When the pears are green

Chapter 199 Clever mistake

After leaving the pharmacy, Song Li asked Yang Jing and Wu Mingshu if they knew the location of the county school.

"Don't worry, Xiaoli. I asked Yang Yu to draw a map yesterday. We can find it by following the map." After Wu Mingshu said this, she took out a piece of paper from her bag and opened it to show Song Li and Yang Jing.

Song Li and Yang Jing looked at the map at the same time. After reading it, they both sighed and doubted in their hearts whether they could find the county school according to this map.

Yang Jing couldn't help but complain: "Sister Mingshu, is this the map that my third brother spent half an hour drawing? This is too sloppy."

Yang Jing had seen Yang Yu's paintings. Although the quality was average, the straight lines were not crooked.

Wu Mingshu coughed uncomfortably after hearing this, and pretended to be calm while pointing at the map to explain to Yang Jing and Song Li: "Yang Yu said that the county school is located on the left side of Nianfeng Street. This circle is Yuehu Lake behind the county school. This is Qiangwei Street to the south of the county school. This is the Confucius Temple to the east of the county school. The Confucius Temple and the county school are next to each other."

Song Li studied the map carefully while listening, and then asked Wu Mingshu uncertainly: "Sister Wu, didn't Master Yang say that the county school and Hengqu Academy are opposite each other, and the north of Hengqu Academy is Qiangwei Street."

Wu Mingshu stared at the map again and again, and then she realized that she had been fooled by Yang Yu. She first cursed Yang Yu in her heart, then smiled and shook her head, and continued to walk towards Nianfeng Street with Song Li and Yang Jing.

As Song Li guessed, the County School and Hengqu Academy were both on Rose Street. The two academies were similar in size, except that the gate of the County School had two more stone lion statues with hydrangeas under their feet.

Song Li looked at the sun that was about to reach its zenith and suggested going to the gatehouse to ask when the county school would be dismissed at noon and whether students could go out during lunch break.

Wu Mingshu and Yang Jing agreed. The three of them looked around and finally found the gatehouse on the right side of the county school gate.

The dark and fat middle-aged man in the gatehouse had been observing Song Li and the other two. When he saw Song Li and the other two walking towards them, he hurried out of the gatehouse.

The middle-aged man first looked at the three people's clothes, then muttered with a little annoyance: "This is the county school, it's not a place for you three women to enter, hurry up and leave."

Wu Mingshu quickly smiled and explained to the middle-aged man: "Brother, we are here to look for someone. Please pass the message on."

"Looking for someone? School hasn't ended yet, who are you looking for?" The middle-aged man said as he spread his palms towards Wu Mingshu, motioning for Wu Mingshu to give him some money for tea.

At this time, Yang Jing wanted to step forward and argue with the middle-aged man, but was pulled aside by Song Li and Wu Mingshu.

Wu Mingshu taught Yang Jing in a low voice: "Jing'er, these people are used to judging by the situation. Don't be impulsive. Think more about Yun'an."

"Jing'er, Sister Wu is right. There's no need to bother too much with this kind of person. It's not worth it." Song Li said as she took out a purse from her bag, preparing to give a few copper coins to the middle-aged man.

Seeing this, Wu Mingshu hurriedly stopped Song Li and said that she had come to see Wu Mingde and should not let Song Li spend money.

Wu Mingshu first took out ten copper coins from her purse and put them in the middle-aged man's hand, then smiled and said to him, "Brother, we are here to look for Wu Mingde and Li Yun'an. Please tell them that my sister is here to see them."

The middle-aged man hurriedly returned the copper coins to Wu Mingshu, then smiled and apologized to the three people: "So you are the relatives of Mr. Wu and Mr. Li. I apologize for offending you just now. I hope you can forgive me. Now that school is almost over, I will go and inform the two gentlemen. Please wait here patiently for a while."

Just as the middle-aged man walked into the gatehouse, a pleasant voice came from behind Song Li and the other two: "Brother Cui, wait a moment. Please tell Hu Zhining that the second brother is here to see him. By the way, these three are relatives of my future sister-in-law. Brother Cui, don't make the mistake in the future."

Song Li and the other two turned around and looked at the man who had been standing behind them at some point and whose features looked somewhat similar to Hu Zhimin. The man was taller than Hu Zhimin, and his faint smile was as refreshing as the spring breeze in March.

The middle-aged man turned around to look, then quickly ran to the man and explained with his head bowed, "Second Master Hu, I didn't know these three were your relatives, and I didn't dare to accept the copper coins from that lady."

The man told the middle-aged man not to worry about it, and said to the servant beside him with a smile: "Gao Xing, give Brother Cui some money for tea. Zhi Ning likes to go home, so I will have to trouble Brother Cui to bring a message in the future."

The man quickly waved his hands to refuse: "No, no, it's my honor to be able to bring a message for the Second Young Master."

Gao Xing took out a piece of silver from his purse and stuffed it into the hand of the middle-aged man who was still refusing. The middle-aged man pretended to refuse, but finally smiled and held it in his hand.

