Upon hearing this, Anle lifted her eyelids, glanced at Qiao Qiuniang, and grinned.
"Hey, Mom's actually getting worried and anxious about business now?"
Qiao Qiuniang glared at An Le, "Of course I'm anxious about this money-making business, how could I not be concerned?"
Anle waved her hand lazily, "Mother, don't worry, this is our business, it won't run away!"
This stuff isn't available anywhere else, so it won't go out of business. You can only buy it from here.
I just ordered this stand a couple of days ago, it can't possibly be ready so quickly. When I went, there were already several families ahead of me who wanted their kang tables made in a rush, so I guess I'll have to wait a while longer.
Qiao Qiuniang frowned. "So we're just going to keep waiting like this?"
Why don't we sell them here first?
Aren't there plenty of empty shelves here?
With a little effort, we can create two more shelves.
Anle smiled and turned slightly to the side. "That won't do. It's not just a matter of the shelf, but also the dining table."
The dining table needs to be prepared first.
"Mother, you don't need to worry about it. I'll take care of things."
With a quick dart of her eyes, Anle cheerfully brought up the topic of going to school.
“Dad, Mom, I was thinking that after we’ve settled things at this shop, I’d like to go to school with my older sister and second brother, read some books, and learn some characters.”
Now that my older sister and brother have gone to school, I'm all alone in the shop and I'm feeling a bit bored.
Qiao Qiuniang paused, "Didn't the gods teach you a few words?"
"If they can teach you the characters on the chessboard, why don't we have the gods teach you the characters on the other side too?"
Anle's lips twitched. Was she digging her own grave? Bringing up such nonsense as gods.
But when did her mother's mind start working so fast?
When it comes to saving money, this soft-hearted mother is truly quick to turn a blind eye.
"Mother, you're joking. How could the gods have time to keep circling around me every day?"
I'd rather go to school and keep my older sister and brother company.
Qiao Qiuniang hesitated for a moment, then spoke frankly and coyly to Anle.
"Lewa, it's not that I'm reluctant to spend the money on your education. You're so good at earning money, so naturally I'd like you to study more and gain more knowledge."
But... if you leave, I'll be left alone in this shop, and I'll feel like I've lost my pillar of support.
You're such a clever little thing, I only feel at ease when you're here.
Anle sighed, realizing that her mother was incapable of shouldering the responsibility on her own.
"Mother, you're just too timid. Father's here to protect you, what are you afraid of?"
After a pause, her eyes darted around, and she thought of An Dafeng's eldest daughter-in-law. An Le grinned and continued.
"Mom, I think Grandpa's eldest daughter-in-law is quite nice. She's straightforward and honest."
Qiao Qiuniang sighed helplessly, "That's your aunt. Don't you know how to address your elders properly?"
"Mother, how about this, I'll ask my aunt to come to the shop to help out!"
With her around, you shouldn't be so indecisive, right?
Qiao Qiuniang was taken aback. "Help? No way, your aunt will be busy with farming in a few days, how can she have time to come and help out at our shop?"
Anle muttered, "I didn't ask her to help for nothing."
They hired her to work.
She was paid one tael of silver a month.
My aunt would definitely be happy to do it.
Upon hearing that it was one tael of silver, Qiao Qiuniang immediately shook her head.
"No need, no need. Mother has no shortage of support. Mother will take care of herself."
Anle's eyelids twitched, and she sighed inwardly, thinking how stingy her mother was.
"Mother, I also have my own ideas."
It's not just about having her be your pillar of support.
But once they start selling drinks here in a few days, you alone won't be able to handle it all, and the shop will definitely be short-staffed.
Your older sister and brother have all gone to school. Who can help you?
I'm planning to hire a long-term worker to come and work with me.
I wouldn't feel comfortable asking someone else for this.
I think your aunt is a nice person, so let her come and help you.
You two know each other well, so they can keep you company.
Besides, it's better to keep the money within the family. Who earns it doesn't matter who does it, so why not do my aunt a favor?
A month's wages of one tael of silver should be quite a lot, right, Mother?
Anle had made her point so clearly that Qiao Qiuniang could only nod in agreement, no matter how much she regretted spending the money.
"Alright then, I'll have your grandfather talk to him about this later. I'd be even more heartbroken if outsiders really made this money."
Anle blinked and chuckled as he asked.
"Mom, does Grandpa also have a few acres of land here?"
Qiao Qiuniang nodded, "Yes, three mu of land."
"Compared to Third Grandfather's family, that's really pitifully small!"
Qiao Qiuniang sighed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Three mu of land is quite a lot."
Your great-grandfather's family also had three mu (approximately 0.33 acres).
I've heard that in other towns, many families don't own land and work for landlords.
The land they rented were all from landlords.
Most of the grain produced ended up in the pockets of landlords.
"We were lucky if we had enough grain to last through the winter each year; we couldn't possibly be as well-off as we are now."
Anle was stunned. "Huh? It's that bad?"
"Food and clothing were a problem, so life was naturally hard. The people in our town, on the other hand, lived a very prosperous life."
Anle asked, puzzled and confused.
"Mother, why do so many families not have land?"
Qiao Qiuniang was speechless for a moment when asked the question and didn't know how to answer.
An Mancang patted Anle's head, sat down, hugged Anle, and told her a story.
"To explain this, we have to go back to our ancestors."
These fields were all acquired by our ancestors.
As the family line is passed down from generation to generation, there is naturally not enough to go around.
With more children and grandchildren, the amount of land naturally decreases.
Land was bought and sold within the country; if you wanted land, you had to spend money to buy it from the government office.
Wealthy people are willing to acquire land, and the more land they acquire, the more they become landlords.
Some families couldn't even afford to eat, so they had to sell their land. Once they sold all their land, they naturally had no land left.
No farmer would sell their land unless they were absolutely desperate and had no other choice but to go hungry; it's their livelihood.
Anle blinked in realization, "I understand now. No wonder Dad cleared so much wasteland for Third Grandfather's family."
Did they buy the wasteland from the government office for a low price and turn it into valuable fertile land?
With a larger harvest, you'll earn more.
Moreover, this land, once converted into fertile fields, can fetch a better price.
As the father and son were talking, An Yizhong entered the room. An Le heard someone enter and peeked at the door.
Hmm? An Shoushan's father?
After only a moment's hesitation, Anle understood the purpose of An Shoushan's father's visit; he must have come to discuss the toothpaste.
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