Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 405: Gentleman's Conduct
"I am old, and I don't have the competitive spirit anymore. I didn't expect that you, at such a young age, could hold back! Yingying even cursed Old Man Jiang in the streets of Beijing. I thought you were going to ridicule him for retiring and occupying an entire courtyard in Luhe Posthouse. What a grand show."
"When Yingying scolded him, he was still the Prime Minister, a senior official in the court. Others might have said she was daring, but there might have been people secretly applauding her, praising her for being upright and fearless of power. But if I was dissatisfied and made trouble at the post station today, others would have accused me of taking advantage of the teacher's power to bully this old official who had just retired and returned home."
Zhang Shou, who left as soon as he said he would, had already helped Ge Yong get off the car in front of an inn with a flag of a century-old wine shop. The shopkeeper who came out to greet them was full of fear and excitement. He had obviously learned about their identities from Xiao Huasheng who had arrived earlier. His hands were stretched in the air, as if he wanted to help Ge Yong, but he didn't dare.
As a result, Ge Yong took it for granted and directly put his right hand on the shopkeeper's hand. Then he said in a loud voice: "Is this the century-old shop where Yingying said the copper pot fish is delicious?"
Zhang Shou glanced at Ah Liu who was watching his nose and heart, and thought that the claim in front of the postmaster that it was an old shop introduced by Zhu Ying was just a way to poke Jiang Ge Lao's heart. In fact, Zhu Ying's only trip out of the capital was to chase him to Cangzhou in a hurry. How could she have time to stop in Tongzhou to taste the food? This place was introduced by Ah Liu.
It was really hard for this guy to leave Beijing to see Zhang Chen off, but ended up going to Cangzhou. After eating just two bites of food he discovered the problematic old salted fish. On the way back, he found a century-old restaurant in Tongzhou that claimed to have delicious food!
He wanted to leave the opportunity to explain to the shopkeeper, but when he saw the man carefully holding Ge Yong's arm, as if it was a fragile glass man, he didn't dare to speak. He could only cough and said, "It should be this century-old shop that is known for its clean inns, clean bedding, and delicious food. I just hope I won't let the teacher down."
Seeing that Ge Yong seemed to be very happy, the shopkeeper said boldly, "Our shop has indeed been opened since the reign of Emperor Taizu, and has been passed down for six generations. The copper pot fish depends on fate, because it is only delicious when the fish is delivered alive and killed and cooked. Today, a live fish happened to be delivered, and you, old Taishi, are lucky to have it. As for copper pot chicken, copper pot mutton and the like, they have always been available."
He glanced at Ge Yong fearfully, then looked at Zhang Shou, and then said hesitantly: "As for the rooms, they will be clean and tidy, and I guarantee you will be satisfied. But... the inn has a total of 17 or 18 rooms, but six of them are already occupied by guests. If you want to ask the guests to stay somewhere else..."
Before he could finish his words, Ge Yong laughed cheerfully and said, "Why do you want to chase the guests out? They are staying in the hotel, and so am I. How can you chase them out just because I am staying in the hotel?" He had already entered the store while he was talking, and looked up and down at the two-story store for a while, then nodded happily and said, "It's a good place, just keep the remaining empty rooms for us."
The shopkeeper was almost stunned when he heard the young man who called himself Peanut say that Grand Tutor Ge and Doctor Zhang from the Imperial College would stay in his shop. When he realized how much reputation this would bring to his century-old shop, he almost smiled from ear to ear. But then he thought about how particular and picky those big shots he had occasionally met were.
From bedding to furnishings to food, that's fine, but these people always want to drive guests away, which is the biggest problem! Last year, a prefect suddenly chose this old inn to stay for three days. He booked all the rooms for three days. Before that, he drove away the four guests who checked in. In the end, he gave him... Haha, only two strings of money for food and lodging!
But now, a first-rank grand tutor who was much more senior than the prefect was actually so approachable. How could he not be surprised?
After Ge Yong finished speaking, he saw Zhang Shou signaling Ah Liu to directly take out a five-string note and hand it over. The shopkeeper was finally overjoyed and determined that his fortune had really turned. So he personally ran around and led the two distinguished guests, one old and one young, to the two adjacent upper rooms. When he saw that the two were satisfied with the conditions, he immediately went to the kitchen.
That’s right, in this century-old restaurant, he, the shopkeeper, is actually the owner, but he is also the chef. As for the waiters, there is a son, a nephew who is just sixteen years old, and an eight-year-old grandson. His wife and daughter-in-law help with odd jobs, and there is no extra employee.
