The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune
Chapter 151 - 147: Keep Up

Chapter 151: Chapter 147: Keep Up

Zhang Xiaoli asked Liu Wenyao, "Sister-in-law, does your brother-in-law’s family still know shopkeeper Gu from Bogu Pavilion?"

Liu Wenyao shook her head, "I don’t know about that. I haven’t seen Wenyu for a long time, and he’s never mentioned it."

Liu Wenyao did know a bit about the reason. She heard from her own father that Lady Xuanbao was studying with the young master of Bogu Pavilion.

But she wouldn’t tell Zhang Xiaoli.

Her little sister-in-law was not someone who did things by halves, and she was quite adept at climbing the social ladder.

If she knew that Lady Xuanbao was studying with the young master of Bogu Pavilion, she would probably dare to leverage that relationship to get a discount at Bogu Pavilion when shopping there.

Liu Wenyao definitely wouldn’t want to cause any trouble for her sister’s family!

Zhang Xiaoli was somewhat dissatisfied with her response, "That’s your maternal family’s matter, how can you know nothing about everything! You didn’t know such a big thing about Lady Xuanbao receiving The Emperor’s reward, and you don’t know if Lady Xuanbao and the shopkeeper of Bogu Pavilion are acquainted!"

The Ruo family had received The Emperor’s reward, and it was after Xuanbao left yesterday that Zhang Xiaoli saw that the New Year’s gifts sent by the Ruo family were much better than the previous years, especially those fabric rolls. She wanted to take two rolls to make clothes for herself, her husband, and her child.

Zhang Rui, who disliked her always scornful and mocking little aunt, and remembered that Xuanbao said the fabric was bestowed by The Emperor and couldn’t be given to others, mentioned that those were imperial gifts and couldn’t be transferred, lest one risked beheading.

This scared both Old Lady Zhang and Zhang Xiaoli!

Then Zhang Xiaoli kept asking Liu Wenyao what was going on. Liu Wenyao wasn’t the type to show off either. She kept a low profile and wouldn’t spread around any honor her relatives received back home in her husband’s house. She only said she was busy in the grocery store from morning till night, so she didn’t have a clear idea, only hearing her father mention in passing that Xuanbao seemed to have established some merit and received The Emperor’s reward.

Liu Wenyao’s answer did not satisfy Zhang Xiaoli’s curiosity. She felt such a big matter would surely have been heard outside, so she immediately went out to seek information from her close girlfriends.

Only after asking around did she realize the great merit Ruo Xuan had established.

Because of that, she changed her attitude from the day before and cordially invited Xuanbao inside to sit.

Liu Wenyao indifferently said, "I’m busy in the shop from morning till night, I hardly have time to eat, how am I supposed to know?"

"What do you mean by that?" Zhang Xiaoli frowned.

With three women and a single drama, Zhang Chengye feared they would start quarreling and hastily said, "It’s my fault for not accompanying you to visit your maternal home often enough, not even knowing about such a big matter as Xuanbao receiving The Emperor’s reward. After the New Year, I will definitely accompany you more often to visit your maternal home."

Zhang Xiaoli also knew that Liu Wenyao indeed was busy all day long at the grocery shop, and since she needed her to speak to Lady Xuanbao, she did not argue with Liu Wenyao any further.

Liu Wenyao didn’t want to see her husband caught between three women, so she said, "Mother, I’ll go hang the Child-Blessing Guanyin painting in the room first."

Old Lady Zhang nodded, "Right, hang the portrait first, and make sure it’s done as Xuanbao instructed."

Now, Old Lady Zhang’s priority was solely the matter of having a grandson.

Thereupon, Liu Wenyao went back to her room.

Zhang Xiaoli speculated, "Bogu Pavilion is said to be related to the Zhenguo Duke in the Capital City, could it be because the Ruo family received The Emperor’s reward, the two families started to interact?"

"Probably!" Old Lady Zhang didn’t have the mind to care about these details. Dropping this comment, she followed into the room to see the Ruo family’s heirloom painting.

She was worried that Madam Liu wasn’t devout enough since whether they could have a grandson next year depended on it!

