Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 195 The "Invited" Guests
It was a rare day off, and when Zhang Shou returned home that day, it was almost 3 p.m., and there was a fat man named Lu Sanlang following him. However, Wu did not complain at all. Even when she heard that Zhang Shou had already eaten outside, she still asked Aunt Liu to go to the kitchen and steam the snacks that had been prepared long ago. Even Lu Sanlang, who came with her, was flattered by her repeated words that she treated him as her own.
After Wu smiled and led the two into the study and left, Lu Sanlang sighed and said, "Seeing the Grand Master's wife, I can't help but miss my mother... Young Master, do you think I should go back to live the next day? Otherwise, I'll be free and easy here at the Imperial College, while my mother will be missing me all the time at home. How pitiful!"
Zhang Shou's scalp tingled when Lu Sanlang called her "Grand Master's Wife", but when Lu Sanlang said he missed his mother, he felt relieved and said with a smile, "Your legs are on your body, so you can go back if you want."
"But Xu Heizi from the Shengqian Hall comes to check on me almost every night!" Speaking of this, Lu Sanlang was so angry that his teeth itched. "This guy always says that there are not enough dormitories in the Imperial College, and if I don't do anything, he will definitely take the dorm back... But my father is too difficult to deal with , and I don't want to move back and see his face every day!"
Zhang Shou couldn't help laughing when he heard this. If Lu Wan knew that Lu Sanlang, as his son, didn't like him, he would be furious! As for Xu Heida's inspection like a dormitory supervisor, he could understand it.
"Xu Heizi from Shengqian Hall has such a personality. In his opinion, only poor students who are diligent and eager to learn need dormitory rooms. Not to mention you, even if I occupy one, I am also robbing the resources of poor students. If you want to go home more often, why not pay some money and rent two houses outside to compensate those students who can't live in dormitory rooms...especially those in Ruxing Hall."
At this point, he suddenly had an idea: "Of course, don't use the word compensation for Xu Heizi. If you say compensation, it makes it seem like you owe him something. If you want to use reward... you might as well use the name of scholarship."
Lu Sanlang had long been accustomed to Zhang Shou's brain being more powerful than his own, and when he heard this, his eyebrows immediately danced with joy: "Yes, the court has no money, but we, the students of Banshan Hall, have money! How about this, let Zhu Er also contribute some money, and then I will mobilize everyone to collect some money, and then put the money together to make a scholarship. In this way, others can't accuse us of seeking fame and reputation."
Zhang Shou always felt relaxed and happy talking to someone like Lu Sanlang who could draw inferences from one example and even come up with more ideas because of his one idea. At this moment, he burst into laughter.
"Okay, your idea is good. However, this is not just a small amount of money. If we just give it to others, or just buy land like those private academies in various places as a foundation for rewarding students in the future and maintaining the operation of the academy, it would be better to take out this money and set aside a part of it for scholarships every year. The rest is used for operating and generating profits."
Zhang Shou briefly explained to Lu Sanlang the composition and operation of the foundation, and then said with a smile: "I think it's quite appropriate for you to be in charge of the operation."
Lu Sanlang was already sitting with his chest and belly protruding, and now he was even more delighted and in high spirits: "Young Master, you are really Zhuge Liang. You can come up with such an idea! I will go back and confront Xu Heizi, so that he won't have to pick on me all the time! Thank the Grand Master's wife for her hospitality. When my mother recovers tomorrow, I will bring her here to thank her together!"
When Wu returned to the study room after delivering some snacks, she learned that Lu Sanlang had already gone back excitedly. She did not care that Lu Sanlang left without telling her and said with a smile on her face, "He should go back. There is no overnight hatred between father and son. His father can arrange such a marriage for him, which shows that he loves him. With his mother's mediation, everything will be fine in the future."
"Mother, that's because you didn't see how tough Madam Lu was!" Zhang Shou smiled and recounted the quarrel between Madam Lu Zhen and Lu Wan when Lu Sanlang dragged her back to the Lu residence to propose marriage late at night. Then he sighed and said, "Lu Sanlang may be the most useless one in his father's eyes, but he is Madam Lu's most beloved youngest son. Naturally, she doesn't want him to suffer any grievances."
"That's because Lu Sanlang is sincere to his mother." Wu paused, then said hesitantly, "Ah Shou, you should have made your background clear to the public someday. Although my wife and husband have been enjoying our offerings and incense in the name of the Zhang family's ancestors for many years, it's time to be more formal..."
"Wait a few more days." Zhang Shou was silent for a moment, then said gently, "I hope that when I formally worship her as her son, I can offer some decent sacrifices."
Wu was immediately puzzled: "What kind of sacrifice? Even if it's three animals, as long as we prepare them in advance, we can prepare them in full."
