Chapter 110 Chapter 110 contains Zhang and He's plot

After some time, it was late August and the weather became much cooler.

In this cool and refreshing autumn season, the soft-shelled turtles in Liu Laoer's pond have grown very fat this year.

While catching and selling soft-shelled turtles, Fan Jing brought a basket of soft-shelled turtles to the He family and also visited He Xiaoqiu who was expecting a baby at home.

In other words, the baby is due early this month, and the He family is always on guard.

Fan Jing stayed with He Xiaoqiu at He's house for an hour or so, chatting with him here and there. Most of the time, it was He Xiaoqiu asking questions and Fan Jing answering them. It was always like this.

He Xiaoqiu held his belly, his face full of the joy of becoming a father. He said to Fan Jing with a smile, "Why did Brother Kang leave you alone to come here today? We used to go everywhere together."

"He's engaged in the turtle business in the city. He only sold one last year, so he hasn't established a business yet."

He Xiaoqiu asked, "The business in the shop must be very busy. Can they still manage the business?"

He would worry about things at the shop from time to time, but Zhang Shili came home every day and said that although he was busy, he could still manage, so he didn't need to worry too much.

He could always recall the pain of losing his first child. This time he finally had another child, and he couldn't let anything go wrong. Even though he was worried about the shop, he finally calmed down and took good care of the baby at home.

He didn't know if it was because of the previous miscarriage that his body was weakened, but this time he felt tired during pregnancy and his belly was very big.

Fan Jing said: "If I couldn't help myself, I wouldn't have the time to come look for you."

He Xiaoqiu smiled and asked some questions about Dafu's move to the city to study and whether Chen Sanfang was a good person.

Before he knew it, it was almost noon. He tried to ask Fan Jing to have dinner with him, but Fan Jing refused. He Xiaoqiu knew his temper, so he didn't keep him for long. He gave him a small basket of black mulberries and told him to take them home and eat them.

There are several families in Xiaotan Village who raise silkworms and grow mulberry trees. At this time, the moon is high and the mulberries are in full bloom, which is a pleasant sight.

Fan Jing didn't refuse and put it in the car. He told He Xiaoqiu to take care of himself and then said goodbye and went back.

When he arrived at the shop, Kang Hejiang looked like he had just come back from outside, with sweat all over his forehead.

Seeing Fan Jing coming back, he asked him, "Is He'er all right?"

Fan Jing nodded and asked him where he had been.

"I delivered turtles to a few restaurants and said a few more words, which made my mouth dry."

After saying that, Kang He saw mulberries on the car and wanted to take them to eat.

Seeing this, Fan Jing clapped his hands and said, "This won't quench your thirst. Go inside and drink some water."

Kang He said, "You are so stingy. You won't even give me some to eat."

Fan Jing said, "I'll go to the Xu family academy to see Dafu at noon and give it to him. You can also make some turtle soup and I'll bring it over as well."

I haven't visited him for two days. The last time I saw him, he seemed thinner.

Kang He snorted, thinking Fan Jing was partial, but he still took two soft-shelled turtles to make soup: "You should also wash the mulberries, and then dry them and you can eat them."

Fan Jing responded, and they both went into the shop to get busy.

At noon, the osmanthus flowers outside Xu's school were in full bloom. Many scholars in the city planted osmanthus trees to embody the meaning of winning the first prize in the imperial examination.

After the bell rang, there was some noise in the school. After a while, two lively students ran out, and more children came out one after another.

The Xu Family Academy has been running for many years and is well-known in the county, with quite a reputation. In the past two years, with more and more children coming to study there, the number of students at the Xu Family Academy has increased even more.

I heard from Dafu that there were more than thirty students, divided into three classrooms. In addition to Xu Lao Tongsheng and Xu Xiucai teaching, two other students were hired, both of whom were very knowledgeable.

When Dafu came out of the school, there were no other students. He was wearing a schoolboy's blue clothes and a cloth crown on his head, looking like a little teacher.

But his mind was still thinking about the story that Xu Xiucai had told in class, and how to write an article based on it. He couldn't help but be distracted and walked slowly.

At this moment, he heard someone calling him softly.

He came back to his senses and looked up, and saw two familiar figures standing under the osmanthus tree. He didn't know how long they had been waiting, and osmanthus petals were falling on their shoulders.

Dafu was overjoyed and ran over happily: "Little Daddy, Daddy!"

