Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Hundred Days Banquet

The next day, Kang He had lunch with Fan Jing. He had some free time, so he went to the next door to find He Xiaoqiu and picked up a piece of braised meat. Then he went with Fan Jing to look for Bao San Ge.

He Xiaoqiu heard that the original farmhand in their family had left and they had to find a new one. The man didn't tell them the reason for leaving, so he didn't ask.

Seeing that the two of them were going to go find Brother Bao San together, he laughed and said that Fan Jing might not even say a word if he went there, but he still wanted to go with them. The two of them were really nice.

"Please help me keep an eye on the shop. We'll be back soon."

He Xiaoqiu said with a smile, "There are no guests at noon, and even if you stay here, you will just fall asleep. You two can go without any worries."

After Kang He and Fan Jing left, He Xiaoqiu took the hot water from the stove to fill a basin with warm water, wrung out a towel and wiped the bed.

The goose and meat were braised that day, and the steam was rising. Sometimes some grease would condense in the shop. He loved cleanliness, so he would clean it whenever he had time. Customers who came to buy braised goods all said that their shop was clean.

While he was busy, someone walked in. He Xiaoqiu greeted him out of habit: "What do you want to buy?"

"Hey, why is there no one next door? Where did they go?"

He Xiaoqiu straightened up and turned around to find that it was Zhang Shili.

This man probably just came down from the mountains. He had a piece of animal skin draped over his body, and a hemp rope tied tightly around his waist.

He recognized Zhang Shili, who often went to play with Kang He, but he seemed a little nervous every time he looked at him and never spoke to him.

This man was a strong and powerful man who had been staying in the mountains all year round. He had a wild air that made people afraid to approach him. He also had thick eyebrows and big eyes. Not to mention that he was afraid of men because of his previous experiences, even if he hadn't encountered those things, ordinary boys and girls would have been a little scared when they saw him.

"H-They went out to do some business."

Zhang Shili said, "This couple is just like they were in the mountains. They're always together. They don't even bother to visit the shop anymore."

He Xiaoqiu held the handkerchief in his hand, not daring to look at Zhang Shili. He asked politely, "Is there something important you're looking for them for?"

"Nothing. I came down the mountain today to sell some live animals and brought them a pheasant."

Zhang Shili had thrown the sack into the shop, and the pheasants were fluttering around in it.

He Xiaoqiu said, "I think he'll be back soon. You can wait in the shop. There's a stool over there."

Zhang Shili responded and went to the shop next door.

He Xiaoqiu breathed a sigh of relief and dumped the dirty water from cleaning the shop. But a moment later, Zhang Shili brought another bowl of sweet soup.

"Eat something."

He Xiaoqiu was about to push it, but the man put down his things and went back to the shop next door.

He looked at the rice dumplings with fermented glutinous rice and a stack of flower cakes, and thought that it was no wonder that Kang He always said that his good friend was extravagant with money.

He Xiaoqiu leaned over the gate and glanced over there secretly, and saw Zhang Shili drinking the newly brewed wine.

He was silent, hesitated for a moment, and finally picked up some braised goose offal, cut it into a pile, and handed it over to the man as a thank you for the sweet water.

Zhang Shili was stunned when he saw the braised food being served. He smiled and said, "How can you be so thoughtful."

"Thank you for the sweet snack."

Zhang Shili said, "What's there to thank me for? I saw you looking downcast a while ago, and I thought something was bothering you. Now you look like everything is fine."

He Xiaoqiu was slightly stunned, wondering when did this person see that he was unhappy?

Even if he saw it, it was probably because of the marriage proposal at the beginning of the year, so he didn't show it much. He didn't expect that this person would see it.

"No, nothing."

Zhang Shili smiled and said, "I'm glad you're alright. If anyone bullies you, tell me and I'll definitely get rid of them."

He Xiaoqiu pursed his lips, ignored Zhang Shili, and went back to his shop.

Kang He and Fan Jing went to find Bao San Ge and told him that they wanted to find a suitable person to help with the work at home.

Brother Bao San asked him what kind he wanted.

Kang He talked to him about working in the countryside, and told him that he just needed to be honest and hardworking.

Brother Bao San took note of it and said that if he found a suitable one, he would come and take a look.

When the two of them came back together, they saw Zhang Shili sitting in the shop in a swaggering manner, having already drunk two cups of wine.

