Additional 400+

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  Everyone was like this, and Xia Xiuren didn't show any sign of annoyance. He also didn't explain anything, but just smiled silently. Then a thin middle-aged man laughed and said: "Let's not talk about Brother Xia. If my wife were half as good as your wife, I would be willing to do the same as Brother Xia."

  Everyone burst out laughing again. Xia Xiuren also laughed with a good temper.

  Xia Zhi also heard that although the tone of these people's words was very sarcastic, they didn't contain any malice. She had only heard before that Xia Xiucai got along well with others in the academy, and now she saw it with her own eyes, and couldn't help but believe it.

  Xia Xiuzai is a gentle and humble person, with real talent but not arrogant, and never competes with others. This is his advantage, and it's extremely rare. If only he wasn't so weak and confused in some family matters.

  Is this what they mean by nobody is perfect?

  Xia Zhi could only sigh quietly. She quickly washed and dried a basin of clothes, and then hung them out to dry again. The crowd hadn't dispersed yet, and they were still praising her for washing the clothes well.

  "Little niece is really capable." Mr. Liu then said he wanted to invite Xia Xiuzai for a drink and have a good talk about the marriage between his third son and Xia Zhi.

  Xia Xiuzai naturally declined again. At this time, someone cleared his throat. Everyone turned their heads to look, some calling out to Young Master, others shouting "Shidi" (younger brother).

  It turned out that Li Xia had walked back.

  Li Xia was also surprised by the sudden appearance of so many people in the courtyard. Not only were all the original residents of this courtyard present, but also many gentlemen from other courtyards had come over.

  Apart from the teachers, there were many students.

  When he saw Xia Zhi and others in the crowd, Li Xia felt that he understood.

  As the center of conversation, but unable to say a word himself, Xia Zhi was just about to slip away. Seeing Li Xia arrive, her eyes lit up immediately.

  Li Xiaofei quickly glanced at Xia Zhi, and under the gaze of everyone, he couldn't give Xia Zhi any signal, so it seemed very subtle. He bowed to the crowd: "The mountain master invites everyone to go over, there are things to discuss."

  Li Shan Chang had invited, so no one dared to delay. Everyone was busy chatting and laughing as they left. Xia Xiucai fell behind, wanting to instruct Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu a few words.

  Li Xia came over at this time and let Xia Xiuren not worry. "Mr. Xia, you can go ahead and take care of your business, I'll take care of Lao Shu and Shi Liu. I guarantee to send them back safely."

  "That's too much trouble for Young Master." Xia Xiuzai felt a bit uneasy about it.

  "Mr. Xia was being polite, saying something about whether it's a trouble or not. I just so happen to be going to the vicinity of Xishi Street anyway, it's on my way." Li Xia said with a smile.

  Xia Xiuzai instructed Xia Zhi and Xiao Heiyu not to give Li Xia any trouble, then thanked Li Xia before heading towards Li Shanzhang's place.

  Li Xia looked at the backs of the crowd and smiled slightly.

  It wasn't until the summer solstice that he felt something was off about his smile, and then he thought of what he had just said. What a coincidence, Li Shan Chang happened to have something to discuss with everyone at this time. And even if Li Shan Chang really did have something going on, he shouldn't have let Li Xia come find people either.

  "Li Xia, does Shan really have something to discuss with everyone?" Xia Zhi asked.

  "The holiday is approaching, and Shan Zhang will find something for everyone to do." Li Xia replied mysteriously.

  Xia Zhi couldn't help but say: "When everyone arrives at Shan Chang's place, if Shan Chang doesn't give you an explanation, what will you do?"

  Li Xia smiled and said: "No, no." It was unclear whether he meant that Li Shan would not refuse to give him an excuse or that there would be no trouble.

  As they spoke, Li Xia called over a carriage and took Xiao Hei Yu and Xia Zhi to the outside of Wen Shan Academy.

  "Today I'm treating, let's eat and chat while we're at it. Sixteen, Old Uncle, what do you guys want to eat?"

  Xiao Hei Yu Er discussed with Xia Zhi and said let Li Xia take charge.

  Li Xia thought for a moment, he already knew the taste of Xiao Hei Yu and Xia Zhi. "Last time we had beef noodles, how about this time we go eat overpass rice noodles?"

  "What's 'Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles'?" Little Black Fish thought this name was quite strange.

  Li Xia told the legend of Guo Qiao Mi Xian in a vivid and engaging way. Xiao Hei Yu Er listened for the first time, naturally being very attentive. Xia Zhi had heard this story before, although Li Xia's version was slightly different, but the main content of the story was the same. Moreover, listening to Li Xia tell it, the story seemed even more interesting.

  "This is the food from Yunnan and Guizhou." As for why there was a Over Bridge Rice Noodle shop outside Wenshan Academy, that's another story. Li Xia told Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu, two years ago, some students from Yunnan and Guizhou came to Wenshan Academy to study, but after being here for a while, they especially missed the delicious food from their hometown.

  Then he wrote a letter home. The whole family was also spoiled, and they sent the cook to come from afar. The scholar got his wish and ate the delicious food from his hometown, and then invited the teacher and classmates to taste it.

