readytorunbook Chapter 572 Li Meibao Replica
Chapter 572 Li Meibao Replica
Chapter 572 Li Meibao Replica
Hou Fangyu and his two companions arrived at the gate of Hanshan City. Just as Old Man Li had said, Hanshan neither imposed a curfew nor closed its gates at night.
Although the gatekeepers recognized Old Man Li, they did not give Hou Fangyu and Mao Xiang special treatment and followed the rules.
Hou Fangyu handed the pass to the yamen runner.
The constable glanced at them, then quickly pulled out two horse tags and handed them to Hou Fangyu, saying, "These are horse tags. In Hanshan, each horse tag has a unique number."
Hou Fangyu took the horse tag and looked down at it. It had a strange symbol written on it: "dsb3723".
The constable cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Please hand over your horse to our staff first, sir. They will brand it with the same number on its rump. That way, even if your horse gets lost or stolen, you can report it to the yamen and we will help you find it as soon as possible."
Hou Fangyu nodded, having to admire Wang Wenzhou; his method was indeed excellent.
Hou Fangyu and Mao Xiang handed the reins to the staff, who then led the horses to be branded. While they were there, the yamen runners explained the "Hanshan Public Security Management Regulations" to the two men, reminding them of things to be aware of in Hanshan.
After listening to the yamen runner's explanation, Hou Fangyu asked, "I heard we can get a booklet of the 'Public Security Administration Regulations'."
The constable nodded and quickly handed the booklet to Hou Fangyu. At this moment, the two horses were also branded with numbers, and the staff returned the reins to the two men.
The yamen runner cupped his hands in greeting and said, "The formalities for the two young masters have been completed, and they may enter the city."
"Thank you!" Hou Fangyu nodded and mounted his horse.
"Welcome to Hanshan." The yamen runners respectfully saw the two off.
Mao Xiang said softly, "I never expected that Wang Wenzhou could govern Hanshan like this. It really looks like a paradise on earth."
"Yes!" Hou Fangyu nodded and said, "To be honest, I was also very surprised."
At this moment, Old Man Li, who had been waiting in the city, came up to greet them and said with a smile, "Young masters, come with me quickly, I'll treat you to a meal."
"Thank you, sir!" Hou Fangyu quickly expressed his gratitude. He and Mao Xiang didn't mind the meal; the key was that they wanted to take advantage of the meal to learn more about Hanshan from Old Man Li.
Old Man Li, accompanied by two other people, arrived at the entrance of a restaurant.
Hou Fangyu looked up at the plaque hanging on the gate, which read "Huifeng Steamed Bun Shop, 38th Branch".
Hou Fangyu found it strange. The restaurant's decor was quite grand, but why was it named a steamed bun shop? What puzzled him even more was that the characters on the signboard were really ugly. Even a child who had just started learning could write better characters than those on the signboard.
Hou Fangyu asked, "Why are the words on this plaque..."
Before Hou Fangyu could finish speaking, Old Man Li said with a smile, "People who come to Hanshan for the first time will find this very strange. This is an inscription by the sir. I can't read, and I've heard from others that the sir's handwriting isn't very good, but we people of Hanshan are used to it. We all think that the sir's handwriting is elegant and has a unique charm."
"Pfft..." Hou Fangyu and Mao Xiang looked at each other in disbelief. Wang Wenzhou's calligraphy was supposed to be flamboyant and elegant?
Old Man Li led two people directly up to the third floor, walked to a private room, and opened the door.
"Father, why are you so late? We've been waiting for you! Hmm? And who are these two?" Li Fugui asked.
"Come, let me introduce you all. This is Hou Fangyu, Young Master Hou..." Old Man Li introduced everyone.
After Old Man Li finished his introduction, Li Fugui quickly said, "Father, gentlemen, please take your seats."
Hou Fangyu sat down, looked down at the table full of delicacies, and immediately frowned. He was not a country bumpkin. Even in the capital, he often went to luxury clubs. But this table full of dishes was no less than that of luxury clubs in the capital.
