Chapter 368 Lively
At Mrs. Lin's house in the village
Old Mrs. Lin used to be in poor health and depended on her two grandsons and one granddaughter for support.
They were not well fed and clothed. At that time, her eldest grandson Lin Dazhu was 18 years old. Because the family was poor, she had not yet found a wife for him. Now her grandson is married and his wife is pregnant, so old lady Lin’s face is always full of smiles.
On weekdays, Grandma Lin takes her grandchildren to raise ducks and pickle duck eggs, and takes good care of her granddaughter-in-law Ma Xiaoqiu.
After Lin Dazhu came out of the winery, he hurried home.
As soon as I got home, I saw my brother chopping firewood in the yard.
He quickly stepped forward, grabbed his brother, and said, "I'll do these things when I come back."
Lin Erzhu said: "Brother, I can't be tired. I just do this little bit of work. You are the one who works the hardest."
Ever since my eldest brother started working in the winery and earned some money, our family's conditions have improved.
Of course, in the past, thanks to Mr. Shen's care, he and his sister helped grandma raise a lot of ducks, and they could earn a lot of copper coins by sending the duck eggs to Grandma Meng.
Now those ducklings have grown up and can lay eggs, so we can save a lot of eggs at once.
They were all sent to Grandma Meng.
Of course, the eldest brother earns the most.
In the past two months, my brother’s bonus has been more than two taels of silver every month.
This gave them hope and their food became better.
Lin Sanmei is pickling salted duck eggs.
Ever since Mr. Shen told them the method of pickling duck eggs, they sent some of the duck eggs to Grandma Meng because Grandma Meng bought duck eggs.
They use the other part of the duck eggs to pickle themselves.
They pickled salted duck eggs and didn't have to worry about not being able to sell them. They could just set up a stall in the commercial street and there would be people buying them. They didn't have to worry about not being able to sell them all day because there were a lot of people buying salted duck eggs.
Lin Sanmei was very happy that she had something to do every day and could make money.
We can't let my eldest brother support the whole family alone. It will be hard for him.
Lin Dazhu looked at his sister's red face from the cold and said, "Sanmei, it's cold, don't freeze outside all the time. I bought you a wool scarf, put it on when you go out. Girls should protect their faces more."
The three siblings' parents passed away when they were very young, and they depended on their grandmother for everything, so they have a very good relationship.
Although Lin Dazhu has made money now and has a family and children, he still cares for his younger brothers and sisters.
Of course, his younger brothers and sisters also feel sorry for him as the eldest brother, and they usually help him take care of Xiaoqiu.
Ma Xiaoqiu is Lin Dazhu's daughter-in-law.
Lin Sanmei said with a smile: "Brother, don't worry, my skin is fine. The facial cream you bought for me works well for me."
The facial cream is the facial cream in the workshop. Employees can buy it at a discount, which is very cost-effective. Of course, they can only buy it for their own use and cannot resell it.
Lin Dazhu not only bought some for his wife, but also for his grandmother and sister.
In the words of Old Mrs. Lin, she no longer needs it at her age, so she has no use for it and will leave it to her granddaughter-in-law and granddaughter.
After all, the facial cream is effective. If you apply it in winter, your face won’t be frozen.
Hearing the noise outside, Ma Xiaoqiu also came out.
Lin Dazhu hurried forward to support Ma Xiaoqiu, "It's cold, just stay inside, don't get cold if you come out."
Ma Xiaoqiu's belly was big and her feet were a little swollen, and Lin Dazhu felt sorry for her.
Ma Xiaoqiu herself didn't feel anything.
In fact, she is not afraid of hard work. The most important thing is that her husband loves and cares for her. She is in good spirits and in a good mood every day.
In addition, her grandmother and her younger brothers and sisters all take good care of her. Whenever they have something delicious, they think of her and make it for her.
She was grateful in her heart and was even more strict with herself in her words and actions.
She also knew that her husband cared deeply about being filial to his grandmother and taking care of his younger brothers and sisters, so she also wanted to help him do these things.
"It's okay, grandma and my brothers and sisters are taking good care of me, you don't have to worry."
"You look very happy. Is there something happy?"
