Chapter 175 If you are not afraid of getting dirty, let’s go to the river to wash together
When Lin Dashan said this, He Guixiang rolled her eyes secretly again.
Why are you meddling in other people's family affairs?
If people live a good life after listening to you, that's great, but if they get into trouble after listening to you, will they blame you?
Of course, He Guixiang was not saying that Old Man Liao was that kind of person. She just felt that it was best to stay out of other people's affairs, especially the trivial matters at home. This was something she had concluded after listening to so much gossip and combining it with her own experience.
But at this time, He Guixiang didn't say anything. Several drunk men were about to become sworn brothers on the spot, so why should she say anything?
"Dashan, to be honest with you, I didn't refuse outright this time because I thought Aye was a sensible boy." Old man Liao said, looking at Zhou Ye who was silent on the side.
Zhou Ye also drank, but he was a good alcoholic. He drank the little he had, looking as if he hadn't touched a drop at all. His face remained calm, unlike Lin Dashan, whose face had turned red from drinking. Zhou Ye, however, was not a talkative person at the table, only quietly eating his meal.
As soon as Old Man Liao said this, Zhao Laosan and Lin Dashui also followed suit and praised him.
Zhou Ye is truly wonderful. Ever since Lin Dashan bought Zhou Ye, his life has gotten better and better. It wasn't obvious before, because the family had a medicine jar that needed daily medication to maintain their health, but not everyone could afford to care for a medicine jar like Lin Xiaopu. Without Zhou Ye, Lin Dashan and He Guixiang wouldn't have been able to save up the money.
Later, Lin Shu returned, bringing with her good fortune. Lin Xiaopu recovered early, and the family's meals improved. Lin Dashan's family themselves couldn't notice it, but outsiders like them could clearly see that the whole family was looking better and better, not just Lin Xiaopu, but everyone else as well.
It's said that these two are a perfect match. Aye is capable, and Shu is not only smart, but also a lucky star! After all, Aye has never hunted wild boars or black bears before.
After hearing the praise from several people, Lin Dashan felt proud again and urged Old Man Liao to agree to his distant cousin's request to raise a son to be filial to him.
Although Old Man Liao was tempted, he still had some concerns. "That child is already eleven years old. The more sensible he is, the more he can't let go of his parents. Do you think he can be raised well?"
Lin Dashan hurriedly said, "Brother Liao, what you said is not right. Look, when I bought Zhou Ye, he was still a tall and strong man. Now he is filial to me."
Old man Liao thought to himself, this is different. A'ye's biological parents are dead, and the surviving relatives have cut off all ties with him. He has no relatives in Tianshui Village and can only rely on Lin Dashan's family.
Zhou Ye originally didn't want to interrupt, but after hearing this, he said something else, "Old Man Liao, you can take the child home and raise him for a while. After a while, you'll be able to see everything."
Although time reveals a person's true character, even a short period of interaction can reveal many problems. If the boy knew what was important, even if he still cared about his own parents, it wouldn't prevent him from being filial to Old Man Liao. Moreover, Zhou Ye felt that the boy caring about his own parents was a good thing, as it showed that he was a filial son. Didn't Old Man Liao just want someone to be filial to him and take care of him in his old age?
Old man Liao understood Zhou Ye's implication and really started to think about it.
After a while, the men started chatting about other things.
The men were chatting animatedly, and Lin Shu's table was no less lively.
When they were almost done eating, Lin Shu talked directly with Lin Zhaodi about the ice jelly business without avoiding Zhang Qiaohua.
Lin Zhaodi first glanced at Zhang Qiaohua, and seeing her surprised expression, she thought that she really didn't know, and hurriedly explained, "Sister Qiaohua, Ah Shu wanted to help me, so she handed this ice jelly business over to me."
Zhang Qiaohua was stunned for a moment, then she said, "Oh," and replied, "Ashu has her own reasons for making this arrangement. Just listen to her."
Although I said this, I was actually a little sad in my heart.
She knew she shouldn't be greedy for more. Ah Shu was able to teach her son Yu Shu to read and write without holding a grudge, which was already a huge benefit to their family. How could she feel dissatisfied just because Ah Shu handed over this money-making business to someone else?
She was not dissatisfied, she was just regretful.
