"Then can I co find Uncle Liu in the future? You won’t find annoying, will you?" Gu Chengyu replied half-jokingly.
"What kind of talk is that? Just co whenever you want. When you go back, please say hello to Doctor Li for , and tell him to co visit often. It’s been three years since he last ca, and he hasn’t visited this old friend of his."
"Don’t worry, Uncle Liu! I’ll be sure to pass on the ssage," Gu Chengyu said as he saw his father sorting through the silver notes, and he quickly stepped forward to help.
Manager Liu watched Mr. Gu as he picked up the silver notes, glanced at them, and then pulled out two taels of Silver, intending to use it for the journey back. The rest he placed in the rolled-up small blanket they brought, and then into the burlap sack they had just retrieved. Actually, when Gu Chengyu stepped forward to help, he had already stashed the silver notes and Silver away, sothing Mr. Gu didn’t know. Manager Liu thought to himself, even if there were a thief, they wouldn’t expect the Silver to be hidden in a small blanket in a burlap sack, right? It should be safe like this.
"Brother Gu, since you’re here in the county, and it’s almost 7:30 AM, why don’t I treat you to try the famous dishes of the Wenxian Building here?" Manager Liu thought, having traveled from afar, at this hour, they’re probably hungry, so it’s better to have sothing good before heading back.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Uncle Liu, but we rented an ox cart to co here and have the driver waiting for us at the county gate. It’s getting late now, and we fear missing the appointed hour with him. We can’t just let him wait in vain, can we?" Gu Chengyu hurriedly refused upon hearing about going to the restaurant. Dining expenses are high, and we shouldn’t impose, especially since we’ve just t them; it wouldn’t be appropriate to accept their hospitality.
"Since you’ve already made arrangents, I won’t insist. Brother Gu, next ti you co to the county, you must find , so I can play the part of a proper host." Manager Liu knew they were carrying so much silver; even if they went to the restaurant, they wouldn’t be at ease, so it was better to head back early.
"Manager Liu, we shall take our leave now." Mr. Gu still felt his heart pounding, and he didn’t even want to visit his eldest sister anymore. He just wanted to go back and tell his wife and cheer her up. She’s been with him for so many years, and they’ve never seen even fifty taels of silver.
"Uncle Liu, we’ll et again next ti." Gu Chengyu bowed to Manager Liu to say goodbye.
Manager Liu escorted the Gu Family to the entrance of the dical hall. "Manager Liu, you don’t need to see us off further; we’re heading back now," Mr. Gu turned back and said to Manager Liu.
"Then I’ll leave you here. Be careful on the road." After saying this, he went back inside.
"Father, let’s buy sothing in the county. It’s not easy to co here, and we should bring sothing back, right? Also, you ntioned visiting Aunt’s house—if that’s true, we should bring so snacks as gifts, right?" Gu Chengyu, seeing the lively county, genuinely wanted to look around. He was thinking of buying sothing to thank Dongzi and also bid farewell when leaving.
Thinking for a bit, he tugged his father’s sleeve to lower his head, quietly telling him that he had already stashed away the Silver. Mr. Gu was a bit surprised after hearing this, wondering how it happened so quickly when he had clearly put it inside the blanket himself just a mont ago.
"Really? But the ox cart is still waiting for us! As for going to your Aunt’s house, I indeed have that intention." Mr. Gu was a bit hesitant. It was rare to co to the county, and he also wished to buy sothing. With the Silver safe with the Immortal, he didn’t have to worry. After so thought, he decided to go shopping.
"Eldest, go check if the cart driver is still at the city gate. If he is, ask him to wait a bit longer, as we are still his custors. If he’s not, don’t co looking for us; just wait there, and don’t get separated. Xiao Bao and I will buy sothing and co back quickly, not wandering around. You take the blanket with you—it’s not convenient for us to carry it around." Mr. Gu worried that making the cart driver wait too long was unfair, and since they’d be leaving after buying sothing, it would be better for the eldest to wait there with the goods.
"What? How can I do that? I don’t dare, Father!" Gu Chengli was reluctant to roam in the bustling crowd, but knowing the blanket contained Silver, the thought of carrying that much made his hands tremble just thinking of going to the city gate alone.
"Just take it! What are you afraid of? Stop staring at it, or you’ll tell everyone there’s sothing in there. Go!" Mr. Gu was a little annoyed; his eldest son needed to build so courage.
Mr. Gu and Gu Chengyu watched their eldest brother head towards the city gate and then turned to walk into the crowd.
As the two strolled down the street, they glanced at each stall they passed. Mr. Gu was thinking, if they were going to his eldest sister’s place, they should buy a packet of snacks and so brown sugar—which was expensive. Add to that a piece of cloth, and the gift would be complete.
But Gu Chengyu wasn’t interested in those things. He thought it would be better to buy sothing to give to Brother Dongzi as a thank you for his help. Besides, he had a good impression of Brother Dongzi.
At every stall, people were stopping by, and the vendors just kept shouting. If anyone approached, they’d eagerly introduce their goods.
Gu Chengyu pulled Mr. Gu over to a stall selling cooked food, the aroma of braised at almost making him drool. "Father, Brother Dongzi helped us out, so maybe we could buy him two braised pig’s feet as thanks. Offering money might not be necessary, but giving so food would be appropriate. Let’s buy so to take ho for the family to try too."
"That’s fine, but for us, if we’re going to your aunt’s house, carrying pig’s feet would be inconvenient, wouldn’t it?" Mr. Gu thought about buying eatables and necessities back ho but figured it might be better to do so at the town.
Seeing soone trying to buy pig’s feet, the stall owner suddenly perked up, "Brother, you have a keen eye! I’ve been selling braised at here as Blind Wang for over ten years. I assure you the taste is reliable. How about it? Two pig’s feet? Give it to the kids to try?"
"Father, we don’t have to visit Aunt today, right? We can go tomorrow. It’s getting late, and by the ti we get there, it’ll be evening. Why not go tomorrow?" Gu Chengyu didn’t really want to visit Aunt’s house today. Plus, after journeying so long today, they’d be back in the afternoon. His mother at ho would surely be worried.
"Alright, it’s fine. Tomorrow, then. Today is indeed rushed, and there’s no need to buy gifts today; we’ll buy them at town tomorrow. How do you sell pig’s feet? Please give four pig’s feet, cut and packed in two portions," Mr. Gu called out to the stall owner to cut two more pig’s feet, as he thought visiting the eldest sister today was indeed rushed. He figured visiting tomorrow would be more appropriate.
"Alright! Pig’s feet, thirteen Copper Coins a pound. It looks like you’re a doting father, let cut them for you, okay?" The stall owner, saying so, already had the knife in his hand, chopping the pig’s feet with a few swift strokes, "Let weigh them for you! Exactly five pounds and one ounce, I’ll round it to five pounds, totaling sixty-five Copper Coins." He then skilfully wrapped the pig’s feet in two sheets of oiled paper and tied them with string.
Gu Chengyu found this vendor to be quite cunning and sowhat sly. He had chopped the pig’s feet before even weighing them, making it hard for anyone to refuse after that. However, his eloquence made it difficult to dislike him.
Mr. Gu felt a pinch at being asked for sixty-five Copper Coins—things in this county were expensive! He fished out a string of Copper Coins from his pocket, which Mrs. Lv had made him bring, amounting to two hundred Copper Coins. As he counted the Copper Coins in his hand, he felt an ache in his heart.
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