Chapter 42: Celebration Feast 2/3

In addition to meat and bean products, Li Qingzhi also bought a jug of oil and a jar of sauce.

These items were also put into the basket on Zhao Laosan’s back. Since Li Qingzhi had asked Zhao Xiaodou to help him carry the child, Zhao Laosan tried very hard to help Li Qingzhi with the work.

Walking on the narrow streets of the county town, Zhao Laosan and Li Laogen felt very uneasy.

In small towns like Chongcheng County, in the Jiangnan region, due to the abundance of rivers and bridges making it inconvenient for carriages to pass, wealthy people didn’t ride horses or take carriages when going out. They either took boats or sedan chairs, or simply walked.

On the roads of this county town, there were many wealthy people coming and going.

Every time Li Laogen and the others saw them, they would give way, shrinking and lowering their heads, not daring to look at the wealthy people.

Li Qingzhi remained calm. As he walked, he introduced the surrounding shops to Li Laogen and Zhao Laosan.

“Li brother?” a familiar voice suddenly sounded. Li Qingzhi looked in the direction of the voice and saw Zhu Xunmiao.

“Xunmiao,” Li Qingzhi smiled.

“Li brother, long time no see!” Zhu Xunmiao was excited to see Li Qingzhi.

There weren’t many books available these days, and after Li Qingzhi finished writing Zhu Qian’s autobiography, Zhu Xunmiao read the book several times from beginning to end, liking it more and more. He even recited it to his mother and brother.

His mother and brother also liked the book very much after hearing it.

As for his good friend Xu Qifei, it went without saying. Xu Qifei now reads incessantly, day and night. When he felt tired, he would take out this book to read and inspire himself.

In short, Zhu Xunmiao liked the book more and more, and as a result, he also liked Li Qingzhi more and more.

Unfortunately, just after Li Qingzhi finished writing his father’s autobiography, he left their house and went to study with Li Xiucai… It had been almost a month since he last saw Li Qingzhi!

Zhu Xunmiao talked to Li Qingzhi for a long time, and then Li Qingzhi learned that Li Xiucai, the scholar, was going back to his hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival. He had given the students at the school a three-day break, and today was the first day of the holiday.

Zhu Xunmiao had come out of his house because he wanted to go.

As Zhu Xunmiao spoke, he said, “Li brother, tomorrow, Hong brother will host a Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering at home. I have received an invitation, and each invitation allows two people to attend. Would you like to come with me?”

Zhu Xunmiao’s newly acquainted friend was surnamed Hong, the young master of the Hong family who had achieved the title of master at a young age.

In the literary circle of Chongcheng County, Zhu Xunmiao had never been very popular. Now, the son of the scholarly Hong family was willing to befriend him… He was particularly happy about it.

“Would it be inappropriate for me to go there suddenly?” Li Qingzhi hesitated. He only knew Zhu Xunmiao, and it seemed a bit inappropriate to suddenly attend a poetry gathering.

Besides, he didn’t know how to compose poetry at all.

Li Qingzhi had been diligently studying, and he had memorized quite a few books. But composing poetry… that was a bit difficult for him.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, Li brother. Many people will attend this Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering. You can get to know more people by going.” Zhu Xunmiao persuaded Li Qingzhi to go with him.

After thinking it over, Li Qingzhi agreed. Since he was determined to follow the path of imperial examinations, it would be good to go and meet some people.

Zhu Xunmiao and Li Qingzhi made arrangements. After Li Qingzhi promised to meet him the next morning, Zhu Xunmiao left happily.

While Zhu Xunmiao was talking to Li Qingzhi, Li Laogen and Zhao Laosan shrank into a corner, not daring to approach, as if they didn’t know Li Qingzhi. But when Zhu Xunmiao left, they breathed a sigh of relief and came to Li Qingzhi’s side.

Li Laogen asked, “Ah Qing, who was that?”

Li Qingzhi replied, “He’s the young master of the Zhu family.”

“This young master looks really handsome, like a little immortal!” Li Laogen remarked, and Zhao Laosan nodded in agreement.

In fact, Zhu Xunmiao’s appearance was quite ordinary, but his fair skin and round face made him appear very attractive to Li Laogen.

With no one else around, Li Laogen was quite talkative, asking Li Qingzhi various questions.

Li Qingzhi mentioned the invitation from Zhu Xunmiao to attend the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering tomorrow.

“Oh, the Hong family… My Xiaodou, almost became a servant in the Hong family,” Zhao Laosan suddenly said.

Zhao Laosan hadn’t told Li Qingzhi and Li Laogen about the plan to introduce Xiaodou to the Hong family as a servant, but since it was mentioned now… he explained the situation.

Li Qingzhi was surprised to hear this.

When Jin Moli mentioned that the young master of the Hong family liked to hit people, he was also present.

Having experienced the apocalypse, he could keenly perceive others’ emotions… Jin Moli had spoken the truth at the time, at least she believed it herself.

But he didn’t think much of it at the time. After all, what did it matter to him if the young master of a wealthy family was a crazy person who liked to hit people? 

But now… If the Hong family knew about their son’s problem and still hired a servant, and hired a child who was only seven or eight years old… did the Hong family not care if their young master injured someone?

Of course, it was also possible that the rumor about the young master of the Hong family hitting people was false, and that Jin Moli had received incorrect information.

If that young master really likes hitting people… the Hong family, which is highly respected, might not have a good reputation.

Jin Xiaoye had arranged to meet them at the dock, so Li Qingzhi took Li Laogen and the others there and found a shop to treat them to noodles.

There were several types of noodles available, with the cheapest being mixed noodles, which were served with soy sauce, lard, and chopped scallions. A bowl costs only two cents. In addition to that, there were other types of noodles with various ingredients such as shredded pork, pork liver, and grass carp.

Li Qingzhi ordered five bowls of pickled vegetables and shredded pork noodles. He and Zhao Laosan and Li Laogen each had one bowl, while the three children shared the remaining two bowls. At four cents per bowl, the portion of noodles was not enough for an adult man to feel full, but it would suffice as a snack before the lunch banquet.

“I and Xiaodou don’t need…” Zhao Laosan repeatedly declined.

Li Qingzhi said, “Uncle San, if you don’t eat, I’ll feel embarrassed to ask for your help, and if we all eat and you don’t, what does that imply?”

Li Laogen even pressed Zhao Laosan’s shoulder and made him sit down. “My Ah Qing is rich! If he wants you to eat, you should eat!”

Zhao Laosan had no choice but to sit down, but he refused to eat until the last bowl was served.

In addition, when distributing the noodles to the three children, he picked out some noodles from both bowls to give to Zhao Xiaodou, leaving the shredded pork untouched. However, he took most of the shredded pork from his own bowl and gave it to Zhao Xiaodou, who didn’t mind at all.

Li Qingzhi didn’t stop him from doing so, as he didn’t want him to feel even more uneasy.

After finishing the noodles, they waited at the dock for a while until Jin Xiaoye, who had finished dealing with the matters, came to pick them up and took them back to Miaoqian Village.

By this time, Jin Dajiang and Jin Mu had almost finished all the preparations for the banquet. As soon as they saw the meat, they began cooking.

The pork was cut into small pieces and used to stew with dried bamboo shoots, seaweed, soybeans, tofu, and vegetarian chicken…