Xu Laoer and his wife returned to their natal family on the second day of junior high school, and Tian's son-in-law couldn't wait to come to Erdaohe to discuss business on the third day of junior high school.
But he went back and had a cold for three days.
I also thought that after finishing the matter of Third Aunt catching the ducklings and the little goose, I would have more fun to talk to and visit relatives in Erdaohe.
Just like that, he came to the door early on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
Before son-in-law Tian came, he never expected that the Xu family would be so enthusiastic towards him.
And the Xu family's attitude towards him, isn't this the Xu family's attitude towards his sister-in-law Xiaoqin?
So when he heard Mrs. Xu asked him to eat, Son-in-law Tian made up his mind and drove back to Yujiazhuang for a short detour so that he could talk to his third aunt about what happened at Xu's house and make her happy. .
"Come on, come on, sit by the kang. Is it cold? There are two groups of people eating at home. We have just eaten this time, so you can put some more on your stomach to keep warm."
In Mrs. Xu's eyes, what our family had this morning was not really a good meal.
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, we eat braised noodles. The noodles are still made of cornmeal, and the shredded pickles are mixed with chili oil.
Yesterday, she and Mr. Qian had some drinks at a restaurant in the town. It was really obvious that she was a woman. They all toasted. After chatting, they came back very late and drank several bowls of rice wine. They were very tired. Just deal with it casually this morning.
As a modern person, Mrs. Xu is still a northerner. There is a saying that you will not be hungry after passing Shanhaiguan. If someone has no money in his pocket and knocks on someone’s door, and you say you want to beg for food, if there is ready-made food at home, You don't look like a criminal. Most people can give you saliva and leftover food.
This is not bragging. Starting from the older generation in the Northeast, they have always set an example for the younger generation. It has nothing to do with whether they are rich or poor.
Even sometimes, the poorer you are, the more generous you are and not so calculating. This is the temperament developed by local people in cold areas.
Otherwise, would we have been able to break into Guandong in the first place? The hard-working Guanli people came to the north without food. In other words, those who are not so diligent only go to the capital and then settle in Beijing. It would be better if they are not so diligent...
The topic has gone too far, so Mrs. Xu has been accustomed to it for decades, and her habitual thinking when talking to guests is: "Have you eaten? If not, let's have some at home."
This problem has made the old lady complain in private many times. Fortunately, the old lady is not at home now.
The old lady heard that she was going to make a lot of glutinous rice balls last night. She got up early and wrapped Nan Nan in a quilt, and followed Xu Lao Er's ride to the shop to make glutinous rice balls. Yu Qiniang also followed and was not at home.
But this problem made Son-in-law Tian feel very warm at this time. He waved his hands repeatedly and said happily and nervously: "Aunt, and my eldest niece, please don't be busy, I really got it."
There is also a basket of duck eggs at the feet of Tian's son-in-law, which is a new year's gift that his father asked him to bring to the Xu family.
Before coming, his old father specifically told him to give him gifts and wear a hat when he came to the Xu family. Don't pretend to be a relative, so that he could say something.
And even if it's all said and done, it doesn't matter if they decide not to order ducks from his family in the future. They can politely treat it as if they are relatives. It won't be awkward to be relatives of the Xu family.
But what Tian's son-in-law never expected was that before he could make a sale, Aunt Xu simply finished her meal and asked him without picking up the table: "How much is a duck?"
Even the eldest niece... seemed to have changed her appearance. She didn't look much like the one he saw two years ago. He almost didn't dare to recognize her for fear of calling the wrong person. She was also looking at him with a smile, waiting for an answer.
"In reply to my aunt, I told your brother-in-law last time that if you sell someone else's duck for 100 fen, we can't sell it at the price specified by our family. Let's sell a duck for 85 fen."
Mrs. Xu and Xu Tianxin looked at each other and immediately had an idea.
The duck rack is boiled to make soup.
The removed duck meat is marinated in advance, and then the men in the village make some roasted steamed buns to bring. When they arrive at the scene, the Xu family will distribute Roujiamo buns and hot soup.
To avoid doing other things and having to travel long distances with a pot and stove.
If you arrange it this way, you only need to bring some firewood to the site and set up a soup pot. The braised duck meat can be reheated with the soup. You can take out the cutting board and chop the meat with a knife to distribute it.
Xu Tianxin nodded.
Mrs. Xu looked at Son-in-law Tian with a smile: "Then you came at the right time. If you do this, go home and prepare a thousand ducks of about the same weight for your aunt. I heard that the price you gave is indeed quite real. This is worthy of being a relative. , I will go to buy goods on the tenth day of the lunar month."
