Beautiful Peasant Girl: The Young Marquis's Beloved

Before dawn, Liu Xu got up and made breakfast.

The two little ones were still sleeping. Xu Ruolan got up quietly, packed up her things, and came out to help her daughter pick mushrooms.

When it was dawn, Liu Changshun and his family came over driving a ox cart.

Chen Lan came down to help carry the mushrooms into the car, and then she and Xu Ruolan each took a cloth bag and hung the two little ones on their chests.

It was cold in the morning, so they took a quilt to block the cold.

After locking the door, several people rode on a ox cart and headed towards the town.

When they arrived at Zuiyunxuan, it was half an hour earlier than before. It was Xiaoshan who opened the door and welcomed them in. Liuxu took Xing'er to the living room to wait for Chang, the shopkeeper, while the others were unloading the mushrooms.

Shopkeeper Chang came very quickly, and was even happier when he heard Xiaoshan say that they brought fresh mushrooms. As soon as he entered the door, he greeted the two with a smile.

"Xu girl, Xing girl, long time no see, why are you here so early today?"

"Uncle Chang!" "Shopkeeper Chang!" the two men answered in unison.

"Uncle Chang, in addition to bringing you mushrooms today, I also want to ask you something." Liu Xu said straight to the point.

"Oh? Girl, what do you say?"

"It's like this, our new house has been built, right? The mushroom bed is also ready, but there are too few people at home, and we are too busy to handle it, so we want to go to the dental clinic in the county to hire some people. I'm not very familiar with the county, so I want to ask uncle for the location of the dental clinic. If uncle knows a dental practitioner, it would be even better if he could introduce one to me."

Liu Xu said with a smile.

"That's it, no problem. There are two pawnbrokers in the county, one is the official pawnbroker and the other is a private pawnbroker. The price of private pawnbrokers is cheaper than that of official pawnbrokers, but uncle recommends that you go to the official pawnbrokers. Because the people who sell official pawnbrokers have a clear background, and if you are lucky, you can even meet official slaves from wealthy families. In your current situation, I suggest that you buy a few who can fight and kick, so that they can help with the work and protect your safety. In this way, I will send you a letter later, and when you arrive in the county, go directly to Zuiyunxuan and find the shopkeeper Wu there, and he will find someone to take you there."

Shopkeeper Chang gave detailed instructions.

"That's great. Thank you, Uncle Chang." Liu Xu stood up and bowed obediently.

"It's just a small favor. Why are you being so polite to me, uncle?" Shopkeeper Chang said happily while stroking his goatee.

"By the way, girl, is your uncle still going to drive the ox cart with you? The ox cart moves slowly, and you will probably come back in the dark, right?"

"No, this time both families will go together. Uncle San said that he would rent a bigger carriage so that he can buy some things when he comes back."

"That's fine." Shopkeeper Chang nodded slightly, and then said:

"You just said that your new house is finished. When are you going to have the housewarming party? Would it be okay for uncle to come and join in the fun?"

"It's OK. Once the date is set, I'll bring you a letter. Uncle, please come early then."

"Okay, okay, I'll come early." Shopkeeper Chang said happily.

After chatting for a while, Manager Chang settled the money for today's mushrooms and wrote a letter to Liu Xu.

On the other side, after unloading the mushrooms, Liu Changshun asked Chen Lan and the others to wait at Zuiyunxuan, and he took Shuisheng to the carriage and horse shop to rent a car.

When Liu Xu and the others came out, several people were already waiting in the carriage.

The two families left the carriage and backpack at Zuiyunxuan, and Liu Changshun drove the carriage towards the county town.

Along the way, the children and adults were in high spirits, especially Liuxu, Xing'er and Shuisheng, as it was their first time to go to the county town. They chattered and chattered all the way, and the two kids woke up halfway, making the car even more lively.

By the time we arrived at the gate of the county town, it was already noon.

Qinghe County is quite prosperous because it is close to the Qinglan River and has a wharf, which welcomes many business travelers.

Probably because it was already noon, there were not many people entering and leaving the city gate.