"Why are you out so late? Did the teacher keep you in the school?"

Kang He smiled and pinched Dafu's little face.

"I haven't quite figured out the story that Xu Xiucai told me in class. I pondered some of the confusion for a while, and when I finally came to my senses, most of my classmates had already left."

"Work hard like this."

Kang He felt relieved, but also a little distressed: "Even if there are things you don't understand, just remember them in your mind or write them down. It's not too late to ask again after dinner."

Da Fu looked at the two of them very happily and nodded obediently.

Fan Jing didn't say anything, just took Dafu's little hand and led him to the pavilion to eat.

Kang He took out a plate of hand-shredded spicy chicken, stir-fried green vegetables and fresh turtle soup from the lunch box one by one.

Fan Jing took out the cleaned mulberries and fed some into Dafu's mouth.

"Does Auntie know I won't go back for dinner? She'll be worried if I'm late."

Dafu ate the mulberries that Fan Jing fed him, and he felt that they were sweet, crisp and fragrant.

Although he was very happy to be able to teach his father and little father to accompany him for dinner, he was still thinking about Zhen'er.

"Your younger aunt has gone to your second aunt's place. She knows we are going to bring you food today."

Kang He handed the chopsticks to Da Fu and said, "Eat quickly. Daddy looks thinner. Have you not eaten well recently?"

"It was hot a while ago, so I couldn't eat much. I'm also growing taller, so I look a little thinner. Daddy and Little Daddy sent me some food today. They're all my favorites, so I'm sure I can eat a lot."

When Kang He heard Dazai say this, he felt that Dazai was too sensible and well-behaved, and he felt uncomfortable in his heart.

I'd like to say that we can buy a house in the city, and then we can eat meals cooked by him every day. But I haven't found any news about the house yet, and it's not good to say this and teach the child to worry about it at any time.

He had no choice but to say, "If you like it, Daddy will send it to you. It's not a big deal."

Dafu shook his head. "Daddy and Little Daddy have a lot on their plate. Just come and see me seven or eight times a month. It's tiring if they come all the time."

Fan Jing wiped Dafu's mouth which was stained with black mulberry juice and said, "I'm not tired."

When Dafu heard Fan Jing say this, his eyes couldn't help but curl up.

"Eat quickly."

Dafu followed his instructions and took two mouthfuls of the turtle soup. It was very delicious. He knew it was made by his father as soon as he tasted it. He was very similar to his father's cooking skills.

It was eaten with sesame chicken, which was a great way to go with rice. I ate two bowls of glutinous rice in one gulp.

After eating a little bit full, he couldn't help asking again: "How is my brother? What has he been doing recently?"

He could still see other people at home every now and then, but he had only seen his younger brother once since he came to the city to study, so he couldn't help but worry about him.

"Can he smell the fragrance? Can he sleep peacefully at night?"

Kang He laughed when he heard this: "He is quite good, but more naughty than before. He usually plays with the bows your little father gave him at home. He doesn't like the clay rattles, rattles, cloth tigers and other things he bought. He only likes those wooden swords and wooden spears.

Your grandmother is worried that the people at home will not look after him carefully, and he will run away somewhere else as soon as his back is turned. His feet are very slippery, and she is afraid that he will stumble again.

She rarely comes to the city to look after the shop anymore, and just stays at home to take care of Xiaofu."

"When I go to your little father's house, I have to listen to complaints for a long time. But grandma always praises how easy you were to take care of."

Dafu laughed and said to Kanghe, "Brother An'er gave me some small toys. I thought I'd save them and bring them back for him to play with next time I have a day off. I just wonder if he still remembers me after not seeing me for so long."

"Of course I don't remember. Two out of three sentences he spoke recently were about where my brother had been. Your grandmother told him many times that you were studying in the city, and he must have taken it in. Now he's asking when you'll be back home."

When Dafu heard that his younger brother cared about him like this, he looked visibly happy.

The two of them finished their meal with Dafu, and talked for a long time in the pavilion before watching him go back to the school.

Kang He looked at the taller and taller Dazai, feeling a little melancholy. He gently patted Fan Jing on the back. After some time, the couple returned to the shop.

After just one day, it was obvious that Kang He was looking for a house in the city more diligently than before, and he even had the idea of renting a house to live in.

A few days later, around noon, a middle-aged man came and found Kang and Fan Jing. He was very apologetic.

