Chapter 222 Home

It's no secret that the store run by the fourth branch of the Xia family is profitable.

But outsiders just see that this store is profitable, but they don’t know how much it has made.

Even among the Xia family themselves, only Xia Daohua knows best how considerable the profits are.

Most other people only know part of it.

For example, the couple in the fourth room only knew a fraction of the truth.

However, even if it was just a small amount, Xia Youtian and Jiang were still smiling, with the corners of their mouths curled up and unable to fall down.

Although a store like this requires a lot of investment in the early stages, the profit it brings every month is more profitable than working hard in the fields for a whole year.

The couple has completely lost the mood to farm.

I just want to help my daughter run the store.

This store is now under the name of Xia Daohua. Xia Daohua's household registration has been separated from the Xia family's household registration and has become an independent household.

The reason for doing this was a long conversation.

The fourth branch of the Xia family has realized that relying solely on farming and relying on the weather for food may not even be enough to provide for their basic needs.

If you want to make money, you still have to do business.

However, if the fourth branch of the Xia family wants to truly develop, it must allow Wulang, the only male so far, to go to school in order to change the family's fortunes.

If the Xia family goes directly into business, it will affect Wulang's status.

If the four families in summer were listed as merchants, then no matter how outstanding Wulang was, he would not be able to take the imperial examination.

This was like a bolt from the blue.

The couple in the fourth room have already tasted the sweetness of doing business, so how could they bear to let it go?

Xia Daohua took this opportunity to propose to change her household registration and set up a separate household.

All business matters in the family were handled by himself and were under his own name. In this way, even if the court strictly prohibited merchants from taking the imperial examinations, Wu Lang would not be implicated.

Xia Youtian and Jiang discussed privately for several days before agreeing to this approach.

Xia Daohua was still young, and it was too early for her to get married. Even if she got married at the age of fifteen, it would be six years later.

There is no need to worry about her taking all these businesses to her husband's family.

If Linghua wasn't too young and couldn't get past the government, Xia Youtian and Jiang would have wanted to put all the family business under Linghua's name.

The Xia family celebrated their first New Year in Jixiang County in the rented compound. In addition to the Xia family, the Hu family and the Zhao family also celebrated the New Year together.

After a long journey, the relationship between the three families became much closer. But when they get closer, some friction is inevitable. Some people get angry on the spot and it's fine, while some people just remember it in their hearts.

Barriers of all sizes remain.

During this period, the three families looked at fields and bought land together. They were originally planning to act together, but the Xia family acted faster and found suitable land first. The Hu and Zhao families couldn't help feeling a little unhappy.

Before the three families agreed to buy land together, they also had an agreement that if they came across a suitable large piece of land that required the joint efforts of the three families, they would act together.

Therefore, the Hu family and the Zhao family, seeing that although the Xia family took action first, the land they bought was not very large, could not complain openly.

However, although I couldn't express it in words, the bitterness in my heart was really there, making me feel uncomfortable.

Later, the Hu family and the Zhao family also bought some scattered land - it's not that they didn't want to buy a whole piece of land, but the whole piece of land was either too large to take over, or too expensive to be cost-effective.

It is this kind of scattered land, a piece here and a piece there, that is not what rich people would look down upon, but is more suitable for small families like them.

However, this caused the three families to be separated. They had originally planned to continue living together, to support each other, and to advance and retreat together, but this was no longer possible.

Of course, compared to outsiders, they all came from Beiguan Village after all, so they would still take care of each other, keep in touch with each other, and help each other.

It's just that we can't be as intimate as originally planned.

The Hu family had already decided to move out to the countryside in half a year, while the Zhao family planned to continue living in this compound and were unwilling to leave Jixiang County.

While the old couple was busy making dumplings, they talked about these trivial family matters with their son and daughter-in-law. After a few words, they turned to their own family:

"We also have to think about how long we are going to live here. Should we move out after half a year?"

There have also been many changes in the Xia family's affairs.

The old couple had decided that the second wife would cultivate the land they had bought. The second wife and her husband were very proud of this. The third and fifth wives secretly sighed, thinking that this behavior might offend Dalang.

Speaking of Dalang, he has already found a academy and will go to school after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The old couple will continue to support Dalang. Not only will they help Dalang take care of A Liu, they will also pay for Dalang's studies.

Although Dalang had been setting up a stall on the street, writing letters and couplets for people in the past two months, hoping to be self-reliant and earn some money to supplement his life, he did not reject the old couple's kindness.

He had thought about it carefully for a long time, and for him, the best way out was naturally to take the imperial examination.

In order to take the imperial examination, he had to study in an academy.

To enter an academy, whether it is the gift of becoming a teacher, tuition, books, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, or gifts for festivals and birthdays, which one does not require money?

Moreover, after entering the academy, it would be impossible for him to keep A Liu with him all the time.

Although he had just been separated from his family, he felt that he couldn't leave A Liu for a moment.

But for the sake of Ah Liu's future, he could only entrust the child to the elderly Mr. Xia and the Zhou couple. Fortunately, the old couple had incomparable experience in raising children.

A Liu lost his mother and had a tragic fate, but he was usually very quiet and well-behaved. He was also the first child of their great-grandchildren, so there was no need to worry that the old couple would not pity him.

Xia Youxi from the third room found a job at the carriage and horse shop, but as he was new there, he could only feed and groom the horses, take care of the animals, and repair carriages part-time.

The couple from the fifth room planned to observe the situation of various industries in Jixiang County before deciding what to do.

Xia Xuejiao, along with Xia Yujiao, Xiao'e and Qianniang, took on a lot of embroidery work. Sometimes they would also bring along younger ones such as Xinghua, Lihua and Lanhua. Their days were extremely fulfilling.

Zhou Yunniang and Grandma Qu always stay in the house and don't go out. Xia Erlang runs outside all day long, but he is happy all day long, smiling from ear to ear, and doesn't feel any burden at all.

Sister Qiu is a sensible person.

Although she was living in Xia's family with the help of Xia Dalang, she did not put on a sad face, nor did she rely on Xia Dalang to have any dishonest ideas.

Mrs. Qiu’s embroidery skills are not outstanding, but her cooking skills are quite good.

After traveling around for a few days, she decided to settle down and work as a kitchen helper in a merchant's home.

I signed a three-year work contract, which provided food but not accommodation, and a monthly salary of 2.8 taels of silver. I left home early and came back late every day, which was very tiring, and I had less time to meet with everyone.

Even the gossipy Sun felt embarrassed to spread gossip about her anymore.

(End of this chapter)