What, what the hell? !
Son-in-law Tian almost thought he had heard the truth. The first order was not for a hundred and eighty pieces, but for a thousand!
He added it up every year, and he had to be more profitable to be able to sell a total of two thousand ducks. The whole family has been working from morning to night for a year. After deducting the costs, they can only have a net of eighty taels of silver left. They are already living a good life in the village.
Moreover, starting from his father, the family had never sold such a large order in the past decades. He did not expect that his aunt would earn three cows for the family with just one order.
There is no need for Dian Dian to go out and sell a few ducks a day.
Son-in-law Tian was not stunned by the surprise. His face turned red and he tried to stay rational and persuaded:
"Auntie, don't worry. It doesn't matter when you buy it. My eldest nephew, I will sell it to you at no more expensive price. I will keep it for you at the same price. I am quite a big man. Although I don't have much ability, I can still keep my word. . You really don’t need to buy more. If that doesn’t work, just buy a few dozen first. Otherwise, if you buy so many at once, let’s be honest, you have to make room for freezing. What if Kaihua doesn’t sell out in a few days? "
Only then did Mrs. Xu tell the truth to Son-in-law Tian and what she wanted these ducks for.
She really didn't buy much. Considering the cost and wages of baking the Roujiamo buns, as well as the journey to the border, she planned to give out four glutinous rice balls for free to each person on duty at the checkpoints, which was very sweet.
Including the large number of people accompanying him, if he didn't make it back that night, he would have to stay at a big car shop and have food. These are all costs, so let her Xu family take the lead and pay for them.
That's why she didn't say anything but two thousand ducks.
After Mrs. Xu finished speaking, Xu Tianxin hurriedly stood up and dodged.
Because her second uncle's third cousin-in-law suddenly stood up and bowed respectfully to her breast.
"Auntie, I admire you so much, I..." He was speechless.
Tian's son-in-law has been giving away several gifts since he entered the Xu family. He never expected that the Xu family was not like other families in other villages who would collect wild vegetables. This was a hundred and eighty taels of real gold and silver given away for free.
For a farmer's family, one hundred and eighty taels of silver can marry five wives and buy six or seven cows for the family to farm. With five daughters-in-law and seven cows working together for the family, the gap is huge.
It seems silly to just give it away as if you haven't made any money.
But there always have to be people who do what others see as "stupid things", including those in the villages who collect food, to warm the hearts of the army, to make those soldiers train to the death to win more battles in the future, and to make them "top men" in the future Only then can we borrow the light to live a peaceful and stable life.
"Auntie, my eldest nephew can't come up with dozens of taels of silver.
But over time, the family still has enough food.
I just decided, no need to discuss with my father, seventy-five cents a piece... Aunt, please listen to me first, as you said, your family relied on mutual trading to have the good life today, so the more you earn, the less If you make money, then you will have a prosperous and stable life, so just pretend that you have not made money.
Isn’t it the same if I sell ducks?
If it weren't for the garrisoned officers and soldiers guarding the city gate, I would have been caught and bled by the enemy invaders, without even a penny being brought to me. Maybe, my newborn baby will have to be picked up by the enemy with a sword in the heart. "
In Tian's opinion, it's really so sexy (powerful).
Because many years ago, Son-in-law Tian heard from his father that the enemy troops entered the border cities not only to eat, drink and rob, but also to intimidate them by killing them indiscriminately. In order to make the people surrender immediately, massacre was the fastest way to intimidate them. Massacre the city intact and attack the next city, otherwise the people there will not obey and become angry, which will easily lead to trouble.
Moreover, it would be difficult for the people in the border cities to escape in advance if there was no way home during the war, because the next city would not open the door to let the defeated people in in order to guard the city gate.
So many years ago, when there were not enough soldiers, we had to recruit soldiers from among the people. Tian's son-in-law still remembers his father's original words. His father said: Why do every household have to select strong young men? Although the young men are afraid of losing their lives, they just shed tears. If you look at your parents at home, you will follow them in stride, because they all understand this truth.
Either they can fight to the death and still hold the city gate.
If the enemy invades, everyone in the family will have no place to escape and will die.
At this time, Son-in-law Tian looked at Mrs. Xu and said sincerely: "Auntie, please let me do my best. I will go with the team when the time comes, because my uncle's house, my second cousin's house, and my second uncle's house, my three Cousin, my third uncle’s family..."
He has six uncles.
Mrs. Xu understood clearly that except for Tian's son-in-law, who was an only son, the other young men who died at the same age as Xu Youtian were all young men.
"I want to go there and offer incense to my cousins. Auntie, it's settled, I'm leaving!"