Kang He looked at the few pieces of goose offal that had not been eaten and said that Zhang Shili was very considerate in how he taught his guests to serve.

Seeing that Zhang Shili had specially brought a pheasant for them, Kang He simply slaughtered it. He Xiaoqiu had a stove in her shop that could be used to cook, so he simply stewed half of it and stir-fried the remaining half. The chicken blood could also be used to make a delicious vegetable soup.

They picked up some pork from the shop and made two other dishes, and then they had breakfast and dinner in the shop.

After two or three days, Brother Bao San replied to Kang He's words.

"You told me you needed someone, so I asked you for a suitable one. These days, with no disasters or wars, it's hard to find laborers. When they hear they'll have to do hard labor in the countryside, many refuse, clinging to the matchmaker's legs and crying, begging them not to sell them to such a family."

"The brokers don't care whether the person who comes to the brokerage is from a rich or poor family, they just want to make money. But I see that even if you take the man home, you might not feel at ease. Why bother delaying the relationship?"

Kang He nodded: "Although it is a business, people are different from dead objects or livestock. It has to be a matter of mutual consent."

"This morning, an acquaintance at the dental office told me that a new person has arrived who is willing to work hard. Whether he succeeds or not depends on you, brother."

Kang He followed Fan Jing to the pawnshop. Brother Bao San had given instructions in advance, and as soon as they arrived, the pawnshop owner brought out two men.

He has an ordinary appearance and doesn't look very old, maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He is big in build, but thin.

Most of those who fall into the pawnbroking business have done so because they can no longer make ends meet. However, some of them are sold out by wealthy families and may be seen as better off than ordinary people outside.

"Since they are the brothers of Brother Bao San, I won't hide it. These two brothers were brought from other places. They have nothing special except that one is deaf and the other is dumb."

The broker said, "Many wealthy families want smart men, but these two brothers are hard to talk to, so no one wants them. But I heard Third Brother Bao say that the brothers are going to help with chores in the countryside, so maybe they won't mind."

Kang He knew that strong laborers were hard to find. He didn't mind this shortcoming of people, but he was also afraid that he would not be able to communicate with them, which would cause trouble for both sides.

He didn't know sign language, so he could only make random gestures with his brothers, pointing outside the city, and making movements like digging the soil and carrying objects, which was quite funny.

Unexpectedly, the other person understood what he meant, nodded to indicate that he was willing to go to the countryside, and showed off the work he could do.

Kang He felt that communication was not as difficult as he had imagined. He looked at Fan Jing and asked what he meant.

Fan Jing had nothing to complain about.

"Let's just decide on one."

Seeing Kang He's straightforwardness and no delay, the broker was also happy and said to him, "Brother Kang, it's better to have a pair than just one. The two brothers originally came from outside, and now they are separated, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find them again."

"It's just a matter of getting a few more pairs of bowls and chopsticks. Two brothers can do a lot of work together. Your shop is doing well, so you'll have saved a lot of money in a year or two. By then, won't you buy some land? Once you have more land, you'll have to hire people. You need people anyway, so why make so much trouble?"

Kang He smiled and said to Bao Sange, "Your friend has a very clever tongue. He can move people with his words."

He was still well off now, and he had been planning to buy some more land. With so much land, he would need someone to help him.

Although it is possible to hire long-term workers or tenant farmers, I heard that the two brothers were already stranded in a foreign land and then separated into two places. It would be difficult for them to meet each other. It really makes people feel a little sorry.

Kang He discussed it with Fan Jing and finally agreed to take the two of them away together.

After adjusting the current price, the total amount he spent was fifty strings of cash.

The deaf and mute brothers were so happy to see that they could go together that they wanted to kowtow to Kang He and Fan Jing, but Kang He told them not to do that.

Not knowing what their original names were, he named the older one Yihuan and the younger one Erxi. He first took them to the shop to orient them, and then brought them back home.

Chen Sanfang took two of them home and pulled Kang He aside: "Why did you bring so many of them?"

"Originally I wanted only one, but I decided to take both of them. Also, I wanted to buy some land to farm, so I need help."

Kang He knew what Chen Sanfang was worried about, and said to her, "We can't stop trusting and employing people just because we met someone with impure intentions. How can we support our big family if we do that?"

Chen Sanfang said, "I feel bad about the money, too."