While waiting for the guards to check, Liu Xu and the others could not help but lift the curtains of the carriage. They saw the city gate was tall and majestic, and the city wall was thick and solid. They could vaguely hear the shouts of snack vendors coming from inside the city gate, one after another, it was very lively.

After entering the city gate, Liu Changshun drove the carriage towards Zuiyunxuan according to the address given by Manager Chang.

There are many shops on both sides of the street, with signs fluttering in the wind. Steaming buns are sold, and there are a variety of jewelry. Although Liu Xu has seen the prosperous modern city, he is amazed and curious about this ancient street.

Xing'er held Liuxu's hand with her eyes wide open. Shuisheng excitedly told the elders what he had seen and heard. Both families were immersed in this lively atmosphere.

When we arrived at Zuiyunxuan, it was time to serve guests. As soon as we stopped the carriage, a waiter came to greet us.

"A few guests, please come inside."

Liu Changshun and the others were a little embarrassed, they were not here to eat. But Liu Xu didn't think so. Since they came to the county town, they had to have a meal in the restaurant, otherwise why would they make money. Besides, they still had something to ask for help. So she stepped forward and said to the waiter with a smile:

"Brother, are there any private rooms?"

Seeing that it was a little girl who was talking, and seeing that although they were dressed simply, the adults looked a little nervous, the waiter was stunned for a moment, but it was only for a moment, and he immediately replied with a smile on his face:

"Yes, yes, there is just one left. Please come in!"

Liu Xu naturally noticed it and raised her eyebrows, thinking that Chang Yifei managed the restaurant well and the quality of the waiters was quite high.

"Eight seats in the second-floor box!" The waiter shouted, and led Liu Xu inside. Xu Ruolan followed first, holding Hao Ge'er, followed by Xing'er and Shuisheng. Liu Changshun and his wife looked at each other and followed in. Of course, the waiter in the store helped to lead the carriage to the back.

After entering the box, Liu Xu first looked around. There were carved window lattices and light gauze curtains. There were sandalwood tables and chairs, and the aroma of tea was wafting in the air. There were ink paintings hanging on the walls, and exquisite porcelain was placed on the desks. The breeze was blowing gently, and the elegant charm was overflowing. Drinking and chatting here was a quiet and peaceful experience.

Several people sat down one after another, and a waiter came in to pour tea. The waiter who led them in was very perceptive and said with a smile on his face:

"Is this your first time at Zuiyunxuan?"

"I guess so! Little brother, I see the hall downstairs is full, so your food must taste very good, right?" Liu Xu continued with a smile.

"Oh, girl, I'm not bragging, in Qinghe County, our restaurant is second to none. Our dishes, such as squirrel fish, braised pigeon, crispy pigeon, and chicken stewed with wild delicacies, are not available in other restaurants."

The waiter rattled off a bunch of dishes with a look of pride on his face.

Liu Xu almost spit out the tea in her mouth when she heard this. Xu Ruolan also looked strange. Liu Xu thought: Come on, these are all the dishes she gave.

But thinking that Uncle San's family had never eaten there before, she randomly ordered five meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup. Chen Lan thought it was a bit too much and tried to persuade them to stop eating, but Xu Ruolan pulled her and gently shook her head.

The young man agreed and was about to leave, but Liu Xu stopped him:

"Little brother, is Shopkeeper Wu here?"

A hint of surprise flashed across the man's face, and then he smiled and said:

"Of course we are. The shopkeeper is downstairs."

Liu Xu took out the letter from Shopkeeper Chang and handed it to the waiter:

"Little brother, please give this letter to Shopkeeper Wu and tell him it's from Shopkeeper Chang."

The guy's face showed even more surprise, and then he retreated with an even more respectful attitude than before.

After the door was closed, Chen Lan couldn't wait to speak:

"Xu girl, why did you order so many dishes? Let's just order two... um, three or four and eat them with rice."

"Third Aunt, calm down. We will soon have servants, so be open-minded. Besides, we don't come here often, so just treat it as a treat for yourself."