In his previous life, he had lived in seven-star luxury hotels and luxurious antique B&Bs. In this life, he had lived in simple houses in the countryside, the luxurious Mansion of Duke Zhao, the simple quarters of the Imperial College, and the guest rooms of the Cangzhou County Government. Now that he owns a luxurious garden like Zhang Garden, Zhang Shou's standard for living has been lowered to a very ordinary standard of just clean and tidy.
When he asked Ah Liu to pack his luggage and went to see Ge Yong, he found that the teacher was more casual than himself and had already started reading. He knew that it was useless to persuade him. He had caused this situation in the first place, so he could only go to see the two future students. However, when he pushed the door open, he saw that they, who lived in the same room, were also studying hard. So he simply closed the door and quietly came out.
It was already dark, and standing in the corridor on the second floor, Zhang Shou saw that the lights in the store had been turned on, and he could see someone peeking out from the end of the corridor, but when he saw him, he immediately retracted his head. Knowing that his group was staying in this inn instead of the post station, other guests would inevitably be curious, but he didn't care and walked straight down the stairs.
A waiter was about to come over to greet them when a voice came from outside: "Do Master Ge and Doctor Zhang live here?"
Following this voice, the sweaty Jiang family henchman rushed in. When he saw Zhang Shou, he immediately forced a smile and rushed forward: "Doctor Zhang, my master learned that the postmaster of Luhe Posthouse refused to let Master Ge and you stay on the grounds that the house was full. He felt really bad and said that he would vacate half of his yard immediately. Please..."
Before anyone could finish their words, Zhang Shou interrupted, "May I ask who your master is..."
"My master is the recently retired Mr. Jiang... Mr. Jiang." The attendant almost said the word "Grand Master" but then tried to make his smile more brilliant. "My master said that there are more than a dozen rooms in the yard. If we vacate half of them, there will be seven or eight rooms. If we squeeze in on both sides, it will be enough for us to live in."
"It's Mr. Jiang." Zhang Shou had a gentle smile on his face and spoke in a very gentle tone. "Just now, the postmaster didn't refuse the teacher and me, but said embarrassedly that the room was full. At that time, Liu Fangbo, the governor of Zhejiang Province, also offered to give up the room, but the teacher politely declined in front of everyone. Didn't Mr. Jiang hear about it?"
Seeing that the attendant's expression froze, he laughed and said, "Since Luhe Inn is fully booked, it's fine for me and my teacher to stay in this inn. It won't be inconvenient. Besides, since I just declined the generosity of Liu Fangbo's room, how can I accept the kindness of Mr. Jiang's room now? Wouldn't that be disrespecting the enthusiastic Liu Fangbo?"
"Teachers never do things that are inconsistent with their words and deeds. This century-old restaurant is clean and tidy, and the food is delicious. Teacher is very satisfied. As a student, I can still afford the food and accommodation."
At this point, he paused, and then continued calmly: "Besides, Master Jiang is leaving the capital to return home, and I guess he has a lot of servants and luggage. Since he has already settled down in the courtyard of Luhe Posthouse, it will inevitably take a lot of effort to move a room for you and me. How can you and I feel comfortable with this? So, it's better not to disturb him."
Without even looking at the attendant who was obviously at a loss for words, he said with a smile, "Well, since you came here on orders, it would be difficult to report back like this. I'll write a note and ask you to take it back to present it to Mr. Jiang."
The more the attendant listened to Zhang Shou's words, the more he felt that there was something fishy in his words - whether it was the initial hint that his master did not send anyone out to speak when the Zhejiang governor came out to give up the room to his teacher and students at the entrance of the post station; or the later hint that his master was obviously not honest enough when he returned home with many people and much luggage; in any case, it must not be a good thing.
However, the other party had said it very tactfully, and they were willing to pay for the room in the inn. Could he really drag them back to stay in the post station?
Especially when he saw many guys on the second floor who were obviously not members of Zhang Shou's group sneaking around, he felt even more depressed. After all, he was the current Grand Tutor and the future son-in-law of the Duke of Zhao. Was it so ungentlemanly to stay in an inn? Even if he was afraid that it would be bad to drive the guests away, wasn't it normal to pay two coins to drive the guests away and book the entire inn?
No matter how he complained, Zhang Shou still finished the invitation in one go and put it in the envelope. Although he felt that the four words "Respectfully presented to Mr. Jiang" on the envelope were not written very well, the attendant saw that Ge Yong did not even show up, and Zhang Shou had no intention of taking him to meet Grand Tutor Ge, so he had to leave unhappily.