The two strong men spent a full fifty strings of cash, and it turned out that they were given a lower price because they had some shortcomings. If they were like Dou Yicang before, they would have to pay thirty strings of cash or more.

"Even if we don't buy anyone, we'll have to hire them. We'll have to spend money. Let's just keep the shop together. We'll be back soon."

Kang He comforted Chen Sanfang a few words. If he had not sold the prescription before and had three hundred strings of silver in cash, he would definitely not be willing to spend like this.

A lot of money was indeed spent this year. The two good sheep that Dafu brought back for milking cost nearly ten strings of cash. I also spent more than ten strings of cash on visiting relatives and giving gifts, and on meeting two important people.

I paid 30% of the business tax on the money I earned from the shop, and I really didn't save any money. My daily expenses, including renting people, buying livestock, and repairing the house... were all spent.

If I didn't have the money for the prescription, with such expenses, I would really feel insecure when teaching others to do things.

Kang He and Fan Jing settled the accounts and said that they looked like an ordinary family and they didn't expect their expenses to be so high.

Let’s not talk about the wealthy families in the county, just take Xu Yang’s family for example. He originally employed two people at home, and after getting married, he was afraid that Yuan Ge’er would be burdened, so he hired two more people.

On weekdays, when they went there, they would see that there was meat, fruit, cakes and tea on the table two and a half days out of three, and there was never a shortage of food at home.

At this rate, even if I don't do anything, I will have to spend three to five strings of cash a month just for daily expenses.

If you want to do something else, ten strings of cash will be easily spent.

Their family was quite frugal. The meat they ate was the leftover meat from the shops. They rarely bought other meat.

In fact, the daily expenses are less than one string of coins, and the only thing that is spent more is on work.

Fan Jing held Dafu in his arms and teased it with his lips.

The little guy had big, round eyes, and he smiled as he stared at Fan Jing. If the kid wasn't too young, he would have wanted to take the kid to the city.

Everyone in the family says that the baby is growing fast. He usually drinks milk very well and eats until he is full. He then falls asleep after a short while. If he eats well and sleeps well, it will be easy for him to grow strong.

Things that seem heavy to others seem light to him.

"You said our family is poor, so we always need to buy more. That's why we spend so much."

After listening to Kang He's calculations, Fan Jing said, "The last time the Xu family was as poor as ours was when Old Master Xu's grandfather was still alive. They've been together for generations, and none of them wasted money, so they're naturally well-off."

Kang He said: "That's exactly the truth."

He just felt a little emotional every time he settled accounts. He was already satisfied with his current life. No matter what, he was moving in a good direction.

"Come and give me a hug."

I've been busy outside all day, and I can only hug him for a while when I come home in the afternoon.

"Just hold the child and sleep in bed tonight. Dafu won't make any noise at night."

Fan Jing said, "I'm afraid if you turn over, the child will fall on you. It's better to let him sleep on the bed when he's older."

Kang He had no choice but to hug her and kiss her more.

It was May now, and with two more people in the family, doing housework became much easier and less stressful.

At the end of April, Li Zaoren from the village came to their house to ask if they had found a good cook to prepare the hundred-day banquet. He was an old cook and his name was known to people in the surrounding countryside. When he was proud, he even went to the city to prepare banquets.

Normally, he has many qualifications, but he is very picky about the guests he invites to his banquets. If they are not from a respectable family, he may not go even if you spend money to invite him.

When Father Fan saw that he came to his house and asked for preparation for the banquet, he was flattered and agreed to let him do it immediately. Not to mention his seniority, the food he cooked was really delicious.

In May, they invited everyone, and on the 18th, Kang He and Fan Jing bought a live pig from outside and brought it home. Fan Jing slaughtered it with a knife.

The main banquet was on the 19th, and the 18th was quite lively just because of slaughtering the pig and preparing the dishes. Four tables were set for dinner in the evening.

The next morning, the Fan family was already steaming hot, and meat was already cooking on the makeshift boiler.

The Fan family members all packed clean and decent clothes to wear. Dafu wore a cool red shirt and pants with a big "Fu" character embroidered with yellow thread on the belly, which matched the soft round hat on his little head.

When it was a little closer to noon, Kang He and Fan Jing took the little guy out to meet the guests.