"Mom, don't ask anymore!" Zhang Shou smiled and shook Wu's hand, then said without question, "Don't worry, just listen to me. After all, my life experience is not a secret to the lady and Yingying's parents, so there is no need to worry about any trouble when it is revealed in the future. Besides, I am not someone who has never been in trouble. Even if my life experience is revealed in the future, you are still my mother."
"You...ah, I can't argue with you!" Mrs. Wu shook her head helplessly, but in the end she watched Zhang Shou taste a few of the snacks she had brought one by one before she got up and left.
As she left, Zhang Shou rolled up his sleeves, revealing the watch on his wrist, and then took it off, staring thoughtfully at the four screws in the corner. These four screws, which are extremely small in this era, are enough to deter counterfeiters. Moreover, it is a pain to spend several years to make a watch by hand...
But screwdrivers are good things, and cross screws are also good things, but it would be too troublesome to make these things purely by hand.
Zhang Shou was frowning in deep thought, his perfect facial features seemed to be frozen at this moment, so that he looked more like a statue. However, when there was a knock on the door, his eyebrows slightly raised, and the stillness was suddenly broken. He did not ask who it was, but directly ordered: "Come in."
As the door was pushed open, Ah Liu walked in like a cat, without making any sound. He did not close the door, but just stood there and said, "Here comes the person."
Zhang Shou was accustomed to the way Liu spoke, but this overly simple statement still made him feel a little strange, and he had to ask, "How did you bring him here?" When asking this, he was very worried that the answer he would hear next would be that he was brought here by being knocked unconscious, or that he was brought here in a sack. He even regretted that he had been too vague when he whispered to Liu before.
Under his piercing gaze, Ah Liu glanced at Zhang Shou with some surprise: "They brought him here in a carriage."
This answer finally made sense. However, when Ah Liu left and brought the person back into the house, Zhang Shou couldn't help but twitch his lips. He looked at this guy who was doing things too weirdly, "Is this what you said about picking him up in a carriage? Who uses a carriage to invite guests and puts a black cloth hood on them like you do? Do you think this is a kidnapping by bandits?"
The burly man with a hood over his head couldn't help but tremble violently when he heard the words "bandit kidnapping hostage". However, although he was strong and muscular, the hand on his shoulder made it impossible for him to break free. Although the gag was taken away after he got off the car, he didn't dare to take the risk after seeing the other party's strength before.
It was not until the black cloth hood on his head that blocked the light and even blocked his vision was taken off that he squinted his eyes to familiarize himself with the suddenly bright environment, and recognized the handsome face in front of him that he would never forget after seeing it once, and then he was stunned.
"Master Sun, I'm sorry. I told Ah Liu to invite you over before, but I didn't expect that he would misunderstand me. I am sorry for you. I apologize to you!"
Carpenter Sun, who was standing there in a daze, suddenly realized what was going on when he saw Zhang Shou really bowing to him. He hurriedly reached out to help Zhang Shou, who looked like a fallen immortal, up. Especially when he noticed that the hand holding his right shoulder had loosened, he felt even more relieved, but he couldn't help but complain.
"Dr. Zhang, what do you want me to say? Last time I told your student that your teacher is a gentle gentleman, but what you did now is not gentlemanly at all!"
"If I had known he would invite you like this, I would have come to invite you myself."
Zhang Shou smiled bitterly, especially when he saw Ah Liu quietly leave the house and close the door behind him. He was furious . "I am meeting you in my own home. There is nothing secretive about me. Why should I ask you to wear a hood? This is the room that Qi Taichang borrowed from me. It is located in the back street of Zhaoguogong Mansion. Why should I keep it secret? If Master Sun doesn't believe me, I will send you back later."
If this was some secret place, and the people who saw him were wearing masks and acting mysterious, then Carpenter Sun might have had doubts, but now Zhang Shou showed him his true face, told him where he was, and promised to send him back, so he naturally believed it completely. He could only cough and said helplessly: "Dr. Zhang, just treat it as a false alarm. What do you want from me?"
Well, you must not forget, no matter how polite the man in front of you is to him, he is still an official appointed by the imperial court, and of the sixth rank, higher than the county magistrate!
Zhang Shou was relieved to see that Carpenter Sun finally calmed down. He handed the watch to Carpenter Sun and emphasized that it was a relic of Taizu given by the emperor. As expected, Carpenter Sun's unhappiness immediately disappeared, and he became cautious and fearful. When he explained the function of the watch, the conceited craftsman was dumbfounded.
"I have also heard that a senior master made a Daming Palace lantern that can tell time, but in comparison, such a small thing can actually do the same thing. It is incredible, incredible!"
Carpenter Sun was so excited that he said "unbelievable" twice. Then he suddenly realized something and asked with wide eyes, "Could it be that Dr. Zhang wants me to do this? That's impossible. Not to mention that I'm just a carpenter, even if I ask the ironworker Zhang, it's impossible. Just this small, round and flat piece of iron, I dare to guarantee that he can't make it!"
