After bringing the last four restaurants under control, Tao Zhi was left with no one under his command. Knowing that there was no way to reverse the situation, he was so filled with hatred that he spat out three liters of blood. But there was nothing else he could do. He had no choice but to pack up his things and leave honestly. His later years were truly desolate.
Almost all the merchants in the town, regardless of their size, had participated in this grand "Martial Arts Assembly".
Li Ying knew very well that for now, the Martial Arts Assembly was just making its debut. Many people were still on the sidelines. The current enthusiasm was only because of the guarantee from the Ping An Bank.
However, as long as this event became a great success, from then on, without her painstaking efforts, the merchants would spontaneously organize the second, third... sessions.
The Seaside Food and Music Festival would become a traditional tourist attraction in the small fishing village, continuously attracting batch after batch of tourists who came here out of admiration!
Therefore, a good start was even more important.
Li Ying had no time to mock Tao Zhi, who left the town dejectedly. She was busy coordinating the stalls of each shop every day and confirming the distribution of advertising flyers.
The female workers in the canning factory were working even harder. They not only had to supply the nearby mountain villages but also prepare sufficient inventory for the tourists of the Martial Arts Assembly as souvenirs. Everyone was sweating profusely from their busy work.
The men in the fishing village had now become the logistical support. With Mao Mao's guidance, they only needed to drive their boats to specific sea areas and cast their nets. There was no other work for them.
As for how much silver they could earn from these catches, it all depended on how well their women performed in the factory. The men knew that most of the money in their families was earned by their wives and daughters, so they had to be gentle with them.
Fortunately, although the fishermen were hot - tempered, most of them were not bad in nature. It was only because of their poverty and the difficult livelihood that they had developed a bit of bad temper.
Now, seeing that Li Ying really had some skills and that they had worked together to drive away Yang Er, who was always causing trouble, every family was getting richer. People were more united, and no one dared to look down on this young and beautiful woman.
The small fishing village didn't support idle people. The diligent men simply went to learn bamboo - weaving skills from Master Li, the bamboo craftsman. The whole village was preparing the bamboo bowls and plates for the food festival together.
The stalls would use bamboo carts uniformly, and a canopy would be added on the counter to keep out the wind and rain. Master Li had taught a few apprentices before he finally had some free time.
He was very skilled, but making these simple things out of habit was really a waste of his talent.
Li Ying drew some patterns and asked him to make some delicate bamboo - woven lanterns. The rolling lanterns were made smaller so that incense could be burned in the middle. With some tassels hanging on them, they were very popular among the girls.
He also made some bamboo bookmarks with carved patterns. Even Yan Lianzhi was "drafted" by Li Ying. Li Ying arranged some food and wine for the old man and "locked" him in the room to help her write on fans.
From the sentimental "This lovesickness can't be dispelled. It's just off my brows but on my mind" to the unrestrained and carefree "I laugh out loud and stride out of the door. Am I the sort to vegetate all my life?" and the ambitious "Some day the roc shall soar on wind a hundred thousand li", there was always a fan that could touch the hearts of the tourists.
These were the "cultural and creative souvenirs" of the fishing village. Whether you were a refined or a common person, as long as you came to this Martial Arts Assembly, you would surely take some souvenirs back.
At first, Yan Lianzhi only coveted the food and wine. He was sitting there uneasily and reluctantly scribbled a few strokes. But the more he listened to the poems that Li Ying recited casually, the more he was impressed.
Later, the old man even exchanged his jade - boned folding fan, which he always carried with him, for a fan with the words "Let's enjoy a cup of wine in life. Why care about fame after death". Wherever he went, he proudly waved it.
While Li Ying was so busy that she had no time to rest and couldn't take care of her, A Man took a break and came to find Lu Xunguang.
After that inexplicable "How can you tell if I'm male or female" incident, although the two of them had cleared up the misunderstanding, their relationship was still a bit delicate.
A Man cleared her throat, trying to catch Lu Xunguang's attention.
"Um, I have something to ask you for help. I wonder if it's convenient for you..."
Before A Man could finish her sentence, Lu Xunguang didn't even look up and coldly said, "It's not convenient."
A Man was rebuffed. Half of her words got stuck in her throat. Her little face turned red. After a long time, she rolled her eyes and said, "If it weren't for my sister, who would bother to ask you for help!"
Lu Xunguang stopped his work and then seriously looked at her. "Since it's for A Ying, just tell me."
Seeing that he cared so much about things related to Li Ying, A Man was even a bit happier. She excitedly asked, "I heard that it was you who found the way to get the big green mule at home. If you have a reliable livestock handler, could you introduce him to me? I want to give a good gift to my sister!"
Lu Xunguang looked at her appraisingly. Since A Man had a straightforward personality, she explained, "My sister has always been saying that when we get good spices, we should roast some lamb. I want to go and find some good fat sheep for my sister myself!"
On the day when Li Ying went out to sea to look for cuttlefish bones, she had already gone to take a look with Granny Sun. There were only four thin and bony old sheep in the mule and horse market in the town. Only the ewe that she had bought for Mian Mian to get milk from was barely passable.
This kind of mutton was very fishy and hard to eat. A Man, who grew up in a yurt, naturally looked down on it.
Apart from her innate dancing skills, her most remarkable ability was dealing with cattle and sheep. So she simply thought of going to find some tender mutton herself to give Li Ying a surprise.
Lu Xunguang didn't waste any more words. He directly told her to go and find Old Zheng in the donkey stable.
A Man didn't know the way. She walked around the town aimlessly. Fortunately, she met Shi Hu, who was going to deliver medicine. Finally, she arrived at the north of the town without any serious problems.
She had a straightforward personality and knew exactly how to feed these livestock. She got along very well with Old Zheng. The old man and the young girl got so excited that they even went straight to the neighboring town that night to look for the little goats suitable for barbecuing for Li Ying.
Li Ying had no idea about this. Seeing that A Man hadn't returned for a long time, she was afraid that someone had set a trap for her again. Without thinking much, she quickly went to the town to look for her.
She was so anxious that her eyes were red. She asked around for a long time but found nothing. Just when she was in a complete mess, she was stopped by someone.
"Sir, have you seen a beautiful Hu girl? She's about eighteen years old."
Li Ying asked softly. But the other person just sized her up. After a long time, his eyes fell on the jade - boned fan on her waist, and his face changed greatly.
"Where did you get this jade - boned fan!"
Li Ying looked at him. He was dressed in white, with a handsome and gentle face. Obviously, he looked like a scholar. She was a little curious and asked in return, "It was a gift from a friend. Who are you? Why do you seem so hostile? Could it be that you abducted my A Man?"
The young gentleman in white ignored her question and snorted.
"A gift from a friend? I'm afraid you snatched it or stole it!"