Chapter 100 Duan Inkstone
Everyone came to the "Jinbangtiming" bookstore, and Zheng Dalang was still in the same posture, sitting at the counter reading a book.
When he saw the village chief and others, he smiled and said, "Hey, Village Chief Sun, Bomin, why are you here?"
De Ge'er and Sun Shan called him Uncle Zheng.
Zheng Dalang asked in confusion: "Why are these two boys here? Are they not studying anymore?" Why is the eldest daughter here too?
Zheng Dalang knew Zheng Tongsheng's class time very well. At this time, students should be in class in the school.
The village chief and Sun Boming explained their purpose.
Zheng Dalang's eyes widened, and he said in surprise, "Oh, congratulations, congratulations, Bomin, you will be the great uncle of the scholar from now on."
De Geer stood aside and said proudly: "I am the cousin of the scholar."
Zheng Dalang patted De Ge'er's big head and scolded him with a smile: "De Ge'er, I also want to be the uncle of the scholar. You should also take the exam to become a scholar."
De Ge'er was so angry that he didn't say anything. Uncle Zheng was so mean. Master Zheng was just a student, but he wanted me to take the exam to become a scholar. It was clearly a mockery of me.
Zheng Dalang stopped teasing De Ge'er and said to the village chief and Sun Bomin, "Giving an inkstone as a gift is the most appropriate. Scholars like the four treasures of the study. We can't afford the expensive ones, and the cheap ones don't look good when given as gifts. It's best to buy something that's neither expensive nor cheap. Put a box in it and it will definitely look exquisite. By the way, village chief, what's your budget?"
Actually, it is best to go to the city to buy brushes, inkstones, and paper. But where do you know people in the city? I don't know much, and if someone sells 1 liang for 10 liang, it will be a big loss. It is better to buy it at Zheng Dalang's shop, after all, he is an old acquaintance.
Sun Bomin smiled and said, "The maximum is 7 taels. If it's more than that, I won't buy it."
The village chief gave 2 taels and budgeted 5 taels for himself. There were only a few gifts of 7 taels in Sunjia Village, and too much could not be given.
Zheng Dalang understood and immediately took out several sets of inkstones for Sun Boming and others to review.
Sun Shan's Dege stood on tiptoe to look, but unfortunately he couldn't tell which one was better.
Guyu stared at the inkstone without blinking, and could not see anything.
Zheng Dalang took one of the sets and said, "This is a Duan inkstone, produced in Duanzhou. It is famous in Daqian, not to mention Guangnan. Your brother Jing must know the goods, so this is the best gift. The price is not expensive, only 6 taels, and you can save 1 tael."
After a pause, Zheng Dalang continued, "I'll put it in a nice gift box, and it will look nice when you carry it away. The gift box is free, how about it?"
When Sun Shan heard Zheng Dalang talking about the Duan inkstone from Zhaoqing, Guangdong, he agreed with him. In the past, Duan inkstone was also well-known in Guangdong. Now it seems to be famous in Daqian as well.
The village chief and Sun Boming didn't understand either, so they just followed whatever Zheng Dalang said.
The village chief said seriously: "Da Lang, please don't lie to us. This represents the reputation of the Sun family. If you pass off inferior goods as good ones, we will be in big trouble."
Zheng Dalang patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, village chief uncle. I am the most conscientious person in the whole street. How could I lie to you? If you don't believe me, just ask your brother Jing. He will definitely know."
Zheng Dalang was really wronged. He made less money from the Sun family than others even though he made the recommendation sincerely.
That being the case, the village chief and Sun Boming reserved the inkstone.
Zheng Dalang smiled and helped to pack. I don't know if the inkstone is good, but the gift box is really beautiful. It is not bright red or yellow, but full of the flavor of ink, which fits the temperament of a scholar.
After wrapping it, he wrapped it with another piece of cloth and finally put it in a sack.
He smiled and said, "Uncle Village Chief, I have wrapped it for you in several layers, so it won't get bumped on the way. When we get to He's house, just take down the outer ones and that'll be all."
Witnessing the whole process, seeing that Zheng Dalang was very careful and considerate of the customers, he said with satisfaction: "Thank you, Dalang, you have worked hard today."
Zheng Dalang waved his hand and said, "No, thank you for your help."
The two sides chatted for a few more words, and Zheng Dalang said, "Bomin, this is a rare opportunity. Go to the city and find a few more doctors to help Shanzi treat his illness."
At first I was wondering why I took the kid there, but it turned out he was here to see a doctor. I took a look at Sun Shan, and he was indeed very thin and short, and his face wasn't as rosy as a child's. If I had the conditions, it would be a good idea to go and see him.
Sun Bomin hummed, sighed and said, "Well, I must find a few doctors to take a look."
Seeing that it was almost time, everyone said goodbye to each other.
After returning to the escort agency and waiting for a while, the chief escort, whose surname was Zhu, came over and said, "Village Chief Sun, you are all ready to go."
The village chief responded. It was almost noon. Several people bought some buns to eat. Now they were ready to set off. He stuffed them into his mouth quickly and said to Sun Shan and others, "After you finish eating, go to the toilet first. If you are in a hurry on the road, it will be difficult to ask people to stop."
After eating their buns, Sun Shan and De Ge'er ran to the backyard of the escort agency and went to the toilet. Gu Yu followed behind them and watched them.
When we came out, the team was ready.
The village chief and Sun Boming can be considered old customers. His family went to the provincial capital a few months ago and knew which family their daughter married into.
When the escorts heard that a peasant girl could marry into the He family in Guangnan and become the legal wife, they couldn't help but feel envious.
When he heard that they were attending the wedding of their nephew, a scholar, they became more friendly toward the Sun family.
Scholar, a 17-year-old scholar, has a promising future.
The escort led Sun Shan and others to the donkey cart, asked them to sit next to each other, and told them to take good care of their luggage and not lose it, as the escort agency would not be responsible.
A donkey cart, including the escort driver, could seat seven people, so there was still plenty of space, mainly because Sun Shan and De Ge'er were children and took up little space.
The donkey cart also has a sunshade, but it is not a sealed compartment. If it rains, it will definitely not be able to keep out the rain. There is also a large mat on the cart, which makes it a little more comfortable for people to sit on.
Sun Shan and De Ge'er were taken on the cart, and curiously touched here and there. Sun Shan had never ridden a donkey cart in his life, and it felt very new. De Ge'er, on the other hand, moved his butt around. The village chief saw this and slapped them, and the place became quiet instantly.
Eldest sister Guyu covered her mouth and laughed.
Zhu Baotou led his brothers to worship Guan Gong first, then worship the Baoqi. Finally, he stuck the Baoqi flag on the car and shouted to everyone: "Everyone get ready, let's go."
Because the ceremony was too solemn, Sun Shan and others held their breath and dared not make a sound.
After the word "set off", the vehicle moved slowly and the atmosphere in the car began to flow.
The driver was a young man about twenty years old. He was not very tall but very strong.
Sun Shan counted them and found that there were 16 bodyguards in the group. Except for a few who were relatively tall, the others were not tall. However, they all had one thing in common: they were strong and looked very violent.
There were 10 vehicles in total, either donkey carts or mule carts. It was discovered that apart from the escorts, only Sun Shan's vehicle was left to carry passengers, and the others were all trucks.
In addition to the five people from the Sun family and the escort, there was also a middle-aged man in the car, who should be a guest. Because the escorts all wore uniforms, they were easy to recognize.
Once you walk out of the city gate, the journey officially begins.