Chapter 1360 Eating and Drinking
Old Zhou was distressed and asked, "Can't we let each family pay for it themselves?"
Qian couldn't help but glance at him. "Alright, I'll tell them that the children's tuition, food, and lodging will all be covered by the public school, but they'll have to buy everything else themselves."
She didn't take it too seriously. "Anyway, the money we earn will be divided among the children. It doesn't matter if it comes from the public funds. When Liutou and the others grow up, it will be the same. After we die, their brothers can think about dividing the family property."
With so much money left in the public account, it needs to be distributed every year. Otherwise, it will just keep accumulating in the public account and it will become a problem how to distribute it over the years.
It would be better to spend the money as they earn it now. Each family can keep their own money and spend it as they wish. As long as they save money for Laoliu and Manbao to get married, they will have accomplished the most important thing in their lives.
Thinking of this, Qian said to Old Zhou, "I've already told Madam Liu that Manbao is still young and needs to stay for a few more years, so we can slowly save up her dowry. But this time, we have to prepare and send the betrothal gifts for the sixth son."
Manbao actually had some ideas. "Dad, Mom, why don't you go to the capital as well and propose marriage to the Qiu family? You have to go, right?"
"Your fourth brother and his family are here," Qian said. "Since you and the fourth and fifth brothers all say that the Qiu family is good, then it must be good. Just bring them back for us to see during the Chinese New Year next year."
She said, "We are old, so we won't go."
Old Zhou nodded repeatedly.
It takes about ten days to go out. How can it be so easy?
Not to mention Old Zhou and Qian, even Zhou Dalang was not willing to go out. In his opinion, going to the county town, Mianzhou or Yizhou City was fun, but going to a place more than three days' journey away would be a torture.
The children go out because they are young and it is okay for them to suffer. But when they get older, why should they go through so much trouble?
Only Zhou Silang can't sit still and likes to run outside.
After getting up and having breakfast, I watched the sun rise high in the sky. I ignored the custom of not going out on the first day of the new year and ran out to have dinner with friends.
The young people in the village who got along well with him were also happy to entertain him.
The gangsters who used to hang out together have all started their own families and careers. But Zhou Silang is the last one to get married among them. After all, his reputation delayed his marriage by two years.
But now he seems to be the most capable.
Everyone felt emotional and then gave him some wine.
Zhou Silang didn't just come to them to drink, but to collect tea.
Tea outside is too expensive, so he wants to take advantage of the New Year holidays when everyone is at home and collect some tea from the surrounding villages.
Although everyone has loose tea at home, a little bit of tea adds up to a lot, right?
Of course he couldn't go to so many villages and so many households by himself; that would be so tiring.
So he found his friends and set the price for them directly. This time he also brought three types of tea, which were all the teas they usually drank here.
He pointed to them and said, "I'll buy the ones that are roasted like this for 60 wen per jin. The ones that are like this are 55 wen per jin. The ones that are like this are 50 wen per jin. As for how much you charge per jin, it depends on your ability."
Zhou Silang put his hands on his brothers' shoulders and said, "But let me be frank. These teas must be fried well and can't get damp."
His brothers patted their chests and assured him, "Don't worry on Thursday. We are well aware of this matter. We all know that you are taking this tea to the capital to sell to nobles. Who would dare to fool you?"
Zhou Silang nodded repeatedly, "That's exactly the point."
"Then this money..."
Zhou Silang: "When you take it back, I'll inspect the goods at home and settle the bill on the spot."
Everyone hesitated, "Doesn't that mean we have to pay for it ourselves?"
"Why should I pay them in advance? They're all from the same village. When you went to collect the money, you agreed to give them after you got the money. The first time is good, the second time is good. If you keep your promise, it won't be difficult to buy them on credit next time." Zhou Silang was also worried that someone would take the money and not give it to the villagers, so he said, "Let me tell you, this outside world is different from our mountain village."
"We in the mountains only drink tea in summer and autumn, but people outside drink it all year round, so this tea business is open year-round. Please don't break the rules. If you can't do this business anymore, it's none of my business."
"Look at what you said. Are we that kind of people?"
Now that the matter was settled, everyone started to urge others to drink.
But in fact, there is not much wine. Qili Village has become much more well-off in the past two years, but it is not to the point where there is a lot of wine stored in every household.
So there wasn't much wine or drinks, and we were reluctant to drink it all in one meal, so everyone drank one bowl and had the rest left for the dishes.
Zhou Silang came sober and left sober, with only a faint smell of alcohol on his body.
That’s right, when there is only a little bit of wine, it smells good, but if you drink too much, it becomes smelly.
Even the Zhou family was not rich enough to allow themselves to stink of alcohol, so when people smelled the alcohol emanating from him, from Old Zhou to Zhou Sanlang, they all felt a little envious of Zhou Sanlang.
Zhou Wulang doesn't like drinking, so he doesn't feel anything.
But Zhou Silang was still not satisfied. He wanted to go to his uncle's house in the afternoon to continue drinking, because buying tea was best done with his cousins.
He said to Qian, "Mom, even though the money earned from buying loose tea is small, it's still money, right? It's a good opportunity for my cousins to make some money."
Qian, who was about to express her opinion, frowned and waved him away.
Zhou Silang smiled and asked his mother for the New Year's gift.
Qian patted his hand and said, "Take some cakes and go over there. And tell your uncles that our eldest daughter is coming back tomorrow, so we won't be going over there for now. Your eldest brother and his family can go and pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the New Year."
Zhou Silang agreed with regret.
Fang packed some snacks for him. When she was avoiding people, she couldn't help but pinch his waist and turned him around, gritting her teeth and saying, "Don't think I don't know that you don't want to take care of the child. If you don't come back early tonight..."
Zhou Silang ran away with a grin on his face and his hands covering his waist, holding only three bags of snacks in his hands.
Qian took a look, snorted softly, and did not stand up for her son.
Manbao and Sanya had just returned from picking vegetables in the garden. Seeing her fourth brother running out, she raised her hand and greeted him, "Fourth brother, are you going out for a drink again?"
Zhou Silang's waist was still aching, so he ran off with the snacks in his hand. Turning back, he yelled, "No, I'm just doing business!"
Then he disappeared in a short while.
Qian said in the yard: "Manbao, don't worry about him, he went to your uncle's house."
Manbao carried the vegetables back and squatted down with her sister-in-law to pick them. Fang also squatted opposite Manbao and asked, "Manbao, when he was in the capital, did your fourth brother often go out to eat and drink like this?"
Manbao felt like a sword was hanging over her fourth brother's head. After hesitating for a moment, she finally told the truth, "It's not that I eat and drink often, but I need to go out and find work frequently, so sometimes I have more social engagements."
Fang became thoughtful.
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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