Lin Dazhu called his younger brothers and sisters into the house and said, "Come on, let's go inside and talk."
Old Mrs. Lin has bad legs, so she sits on the kang in winter and knits a sweater.
Some chicks and ducklings were hatched on the kang.
Seeing that Ma Xiaoqiu's belly was getting bigger, Mrs. Lin thought about getting more chicken and duck eggs. Not only could she earn money to supplement the family income, but she could also provide more nourishment for Ma Xiaoqiu.
The whole family works together, hoping to live a good life.
Seeing her grandson coming back, Mrs. Lin was about to go downstairs and said, "Now that you're back, let's have lunch."
"Your wife is worried about you. We were afraid she was hungry so we asked her to eat. She said she would wait for you to come back to eat."
"You usually come back early. Did something delay you today?"
Old Mrs. Lin cares about her grandson and loves him dearly. She always shows some concern and notices some small details.
Lin Dazhu said, "I'm happy today, Grandma. I received a year-end bonus of thirteen taels of silver, and I'll be on holiday starting tomorrow for a month. I'll go back to the workshop on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month."
"But there will be people on duty in the workshop on a rotating basis, and they only need to be on duty for one day."
When everyone heard this, they were so shocked that they couldn't recover for a while.
Old Mrs. Lin said in a trembling voice, "Dazhu, what did you just say? Did I hear it correctly?"
Old Mrs. Lin suspected that she was old and had poor hearing.
Lin Dazhu smiled and patiently repeated, "Grandma, you heard it right, it's this much silver, this much."
Lin Dazhu took it out from his arms.
After Master Su gave it to them, he carefully kept it in his arms and worked until the lunch break, when he quickly ran home holding it in his arms.
Looking at the thirteen taels of silver on the kang, the family's eyes widened, and their feelings were indescribable.
"Okay, that's great. Grandma, you heard and saw it right."
Old Mrs. Lin's eyes were red with joy.
Ma Xiaoqiu was even more stunned.
She had never seen so much silver in her life.
If her parents knew, they would be happy for her.
The man she married not only earned a lot of money, but was also considerate and caring towards her, which made her feel sweet in her heart.
She was not the kind of person who coveted these things; she had originally been attracted by Dazhu's kindness.
Now that she has a child, she naturally hopes that her family conditions are good and that her child can eat well and live well.
So when I saw this silver, I felt excited and happy.
Lin Erzhu and Lin Sanmei were stunned. After a while, Lin Sanmei said, "That's great. Big brother is really amazing."
Lin Erzhu said, "Brother, you said I can have a month's vacation, then I can rest more."
Mrs. Lin added: "I didn't expect to have a month's vacation, and to be given so much money during the vacation. Miss Shen is so good, always taking care of everyone. Speaking of Sister Meng, she really has a good daughter-in-law."
Regarding this, Old Lady Lin was also filled with emotion, "But we don't need to envy others. Xiaoqiu is also very good. You are on vacation now, so you must spend time with Xiaoqiu."
Lin Dazhu nodded and said, "Of course."
"I thought, I'll save some money and set aside some for New Year's goods. I'll buy more things so we can have a good New Year."
For many years, their family didn't dare to buy anything because they really didn't have enough money to buy anything.
His grandmother had always wanted to find him a wife, but at that time, because the family was not well off, many people were discouraged.
It was also because my grandmother had a good relationship with Grandma Meng that the owner took good care of my grandmother from the beginning and always bought duck eggs from their family first.
Later, when the winery hired people, they directly hired him and promoted him to be a small manager.
He cherishes this opportunity very much and works seriously.
Now he has married and has children, and his life is getting better and better.
Mrs. Lin smiled and said, "Okay, buy some more and send some to Xiaoqiu's parents."
Lin Dazhu nodded and said, "Of course."
Ma Xiaoqiu was so moved that she didn't know what to say.
I didn't expect that Grandma Dazhu and the others were still thinking about her parents.
Many families go home for lunch. The family sits together and talks about the year-end bonus and their expectations for the future. They are all very excited and eat a little more at lunch, mainly because they are happy.
The village head's family was even more excited, as they made a lot of money.
