Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 311 The Journey of the He Family's Division

In fact, the purpose of the He family's trip to the capital was to take care of their business in Bianjing.

The He family was originally a family that passed down poetry and books, and Baishitan Academy was the foundation of their family. However, it was to be passed on to their eldest son, He Hongwen.

After all, He Hongwen's uncle was the pillar of their He family and the person who upheld their family's honor.

Therefore, for He Hongwen's lineage, the business in the capital truly belonged to him.

However, because He Hongwen is still young, the business has been managed by his grandmother so far. They don't have to do much; they just send the medicinal herbs they collect elsewhere to the capital and entrust the shopkeepers there to sell them.

To be honest, the main income of the He family, or rather He Hongwen's branch, actually comes from their business in the capital.

In the capital, the He family's business mainly involved buying and selling medicinal herbs. Leveraging the decades-long connections between the He and Zhang families, they collected medicinal herbs from various regions and then sold them to various pharmacies to raise funds and make money.

However, the He family were scholars, so their medicinal herbs were not only of good quality but also inexpensive, making them very popular with doctors in the city. As a result, their medicinal herb business was quite successful.

Of course, most importantly, their family also has a resident doctor and runs a pharmacy. With this as a foundation, they will not lose money no matter what.

One more thing: although the He family of Baishitan is quite wealthy, most of their assets are to be left to the eldest son who will inherit the family business, namely He Hongwen's uncle.

Therefore, no matter how much the youngest son, He Hongwen, was loved by his parents, his only source of income, besides some things in his hometown, was his business in the capital.

This business includes the herb-collecting routes that the He and Zhang families have maintained for many years, familiar herb farmers, a residence in the suburbs of the capital, and a pharmacy.

However, although there was only one shop, it was so profitable that it could support the entire family, which made He Hongwen and his mother quite satisfied.

He Hongwen's mother, Cao, seemed extremely weak and submissive, perhaps because she had been bedridden for many years.

Therefore, she naturally had nothing to say about the He family's arrangement.

Here's a side note: because Grandpa He and Grandma He doted on He Hongwen since he lost his father at a young age, the two of them had already divided up the family's assets three years ago.

In other words, the He family had already split up long ago.

The elderly couple, Grandma He and her husband, divided their family property into three parts. The majority, about six-tenths, went to Grandpa He, who was to manage it as he saw fit. The smaller portion, about three-tenths, went to He Hongwen, who is currently in the hands of Grandma He.

The rest, including Baishitan Academy, are still in the hands of Grandma He and her husband, used for their retirement.

Of course, after the old couple passes away, these things will still be handed over to the eldest son's family, and will have nothing to do with He Hongwen's lineage.

Uncle He had no objection to this.

Although, according to customary rules, the eldest son should inherit 90% of the family property, so the eldest uncle of the He family was actually at a disadvantage, he did not mind.

After all, as an elder, he felt quite sorry for his nephew. Moreover, this decision was made by Grandpa He and Grandma He, and as their son, he couldn't object even if he wanted to.

Unless, he's trying to get accused of being "unfilial"!

However, Uncle He was an official, and how could an official not care about his reputation?

If the division of the family property causes a great uproar, it will not only make the He family a laughing stock, but it will also definitely affect his own career.

Although he is in the right, it doesn't sound good to others. It makes him seem too stingy, valuing money more than family, and not someone to be trusted.

Therefore, from both a moral and rational perspective, and considering both his own and others' feelings, Uncle He will accept this outcome.

On another note, the He family, the old man and the young man, came to Youyang not only to be invited to the Sheng family, but also to travel to the capital by water with the Sheng family.

This, in turn, involves the current situation.

As the emperor grew older, the struggle for succession in the court intensified.

Among them, the competition between the popular candidates, the Prince of Yong and the Prince of Yan, is particularly fierce!

However, putting aside those court affairs for the moment, the struggle for the throne has indeed affected the lives of ordinary people.

Take the Han River as an example. As the two kings vied for power, the local government became somewhat lax, which led to frequent battles and constant banditry.

