Chapter 237 Compromise
Someone sat down next to him. The bald old man frowned and looked over. When he saw it was Sui Yu, he relaxed his brows.
"What a rare guest." Sui Yu said.
The bald old man glanced at the stage and signaled her not to speak.
Sui Yu did as he wished and listened quietly to the old blind man imitating the sound of running water.
The sound of running water turned into dripping water. The old blind man raised his hand. Li Wu trotted onto the stage and helped the old blind man off the stage.
The people in the audience seemed to have just woken up from a dream. There was silence for a long time before the sounds of people bringing bowls of water and moving stools could be heard.
The old bald man clapped his hands and said, "Shopkeeper Yu is amazing! His business is booming."
Sui Yu shook his head and said, "There aren't many caravans this year, and my guesthouse isn't full yet."
“It’s much better than ours.”
"Yes, I've put in so much effort, there must be some effect." Sui Yu stopped lying to him and consoled him, "Business is like this, there are good years and bad years. There are good times and bad times."
Lao Baldy admitted that what he said was true. He did not come here today to act like a rogue or lose his temper, but just to take a look and see the situation.
"Mom, hehe." The kid sneaked in with a small waist drum on his shoulder. He took Sui Yu's hand, pointed at the empty stage and said, "Mom, can I go up and play the drum?"
Sui Yu raised an eyebrow at him, looked him up and down, and he shut up in shame.
"Shopkeeper Yu, are you still writing storybooks this year?" A Hu merchant came over and asked, "You don't care about your status, do you? Do you think I can do it?"
"It doesn't matter who you are. If you're willing to tell me a story, I'll write." Sui Yu said, "But I don't have much free time this winter. When I'm too busy, my brother will write for me."
"Okay, if you don't want to pick, I won't either." Hu Shang took off the cloth bag hanging from his waist and threw it to the child, saying, "These are raisins made from grapes grown in my own home. They are sweeter than malt sugar. Give them to the child to sweeten his mouth."
The boy looked at his mother and saw that she had no objection, so he obediently accepted it and said sweetly, "Thank you, uncle, for thinking of me."
Hu Shang chuckled, pointed at the waist drum he was carrying, and said, "You can play the drum, right? Come up on stage and play a few times. I'll see how good you are."
Sui Yu heard this and asked, "Can you also play the drums?"
"A little."
The kid looked at Sui Yu eagerly again. Sui Yu couldn't resist his pestering and said, "Call Da Zhuang and A Qiang, as well as Hua Niu and A Shui. All of you go up together."
The kid's drumming is terrible, but the others are pretty good. When the five of them are on the same stage together, they can always drown out his drumming.
Sui Yu waved to Xiaoxi and gave her some instructions. Xiaoxi ran to Li Wu to pass on the message. After Li Wu received the message, he went out to move the other two waist drums.
Da Zhuang, A Qiang, Hua Niu and A Shui were also urged to come by Xiao Zai. Except for Xiao Zai, the other four were still a little timid. Sui Yu just watched without saying anything, letting them retreat, shrink and pull.
People at the surrounding tables were also watching the fun. The more they cheered, the shyer the three little girls became.
"Master." Xiao Chunhong called out from the doorway. She pointed outside and said, "Guests are coming."
Sui Yu said hello to the old bald man, got up and went out. Before leaving, he asked Xiaoxi to serve the old bald man a bowl of oil tea.
"The little cub's grandparents are here. They're over at the livestock pen, tying up their camels," Xiao Chunhong said. "It's just the old couple, no one else. Master, how about I send Qingshan to the city to look for the adults?"
"Why call him back? He's not an enemy." Sui Yu found it funny. She walked towards the livestock pen. The old couple was watching the pigs outside the pigpen.
Father Zhao was embarrassed to see Sui Yu coming uninvited. Before Sui Yu could get close, he said, "The pigs are quite fat this year, and I think there are quite a few of them."
"We have eighteen more pigs this year than last year, but they're not that fat." Sui Yu noticed his discomfort and didn't ask why the old couple came. He just said, "Xiping had been planning to send you half a head of pork before the New Year, but now he's saved the trouble. You two should feel sorry for him."
This suited Zhao's parents' taste. Mother Zhao patted her bag and said, "It's not that I feel bad for him. It's because the little cub will be three soon. As his grandparents, we have to buy him two new sets of clothes and shoes. Come on, let's go back to the house and call the child to try them on for size."
Sui Yu led the old couple to the teahouse, and she called Xiao Chunhong back to the house. All the silverware in the side room was moved to the room where she and Zhao Xiping slept, and the agate box was also taken away.
"You clean up, wipe the dust in the room, make the beds, and keep two mattresses ready. People get afraid of the cold when they get old." Sui Yu instructed.
"Yeah." Xiao Chunhong agreed.
The meal was ready in the kitchen. Sister Cui brought two bowls of egg, sauerkraut and minced meat soup noodles to the teahouse on a tray and took Ah Qiang away with her.