The little boy is chubby, and the two lumps of flesh on his face are softer than dough. Everyone who sees him likes him very much.

The women and husbands all gathered around him to tease him.

"Dafu looks just like Kanghe. His eyebrows and eyes look like they were carved from the same mold."

"He looks like Sanlang, but his personality is like Dajing, very quiet."

There were many guests, and even Xiangxiu came back with her husband for a drink. After getting married, Xiangxiu looked better. When she was free in the city, she would visit the shop and occasionally take some food and supplies.

"I've heard my mother say that Dafu is well-behaved. Today I see that he is indeed well-behaved."

Xiangxiu hugged Dafu, teased him for a while, and then put a small silver bracelet on Dafu's arm.

"Oh, how could Xiangxiu give such a big gift?"

When Chen Sanfang saw the silver bracelet, he exclaimed.

"My dear child, as your aunt, how can I not give you a gift? Look how nice you are wearing it."

Chen Sanfang was delighted and said that Xiangxiu had good taste.

She was serving guests here when she heard someone calling "Sister Sanfang" from outside. Chen Sanfang looked over and saw that it was actually her cousin Yun.

When she went out before, she went to her cousin Yun's house twice and brought some fresh meat with her. She mentioned to her that she wanted to invite her to a hundred-day banquet, and she didn't expect that she would actually come.

Chen Sanfang was naturally happy that someone was willing to do him a favor.

She went to welcome the guests in, greeted them warmly, and then asked Kang and Fan Jing to come meet them.

Seeing Zhen'er helping to pour water and scatter fruits, he called her and Qiao'er over.

Cousin Yun looked at the children, took Chen Sanfang's hand and said, "What a lively celebration! Look at how handsome the children are! You are so lucky."

Chen Sanfang was proud of himself, but he was still modest: "The countryside is not like the city. We are in such a mess. Please don't laugh at us."

The villagers didn't recognize Cousin Yun. They just saw that she was well-dressed and knew she was a guest from the city. They thought the Fan family was very powerful.

Kang He knew that this person had come to his home to pay New Year's greetings during the first month of the lunar year and had a good relationship with Chen Sanfang, but he was not familiar with him and only exchanged a few polite words with him.

He noticed Fan Xin peeking out, and then he saw He Xiaoqiu who came over to drink today, and it seemed that he wanted to talk to someone.

He Xiaoqiu didn't know anyone on this side. He was sitting at the table eating fruit and there was no one to talk to. He noticed someone was looking at him. He turned his eyes and found it was Fan Xin. He lowered his head, obviously not wanting to have anything to do with him anymore.

Kang He exchanged a glance with Fan Jing. Seeing this, Fan Jing frowned and went over to talk to He Xiaoqiu.

"Come sit inside. I'll call Zhen'er to keep you company."

He Xiaoqiu nodded happily when she saw Fan Jing coming. "Bring Dafu here so I can hold him. He's soft and fluffy, like a piece of cake."

Fan Jing responded, "Let him meet the guests for a while. If he gets tired later, I'll bring him back to you."

Fan Xin on the other side finally mustered up his strength and walked towards He Xiaoqiu, but when he looked again, there was no sign of anyone there.

Instead, Zhang Jingui came over and held him back: "My son, when will mother be able to hold her grandson in her arms?"

Looking at the hustle and bustle here today and Dafu's lovable appearance, she felt so envious that she missed her grandson even more.

Fan Xin seemed to be in a rage and ignored Zhang Jingui.

After Kang He looked at it, he went to entertain other guests.

Xu Yang came today with a box of gifts. Kang He wondered if this guy was up to something.

When they opened the box, they found that it was actually full of firecrackers. They were lit one after another, and the explosions were deafening. I was afraid that everyone in the surrounding area knew that someone was preparing a banquet, and it was really a grand occasion.

The Fan family planned to set up eighteen tables, but fearing that there would be too many people, they prepared two extra tables. However, when people arrived, twenty tables were already occupied. Two more tables of people arrived late, and many unexpected guests also came, making the Fan family very busy. They never expected so many guests to come.

Fortunately, the family had plenty of vegetables and meat, so Cook Li quickly prepared two tables of dishes. After all, the cook was experienced and managed it well.

I cooked some red eggs temporarily. Only a few dishes on the last two tables were different from those on the first table. Anyway, it was good enough to eat them.

This time the banquet was really lively.