Chapter 132
This isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's good if he'll be more diligent in the future.
His parents were in excellent health; they were never so poor that they couldn't afford to eat, but they weren't rich either. Back in the village, they were considered to be a well-off family.
After arriving in the county, she had no worries about food and clothing, and could even earn money. She often ate meat, and Liu became quite plump, almost unrecognizable from before. Even now, she hasn't lost much weight.
When the New Year's Eve dinner began, everyone sat together.
"Mother, have some soup."
Xiuyu stood up first, while Yuqin had to sit down. She first served Liu a bowl of soup, but there was only half a bowl. Liu was a little unhappy and didn't take it at all.
Helpless, she added two more spoonfuls before Liu finally reached out.
I added a large pot of water when stewing the chicken, but by the time it was done, only half the soup remained, so I had to divide it into three portions.
"Third sister-in-law, this is yours."
"Thank you, sister-in-law," Yingxiang said, taking the bowl and putting it down. Liu noticed that Yingxiang's bowl seemed to have more meat than hers, and couldn't help but glare at Xiuyu.
Xiuyu pretended not to know.
When it was Ah Mian's turn, the chicken was almost gone, and the soup was nearly empty. She didn't say anything and poured it all into her own bowl. In a way, it was good enough to have something to eat.
"In a few years, you'll be a mother-in-law yourself. If your daughter-in-law sees this face of her future mother-in-law, she'll probably have to laugh too."
Xiuyu didn't respond; after all, she was an elder.
During the meal, no one said much. The children were very excited, since they would receive money after the meal. Yingxiang had already filled her money bag early in the morning.
A child costs thirty coins, and there are children of all ages. She doesn't care much about the children of her sisters-in-law.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they sat down and began to give the children lucky money.
Of course, it wasn't so easy to get it; you had to kowtow.
The children didn't care much about such things. They kowtowed to their elders one by one to wish them a Happy New Year. Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu both used red paper to wrap their gifts, and the others did the same. After going around the circle, only Yingxiang gave money directly.
You should know that Xiuyu and Yuqin only gave the children three or five copper coins.
After the prayers were completed, the children all held red envelopes in their hands. Even the younger ones were very happy and laughed heartily.
"You're his mother, after all. How can you be so stingy? He's still your child."
Xiuyu ignored A-Mian's child, which angered Wen Chuanzong, who immediately spoke up.
Xiuyu sat there, completely ignoring him. The others had all been given gifts, after all, this child was also a member of the Wen family.
"Looking at it this way, I'll probably get married in a few years, and over the years, it'll cost me a lot of money."
After Xiao Wu finished speaking, everyone laughed.
The children took the silver coins and counted them; none of them were given directly to their parents, except for the two younger ones.
Wen Leqian was no exception. He followed his older brothers to the door and came back with only a red envelope in his hand, which looked bulging inside.
Wen Shi looked at Ying Xiang, who nodded.
In the middle of the night, Yingxiang, using the excuse of being tired, took the child to bed.
"Mother, here you go."
Yingxiang was taken aback, and then put the red envelope under his pillow.
"From now on, your parents won't take your New Year's money. You should keep it carefully and not spend it all at once. Use it for your own expenses and buy whatever you want."
"good."
The little guy hugged and kissed her, then happily fell asleep.
As for her nephews, Yingxiang didn't care.
In the backyard, A-Mian put the child to sleep and sorted through the red envelopes. There were less than fifty coins in total. Yingxiang gave thirty coins, which was the most. The rest came from his uncles, the old couple, and Xiuyu.
This money can be used to buy fabric and make clothes for the child. He's getting older, and she can only get a little bit from Wen Chuanzong when the child needs it. It's mostly spent on the child.
"How can you be so stingy?"
In the next room, the couple started arguing again.
"I don't acknowledge him as my son."
After arguing with Xiuyu for a bit, Wen Chuanzong simply went to another room.
After the New Year, he also had to plan for himself. There weren't many benefits to begin with, but he was now financially secure and had saved on rent compared to before.
Supporting my own education and that of my two older children is stressful, but not too much.
