When Zhao Ce left the house, he was still wearing a Long-sleeved shirt. People from the village who were also going out saw him, but most of them didn't look pleased. In the past, they knew he was a scholar, and they could exchange a few jokes with him. Now that they knew he had been expelled from school, even the interest in making fun of him had vanished.
On the ox cart, Zhao Zhiqiang, Uncle Liu's son, happened to be taking the small trinkets made by his mother and wife to sell outside. When he saw Zhao Ce, he warmly sat down next to him and struck up a conversation.
The grass in Zhao Ce's fields had already been cut. His father was busy with his other brothers. Today, he was resting and taking the opportunity to earn some extra money by going to the city. He said, "Zhao Ce, that group of monks you exposed at the Zhao Mansion. I heard that the county magistrate has already concluded the case. Turns out they were all fake monks!"
As soon as this matter was brought up, Zhao Ce remembered that he hadn't been to the city for several days. Now, hearing about it, he became curious. Although the other people on the cart didn't speak to him, they all perked up their ears, wanting to hear the gossip. After all, they had all heard about that day's incident from others.
Zhao Ce asked, "Has it been concluded?"
Zhao Zhiqiang nodded and said, "Yes. That day, I passed by the teahouse carrying my baggage. I heard many people talking about this matter. They said these fake monks had accomplices too. But it's a bit far away, seems to be closer to the provincial capital. This group of people has harmed quite a few individuals."
As Zhao Zhiqiang spoke, the people around listened with great interest. The person who led the group of monks was to be beheaded, while the others would be exiled.
After listening, Zhao Ce thought to himself that his guess was indeed correct. This group of people indeed had accomplices. Moreover, judging by the number of Buddhist beads, it was evident that they had harmed many people. However, now that they had been captured, these people probably wouldn't dare to cause trouble for the time being. Nevertheless, regardless of the situation, it had nothing to do with him for the time being.
After arriving in the city, Zhao Zhiqiang lifted his baggage and said to Zhao Ce, "I'll be setting up my stall in the East Market. If you need anything, just come find me there." Zhao Ce smiled and replied, "Alright." Zhao Zhiqiang then walked away, carrying his baggage.
Zhao Ce had inquired about Zhao Wenhua’s workplace with Zhao Youcai the day before yesterday. The restaurant where Zhao Wenhua worked was called Jade Pavilion Restaurant. Jade Pavilion Restaurant was the largest restaurant in the city. Naturally, Zhao Ce was aware of it.
He continued walking along the main road. When he reached the middle, he finally saw the Jade Pavilion Restaurant. At this time, the restaurant was filled with guests staying at the inn, having their breakfast. Zhao Ce, dressed in a brand-new Long-sleeved shirt, walked in.
The waiter at the entrance didn't even lift his head and said, "Our restaurant is not open for business yet." "Please come back later."
Zhao Ce nodded slightly to the waiter and said, "Excuse me, I'm looking for your manager, Zhao Wenhua."
Upon hearing the calm voice of the person in front of him, the waiter felt that he didn't sound like an ordinary person. He looked up and saw a young man with a bookcase on his back, dressed in a Long-sleeved shirt. He stood calmly in front of him. Although his attire seemed mismatched, his demeanor didn't resemble that of an ordinary farmer. The waiter straightened up a bit and asked, "May I know who wants to see our manager, Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Ce said, "I'm his cousin. Please inform him."
Upon hearing that it was the manager's cousin, the waiter immediately became attentive. He said, "So you are Mr. Zhao's cousin." "Please follow me inside. I'll take you to him."
Zhao Ce followed him and entered the restaurant. The waiter probably felt that his attitude had been lacking just now. As they walked, the waiter kept talking. "Master Zhao, I noticed you carrying a bookcase." "You must be a scholar, right?" Zhao Ce confirmed it.
The waiter continued, "Indeed." "As soon as I saw your extraordinary demeanor, I knew you were not an ordinary person." "By the way, our manager had asked me to inquire about someone earlier." "He said that person had been expelled from school." "With your demeanor, someone knowledgeable like you wouldn't have such a problem."
Upon hearing his words, Zhao Ce felt that the protagonist the waiter mentioned was most likely himself...
The waiter chatted away.
Suddenly, he remembered something. He said, "The person our manager wanted me to inquire about, the one who was expelled from school, seems to be from your village too." "His name, his name..." The waiter slapped his thigh. "It's Zhao Ce!" "Master Zhao, do you happen to know this person?"
A twitch appeared at the corner of Zhao Ce's mouth. After a while, He still hadn't replied.
From over there, a familiar voice could be heard. "Ce'er, why have you come?"
Zhao Ce saw Zhao Wenhua walking out from inside and quickly greeted him. "Brother Wenhua, I came to talk to you about something." Zhao Wenhua nodded and let him into the inner room. He then told the motionless waiter standing beside them, "Have someone bring tea and snacks."
The dumbfounded waiter replied, "Ah, oh..." "Alright..." Zhao, surname. Called Ce'er... The waiter almost wanted to cover his face and hurriedly left the place.
Zhao Wenhua sat down with Zhao Ce in the inner room. He asked him, "Is this about the school matter?" Zhao Ce shook his head.
He took out a package of refined sugar from his bookcase. "Brother Wenhua, I heard from Uncle that your restaurant wants to buy my refined sugar?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhua became enthusiastic. "That's right." "My father said it depends on your willingness." "I originally planned to come and talk to you about it tomorrow during my day off." "I didn't expect to come out on my own."
Zhao Ce smiled and said, "I've been thinking about coming out for the past few days." "Just that I didn't come because I hadn't finished the farm work at home." Upon hearing him mention farm work, Zhao Wenhua couldn't help but give him a glance. This scholar, who had never touched the fields, saying that he hadn't finished the farm work sounded novel. It seemed that his cousin had truly changed a lot...
But these were not the main points. Zhao Wenhua took the refined sugar from his hand.
He opened it and examined it carefully. "Your refined sugar seems even whiter than the ones we have at home?"
Zhao Ce said, "Naturally." "I improved the method later on." "All the refined sugar I produce from now on will have this kind of appearance."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhua happily said, "Then you must supply our restaurant with it." "The pastries made from this refined sugar will surely be popular." Zhao Ce agreed, saying, "Of course." "But this kind of thing is rare." "So I ask Brother Wenhua to keep it confidential for now and not reveal that I'm the one behind it."
Zhao Wenhua nodded in agreement. "We shouldn't reveal our wealth." "I'll do my best to help you with everything."
The two of them discussed the supply quantity and price. Zhao Wenhua immediately wanted to sign a contract. Zhao Ce didn't expect that things would be resolved so easily. Zhao Wenhua joyfully said, "You can have tea in the inner room, wait for me a moment." "These snacks taste pretty good, have some." "I'll have someone bring paper and pen."
