After seeing off the couple Li Shimin and his wife, Zhang Nuo naturally had to tidy up the remnants in the shop, but first he had to hide the money.
It's frustrating to think about it. Nowadays, people find using credit cards troublesome, preferring the convenience of mobile payments, and hardly anyone uses cash. Even in Zhang Nuo's time, due to the scarcity of silver and the abundance of copper in the Tang Dynasty, it was rare to see silver coins in circulation, and most people used copper coins like Li did.
This meant that if an ordinary person wanted to purchase a large item like a house, they would have to use a cart to transport the money, as carrying large amounts of copper coins in one's pocket was too burdensome.
Looking at Li, he only had a few strings of money in his purse, which was hanging from his waist like a small meteor hammer. If he carried more, he was afraid that his clothes would be torn apart.
Although he complained about the inconvenience of copper coins, Zhang Nuo was still happily carrying the several strings of copper coins, swaying as he walked towards the backyard.
He had to hide this money well. In the future, when he became an official, he would need to have money in his pocket to occasionally treat his colleagues to a meal or host some social events.
He wondered if he could attract more big customers like Li , and make a fortune by relying on these wealthy customers.
At the same time, Li Shimin, his biggest customer, was sitting in a carriage with his wife, the Empress Chang sun, and they were chatting about Zhang Nuo.
"Guan yin, what do you think of this Zhang Nuo?" asked Li Shimin.
The Empress Chang sun leaned softly against her husband's arms and replied without even lifting her head, "This person has a vision and a perspective that is different from ordinary people. Listening to his words and watching his actions, if I didn't see him in person, I might mistake him for a high-ranking official in the court."
"Moreover, this person is mingling in the market, but he still has the ambition of a great man. With a little cultivation, he may become a pillar of Your Majesty's court."
Li Shimin gently hugged the Empress Chang sun, enjoying the intimacy between husband and wife, and agreed with her assessment.
"Indeed, common people tend to fuss over every penny and only care about their own small interests. However, this young shopkeeper Zhang Nuo has a broad perspective and can discuss both national policies and people's livelihoods, as well as possessing extensive knowledge of history and the present. If I can have such a talented person to assist me, I can certainly achieve extraordinary achievements."
Li Shimin originally thought that Empress Chang sun would encourage him as usual, but unexpectedly, she added a sentence in a low voice,
"Unfortunately, the shopkeeper Zhang Nuo does not like you, this small merchant, and is not willing to accept your recommendation, hahaha."
Li Shimin was at a loss for how to respond, and could only keep a straight face and say nothing, while feeling upset inside.
He didn't blame Zhang Nuo for this, as he himself had not disclosed his true identity. If someone had rashly tried to get him a recommendation letter, he might have been suspicious as well.
After all, he had registered with Zhang Nuo as a merchant, but with his extensive connections, how could he be an ordinary one?
Therefore, if Li Shimin wants to recruit such a talented person as Zhang Nuo to serve in the court, he will have to spend some effort and come up with some strategies.
At the moment, Zhang Nuo was sneezing in the courtyard, clearly unable to stop thinking about the matter.
After several sneezes, Zhang Nuo began to ponder whether he should try to achieve some merit for himself.
Today, Li's words had completely aroused his interest.
He secretly considered that if a high official were to recommend him now, he would still have to work his way up through the ranks even if he entered the government. When would he be able to wear a court official's robes? When would he be able to wear a purple gown and a jade belt?
Moreover, although running this small restaurant with the patronage of wealthy customers like Li seemed like a comfortable life, it would not be enough to entertain colleagues and friends in official circles.
So, before entering the government, he thought, should he fill up his family's treasury and try to achieve some merit and receive a noble title?
If he could produce high-yield crops such as potatoes and submit them to the current Emperor Li Shimin, who valued the people's livelihood, he could become a baron and have a much more comfortable journey into officialdom.
However, it's not easy to get potatoes now. At least, the cheat hasn't arrived yet, and Zhang Nuo, who doesn't know the specific functions of the cheat, can't put all his hopes on it. What if his cheat only provides knowledge and not physical objects?
After much thought, he couldn't think of a good solution. Instead of wasting time on this, he decided to practice writing.
Today, he made a small fortune with Li, which was enough to cover his expenses for half a month. Since there were no customers, he decided to close his shop and went to Zhang Nuo's backyard to practice writing.
Paper was expensive in those days. Most children would practice on sand trays before moving on to paper.
After writing, they had to preserve their work well, so their teachers could check for errors and omissions, and it was also convenient for the students to review their work.
Zhang Nuo started writing on paper right from the beginning, which was a privilege only enjoyed by the wealthy and influential families.
However, after finishing his first piece, he felt that something was wrong.
In his past life, he used to write couplets for his family's small shop for fun, so he knew what his handwriting was like.
However, this time, as he recalled the Yan style calligraphy he had seen before and carefully copied it, he had a feeling of grandeur, clumsiness, and magnificence that was unique to Yan Zhenqing's handwriting.
After filling up a sheet of paper, Zhang Nuo couldn't believe that he had written it himself.
His handwriting in his past life was one of those that could write "People's Bank" as "People are very competent". However, compared to his old handwriting, this one was much better, and most importantly, it had the unique charm of Yan style.
After some thought, Zhang Nuo felt that his original calligraphy skills were at work.
The previous Zhang Nuo was a scholar, and although his handwriting wasn't particularly good, it was still decent.
Zhang Nuo inherited the memories of his predecessor, including his physical memory, so he was just refining his handwriting from the original style to Yan style.
This was a real surprise. With this foundation, he didn't need the several years it would have taken to practice calligraphy. Maybe by the time the cheat arrived, his handwriting would already be impressive.
Excited by his progress and potential, Zhang Nuo became completely immersed in the joy of practicing calligraphy.
The feeling of seeing improvement with each character he wrote was simply irresistible!