The servant went to the guest room and saw the masters discussing matters, so he stopped talking.
Chen Chuangu’s eyes were sharp, so he asked, “What’s the matter?”
After repeating Rong Xi’s words, the servant waited for an answer but heard Chen Chuangu burst into laughter again and say, ‘If I were Master Rong, I would not care about such noisy matters!’
After saying this, he looked at Chen Dalang’s slightly gloomy face and smiled jokingly.
But Chen Erlang caught something else and asked curiously: “You mean, Master Rong poured the spoon with his own hands?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chuangu couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and ask, “Did the porridge for the morning meal also come from his hand?”
The porridge was sweet, fragrant, and soft, which Chen Chuangu greatly enjoyed.
The servant went to the kitchen to fetch water in the morning, knowing that the rice porridge was personally cooked by Rong Xi. He nodded in acknowledgment.
Chen Chuangu and Chen Erlang looked at Chen Dalang together.
Master Rong was working hard to make porridge, but someone didn’t take a bite of it. When Master Rong saw it with his own eyes, he might have felt uncomfortable.
Chen Dalang was very stable and said bluntly: “Bone soup is fine. In addition, I will increase the rent by 50% to thank Master Rong for his kindness.”
The servant took the order and withdrew.
The room was silent, except for the sound of water drops outside the corridor.
At this time, another servant came back from nowhere. When he saw Chen Erlang, he said respectfully: “Report to the masters, this servant has found out his identity.”
Bai Shuang flew up and landed on the corridor outside the door, seeming to be carried by the wind.
“Tell me about it.” Chen Erlang sat on the table with a noble air.
The servant replied: “This is the ancestral home of Rong Shangshu of the Ministry of Personnel , Rong Xi is his eldest son.” He looked at the faces of the three masters and said again, “Rong Xi was sent to Linxi because he offended someone.”
“Who did he offend?” Chen Chuangu was quite curious.
He saw that the young man had a gentle temperament, was sincere and amiable, and was not like those people who were prone to trouble.
The servant showed a rare color on his face, glanced at Chen Dalang, lowered his head, and said: “It is rumored that Young Master Rong is a voluptuous person and wants to force Master Liang. Rong Shangshu is worried that Rong Xi will anger the prince, so…”
Chen Chuangu smiled again.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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When it came to beauty, Liang Siwen was far inferior to the person in front of him.
Last night, Young Master Rong and his servants brought soup to Chen Dalang. Rong Xi’s eyes were clear, and he didn’t show any sign of greed. It seemed inconsistent with the rumors.
Chen Erlang also looked at his servants with doubts in his eyes.
The servant was slightly stunned, “I came back in a hurry and didn’t ask for confirmation.”
At this time, another servant returned from the kitchen and said: “Report to the masters, Young Master Rong said, it is his responsibility to treat us so we don’t need to send more money. He said sorry that he didn’t know what the master liked and disliked and forgot to ask our opinion, which brought difficulty to the master.”
Chen Chuangu sighed, “Even if he is just acting, with such a mind, he will definitely not force Liang Siwen. What does Master Erlang think?”
He asked Chen Erlang, but he actually wanted to see the opinion of Chen Dalang.
“What you said is true.”
Chen Erlang replied to Chen Chuangu, and let Chen Dalang hear it.
The two servants looked at each other in silence.
“Last night, this morning, just two encounters, and you’re so sure?” Chen Dalang finally said, “Regardless, our relationship with him is only that of tenants, we shouldn’t meddle in such trivial matters.”
It didn’t matter whether the rumors were true or not.
Liang Siwen was the son of a prince, skilled in martial arts. Even if Rong Xi had really forced the issue, he would have likely emerged unscathed. Rong Xi, on the other hand, would have been sent to a remote and impoverished town as punishment.
“What my brother said is true. However, although it’s only been two encounters, I observed that Young Master Rong does not possess the demeanor of a lewd or vulgar person. He exudes an elegant aura, maintains tranquility, and observes proper etiquette, unlike a villain.”
Chen Erlang made it clear that he did not believe the rumors.
The matter was no longer discussed. The three of them were about to continue discussing the matter, but they heard the servant saying: “I have something I want to report to the masters.”
The three of them were curious, Chen Chuangu couldn’t wait the most, “Speak quickly!”
“I observed an unusual object in the kitchen, which was quite peculiar. It was a stove, but unlike ordinary ones, and the fire within the stove was not from charcoal. Although I am inexperienced, having traveled with the young master to various places, I have had the fortune to witness many things, yet I have never seen such an object before.”
“Not charcoal?” Chen Chuangu asked curiously, “What is that? Can it be described?”
Burning objects were piled up outside the kitchen. The servant looked at them, noted their appearance, and described them.
The three of them were stunned when they heard this.
