Chapter 30: The Little Genius of Earning Money

Qi Zhengxing wasn’t upset at all; after taking a bite of the pancake in his hand, he finally understood what Wang Shi had meant earlier—the pancake was indeed something special.

Eating quickly and thoroughly, he showed no sign of leaving, even rolling up his sleeves and positioning himself between Xu Nuo and Wang Shi to help with the packaging.

“Brother? What are you doing?” Wang Shi was about to stop him when Qi Zhengxing appeared to have realized something. “This is quite interesting; I want to give it a try too.”

Wang Shi was at a loss for words; her brother could be such a blockhead at times. She figured it wasn’t worth trying to convince him otherwise.

This peculiar scene continued until Shangguan, Qi Lian, and Zhang Yan exited the academy. “Father? What are you doing here?”

Qi Lian could hardly believe that his father would come to set up a stall, especially since he had been the one trying to prevent it the day before.

Qi Zhengxing’s eyes scanned up and down, and he mentally reprimanded himself for having such a reckless son, who had spent so much time at Ziqian’s side without learning a thing.

“What? Your father can’t come?” Qi Zhengxing glared at his son, wishing he could give him a good smack.

“Hey, of course not! You’re warmly welcomed, Governor, to investigate the public sentiment at our little stall!” Qi Zhengxing hadn’t expected his identity to be revealed in such a manner by his own son. He couldn’t help but wonder what debt he must have owed in his previous life to have a son like this.

Shangguan and Zhang Yan obediently stepped forward to bow.

“Alright, you four, come with me for a bit,” Qi Zhengxing said as he headed back into the academy.

Seeing his father’s demeanor, Qi Lian felt an uneasy sensation creeping into his lower back, recalling the pain of past reprimands. “Brother, remember to help me out later!” Shangguan had no clue what was going on, but Zhang Yan, also a struggling student, quickly understood. He had been through many similar encounters with his father and couldn’t resist poking fun at Qi Lian.

“Hahahaha, look at you! Even you have times you’re scared!”

“Shut up, shut up.” At that moment, Qi Lian had no inclination to indulge Zhang Yan’s playful taunts.

However, fortune shone on them: Qi Zhengxing didn’t need to ask the teachers anything—it was clear to him how capable his son was. His main purpose was to check on Shangguan’s situation.

Just then, they encountered some of the teachers coming out. “Old Kong!” Qi Zhengxing greeted them with a respectful bow.

As a mentor who had watched Qi Zhengxing grow up, Mr. Kong recognized the significance of this visit, especially seeing the three students following him. Clearly, he understood what was happening.

Not wishing for Qi Zhengxing to ask, he spoke up. “This Shangguan boy has an exceptional future ahead of him; his writing is profound, filled with references. Even in your youth, I doubt you could have surpassed him.”

Hearing the teacher’s praise lifted Qi Zhengxing’s spirits, and a broad smile spread across his face. “You flatter me, haha!”

Suddenly he had a clever thought. “Teacher, of course, I can’t compare to him. Do you know whose son he is?”

Qi Zhengxing’s comment piqued Mr. Kong’s curiosity. “Whose son is he?”

“Think about it. How many students have you taught with the surname Shangguan over the years?”

Mr. Kong’s eyes lit up, and he quickly made the connection. The surname Shangguan was synonymous with remarkable talent; it must belong to that man from more than a decade ago. “Unbelievable! Who would have thought that I’d still have the privilege of teaching his son!” He gazed affectionately at Shangguan Ziqian.

“No wonder I found him familiar; I didn’t realize we had this connection. Young man, based on seniority, you should address me as your ancestral teacher!”

Shangguan hadn’t expected to meet an old relative when he joined the academy and now had to greet another ancestor. He wondered how many more relatives would show up in the future.

“Ancestral Teacher!” Regardless, Shangguan respectfully called out to him.

Mr. Kong was aware of the events that transpired over a decade ago, and he felt a heavy heart for his former disciple. He sincerely hoped his new student wouldn’t walk the same path as his father.

When he arrived at the entrance of the academy and saw Xu Nuo tidying up and cleaning the stall, he realized his worries were unfounded.

“Teacher, thank you for letting us use this space,” Xu Nuo immediately recognized Mr. Kong and rushed over to express her gratitude.

As she had been cleaning, she noticed the two large boxes for money were nearly overflowing. Thinking about how much they had earned today brought a smile to her face.

“Good to see you all!” Mr. Kong, a man who stood apart from societal hierarchies, didn’t endorse the division among scholars, farmers, and merchants. However, given the times they lived in, he was limited in what he could do.

Qi Zhengxing lingered for a while, mindful of the business piling up on his desk. He reminded everyone that they must have dinner together that evening before hastily departing for work.

“How much did we earn today?” As one of the investors, Zhang Yan was eagerly awaiting the answer, having spent the morning preoccupied with this thought instead of paying attention to the classes.

“That’s right! How much did we make today?” Qi Lian’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he stared at Xu Nuo.

Not keeping them in suspense, Xu Nuo promptly opened the two large wooden boxes labeled for money. “I don’t know the precise amount yet. I need to count it first. However, we definitely made a profit today—a hefty one!”

She entrusted Zhang Yan with the task of counting the money, given his experience in handling cash from a young age. “How much? How much?” Qi Lian urged him as Zhang Yan completed the count.

“Brother, Sister-in-law… we made a total of five taels today!”

“How much?” Wang Shi couldn’t quite believe her ears.

“Five taels! Five taels!” Even Zhang Yan was taken aback, not expecting the net profits from the pancakes to surpass those from the cold dishes he’d made before.

“Hahahaha, we’ve had a great opening day! Tomorrow might even be better!”

Looking at Zhang Yan and Qi Lian’s cheerful faces, Xu Nuo pulled out money from the box and handed it to them. “As promised this morning, once we earn money, you’ll both get a share!”

“Sister-in-law, we can’t take this.”

“Exactly! What are you treating us like? Please, Sister-in-law, keep that money for yourself!”

Xu Nuo resolutely insisted, “Even brothers keep accounts. This money is for you two; take it!” Shangguan also pushed the money back toward them.

“I’ll still be relying on you in the future, so don’t be so polite. We’ll earn even more moving forward.” Xu Nuo was convinced she had found two commercial geniuses.

However, she couldn’t help but wonder if Zhang Yan’s father would get angry once the exams were over, especially since she had essentially taken one little lamb away from him, leading him astray completely.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry; we’ll take care of attracting customers from now on!” Zhang Yan couldn’t guarantee anything, but he was confident in his salesmanship.