"It's really hard to say this abruptly, but I really have no choice. I can only rent your shop until the end of this month."

The man who came was named Guo. He was a merchant who rented the shop that Kang He had obtained from Zou Fulang when he was selling his craft.

He was not a native of Luan County, but came from another county to run a business. He was very good at making rouge. Kang He didn't know much about it, and Fan Jing didn't like this kind of decoration either. Qiao'er, on the other hand, liked it and often went to patronize him.

The Guo family had rented the shop from them for several years. Ever since the previous tenant left, the Guo family had been running the shop. The couple treated Kang and Fan Jing very politely, sending them gifts during festivals and never defaulted on the rent.

Kang He occasionally passed by that place and saw that most of the Guo merchants took good care of their shops and never damaged them easily, which was very rare.

The lease relationship had been very harmonious in recent years. When Kang He heard that Guo Jiaren wanted to cancel the lease, he had to ask why:

"Last month, Guo Jiaren came to renew his quarterly rent. He hasn't even been there for the full month, and he's asking to cancel. Is there something wrong with the shop, or is someone trying to disrupt his business?"

Merchant Guo waved his hands and said, "The shop is doing very well, and business is brisk. But a few days ago, I received a letter from my family saying that my mother had an accident and fell. Her bones were weak and could not withstand such a collision. Now she is bedridden. Although my brother said in the letter that she is not in danger of death, I can't help but worry and can't sleep."

"I left home at a young age to run a business and venture out, spending little time with my family and rarely being able to show filial piety to my parents. Although I often send some money back home to support them, it's ultimately not as good as being there in person."

"My wife saw that I had been feeling uneasy these past few days, and she kindly advised me that my mother was ill, and my two children were in their hometown, so why not take this opportunity to return home and reunite with our family."

Guo Jiaren said, "I am nearly forty years old now. I have been wandering for half my life. When I was young, I was full of ambition and always wanted to make a name for myself. Although I have not yet realized my youthful aspirations, I have let go of those vanity and now want to return home."

As he spoke, Mr. Guo apologized again, "My wife and I had already made some plans to return home in two years, but this incident has made us more determined. It's absurd, though, to delay Brother Kang's business."

After hearing this, Kang He comforted Guo Jiaren with a few words. Not to mention that there is no such thing as forced buying or selling in the world, if someone wants to cancel the lease, you can't force him not to cancel.

On the other hand, if something happens at home and the parents are old, the son wants to take advantage of the limited time left to show filial piety by their bedside. This is also something that is worthy of praise.

What's more, he said that the couple left their hometown to make a living, and their two children were living with their brothers, and they rarely got together. He couldn't help but feel some empathy.

Kang He returned the rent that Guo Jiaren had paid in advance and gave him the excess. Logically speaking, he didn't have to return the rent since he broke the contract halfway.

They are all honest people, and the rent for three or two months is only a dozen strings of cash. There is no need to be greedy for such a small bargain, not to mention that we have been getting along well with each other in recent years.

"If you ever come back to Luan County to run a business, please come find me. Even if you can't keep this shop with Mr. Guo, I can still help you find some other shops."

The Guo family was very grateful. Before leaving, they not only gave Kang He a lot of rouge and powder, but also treated the couple to a meal.

Kang He also collected some local specialties from his home and gave them to Guo Jiaren.

The shop, which had been rented out in early September as soon as the contract was signed, is now vacant again.

Kang He and Fan Jing went in and took a look around. They felt that the place was familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar. After all, neither of them had been to this shop before.

It’s a pity to say that this shop is still there, but I have lost contact with Mr. Zou for more than two years.

Luan County is not big, but it is not small either. Once you have estranged relatives or friends, it is really difficult to run into them again.

"Since it's vacant, don't rent it out anymore. Just keep it and do business with it."

Fan Jing turned around and said this to Kanghe.

"I'm thinking of going to the same place as you. This way, we don't have to look around for shops."

Kang He said, "I originally chose the shop on South Street not just for the cellar. I thought that South Street is close to our Dou Hui Fang, so I could attract our old customers there and save a lot of effort in expanding our business. But on second thought, not everything can go as planned."

Since it was decided that their family would run the shop, Kang He and Fan Jing got to work.

Although the shop was well-loved by the Guo family, it was still somewhat damaged over the years. Taking this opportunity, they invited some craftsmen to repair it and built a cellar in the spacious backyard.

