Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 313 Encounters on the Road
"Ugh!"

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan mention his eldest uncle, He Hongwen suddenly couldn't help but sigh.

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this sigh, Sheng Changquan suddenly raised an eyebrow, a strange expression appearing on his face.

"It seems that the He family isn't as harmonious as it appears on the surface!"

Sheng Changquan was very alert and sensed that something was wrong.

There's probably more to this story than meets the eye.

Sheng Changquan pondered to himself, trying to guess the situation of the He family.

"Seventh brother, you are unaware of this!"

He Hongwen had no idea what Sheng Changquan was thinking, and simply explained, "Actually, we who are the owners really can't act arbitrarily."

He Hongwen shook his head, thinking that Sheng Changquan was still young and did not know the difficulties of doing business.

"Seventh brother, don't think that just because our He family is an official family, we can deal with these managers at will. In fact, if we can't find out how they are embezzling money, then even if we know about it, we can't say it!"

"After all, people like us need to have a legitimate reason for doing things; otherwise, even if we understand the situation, we can't do anything about it!"

At this point, a bitter smile appeared on He Hongwen's face, indicating that he had learned his lesson in this regard.

When Sheng Changquan heard He Hongwen's explanation, he finally understood his predicament.

After all, a family like the He family cannot be as unscrupulous as merchants, who only care about profit. If necessary, they can even exercise the rights of the owner and kick the managers out.

However, families like the He family are different from those merchants; they still value their reputation and pay attention to their family's honor.

However, Sheng Changquan had a different opinion on what He Hongwen said.

He felt that if the master's power was strong enough, even if his subordinates were allowed to embezzle, they would absolutely not dare to do so.

Of course, if someone dares to do so, it means their power is not great enough and their position as master is not high enough!

With this idea in mind, Sheng Changquan showed no outward reaction, merely nodding in agreement, but in reality, he became even more convinced of his own beliefs.

That is, he must become the person at the pinnacle of power!
However, at this moment, Sheng Changquan did not think that if things were really that simple, then how could there be so many corrupt officials under the emperor?
"I see!"

Sheng Changquan nodded, not revealing his true thoughts, but simply said, "Brother Hongwen, if that's the case, then you'll be very busy in the coming days, won't you?"

Sheng Changquan thought to himself that if He Hongwen got busy, he probably wouldn't be able to get close to Minglan anymore. That would be good, as it would make it easier for him to observe He Hongwen.

He had already thought about it. Sheng Changquan felt that the reason his grandmother had brought the He family grandfather and grandson together was probably to include He Hongwen in the scope of Minglan's husband selection.

Otherwise, why not treat Shulan yourself instead of having Old Madam He do it?

If we really want to discuss who has better medical skills, outsiders may not know, but surely Old Madam Sheng and the others do?
With the accumulation of knowledge from two lifetimes and the clash of different medical philosophies, Sheng Changquan's medical skills are clearly superior to those of everyone else in this life.

Of course, he may be slightly inferior to others in some difficult cases, but in the mainstream, Sheng Changquan is still much stronger.

"Hehe, yes!"

Hearing Sheng Changquan's question, He Hongwen smiled and nodded, saying, "However, it's good to be a little busy."

"That way, Grandmother can get more rest!"

"It will save her from worrying about me, a junior, at her advanced age!"

"This truly makes me, as his grandson, feel deeply ashamed!"

He Hongwen felt a little uncomfortable and lowered his head, his face showing shame.

"Shh!"

Sheng Changquan, standing nearby, glanced at the other person and secretly observed their expression.

At first glance, one could immediately see the genuine, unfeigned shame on He Hongwen's face.

It seems that this is truly his heartfelt feeling, without a trace of pretense.

That being said, although Sheng Changquan's life experience is not as extensive as that of older generations like Mr. Zhuang, and he cannot guess what others are thinking at a glance like they can, Sheng Changquan does have his own methods for discerning whether others are speaking sincerely.

However, this method involves his psychic abilities.

Although his innate ability cannot be used remotely, he can occasionally, within his line of sight, barely manage to sense the emotions in the other person's heart.