He also wants to be a "fool".
"Auntie, when I get back, the ducks will be bald and turned into white striped ducks and brought to you."
Mrs. Xu was sitting on the kang, lost in emotion, and as expected, the roses she gave to others still had lingering fragrance in her hands.
Suddenly he heard this and hurriedly chased after her: "Emma, Tian, my aunt wants fur, so you can keep the duck feathers for me! Also, if you have seventy-five cents, you can give me fifty more ducks."
at the same time.
Bai Muyan and other students have already ordered cotton and cloth. The merchants selling cotton are all confused and confused as to why they bought so much.
By the Erdao River, men in their forties and fifties from four villages have gathered.
What about the young and strong labor force in their village? We have to live our own lives, so we have to go to Wuzhuang River to continue shaving ice and save some fish to eat.
It's up to them to do the free work. Why are they older? Still able to do it.
And a group of people in their forties or fifties, carrying hoes and bringing their own, even suggested to Liu Laozhu: "There are definitely enough manpower, Liu Lizheng, other villages are too far away, why should they come here to do it?" But he couldn't. No one can afford to feed so many people: "Hurry up, let's start fishing for the army!"
If you don't have enough, the trip to the border won't be worth it, and you won't be able to use it.
After they stopped talking, a group of middle-aged and elderly people standing on the dam started sliding out one after another and slid to the river surface.
Someone was lying on the sledge and sliding down. The speed was so fast that he almost made it to Wangjiacun. It turned into a small black dot and disappeared.
Sun Li scolded angrily: "Is this old boy upright?"
Are you looking for childhood in Erdaohe?
Presumably by the time we meet up with everyone again, others will be able to dig holes in the ice.
After Xu Tianxin saw off Tian's son-in-law, he was going to work on his own stall. He happened to see this scene while passing by the river.
She thought about turning a corner, and soon a group of older Erdaohe old men ran out, set up sheds by the river, and boiled water for the old men who were helping fishing in other villages, while sitting and drinking. Inside, they weave small baskets and do manual work, and even Gao Mantang cuts bamboo strips here.
And Li Zheng of those four villages thought they were summoned by Liu Laozhu, and they were sincerely envious. Why are the villagers in your village so obedient? How do you usually train them? Look at the oil sheds and resting places rising up in the blink of an eye.
Liu Laozhu said sadly that only Xu Tianxin can achieve this appeal in our village. How can I listen to him?
Fortunately, Liu Laozhu laughed again and said loudly: "She can't even breastfeed!"
In the backyard of the town inn, Xu Youliang lifted up the straw curtain on the oxcart to reveal the wood inside:
"Is this what it is?"
Shopkeeper Guo immediately started coughing while drinking water.
I have to admit that the Xu family's execution ability is too strong.
Then shopkeeper Guo's eyes flashed. It was not like what the boy from the Xu family said was only a hundred years. He had been looking at the red light for at least a thousand years. In order to avoid seeing the wrong eye, he specially called a deputy who must know wood to have a look. .
After a cup of tea, several people and Xu Youliang set off for the Xu family again.
When he saw the entire amber tree in the half-barnhouse, shopkeeper Guo truly felt that wisdom and efficiency lay among the people.
When the Zhenbei Army official was still asking him why he wanted to accept this, and he had to fill in the reasons clearly, Erdaohe had already supplied the goods.
How did Shopkeeper Guo know that the wealthy family asked him to buy the thousand-year-old amber wood for what purpose? The more aristocratic the family, the more secrets it has. If someone is particular about using this coffin, it is impossible for them to explain it clearly to him. And it was something that was directly entrusted to their boss.
So how can he and Zhenbei Army officials tell the truth? Fortunately, he, hahaha, has Erdao River.
"Sell me those two pieces of wood, too." Shopkeeper Guo pointed to the ash trees that must have been hundreds of years old. These two pieces of wood are so good that they can be turned into cabinets by craftsmen with extremely skilled skills. Twenty times.
No wonder people say that this place is vast and rich in resources. Rumor has it that some dynasty will confine this place and not allow trading. Many rare woods are directly supplied to the royal family.
When Xu Youliang heard what Shopkeeper Guo said, he was even more reluctant to part with it. It was not easy for him to get into trouble and be cut off and go home. He couldn't prepare for the day when he would have to do corvée work. He tried to finish the cabinet before surrendering.
Xu Youliang had already planned that when the time came, he would bear the blame alone. None of his brothers and nephews, including Liu Jingdong, would confess.
Let’s get back to business, the price of those amber woods.