The waterway leading to the capital was particularly treacherous.

On this land, bandits frequently appear, such as the Canal Gang, the Boat Gang, and the Fish and Dragon Gang. These gangs are basically criminals by day and robbers by night, specializing in operations in various parts of the Han River, making the situation increasingly chaotic.

It was precisely because this section of the road was chaotic and full of charlatans that the He family was worried about their safety and wanted to rely on the Sheng family's help to get through it safely.

As for why the He family didn't choose to travel by land, it's still the same as mentioned before: the old man is too old to walk.

Traveling by boat would be more suitable for them, as it would be beneficial to their physical and mental health.

Speaking of which, this old lady Sheng is the daughter of Marquis Yongyi. Although she has fallen out with the Marquis Yongyi's mansion, she still has some capable guards around her. That was a means for the old Marquis Yongyi to keep them to protect his daughter.

For example, Xu Er, the old master who enlightened Sheng Changquan in martial arts, is the reason why he stayed in the Sheng family.

Therefore, in terms of security, the Sheng family is much stronger and safer than the He family.

……

After that day.

After Old Madam Sheng finished dealing with the affairs of the second branch of the family in their hometown, she privately met with Sheng Yun, who had come from afar, and talked with her in the house for most of the day.

However, Minglan and the others did not know what the two women said. They only knew that, judging from their expressions afterward, they seemed unchanged and still acted like family.

A few days later, under the reluctant gazes of everyone in the East Mansion, Old Madam Sheng and her entourage finally bid farewell to their relatives and boarded the large boat bound for Bianjing City.

now.

At the dock in Youyang, two large boats of similar size were moored, both in the style of painted pleasure boats.

Both of these pleasure boats are over ten zhang long and have three levels. The bottom level is partially open to serve as a storage warehouse, while the other part houses the boat's mechanisms and tools to aid in its movement and maintenance.

The middle floor, which is the largest and has the most rooms, was used for the daily living of the boatmen and servants.

After all, there are quite a few of them, and enough space is needed to accommodate them.

As for the top floor, there are only two or three small, independent rooms at the stern, while there is a pavilion at the bow.

The pavilion, with its upturned eaves and exquisite design, is actually a four-cornered pavilion. Standing at the bow of the boat, its railings, cloud-shaped pillars, and colorful paintings are all clearly visible.

In particular, the auspicious cloud reliefs on the pillars are layered one on top of another, arranged in a staggered and orderly manner, making the whole ship both luxurious and classical.

After everyone had boarded, the boatmen slowly raised the sails and used the wind to propel the boat.

However, fearing that the passengers might not be used to the turbulence of the water, the boat did not dare to go too fast. Instead, it slowly cruised along the Han River like an old man, allowing the passengers to gradually become familiar with the waterway and, incidentally, to witness the beauty of the Han River.

At this moment, Minglan and her siblings, along with Xiaotao, Danju, and the others, were standing under the three-story, four-cornered pavilion of the painted boat, gazing into the distance and appreciating the beautiful scenery where the water and sky met. "How beautiful!"

Looking at everything before her, Minglan murmured to herself.

"Mmm, it's so beautiful!"

Danju, who was beside Minglan, also sighed in agreement.

Not only Minglan and Danju, but even Xiaotao, who has never had much artistic talent, suddenly exclaimed in surprise behind everyone!
"Young lady, this place is indeed extraordinary!"

"Ok?"

"Unusual?"

Seeing that Xiao Tao, who usually only cared about eating and drinking, had such a reaction, Sheng Changquan couldn't help but find it amusing: "Sister Xiao Tao, what are you talking about that's unusual?"

Although Xiao Tao once told Sheng Changquan not to call her "sister" anymore, but to just call her by her name, Xiao Tao, just like he called Cui Ming and the others.

However, the bond between Xiao Tao and Minglan is quite different. For Sheng Changquan, she is also somewhat different from Cuiming and others, after all, he was delivered by Xiao Tao back then.

Therefore, Xiao Tao is essentially Sheng Changquan's other older sister. His treatment of her, and her treatment of him, are different from those of others.