Li said, "Let's not wait until the New Year. Let's make dumplings tonight to celebrate the holiday and the year-end bonus."
"Yes, yes, but we need to celebrate. It feels like a festival when everyone goes home in the middle of the day."
"Of course not. Everyone is happy."
…
When Cao Guang and Reg returned to the dormitory, they both stared blankly with their seven taels of silver in their hands.
They didn't expect that they didn't do much work on weekdays, just helping to maintain order in the commercial street, and then the boss would use them to do it when there was any emergency.
I never thought I would get a year-end bonus like this.
Reg slapped himself hard.
This frightened Cao Guang, "What are you doing?"
Reg said, "Brother Cao, I'll slap myself to see if it's an illusion. I feel pain, so it's not an illusion. We also have year-end bonuses."
Cao Guang said: "It's true. The boss said that as long as we work hard, we won't be treated unfairly."
Ever since they started working with Miss Shen, they have indeed been working seriously and doing whatever Miss Shen arranges.
They also have dormitories to live in, which is much better than the previous days of sleeping in the open.
They also feel at ease, without having to worry about being killed one day.
You can also receive wages every month.
Reg asked, "Brother, can we use the money to build a house after spring comes?"
It’s not a good idea to always live in the dormitory. Now that they have money, they naturally want to have a house to live in.
Moreover, there was no kang (bamboo bed) in the dormitory. Although it was not cold, they still wanted to live in a house with a heated kang.
Cao Guang said, "Of course you can. So, you should save up all the money you earn and don't waste it. In the spring, we'll find someone to build a house. It doesn't have to be too big, even a small one with two rooms will do. You can live there first and expand it later when you have more money."
"Yes, yes."
Cao Guang said, "But don't think the boss is easy to talk to. We all know his abilities. He sees whether we are serious about our work or not."
Reg said, "Brother, don't worry. I know what's good and what's bad. Although what we did before wasn't very good, it was because we had no choice but to survive. Now that we can live a stable life, who would do anything else? If that were the case, I know that the boss can crush us with one hand without us doing anything."
Reg understood this.
Cao Guang said, "Although we're on holiday starting tomorrow, that's just for the workshops. We still have to help patrol the commercial street. The commercial street probably won't actually close until before the New Year."
There is no mandatory break in the commercial street. Everyone is free to open a shop or set up a stall, so it is their business when they want to close the shop for the New Year.
Reg nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. If I have nothing to do when I'm free, I'll feel more at ease if I have something to do."
This is their true words.
…
In the afternoon, Shen Yueyao and the others continued to give bonuses to the people in the workshop.
Everyone was happy.
Of course, in the afternoon, Shen Yueyao asked everyone to go to the warehouse to get the New Year gifts.
Shen Yueyao has prepared the New Year gifts and placed them in the warehouse.
"Everyone should take a bag. Don't take more than that. There's a fixed number. This is a New Year's gift for everyone during the holiday. It contains salted duck eggs, preserved eggs, a bottle of chili meat sauce, six duck heads and a pound of duck necks. It's not a lot, just a token of my appreciation."
Even so, everyone was very excited.
I thought the year-end bonus and vacation were surprises, but I didn’t expect there would be a New Year’s gift.
Everyone was very grateful.
So when it was time to get off work in the evening, everyone cleaned up the workshop, locked the door, took the New Year gifts home, and talked excitedly to their colleagues.
The village suddenly became bustling, just like a festival.
Many people went home together.
People who live in dormitories because their homes are far away no longer have to stay in the dormitories and can go home directly.
"If I tell my parents about this when I get home, they will definitely be excited and happy."
"Don't even mention them. My heart is about to burst out of my chest. It feels a bit unreal. I feel a little dizzy even when I walk."
"Haha, don't talk about you, I feel the same way. My wife will be absolutely happy to see this silver. She has lived a careful life with me for so many years. Now that she has the silver, she can have a good New Year and buy more New Year goods, and even more meat."
"Yes, I have to buy meat. My son likes to eat ribs. I couldn't bear to buy them before. This time, I will buy more and cook them for dinner."
Everyone was talking and laughing.
