After the meal, Shu Yu asked Daniu about the journey.

Daniu said, "Everything was smooth. The escorts are all very experienced; throughout the journey, I barely needed to oversee anything—they had everything arranged. I was just following behind, observing and learning."

He scratched his head and laughed, "I feel like I’ve learned quite a lot."

"That’s why it’s beneficial to go out and see the world." This was the reason Shu Yu entrusted Daniu with the responsibility of transporting the goods.

Daniu nodded, "We even ran into Grandmother and Second Uncle, Third Uncle halfway."

Shu Yu was surprised, "You bumped into them? That’s quite a coincidence!"

"Yes, I also met Aunt and Yuan Gui. I only learned then how much Aunt has suffered over the years. If not for Grandmother, I wouldn’t have known you became the county magistrate, I was so shocked."

Shu Yu, "..." So, they ended up meeting Father and Mother Tang?

She remembered that Third Uncle had mentioned that after Father and Mother Tang heard about Tang Wenqian becoming the county magistrate, they would certainly advertise it everywhere. He didn’t have the chance to boast about Shu Yu being the county magistrate.

She could easily guess, "Did Third Uncle definitely proclaim to Uncle Tang and them that I am the county magistrate?"

Daniu chuckled, "Yes, and he said it several times, when mentioning you, he wouldn’t use your name, just referred to you as ’county magistrate.’ We were all very shocked when we first heard that. Yu, you’re amazing."

Shu Yu held her forehead, "I’m afraid that once we’re back in Dongan Province, he’ll spread the word and everyone will know."

In her previous letter to Daniu, she didn’t mention this matter. Her letter only stated that she planned to open a shop here and asked him to transport the goods quickly.

Because it was Daniu’s first time traveling far, and with such a large shipment, Shu Yu instructed him on the delivery details very meticulously, like hiring escorts, what to watch out for on the road, potential troubles, how to preserve the goods, finding someone to watch over the goods if they camp out, and to first visit the government office to find Meng Yunzheng once they arrived in Changjin Prefecture. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Just detailing these things was enough for her to fill several pages, leaving no time to talk about how she became the county magistrate and other incidental matters.

That’s why Daniu only found out after meeting the old lady and them, and why Father and Mother Tang were caught off guard by the news.

Actually, neither Tang Wenqian becoming county magistrate nor Shu Yu becoming county magistrate was about comparing the two—neither side intended to compare, nor did they see what there was to compare.

However, Madam Tang and Third Lu were secretly competing with each other.

Shu Yu couldn’t understand what they were thinking, but in the future, it wouldn’t matter much; Father and Mother Tang came to Chenggu County, so they probably won’t meet Third Uncle frequently anymore.

Shu Yu asked again about the situation at home, and Daniu said everything was good, the branch store in Dongan Province was already on track.

He also mentioned that at the beginning of the year, Wei Ronghua proposed an event. After some discussion, they agreed to it, and indeed after the twelfth lunar month, sales surged, and melon seeds have become the trendiest New Year goods in Dongan Province.

Shu Yu was delighted. In modern times, melon seeds are indispensable New Year’s goods for every household.

If people get used to this, the sales of melon seeds will be stable.

The workshop expanded significantly, though many people have started planting sunflowers, and competition is bound to arise in the future.

Shu Yu was mentally prepared for this long ago and nodded to show her understanding.

Daniu took a sip of water, suddenly paused in his speech, with a trace of hesitation on his face.