  There are quite a few people who love to eat over the bridge rice noodles. Later, it is not clear who instigated it, but this foodie from Yunnan and Guizhou simply opened a shop selling over the bridge rice noodles outside the academy. It is said that the ingredients used in the shop, as well as the cooks, are all from Yunnan and Guizhou, and the taste of the rice noodles is very authentic.

  Little black fish is eager to try. Xia Zhi is also looking forward to it.

  The horse carriage soon left the academy and walked into a very quiet alley, then stopped in front of a shop. Opening a shop in such a place, it seems that only familiar customers can find it.

  Li Xia led Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei into the store with ease, found a private room to sit down, and instructed the young waiter in this way, each of them ordered a bowl of rice noodles.

  Then he smiled and looked at Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu, talking about what had just happened in the academy. "I was only away for a moment, how did so many people gather?"

  "Who knows," said Little Black Fish, "they all think Sixteen is good-looking and want to be matchmakers for Sixteen."

  Li Xia heard some words and knew it was true, so she smiled at Xia Zhi.

  Xia Zhi's innocent face: "I only know that women reach a certain age and love to play matchmaker, but it's the first time I've known that the scholars of Wenshan Academy also have this habit."

  Li Xia burst out laughing: "That also depends on who it is. Old Uncle was right, they just think the sixteen-year-old looks good." Then she asked again, "How's that, has it been decided?"

  "Li Xia, you're really getting revenge at just the right time, aren't you?"

  Li Xia smiled again: "Sixteen, I don't understand what you're saying."

  "You understand." Xia Zhi still had a sharp tongue, "You must be holding a grudge from the time in Linshui Town when I and Old Uncle talked about you taking a wife."

  Li Xia smiled in a low voice and firmly denied: "Absolutely not." Then he deliberately lowered his voice to ask Xiao Hei Yu, who had proposed to Xia Zhi.

  The little black fish remembered a few of them, and the one with the deepest impression was certainly Liu Juren.

  "I know that Brother Liu's family," Li Xia smiled with narrowed eyes, "Brother Liu's two elder sons have already had their marriages arranged. The third one hasn't had his marriage arranged yet, but the last time I saw Sister-in-law Liu, she said they had taken a liking to her niece from her natal family and it was just that things hadn't been formally settled."

  Last time Liu Juren's wife came to Fucheng, she visited Mountain Long's wife. The two of them talked about the marriage of their children, mainly discussing Liu Juren's two elder sons. As for Liu Juren's third son, he was still young and his mother hadn't considered his marriage yet. Of course, she seemed to have mentioned her niece from her natal family, but that was a different matter.

  Li Xia arranged for Liu Juren's third son and his cousin to become a couple just like that.

  The little black fish let out a snort, expressing extreme disdain. These adults are really too shameless, they only know how to use them for ridicule. "Sixteen, next time we won't bother with him."

  Xia Zhi wouldn't take this matter to heart and just smiled it off.

  At this time, the young man had already brought over a steaming bowl of rice noodles, and the side dishes were also arranged in great abundance. Li Xia naturally didn't forget Da Qing either. This time Da Qing's rice was meat broth rice, with two large pieces of pork ribs.

  Every time I go out with my little master, there's always delicious food, and Da Qing is also very happy.

  Li Xia told Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu how to eat the Crossing Bridge Rice Noodles, then she carefully took care of Xiao Hei Yu eating the noodles for fear that he would get scalded.

  He certainly didn't forget to ask one thing: "Old uncle, sixteen, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

  "There's something." Xia Zhi ate a small mouthful of rice noodles and then told Li Xia, "I have 400 taels of silver in my hand, I want to put it into a shop and take the annual interest dividend. Li Xia, do you have any reliable shops to introduce?"

  Li Xia was slightly surprised. Four hundred taels of silver were a small amount to him, but not to Xia Zhi. Where did Xia Zhi get four hundred taels of silver from? But Xia Zhi didn't say, and he didn't ask either, just thinking about the question Xia Zhi had raised.

  "There is." Li Xia thought for a moment and gave a definite answer. "The interest on the pawnshop is high, I'll put it in the pawnshop for you."

  Actually, Xia Zhi thought so too. But she didn't have a familiar pawnshop, so she came to find Li Xia. "Good." Xia Zhi was also very concise, then she glanced at Li Xia, "Li Xia, why don't you ask where my money comes from?"

  Li Xia smiled: "What can be said, you will naturally tell me. No need for me to ask." The implication being that if Xia Zhi found it inconvenient to speak, he would absolutely not ask.

  He is like this, and Xia Zhi cannot help but be delighted.

  "It's not that it can't be said." Xia Zhi smiled, "But since you don't have much curiosity, I won't say it for now. You'll know later." The competition between Gui Fangzhai and Gui Xiangzhai was heating up. Although Li Xia wasn't likely to get entangled with them, Xia Zhi still wanted to avoid trouble if possible.

  Li Xia didn't know, it wasn't a bad thing.

  "Alright." Li Xia indeed didn't ask another question, only telling Xia Zhi, "Do you have the silver money on you? Later I'll send you back and put the money in the pawnshop. Today we start calculating interest."

  This is naturally good, Xia Zhi nodded repeatedly.

  A bowl of over-the-bridge noodles hadn't been finished yet when a young servant sent by Li Shan Chang arrived.

  "Many masters said that zongzi is delicious, and asked if there were any left, where they could be exchanged for." Xia Ping'an asked Li Xia.

  (。)