“I’ve got everything sorted on my end, so there’s no rush. I actually thought it would take until a few days before the New Year to find someone, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.”
Yang Zixiang had treated him well. Although it was partly due to the county magistrate’s influence, a gentleman judges actions, not intentions—there was no need to dwell on that.
He always felt that Sun Fu was a bit too proper, exuding an air of aloofness and arrogance. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when making a living in a bustling restaurant, one couldn’t afford to be too haughty; standing out like a sore thumb here wouldn’t do him any favors.
With these words, he was telling Yang Zixiang that he wasn’t in a hurry to leave and had plenty of time to carefully select a more suitable candidate.
But the other man clearly didn’t get the hint, fearing he might be holding Yang Zixiang up. “I’ve already asked the manager to speed up the search so as not to delay your important business.”
“Sir, you worry too much. A couple of days won’t make a difference. I—”
“Shi Wuxiang, is it? From what you say, it seems you have your own affairs to attend to. Naturally, one’s own business comes first—but could it be that you have some reason to distrust me?” Sun Fu’s tone carried a hint of arrogance. “Even if you’ve won the magistrate’s favor, you cannot simply hold onto this position and refuse to leave. Do you not even heed the words of your master?”
Shi Wuxiang raised his eyebrows slightly. It had indeed been a long time since he’d encountered someone who spoke so forcefully; it was truly rare.
Besides, what exactly was he so smug about?
“Mr. Shi, please don’t misunderstand,” Yang Zixiang frowned. “I certainly don’t mean to blame you. I was just thinking that your family matters are more important, and besides, the two upstairs can handle things…”
“I understand. Please rest assured, sir. I’ll take him upstairs right away to get familiar with the situation and hand over the accounts to him at the same time,” Shi Wuxiang said with a smile. Since someone was eager to get to work, he naturally wouldn’t object.
Yang Zixiang chuckled. “Then please take him up to take over your duties as soon as possible.”
“Follow me.” Shi Wuxiang nodded to Sun Fu and strode toward the door.
If he could hand all these matters over to him today, he wouldn’t have to come back again—Yuan Zhao would probably be so happy he’d jump for joy.
Just imagining that scene, Shi Wuxiang couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“What are you laughing at? ” Sun Fu frowned, looking at him with a look of contempt. “I don’t care how well you know the county magistrate, but we’re all scholars. I’m no less than anyone else, so don’t look down on me.”
?
Shi Wuxiang furrowed his brow in confusion, but he still patiently explained, “I don’t look down on anyone. It’s you who seems to look down on everyone.”
After all, he had met countless people; he could gauge a person’s character with just a brief interaction or a few words—which was precisely why he had chosen to keep Yuan Zhao.
It was certainly not merely because the other was young. If it had been someone like the man standing before him, he would have found a way to drive him away the moment he laid eyes on him. Why would he care about age or scholarly ability?
No matter how great one’s talents, without the virtue to match them, one is nothing but a waste of space.
Sun Fu seemed to have been struck at his core; his anger flared visibly. He glared at Shi Wuxiang with fury, “Don’t think that just because you’ve won the magistrate’s favor, you can judge others at will. What business is my temperament to you?”
“…… “Apart from reading, don’t you ever think about eating some walnuts?” Shi Wuxiang shot him a speechless glance before striding toward the accounting office.
A person with such a twisted mind—even exchanging a single extra word with him might be contagious. I’m afraid only a dung beetle would be overjoyed at the sight of his head.
“What do you mean by ‘eating walnuts’?”
“Shi Wuxiang, explain yourself clearly! Why eat walnuts? Are you secretly cursing me? How can you be so mean? What gives you the right to interfere with other people’s choices!”
Shi Wuxiang couldn’t be bothered to argue with someone like this. It was simply too ridiculous—to blow things out of proportion like this. He might as well just go fish in the river instead.
Sun Fu chased after him, shouting all the way. Even as they neared the accounting office, he refused to back down, and his voice was clearly heard by Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao inside.
The two men stared blankly at the newcomer, quickly realizing that this must be the man sent to replace Shi Wuxiang.
“This is the newcomer, Sun Fu. I’ll brief him on everything today,” Shi Wuxiang introduced. “These two are Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao. They’ve been working at Xiangxiang Lou for a long time. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask them for help later.”
Sun Fu, however, seemed to have misunderstood something and blurted out a startling remark: “Are you saying you won’t teach me the ropes properly? You’re handing the job over to me and just spouting nonsense?”
Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao looked at him in astonishment. How could anyone say such a thing?
Weren’t those just standard polite remarks?
“If that’s how you choose to interpret it, then I’m truly at a loss.” Shi Wuxiang cast him a dispassionate glance and pointed to the ledger on the table. “These are the accounts I’m currently organizing and reconciling. Every single entry must be accurate down to the last coin. As long as you follow what I’ve written here, you won’t make a mistake. Be sure to go over it several times.”
Sun Fu looked down on him. “It’s just some bookkeeping. Who doesn’t know how to do that? Going into such detail with me—aren’t you just looking down on me?”
Shi Wuxiang ignored his rambling and, following protocol, taught him every aspect—down to the finest details—including how to clear the accounts quickly.
