There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 228 The Strange Old Man

Gu Ziying added, "Yes, Changning, all of us combined haven't contributed as much as you have, so why are you donating?"

Princess Changning pursed her lips and said, "I want my name to appear on the stone tablet along with yours."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen released his grip: "Alright, you donate."

Princess Changning placed the corresponding amount of silver into the wooden box.

Li Shuchen: "Then Yuying will donate 10,520 taels of silver."

After saying that, he took out one hundred and ten taels of silver from the wooden box and put it in his pocket.

The three of them worked tirelessly until dark before finally compiling the list.

Li Shuchen: "There will be even more people donating tomorrow, so let's put these organized donations aside for now and not get them mixed up."

Gu Ziying: "How did Shu Chen know that there would be even more people donating tomorrow?"

Li Shuchen chuckled, "A sense of dignity is what the richer people want most. Let's engrave the names of the donors and the amount donated on the stone tablet so that passersby, even children, can see it clearly."

They would stop and praise the fundraiser, giving them ample face and satisfying their vanity.

This is also an opportunity for the fundraisers to go down in history. I'm sure many people want to have their names inscribed on this stone tablet. Don't worry, leave this to me. I'll take care of it first thing tomorrow morning.”

"Good"*2

The next day, Li Shuchen woke up, got up, and rushed to Kong's craftsman's shop, shouting as he entered.

"Craftsman Kong, Craftsman Kong"

Kong the craftsman rubbed his eyes and said, "Miss Li, you're here so early."

"I have something very important to tell you. Please take me to see some rocks. I need a super big one."

The craftsman Kong chuckled and said, "Miss Li, please come with me to the backyard."

Li Shuchen followed the craftsman Kong for a while and then saw several stones of various shapes.

Without even needing Kong the craftsman's introduction, they picked them up themselves, touching them and hammering them.

This one is so-so; the stone isn't big enough, and the surface is rough. Don't buy it.

This one is alright. The stone isn't big, but the surface is smooth. Don't worry about it.

This stone is perfect, measuring 1.5 meters high, 3 meters long, and half a foot wide. Its surface is smooth, and the stone is hard; it's a fine piece.

Li Shuchen was very satisfied and asked, "How much silver does Craftsman Kong want for this stone?"

Craftsman Kong: "Miss Li is a regular customer; one hundred taels of silver will suffice."

"Alright, I'll trouble craftsman Kong to find someone to help me move it to the entrance of the Aiyoutang. Princess Changning will pay for it."

Kong the Craftsman: "Success"

Kong the craftsman's apprentice carried large stones, following behind Li Shuchen towards the orphanage, attracting the attention of many along the way.

Li Shuchen seemed to be an invincible social butterfly, greeting passersby warmly and friendly regardless of whether she knew them or not.

"Hello, sir/madam, uncle, aunt! Have you eaten? Have you drunk anything? How have you been lately? Are you still in good health? You asked what I'm doing transporting stones for? I'm taking them to the orphanage, yes, the one on East Street. Want to come with me? Let's go together."

And so Li Shuchen invited many people to follow behind the big rock. People are naturally curious, so more and more people joined in.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the orphanage, Li Shuchen chose a good spot and instructed people to put the stones down.

He shouted, "Hey, slow down, slow down! Move it a little to the left, then a little to the right!"

The sound should be as loud as possible, loud enough to attract everyone's attention.

Li Shuchen nodded in satisfaction at the stones that had been placed, then called out towards the entrance of the Aiyoutang.

"Princess~, Princess Changning~, I've found the stone tablet for you, come out and pay!"

Princess Changning came out upon hearing the sound, and was startled when she saw the large rock, asking...

"Where did you get such a big rock?"

Li Shuchen smirked and said, "This stone is the biggest one the craftsman Kong has. I brought it here. Impressive, right? Oh, by the way, this stone costs a hundred taels of silver. Princess Changning will have to pay them."

Princess Changning: "Alright, pearls."

Upon hearing this, Pearl took out a hundred-tael silver note and handed it to Kong the craftsman's apprentices.

"Thank you, Princess."

Pedestrians saw this and asked...

"Princess Changning, what are you going to do with such a large stone?"

Princess Changning thought for a moment and said, "I want to carve the names of kind-hearted people so that the homeless children will remember who gave them a warm home."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen gave Princess Changning a thumbs up, saying, "That's wonderful!"

The passerby asked again, "With so many people donating, this stone can't possibly hold all the donations, can it?"

Princess Changning nodded: "Yes, that's why only those who donate a certain amount can have their names engraved on the stone tablet."

Pedestrian: "How much should I donate?"

Li Shuchen sighed softly and began to act, saying, "Sigh, I donated 50,000 taels of silver just to make the list. If many people donate more than me later, I'm afraid I'll fall off the list. What should I do?"

After Li Shuchen finished speaking, he pounded his chest, looking extremely distressed, as if he had missed out on some great treasure. He then continued...

"This is a chance to go down in history! My children, my descendants, what a pity it would be if we didn't see my name on that list! I want to be a role model for them!"

Then, with a tearful voice, she turned to the crowd and pleaded, "Please, please give me a chance! Don't donate more than I did!"

Passerby 1: "Princess Changning, I will donate 100,000 taels of silver."

Passerby 2: "Princess Changning, I will also donate 100,000 taels of silver."

Passenger N: "Princess Changning, I will donate 150,000 taels of silver."

Princess Changning smiled, her eyebrows curving upwards: "Everyone, please line up and come one by one."

Seeing the positive response, Li Shuchen left the crowd and headed to the wonton stall with Grape in her arms. She hadn't eaten breakfast and was practically starving.

He hurried to the wonton stall, found a seat, and said, "Boss, three bowls of wontons, please."

The wonton stall owner glanced at Li Shuchen and smiled, "Miss Li, you're here for wontons again?"

"Yes, I crave it after a few days without eating it."

Wonton stall owner: "I'll give you a generous portion."

Li Shuchen smiled broadly upon hearing this: "Thank you, boss."

Waiter: "The wontons are here!"

Li Shuchen scooped up a wonton with a small spoon, blew on it vigorously, put it in her mouth, and closed her eyes happily.

Mmm~, that's the taste~, so fragrant~

He buried his head and ate two more.

Feels comfortable and energetic

He continued to bury himself in his work, eating a wonton and sipping the soup, slurping it down with gusto, saying how delicious it was.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang in Li Shuchen's ear.

You are not the one he loves.

Li Shuchen lifted his head from the bowl upon hearing this. Who was speaking? He then glanced around.

Grape whispered, "Miss, there's a strange person wearing a straw hat behind you."

Li Shuchen turned his head to look and was startled for a moment. Good heavens, was he an old scavenger?

His hair was matted, his beard was stubble, his clothes were tattered, he was dressed in a shawl, and he was barefoot.

The old man met Li Shuchen's gaze and said seriously.

"His sweetheart is beautiful and talented, seemingly aloof but with a warm heart, while you are crazy and rude. What do you want with him?"

"Hey, you old man, who are you calling crazy and rude?"