booktalesy Chapter 22 Officially Settles In
Chapter 22 Officially Settles In
The carriage traveled slowly for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before finally leaving the Xie family's territory.
Looking at the bustling street, Shen Chongsan glanced at Chen Ye's silent profile and sighed, "We earn our money through hard work. No matter how hard we try, we can't compare to those powerful and wealthy people. Their ancestors were blessed with good fortune, and they were born into wealth and luxury. A little bit of what they have is enough for us ordinary people to live on for half a lifetime. There's no way to compare."
Chen Ye sensed the envy in Shen Chongsan's words and remained silent, offering no response.
As he passed by the Xie family's house, he silently memorized the location.
Soon, the carriage drove out of the city gate.
When they reached an open area, Shen Chongsan handed the reins to Chen Ye, letting him drive the car, and also testing Chen Ye's abilities.
Fortunately, Chen Ye had been paying attention and, with Shen Chongsan's guidance, he explored the techniques and soon grasped the essentials without giving himself away.
After leaving the city, as instructed by the Liu family steward, they first sped along the way until the city became a blur and their horses' speed diminished, at which point they gradually slowed down.
Chen Ye noticed that the Liu family steward seemed particularly concerned about the sturdiness of the carriage, and made them drive it over sandy areas, stone roads, and even shallow waterways to check it repeatedly until he was sure there were no problems before he stopped.
Busy until the afternoon, Shen Chongsan took Chen Ye into the Liu residence to settle the remaining car payment.
With that, the task of escorting the truck finally came to an end.
"How are you feeling? Are you able to adapt?" Back at the car dealership, Shen Chongsan took a rare break and sat on a wooden chair in his office, drinking a cup of tea.
Chen Ye nodded and said, "It's alright, not too difficult."
Shen Chongsan nodded slightly.
He had observed the boy's actions throughout the day.
Although he looks unremarkable and doesn't smile much, he is clever, sensible, and quick-witted, making him more than capable of being a deliveryman.
He immediately made the decision: "Starting tomorrow, you will work at the carriage shop. Your monthly salary will be one tael, and any bonuses given by the master while you are working as a carriage driver are yours to keep. How much you earn depends on your skills."
Chen Ye did not bargain.
When he worked as a servant in the Gao family in Qinghe, he received a monthly stipend of two taels of silver.
Now that we're in the capital, things are not as good as before.
But right now I really need someone's help, so there's no room for negotiation.
Chen Ye clasped his hands in agreement and asked, "I wonder if your car dealership can provide accommodation?"
Shen Chongsan pointed to the door and said, "There's a storage room next to the gatehouse, which's always been filled with odds and ends. If you don't mind, you can stay there temporarily. You can move out after you receive your payment."
"Thank you, steward."
After explaining a few more rules about the carriage business, Shen Chongsan led him to the door of the storage room.
As Chen Ye pushed open the door, a wave of dampness hit him.
He fetched some water and spent a long time tidying up before he could barely make it look habitable.
Just as he was about to go out to buy daily necessities, an old woman came in carrying a food box and a quilt and handed them to him.
"Manager Shen said you're new here, so he left you some food. Also, use these things for a few days, and return them later."
Chen Ye opened the food box. There were no delicacies inside. On the top layer was a dish of chili peppers and a dish of minced garlic, and on the bottom layer were four or five solid steamed buns.
However, he still sincerely expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for making this trip, Granny."
For the next few days, Chen Ye would quietly practice standing meditation in the storage room every morning before the car dealership got busy, thus strengthening his qi and blood.
Now that he knew that improving his cultivation could increase his lifespan, he was even less willing to waste his martial arts skills.
After finishing his training and becoming extremely hungry, he would head to the breakfast stall outside the car dealership and habitually order a bowl of wontons to fill his stomach.
The day officially begins.
The diners around the wonton shop were sitting together, and the sound of their conversation drifted to Chen Ye's ears.
"Have you heard? Yesterday, a young master from the Liu family went to the Cui family to propose marriage to their third daughter, Pei Xijun. Guess what happened?"
"What's wrong?"
Those around them were clearly intrigued and pricked up their ears to listen.
The diner continued, "In the end, he didn't even get to see the third young lady of the Cui family before the second young lady threw him out the door with one move. Oh dear, he was in such a sorry state... tsk tsk tsk, I heard he even broke his tailbone."
"Hahaha...Is that even possible...?"
"That young master Liu doesn't even know his own worth. The Cui family is a prestigious second-rank family; how could they possibly marry their eldest daughter to him? He's like a toad trying to eat swan meat."
Chen Ye listened with great interest.
Listening to people's idle chatter was one of his rare daily pastimes.
After filling his stomach, Chen Ye returned to the car dealership as usual to await orders.
These past few days, he has figured out the ins and outs of being a deliveryman in a car dealership.
When there's something to do, I go out in the car and do my job diligently.
If there are no cars available for valet parking, one can simply wait in the hall and do odd jobs such as serving tea and water.
It's an easy job.
As he was waiting in the hall that day, a burly figure stepped into the room.
The newcomer was about thirty years old, with a leopard-like head and piercing eyes. He was tall and imposing, and was none other than Zuo Dongxi, the deputy manager of the carriage and horse company.
This man was said to be a highly respected hanger-on in the imperial caravan, well-connected in several streets in the southern part of the city, and had a fearsome reputation, having deterred many petty thieves for the caravan company.
Zuo Dongxi went straight to Shen Chongsan and explained his purpose.
"The Feng family needs to assemble a caravan to transport a batch of silk ceremonial objects to Luoyang, and they are currently short a few carriages. I remember there are a few newly made carriages in the carriage shop; you can allocate some to the Feng family first, and pay them according to the market price."
"In addition, the Feng family will also need to transfer a worker from your place to accompany them on their journey. Please assign me a reliable person."
Shen Chongsan was in a dilemma.
Springtime is here, and it's the time of year when flowers bloom and the weather warms up in the north.
At this time of year, young men and women in the capital love to travel by carriage for spring outings, making it one of the two peak seasons for carriage companies throughout the year.
The car dealership is short-staffed everywhere and there's simply not enough manpower to spare.
Just as he was hesitating, Shen Chongsan turned his gaze and caught sight of Chen Ye waiting to the side, so he pointed and said, "Let him go with him."
"Is it reliable?" Zuo Dongxi looked it over a few times, his tone quite doubtful.
Shen Chongsan immediately smiled and introduced, "He was recommended by my uncle. He's a martial arts master with amazing strength. It takes three to five days to travel from the capital to Luoyang and back, and there are plenty of bandits and tigers along the way. He's perfect for the job."
Zuo Dongxi was quite surprised after hearing this: "It's a waste that a martial arts master is working as a wagon escort here. Okay, let's take him."
As he spoke, Shen Chongsan led him to Chen Ye.
He got straight to the point: "The Feng family has temporarily purchased a car frame from a car dealership and needs to send one of their assistants to Luoyang for a trip, which will take about three days round trip. You can go on this mission."
Zuo Dongxi, who was standing to the side, held up four fingers and waved them in front of him, saying, "Come with me on this trip, and when you come back with the job done, I'll give you an extra four taels of silver."
Chen Ye was unfamiliar with Luoyang and found it hard to make the connection, but for the sake of the money, he hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
He is currently short of money.
Earn whatever you can.