Chen Chuangu, displaying notable impatience, promptly rose to depart. Chen Erlang, retaining his youthful temperament, followed suit. However, Chen Dalang, constrained by his physical condition, could only maintain silence on the couch.
Fortunately, Bai Shuang flew into the house and pecked at his quilt.
The man caressed the bird’s head and thought about seeing Rong Xi last night. Rong Xi’s eyes were clear and there were no distracting thoughts in his heart. Chen Dalang strongly agreed with what Chen Erlang said before.
Young Master Rong was by no means a cunning person.
In the kitchen, Liu He was arranging firewood behind the stove. He was somewhat surprised to see the four people appearing outside the kitchen, so he quickly got up and walked out.
“Master Chen Erlang, Doctor Chen.”
Chen Chuangu pointed at the briquettes and asked, “What is this?”
Remembering Rong Xi’s instructions, Liu He sincerely replied: “Two gentlemen, this is a new product from Hu’s charcoal merchant. It’s easy to use.”
Before they could ask any more questions, Liu He was already gushing and praising the briquettes.
Chen Chuangu and Chen Erlang were stunned when they heard this.
Is such a good thing really possible?
However, the benefits Liu He mentioned are indeed extraordinary for ordinary charcoal. So does Hu’s charcoal merchant really have some skills?
When they were stunned, young man Liu rushed over and said, “Grandpa, I’ve run out of paper and ink at home. I’ll buy some.”
Liu He nodded lovingly and said, “Go and come back quickly.”
After the young man left, Chen Chuangu and the other three returned to the guest room, described what they saw to Chen Dalang, and sighed repeatedly.
“I didn’t expect that there would be such a capable person in Mengshan County. Although businessmen are of the lowest rank, their tax profits are not small.” Chen Erlang lowered his eyes and sighed.
Merchants paid a hefty amount of taxes each year; if they received support from the court, it surely brought in profits, filling the national treasury.
If the court had funds to distribute to the people, then the people would have no worries.
“Don’t think so much, Master Erlang.” Chen Chuangu said seriously, “I just heard what Liu He said. This charcoal has not yet been promoted, and I don’t know its future. Moreover, its production method should not be easy, or it may be expensive and difficult to buy, so the common people cannot use it.”
Bai Shuang flew to the beam and looked down at several people.
Chen Dalang hit the edge of the couch with his hand and spoke in a deep voice, “Rong Xi came to Linxi alone and penniless. The Liu family’s members only survive on a monthly basis. If charcoal is expensive and hard to buy, where did they get it from?”
Chen Erlang frowned and thought, “Maybe the Hu family is promoting it for convenience, and now the price is low and easy to get.”
There was some truth to it, although it wasn’t entirely precise..
“This matter remains to be considered. If honeycomb briquettes are indeed beneficial to the people, promoting them will also be a good thing.”
After Chen Dalang finished speaking, several people stopped talking about the matter.
By the time the hour of Shen arrived, and the afternoon meal was served.
The fragrant and rich bone soup blossomed in lacquered bowls, presenting an exquisite delicacy. Within the white broth floated wolfberries and red dates, vibrant and eye-catching. The meat and bones immersed in the soup were tender and smooth, melting in the mouth instantly, while the marrow in the bones was deliciously fresh. With each sip, a lingering fragrance remained on the palate.
Chen Chuangu was not polite and even drank three bowls without feeling embarrassed.
Chen Erlang relied on his status and strictly controlled his diet since he was a child. After two bowls, although he wanted more, he stopped when his servant looked at him pleadingly.
Chen Dalang sat on the couch with a leisurely expression, holding a bowl and drinking slowly.
Seeing the longing in Chen Chuangu’s eyes, Chen Dalang picked up a large piece of tender meat, chewed it and swallowed it, and said, “This bone soup was cooked by Young Master Rong for me. Three bowls are enough for you. Do not insist anymore.”
The implication was that Chen Chuangu had taken advantage of the patient.
Chen Chuangu put the bowl on the table and sneered, looking directly at someone’s face, “I don’t know if it is because of your appearance.”
Seeing Chen Dalang’s face darken abruptly, Chen Erlang couldn’t help but cover his lips and chuckle. His brother used to dislike others commenting on his appearance the most, and Chen Chuangu was quite bold indeed.
“So, aren’t you good for nothing?” Chen Dalang retorted ruthlessly. After finishing one bowl, he filled it with another.
Chen Chuangu lost his face and said bitterly: “Chen Dalang, when it comes to beauty, no one in the Wei Dynasty can compare with you.”
“I’m very relieved that you are self-aware.” Chen Dalang raised his eyebrows slightly and drank the bone soup in one gulp, his eyebrows shining like pearls.
Suddenly, the servants arrived in a hurry.
“Report to the masters, an officer is coming to the house and wants to search for the fugitives.”
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