Whether true or false, good or evil, they are varied, but all are real and effective.

Even if you can't accurately sense what the other person is thinking, you can still get a general idea of ​​their emotions.

However, while this method is effective, it is extremely energy-consuming, so Sheng Changquan will not use it unless absolutely necessary.

This time, Sheng Changquan's forced sensing of He Hongwen's true emotions was ultimately because of Minglan.

Sheng Changquan wanted to know what kind of person He Hongwen was, and whether He Hongwen's words were consistent with his own thoughts, so as to understand him better.

Fortunately, He Hongwen was ultimately a sincere person.

At the very least, in Sheng Changquan's perception, what the other party said was indeed from his heart.

This shows that He Hongwen is a person who knows how to be grateful and respect his elders.

"Brother Hongwen, you've misunderstood!"

After sensing He Hongwen's emotions, Sheng Changquan's gaze towards him became much kinder.

In any case, He Hongwen is not only gentle in nature, but also knows how to be filial to his elders. Such a person will most likely love his wife in the future.

Therefore, Sheng Changquan felt that he was barely qualified to get close to his older sister.

After giving the other party a preliminary assessment in his heart, Sheng Changquan's expression softened slightly.

Looking at the somewhat guilty He Hongwen, he comforted him, "I think as long as you, Brother Hongwen, are doing well, then even if the old lady is tired, she will be happy to do so!"

"After all, she really cares about you!"

Sheng Changquan put down his fishing rod, turned to look at He Hongwen, and continued, "And if you continue to feel guilty, I'm afraid Grandmother He won't be happy to see you like this!"

"Yes!"

Hearing Sheng Changquan say this, He Hongwen nodded helplessly.

"So, what I'm thinking about now is to get the business in the capital up and running as soon as possible, so that Grandmother can take a break!"

"This way, she won't have to worry about me anymore, and she can live a more relaxed life!"

After saying this, He Hongwen couldn't help but reveal a slightly silly smile.

Although it seemed silly, there was no denying that such a smile was even more radiant than the bright sun in the sky!
Sheng Changquan glanced at it slightly, thinking helplessly, "Oh well, let's just say He Hongwen barely passed!"

"That gives him a chance to get close to his older sister."

At this moment, Minglan, who was secretly chatting and laughing with Xiaotao and the others, had no idea that her younger brother had already made clear arrangements for her!

...inside the house.

"You've taken a fancy to Minglan?"

Grandma Sheng knew perfectly well that the other party wanted to arrange a marriage for her grandson.

"Is it Hongwen?"

Grandma Sheng pretended to be uncertain and asked softly, preparing to hear what Grandma He would say next.

"Correct!"

Grandma He nodded, and said somewhat urgently, "Elder sister, it's this child, Hongwen!"

"Look at Hongwen, this child?"

"Hongwen!"

After receiving a positive reply, Old Madam Sheng didn't say much, but just pondered slowly, as if she was considering something.

However, while Old Mrs. Sheng remained silent, Old Mrs. He couldn't help but speak up.

"Hey, look!"

"Hongwen may not be exceptionally handsome, but he is certainly a good-looking young man."

To be honest, He Hongwen is actually quite handsome. Although he is not as handsome as Qi Heng or Sheng Changquan, he is no less handsome than Gu Tingye or Sheng Changfeng.

As for Sheng Changbai, his appearance was indeed the worst among the Sheng family members. After all, he looked more like Madam Wang, or rather, like Madam Wang's grandfather, with a rugged style.

However, because Sheng Changbai's personality was so upright and rigid, his appearance was overshadowed by others.

Fortunately, Sheng Changbai's wife, Hai Chaoyun, didn't care about any of that. Or rather, she just liked Sheng Changbai's type. So, the two of them were very happy and content!

"Hehe, Hongwen is also a very good-looking child!"

Grandma Sheng waved her hand, stopping Grandma He from being modest.

"Older sister, actually, the most precious thing is..."

“Hongwen is a sensible and filial child, and he is also very sincere to others.”

At this point, a hint of pride appeared on Grandma He's face.

