.
The coachman was a bit dissatisfied and wouldn’t let the chickens into the carriage, so Old Lady Zhang had to painfully buy two chicken cages to place the four chickens outside on the cart.
Joyfully returning to the village, after the horse cart stopped at the village entrance, Old Lady Zhang called for her other sons to come help carry the things.
Zhang Fang gave the coachman twenty copper coins, which made the coachman feel embarrassed. However, he still accepted the money.
Old Zhang was busy boasting to the villagers who had gathered, not noticing Zhang Fang’s actions.
“That’s right! All of this was bought by my son, Zhang Si! Today, my son signed a contract with the bookstore to publish a book! The stories he writes are exceptionally good! There were hundreds of people at the teahouse, all coming specifically to hear the stories written by Zhang Si! The teahouse owner even gave him a large sum of money! He even rejected more silver that the owner wanted to give him!”
Unlike a few days ago, Old Zhang now stood tall, with a beaming smile on his face, looking as though he had regained a decade of youth.
“Zhang Si is truly impressive! No wonder he’s a smart man aiming for the imperial exams! But why does he refuse the silver from the teahouse owner?”
How foolish not to take the money!
Old Zhang was aware of these people’s thoughts and revealed a disdainful expression, telling them: “My son is a scholar! Scholars value money as if it were dirt! Taking someone else’s money once is enough. How can one keep taking others’ money? Moreover, my son is about to go to the prefecture to take the exams; he should focus all his energy on his studies. How can he act like a merchant, thinking only of making money every day?”
The villagers couldn’t help but feel vexed and envious. They thought the Zhang family’s brains had gone haywire! Ignoring money and insisting on pursuing the imperial exams! They didn’t even consider if he could pass! In their view, one should seize opportunities and earn as much money as possible! Not earning money would be foolish! Zhang Fang was a fool, and his parents were fools too!
Zhang Dalang and the others weren’t at home; only a few daughters-in-law were there. Old Lady Zhang brought them along to help carry things.
Zhang Ersao and Zhang Sansao were incredibly happy; even carrying over a hundred pounds of grain, they didn’t feel tired! They had finally endured the hardships and could now live well alongside their little uncle!
Old Lady Zhang took the delicious food she had packed from the teahouse into the kitchen, planning to heat it up for Zhang Fang to eat in the evening.
However, Zhang Fang said he was tired of eating it and wanted Old Lady Zhang to give it to the family instead. Old Lady Zhang couldn’t bear to share such good food with her sons and daughters-in-law, so she shared it with Old Zhang instead!
This made Zhang Erlang, Zhang Sanlang, and others quite envious. They were clear that their parents were deliberately distancing themselves from them due to previous matters, which is why they were being treated this way. So even if they were envious, they didn’t dare to ask their parents for the meat.
In the end, Old Lady Zhang saved a bit of meat for Zhang Dalang and Zhang Dama to distribute to others.
With twenty days until the prefectural exam begins, Zhang Fang needed to set off ten days early to acclimate himself to the prefecture.
Therefore, he had to finish writing the content for the first volume in the next few days; after leaving Dou County, Zhang Fang needed to concentrate entirely on the exam preparation.
Zhang Fang made such a big splash today that it infuriated Lin Zheng! He had originally planned to invite Zhang Fang over in a couple of days, pressuring him into handing over the copyright to make his son a ghostwriter. Unexpectedly, Zhang Fang had made a name for himself throughout the county today!
Lin Zheng felt his plans had gone awry; how could he not be furious!
Especially after the steward came to tell him that the Liu siblings had run away. Lin Zheng’s anger peaked!
He never expected that the Liu siblings would be so bold as to escape right under his nose today!
“Go find someone related to them! Once you catch them, throw them straight into the prison!” If they don’t appreciate his kindness, then they shouldn’t blame him for being merciless!
Although Lin Yuanyuan was a concubine’s daughter, she was clever and learned to read people’s expressions from a young age, making her very favored by Lin Zheng. After leaving the teahouse, she began to investigate Zhang Fang’s background. A handsome and talented man from a poor background was a tremendous potential investment! And he was rather easy to manipulate!
Once back home and changed into women’s clothing, Lin Yuanyuan came to find her father.
Seeing Lin Zheng’s angry face, she gently approached him, massaging his back while softly asking, “Which blind jerk has made Father angry?”
Lin Zheng coldly scoffed, “They are all a bunch of unappreciative fools!”
Lin Yuanyuan poured him a cup of tea, appearing obedient, waiting to listen.
“There’s a poor scholar who wrote a story that I thought was good; I originally planned to let him write on, claiming it was written by your brother. But this brat has gained fame throughout the county today!” Lin Zheng felt incredibly exasperated! He had never even voiced this plan, nor had he informed his son. Zhang Fang seemed to have predicted his thoughts and was already prepared!
Lin Yuanyuan’s expression became a bit subtle. Why did she feel that the person her father mentioned was Zhang Fang? Tentatively asking, “Father, what’s the name of that scholar?”
“Zhang Fang. Because he caused a ruckus at the brothel and couldn’t afford to pay, he spent a few days in jail. He was just released yesterday! I shouldn’t have let this kid out!” Lin Zheng truly regretted it.
Confirming that her father’s target was indeed Zhang Fang, Lin Yuanyuan spoke in a detached tone, “Since he is a scholar and now famous through a story, he might soar to great heights in the future.”
This was exactly where Lin Zheng’s anger stemmed from! This was originally an opportunity for his son to become successful! And now, it was lost!
With a cruel glint in his eyes, Lin Zheng picked up his teacup and, not even drinking, said grimly, “He won’t have that opportunity!”
Fearing that her father would seek revenge on Zhang Fang, Lin Yuanyuan’s face turned serious, advising, “Father, rather than seeking revenge, why not win him over? This way, the Lin family gains another ally.”
Lin Zheng turned to look at his daughter in surprise, seriously considering her suggestion. He analyzed the consequences of both seeking revenge on Zhang Fang and winning him over.
Today, many people went to the teahouse to listen to stories, especially literati. If someone were thrown into jail while Zhang Fang was gaining popularity, it would surely attract public attention. It could backfire on him, becoming a case of losing more than he gained. Instead, it would be better to reel Zhang Fang in, recognizing him as a potential asset; letting him marry into their family would mean that once Zhang Fang became successful, the Lin family would also receive protection!
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