After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 30

“Brother Zhou, have you been waiting long? Some trivial matters at the yamen have kept me occupied.” Wang, the clerk, was nearly forty years old, with a refined appearance, and sat down with a smile.

“It’s alright, brother is busy with official duties.” Zhou Han poured him some hot tea.

The story of how the two met dates back two years. At that time, Wang, the clerk, was traveling with his wife and children when the horses pulling the carriage suddenly became frightened. The driver did not control the horses properly and was thrown to the ground. His wife and children screamed in terror inside the carriage, and it seemed that a disaster was about to occur.

Just then, Zhou Han and his caravan returned. With his amazing strength and courage, he subdued the mad horse and saved Wang Shuli’s family. From then on, Wang Shuli remembered this kindness and regarded Zhou Han as a reliable brother.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Zhou Han put down his chopsticks and said, “Brother Wang, I invited you here today because I have a favor to ask you.”

“Oh? Please speak freely, there’s no need to be so polite with your elder brother.”

“It’s a friend of mine,” Zhou Han paused, his ears burning slightly, “who runs a small stall selling mutton offal soup at the dock. The business is just getting started. Today, someone reminded me that I need to go to the government office to apply for a city registration certificate, which is the only way to get things in order. I was thinking, since you’re in charge of this matter, could you do me a favor and help them get the paperwork done as soon as possible?”

Wang, the clerk, was an extremely shrewd man. Seeing Zhou Han’s slightly awkward manner when mentioning “friends,” he immediately guessed what was going on.

He stroked his beard and chuckled, “This friend is probably a young lady, isn’t she?”

Zhou Han blushed slightly and stammered, “Nothing can be hidden from you, brother.”

Wang, the clerk, laughed heartily: “Looks like you’re about to have some good news. It’s just a small matter. Don’t worry, just bring your men to me tomorrow, and I’ll take care of it perfectly.”

He leaned closer and jokingly said in a low voice, “It seems that my ‘sister-in-law’ is quite extraordinary, that our Brother Zhou is so concerned about her and personally came to put in a good word for her.”

Zhou Han felt a little embarrassed by what he said and said in a low voice, “Brother is joking.”

Seeing his embarrassment, Wang the clerk knew that this younger brother was always serious, so he stopped teasing him: “Alright, alright, I’m not joking anymore. But Brother Zhou, this is a joyous occasion! Be sure to let me know on the wedding day. Your sister-in-law will be overjoyed if she knows that your iron tree has finally blossomed! She was just talking about asking someone to find you a husband the other day. Now that’s great, she can finally relax!”

Zhou Han solemnly agreed: “Definitely. I hope you and my sister-in-law will grace us with your presence then.” The two ate and chatted about recent events in the town. After a few rounds of drinks, seeing that it was getting late, Wang Shuli, thinking of his wife and children at home, bid farewell to Zhou Han and went home.

After the two parted, Zhou Han walked alone on the path back to his residence. The evening wind was chilly, and he couldn’t help but recall the scene of Lin Sang and her family rushing to catch the oxcart early in the morning and then hurrying to catch the cart in the afternoon. These people, old and young, made the round trip every day, which was really hard. If they had their own oxcart, it would not only be convenient for setting up a stall, but also for daily transportation and farming during busy seasons. With this thought in mind, he turned towards the livestock market at the east end of the town.

Although it was already night, there were still managers on duty at the cattle shed.

Seeing Zhou Han’s imposing figure and extraordinary bearing, the manager greeted him warmly: “Sir, would you like to see some cattle? We have several new, fine oxen that have just arrived. They are in their prime, strong, and gentle!”

Zhou Han carefully examined the oxen; they were indeed spirited. He took a liking to one with a well-proportioned frame and bright eyes, and asked, “How much is this one?”

The steward held up two fingers and then opened his palm: “Twenty-five taels of silver, no bargaining.”

Twenty-five taels! That’s no small sum.

Zhou Han pondered for a moment and said to the steward, “Let me think about it some more.”

After leaving the cattle farm, Zhou Han had already made up his mind. It seemed that he should go home. He wondered how his mother was doing alone at home during the time he had been working away from home. In the freezing cold, she must be reluctant to burn charcoal for warmth.

More importantly, he needs to go into the mountains. At this time of year, those furry creatures in the mountains should be out and about. If he’s lucky enough to catch a fox, especially a snow fox or a red fox with good fur, the money from selling the pelt will be more than enough to buy a cow.

Having made up his mind, he decided that once he was done with these busy days and helped Lin Sang get the certificates, he would go home immediately.

The next morning, the Lin family’s stall was busier than usual. Even eight-year-old Lin Miao came to help with some light tasks like handing things over. After the morning market was finally over, Zhou Han appeared at the stall right on time.

After serving Zhou Han some hot soup and flatbread, Lin Sang asked somewhat nervously, “Brother Zhou, when you go to the yamen to handle some business, do you need to prepare some gift money? Or buy something?”

Zhou Han shook his head: “There’s no need to prepare extra money. Wang Shuli is not greedy for these things. If you really want to bring some, just buy some snacks and candied fruits. He likes them.”

“Okay.” Lin Sang agreed, and the two of them went together to the most famous “Xu’s” pastry shop in town.

Looking at the dazzling array of pastries and their varying prices, Lin Sang subconsciously compared them. Zhou Han whispered to her, “Let’s choose the ‘Four-Color Fruit Pastry’ and ‘Candied Fruit Set’. They look nice and taste good. Wang Shuli has children at home, so they should like them.”

Lin Sang bought it as instructed, and her goodwill towards Zhou Han’s thoughtfulness grew even stronger.

Upon arriving at the yamen, thanks to the advance arrangements made by Clerk Wang, the process of registering the stall in the city went exceptionally smoothly. The clerk in charge of registration asked the stall owner for his name, type of business, and location, recorded it in the register, and finally stamped it with a bright red official seal. After paying the required small amount of tax, a thin but significant certificate was handed to Lin Sang.

The two then took the gifts to see Wang, the clerk. When Wang saw Lin Sang beside Zhou Han, his eyes lit up. He noticed that although the girl was simply dressed, she was graceful and had bright eyes. He secretly praised Zhou Han for his good taste.

He smiled and said to Zhou Han, “No wonder you’re so interested, it turns out your sister-in-law is such a clever and intelligent person!”

Lin Sang blushed slightly at his words, but still bowed gracefully and thanked him, saying, “Thank you for your help, Lord Wang.”

Wang, the clerk, waved his hands repeatedly: “Hey, don’t call me ‘sir,’ you sound like a brute. Just call me Brother Wang! If you have any trouble at the docks in the future, just let him come and tell me!”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two said their goodbyes and left.