After all, Ah Shu still had a grudge against her because of what happened in the past.
When the family was divided, she wanted to get more benefits, so she used Lin Dashan to compete with her second brother. But she was not a stingy person who would hold on to money. It was really because she was obsessed with wanting Yushu to study that she had the desire to compete with him in a hurry.
Zhang Qiaohua regrets it now when she thinks about it. Even if she wanted to fight for her son, she should have gone to Lin Datian and Zhang Lamei. Why did she want to fight for her second brother and his wife?
Later, she reflected and realized that she acted this way because her second brother and sister-in-law were too honest. In the final analysis, she was also a villain who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
She could also understand that Ah Shu didn't want to have any financial dealings with her.
She wasn't jealous of Lin Zhaodi; her and Zhao Laosan's lives were even harder than hers. Moreover, now that she knew Yushu was a good student, she felt hopeful and no matter how hard or tiring her life was, she wasn't afraid. She embroidered handkerchiefs and made straw sandals to sell, sleeping an hour or two less each day so she could embroider and weave more. During the slack season, Lin Dashui would go to town to work odd jobs. Together, the couple could save enough money for Yushu's education.
Zhang Qiaohua felt a mixture of regret and bitterness, but she remained calm and said, "Sister Zhaodi, I often go to town to sell straw sandals, so I have some experience in this area. If you don't understand something, just ask me."
Lin Zhaodi was delighted to hear this. She was afraid that Third Aunt Ashu would be unhappy after knowing this, but she didn't expect that not only did she not blame Ashu for being disloyal, but she was also willing to teach her business experience.
She quickly replied, "Okay, thank you, Sister Qiaohua! I've got everything ready. I'll go to town tomorrow to try selling some. If there's anything I don't understand, I'll ask you later."
"Selling tomorrow?" Zhang Qiaohua was slightly surprised. "Tomorrow is not the market day, and it's hot. I'm afraid not many people will be out and about. Your business—"
Halfway through her words, Zhang Qiaohua thought of what Lin Zhaodi was going to sell and burst into laughter again. "You really don't have any trouble selling this stuff. But is this your first time doing business? I think you shouldn't be too greedy on your first day, and don't have a fixed stall yet. Just carry your load and sell from street to street..."
Zhang Qiaohua's reaction was somewhat beyond Lin Shu's expectations. She deliberately did not avoid her Third Aunt, wanting to see how her Third Aunt would react when she found out that she was "cheating". After all, when the family was divided, her Third Uncle and Third Aunt had a conflict with her father and mother over interests.
Now Third Aunt not only did not complain, but also shared her business experience without reservation. Lin Shu felt that all the hard work she had put into teaching during this period was worth it.
At first, she was quite comfortable teaching, not too strenuous. But then, realizing Lin Yushu was incredibly talented, she started preparing lesson plans, which was time-consuming and laborious. Oh, brainpower is also power.
If Third Aunt resented her just because of this incident, she would be very disappointed.
Thinking of this, Lin Shu glanced at He Guixiang and gave her a look: Mother, are you relieved now?
He Guixiang was helpless, but felt relieved in her heart.
She didn't want Zhang Qiaohua to have any grudges against their family because of this incident, but fortunately that didn't happen.
As long as it’s not about Yu Shu’s studies, my third brother’s wife has always been clear about it.
After Zhang Qiaohua finished her suggestion, Lin Zhaodi smiled and replied, "Sister-in-law Qiaohua and I originally had the same idea, but after Ah Shu and I analyzed it, we found that walking around the streets wouldn't be feasible for the time being. Firstly, the stuff is heavy and inconvenient to move around, and secondly, if we move around, the sun will make the ice melt quickly. Ah Shu and I discussed it and decided to set up a stall in a shady spot at the end of the street. Although there won't be many people strolling around, there will be quite a few vendors and shopkeepers in the street market, and there will always be people from the town who come out to buy. A bowl of ice jelly is twelve cents, which is not cheap, but it's not expensive either. These people are really suffering from the heat, so they are willing to spend the money."
Zhang Qiaohua was relieved to hear that the two had made such a thoughtful plan. After thinking for a while, she mentioned some other things to pay attention to.
Lin Zhaodi listened carefully and thanked him repeatedly. There were indeed some twists and turns here that she didn't understand.
