Chapter 27

Xia Hongsheng propped his head up, a rough sheet of paper spread out before him. After some thought, he picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and wrote a word on the paper: "Influence." To spread advanced science and ideas and educate the people, this influence was absolutely essential. With influence, others would come to learn, and only then would they be exposed to these studies and discover their profundity. Building influence, however, was not something that could be achieved overnight. Yan Shigu, already in his sixties, had spent his entire life researching Confucianism and upholding moral integrity, earning him the reputation of a literary master and the influence that came with it. This clearly showed how difficult it was to gain widespread influence. This matter could only be approached gradually, and one could not be too hasty.

Xia Hongsheng sighed, walked out of the study room, and as soon as he stepped out, he encountered a few students passing by. Seeing Xia Hongsheng, they called out to him from a distance, "Junior Brother Xia, when are you going to show us some magic tricks?"

Xia Hongsheng was immediately flustered, rolled his eyes at them, and pretended to pick up a stone to throw at them. The students laughed and ran away, and Xia Hongsheng casually threw the stone back to the ground, then laughed helplessly. The former Xia Hongsheng, perhaps due to his family's poverty and some self-consciousness, was naturally reserved. In the academy, he did nothing but read books and did not interact with other students, so very few people knew him. The later Xia Hongsheng, with a soul from the future, had made a name for himself in the academy and was known as a prodigy. While other students often greeted him, most of these greetings were formal, and there was a significant distance between them. During the break, he had been too eager and had not laid the groundwork, which led to the interest group becoming a laughingstock and him being embarrassed. This embarrassment, however, brought him down from his pedestal, and the students in the academy became much closer to him. Whenever they met, they could chat and joke around, returning to a normal, friendly classmate relationship. It was true that people had this mentality: if someone had no flaws or imperfections, they were more likely to be isolated and kept at a distance. Even if they seemed to know many people, very few were truly close. Once it was discovered that this person was also an ordinary person, who could make mistakes and do silly things, they became much more approachable.

This was truly a case of "a blessing in disguise" and "losing in one place but gaining in another." Being a student was the best time, and Xia Hongsheng, who had already worked in the future, missed those days immensely. Now, being a student again and having truly improved his relationships with his classmates, he was quite happy.

"Junior Brother Xia, we're planning to go to your sister-in-law's place for some oil-splashed noodles. Do you want to join us?" Xia Hongsheng was walking out when he heard a greeting. He turned his head and saw a chubby classmate approaching.

"Senior Brother, I was just planning to go to the market. It's crowded at noon, and I need to help. If you all are going there, let's go together," Xia Hongsheng nodded and said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the chubby student's face lit up, and he laughed, "That's great, Junior Brother Xia. With you coming along, we'll definitely get a discount, right?"

Xia Hongsheng almost choked, widened his eyes, and turned to look at the chubby student. "What kind of person are you?!" Seeing Xia Hongsheng's expression, the other students burst into laughter. The chubby student patted Xia Hongsheng's shoulder and laughed, "Just kidding, Junior Brother Xia. It's a skill to see a prodigy like you make such a face! Hahaha... Come on, Junior Brother Xia, I'll treat you to lunch!"

Xia Hongsheng rolled his eyes. "That's my family's stall, you know. Do I need your treat?!" Xia Hongsheng realized that he was one of the youngest in the academy and had recently made a few headlines, which had made the older students envious. They had been polite and respectful because they didn't know him and assumed that a prodigy would be proud and aloof. The embarrassment during the break had brought him back to being an ordinary student, and the students had realized that he was just someone with a bit more talent, who could also make mistakes. Without any reservations, they started to tease him.

Speaking of teasing, oh, how he suddenly wanted to eat hot pot. Unfortunately, there was no hot pot in the Tang Dynasty. When he had free time, he would find a blacksmith to make one. Hmm, should he teach his sister-in-law how to make spicy hot pot? Unfortunately, the variety of vegetables in the Tang Dynasty was limited, so it would be somewhat lacking.