"But, but... we can't finish so much, what a waste. Besides, Third Aunt, I heard that the dishes at Zuiyunxuan are very expensive..." At the end, Chen Lan looked at the door and her voice became softer.

"That's nothing. If we can't finish it, we can just pack it up and take it home to eat. Xu'er is treating us today, so please eat without worry!" She patted her chest again and whispered like Chen Lan:

"Don't worry, there's enough money."

Chen Lan wanted to say something, but Liu Changshun pulled her and shook his head with a smile:

"Her mother, listen to Xu girl."

Xu Ruolan also smiled and advised: "Alan, don't worry, Xu'er knows what's going on. Have you forgotten? She gets a share of the profits from Zuiyunxuan."

When Chen Lan heard this, she suddenly realized, yes, she had forgotten about this.

"Hahahaha, then Third Aunt won't be polite. Xing'er, Shuisheng, eat as much as you want later. We're going to eat Xu'er's meal today."

Everyone couldn't help laughing.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and the laughter in the room stopped abruptly.

"Come in!" Liu Xu was the first to react.

The door of the box opened, and a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a plain long gown and with a refined figure, walked in. The man had a fair complexion, a short beard, and a shrewd look in his eyes. He immediately looked at Liu Xu and said with a slightly excited look:

"This is Master Liu, right?"

"Ah?" Liu Xu was a little confused.

"My name is Wu Youliang, and I am the shopkeeper of Zuiyunxuan in Qinghe County. Earlier this month, the young master notified all the shopkeepers of Zuiyunxuan, saying that you will be the young master of Zuiyunxuan from now on, and all your consumption in Zuiyunxuan will be charged to his account."

Shopkeeper Wu tried his best to suppress his inner excitement and said respectfully. He and Shopkeeper Chang were good friends, so he naturally knew that Zuiyunxuan's current signature dishes and mushroom supply were all provided by the little girl in front of him.

Since these dishes were introduced, the restaurant's business has been booming. You know, in addition to their monthly salary, the shopkeepers also receive bonuses. The better the business, the more bonuses they get at the end of the year. Therefore, in his eyes, Liu Xu is like the God of Wealth.

"Um, there is such a thing, haha, Third Brother Chang didn't tell me." Liu Xu scratched his head embarrassedly.

"That Shopkeeper Wu... um, I'll call you Uncle Wu! Uncle Wu, we came here today to ask for your help. Do you have time later?" Liu Xu said a little embarrassedly, but Shopkeeper Wu was a little surprised, and then his face became more friendly:

"You are too polite, young master. Manager Chang has already told me in the letter. If you are not in a hurry, you can eat first. I will ask the clerk to go to the pawnbroker and ask the pawnbroker to bring the person here directly. Then you can choose directly in the backyard. I just don't know what kind of people you want, young master?"

Several people looked at each other, some were surprised and some were delighted. Seeing this, Liu Xu turned to Shopkeeper Wu and said with a smile:

"Then I'll trouble you, Uncle Wu. Don't call me the young master anymore. Just call me Xu girl like Uncle Chang. Uncle Wu, we want some strong laborers, preferably with some skills. Then we need two housekeepers, a few old women or older women, preferably with some skills. It would be best if we have official slaves for the whole family." Liu Xu said slowly.

Shopkeeper Wu was a little surprised when he heard this. No wonder she was already the boss at such a young age. From her requirements for selecting people, it can be seen that she has a plan in mind.

"Okay, I understand. Then little... Exu girl, everyone, just eat first. I'll notify you when the people arrive."

"Thank you, Uncle Wu."

After Manager Wu left, Liu Xu saw Xing'er and Shuisheng looking at her with admiration, her third uncle had an expression that said "as expected", and her mother and her third aunt looked proud of them.

Liu Xu couldn't help but feel a little proud, and said proudly:

"Uncle San, Aunt San, Mom, Xing'er, Brother Shuisheng, eat as much as you want today. Someone's paying for it anyway. Hahahahaha!"

After a while, the dishes came up one after another. Chen Lan and Xu Ruolan each held a child. There was no rule of not talking while eating, and everyone had a lively meal.