"Aunt San, Aunt Lin and I have finished discussing the ice jelly business. Now let me tell you about this other business." Lin Shu looked at Zhang Qiaohua with a smile on her lips and told her about her cooperation with Grandpa Gao's family.
"...We plan to start selling these bamboo lounge chairs by the end of the month. But the weather will be even hotter then, and you know I hate the heat and don't like going out. I'm thinking of finding someone to help me sell these bamboo lounge chairs. After much thought, I think Third Aunt is the right person. I wonder if she's interested in this business? Would you be willing to take it on?"
Zhang Qiaohua was stunned after hearing what he said. After a while, she excitedly replied, "Ah Shu, of course I do!"
A bamboo lounge chair costs 300 wen. Others think it can't be sold, but Zhang Qiaohua thinks it can! She can sell a pair of straw sandals for 30 or 40 wen. Not to mention that the bamboo lounge chair that Ah Shu asked Ah Ye to make looks exquisite and comfortable.
She didn't spend any money to sell a bamboo lounge chair, and just by talking, she could get 20% of the profit, which was 60 wen! Ah Shu said that Grandpa Gao's family could make at least 20 chairs a month, which was 1,200 wen. When she sold them, Grandpa Gao's family could still make them, and the amount would be far more than that.
The more Zhang Qiaohua thought about it, the more excited she became. Although she could earn this money, it was easy to earn. Compared to working hard to embroider handkerchiefs and weave straw sandals and then sell them, it would save a lot of effort.
Ah Shu still thought about her third aunt. Knowing that she had earned money from embroidering handkerchiefs and weaving straw sandals, she left her a simple job. Later, she could sell this bamboo lounge chair together with her straw sandals!
No one present was an outsider, so Lin Shu immediately drew up two deeds, one for Lin Zhaodi and one for Zhang Qiaohua.
Both of them were happy and pressed their fingerprints after listening to Lin Shu finish reading.
He Guixiang shook her head and said angrily, "Ashu, why do even your Third Aunt and Aunt Lin want to sign this deed?" Then she mentioned that Grandpa Gao also signed the deed that day.
Lin Zhaodi said with a smile: "Ashu, this is good. Everyone can rest assured that the official business will be handled impartially!"
After the banquet, Lin Zhaodi insisted on staying to help clean up the pots and pans because she lived nearby.
"...Ashu, I'm going to the town to sell ice jelly tomorrow. I'm both excited and nervous. Do you think we can make this ice jelly business successful?" Lin Zhaodi had always been sure that ice jelly would sell well, but when the time came to sell it, she started to have all kinds of worries.
Lin Shu smiled when she heard this, "Aunt Lin, don't worry. Our ice jelly business doesn't cost much, so it doesn't matter if it doesn't sell well. Even if you only sell one bowl, we'll still make a profit."
Lin Zhaodi became full of fighting spirit again when she left.
After the courtyard was cleaned up, He Guixiang helped the drunk Lin Dashan to the inner room to rest. Lin Xiaopu fell asleep quickly and had already fallen asleep while the others were chatting. Now only Lin Shu and Zhou Ye were left sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze.
Lin Shu pouted slightly, "The wind at night is a bit hot, not as cool as last month."
Zhou Ye drank tonight, but he was not drunk. However, he became bolder and stared at Lin Shu, unwilling to miss her. "Ah Shu, I bought you a cool mat. I'll get it for you tomorrow."
"Huh? When did you buy it? Today? Why didn't you bring it back today?"
Zhou Ye looked at her eyes which were wide open with surprise. Perhaps the alcohol was taking effect, he suddenly leaned over and kissed her eyes.
"Ah! What are you doing?" Lin Shu didn't hide, but scolded him with a smile, "What if my mother isn't asleep and she sees us? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Don't be ashamed. You'll marry me soon." Zhou Ye paused and answered the question. "My body and hands are dirty from selling pork during the day. I don't want to dirty the new mat I bought, so I'll go get it tomorrow."
Lin Shu snorted, "You didn't even shower when you came back, you just washed your face and hands. Now you're so close to me, aren't you afraid of getting me dirty?"
"Don't be afraid." Zhou Ye looked at her and said in a low voice, "If it gets dirty, let's go to the river to wash it together."
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