Zhang Xiaoli coveted the items from Bogu Pavilion, and shopkeeper Gu might end up taking Ruo Xuan to the place. With that thought, she could not stay put and hurriedly ran out.

The grain shop that Ruo Xuan wanted to buy was located across the street from Bogu Pavilion.

As the year’s end approached, the city was crowded daily, and Ruo Xuan, smelling the various street food aromas, had been drooling for a while.

When shopkeeper Gu was driving the carriage near Bogu Pavilion, Ruo Xuan couldn’t help but say, "Brother Xuanyuan, there are too many people on the street, and it’s inconvenient by carriage. Grandfather Gu said the grocery shop is just ahead, can we leave the carriage at Bogu Pavilion and then walk over to have a look?"

Shopkeeper Gu immediately refused, "The street is too crowded, it’s not safe to walk."

Xuanyuan Que had long noticed that a certain flower was drooling with desire.

Fearing that the carriage would be flooded by this flower’s drool, he said, "Sure."

When the shopkeeper heard this, he could only say, "Then I’ll park the carriage back at Bogu Pavilion, and we can walk!"

Thus, the shopkeeper parked the carriage back at Bogu Pavilion and walked down the main street with the two children.

Ruo Xuan saw a stand selling popped sweet rice and immediately ran over, "Brother Xuanyuan, this is delicious! It tastes so fragrant!"

Then she said to the woman selling the popped sweet rice, "Madam, I want a pound of this!"

The woman happily replied, "Alright, my popped sweet rice has honey added to it, making it especially sweet and fragrant, with a hint of floral aroma. It’s fifty wen a pound, and I’ll weigh it for you now, young lady."

Popped sweet rice is made from popped rice and syrup.

At that time, rice was expensive, sugar even more so, and honey was considered the aristocrat among sweeteners. Ordinary popped sweet rice was forty wen a pound, but with honey, it shot up to fifty wen a pound.

Others would only spend two wen for a small piece for their children to taste, while only the wealthy families would buy it by the pound.

Ruo Xuan took out a string of coins.

The shopkeeper quickly said, "Lady Xuanbao, I’ll pay with silver."

Xuanyuan Que said, "Shopkeeper, your silver will do."

The shopkeeper took out a string of coins and counted out fifty wen to pay.

"Xuanbao!" At that moment, a cheerful voice rang out from behind.

Zhang Jie had come out to stroll the streets with her elder and second brothers, and from afar, she saw Ruo Xuan and Xuanyuan Que. She hurriedly pulled her brothers over, "Xuanbao, are you also out shopping in the city?"

Ruo Xuan, hearing Zhang Jie’s voice, was also glad and turned around with a smile, "No, I’m here to look at a shop."

Zhang Jie didn’t understand, "Look at what shop?"

"I’m thinking of buying a shop, so I’ve come to take a look!"

"Xuanbao wants to buy a shop? What will you use it for? My elder and second brothers and I will accompany you to take a look and give you some advice!"

"I’m planning to open a bookstore."

Zhang Qian’s eyes lit up, "Xuanbao opening a bookstore and selling books, I will definitely be the first one to support you and tell my classmates."

Zhang Lian felt that the Ruo Family had no shops and didn’t understand business or how to choose the right shop. Finally, there was something he knew more about than Ruo Xuan. He immediately said, "Where is the shop you’ve chosen? We’ll help you see if it’s suitable for a bookstore."

"It’s just ahead!"

Zhang Lian, "If you want to open a bookstore, the shop needs to be near an Academy."

Zhang Jie, "No need, wherever Xuanbao opens the bookstore, the business will definitely be good, right big brother?"

Zhang Qian nodded, "Indeed, the fragrance of wine is not afraid of a deep alley."

Zhang Xiaoli hurried to Bogu Pavilion, not expecting to see Ruo Xuan and the shopkeeper leaving Bogu Pavilion with the children. She followed along, planning to take the opportunity to get closer while Ruo Xuan was busy shopping. But then she saw the County Magistrate’s two sons and daughter running over to greet Ruo Xuan.

She was extremely shocked. Was this Xuanbao really so familiar with the County Magistrate’s sons and daughter?

So she didn’t approach but decided to listen to what they were saying.

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