In May, the Dragon Boat Festival has just passed.

It is a custom in Bianjing that every household will nail mugwort to the door.

It was just after the festival, Wu Qiniang and Wu Mansion drove two cars to a nunnery in the eastern suburbs of Bianjing.

However, I saw several weeping willows planted outside the nunnery, surrounded by a small river. The scenery was quite good, and it felt like a peaceful place. The car parked far outside the door. The Seventeenth Mother got out of the car and ordered her maid to disperse the money to The people who were waiting entered the nunnery.

Shi Qi Niang was guided to a side room and saw a female nun kneeling on a futon, meditating.

Seventeen Niang waited for a moment, and then the nun opened her eyes and said, "Yes, is Li'er here?"

The Seventeenth Mother then stepped forward, knelt on the futon beside the nun and said, "Mother, I'm here to see you."

The nun looked at her daughter's face and said, "You shouldn't have come. The eldest lady will not be happy if she finds out."

The seventeenth mother said: "I came here because of the eldest lady. I heard that my mother has been in poor health recently."

The nun smiled and said: "It's just a long-standing illness. You don't have to worry about me. There are good people in the nunnery and they treat me very well. You don't need to donate money anymore. Your monthly money is not much. In the house I also need money to pay for it."

"Besides, you have reached the age to get married. Keep more money with you. When you get married in the future, your husband's family will not dare to neglect you."

The seventeenth mother laughed and said: "Mom, if you can even value my money, then this husband's family is no better."

The nun smiled and said: "You have never managed a house. You don't know the seven things to do when opening a door. You don't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea are. It's only when you have more money that you can be confident. In this matter of marriage, it is said that the two surnames are good, but After all, it is still a matter of family status and money. Let me tell you, your grandfather still has some money, land and house, I will save this for you and give it to you when you get married, but you don’t make any announcement about it."

The Seventeenth Mother said sadly: "My daughter understands. But what will you do after you give her the money?"

The nun said: "How much money can I spend on fasting in this nunnery? The most important thing to me now is you."

"Have you encountered anything unpleasant?" the nun asked carefully.

"No." Seventeenth Mother smiled.

"You were always like this when you were unhappy when you were young, but you were wronged by the eldest lady?"

The Seventeenth Mother smiled and said: "No, although the eldest lady is usually strict, she treats me very well."

"Really not?" the nun asked, "Yes, what are your father's plans for your marriage? Should you find a matchmaker? Or should you do it yourself?"

Seventeenth Mother whispered: "Dad had a date a while ago."

"Have a date? Anyone who can impress your father is definitely not an ordinary person."

Seventeenth Mother said: "That's not true, it was Academician Ouyang who took a fancy to it first and then recommended it to daddy."

"So you are not an official in your family?"

"no."

The nun smiled and said: "It would be better if you don't become an official. If you don't become an official, you won't have the habits of officials. So you must be good at reading."

Seventeenth Mother nodded and said: "Exactly."

A smile appeared on the nun's face and she said, "A scholar?"

"Student."

The nun was relieved when she heard this and said: "That's good. Although most of these disciples are a little arrogant and arrogant, they have real abilities, but they are also betrayed... Hey, what am I worried about? There will be no difference between the people your father can appreciate."

"You have such a temper that you can't tolerate sand in your eyes. If you go to a noble family, you will be as deep as the sea once you enter the noble family. I am really worried that in the future... you will end up like me."

Seventeenth mother said: "Mom, after all these years, you still haven't gotten rid of your father's anger?"

"It's okay not to mention the past... Let me tell you, it doesn't matter what his background is. Although he is not from a good background, if your father invites him to come to see him, he must have extraordinary merits."

Seventeenth Mother said: "But it doesn't matter to my father, but he... wants to get into Jinshi before discussing the marriage."

The nun heard this and said, "Is this really true?"

"It's not stated clearly, but the meaning has already been revealed."

"Is it Qi Dafei's coincidence, or is there another reason?"

"I don't know."

"Have you met him?"

Seventeenth Mother was silent, with tears in the corners of her eyes. She turned her head and said, "Mom, my daughter wants to go back."

The nun finally understood the reason for her daughter's displeasure and said, "Since you are here, you might as well talk to me again."

"Okay." Seventeenth Mother sat down on the futon again.

The nun said: "Don't judge people rashly. Maybe if you are rich, you should look at what you support, and if you are poor, you should look at what you don't receive. Does he really have such ambition? When looking at people, you should not only listen to their words, but also watch their actions.

"

"My daughter understands."

"But getting admitted to the Jinshi? How many young talents have spent their time in the examination room? How many talented students have been unhappy all their lives, and their black hair turned into white hair. So what if they get a special title?"

"It's hard for men to wait for this kind of day, and it's even harder for women to wait for it. But in the end, the ship will reach the bridge and things will be straightened out naturally."

Looking at Seventeenth Mother's inquiring eyes, the nun said: "Your father is such a scheming and capable person, just look at his arrangements."

Daxiangguo Temple, Shujizhai.

Wang Anguo came to visit as usual, and this time he also came with a friend.

Wang Anguo smiled and said: "Sanlang, I brought my friends to beat you again."

