Chapter 197 Farewell
After the advance wages were paid, most of the veterans were still reluctant to leave, with trembling hands and excited hearts, perhaps because of the "huge sum of money" they had never seen in their lives. Some even brought their wives and children to kowtow to Wang An.

Although he enjoyed the feeling of being worshipped at first, Wang An became a little annoyed after it happened so many times.

If he stood still and let others kneel down to him, he would look like Huang Shiren. But if everyone reached out to support him, he would break his undeveloped waist.

Finally, when it was getting dark, these veterans took their families back to their homes, and Wang An was finally able to return to the inn and have a good rest.

The next morning, before Wang An got up, the waiter knocked on the door and said that many veterans had gathered in front of the store.

Wang An was both moved and helpless, so he could only get up, wash his face and prepare to leave.

When I arrived outside the inn, I found that there were more people here today.

There were not only veterans, but also relatives and friends who came to see them off, as well as people from Datong Prefecture who heard the news and came to watch the excitement.

Wang An was just an ordinary person in his previous life, and he didn't know how to learn from those big guys to say some polite words. He just jumped on his horse and told Tian Erlengzi to set off. Then the group headed towards the city gate in a mighty manner.

There are some blind people, veterans with limited mobility, or even those who have lost their legs in the queue. These people have limited mobility and can only rely on others for support or even on their backs.

Wang An frowned as he looked at it. This was something he had not thought through carefully. It was because he had too little experience in business.

Thinking of this, Wang An took out fifty taels of silver from his pocket and gave it to Tian Erlengzi, asking him to immediately go to the carriage and horse shop in Datong Prefecture to hire some mules, horses and carts to transport these old soldiers with limited mobility.

Upon hearing this, the veterans burst into tears again, saying that they could do it and that they could not let their employers spend money just for their own convenience.

Wang An just said a few words of consolation, "You are all soldiers who have fought for the country. You should have been able to rely on yourself in your old age, but you still have to follow me, Wang, to Beijing to make a living. The court already owes you something!"

"If I cannot treat you well, how can I, Wang, have the face to call myself a patriotic businessman and honor myself as the imperial merchant of the Ming Dynasty?"

At this point, Wang An shook his head and advised: "Don't feel bad. I am the imperial merchant of the Ming Dynasty. In other words, I am also half a government official. It is natural for me to be nice to you brothers!"

Seeing that the old soldiers were about to kneel down again, Wang An said helplessly: "By the way, let's make another rule. Don't kneel down at every turn in the future. I, Wang, don't like this."

"I almost broke my waist yesterday because I was trying to help you guys! You guys don't want to see me, Wang, breaking my waist before I even get married, right?"

These words immediately made the veterans laugh. Some of them couldn't help but joked, "How come the boss is so young, rich, handsome and elegant, but he doesn't even have a wife?"

"Could it be that you just want to live among the flowers without getting a single leaf on you, so you don't want to have a family to burden you?"

"So, the boss is an old hand at flowers after all!"

"That thing hurt my waist, you can't blame us old guys!"

Wang An rolled his eyes helplessly, thinking that these old soldiers were really strong-willed despite their physical disabilities. Even in this state, they were still more ridiculous than the other when it came to telling obscene jokes.

However, how could his great and glorious image be destroyed like this? So he defended himself by saying, "Brothers, please don't destroy my innocence. I am still a rookie!"

Wang An's words immediately shocked the old soldiers. After all, Wang An was already an imperial merchant at a young age. Even if he was not a millionaire, he should be considered to have some wealth, right?

Moreover, although the body that Wang An possessed could not be said to have the appearance of Pan An, he could be considered a dashing young man, and did not look like a naive little chicken at all.

Someone immediately started to make a noise, pointing at the people around him and saying, "The daughter of Zhang Laowu is so pretty. At sixteen this year, she's a perfect match for Shopkeeper Wang!"

Some people even volunteered, "If the boss doesn't mind, let my daughter be your mistress!"

In a short while, the veterans recommended fifteen or sixteen young girls, and each of them was described as beautiful as a flower by these veterans.

Leaving aside those who recommended other people's daughters and those who boasted about themselves, Wang An couldn't help but discriminate against them based on their appearance after just one look at them.

I thought to myself, you are so ugly, how can the daughter you give birth to be pretty?
But of course I wouldn't say that out loud, I just politely refused.

A group of people came to the city gate while joking, but they were shocked to see that a group of armored men with sharp weapons were already standing outside the city gate.

The leaders were Wang An's acquaintances, Man Gui and Sun Zushou.

And judging from the other party's posture, it was obvious that they came specifically to see Wang An and these veterans off. There was a long table next to the two of them, with three hundred wine bowls piled on it, all of which were now filled with fine wine.

Man Gui did not ride his horse either. He took Sun Zushou and strode towards Wang An. He first bowed solemnly to Wang An, then bowed to the veterans and said:
"My dear brothers, it is because I, Man Gui, do not have the ability to accommodate you. That is why you have to follow Manager Wang to Beijing to make a living after being seriously injured. I, Man Gui, really feel guilty towards you brothers!"

As they said this, Man Gui and Sun Zhushou both bowed deeply.

Wang An also hurriedly dismounted and returned the greeting to Man Gui and Sun Zhu.

The old soldiers following behind him were already in tears. Looking at the general who once led them into battle, they all said they dared not.

Man Gui straightened up, his eyes on his bearded face were already red, and he waved his hand, and immediately his men brought wine bowls and distributed them to the veterans.

Man Gui raised his wine bowl and said, "There are not enough wine bowls. Please take turns to drink a farewell drink with me, my brothers. I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit Beijing in the future. I hope that you brothers can treat me, my brothers, to another drink!"

The old soldiers took the wine bowls and said with tears and laughter: "If the general is coming, please don't forget what you said today!"

Man Gui laughed loudly, picked up the wine bowl in his hand and drank it all.

The veterans who got the wine bowls also drank them all in one gulp.

However, there were only more than a hundred wine bowls, so Mangui toasted seven or eight times in a row.

After he finished drinking it all, his face was flushed and he was slightly drunk.

However, Man Gui did not put down the wine bowl. Instead, he asked his soldiers to pour two more bowls, handed one to Wang An, and said:
"It's my fault that I'm incompetent, so I have to ask you to take care of these old brothers for me."

(End of this chapter)