The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 542 - 531

Chapter 542: 531

Manbao stuffed the money into the system, and Mr. Zhuang shut himself away for three days to read. It was not until the third day that he emerged to tell them, "I will take you to pay a visit to a teacher, and along the way, we can inquire about the prefectural school exams."

During these three days, Zhou Silang had taken out the glossy privet and dried ginger he brought in batches, visiting every pharmacy in Yizhou City and exchanging them for a tidy sum of copper coins.

Unlike Luojiang County, which had only one pharmacy, there were many pharmacies in Yizhou City; the largest three included Jishi Hall, which was just one among them.

With a few small pharmacies beneath them, Zhou Silang spent these three days asking around with two small cloth bags, finding these pharmacies and then inquiring about the price of glossy privet and dried ginger, taking note of the pricing in each establishment.

He decided to choose a pharmacy that offered the highest prices and seemed the easiest to deal with as his regular buyer.

Manbao, however, thought differently, "Since you’re planning to send it to Yizhou City anyway, why not sell to several shops?"

She said, "Our family has so much land, glossy privet will only grow more abundant, and now many villagers are planting ginger, too. If the crops are plentiful, you can buy the older ginger for drying or have them dry it directly, then transport it to Yizhou City to sell."

Zhou Silang gave it serious thought. If they were to transport herbs from the village, it would surely be by ox cart. Regardless of whether it was one bag or two, more was always better.

Not having enough on their own, they would then have to buy from the villagers.

Zhou Silang clapped his hands together, laughing, "Manbao, you’re the smart one. I’ll go back out tomorrow to look around. I’ve already struck up conversations with some of these pharmacy owners over the past couple of days. I’ll go out for a meal tomorrow, chat a bit more, and see if they’re willing to make large purchases."

Manbao nodded, "It’s best to clarify how much they consume in a month and what price they’ll offer if we can guarantee supply."

Manbao said, "Silang, you also need to calculate exactly how much we can supply to them. It would be best to secure a contract so that they can’t turn us away or drive the price down after we deliver."

Zhou Silang rubbed his head, "I don’t know how to write contracts."

"No hurry, it’s not something that can be done in a day, and I know how," Manbao said. "If they don’t write it, I’ll help you."

"Great, you’re the clever one, Manbao. I’ll listen to you."

Thus, the next day, Zhou Silang took a string of coins from Manbao and set out, while Manbao joined Bai Shanbao and the others in leaving with Mr. Zhuang.

Daji drove a horse carriage, helping Mr. Zhuang onto it and opening the carriage windows. While enjoying the wafting scents from outside, they asked Mr. Zhuang, "Teacher, who is the teacher we’re going to meet?"

Mr. Zhuang replied wistfully, "It’s Mr. Lan. He’s a teacher at the prefectural school and was once my classmate."

"Oh," the three obediently acknowledged. Manbao inquired, "Teacher, is he very formidable?"

Mr. Zhuang stroked his beard and smiled, "He is indeed formidable. You’ll understand when you meet him."

Mr. Lan resided near the prefectural school, not far from their small courtyard. Two days earlier, Mr. Zhuang had Daji deliver a visiting card, so when they arrived and knocked on the door, it was quickly opened by someone inside.

The servant, upon seeing Mr. Zhuang, bowed slightly and asked, "Are you Mr. Zhuang from Luojiang County?"

Mr. Zhuang smiled and nodded in affirmation, "Indeed I am."

The servant then made way, bending and hurrying to say, "Teacher, please come in. Our master has been waiting since early this morning."

Mr. Zhuang led his three apprentices and Daji indoors. Just as they entered the yard, a spry middle-aged man came to greet them. He looked seven or eight years younger than Mr. Zhuang and brightened at the sight of him, "Brother Zhuang?"

Mr. Zhuang beamed with delight and greeted him with roaring laughter, "Zhong Cheng, long time no see, how have you been?"

Lan Cheng stepped forward briskly, exchanging smiles with Mr. Zhuang and laughed heartily, "It has indeed been a long time. I’ve written you letters, but you never replied. I thought..."

I thought you were dead.

The two had studied together at the prefectural school and shared a close relationship. After many years apart, there was much to discuss. Following a bit of small talk, Mr. Zhuang prompted his three apprentices to come forward and meet Lan Cheng.

Lan Cheng stroked his beard as they bowed, lifting his hand with a smile, "I was a classmate of your teacher, and we studied together for four or five years. You may call me Junior Uncle."

The three looked to Mr. Zhuang and, following his nod, bowed again and called out "Junior Uncle."

Lan Cheng, pleased, stroked his beard, only then noticing Manbao, to the left, was a young lady. He paused, turning to Mr. Zhuang, "Brother Zhuang, is this your child?"

Who else would take a girl as an apprentice?

Mr. Zhuang, chuckling, shook his head and introduced, "Her name is Zhou Man, and she is my eldest apprentice. She’s quite a bright child."

Manbao smiled modestly at Lan Cheng.

Lan Cheng merely paused a moment and then smiled, saying, "Since you speak so highly of her, this child must truly be smart. Now, which of these students will be sitting the prefectural school exams?"

Mr. Zhuang pointed to Bai Shanbao, "This is my second apprentice, Bai Shan. Could you please evaluate him to see how he measures up?"

He added with a smile, "Having not visited the capital for many years, I am not sure of the current level of students at the prefectural school. However, by our standards when we enrolled, I believe this child is ready for the challenge."

Lan Cheng found the young man exceedingly youthful, but he also knew his former classmate to be prudent and not one to exaggerate.

If he said Bai Shan had the ability, it was likely true.

So, without further ado, Lan Cheng began his examination.

Certainly, entrance to the prefectural school was not attained by merely studying the basic classics. One should also be knowledgeable in history, philosophy, and even miscellaneous writings.

While some readings might not be examined deeply, they would all be touched upon, necessitating a broad scope of study.

Ensuring a talent for reading such volumes at a young age required not just a wealthy family with enough books but also intelligence and self-discipline.

Lan Cheng did not expect Bai Shan to answer so readily, prompting him to delve deeper into his questioning.

Mr. Zhuang pointed to Manbao, chuckling, "Come on, help out your Junior Brother so Mr. Lan can also see what you’ve learned."

Lan Cheng glanced at Mr. Zhuang, smiled, and then set his gaze on Manbao.

Manbao glanced at Bai Shanbao and noticed his forehead beaded with sweat and an air of exhaustion, aware that after being questioned for half an hour, he must be quite tired. She bowed respectfully and began answering on his behalf.

Having taught at the prefectural school for over a decade, Lan Cheng was accustomed to students of various calibers, including those as sharp as Bai Shan and Zhou Man.

However, they were not as young as these two, and moreover, Zhou Man was a girl.

The more Lan Cheng examined them, the more he couldn’t help but sigh. Why did she have to be a girl?

If only she were a boy, taking her as an apprentice could have led to a remarkable story.

Lan Cheng, pleased with the examination, then cast his eyes toward Bai Erlang.