For the Chu family this New Year, in addition to wishing for blessings and longevity, visiting relatives and friends, and congratulating each other, the most important thing is that on the eighth day of the first lunar month, Chu Chen, the child Zhengzheng, celebrates his first birthday.
Even before the Spring Festival, Chu Yi started making arrangements to celebrate his fat son's birthday. On the early morning of the eighth day of the first lunar month, the young couple cooperated to wash the fat son who had not yet woken up. After a hot bath, he put on a red jacket, put on the red tiger head hat that Shen's mother suggested to give him on the second day of junior high school, and wore the tiger head shoes made by Grandma Cui. He looked like a red man. fat dumplings.
When the young couple brought the neatly dressed Zhengzheng to the main room, most of their relatives and friends had already arrived. Seeing that the little guy was as cute as a New Year picture doll, they all wanted to hug him into their arms and couldn't put it down.
When all the relatives and friends arrived, Uncle Chu took Chu Yi and others to burn incense on the ancestral tablets placed on the altar table in the main room. Then Chu Yi laid a large square stone in the middle of the main room. On the mat, he placed all the prepared week-catching props in a circle on the mat.
The things he put on display when he was holding Zhou Zhou were very particular. There was a small silver ingot specially exchanged for him, there were pastries that Zhengzheng loved to eat, there were gadgets that he was used to playing with on weekdays, and there were also things that Chu Li brought specially. Among the Four Books and Five Classics, there are tools used by Chu Yi when doing carpentry work, a pulse pillow brought specially by Grandpa Shen, as well as abacus, scale beam, pen, ink, paper and inkstone and other various objects with good meanings.
After placing it, Shen Luzhu directly put his fat son in the middle and let him do what he wanted. No matter what Zhengzheng caught today, there was a set of auspicious words waiting for him. It was always a good luck. .
Zhengzheng, who was sitting in the middle surrounded by a bunch of fresh things and a group of elders, was a little frightened by the fight. He looked around and curled his lips, and extended his chubby hands to his mother-in-law for a hug.
"Zhengzheng, you see so many fun things. Which one do you like best? Can you take one?"
Shen Luzhu squatted in front of Zhengzheng, coaxing patiently, but the child Chu Neng tried hard to signal to his mother-in-law for a long time. Seeing that Shen Luzhu ignored him, his little hand turned to Chu Yi again, hoping to come closer to his mother-in-law. In daddy's arms.
Normally, if Zheng Zheng was like this, he would have been hugged by now, but it was different today. He was only one year old and he still didn't understand. In fact, as long as he picked up anything, he could get the hug he wanted. So Zhengzheng, who said, "My father doesn't care about my mother," turned to Uncle Chu in aggrieved manner. In the end, I even turned the whole family around, but couldn't be picked up from the ground.
Fortunately, Zhengzheng has been an emotionally stable child since he was a child. Even so, he just curled his lips and didn't drop a drop of the golden beans.
In the end, I don’t know whether it was because I was really tired from raising my hands, or because I finally understood the guidance of everyone, or because I accepted my fate, lowered my head and looked around, and then reached out to the carpenter’s tools in front of me. After it was too heavy to carry, he gave up decisively, then picked up the silver ingot that was definitely easier to hold, and looked at his mother-in-law.
Upon seeing this, all the relatives and friends who came to attend the Zhuzhou Banquet quickly cheered and congratulated: "If you grab the ingot in your hand, you will never lack wealth in your life!"
"We are so smart, we got this most valuable thing right away. What a lucky baby!"
Shen Luzhu didn't particularly care what his fat son caught. Seeing that the Zhou Zhou catching ceremony was finally completed, he hurriedly picked up Zhengzheng and took away the little ingot that he was trying to stuff into his mouth.
After arresting Zhou, everyone had dinner at Chu's house again, and the child's first birthday was celebrated. After resting for a long time, the young couple nestled in the room, looking at their fat son who was sitting in the crib and playing with Li Hua. the opinion of.
"Azhu, what our son is actually catching today is not Yuan Bao, right?"
Shen Luzhu was a little confused when Chu Yi suddenly asked: "Huh? It's a Yuanbao, and I almost put it in my mouth."
"Isn't it my tool you took first?"
Shen Luzhu blinked and looked between Chu Yi and Zheng Zheng, and then he seemed to understand something. It turns out that no matter how cold and mature a man is, he will have the idea of inheriting his father's legacy and joining the army of father and son!
"It seems true. My son probably didn't pick it up for you.
He turned around and took the lighter ingot. If you put it this way, maybe he will inherit your craftsmanship in the future. It seems that our shop has a successor, which is really good! Or you can make other items. Chu Yi, your craftsmanship is so good. If you only make coffins, it would be a bit unfair. "
After listening to his wife's words, Chu Yi woke up from his fantasy. He liked carpentry and making coffins, but if he had had a choice at the time, would he still continue to make coffins now? He still found it. Like something more? Chu Yi himself didn't know very well.
"It's better to wait until later and let Zhengzheng make his own choice."
Shen Luzhu raised his head and looked at Chu Yi, smiling sweetly at him: "Okay, I will listen to you. Chu Yi, you must be the best dad in the world!"
Chu Yi gently rubbed the broken hair on his wife's forehead, feeling very happy and grateful that she could understand his unspoken thoughts: "Thank you, A Zhu."
