Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 362 Concubinage
"There is one more thing. The New Year gifts in the county haven't been delivered yet.

Please help me prepare the gifts in the next two days. They will be similar to the ones at the other end of the east road, but County Magistrate Chen’s portion will be larger.

These two days I will first deal with the affairs of the government office, and then go to the county town."

These official relationships must be maintained frequently, otherwise they will become unfamiliar.

Although Qu Shaoyang is now a well-known figure in the East Road and is highly appreciated by the governor, he cannot forget the recommendation of County Magistrate Chen.

During every festival, people would send gifts to the county town to maintain relations.

"Okay, I got it. I'll lead the preparations later. Don't worry."

These matters have always been handled by Chen Xiuyun.

I have to say that Chen Xiuyun really has the demeanor of a mistress of the house, and she can handle all these interpersonal relationships very well.

"She has to be my wife. I'll leave everything to you. I have to go to the government office and take a look."

Qu Shaoyang lowered his head and kissed Chen Xiuyun on the cheek.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and get out of here, don't bother me anymore."

Chen Xiuyun lowered her head to tidy up her husband's clothes. After making sure there was nothing missing, she pushed Qu Shaoyang out.

After Qu Shaoyang left, Chen Xiuyun quickly took the wives of Xingjia and Xingye, as well as Baizhi and others, to prepare the New Year gifts for County Magistrate Chen and others.

After finishing all these, Chen Xiuyun asked the Xing family to arrange a few people to move the things she had prepared for Meng Lanxin to the Liu family in the east courtyard.

Qu Shaoyang returned to the yamen and handled official business for two days, settling all the recent backlog of matters.

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Qu Shaoyang brought his men and drove several horse-drawn carriages to the county town to deliver New Year gifts.

In the past year, Qu Shaoyang gave County Magistrate Chen more than 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver, not to mention other things.

Other officials in the county government also received many benefits.

Therefore, when Qu Shaoyang and his party arrived in Tonghua City, the officials in the county government were all very enthusiastic.

County Magistrate Chen held a banquet to entertain Qu Shaoyang. At the banquet, everyone was toasting each other, chatting and laughing, and the conversation was very lively.

Qu Shaoyang also took this opportunity to quietly tell County Magistrate Chen that he wanted to work with him to open another gold mine on the other side of a river near the county seat.

In the summer, Lao Han and Lao Hu were very keen on exploring for gold mines.

At first, the two of them explored the area around Maoer Mountain and indeed found several mineral veins.

After that, the two men became more and more addicted, and their investigation range expanded to Tonghua.

You know what, they really found it.

There is a small river just thirty or forty miles away from Tonghua City. Lao Han and Lao Hu discovered a good gold vein near the river.

It was already autumn at that time, and Qu Shaoyang was busy with the layout of Shuangdianzi, so he had no time to pay attention to the gold mine.

When he came to the county this time, he suddenly remembered this matter and mentioned it to County Magistrate Chen.

When County Magistrate Chen heard this, he was overjoyed and agreed without saying a word.

Are you kidding? That's a gold mine, a treasure trove.

This year, County Magistrate Chen has made tens of thousands of taels just from the benefits given by Qu Shaoyang. If he builds a gold mine around the county, won't he get even more?
The two hit it off immediately and the deal was settled on the spot.

Qu Shaoyang stayed in the county town for a few days, as the day for Meng Lanxin to marry into the family was getting closer.

It was not appropriate for him to stay any longer outside, so he said goodbye to everyone in the county government office and returned to Maoer Mountain.

The sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month was the day when Qu Shaoyang married Meng Lanxin into his family.

Taking a concubine is different from marrying a wife. There is no need for a grand ceremony, and there is no grand wedding ceremony. A sedan chair is carried into the mansion through the side door.

Fortunately, Qu Shaoyang has a good and magnanimous daughter-in-law. Chen Xiuyun feels sorry for Meng Lanxin, an orphan without a father or a mother, who has no one to rely on in Maoer Mountain and has a miserable life.