He was already thinking that if things didn't work out next year, he could copy books to earn some money. He couldn't keep living so frugally. Besides, his eldest son was getting older, and remembering what Wen Shi had said about the betrothal gifts, he also hoped that his son could find a good wife.
We got up early, the whole family ate dumplings, and the elderly couple went to sleep and rest. It's another new year, time flies by like water.
On the fifth day, Wen Shi took Ying Xiang and the child back home, and the rest of the people went about their own business.
Yuqin was the happiest. After working hard for half a year, she had finally raised the pig and fattened it up quite a bit, so she was sure she could sell it for a good price.
On the sixth day, Yingxiang couldn't wait to go to the shop. Business was as usual, and everything was going well.
Over at the farm, a considerable number of eggs had already been collected in the small warehouse; these people really knew how to take care of livestock.
Yingxiang went straight to a nearby restaurant and sold all the eggs in one go.
In the capital, eggs were a penny more expensive than in the village. She recorded all the eggs she sold in her ledger, as she was busy and afraid of forgetting them later.
She currently owns two shops and a farm, and she asked Wen Shi to make two account books for her to use in the future.
The remaining livestock still need to be raised, but fish fry and ducks can be purchased.
The calves have grown quite a bit and look fairly healthy. The weaned lambs have also grown a lot. Overall, Yingxiang is very satisfied.
Once the Lantern Festival is over, this New Year will be completely over.
After the start of spring, the weather became warm and sunny.
That day, Granny Wen sat next to her, looking as if something was on her mind.
"Shopkeeper, a family is moving and they're planning to sell ten maids. You'd like to join them; they're all very healthy."
"Don't refuse yet. Listen to me. If you buy these maids, they can not only work, but you can also arrange marriages for them. The children they have will be your servants for generations to come, unless they have the money to redeem themselves from you."
"We have enough people to do the work."
"Look at the shop assistants and managers in the wine shop. To be honest, many wealthy families do this, and it can save money to some extent."
"When a man gets a wife and children, he becomes even stronger, and when a woman has someone to rely on, she becomes completely devoted to her."
Yingxiang put down her teacup and said, "Let's take five first. Arrange them here, and let them meet later. If they are compatible and willing to live together, I have no problem with that."
Ultimately, these people are all caught up in their own lives. Yingxiang doesn't want to arrange their marriages, but she can arrange for them to meet potential partners. The maids are meticulous, and she does have a lot of young and strong men around. Keeping a few might be useful in the future.
When the time comes, she'll have a good talk with these people. If they work for five years, she'll give them a token amount of money to buy their freedom. After all, they're all pitiful people who have been bought and sold.
The first group followed suit, and this year marks their third year. They must be very happy to hear this news.
"The owner of this house is too ruthless. In order to cut expenses, he contacted me. I didn't want to work with you at first, and I was doing quite well. But the steward suddenly said that if I didn't want them, he should sell all these maids to brothels. It would save him trouble and he wouldn't have to find a slave trader."
"well."
After finishing her story, Granny Yang also felt a little melancholy. Normally, people in their line of work shouldn't have any compassion, but she was also a woman, and now that life was better, she couldn't help but feel sorry for these people.
She bought it, thinking that it would be even better if she could persuade Yingxiang to marry, which would be a win-win situation. If she couldn't persuade her, she would just have to keep her and look for other families to marry into.
Yingxiang sighed, "What kind of mess is this?"
Granny Yang is a bit sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. This family is also quite ruthless. They can't settle them down, so they say they're going to sell them to brothels. If they really go to such places, these girls will be doomed, and they won't even be able to resist.
Are you quick and efficient?
"They're all very hardworking and capable. Shopkeeper, you're a good person too. I'm not making any money off you. I'll sell it to you for the same price you paid. It's not a bad thing for either of us."
"Never mind, bring them all. Let's take a look first, and then we'll see what happens."
"Alright."
Yingxiang had mixed feelings, but her personal abilities were limited. Ultimately, it was a problem with the social system, which she couldn't change on her own. Since she had heard about it, she would help if she could.
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