Shopkeeper Guo and his assistant went to the side to do some research and said, "When we get to know each other, honesty is the basis. To tell you the truth, you have spent a thousand years, one hundred and fifty taels of silver, all of it."
Xu Youliang: "...???"
"No, you dare to give it, but I dare not accept it." Isn't this just pine oil seeds? It's not worth a thousand years, just like shit is still shit after a thousand years.
But shopkeeper Guo waved his hand and said: "Little brother, I can't explain it to you in detail. It's settled this time. We just finished the work and we will set off tomorrow. If you pass by here, you can pay in cash. There will be no less than one tree. You can stop by. Then think about whether to sell those two trees."
Shopkeeper Dang Guo hurried back to town.
Xu Youliang still stood stupidly at the door of his house: This world is too crazy, a mouse can become a cat's mother.
Yes, he has to go to his mother and ask how much money he will give to the brothers.
On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the handsome man He Meizhuang showed off and said: "Daughter-in-law, it doesn't matter how much the wood is sold for helping me. How can I ask for money? Do you think I am right? Just like the aunt helped our family settle in this house." Shop, now the price of shop land has increased, and they haven’t confiscated a penny from us, right? Helping is pure help.”
"You're right." Shopkeeper Guo and his party were not the only ones who came to Erdaohe Shop today. It seems that those customers who gave New Year's gifts to officials also began to return one after another. It can be seen that before the old Xu family went to the border to do good things, Mrs. Xu was very busy, and she could still earn some money.
Xiaozhu was even more proud of being praised by his wife. While braised meat, I was still humming a little tune and thinking: Besides, how much can I earn from a broken pine oil seed? If I sell this without selling other wood, then I can only get one or two and a half liang at most. What? I have never seen any money. After all, I am a small business owner now. It is not my fault to hurt the feelings of my relatives for that little money. We are not that kind of person.
What if I give you ten taels.
You should have told me earlier!
Wei Fengshou knew that the Xu family wanted to share the 10 taels of money he had earned from logging. He seemed to be the one who owed the money. His face turned red and he said, "Liangzi, what are you doing!"
Later he became anxious and said, "If I accept it, I will never be able to visit your house again. You are really ashamed of your brother."
It was Mrs. Xu who persuaded her second son: "Old Wei's parents are extremely partial. Fengsheng is a simple and honest man. Hongzao is not willing to accept the days when the father and daughter earn more and still have enough to eat. When we go back and wait for the instigation to separate the family, you can Just remember it and give it to me."
As for Liu Jingdong, I won’t give it to him for now. He will give it to him after he gets married. Don’t cover him up. He’s afraid that people won’t know that our family is secretly logging wood. That is really unacceptable, and it is easy to be hasty and angry and loudly refuse to be heard.
And do you think why everyone didn’t know about such a big news? Because Lao Xu's family always buys things, there must be someone who dares to arrest someone at this time. The villagers will swear to fight with the people and say: "We bought this!" They thought they bought it.
However, at this time, the Xu family did not know that there was no need to hide it. Xu Tianxin had already begun to write a "letter of apology."
Xu Tianxin put his chin on his face as he wrote and muttered to himself:
We are the most law-abiding people in this world. Alas, even if you make a small mistake, you will not be able to pass the psychological test. You will be mentally shackles and cut down a forbidden tree with fear. Don't you know that those corrupt officials are just doing it.
How do people become so cruel? Shopkeeper Guo just handed over one hundred and fifty taels, and the family also paid taxes on other trees.
Even her uncles kidnapped bandits before and saved the Bai family's sister-in-law. They robbed the bandits of seven taels of silver, and the bandits' screams almost killed her uncles. Later, when the third uncle went to Fucheng to purchase goods, he went to the mountain to dig out the hidden knives and see if those people had escaped. She watched the third uncle and was a little concerned that they would turn into bones.
Xu Tianxin was suffering from procrastination. The old lady heard her muttering and asked, "Grandson, what disease do you have? Why do you get such weird diseases?"
Sometimes it's laziness. Dasun also said that she has intensive care syndrome and can't help people scrape lice with a grate. She doesn't dare to take a closer look at the fact that all the house must be smeared with medicine. Look at how those grains of rice and broken silver are not densely packed together.
In short, it was not until the evening of the fourteenth day of the first lunar month that Xu Tianxin did not dare to delay any longer and finished writing a passionate and frank letter. She was asked to write this letter, and any general who reads it will say that he is disrespectful to his literary talent if he doesn't reward her at all.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when the convoys from twelve villages were loaded with goods and held torches at three o'clock in the morning, like a winding stream, they came towards the city gate one after another, the city gate army was shocked.
