Chapter 194 What are your dreams?
At dawn.
Many people in Dahe Village have already gotten up and started working.
There are only about ten cows in the village, and it takes almost ten days for it to be their turn. After feeding the cows early in the morning, they start plowing the fields.
The men tilled the fields, while the women stayed home cooking and mending clothes.
In the hazy morning mist, an oxcart appeared on the mountain road. Zhao Da was driving, and Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sanniu were on the cart.
The oxcart belonging to Zhao Da's family was contracted out to Cheng Wanwan's family for 600 copper coins a month. They could only use it for half a day, and if they needed to use it in the afternoon, they would have to pay extra.
First, I delivered over 300 jin of braised food to Hekou Town, and then I went to Ping'an Town to buy cloth.
The sun had just risen, and many shops on the street had just opened their doors. The oxcart swayed along the wide street.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard.
Zhao Da quickly drove the oxcart to the side of the road to make way.
A convoy was coming from the other end of the street, with horsemen leading the way, horse-drawn carriages in the middle, and mule carts at the back, all of which were piled high with goods.
Zhao Sanniu, curious, pulled someone aside and asked, "What's this for?"
"These are people from Ping An Escort Agency; they've landed a big job."
"Good heavens, more than a dozen mule carts, this trip is going to be very profitable."
"These mules and horses should belong to the Wang family. Master Wang is the richest merchant in Ping'an County."
Zhao Sanniu looked at the horse at the front. A man wearing a cloak sat on the tall horse with a sword at his waist, looking very imposing.
What are you looking at?
Zhao Ergou nudged his shoulder and asked curiously.
Zhao Sanniu said, "These people are capable of escorting goods to other places, so they must be very skilled."
“Of course,” Zhao Da said. “I heard that Ping’an Escort Agency helps the government transport grain every year. Once, they encountered bandits on the way. More than 30 people from Ping’an Escort Agency captured the bandit leader alive and made a great contribution. At that time, Magistrate Shen even wrote a plaque and sent it to Ping’an Escort Agency.”
Zhao Sanniu stared at the retreating figures of the group and suddenly asked, "Second Brother, do you think Mother would agree if I asked to join the escort agency?"
Zhao Ergou was stunned for a moment.
He truly never expected that the third brother would have such a thought.
But then I realized it made sense. The third child was strong and muscular from a young age and loved to fight. Whenever anyone in the family was bullied, the third child was always the first to rush in.
When the village was selecting patrol teams, the third brother really wanted to participate. Later, he became the captain as he wished and was even rewarded with a long knife.
He said, "If you like it, just do it. I think your mother will support you."
Zhao Sanniu grinned and said, "Okay, I'll tell my mother when I get back."
The two put the matter aside for the time being and went to buy cloth without stopping. Since it was their first time trying it out, they only bought fifty bolts of coarse cloth, which cost four taels of silver.
Then these fifty bolts of coarse cloth were transported to Baiyun Town, not to be sold in the town, but to be sold in the villages by oxcart.
In Baiyun Town, coarse cloth cost four copper coins per foot, but he sold it for three copper coins. Villagers could buy cheap cloth without leaving their homes. In just one village, a whole cartload of cloth was sold out.
If it weren't so late, Zhao Ergou would have liked to make one more round of errands.
Rushing back to Dahe Village before sunset, Zhao Ergou couldn't help but boast as soon as he entered the door: "Mom, I made money!"
He eagerly took out two taels of silver: "I bought fifty bolts of cloth from Ping'an Town and took them to sell in the villages of Baiyun Town. They were all sold out in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and I made a net profit of two taels of silver! There are more than thirty villages in Baiyun Town, and I plan to expand my business tomorrow..."
Cheng Wanwan calmly reminded him, "You need to pay attention to whether anyone around you is imitating you in the fabric resale business. If someone does, the market will easily become saturated, and expanding your business too quickly is not a good choice."
Zhao Ergou thought for a moment and said, "I bought fifty bolts of cloth from three or four different places. No one should know what I do for a living."
Seeing that he understood, Cheng Wanwan didn't say anything more.
She glanced at Zhao Sanniu, who had been standing to the side hesitating for a long time, and beckoned the child over: "Do you have something to say?"
Zhao Sanniu scratched the back of his head: "Mom, after the autumn planting, there shouldn't be much work to do at home, right?"
“You silly child, just say what you want to say, don’t worry about the housework.” Cheng Wanwan pulled him over, “Tell me, what’s the matter?”
With Cheng Wanwan's encouraging gaze, Zhao Sanniu spoke firmly: "Mother, I want to join Ping An Escort Agency."
"A security escort agency?" Cheng Wanwan was taken aback. "Why would you suddenly want to work for a security escort agency? Are you sure they're hiring?"
Zhao Sanniu knew nothing when asked, and said dryly, "I saw them escorting goods, sitting on big horses, looking very impressive, and I really wanted to join them. I don't know if they're recruiting, I'll go ask them tomorrow."
Cheng Wanwan didn't know much about the escort agencies of this dynasty, but as far as she knew, the profession of escorting goods must have been extremely dangerous. In ancient times, the journey from one place to another was long, and encountering bandits and brigands was very common. Therefore, the population mobility in ancient times was particularly low, which led to the high profits of the escort agency industry. High profits naturally came with high risks.
She spoke softly, "San Niu, whatever you want to do, I will support you. But think about it, are you suited to join a security escort agency? If you encounter bandits, how will you fight them off?"
Zhao Sanniu began to think seriously.
He can't even ride a horse, so the security company definitely won't want him.
"How about this?" Cheng Wanwan said with a smile, "I saw a martial arts school in Ping'an Town last time, and there were quite a few kids learning martial arts there. How about I send you there for half a year to learn? Once you have the ability to protect yourself, you can go to the escort agency, what do you think?"
Zhao Sanniu's eyes lit up.
He seemed to prefer working in the martial arts world to working for a security escort agency.
He nodded vigorously: "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever Mother says!"
He hesitated for a moment, "If I go to the martial arts school to learn martial arts, then only my eldest and second eldest brothers will be able to do the housework. No, my second eldest brother also has to run a business, so it'll just be my eldest brother doing the farm work all by himself..."
“You don’t need to worry about this. I’ll pay someone to help me.” Cheng Wanwan looked at Zhao Dashan. “Dashan, if there’s anything you like to do, whatever it is, as long as you suggest it and I think it’s reasonable, I’ll let you do it.”
She respects every child's interests and hobbies, and will fully support them as long as they are not immoral.
As for the chores around the house, there are plenty of people willing to do them as long as they can afford it.
We cannot let the lack of household chores hinder the children's development; that would be neglecting one thing for another.
Zhao Dashan scratched his head: "Mom, I just love farming. Planting seeds, weeding, watering, and fertilizing, and every harvest is the happiest time for me. I'm not as smart as my second brother who knows how to do business, nor as good at fighting as my third brother, nor as quick-witted and good at studying as my fourth brother. I only have one thought: to take good care of my wife, raise my children, and be a good son to you."
Studying for the imperial examinations is a dream, making a fortune in business is a dream, but who says that having a wife, children, and a warm bed isn't a dream?
Cheng Wanwan smiled and looked at her eldest son: "Okay, then let's work towards this goal."
Zhao Dashan smiled憨厚ly: "I'll stay here and take care of the whole family. The second, third, and fourth sons can just go out and make their way in the world without worrying about the family."
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