Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 157 What? The county magistrate's son can't even eat meat at home!

When Tian Qing saw the fourth son of the county lord's family coming with Shen Yu, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. However, his attitude towards Shen Yu became more attentive and warm.

The two were led by Tian Qing into a room that Shen Yu had never been to.

The room was not big, but the decoration inside was elegant and decent. Then someone brought two cups of fine tea.

Shen Yu told Tian Qing about what needed to be done. Tian Qing took the money from Shen Yu and Lu Lang and said, "Sir and Miss, please sit down and have a cup of tea. I will do it right away."

Lu Lang kept a straight face and said nothing, only nodded coldly.

Tian Qing quickly turned around and ran to handle the transfer and cash withdrawal.

Shen Yu was thirsty, so he reached out for the tea on the table and took a sip.

The tea soup was clear and left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth. Shen Yu secretly praised it in his heart and drank the tea slowly in a very good mood.

Seeing Shen Yu drinking relish, Lu Lang opened the lid of the cup to take a look, then closed it again with some disgust.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "This tea tastes good, would you like to try it, Mr. Lu?"

Lu Lang said as a matter of course: "This is not even good tea. I will give you some good tea some other day."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lu. It's not necessary. I don't know much about tea. If you give me your good tea, it will be wasted. You should keep it for yourself."

Lu Lang opened his mouth and wanted to retort, but after hesitating for a moment, he puffed his lips and kept silent.

Shen Yu was completely unaware of this. He turned around and pointed at a jade ornament placed on the Duobao Pavilion and asked Lu Lang what pattern was carved on it.

Lu Lang looked at Shen Yu speechlessly, but began to identify him seriously.

The two chatted for a while, and Tian Qing came in with a note of money and a small cloth bag, smiling.

On the way back, Lu Lang took the cloth bag containing silver and copper coins and helped Shen Yu carry it.

Shen Yu waved his hands, thanked with a smile, walked briskly in front, and chatted casually with Lu Lang.

Shen Yu saw a roadside shop selling plum candy and said casually, "This plum candy is sour and sweet, and children love it. If I didn't have to go back to the county government, I would really like to buy some to take back."

Unexpectedly, Lu Lang looked tall and had a cold temperament. When he frowned, he looked like a young man from a wealthy family. But when he started talking, he turned into a chatterbox full of resentment.

Lu Lang looked longingly at the fruit shop he had just passed and complained, "When I was a kid, I loved eating all kinds of candies and snacks. I could eat them every time I went to my grandmother's house. After I went to school, my grandfather said that no man loves sweets. Only those who endure hardships can become superior people. I rarely get to eat those candies and snacks now."

As Lu Lang spoke, he sighed in grievance.

He went on to say, "I originally thought that my grandfather would no longer be able to control me after I came to the county town with my father. But after my father came here, he somehow became a Buddhist and became a lay Buddhist. Eight out of ten meals at home are vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, and vermicelli. He doesn't eat meat, and he doesn't let me eat it, saying that I am killing animals."

Lu Lang said with great resentment, "Father followed my grandfather's instructions to raise boys poorly and girls well, and he was very strict with money. He always locked me up in the back hall to study. Except for the occasional bite of oily meat when I went out with my classmates, I couldn't eat meat on weekdays, let alone snacks and candies."

Shen Yu was shocked when he heard this. Who could have imagined that the son of a county magistrate could not even eat meat at home and did not even have money when he wanted to go out to eat meat.

She looked with sympathy at the second-generation official in front of her who had lost all his image and was complaining bitterly.

Shen Yu comforted him dryly: "Your father is really... well, he is really a kind father."

Lu Lang walked forward and when he passed by a restaurant, he looked at it several times with longing.

Shen Yu thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Lu, if you don't mind, after a few days, when we have finished cleaning up the shop and open it, I will prepare a special meal for you to thank you."

Lu Lang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he smiled and said, "Okay, let's make it clear first, I'll only bring my mouth, but I won't pay for it. Besides, I don't have any money."

Shen Yu couldn't help laughing: "Of course, even if you are a big eater, a table of food won't make me poor."

As if afraid that Shen Yu would go back on his word, Lu Lang said hastily, "Then it's settled. You must think of inviting me when the time comes, and tell me that I have done justice for you and you want to thank me. My father will definitely be willing to let me go after hearing this."

Lu Lang paused, and then said, "That old lady Hu is a troublemaker. I'm afraid you can't handle her. If you trust me, don't take over the store by yourself."

"I will ask Captain Xing to take over the shop in the name of the government. After Mrs. Hu and Old Man Zhou move out of the shop, you can move in then. Otherwise, they will refuse to leave after seeing that you bought the shop." Lu Lang was making plans for Shen Yu.

When Shen Yu heard this, he thought it was a blessing in disguise and immediately agreed, "I'm worried about this matter. Although I bought his shop, I don't want to deal with people like Mrs. Hu. I'll leave this matter to Mr. Lu."

Lu Lang said with great momentum: "You don't have to worry about this matter. I will notify you after the store is closed. You can still set up your stall as usual every day and just wait."

Shen Yu was delighted and walked with a cheerful step. He couldn't wait to tell Li and the others the good news.

In the lawyer's room of the An County government office, Li and Zhou Dalang sat obediently on a bench waiting.

They had drunk all the tea in front of them. They felt uncomfortable all over but did not dare to get up and walk around. They just hoped that Shen Yu and the others would come back soon.

Seeing Shen Yu and Lu Lang coming in, Li said as if she had seen a savior: "Yuzhi, you are back. How come you were gone for so long? It's not far away."

Shen Yu was in a very good mood, and said with a smile: "Mom, I'm back."

Shen Yu turned around, took the small cloth bag that Lu Lang handed over, handed it to Zhou Dalang and said, "Here is forty taels of silver and two hundred coins. Go and pay the tax."

Zhou Dalang took the bag, opened it and took a look, then honestly took out the two strings of silver and said, "Miss Shen, I gave you too much. Here are your two hundred coins."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "These two hundred coins are the extra money I paid for your room. I want to make it even for you so that it will be more convenient for you to take it home."

Zhou Dalang then thanked him with a grateful look on his face, and took out a ten-liang silver ingot and two strings of silver coins and handed them to Master Lu.

Lu Lang also handed the money slip from the county government to Mr. Lu.

After examining them, Mr. Lu quickly wrote out two receipt documents and stamped them with the county government's seal.

When the ink was dry, he handed it to Zhou Dalang and said, "Zhou Dalang, you have paid the silver for your crime and the tax for selling your shop. Here is the receipt. Keep it carefully."

Zhou Dalang quickly took it carefully with both hands, folded it carefully and stuffed it into the small cloth bag containing silver, then tied the drawstring of the bag tightly before putting it in his arms.

Seeing that the work was done, Shen Yu said to Lu Lang: "Mr. Lu, our work is done. Thank you for disturbing you for so long today. We are going back now."