…
As soon as Chen Laosan returned home, his two sons ran out.
Then a woman rubbed her apron and came out: "Master, are you back so early today?"
This woman is his second wife, Nie.
Chen Laosan put down his daughter in his arms, laughed with his two sons for a while, and then said: "I just went around the street for a while. I have no work for the time being, so I came back first. By the way, where is my little sister?"
After Ms. Nie asked her children to play in the yard, she helped Chen Laosan take off his tool bag and said: "My sister went to wash clothes for the master, and so did his men. A grown man does nothing but drink." Bad gambling, her life is really miserable."
Not long after Chen Laosan's sister came to South Australia with him, she also married a local expatriate. Unfortunately, her life was not satisfactory after the marriage. Her husband often drank and gambled, and he often beat and scolded the two of them.
This time, Chen Laosan's sister came to Chen Laosan's home to take refuge because she couldn't stand the beatings and scoldings of her husband. She stayed here for more than a month, but she never saw her brother-in-law come back to her.
Chen Laosan sighed and said, "Is there anything to eat at home? I'm hungry."
Nie said: "There is also a pumpkin, and there is some millet in the rice vat. I will make porridge for you."
After saying that, he turned around and got busy.
Chen Laosan looked at the simple home and couldn't help but lament in his heart. He didn't expect that life would still be so difficult in a different environment.
At noon, Mr. Nie cooked a pot of pumpkin porridge, brought it to the table and ordered everyone to eat.
Pumpkin and millet porridge, plus a plate of leftover pickles from last night, this is what Chen Laosan and his family eat, and there are not many other dishes.
Soon after a bowl of porridge hit his stomach, Chen Laosan clearly felt that he was not full. He was about to put the remaining porridge in the earthen basin, but he saw the three children wolfing down the food and lost his appetite.
"Fuck, how much rice do you have at home?"
When Chen Laosan asked, Mrs. Nie also put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hand and said: "After this meal, there will be no rice at home, but you don't have to worry, head of the house. If it doesn't work, I will ask the sister-in-law next door to borrow some rice. "
Chen Laosan said: "Sister-in-law Hua's family is also having a hard time. The two buckets of rice we borrowed from her last time have not been repaid yet. Why do you have the nerve to ask again?"
I'll walk around the streets later to see if I can find any work. If so, I'll bring back a few liters of rice in the evening. "
"Um."
Mr. Nie responded and continued to eat porridge.
Seeing the misery of the whole family, who had not been able to eat meat for several years, Chen Laosan felt very uncomfortable. When he recalled that the government was going to increase taxes, he couldn't help but muttered: "When will this end..."
…
In the afternoon, Chen Laosan wandered around the streets again, hoping to find a job.
Naihe walked through the streets and alleys but refused to let him open. Being hungry and tired, he simply sat down along the street corner.
At this moment, a familiar accent sounded in his ears: "Are you a carpenter?"
Chen Laosan was startled when he heard this. This accent was from his hometown in the Central Plains. He hadn't heard it for many years.
Turning around, he saw a neatly dressed man who looked like a shopkeeper looking at him with a smile.
He stood up hurriedly and said, "Yes, I am a carpenter. Is there anything I can do for you?"
The shopkeeper smiled and said: "I happen to be building a set of cabinets in my shop. You can go back with me today and take a look. If you are good at this job, you will get a lot of money from me."
Chen Laosan hurriedly grabbed the tool bag and said, "Okay, please ask the shopkeeper to lead the way."
"follow me."
With that said, the shopkeeper led Chen Laosan into a carriage and headed to the corner of the street.
Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of a newly opened pharmacy.
Chen Laosan got out of the car and said with a smile: "Shopkeeper Xu, are you in the medicinal business? This is very profitable!"
Shopkeeper Xu said: "Just do whatever you want, Master Chen will come."
Entering the drug store, Chen Laosan quickly simulated the specifications of the store cabinet according to the requirements given by shopkeeper Xu.
After everything was done, Shopkeeper Xu negotiated a salary with Chen Laosan and forced him to have dinner with him.
Chen Laosan couldn't help but agree.
At the dinner table, after Chen Laosan had drank several glasses of wine, shopkeeper Xu said, "Master Chen's skills are quite good. He figured out the size of the cabinet in just a few moments. Most people can't do that."
Chen Laosan smiled and said: "To be honest with Shopkeeper Xu, I am not bragging. If my skills were in the Central Plains... in Dongyi, they would be top-notch."
Shopkeeper Xu's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Master Chen also got it from this?"
Chen Laosan nodded: "Yes, it has been eighteen years."
Shopkeeper Xu added: "What a coincidence, I also got it from this place. I wonder where Master Chen is from in the Central Plains?"
Chen Laosan: "I am from Fuzhou."
Shopkeeper Xu hurriedly stood up and poured him wine: "No wonder, it turns out he is a fellow countryman. No wonder the accent is so friendly. Come on, come on, have a sip."
Chen Laosan couldn't refuse, and seeing the fellow villager, he immediately took a sip.
Then shopkeeper Xu said: "Master Chen, have you missed home after all these years?"
When Chen Laosan heard this, he couldn't help but sigh: "Who doesn't want to go home? If it weren't for the war, who would be willing to leave home?"
Shopkeeper Xu said: "Yes, if you live a satisfactory life, who would be willing to leave the place where you gave birth? Master Chen, have you ever thought about going back and taking a look?"
Chen Laosan shook his head: "What can I do if I go back? My whole family is dead at sea, and I am just living with my sister. What can I do if I go back?"
Shopkeeper Xu whispered: "Master Chen, I have heard that the Central Plains has long been at peace. Since the new emperor ascended the throne, the people's lives have been much better than before. Do you really not want to go back?"
Chen Laosan showed a look of fear: "Shopkeeper Xu, it's okay for us to say this, but it will be troublesome for anyone who cares to hear it.
The Golden Rule says that ordinary people are not allowed to go to the sea in pieces, and any offenders will be executed! "
Shopkeeper Xu laughed when he heard this and said, "Just say it casually, you can take it as a joke."
With that said, he gave Chen Laosan another piece of food.
Then he continued: "Master Chen, you have also seen the official notice today. Do you have any opinions on it?"
Chen Laosan was stunned when he heard this: "What can you think? If the people don't fight with the officials, what else can they do?"
Shopkeeper Xu: "With such a heavy tax, don't you have any ideas?"
Chen Laosan said: "The world is as dark as crows. As long as we, the common people, don't starve to death, it will be a great favor. So what if we have other ideas? Aren't we going to live our lives as usual?"
When shopkeeper Xu heard this, he smiled and did not continue to ask. Instead, he persuaded him to have a drink and gave Chen Laosan one tael of silver in advance.
"It's too much, no need for this much."
"It's only one tael of silver, and you can't even buy a stone of rice. Master Chen, please don't refuse. Leave your address and I will notify you to start the construction after I have someone buy the wood."
Chen Laosan left happily.
Nowadays, the price of rice in South Australia is one tael, five taels of silver and one stone, but that is the price of Japonica rice. If it is millet, one tael of silver can buy one stone, enough to feed the whole family for two months.
Watching Chen Laosan leave, Shopkeeper Xu gradually put away the smile on his face and said to the workers beside him: "Find more people like this, preferably those who have been in South Australia for less than a generation and come from poor families. They may be useful in the future! "