Even the usually taciturn Wen Hao couldn’t help but speak up: “You didn’t even teach us this skill?”
Seeing him like this, Zhang Xiang was already on the verge of fainting from anger.
Shi Wuxiang couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought you all already knew.”
Seeing them like this, Sun Fu knew he’d gotten the better of them, but he couldn’t help feeling that Shi Wuxiang was showing off in front of him. What was so great about him, anyway, that everyone fawned over him like that!
After explaining all this to him, Shi Wuxiang couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know what to do? Did I explain it clearly?”
“Don’t treat others like fools,” Sun Fu snorted lightly. He sat down at Shi Wuxiang’s original seat, quickly crunched the numbers, and then wrote the answer down neatly.
Shi Wuxiang glanced at it—everything was correct.
He considered his teaching complete; since the other had learned it, it was naturally no longer his concern. All that remained was to pass the time for the rest of the day.
Although Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao had been busy with their own affairs, their ears had been pricked up the whole time. Whenever they heard Sun Fu speak like that, the two would exchange a knowing glance, silently understanding each other’s thoughts.
In their eyes, Shi Wuxiang was already considered unusually good-tempered. From here on out, they would be the ones dealing with this Sun Fu, and they truly could not tell how they were supposed to handle it.
“Brother Zhang, Brother Wen, I’ll have to trouble you to take them all to eat lunch at noon,” Shi Wuxiang said.
“It’s almost the appointed time already. Are you heading out? Not eating at the wine house?” Zhang Xiang couldn’t help asking. He actually felt the wine house might not have prepared a portion for the other party… and if that were truly the case, it would be rather disheartening.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m going to see my husband,” Shi Wuxiang said with a smile.
Zhang Xiang suddenly understood. He had forgotten that Shi Wuxiang never went to Yuan Zhao’s stall at this time of day; he always went only after finishing his meal.
Wen Hao was more perceptive than him. He knew this new Sun Fu was unpleasant and likely unwilling to eat with him.
Sun Fu had been listening to their conversation the entire time. After Shi Wuxiang left, he immediately turned to Zhang Xiang and asked, “He’s already married? Could it be some young master from a prominent family?”
In his view, someone like Shi Wuxiang could never possibly marry an ordinary household; it clearly looked like he favored wealth and status and despised the poor!
“Brother Wen, take a look at this entry. I calculated it twice and got two different results,” Zhang Xiang said, picking up the account book and handing it over. It seemed there was an issue he had failed to notice.
“Here—you missed two wen,” Wen Hao pointed out.
“No wonder…”
The two of them bent their heads back over the accounts. No one paid Sun Fu any attention. Feeling bored, he snorted coldly and turned away in disdain, immersing himself in the accounting work instead. Yet he completely forgot he was a beginner; if he did not quickly familiarize himself with the experienced hands here, no one would be willing to sincerely help him when problems arose.
Shi Wuxiang left the wine house and went straight to Yuan Zhao’s stall. Around noon, the stall was at its busiest, filled with customers buying wraps to take home.
He walked along the side of the stall quietly. Only the customers noticed him; even they lowered their voices unconsciously, no longer urging impatiently.
Yuan Zhao sensed something sharply and initially thought an official had arrived, but saw nothing when he looked around.
“Focus on your work,” came Shi Wuxiang’s voice suddenly beside his ear.
Yuan Zhao jumped in shock, almost poking through the crepe on the pan. He quickly turned his head and immediately smiled when he saw him.
“You’re here early. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Yuan Zhao asked while handing him a pouch. “Perfect timing—you go buy four bowls of wontons. I’ll make a few more wraps and that’ll be enough for us!”
Shi Wuxiang took the pouch with a smile and left, returning shortly with four bowls of wontons. The vendor even helped him carry two of them over.
“Yuan Yuan, eat first,” Yuan Zhao said.
“Alright!”
Shi Wuxiang then took over Yuan Yuan’s work, helping collect payment. He was unexpectedly efficient and could even help make wraps. Madam Shi Zhang also quickly finished eating, then took over full control so they could all eat.
While slurping wontons, Yuan Zhao asked, “Are you full? If not, or if you don’t want wraps, I can go buy you some stuffed pancakes. The ones ahead are really good.”
“I’m full. I’m not picky,” Shi Wuxiang replied.
“Is it more like you don’t have the luxury of being picky?” Yuan Zhao teased. A person who used to eat at wine houses naturally could not be too selective now that he was living more modestly.
Even Ah Yue and Ran Ran ate anything.
Shi Wuxiang chuckled. “What are you secretly saying about me now?”
“How is that secretly talking about you? Aren’t you like that? When you first ate coarse flour buns, didn’t you struggle to swallow them and have to drink several mouthfuls of tea? I saw it myself!” Yuan Zhao laughed.
It sounded like he found Shi Wuxiang’s past embarrassment especially amusing.
Shi Wuxiang let him talk. After all, it was all in the past. If Yuan Zhao found it interesting, then he could say whatever he liked.
The two of them quickly finished eating and wiped their mouths before continuing to work in the cold wind. Yuan Yuan, meanwhile, was relieved of duties and sat obediently at the back, the wind seeming to avoid him entirely.