What he didn't know was that as soon as he left, the shopkeeper, who had not even shown his face just now, called over his three sons and grandsons who were working as assistants, and after giving them instructions, he released two of the three.
A century-old restaurant in Tongzhou that has decent business and can make ends meet or even live a comfortable life has finally welcomed the most distinguished guest in its century-long history. The guest has paid a lot of money and none of the other guests have been driven away. As long as they are served attentively, he might even ask for a calligraphy work when he leaves. But just now, he was almost asked to stay at the inn. This is really outrageous!
How could the shopkeeper, who interacts with all kinds of customers every day, not see through this pretentious trick?
So, when the Jiang family's attendant went to report to Lord Jiang, Lord Jiang forced the old master to stay in an inn, and then pretended to let him stay in the inn. This reputation spread from this century-old inn and soon spread throughout Tongzhou. Because it was not just his family that spread this rumor, the Zhejiang Provincial Governor Liu Chuan also exaggerated it.
When Lord Jiang received the reward, he opened the envelope with a gloomy face and took out the note written by Zhang Shou himself. He almost exploded when he glanced at the contents.
Because the post clearly said: "Thanks for your kindness, but my teacher likes to study late at night, I dare not disturb Mr. Jiang's peace. Mr. Jiang framed my fiancée's father and brother first, and slandered my teacher and student later. I should stay away from him and dare not disturb him."
The furious Jiang Ge Lao immediately tore the post into pieces. When the pieces of paper fell to the ground like snowflakes, he glared at his attendant and said, "You brought this post back without even looking at it? Why didn't you just throw it at that arrogant boy's face!"
The attendant was almost scolded by Jiang Ge Lao to tears. The letter was sent to you, and it was sealed in an envelope. How dare I open it in front of you and throw it in your face?
However, the master was furious, so he did not dare to defend himself, and could only kneel down in haste to plead guilty. Jiang Ge Lao was already furious, and could no longer suppress his anger. He smashed a teacup and shouted, "Get out!" The silent staff member surnamed Sima rushed over to support his arm only at this moment.
"Dong Weng, Dong Weng, calm down! This is a different time, let's see how long he can be so arrogant!"
"I am angry at those who accuse me of being stubborn and self-righteous. They all keep saying that the boy is kind-hearted and humble, a gentle gentleman, a role model for others, and he treated the people in Cangzhou in this and that way. But look at what he wrote on this post? Is this a gentle gentleman? Pah, this is a vindictive villain!"
Sima Hou's mouth twitched, thinking that being a gentleman in front of people and a villain behind people's backs, isn't this the usual virtue of officials in the court? How dare you say that to others? But he didn't show any of that on his face. Instead, he repeatedly advised in a gentle voice, and finally glanced at the scraps of paper on the ground, and then said softly: "If Dong Weng is still angry, why don't you piece together these scraps of paper and pass them out for people to see?"
"If I tear it into pieces and then put it back together, won't people laugh at me for not being magnanimous?"
Jiang Ge Lao regretted his impulsiveness, but he didn't want to do something that would make people laugh. He snorted and said impatiently, "I was just trying to ask for retirement, but the emperor only kept me here once before approving it. His attitude is very clear. I won't stay any longer. Let my family pack their luggage and leave slowly. I will go back to Fujian by boat first. People in the court will be disappointed. This is not the way to treat an old minister!"
He glanced at the aide beside him and said earnestly, "I will be living in the countryside for a few years, and you will have to make your own way. We have been guests for these years, so just send me to Tongzhou. From now on, help me keep an eye on the Zhu family and Lu Wan, as well as the fate of this kid! Don't worry about this matter, I will have people spread the word about his vindictive behavior!"
"Don't worry, Dongweng!"
He agreed firmly, but when he left the room, the middle-aged Sima Hou raised his lips and smiled contemptuously. He was already a retired cabinet minister, and he should have pretended to leave because of his different political views, but he still wanted to show off in Tongzhou and compete with the teachers and students of the Ge family who were in their heyday... Isn't that humiliating himself?
As for the host and guest, haha, he has been doing this for many years. Now old man Jiang didn't give him a penny of Chengyi, but he gave him 100 guan of Chengyi. Old man Jiang can handle it! Zhu Ying didn't curse him before, that is a miser who loves money like his life ! He also wants to spread rumors to slander Zhang Shou... He doesn't think about the warmth and coldness of human feelings and the fickleness of the world. I'm afraid that the opposite rumors have already been flying all over the streets!