"He is meticulous and conscientious in his work, and he doesn't have the ulterior motives that others have."

"He's a reliable and good kid!"

As He Hongwen's grandmother, Old Madam He was inevitably at a disadvantage when facing Old Madam Sheng, so she could only point out her own advantages.

"And, dear sister, there's something I have to say!"

"Our two families have been friends for generations. If Minglan can marry into our family, I will certainly not mistreat her!"

However, despite saying that, Old Madam He also knew that He Hongwen was not perfect in every way.

After all, in today's world, a man who doesn't have official rank or title can hardly be considered outstanding.

At the very least, this is especially true for emerging families like the Sheng family, which prospered because of the imperial examination system.

Because their family gradually rose to prominence after their grandfather, Shengxu, achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examinations, they inevitably paid excessive attention to the imperial examinations and official titles.

It should be understood that for the Sheng family, or for the Sheng family under the rule of Sheng Hong, everything else is meaningless. When choosing in-laws for their children, the most important thing is to see if the other family can be of assistance to their own official career.

Sheng Changbai's wife, Hai Chaoyun, made that choice.

Similarly, if Sheng Hong were to choose a husband for Minglan, he would certainly have to consider whether the other party had any official rank or not.

Unfortunately, He Hongwen fared extremely poorly in this regard.

Perhaps because of Cao's poor health, He Hongwen began studying medicine at a young age. He had neither talent nor ambition in his studies, so to this day, he has only passed the preliminary examination.

Therefore, He Hongwen would be in a very awkward position if this matter were to be discussed!
"Yunniang!"

Meeting Old Madam He's earnest gaze, Old Madam Sheng simply shook her head slightly, without giving a direct reply, and said only, "You know my family's situation."

"Although Minglan was raised by me, in the end, it is still her father who can decide her marriage!"

"So, I still can't give you an answer to this kind of thing right now!"

Old Mrs. He was well aware of what Old Mrs. Sheng had said.

She knew that Old Madam Sheng was not the biological mother of the current head of the Sheng family, but although Old Madam Sheng was not Sheng Hong's biological mother, she was his legal mother.

In terms of etiquette and law, however, it is more decisive in this matter.

However, the way Old Madam Sheng is speaking now is a subtle way of telling Old Madam He that she doesn't want to make a final decision yet, and that she still needs to consider this matter more.

"Older sister!"

"In that case, how about letting my Hongwen and Minglan spend more time together in private?"

Grandma He knew that Grandma Sheng was aloof and different from ordinary people, which is why she dared to speak like that. She wanted to start with Minglan and let the two young girls interact directly to see the effect.

After all, apart from Old Madam Sheng, no other family would ever allow their two children to have any contact with each other.

The strict separation of men and women is no joke; if one doesn't do it right, serious problems can easily arise.

really!

When she heard Old Madam He say this, Old Madam Sheng did not refuse, but she did not say it explicitly. She simply said, "How about this, let Hongwen look for Quan-ge'er more often!"

"Anyway, they both know medicine, so let them get to know each other better!"

Grandma Sheng always left room for maneuver in her words. She seemed to agree, but upon closer reflection, she hadn't said anything at all.

"That's great! Actually, these two brothers are quite a good match!"

Grandma He naturally understood the meaning behind Grandma Sheng's words, knowing that she had agreed. Therefore, she couldn't help but be happy, and her words were somewhat ruthless.

"Hahaha!"

Hearing what Mrs. He said, Mrs. Sheng and Mrs. Fang couldn't help but laugh.

"To be honest, if Quan-ge'er really were a girl, I would have made the decision to marry her off to your He family!"

Grandma Sheng played along with some jokes, and the atmosphere gradually became more harmonious.

……

As everyone on board gradually became familiar with life on the water, the two pleasure boats slowly began to pick up speed. Taking advantage of the weather and wind, the He and Sheng families' group sped along the Han River.

However, as their journey began, their group gradually became more cautious.

After all, the river was no longer as peaceful as it used to be. There was no telling where a large group of river bandits might be hiding, ready to strike them.

Wishing everyone gets more and more handsome/beautiful!
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(End of this chapter)