"What's the matter?" Li Xun asked.
"I want my father to be the top scorer in the examinations and become the top High Scholar in Peng Prefecture." Zhang Xiaobao said seriously.
"What subject?" When Li Xun heard that he wanted to become the First High Scholar, he gulped and asked.
"The Jinshi subject, which was originally the Elementary Scholar subject." Zhang Xiaobao replied.
Li Xun was no longer swallowing his saliva, but was wiping his sweat. He had promised to give these children a tribute, but it was the kind that would be placed at the back of the queue. Not many of them would be able to persist. But Zhang Xiaobao, or rather the person behind him, wanted to be the top scorer, and it was for the Jinshi subject. This was too scary.
"Xiaobao, when you go back, you should tell your family that it's not easy to become the top High Scholar of the province. You need to have real talent, fame, and support. What I say doesn't count. Let's talk about the matter of the restaurant."
Li Xun was indeed in a difficult position. He did not have the ability to obtain the position of the top High Scholar in Peng Prefecture.
Zhang Xiaobao wanted to discuss this matter first and said, "Young master Li, you don't have to be in a difficult position. You have the fame. From tomorrow onwards, all the restaurants in San Shui County will sing Yong Cheng poems. Within half a month, all the restaurants in Peng Prefecture will sing Yong Cheng poems. During the New Year, Guannei Dao, Henan Dao, Shannan Dong Dao and Hedong Dao will sing Yong Cheng poems wherever there is a well."
Li Xun was stunned. He understood what the person from the Zhang family meant. He wanted to use money to bribe people to spread the poems everywhere. As long as the poems written by Zhang Xiaobao's father were not too bad, there would be no problems. But how much money would that require? No wonder they did not want empty positions.
Thinking of this, Li Xun nodded, "If that's the case, then it will be easier to handle. With this method of growing vegetables, your father's reputation will be very big. It's time to let your father write more poems. Write more, write well. Did your family say how much they are willing to pay this time?"
He just wanted to ask Zhang Xiaobao how much money his family could give to the people above him so that they could help him.
At this time, Zhang Xiaobao was silent. He had to calculate how much income he had and how to distribute it. His family was suddenly poor again. Just the expenses for those rumors alone were not small, and he still had to give gifts. How much money could he have? Between the Clouds and the Water was not earning enough, at least not now.
Little Luoshui could do it. It was not a problem for them to earn a hundred thousand taels of silver a year. Compared to those large clans with a foundation that could easily earn a million taels of silver, it was not bad. Compared to those small clans, it was not bad.
But this money could not be earned immediately. He needed a period of time. He was poor, but it would be enough to wait until his father finished his exams.
"Five thousand taels of silver a month. You can borrow some first. It should be thirty thousand taels. I can take it all out at once. What do you think, Young Master Li?" Zhang Xiaobao calculated and gave a number when he lamented that he was poor.
Li Xun did not understand what Zhang Xiaobao was thinking. Did his family not tell him about this? When Zhang Xiaobao said this, Li Xun smiled.
"It's good to have this money. I will help you arrange it. In fact, it is not a small amount. How much is the annual tax of the imperial court? With this money, people in the capital can also send invitations. Just wait for the good news. It seems that your family has made a lot of money. I will be counting on you in the future. "
Zhang Xiaobao naturally knew that the tax of the imperial court was not that high. It could easily be tens of millions. It was impossible. The main reason was that the tax was low. It was not like in the capital, where one had to pay twenty to thirty percent of the tax.
But it could not be said that there was no money here. The wealthy families in the capital could casually send a gift of a thousand strings of coins. At this time, the river there was not frozen. When the weather turned cold, the income would be even lower. They could only wait for the next year to sell ice.
"Then I will have to thank Young Master Li. When the restaurant Between the Clouds and the Water opens, Young Master Li will also have a small amount of money." Zhang Xiaobao said to Li Xun. A fragrant smell entered his nose. It would be ready to eat in a while.
Li Xun understood that this was a benefit given to him by the Zhang family. It seemed that this Zhang family was not bad. He could get some benefits from the way they grew vegetables. This time, he got another. His imperial nephew was also poor. The money that the palace gave him every month was not enough to do anything. He originally wanted to buy the restaurant Between the Clouds and the Water, but now he did not need to.
Zhang Xiaobao said that this was a temporary idea. He immediately arranged for someone to go back and ask his father to write some poems. His father's talent was not bad. He knew a lot of things. If it was not for the fact that he was afraid that his father would be angry, he could have asked Wang Juan to help him think of some poems to fake.
The stew bubbled for a while. After it was thick, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan took the pot and gave some to Li Xun. They began to eat the fragrant rice.
Li Xun praised as he ate. "Good. What did you put in? Don't forget to send me some of that seasoning when you go back. I will ask the chef to add it when he cooks. "
With a common interest, Zhang Xiaobao and Li Xun's relationship became closer. He chewed the beef with a bit of tendon at the back and nodded. "Okay. I will have someone send it to your place when we go back. When the restaurant is built, the mountain and the restaurant will be connected. You can bring people who are close to you to play. Remember to pay. Don't let your family's business fail."
