Chapter 333 It’s Always Right to Ask More Questions

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people usually start visiting relatives and friends to wish each other a happy new year.

However, except for Zhou Yan and Guan Li who needed to visit their parents' home, no one else in the village could do so. They could only visit each other and chat in the village.

It's okay for a day or two, but after three or five days there's nothing left to talk about.

Considering that the workshop would not open until the 16th day of the first lunar month and the embroidery school would also start on the same date, most of the women in charge of meals were even looking forward to starting work and school earlier.

After all, the workshop provides meals after work starts, so it is much easier to prepare meals for fewer people. After school starts, all the children are thrown into the embroidery workshop and the house suddenly becomes quiet. In the past, quarrels and noises had become a habit, but after two months of quiet days, returning to noisy days is just a headache!

Feng Meng, Zhao Hu and other men were so bored that they went to the river to get ice for storage.

Shen Qing said that in winter, you can take large blocks of ice and put them in the ice cellar. When the summer comes next year, take them out and put them in the house. The whole house will feel cool and refreshing.

Put the cooked mung bean soup, sour plum soup and fruits on top and chill them. It tastes cool and refreshing in the summer.

If you want to eat ice cubes, river water is of course not suitable, but you can use a wooden barrel to fill well water and freeze it outside. Then put it in the ice cellar. Take it out next summer and chop it into small pieces with a kitchen knife or shave it into ice flowers. Pour a spoonful of brown sugar syrup on it. If you are close to the city, you can also start a shaved ice business.

As for the ice cellar, it should be dug deeper than the ground cellar, filled with ice and sealed tightly until it is opened in summer.

The Feng and Zhao families have many adult laborers. When they dug the cellar earlier, they specially dug an ice cellar. Now it is the New Year holiday, and they have nothing to do, so they use the ice cellar to get and store ice!

As for starting a shaved ice business, they hadn't considered it. Firstly, it was far from the city. The journey alone took two hours, and even the largest ice cubes would have melted by the time they arrived.

Secondly, there are several profitable businesses in their village, and they can get paid by working in the village;

Next, the villagers have money, so they can sell it to the villagers for extra income!

It wasn't that they were shameless and asked the villagers to spend money to buy ice cubes, but it was a common practice among the people to either spend money to buy or exchange things. For example, Aunt Shen Qing could buy or exchange brushes, soap, mutton, and even lard.

The three families of the village chief have malt sugar, tofu, dried tofu, bean curd sheets, etc.

Guan’s is made of wood;

The Lei family is the prey;

It's normal for them to make ice cubes and sell them in the summer, right?

Wouldn't it be better to use the money earned to buy other things from villagers to enrich the variety?

Aunt Shen Qing said this is called mutual benefit!

The Zhao and Feng families worked harder and harder, and other families felt a little envious when they saw them.

Oh, I finally got twenty days of vacation, but when I’m idle, I feel uncomfortable all over. What a hard life!

The Shen Qing family has been extremely busy since the first day of the Lunar New Year because Huo Bingjiang was going east to Bashu.

The men kneaded the dough while the women prepared the food, batch after batch, both fresh and dry food, piled up almost as high as a small mountain!

On the fifth day of the New Year, Shen Qing, who finally had some free time, took Huo Bing to Mr. Jiang's house.

Zhou Yan lifted the door curtain and came out to pour water. Seeing the two of them, her eyes lit up and she greeted them warmly, "Sister-in-law and niece-in-law, come in and sit down!"

Then he shouted to the inside of the house, "Sister-in-law is here, hurry up and make some tea and bring out some cakes and sesame candy!"

Huo Bing felt a little embarrassed, so Shen Qing took her hand and walked into the room through the curtain opened by Zhou Yan.

There is no floor heating in Mr. Jiang's house. When guests come, they either sit on the kang and chat, or stay in the room with a fireplace to keep warm and chat.

Shen Qing and the others were naturally led into a room with a firewall.

Although the fire wall is not as warm as the floor heating, fortunately the wall is made of wide and thick adobe, which has better thermal insulation performance than bricks. In comparison, the house with the fire wall is indeed much warmer.

Jiang Ying and Li Xiulan served tea and cakes respectively, and asked with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you're finally here. We've been wondering why you haven't come yet when you're free."

The first time of the New Year is to pay New Year’s greetings. You can only take the initiative to do so, you cannot just go and invite others.

When their father is around, according to the old custom, the eldest sister-in-law should come to pay New Year's greetings to the elders first, and then they will go to pay New Year's greetings to the eldest sister-in-law.

Huo Bing apologized guiltily: "Because of me, everyone in the family has been very busy these days. I just got around to come here today because I have something to ask my second grandfather and eldest uncle."

Jiang Ying, Zhou Yan and Li Xiulan were stunned, and then Jiang Erye and Xie Qingshan who came in were also slightly stunned.

Xie Qingshan asked doubtfully, "What do you want to ask us?"

Shen Qing then told Huo Bing about his trip to Bashu, "First, to inquire about finding an escort agency, and second, to select the candidates to take with you to see what the requirements are.

It will be easier to choose when we get back later."

Jiang Erye and Xie Qingshan led the team all the way from Qili Village to Jincheng. They didn't have to worry about the journey, weather, where to stay overnight, etc.!

A true professional!

So Shen Qing thought that he had to ask them for advice to feel at ease. It was always a good idea to ask more questions.

The five people of the Jiang family thought about Huo Bing's life experience that he had told them before the New Year, but they didn't expect that he had already decided to go to Bashu, and Shen Qing agreed and was actively assisting!

Knowing that the two had made up their minds, Mr. Jiang was the first to ask, "How many people are you planning to take?"

There are different ways to choose when there are many people and there are different ways to choose when there are few people.

"Our village has many people and many men. If there are many people to choose from, there is no need to find an escort agency. Although I am too old to go, Qingshan can lead the team."

Xie Qingshan nodded heavily on the side: "I went there as an escort more than ten years ago." It's just that Bashu is a big place and I may not be familiar with it. Fortunately, I know the general direction, and I can ask and inquire there when I get there.

Shen Qing explained in a gentle voice: "I didn't plan to select a man from the village. The road to Bashu is long and the terrain is rugged. It will take nearly half a year to go back and forth. I decided to choose from my own servants.

In addition, brushes and soap can also be shipped to other places after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This is related to the livelihood of the entire village, so the team must be selected from various families in the village. Brother-in-law, you have travel experience and are the most suitable to lead the team. You are indispensable for transporting the goods."

Everyone present opened their mouths, but found no way to refute.

Indeed, the brushes and soaps are related to the entire village and are of utmost importance. They cannot be delayed easily. As for Ah Bing's matter... no wonder the first thing they asked about was finding an escort agency. It seems that they had discussed it at home early on.

Xie Qingshan was silent for a moment, then looked up at Huo Bing and said, "There's an escort agency in Jincheng. Tomorrow I'll take Xiangdong with you. We'll discuss the departure date, remuneration, and other matters, and then we can sign the contract on the spot. From now on, we'll follow the contract!"

Huo Bing stood up and thanked him respectfully.

Xie Qingshan added: "The escort agency is mostly only responsible for leading the way and ensuring safety on the road. Other trivial matters such as food and accommodation are not included.

So, the person you bring with you can choose someone who can cook, is strong enough to help with moving things, and is smart and agile, etc. ”