Chapter 2091 New Year Part 2
Manbao agreed and asked, "Fourth brother, how much money did you make today?"
"Not much," he said, shaking the bag and laughing, "I make more money selling it to other people in the yard."
Zhou Silang offered a high price to each family and also set a high price when he brought the meat to the market. However, the entire market was sparsely populated with only two people selling meat. People who wanted to buy meat were wandering back and forth in front of the stalls, and most of them asked the price but did not buy.
Zhou Silang didn't know what happened, but he suddenly lowered the price.
He said, "Luckily, I made some profit on the half I sold this morning, otherwise I would have lost money this time. I've been doing business for so many years, but this is the first time I've lost so much money."
Manbao smiled and said, "It's the New Year, so if you're happy, you won't lose anything."
Zhou Silang thought about it and realized it was true. "Although I felt heartbroken for a while, at least I felt better. I didn't think about it anymore and I could sleep well at night."
He said, "I've donated so many medicinal herbs to the county government before, so I don't need half a cow."
Manbao agreed with this.
The brother and sister walked slowly towards the yard where they rented. There were few people on the street. Occasionally, there were people coming and going in a hurry. Most of them were wearing masks similar to those worn by Zhou Manzhoulilang.
This thing has become a necessity like clothes. In the winter, wearing a mask can protect your face from the cold wind and can also isolate you from diseases, so it is easy for everyone to accept it.
The mask on Manbao's face was newly made by Cui. It was made of the finest cotton and had several layers. A bunch of orchids was embroidered on the outside, which was particularly beautiful. The inside was also made to fit the skin very well. If it got dirty, she could just wash it and dry it and continue to use it.
As they walked along, they saw white hemp hanging on the doors of most houses on the street. But when they entered the alley where they rented a house, there were fewer white hemp trees.
Because this area was mainly rented to passing merchants, but this time, many merchants passing by here also died.
The ban in Xiazhou City has been lifted, and people who have been checked and have no fever or acne can leave the city. Therefore, many merchants are packing their luggage, planning to return home after New Year’s Eve and the first and second days of the New Year.
Those who are still alive should send their companions' ashes back to their hometowns, and if there is any remaining money, they must give an explanation to their parents, wives and children in their hometowns.
So as Manbao walked along, he could vaguely hear people crying, all crying for their companions.
Zhou Silang was already used to it. He took Manbao's hand and walked quickly. In a few steps, he reached the door. He pushed it open and went in. There was a big pot in the yard. Steam was bubbling out of it, and the aroma of meat was constantly emanating from it.
He laughed and scolded, "I was wondering why the alley was filled with the aroma of meat. So you guys are cooking something here."
The third son laughed and said, "They wanted to use the kitchen to cook, but they thought the pot of soup was too big, so they moved it to the yard to cook. Fourth brother, come and try it, is it okay?"
"What's good about it? The bones are so big, they need to be cooked longer to taste better. Don't open the lid rashly, or the aroma will be gone."
Bai Shan and the others haven't returned yet. They have been sorting out materials in the county government office these days.
Although there are many rooms in this courtyard, there are also many people. Manbao and his friends do not live here, but live in a place arranged by the government office.
But the food in the yard was better, so Manbao and his friends came back to eat every now and then.
Sisters Liu Sanniang and Zhou Lijun were busy in the kitchen. Manbao took off his cloak and slipped in. Then he was stuffed with a large bowl of meat. "I've been stewing steak since morning. Try it and see if it's delicious."
The stewed steak was still hot from the pot. Manbao took a careful bite, his eyes brightening as he asked, "Did Sanniang make this?"
Zhou Lijun immediately said, "I lit the fire."
Zhou Liru opened his mouth and could only say, "I added some water."
Manbao burst out laughing and nodded, "I know, you all worked hard."
Bai Shan knew that there would be delicious food in the yard today, so after leaving the yamen, he called his cousin and Yin Huo together, and the four of them sneaked back to eat delicious food together.
Zhou Silang sat at the same table with them. While serving them soup, he said, "Hurry up and eat some more before you go home. You two have become so skinny, while we've gained weight. When we get home, we'll be scolded to death."
Zhou Lijun agreed and picked up a piece of bone with a lot of meat for his sister-in-law.
Manbao stared at the white radish in the soup and said, "I want to eat radish..."
Zhou Silang picked up a radish and put it in his bowl, saying generously, "I'll eat the radish, you guys eat the meat."
Manbao: ...
Bai Shan suppressed his laughter, picked up a piece of radish for her and said, "Fourth brother, the radish in the soup tastes better than the meat."
"Is that so? I think meat is still delicious."
Zhou Lijun also thinks so.
After everyone had a happy meal, Bai Shan asked Zhou Silang and Xiang Mingxue, "When do you plan to return to Beijing?"
They can set off at any time now. In fact, if Manbao and the others had not been in Xiazhou City, he would have left when the government officially opened the city gates yesterday.
Although it was the Chinese New Year, he felt that since he couldn't go home anyway, what was the difference between celebrating the New Year in Xiazhou City or outside Xiazhou City?
It’s better to go home early, maybe you can still catch the seventh day of the New Year.
But Manbao and his group were still here, so Zhou Silang stayed and asked, "When are you leaving?"
Bai Shan calculated the time and said, "The earliest we can go back is after the Lantern Festival. If the news from the capital is slow, we might not be able to return until after the first lunar month."
Zhou Silang frowned. There was still a month or even longer to go. Not to mention how much business opportunities they would miss, they would also lose money if they just ate and didn't do anything.
Bai Shan also knew that it was not easy for him to support such a large group of people, so he said: "Fourth brother, you should go back after the New Year and report your safety to your family so that they can feel at ease. We came here on orders, so we must return on orders as well."
Zhou Silang knew they couldn't be together anymore, so he sighed, turned around and said to Xiang Mingxue, "Then let's tell the landlord to give up the yard on the third day of the New Year. We can pack up our things and leave."
Xiang Mingxue nodded and couldn't help asking about the situation outside of Xiazhou. "...I wonder what the situation is like in other states and counties?"
Bai Shan said, "The news we received is that the situation is under control, and most of the smallpox patients in the capital have also been cured, so there's no big problem. You can go back without worry after you get the documents."
Zhou Silang said, "Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, remember to come here for the New Year dinner."
Manbao said, "I don't think so. Imperial Physician Lu is going to treat all the doctors to a meal, as well as the students from the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Liu Sanniang and Zhou Liru also said that they could not come back.
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(End of this chapter)
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