The five children came on stage less than a cup of tea later and came down in disgrace. The youngest stood aside with his cheeks puffed up, while the other three squatted on the ground and scratched the dirt with their fingernails, without saying a word.
Sui Yu went over to inquire and heard several people complaining in turn. Except for Da Zhuang, who was not blamed, the other four were all at fault. Xiaozai was at fault for making trouble and disrupting the rhythm, A Qiang was at fault for being too fast, Huaniu was at fault for being too slow, and A Shui was at fault for beating the drum too loudly. Anyway, when put together, it was just a bowl of messy porridge.
"Practice hard from now on. On the fifth of every month, you should go up and perform a show to build up your courage." Sui Yu caught sight of Sui Liang and said, "You should also learn to play the drums with Kurban. Just like them, go up on stage on the fifth of every month to build up your courage."
"I'm not lacking in courage. I won't go on stage, and I won't learn." Sui Liang refused repeatedly.
Sui Yu ignored his resistance and helped him make a decision. Then she immediately changed the subject and said, "The little guy's grandparents are here. You two should come with me to meet them."
The cub was confused for a moment and asked uncertainly: "My grandpa and my grandma?"
Sui Yu led him out and said, "Don't you remember?"
"Remember."
"Just remember, remember to call for help." Sui Yu reminded.
As they were talking, they had already arrived at the table. Sui Liang was the first to greet them, and the kid imitated his tone, calling them grandpa and grandma in an awkward manner.
"You've grown taller and are a little darker than last year, right? Old man, am I remembering correctly?" asked Zhao's mother.
"I remember correctly, he went to the fields during the autumn harvest and got a bit tanned." Sui Yu continued, "The beds are all made. You can go and rest after you've eaten. You must be exhausted from the journey."
Zhao's father and mother agreed immediately. They were both old and had suffered a lot following the caravan all the way.
The kid dragged his uncle away and ran away. Sui Yu told her parents-in-law and chased after him.
"Brother Liang, I was not kidding you about learning to play drums." Sui Yu said loudly.
Now it was Sui Liang's turn to grab the kid and run away, but he flatly refused, making an excuse: "I need to practice martial arts, and I also need my brother-in-law to teach me horseback riding. I don't have time to learn drumming, and I don't like it."
The kid didn't believe it and yelled, "Mom, my uncle is lying. He doesn't like practicing martial arts... woo woo woo..."
Sui Liang covered his nephew's mouth and dragged him along, promising loudly, "I'll go running with Zhang Shun and the others tonight, and from now on I'll get up early every day to practice martial arts with them."
Seeing this, Sui Yu stopped pushing. As for what the little guy had said, if Sui Liang didn't like martial arts, then forget it. If he didn't join the army, then he could do business with her. After all, she could find him a way to support his family. She didn't have high expectations for Sui Liang. He had a turbulent childhood and had only become childlike in the past two years. As long as he could be happy, it would be good. A stable life would be good. On the other hand, Sui Yu could see that Sui Liang's personality was still undecided. Perhaps in a few years, he would have his own ideas. It wouldn't be too late to work hard then.
Sui Yu had no expectations for either Sui Liang or Xiao Zai. She simply worked hard, relying on herself and letting her fight for what she wanted. As for her child, she provided him with a good life and the courage to go out. He could choose to do anything in the future, whether it was business, joining the army, farming, or wandering. It all came together.
The child is still young, and she is still young too. There will be many changes and opportunities in the future, so it is not impossible to take more paths.
Zhao's father and mother came out, and Sui Yu came back to her senses. She asked a few questions about this year's harvest and the situation of her brother and sister-in-law, and then sent the old couple into the house and went about her own business.
"Oh, Third Brother's place is still more comfortable." Mother Zhao covered herself with a thick mattress and said contentedly, "The bed is more comfortable than our own, and it's so clean. This trip here was not in vain."
Father Zhao was picking his teeth, rinsing his mouth with warm water, and strolling around the yard with his back straight. What a life he had. Meals were brought to him, and after he finished eating, someone collected the dishes. When he told them to go to bed, the bed was made and the water for washing feet was brought to him. Who wouldn't envy the life Old Zhao lived?
When Zhao Xiping came back and learned that his parents had come, he asked in surprise, "How did they get here? Who sent them here?"
"The old couple came here on their own on camels. No one came to see them off." Sui Yu bit a small date and said, "I didn't ask in detail. You can ask more later."
Zhao Xiping grabbed two small dates and fed them to his mouth. He smacked them for a few moments and chuckled, "My parents have tasted the sweetness. Before Xiaomi got married, the old couple said they were not in good health and could not walk far, so they refused to come."
"I'm in good health again this year." Sui Yu joked with a smile.
Both husband and wife understood that the old couple came from far away just to have good food, good clothes and fun, so they said a few words behind their backs, but no one exposed them openly.