While lost in thought, Xia Hongsheng walked out of the academy with the other students and headed to the market. As they approached, they saw his sister-in-law's stall, which was always surrounded by many people. The street was narrow, and the food cart was small, so they couldn't bring many folding tables and stools. People had to wait in waves. Those who had money and leisure time would go to the opposite Yixiangju to sit down, order a pot of wine and a couple of dishes, and enjoy the service of Yixiangju's waiters queuing up for them. The owner of Yixiangju was very smart. As long as you ordered something, you could enjoy this service. Therefore, many people waiting at the food cart went to Yixiangju, had a few drinks, chatted, and waited for the waiters to queue up and bring the food to their tables. This brought in many customers for Yixiangju.

Spending 300 coins was worth it. How many customers did 300 coins bring? The owner of Yixiangju had a keen eye and saw the potential of the food cart on the first day his sister-in-law set up. He also saw a way to attract customers. This was a win-win situation. It was a good thing. However, it wasn't good for his sister-in-law to be alone on the street. There were always ruffians and scoundrels around. Although she hadn't encountered any yet, with the business getting better and more people gathering, it was bound to attract attention. If that happened, Yixiangju would have to look after his sister-in-law, given that the food cart brought in so many customers.

He hadn't thought about it before, but now that he did, Xia Hongsheng felt uneasy. The business was getting better, and it would definitely attract attention. Ruffians and local bullies would come to extort money. He didn't know how common this was in the Tang Dynasty, but it was definitely common in the future. His sister-in-law, a woman, was alone on the street, and he was always in the academy. There was no one to look after her. If ruffians came, she would be bullied.

No, he had to visit Yixiangju. Since it was a large restaurant, it must have some backing. If he could get them to look after his sister-in-law, he would feel relieved. Fortunately, Yixiangju was a restaurant, and with his knowledge of many dishes from the future, he could teach them the recipes and methods in exchange for their protection. Xia Hongsheng made up his mind to go to Yixiangju after lunch when it was less crowded to discuss the matter.

"We'll have to wait. It's crowded now, and there aren't enough tables," Xia Hongsheng turned to the students apologetically, seeing the crowd around the food cart.

The chubby student waved his hand and smiled, "No problem. We have plenty of time. By the way, Junior Brother Xia, have you ever been to the opposite Yixiangju?"

"Never," Xia Hongsheng shook his head.

The chubby student winked at Xia Hongsheng and said mysteriously, "Junior Brother Xia, this Yixiangju is a branch of the Yixiangju in Luoyang. I've eaten there a few times. Yixiangju has a reward: if someone writes a poem and gets ten people to cheer, they get a 50% discount. If they get twenty people to cheer, the meal is free. If they get everyone to cheer, they get a month of free meals. I assume this branch has the same rule."

"Really? The owner of Yixiangju is quite shrewd. It seems like a loss, but the reputation spreads, and the small losses are made up by the increased business. The reputation brings in much more than just a few tables of meals," Xia Hongsheng looked around, understanding why the owner of Yixiangju in Luozhou had thought of using the food cart to attract customers.

"Junior Brother Xia, Brother Liu means that with your talent, the poems you've written in the academy are all excellent. If you write a poem at Yixiangju, we could get a free meal, right?" Another student chimed in.

The chubby student pushed him and said, "Don't put words in my mouth! I didn't think of that! That's your idea!"

The student nodded honestly, "Yes, my family is poor, and I've never tasted the food at Yixiangju. If there's a chance to get a free meal, why not? Junior Brother Xia's poetry is the best in the academy. Getting a free meal should be easy. Otherwise, Brother Liu could treat us to a meal, too!"

"Right! Right!" The other two students immediately joined in, urging the chubby student to treat them at Yixiangju.

Xia Hongsheng just laughed, but his mind was working. If he went to Yixiangju and asked the owner to look after his sister-in-law, he might not be taken seriously. Writing a poem, however, could be a way to get their attention.