Hou Fangyu smiled bitterly to himself, realizing he had misjudged the situation; he never expected Old Man Li to be so wealthy.
Old Man Li picked up his wine glass and said, "Today is my birthday. It's fate that I met you two gentlemen. Let's drink to this."
Everyone quickly raised their glasses.
After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, everyone ate and chatted.
Old Man Li had drunk a bit too much; his face was flushed. He nudged Hou Fangyu and asked softly, "I wonder if Young Master Hou is married?"
Hou Fangyu quickly replied, "I am already married."
Old Man Li pointed to his granddaughter Li Mei and said with a smile, "My granddaughter is 16 years old this year. Isn't she beautiful? I wonder if she will be lucky enough to marry Young Master Hou as a concubine."
Hou Fangyu smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
Li Mei quickly said, "Grandpa! What you're doing is wrong! I'd rather marry a dog than him! The principal and teachers all say that we should have free love and that parents shouldn't interfere with our freedom of marriage."
"Shut up!" Old Man Li roared.
Li Mei quickly pouted her little mouth in grievance and sat down obediently.
"Alas..." Old Man Li sighed, and said with shame, "You two gentlemen are too kind!"
"It's alright!" Hou Fangyu quickly replied.
Old Man Li took a sip of wine and said with a wry smile, "I am illiterate, and because of that, I especially envy you two young masters who are literate. Since you came to Hanshan and opened the Hanshan School, all the children in Hanshan have been able to study for free. I will also send my daughter, Li Mei, to the school."
"A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent; the ancients were right!" Old Man Li pointed at Li Mei and said angrily, "This girl, after reading a few books, doesn't know who she is anymore! She keeps saying she wants to join the army, and we can't stop her!"
"Knock knock!" Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Li Fugui quickly got up and opened the door.
"Hello, Principal! Hello, Mrs. Zhang Jiao!" Li Fugui said, somewhat surprised.
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "I heard that it's Old Man Li's sixtieth birthday today, so I came here specifically to ask for a cup of celebratory wine."
"My lord, Jiaojiao, please come in!" Old Man Li hurriedly got up to greet her.
Jiang Xuyang held up the cake in his hand and said with a smile, "Grandpa Li, this cake was made by my wife, please accept it."
"Jiaojiao is really becoming more and more like a virtuous wife and loving mother. Back in the day, you used to beat my second son, Ronghua, until he cried his eyes out," Old Man Li said with a smile.
Zhang Jiao was a little embarrassed. "Grandpa Li, you've gone too far! Can you please not bring up the past?"
Jiang Xuyang handed the cake to Old Man Li, then trotted over to his classmate Li Rui and whispered, "Little Rui, you better remember this, you owe me a favor."
Li Rui quickly replied, "I will always remember your kindness, elder brother."
It turns out that Wang Wenzhou came here because Jiang Xuyang had brought reinforcements for Li Mei.
Hanshan used to have a population of just over ten thousand. The locals all knew each other and had good relationships. In fact, Zhang Jiao and Old Man Li were distant relatives. Wang Wenzhou only came to help because of Zhang Jiao.
"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou laughed loudly, "What wind blew you two here?"
Although Hou Fangyu and Mao Xiang were somewhat embarrassed to see Wang Wenzhou, they still quickly got up to greet him.
"Boxin! Long time no see!" Hou Fangyu cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Wenzhou.
"Sir, you two know each other? That's wonderful! Please take a seat!" Old Man Li hurriedly invited Wang Wenzhou and Zhang Jiao to sit down.
As soon as Wang Wenzhou sat down, he was stunned. He stared blankly at Li Mei, not even blinking.
It's so similar! It's uncanny! The little girl in front of him is practically a carbon copy of Li Meibao! In a few years, she'll definitely look exactly like Li Meibao. Thinking of Li Meibao, Wang Wenzhou felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if it were being pricked by needles.