The Marquis' Wife
The opening of the cake shop
"It's nice to see you again Liang Wei" Lu Xiang alluded to the smile even though his eyes were staring flat.
Liang Wei patted the hand fan and opened and closed his mouth while looking down at Lu Xiang. "Do you smell poor?
His two followers sniffed and stepped back. "You're right senior Liang, I smell poor. You better back off what if you get hit by that smell".
"It will definitely be very smelly and difficult to remove" said another follower.
"Heh~ you're right" Liang Wei stepped back and laughed mockingly.
Lu Xiang tilted his face, holding his chin as if thinking hard "Really? But why do I smell money here? The huft! It smells pretty vulgar".
Liang Wei's grin disappeared instantly. He came from among business people and did not like his status as a low businessman, so he tried to get into the Academy and change his status to a student, it was better than the merchant's son and the status was much better after his sister became the mayor's child concubine in the city of Qingchen. The people who had originally stayed away from him now even admired him.
"Whatchu mean? You call Liang Wei the smell of money?!"
"Lu Xiang!, how dare you insult Liang Wei, do you not know who is behind him? He's very easy to make you fail the exam!"
The two followers of Lu Xiang shouted furiously and increasingly made the people stop and watch their debates.
Chinese proverb says don't be afraid of great team members but be afraid of stupid team members like little pigs.
Lu Xiang simply kept silent and looked at Liang Wei with a look of pity then let out a long sigh. "Why are you so emotional? Where are all the Confucian teachings you read?".
Lu Xiang's calm words were very obvious with the words full of emotion of Liang Wei's followers made people start to whisper and stare in disgust and fear at Liang Wei's team it made the elegant-looking young man realize something is wrong.
"Be quiet. Lu Xiang tid's... "
"You want to thwart me from Liang Wei's exam?"
Lu Xiang did not let Liang Wei change things to side with him.
"I never said that, all just misunderstood". The hand fan in Liang Wei's hand was almost damaged due to the young man's strong grasp.
"But your followers say so, why would they say that without cause? Is it because your sister married the mayor's son, even if she's just a concubine? Surely not Liang Wei? Because I will report this to teacher Zhao Fan for fear of failing the exam".
At first he did not want to serve words that did not benefit Liang Wei and his followers, but the shadow of Adelia imagined that he would imagine if this ridicule would be repeated to his wife because his passivity in overcoming the ridicule made Lu Xiang wanted to use anything to make the impression that he was not a loser to be booed.
The words made Liang Wei freeze. Lu Xiang not only announced that his sister was only a concubine and even dictated that his teacher was also a juren who was equal in status to the mayor.
Liang Wei's followers also frantically looked at Lu Xiang's cold expression, before the young man just silently did not refute all their scorn making the impression that he was a loser.
Everyone there was stunned to hear Lu Xiang's words and realized the real thing was happening and made things intense for a moment but Lu Xiang immediately changed his expression to be as calm as those authoritative students.
"But as you say, it's just a misunderstanding. Isn't that Liang Wei?". He did not want to corner Liang Wei just because of this trivial matter and made big trouble later because of today's grudges.
The two followers stepped forward and bowed their bodies. "We're sorry for mispronouncing you, we hope you don't hold grudges against us".
One of Liang Wei's followers, who looked ordinary, twisted his apology with the issue that Lu Xiang was a vindictive. He named Li Angou who is also a poor peasant child, he was able to attend school thanks to Liang Wei so he had to lick the man for the continuity of his school.
"Yes Lu Xiang. We ask you please do not take revenge on us. Li Angou and I were just joking".
Liang Wei held a cynical smile because he knew the meaning of the words of his two followers, he wanted to know how Lu Xiang would break away on elegant grounds not just with ordinary words, but with ordinary words, it's better if the man disputes the speech himself.
Lu Xiang felt tired and regretful serving Lu Xiang and his men, he let out a long sigh. "Confucian teachings teach us not to be emotional, to twist facts, to be defamatory and vindictive. It's dusk, I have to be right away. Goodbye Liang Wei". He left the crowd with calm steps.
No one thought that Lu Xiang would cut off the debate and leave with the impression that it was useless to argue further as if accusing the two followers of Liang Wei of being ignorant I studied confucius.
Liang Wei's face hardened, he looked sharply at Lu Xiang's back as if he wanted to eat him alive. Just wait, he will make her regret choosing the problem with him.
&&&
The days passed quickly, this week Lu Xiang and Adelia were busy preparing the opening of the cake shop, Xu manager's chocolate order and copying the basic Confucius book. They had enough money to buy one female and two male slaves.
"From now on, you will live with us. There are not many rules you just have to be diligent and loyal. That's all, do you understand?"
"We understand sir" The three men replied in unison.
Lu Xiang and Adelia chose to buy one female slave for a bakery clerk and help him with baking and housework, the other two as shopkeepers and housekeepers. The cake shop that Adelia also nailed to the upper class so that she had to show the appropriate circumstances for those circles so the shopkeeper had to be there and it could also solve the problem if the Miao family or people others who want to make trouble in his store.
Adelia almost spent the money selling chocolate and books that Lu Xiang had copied to buy slaves, she said, the cake and the work clothes for her and the store clerk made the girl feel frustrated because the money came out like hard flowing water.
But the feeling of frustration was lost when opening the first cake shop. Adelia, Lu Xiang and her sister were dressed neatly and newly to greet the consumers.
Lu Xiang lit the blazing firecrackers happily and joined Adelia.
"Lu Cheng, Lu Shan. Your job is to cut this red ribbon until it breaks".
Because the great preparation and the loud sound of firecrackers made people curious about what shop the young couple would open made Lu Xiang's two younger brothers nervous.
"Good brother" Lu Cheng was still able to control his expression despite being nervous but Lu Shan turned his head around, slightly panicking at the large number of people watching.
"Don't be nervous. Hold onto these scissors and cut the red ribbon" Adelia helped Lu Shan put the scissors on the red ribbon and counted.
"1 2 3. Cut the red tape".
Lu Cheng and Lu Shan cut the red ribbon and Adelia clapped her hands happily making Lu Xiang and the people applaud as well. Previously there was no cutting of any ribbon in store openings or other inauguration events, people only carry out firecracker ignition rituals that make people become amazed and get new inspiration in the inauguration ritual.