"Yes, I will. You must pay. When the time comes, I will also have a share. My carriage needs to be changed. I need to make a few more sets of clothes. Look at these clothes. I wore them last year. They are a bit small."
Li Xun said happily. He even cried that he was poor.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan looked at the clothes Li Xun was wearing. They nodded and didn't say anything. He didn't wear the same clothes every day last year. As long as his body didn't grow too fast, so what if he wore the same clothes the year before?
The three of them sat together and chatted while eating. This made Han Yongyao and Yuan Xingyi, who were eating the smoked meat behind them, feel uncomfortable. Especially the smell of the beef stewed with radish and the fragrance of the cucumber, the two of them felt that the meat in their mouths was really hard to swallow.
"Brother Xingyi, didn't you just say that Young Master Li won't eat other people's food? Now we have to add two more dishes. "Han Yongyao looked at the smoked lamb leg in his hand and complained.
"If you give it to him, of course he won't eat it. But that dish is freshly made. If you give it to me, I won't be able to resist it either. I didn't expect that two kids could make such delicious food. Cucumber with garlic. I can even eat a bite."
Yuan Xingyi also felt that the food in his mouth was tasteless. Looking at the others eating the hot food in big mouthfuls, he smacked his lips and finally took a bite of his own food. Who asked him to not bring anything raw? If he didn't want to be beaten, he could only endure.
The adults who followed them also smelled the food made by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. One of them, who seemed to be a mother, said to the mother of another child next to her, "If I had known, I would have brought some raw food for Xin 'er."
"It's useless. They don't know how to cook. The children of the Zhang family and the Wang family are very good. Last time on the grassland, I saw them cook. I don't know how their family teaches them." The woman who heard the voice sighed.
The one who spoke before said, "It should be that their family is not rich. Their children have to help out since they were young."
"Not rich? This elder sister, do you know which family they are from? Tuqiao Village, the treasures of the two Zhuangzi, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. The wharf in Xiao Luoshui belongs to them. There are hundreds of shops, restaurants, and warehouses. They only rent and don't sell. The rent they receive every year is hundreds of thousands of strings of coins. "
The woman who understood the situation gave an introduction that she didn't know. Speaking of which, she was even more envious. The wasteland that they bought with a thousand taels of silver turned into a chicken that lays golden eggs.
When the woman heard that the two children were raised by the two Zhuangzi of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, she opened her mouth wide in shock. After a while, she closed it and said, "Such rich Zhuangzi actually let their children learn how to cook? Could it be that they want their children to be cooks in the restaurant in the future? "
She said sourly. Then, she looked at her 11-year-old child who was gnawing on a meat pie. The crumbs were everywhere. Then, she looked at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan who were still eating. She helplessly shook her head. Today was the last time the child would eat meat pie. Starting tomorrow, he would eat something else. The meat pie couldn't be left for too long.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan finished eating in a short while. They looked at the bowl that was stained with oil and then looked at the water bag they brought. They poured a little water into it and shook it a few times. Then, they raised their heads and drank the water that was stained with oil. Then, they took out two pieces of paper to wipe their faces.
"The river in front seems to be the day after tomorrow. Let's hold on for two days." Zhang Xiaobao put away the things and lay down on the withered grass.
"Are you really going to reach the destination?" Wang Juan lay down next to Zhang Xiaobao and asked.
Zhang Xiaobao and Weiwei turned their heads and looked at where Han Yongyao and Yuan Xingyi were. They put their arms under their heads and said, "That depends on when we can make them quit. If they can hold on for a short time, we will go back early. If they can hold on until the end, then I will admire them."
"Absolutely impossible. We can't scare them to death. We can't make them feel absent-minded and weak." Wang Juan took out the blankets and pushed Zhang Xiaobao to turn over. One of the blankets was spread out and the other covered the two of them.
After lying down for a while, Zhang Xiaobao took out the knife and walked towards Han Yongyao.
"You, what do you want to do? I'm telling you, if you dare to use the knife, you are finished. "Han Yongyao looked at Zhang Xiaobao who was holding the knife and asked vigilantly.
Yuan Xingyi also stared at Zhang Xiaobao. He didn't believe that Zhang Xiaobao would make a move at this time.
Zhang Xiaobao came close to the two of them, squatted down, smiled at the two of them and said, "Don't be afraid. Don't have nightmares at night. I will cut some grass and use it as a pillow. You guys go ahead."
Zhang Xiaobao said and really cut the grass beside the two of them. Han Yongyao and Yuan Xingyi didn't know what to do.
When Zhang Xiaobao was almost done cutting, Yuan Xingyi remembered and asked, "Don't you have grass over there? Why are you cutting the grass here? "
"Yes, but I don't want to see you die, so I help you. The place where you lie will be dangerous." Zhang Xiaobao said with a trembling voice.
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