"Gulu!"

Xiao Tao didn't answer Sheng Changquan's question immediately. Instead, she swallowed hard before "struggling" to speak, "Brother Quan, did you see it?"

"there!"

"That's it!"

Xiao Tao pointed to a patch of water not far in front of the bow of the boat and shouted, "There's a white carp over there!"

"Where are the white carp from the Han River!"

"..."

Xiao Tao was completely absorbed in her own world, unable to pull herself out!

Upon hearing Xiao Tao's explanation, Sheng Changquan, Minglan, and Danju were all speechless, feeling that Xiao Tao was still the same Xiao Tao, unchanged at all.

There's a song lyric that goes something like this—"I'm still that same boy, without the slightest change..."

At this moment, Sheng Changquan only wanted to give this to Xiao Tao: "You are still that gluttonous girl, without the slightest change..."

The three of them secretly reflected on themselves, regretting how they had imagined Xiaotao to be so mature, while also turning their heads to look in the direction Xiaotao was pointing.

The white carp from the Han River that He Hongwen gifted was not actually cooked as he had suggested, but rather made into a medicinal dish by Minglan herself. Instead, she cooked it into a pot of fresh, fragrant, smooth, and delicious carp soup.

Although the medicinal cuisine wasn't prepared according to He Hongwen's method, thus failing to bring out some of its nutritional value, the fish soup that Minglan cooked was still excellent.

She transformed these nutrients into flavor, making her a worthy rival to the best, holding her own.

Even the old lady He, who drank the fish soup, couldn't help but praise it, thinking that Minglan's skill was truly remarkable.

In Grandma He's words, "Even if there's no medicinal effect in this fish soup, it's still worth it! There's nothing I can do about it, I just love this kind of thing!"

Besides the family's masters and guests, Danju and Xiaotao, as Minglan's most favored people, naturally also tasted the carp soup.

However, it is precisely because they tasted such unparalleled deliciousness that they have never forgotten it.

Xiao Tao, in particular, was so hungry for it that she almost craved it!

Actually, if she hadn't been so busy with work, she probably would have caught a few fish herself and then asked Minglan for help so she could have a bowl of fish soup.

Of course, Xiao Tao clearly forgot one thing: she couldn't swim at all, let alone catch fish with her hands.

"Pfft!"

really!

As the sound of a wave crashing down rang out, Sheng Changquan immediately spotted the white carp leaping on the river in the distance.

"Hehe, it really is a white carp from the Han River!"

Sheng Changquan affirmed to Xiao Tao with delight.

To be honest, Sheng Changquan's insight is far superior to Xiao Tao's, and there are some things that Xiao Tao doesn't know, but he does.

The white carp in the Han River are not all Han River white carp. The so-called "Han River white carp" actually refers to those white carp that have lived in the deep waters of the Han River from childhood to adulthood, rather than those white carp that have grown up in other waters.

That's why Sheng Changquan was somewhat pleased when he saw those white carp.

"Brother Quan, let's hurry over there and catch a few white carp from the Han River, shall we?"

There seemed to be a kind of light in Xiaotao's eyes that no one could understand.

"hehe!"

Sheng Changquan remained silent, but turned to Minglan and asked, "Sister, since that's the case, why don't we just go and try it over there?"

"And while we're at it, let's see if we can catch any white carp?"

As for Sheng Changquan's suggestion, Minglan did not intend to refuse. After all, everyone had just boarded the ship and was still quite excited. Therefore, Minglan decided to go "crazy" with her younger brother!
"Okay!"

Minglan smiled gently and agreed.

"ah!"

"Great!"

"Then let's hurry up and go!"

Upon hearing Minglan's agreement, Xiaotao immediately ran over excitedly, hugged her, and prepared to walk towards the deck where the fish were.

However, just then, a gentle voice rang out.

"Sixth Sister, what are you doing?"

Let me first say that I've been a bit sluggish lately, purely because I'm rushing to finish a project and have to bid on it, so I've been working late. Please forgive me...

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(End of this chapter)