So he specially discussed it with Lin Ruolan and asked Meng Lanxin to worship Lin Ruolan as her adoptive mother.

In this way, even if the Liu family is Meng Lanxin's maternal family, she will have someone to rely on in the future.

At the same time, Chen Xiuyun and Lin Ruolan also bought 16 dowries for Meng Lanxin to support her.

On the sixteenth day, Meng Lanxin got married from the Liu family. Zheng Tiezhu and others, who grew up with Meng Lanxin and were also her brothers, were just in time to see her off.

Originally, Qu Shaoyang, Chen Xiuyun and Meng Lanxin had agreed that they did not want to hold a grand celebration and would just arrange a few tables for their family members as a token of their appreciation.

But Qu Shaoyang's identity was there, and the news that he was going to take a second wife had already spread.

Among all the wealthy families, landlords, shop owners, and runners from the inspection office and the general office around Maoer Mountain, who wouldn't come to congratulate?

Qu Shaoyang discussed it with Chen Xiuyun and decided to set up a few more tables.

In addition to the guests who come to congratulate, you should also invite the managers and foremen of your various businesses.

Over the past year, the Qu family's industries have grown steadily, and their winery and flour mill are doing well.

Under Qu Jiang's management, the warehouse and caravan were also thriving and making a lot of money.

On the other side of the mountain field, there are more people who are wintering in the gold field this year, plus hundreds of prisoners escorted back from Shuangdianzi, the number of people is more than double that of last year.

Therefore, the scale of the mountain farm has been expanded this year and the work has been divided into several areas. The timber output before the New Year has already caught up with last winter.

According to a rough estimate, the profit of the mountain farm this year will be two or three times more than last year.

These managers and shopkeepers are all very attentive in their work.

The New Year is coming soon, so it's a good opportunity to get everyone together, have a drink and strengthen our relationships.

Therefore, on the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Qu family's house was packed with guests, and there was an endless stream of guests coming to congratulate them.

"Master Qu, congratulations! I wish you a happy marriage, many children, a successful career, and a high position in the government."

"Thank you very much, Manager Qin, please take a seat." The visitor was a guest, so Qu Shaoyang exchanged a few words with the other party and hurriedly invited him to take a seat.

"Tanghekou, the head of the Han family's big house, Mr. Li, brought his eldest son, Li Zhengwen, to congratulate."

Qu Shaoyang was chatting and laughing with everyone when he suddenly heard someone shouting at the door.

"Hey, Brother Li, why are you here? Why are you coming here in this cold winter weather?"

When Qu Shaoyang heard this, he immediately went out to greet them and happened to meet Li Daishi and his son.

"Didn't I tell you long ago? When you marry Miss Meng into your mansion, I have to come to the wedding to drink." Li Daishi laughed.

"Zhengwen, come here and meet your uncle." Li Daishi turned his head and greeted his son behind him.

When Qu Shaoyang was in the big house, he mentioned that he wanted to find a job for Li Daishi's son.

After Qu Shaoyang left, Li Daishi immediately sent someone back to Huapidianzi to pick up his son Li Zhengwen, bring him with him, and teach him some experience in dealing with people.

When Li Daishi received Qu Shaoyang's letter and learned that Qu Shaoyang had arranged an assistant position for Li Zhengwen, he was very happy.

After asking the person who delivered the letter, he learned that Qu Shaoyang was going to marry a second wife on the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month. He immediately prepared gifts and took his son to Maoer Mountain, arriving just in time on the 16th day.

"I'm nephew Li Zhengwen, nice to meet Uncle Qu." Li Zhengwen stepped forward and bowed politely.

In fact, Li Zhengwen is not much younger than Qu Shaoyang, so they should be of the same generation.

But there is no way. Li Daishi and Qu Shaoyang are sworn brothers. Qu Shaoyang is older than Li Zhengwen, so he has to call him uncle.

(End of this chapter)