Fortunately, after about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the door creaked open.
"Brothers, are you looking for someone?" It was Luo Huan who opened the door.
In the past few days, he has accepted the He family's offer to buy him and has begun to do his job diligently. It must be said that this child is very capable, and Qin San Niang admires him greatly.
"Oh, we've come to see if Niu Niu's mother and the others have finished their work. It's getting dark, and we're worried about them walking alone," Cheng Shi said to Luo Huan with a smile.
He got to know Luo Huan when he was buying yams last time. He knew that Luo Huan was literate and could keep accounts. Although he didn't know where Luo Huan came from, he might be a relative of Scholar He!
They never imagined that the boy in front of them was someone He Yingyuan had bought! In the eyes of farmers, buying someone was something they could only dream of.
Luo Huan nodded, intending to invite the two inside to warm up before going to inform them. Then she heard footsteps behind her, mixed with a woman's voice.
"Oh dear, you're such a good father, bringing Niu Niu out like this? It's so cold, what are you going to do with my little darling if she gets cold?" Wang Guixiang said with a pained reproach when she saw her husband standing outside the door, holding their daughter whose nose was red from the cold.
“Niu Niu was naughty and insisted on coming to find you. I had no choice but to dress her in a cotton-padded coat and bring her out to greet you!” Seeing his wife come out, Cheng Shi did not go back inside and could only say goodbye to Luo Huan.
"Brother Luo Huan, we're leaving now. Thank you for opening the door for us."
"Brother, you're too kind. It's what I should do," Luo Huan said, cupping his hands in greeting. His expression was calm, but it also carried a hint of friendliness.
Chen Dahe also thanked Luo Huan along with Cheng Shi, and then took his wife home.
Both men were overjoyed. Didn't they see the huge piece of meat in their wives' hands?! Cheng Shi was fine, but Chen Dahe's family hadn't eaten such a large piece of meat in a long time. The last time they ate meat was when his wife brought back food from here while she was working.
He Xing happily followed her husband home.
"Dahe, look, this is today's wages!" After Grandpa and the others had gone to sleep, they tidied up their own little house and poured out the copper coins to show their husbands.
Chen Dahe stared at the pile of copper coins in front of him, almost speechless. If he didn't know that everyone was asleep, he probably would have shouted out loud!
"Wife, you're amazing! How did you get so many?" Chen Dahe's words were like honey, and this handful of copper coins was even more than last time!
Her son, who was sleeping on the inside of the bed, turned over, and He Xing quickly gestured for him to lower his voice.
"This is 320 coins, the same as last time. Also, because I worked overtime today, my sister-in-law gave me a big piece of pork as some kind of overtime pay, basically compensation for us working overtime." He Xing happily finished the hot water in her bowl. This man was good to get along with and considerate.
“This Madam Qin is really generous, so you all have to work hard for her! How about we give this money to Grandpa tomorrow? It's not appropriate for us to keep it,” Chen Dahe suggested.
There was no other way; they hadn't separated their households. No matter how much they earned, it all had to be used collectively. In fact, it wasn't just their family that did this; this was the rule that had been followed in Shiligou for generations. Separating households was extremely rare, especially when bandits or wars would occasionally strike. Only by sticking together as a family could they survive for a long time.
He Xing was a little reluctant to part with it; after all, it was money she had worked hard to earn, and it was a considerable sum. If she saved it up a little longer, she could even pay for her son Da Xiong's schooling! Thinking of Liu Guixiang's sarcastic words, He Xing felt a surge of anger. She believed in her son Da Xiong; she was certain he would study hard!
"Alright, then Grandpa can have it!" Although she was reluctant, she still agreed. The three of them couldn't survive independently, and besides, compared to other grandfathers, Old Man Chen was a good one! However, this still couldn't stop He Xing from envying Wang Guixiang. She was a woman who could truly manage the household. How wonderful!
"Dahe, I'm thinking of taking Daxiong to the city later." Daxiong is almost two years old now, still walking unsteadily, and crying incessantly at night. What worries them most is the sudden stiffening of his limbs and foaming at the mouth. They don't know when this will happen. She's extremely anxious.
Previously, the Chen family had already spent a considerable amount of money on Da Xiong and consulted many doctors. However, these were all village healers, or at most, county doctors. If she hadn't been able to earn money now, she wouldn't have brought it up.
"I've heard that the doctors at Huichuntang in the city are highly skilled."
Chen Dahe glanced at his son, his eyes filled with even more sorrow. He was the only son in the family, as was Da Xiong. What father wouldn't love his son? But the family was already extremely poor! However, seeing the tears in his wife's eyes, he nodded and said he would talk to his parents and grandfather about it later.
After two days of hard work, Wu Chunhua and Liao Hongying carefully packed away the ear warmers and gloves they had made.
"We made a total of 300 pairs of earmuffs and 400 pairs of gloves this time. However, we only made 100 pairs of the new earmuffs."
Qin San Niang nodded. The new model of ear warmers was more complicated to make, and one hundred pairs was already her best effort. Besides, she planned to sell them at a high price, so quantity didn't matter.
“Let’s split up. Fatty and I will go to Jiangzhou City. Hongying, Sister Chunhua, and Luo Huan will go to He County.” Luo Huan knows some martial arts, and his indenture is still in He Yingyuan’s hands, so Qin Sanniang isn’t worried that he will run away.
He Yingyuan has been quite busy these past few days. Village head Chen Sheng is very concerned about setting up a school. These past few days, he has been taking him around to see the place, saying that they want to vacate the clan house first to use it as a school, and they plan to start classes after the New Year.
He Yingyuan naturally wouldn't refuse; when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Besides, He Yingyuan himself was now deeply interested in running a school.
In his past life, his mortal enemy, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, had the greatest wish in life to be a hermit living among the clouds, a teacher educating people. Unsurprisingly, he scoffed at this, but that didn't stop him from seeking out the fun and exploring the reasons behind it.
If only women and children were left at home, Qin Sanniang wouldn't feel at ease. After much thought, she decided that having Gu Qingshan stay at home was the most reassuring option.
As for the county area, he instructed Wu Chunhua and the others to only do business on Willow Street, as those hooligans probably wouldn't dare to come and cause trouble, having just learned their lesson.
If they're still so blind, isn't there Luo Huan? That kid has some skill; Qin San Niang has noticed. Dealing with a couple of thugs shouldn't be a problem. She wonders how he was sold out in the first place!
Luo Huan: You try going hungry every day! Besides, he was tied up with his hands and feet bound and chained, and was only given a vegetable bun to eat every day. He was so hungry that he had no strength at all.
These past few days, I've been eating and drinking well, and even the water I drink tastes sweeter than before. My injuries are gradually healing, and my strength has returned, even surpassing what it was before.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com