Just as he was talking, Zheng Zheng stood up in the cradle, grabbing the bedside. The young couple had long been accustomed to this. As early as one day last month, Zheng Zheng was like this, and suddenly he pulled the cradle by himself. The fence stood up, which was such a surprise to the young couple. Shen Luzhu could not wait to find a paintbrush immediately to draw this moment and treasure it. Read the book
After that day, Zhengzheng gradually adapted to the new skills he had learned. From time to time, he would stand up and perform for the elders in the family. When everyone saw him clapping happily, he also became very happy.
But today was a little different from before. After standing up, he was still facing the direction of his parents. He took a laborious step forward, and then he could no longer control the balance of his body. There was a "thud" sound. , fell down on the rocking bed, and Li Hua was so frightened that she jumped from the rocking bed to the kang cabinet.
The sudden suddenness not only shocked the new parents, but also Zhengzheng himself was startled by the sudden movement of falling down on the rocking bed. He looked at Shen Luzhu with his lips curled up and cried "Wow" .
The young couple hurriedly picked up their fat son and checked it out. The crib was covered with thick cushions. Nothing happened to the child, he was just frightened and crying.
Chu Yi hugged his fat son in a funny way, patting his back and coaxing him.
Shen Luzhu was also on the side, holding a rattle and coaxing: "Zhengzheng, be good, it's okay, it's okay, stop crying, we Zhengzheng actually learned to walk on our own, that's awesome!"
The leisurely and lively days of the New Year always pass very quickly. In the blink of an eye, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has passed. At this time, the Spring Festival for the villagers is over. From this time until after the Qingming Festival, when the crops begin to be sown, it is a year It is the most leisurely period for farmers in China.
The Chu family's fields are all rented out, and they just have to wait for the rent to be collected at the end of each year. There is no need to open the shop for the time being. The young couple has nothing to do, so they gather with Chu Ping, Zhao Cheng and others at their home, or Chatting and playing cards, or discussing what to do with the properties left in the village after their shop moves to the county seat.
The county has a large population, and life is more affluent. If we calculate based on the current sales volume of Chu's shop, after we go to the town and everything is on track, I am afraid it will be doubled several times, and we are still like today. Burning paper with copper coins made by several companies, and paper ingots made by a dozen or so people in the workshop, it is certain that they cannot be supplied.
So the young couple thought about building a workshop in their backyard and moving all the production of paper ingots and copper coins and burning paper back into the workshop. Not only would the output be able to meet their needs, but it would also be more convenient for unified management and quality control. control.
For such a large-scale workshop, my family has moved to the county town, and some manpower will be arranged to supervise and manage it. The young couple plans to hand it over to the Zhao Cheng brothers.
In the production of paper ingots, the preparation of pigments and the production of gold and silver paper are the most important and the most important things to keep secret. They cannot be handed over to the workers in the workshop. Shen Luzhu planned to teach Jiang all these methods. Juan.
First of all, the work in the workshop is too many and complicated, and Brother Zhao Cheng is afraid that he won't have time to worry about it anymore. Secondly, Jiang Juan has said that she wants to change and be independent, and Shen Luzhu also wants to help her. As for the workshop The purchase of raw materials and delivery work to the county can be left to Jiang Quan.
"In terms of wages, A-Zhu and I plan to follow the calculations of workshop workers and have a fixed monthly wage. In addition to this,
According to the amount of paper money made, give another part. Let's see if it works. If you have any requirements, we can discuss it again. "
Zhao Cheng waved his hands and said: "What's wrong with this? Our brothers have all relied on your shop to make a living these years. Now we rely on you to become the steward of this workshop. Wouldn't it be too much to mention something that is not available? I have no conscience!"
"That's right, cousin, you just don't give me money to help your cousin buy some things and deliver them!"
Chu Ping listened for a long time and saw that his cousins' work had almost been arranged, and he hadn't mentioned himself yet, so he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He had just boasted with his family, so he had to work hard and bring his whole family with him this year. He went to the county town to find his cousin, but if he was completely separated from his cousin, for a while, he really couldn't think of what he should do. Maybe he would go to the mountains to hunt and sell, and he didn't know if it would be possible. Pass?
What's more, he originally thought that if he delivered goods to his cousin, he would see him often. But now, he was afraid that he would have to take the prey to the county town and sell it.
"Cousin, what about me? Why don't you leave the shopping to Jiang Quan and me the delivery?"
Chu Yi smiled and asked, "Don't you want to save money and move to the county in the future? How can you just deliver goods?"
"Then my cousin has other plans for me?"
"Of course, our shop also has a funeral team, so no one has taken over it yet."
Chu Ping was a little confused: "After you went to the county seat, this shop was still open?"
Shen Luzhu nodded and replied: "Of course, there is no second paper money shop in the village. Firstly, if we don't open it, the villagers will have to go to the town to buy it. Secondly, with such a good business, It’s a pity to lose it. Your backyard is your workshop, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing the goods, and it takes less effort to run it.”
It would be much easier for him to save money if he took over his cousin's shop and funeral team, but he said, "Wouldn't it be better if you gave them all to me? It would be too much of an advantage to my cousin!"
"Of course I don't give it to you for free. The money for the paper sold in your shop is based on the purchase price."
"It's natural to spend money to purchase goods, but the shop and the funeral team..."
Chu Yi patted Chu Ping on the shoulder: "Your cousin-in-law said, you don't have to be so clear about your brothers. You just run it. This shop and the funeral team were built with great difficulty by A Zhu and I."
"Don't worry, cousin, I will definitely do it well!"