Those who lived far away walked home in groups of three or five, thinking that they would not feel tired even if they walked until late at night, and everyone felt very warm in their hearts.
That night, thick smoke rose above every household in many villages, and many families lit oil lamps and candles until midnight. It was very lively, just like a festival.
Every village was bustling until midnight, and the dogs in the village were barking.
The people in the workshop returned home and shared the exciting news with their families. They talked about what happened in the workshop and how to buy New Year's goods. They were so excited that they couldn't sleep.
Everyone feels that life is full of hope.
In the following days, the commercial street became even more lively, and the towns in the county started a craze for buying New Year's goods.
Everyone carried the basket and took a ox cart to the town or county to stroll around and buy some things.
In the past, people didn’t dare to go shopping too much because they couldn’t afford many things and didn’t dare to look around.
Afraid of being looked down upon.
But now everyone has extra money to buy things, and they want to shop more and see more when they go shopping.
Even when bargaining with others, I feel more confident.
When they see people selling things at the market, some people dare to ask the price.
The people who set up stalls and opened shops were so happy to see so many customers that their eyes narrowed into slits.
Seeing that there are a lot of customers and many people are buying things, everyone is willing to lower the price to make small profits but quick turnover.
There was nothing to do in the workshop, so Shen Yueyao felt relieved.
After a few days, Shen Yueyao thought it was time to buy New Year's goods, and she also wanted to join in the fun, so she took Madam Meng and the others to go shopping for New Year's goods.
They sometimes come to the commercial street to have a look around, but before they usually came here to buy things.
But this time is different, this time I am just in a playful mood.
Shen Yueyao carried Erbao on her back, Su Xueyi held Dabao in her arms, and Madam Meng was accompanied by Daya and Erya.
Su Xiuye followed behind and watched, protecting the whole family at all times.
Su Erya was shocked when she saw the crowded commercial street. "Are there so many people?"
Almost everyone had to squeeze into the crowd, one person next to another.
There was a queue outside every restaurant.
Many of them were acquaintances, and they chatted with each other while waiting in line.
"Hey, Sister Wang, you're here to buy pancakes too."
"Yes, my kids love it. I used to be too busy to queue up to buy it, but now that I'm on vacation and have some free time, I'll take them out to play and stroll around the commercial street. They don't know what this place is like on weekdays."
"That's right. Now we just want to go out and have fun. Lively places are more fun."
"Yes, I still like lively places. When the New Year is approaching, shopping is very lively and there is a great atmosphere."
"That's right. There's no such atmosphere on weekdays. There's a place selling fried dough twists over there. I'll go buy some later."
"We plan to have fried dough sticks and tofu pudding here for lunch and bring the kids to try them."
"Yes, I like tofu pudding too. I heard it's nutritious."
Not only is the commercial street bustling, but all the shops in the town market are also bustling.
"Give me the candied haws."
“Freshly baked buns.”
"Pie, pie..."
"Sir, have a bowl of wontons. It's so cold, and hot wontons will warm you up."
"Ban Mian, signature Ban Mian..."
When people go out shopping, many people find that a whole morning of shopping is not enough, so they will have lunch and go home in the afternoon.
So every store and stall is shouting.
When walking around the county town, you can see some snack stalls on the roadside with many people sitting on stools, eating a bowl of food on the stools to fill their stomachs.
When Shen Yueyao and her family went shopping in the town that day, they saw many people carrying baskets filled with things they had bought.
Shen Yueyao knew that the two treasures liked candied haws, so she bought a few strings of candied haws for Dabao, Erbao, Daya and Erya to eat together.
Old Madam Meng doesn't like these things.
Su Xiuye and Su Xueyi didn't eat either.
But Su Xueyi knew that Yao Niang was eating it, so she asked for an extra string and gave it to Shen Yueyao.
Shen Yueyao looked at Su Xueyi handing her the string of candied haws, and she said embarrassedly, "It's not good for me to eat it."
Su Xueyi said, "It's okay. We go shopping to have fun. Don't worry, I forced it on you."
Shen Yueyao looked at Su Xueyi's doting expression, and her heart felt warm.
Su Xueyi understood what she was thinking sometimes without her having to say it.
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