Over the years, the Fan family still didn't know that the shop belonged to Kang and Fan Jing. They just thought that the two of them had taken it over to sell vegetables.

Chen Sanfang came to take a look twice and was mostly satisfied: "In the past, I saw other people's shops with yards behind them. They could boil water, cook, and relax. I was so envious. Now that my family can also enclose a shop like this, I am really happy."

"Although the location is a bit bad and there's a wall next to it, so you can only get in but not out, there are houses and alleys nearby, so there are always people buying groceries. What's important is that it's spacious!"

Chen Sanfang asked Kanghe whether he rented or bought it. Kanghe said vaguely that he bought it through connections and the price was reasonable.

She didn't ask immediately. The family had more businesses, so it was no longer like in the early years when the whole family had to gather together to discuss carefully before deciding on something.

Because she was going to open a new shop, Chen Sanfang became active in the city again, chatting with her old customers.

Their family wanted to open a vegetable shop here. Even though it was a bit far away from Douhuifang, separated by several streets and alleys, they could still tell their relatives and friends who lived here.

Kang He did not have much time to devote to this business. In the autumn months, thousands of merchants would come to buy spices, and the crops in the fields at home were in the harvest season. Everyone was busy and had no time to take care of the spices. Moreover, this was a big business, and Kang He had to entertain them personally.

That day, the Wanjia people had just left, and Kang He was rarely at home, so he took the soft little Fu to sleep and coaxed him for a long time. The little boy became more and more energetic, and he almost coaxed himself to sleep.

The little guy crawled all over his body, and perhaps because he was tired from making so much noise, he fell asleep on his wrist.

Kang He breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly there were several earth-shaking noises from outside: "Kang He, Kang He!"

Xiaofu opened his eyes drowsily, and Kanghe patted his back gently, trying to coax him back to sleep.

Unexpectedly, Xiaofu's eyes cleared up, and he looked at Kang He with a pair of round cat eyes: "Daddy, someone is calling."

Kang He was so worried about the lawsuit that he had no choice but to carry Xiao Fu out: "Who's shouting so loudly? Even if we were at the Naihe Bridge, we'd have to yell at them to come back."

As he was muttering to himself, he saw Zhang Shili coming madly from outside on a mule, the mule's hooves raising a layer of dust on the dry ground.

Before he could open his mouth, Zhang Shili, his face flushed, said, "It's born, it's born!"

Kang He laughed when he heard this: "Is He Ge'er and the child safe? When was the baby born? Why are you not at home with them at this time? Why are you rushing to tell me the news?"

"Safe, safe! The baby was born last night. It took almost the entire night, but it was tough on Xiaoqiu. I was so happy that I had dinner with him again in the morning. I took advantage of everyone's sleep to see the baby, and I couldn't wait to tell you the good news!"

When Kang He saw that Zhang Shili had become a father, he was as happy as a teenager, very naive, and I was afraid that he would be the same as before.

But now he has been a father for eight or nine years, and his temperament has become much more stable. He also pretended to be the big brother in front of Zhang Shili, and said with the air of an experienced person:

"Look at you, you look so happy that you almost lost your soul. You don't act like a father."

Zhang Shili said, "Look, I'm not young anymore. I just became a father, and now I'm the father of two children. But I've become a little too proud."

Kang He's eyes widened when he heard this: "Two children?!"

Zhang Shili said, "Of course, a boy and a girl, the family will prepare a grand banquet for the hundred-day anniversary, and everyone in the house will be so happy that they will be silly."

Kang He was shocked for a long time, and could not help punching Zhang Shili on the shoulder: "What good fortune have you cultivated, kid, that such a good thing has fallen on your head?"

Zhang Shili laughed innocently: "Who taught me that my Xiaoqiu is so capable?"

Kang He was also happy for the couple and asked anxiously, "I'm afraid Da Jing doesn't know yet. He would definitely be happy if he knew."

Zhang Shili said: "I went to the shop first, and he was supervising the new shop. I told him about the happy news, and he immediately drove to the village to see Xiaoqiu.

I heard you were entertaining people at home, so I just brought my mule over to let you know."

Kang He was also excited. He had never seen the twins before, so he said, "Don't worry, take a break while you eat. I'll pack up a few things and go with you to see He Ge'er and the baby."