The courtyard was empty.
Zhang Qiquan walked at the front with the broker, surveying the terrain, discussing prices, and asking detailed questions.
Zheng Ruqian stood with his hands behind his back, trying to maintain his status as a young master while also calculating in his mind how much it would cost to repair a corner of the house and how much it would cost to repair a wall, hoping that he wouldn't exceed the budget.
Jiang Sheng shook her head, feeling that the house was too empty and too big, and the wild vegetables growing there were inedible, making it unsuitable for living and likely to cause starvation.
Suddenly, she saw the tears in Fang Heng's eyes and was stunned.
Wild vegetables and food were all forgotten. The little girl's face was full of worry. She was afraid that her third brother was secretly shedding tears and didn't want anyone to know, so she had to slow down her pace without making a sound.
Once everyone had gone to the front, she carefully moved in front of Fang Heng and gently took his hand.
There are no words, no calls, just the simplest companionship.
Through his teary eyes, Fang Heng looked at the little girl who only reached his chest, and the deep sorrow in his heart was finally eased a little.
"Third Brother, what's wrong?" After waiting for a long time, Jiang Sheng asked softly.
Fang Heng lowered his head. "I miss my mother."
Jiang Sheng was taken aback.
Mother... Is she like Aunt Zhang, who would give me steamed buns and braid my hair? But Aunt Zhang is here, and Jiang Sheng doesn't feel any longing for her.
Is he even closer to her than Aunt Zhang? Will he hug Jiang Sheng? Will he put on Jiang Sheng's underwear? Or will he...?
What could it be?
Jiang Sheng couldn't figure it out either.
Mother, it's just a symbol. I only see my third and fourth brothers with tears in their eyes, but I don't know why they're crying. Jiang Sheng sighed like a little adult.
Actually, she shouldn't think so much, because being alive is good enough, having enough to eat is even better, and having her brothers is already the best she can do. Jiang Sheng isn't greedy.
Someone once said, "Contentment brings happiness."
"Third Brother, don't cry, don't cry." She took out a small handkerchief from her sleeve, stood on tiptoe and whispered to Fang Heng, "I heard from Aunt that she's going to stew a big pork knuckle for us tonight."
Fang Heng's eyes were clearly full of tears, but when he glanced at the crystal-clear liquid flowing from his sister's lips, his eyes dried up again. Helplessly, he stretched out his thumb to wipe away her drool.
"Oh my!" Jiang Sheng exclaimed, "This, this, this must be because the braised pork knuckle smells too good."
So much so that even though I haven't tried it yet, just thinking about the smell I caught while passing by someone's house makes my mouth water.
All of Fang Heng's sadness vanished, and he pulled Jiang Sheng along with the main group, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"When your third brother makes money in the future, he'll buy you big pork knuckles, truckloads and truckloads of them."
Ahead, Zhang Qiquan and Zheng Ruqian seemed to be haggling with the broker.
Behind them, a black head, dressed in black, climbed out from the high wall of the garden, seemingly confirming something.
After a long while, he finally finished checking and was about to go downstairs when he suddenly stepped on a piece of old, dilapidated brick.
There was a loud "whoosh".
Fang Heng, being the most perceptive, immediately turned his head, only to see a fleeting black shadow, thinking he was seeing things.
The others were even more confused, thinking they were hallucinating.
Only Zheng Ruqian suddenly grabbed the broker's sleeve and said urgently, "There's a broken tile over there. This house is incredibly old. Thirty taels of silver is too expensive. You have to give me a discount."
The dentist, growing impatient, said, "Fine, fine, twenty-five taels, is that enough?"
Finally, the signing was completed in the courtyard, and everyone was satisfied.
Outside the courtyard, the newly appointed magistrate of Xiyang County touched his buttocks, which had been smashed into eight pieces, grimaced, and burst into tears.
"Sir," the lackey whispered from behind, "shall we write a letter?"
He suddenly turned his head and said angrily, "You're the adult. You can't climb the wall, so you make the adults climb it."
The adult even fell on their bottom.
The lackey shrank back, too afraid to speak.
The new magistrate gritted his teeth and said, "Write, write, write, and say it's confirmed, he's the eldest daughter's legitimate son."
The lackey quickly pulled out paper and pen from his sleeve, licked the ink tip on his tongue, and then wrote the word "confirmed" on it in a crooked manner.
The snow-white carrier pigeon flapped its wings and landed, then gracefully flew away after being tethered.
The new magistrate finally breathed a sigh of relief, patted the mud off his backside, and leisurely walked away.
From afar, one could still hear the young follower asking, "Sir, are we returning to Xiyang County? You are now the magistrate of the county."
Can I not reply?
"cannot."
"Then what are you asking?"
Renting a large courtyard and two rooms for twenty-five taels of silver is incredibly cheap in a place like the prefectural city.
Before Zheng Ruqian could even feel smug, the broker took the money and receipt and ran off in a flash.
It was as if they were afraid the other party would change their minds.
Zheng Ruqian's eyes widened, a little uneasy in his heart.
Fortunately, Zhang Qiquan was there and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, it's just a bit old. We'll hire someone to repair it tomorrow."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the place where the sound had just come from collapsed.
A tear slid from Zheng Ruqian's eye to the corner of his mouth.
The next day, Zhang Qiquan hired bricklayers and tile setters to repair the entire house. At the same time, he used the tile setters' influence to spread the word that he was recruiting workers to make cured meat.
A person works for five hours a day and earns five coins, paid immediately upon completion and settled on the same day.
Finally, Zhang Qiquan added, "Limited to ten people."
It's not that hiring just ten people is enough, but if you don't limit the number, they won't rush to come to you, and they won't patiently wait to be selected.
As for the five coins per person per day, that was the price for short-term workers responsible for different procedures to prevent the recipe for cured meat from being leaked.
Once the best and most suitable workers are selected, they are transferred to long-term contracts and registered with the authorities. This allows them to earn more money, but also incurs legal responsibilities.
All of these were things Zheng Ruqian learned from Zhang Qi.
Once the workers are recruited, we need to find suppliers.
Salt and spices are not difficult to obtain. You can buy large quantities of slightly cheaper salt simply by registering with the government. This reflects the tolerance of the Dayu Dynasty towards pickled products. However, this only applies to pickled products. If you secretly sell them in small quantities, it is a crime.
What remains is large-volume, stable-quality, and inexpensive pork.
Zheng Ruqian knew this well, so he got into a carriage early, took his siblings, and especially his fifth brother Changyan, and headed towards the market.
They were full of enthusiasm and had high hopes for the workshop.
Zheng Ruqian even prepared himself to make a fortune.
But several neatly dressed men stood at the alley entrance, blocking their way.
Zheng Ruqian's pupils shrank and then dilated instantly. His hands instinctively tightened around the reins, and only five words echoed in his mind: "No way, not again?"
Last time, the county magistrate's wife hired someone to kill him in order to avenge her brother.
Who is it now?
Who is it?
Before they could even ask any questions, several men pounced on them, drew their longswords, and aimed the blades straight at their throats, attempting to kill them with a single blow.
Their target is Fang Heng!
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