Zhang Yue cursed in his heart after hearing this, "How damn are you, I'm just a poor student. I shamelessly come here to eat and drink, do you still have any conscience?"

However, with Wang Anguo's friend here, Zhang Yue still gave him enough respect and said: "Since you are Pingfu's friend, you are my friend. Later, I will invite you two to Shaozhuyuan to eat roasted kidneys."

"good!"

The two of them applauded, and Wang Anguo said with a smile: "I told you that Sanlang is a generous man and a friend worth making."

The three of them sat down in the studio.

Wang Anguo's friend's name was Li Chu. He was from Jinghu and was in the cotton spinning business. He looked very shrewd.

Although the other party said it politely and said it was a small business, Zhang Yue guessed that being friends with Wang Anguo would not be a big deal.

Wang Anguo chatted with Zhang Yue. He recently liked to chat with Zhang Yue at his collection house. Although Zhang Yue didn't talk much, he could occasionally hit on an idea with one or two sentences, and his ideas were clear and unique.

Even from Wang Anshi, Wang Anguo's elder brother, Wang Anguo had never heard so many novel insights from him.

Li Chu had traveled far and wide and had gained a lot of experience. He was able to speak up when Zhang Yue and Wang Anguo were chatting.

During this period, Zhang Yue mentioned that Li Chu was doing cotton cloth business in Shaanzhou. He suddenly remembered Huang Daopo and couldn't help but ask a few questions about the technology of cotton seed removal.

Li Chu's workshop was still peeling cotton seeds by hand, so Zhang Yue told him the crude method of ginning cotton.

When Li Chu heard that Zhang Yue had such a method, he couldn't help but be elated. He immediately stood up and said, "If this method can be achieved, Li is willing to give a generous gift to thank Sanlang."

Zhang Yue smiled and said nothing.

Li Chu immediately heard half of it and felt itchy in his heart, so he made a request and invited Zhang Yue and Wang An to have a drink at a restaurant near the capital, and the three of them agreed.

When he arrived at the restaurant, Li Chu asked for a private seat.

The private seating is upstairs, separated from the outside by a landscape screen. Inside is a round table with six seats.

After the three of them entered, Li Chu said with a smile: "The Yellow River carp soup here is the best. Just throw them all into the pot and cook them. If you are afraid of the fishy smell, you can also divide the fish into fish soup and fish soup. Or fried fish bream.”

Zhang Yue and Wang Anguo both laughed. Wang Anguo said: "We are all from the south, so there is no reason to be afraid of fishy fish, so we can all come up together!"

Zhang Yue couldn't help but be speechless. Wang Anguo was really a big foodie, and he was resigned to being the loser.

Li Chu smiled and said: "That's it, cut up two more pounds of mutton, and bring two bottles of good wine through a sieve. Don't take a big bowl. We have something to talk about later."

During the dinner, Li Chu kept asking Zhang Yue about the machine for ginning cotton. Zhang Yue did not tell him directly, but he gave the general direction. As for the details of the churning machine, he did not disclose it.

Although Wang Anguo took a sip of warm wine and a sip of fish soup, he listened to every word spoken here.

Li Chu gritted his teeth and said: "If the method of ginning cotton is feasible, I am willing to give Mr. five hundred guans and another fifty guans as a reward."

Zhang Yue sighed at Li Chu's straightforwardness, not even doubting whether he was a liar, because he was so straightforward.

I have to lament that businessmen are good at seizing opportunities. If you have any new ideas, tell them to Li Gou and the scholars. One of their reactions is whether what you said is reliable or not. If it is reliable, then think about whether it is in compliance with the rules, and then think again. Consider it for half a day.

As for businessmen, they are very decisive. As long as there is tangible benefit, they will do it immediately.

For such an epoch-making technology as cotton ginning, five hundred guans is not expensive at all.

Zhang Yue and Li Chu were having a good chat. At this time, Wang Anguo put down his soup bowl and asked inappropriately: "Sanlang, if you say so, wouldn't the people who strip cotton lose their livelihood? This is not a problem for them. Good thing."

When Zhang Yue heard this, he thought, indeed, are all scholars this piss-poor?

Li Chu saw that he was afraid that Zhang Yue would be persuaded by Wang Anguo and not tell him the method of ginning cotton, so he immediately said: "Pingfu is joking, how can there be no benefit?"

Wang Anguo shook his head and said, "Is there something I can't explain clearly here?"

Wang Anguo remained silent and confused.

After drinking, Li Chu said goodbye and left, probably to practice the cotton ginning method that Zhang Yue just mentioned, but Zhang Yue firmly believed that Li Chu would come back to him in the end.

Wang Anguo looked at Zhang Yue and said: "One is famous for Chu and the other is famous for Yue. You two Chu and Yue people are so speculative when it comes to matters of profit and fame? Sanlang, you are good at everything, but you are a little blind to money."

Zhang Yue thought to himself, Okay, if you don't see the money, then don't come here to make money.

Wang Anguo and Zhang Yue were one generation apart in age, but because they admired Zhang Yue's talent and learning, they became friends as equals. This was the first time he talked about Zhang Yue.
To be continued...