Their daughter, on the other hand, wasn't worried about offending anyone. Whenever they met, she would jokingly say, "My parents are getting younger and healthier every year. When my third brother and his wife didn't have their guesthouse built, you refused to come over. Now that it's finished, you don't even bother making the trip twice a year."
Mr. Zhao's old face turned red with shame, and he was so angry that he wanted to drive the old girl away.
"Your father and I are here for the little cub. He is three years old this year. Shouldn't your third brother hold a big party for him? No one from our hometown will come, and we will make a fool of ourselves by letting outsiders see us." Mother Zhao said calmly.
Zhao Xiaomi chuckled, "You didn't even come to see your own daughter getting married, yet you dote on this grandson."
Mother Zhao didn't respond and asked her directly what she was doing there.
"I'd like to invite you to my house for dinner. You've already walked outside your daughter's door, why don't you come in for a meal?" Zhao Xiaomi sat up straight and said, "You've come at the perfect time. My brother-in-law is looking for a marriage proposal, and as his sister-in-law, it's difficult for me to say anything. Mom, let me lend you a hand..."
Mother Zhao frowned, "You want to split up the family?"
"You're quite promising. You don't learn good things, but only bad ones. We only have two brothers, and you've torn the family apart. How will your parents-in-law feel about that?" Father Zhao snorted coldly. He angrily scolded, "I'll pretend I didn't hear you today. If I hear you mention it again, I'll beat you with the sole of my shoe."
Zhao Xiaomi immediately became dispirited.
"Listen to your father. Look at your older brothers. It's so lively living together." Zhao's mother advised, "Your father and I will go and separate your in-laws. Your parents-in-law will scold us and stab us in the back. From now on, don't even think about going to your house for dinner. They'll chase us away with dogs even when we pass by the door."
"Why don't you mention my third brother?" Zhao Xiaomi muttered softly, "Didn't my third brother split up and live his own life?"
Mother Zhao choked, "We haven't split up, we're just far apart."
"No family division? Do my eldest and second brothers dare to point at the pigs in the pigpen and say most of them belong to them?" Zhao Xiaomi said a little louder, "We made a lot of money this year in the grain and fodder business. I started this business with the help of my third brother and his wife. The profitability is my credit. If I don't divide the family now while the second son is getting married, in a few years, when my parents-in-law are gone, the second son's family will take a lot of money, and I'll be at a huge loss."
"How much money did you make this year?" asked Zhao's father.
Zhao Xiaomi fell silent. After a few moments of hesitation, she said, "I worked hard all year and earned just over three thousand yuan. I bought a slave to work for me, so there's not much left."
Father Zhao felt complicated. When he arrived in Dunhuang, he didn't even recognize money. The third and fourth sons' families made money as if it were picking up coins, while the eldest and second sons worked hard in the fields to make a living, and they were very satisfied with just three or five hundred coins a year.
"Mom, is this okay?" Zhao Xiaomi pushed his mother.
Mother Zhao shook her head. "Your father and I won't get involved in your in-laws' affairs. As long as you haven't been beaten or suffered in the Huang family, your father and I are satisfied. If you want to split up, go and ask. If you get beaten, go to your third brother and see if he'll take care of you."
Zhao Xiaomi had no plans to look for her third brother. First, she didn't dare to count on him for fear that he would scold her. Second, she was worried that her in-laws would scold him for abusing his power and ruining his reputation.
"Then you can come to my house for dinner tomorrow." Zhao Xiaomi was thinking about chatting with her third sister-in-law, so she stood up and prepared to leave.
"Your mother and I won't go, so let's skip this meal." Father Zhao said, "When you settle down, your mother and I will visit your in-laws again."
Zhao Xiaomi was so angry that she cried. She went to complain to Sui Yu, but Sui Yu didn't know what to say. In the feudal dynasty, the ideas of Zhao's father and mother were the mainstream.
"Talk to your brother-in-law and ask him to come forward and explain that even if we don't want to split up the family business, we still need to make things clear about the business." Sui Yu could only appease him, "Your brother-in-law doesn't seem to be very cunning. If you trust him, you should take the trouble to help him choose a good wife. That way, you can have two more helpers in the future. Xiaomi, the more money you make, the more you have to think long-term. The bigger your business, the more help you will need. Look at me. I don't have anyone I can use, so I can only pick and choose among my servants. I also promised to make a profit."
Zhao Xiaomi calmed down a lot. She pondered Sui Yu's words carefully and said, "Third sister-in-law, what percentage of the profit do you mean I should give him?"
"37, or 28 is fine." Sui Yu sighed and said, "It's better to have more helpers than more enemies."
"Okay, Third Sister-in-law, I'll listen to you." Xiaomi gave up the idea of dividing the family. If she forced the division, she would get a bad reputation, which would definitely affect her children in the future. This was not acceptable.
Sui Yu was a little dazed. She looked at her sister-in-law and for a moment she mistakenly thought that she was the one who was born and raised in this dynasty.
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