The middle-aged man first thanked the man, then apologized to Song Li and the other two with a smile, then quickly walked through the gatehouse and into the county school.

After the middle-aged man left, the man cupped his fists and introduced himself to Song Li and the other two: "My name is Hu Zhijian, and I would like to greet my two sisters-in-law and the younger sister of the Song family!"

"Mr. Hu has recognized the wrong person. We sisters don't know you, and we don't have any relatives with the surname Hu." Wu Mingshu didn't want to become related to Hu Zhijian, not to mention that Hu Zhijian's eyes were not pure when he looked at the three people. She was afraid that he had bad intentions.

Song Li and Yang Jing quickly agreed with Wu Mingshu, and the three of them moved to the left, putting some distance between themselves and Hu Zhijian and Gao Xing.

Hu Zhijian looked at Song Li and the other two who were whispering with interest, and whispered to Gao Xing who was trying to hold back his laughter: "Gao Xing, is this called trying to accept but rejecting?"

Gao Xing quickly replied in a serious tone, "Master, maybe they don't want to be related to you. They are decent girls, not Miss Wushuang from Huanhua Tower. Even if you are suave, handsome, and dignified, it has nothing to do with them. Think about the young lady. Even if you have a bad relationship with her, she will not easily talk to other strange men. You should stay away from Miss Wushuang for a while, otherwise, everyone should revolve around you."

"You bold servant, you have come into my room. What has Liu Ruyu been doing recently?" Hu Zhijian asked while patting Gao Xing's head.

Gao Xing grew up with Hu Zhijian, so naturally he was closer to Hu Zhijian than other servants and dared to tell him anything.

"My young master, how dare I control you. I heard from Miss Taohong who was sitting in front of the young lady that the young lady has been recuperating recently and is preparing to give birth to the eldest grandson of the Hu family for you. Young master, are we going back today?" Gao Xing answered while covering his head while secretly observing Hu Zhijian's expression.

"Why should I go back? Do I have to go back just because she shows her affection? Besides, she originally wanted to marry the eldest brother as a concubine, but ended up marrying me by accident." Hu Zhijian became angrier and angrier as he spoke, pointing at Gao Xing and asking if he had already defected to Liu Ruyu.

Gao Xing hurriedly defended himself: "How dare I? I just think you can't keep hating the young lady. Why bother to dwell on the past? Besides, there is the Liu family. The Liu family is close to the eldest young master. If you continue to be angry with the young lady, wouldn't it force the Liu family to completely side with the eldest young master? Although Mr. Liu loves the late eldest young lady very much, how can a dead person be compared with a living person, don't you think? Young master, are we still sending the things we prepared?"

"Of course I will, good boy. Once I have a good relationship with Liu Ruyu, I will ask her to marry Hong Tao to you. If Wushuang sends anyone to me again, I will not see him." Hu Zhijian took the pottery jar that Gao Xing took out of his bag and walked straight towards Song Li and the others.

Gao Xing smiled foolishly behind Hu Zhijian, thinking that Master Hu really had a lot of ways and a few simple words could make this prodigal Hu Zhijian turn back.

After hearing the footsteps, Song Li and the other two looked at Hu Zhijian and his servant helplessly.

"You three don't have to be so wary of me. I saw in the shop's account book today that the Song family sister bought gypsum powder. I asked the apprentice who dispensed the medicine and found out that the Song family sister used it to make tofu. I happen to have a jar of bitter brine, which is useless, so I might as well do a favor and give it to the Song family sister so that she can use it to make tofu." Hu Zhijian smiled and handed the pottery jar to Song Li.

Song Li originally thought that Hu Zhijian was coming to find Yang Jing, but unexpectedly he was coming directly for her. She quickly refused, saying that she did not know how to use bitter brine to make tofu.

"Just accept it with confidence, sister. I heard from people that using bitter brine is the same as using gypsum. Just put five cents of bitter brine for every pound of beans. More than that will cause poisoning." Hu Zhijian patiently explained to Song Li.

After hearing this, Song Li couldn't help but applaud Hu Zhijian's shamelessness in her heart. If Song Li hadn't calculated it before, she would have believed Hu Zhijian's lies with gratitude. Five cents was already almost half of the dose, and he still had the nerve to say not to overdose.

Depressed Song Li asked Hu Zhijian in a deep voice: "I wonder if you have heard of the story of Yang Xiu's pastry in the late Eastern Han Dynasty?"

Hu Zhijian was stunned for a moment, then smiled and handed the pottery jar to Gao Xing, signaling Gao Xing to put it away. He then apologized to Song Li: "Sister Song is right. I mistakenly thought that Sister Song was an ignorant country woman. I apologize to Sister Song."

Song Li ignored Hu Zhijian and turned around to continue talking to Wu Mingshu and Yang Jing.

At this time, the sound of gongs and drums came from the county school. Yang Jing and Wu Mingshu excitedly ran to the gatehouse, waiting for Li Yun'an and Wu Mingde to come out.