Chapter 783: Are You Lying?
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and rested for a while, County Magistrate Yang gave a few instructions to the yamen runners and went out with Manbao and the others.
The busiest time had passed, and the shoppers had calmed down a lot. Everyone was strolling slowly, and those who were tired or hungry would find a nearby shop or stall to sit down and eat something.
So County Magistrate Yang could go out for a walk with his hands behind his back without any worries.
After going downstairs, Daji went to the back of the restaurant and picked up the chicken cage hanging on the back of the car.
When County Magistrate Yang saw the large rooster in his hand, he was surprised and asked, "Is this your cargo?"
The three of them nodded together.
County Magistrate Yang stroked his chin and said, "It's impossible that they're selling it to a restaurant to be cooked into a dish, right?"
“If it can’t be sold, it will end up being used as a dish.”
The rooster in the chicken coop cackled a few times, but I don't know if it understood.
County Magistrate Yang followed them curiously down the main street, then turned into a small street. Lanterns were also lit inside, but unlike outside, it was as bright as day and very noisy. As soon as he entered, a cacophony of shouts rushed towards his ears.
Manbao and Baishan Bai Erlang were also obviously stunned. When County Magistrate Yang saw the three of them, he knew that it was their first time here as well, and he couldn't help but smile.
There was a strange smell in the air. Manbao waved his hand in front of his nose and sighed, "It stinks."
County Magistrate Yang narrowed his eyes and looked further into the street. He finally managed to find information about the street in his mind. "Is this the street where the gambling house is located?"
Manbao nodded and asked, "Master Yang, have you been here?"
"I've been here before," County Magistrate Yang said. "I've been here to handle cases and to visit, but this is the first time I've been here at night."
He turned around and asked the three people, "You have been here too?"
Manbao said: "I've been here a few times, but only during the day."
County Magistrate Yang asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"
Manbao pointed at the chicken cage in Daji's hand and said, "Selling chickens."
County Magistrate Yang looked down at the big rooster in the chicken coop and followed them silently.
Not long after walking, we saw people fighting cocks in front of us. It was obviously the rooster's sleep time, but they poked the rooster awake, making it stretch its neck and fight while clucking and screaming.
County Magistrate Yang didn't like this atmosphere very much and frowned.
Manbao was watching with great interest. After watching for a while, she found a seller who looked reliable and showed him her big cock.
After all, this was for fighting, so the buyer carefully selected it and said, "Okay, three taels of silver. If you want, you can keep it."
Manbao and the other two secretly discussed it and agreed. Then they handed over the money and the goods. After Manbao took the money, he looked around and asked, "Should we go shopping again?"
Bai Shan said, "Let's take a look at what other people's roosters look like."
County Magistrate Yang watched with them, and only left when they had finally seen enough. "You're watching so intently, are you planning to gamble on the cockfighting?"
Manbao shook his head repeatedly, "We don't gamble. Those who gamble usually end up in a bad situation."
"So what are you doing?"
"We plan to raise more large roosters, and then sell the best ones that can fight to them as fighting cocks. Fighting cocks are more than ten times more expensive than ordinary chickens."
Bai Shan also nodded, "It's very profitable."
County Magistrate Yang hadn't expected this to be their plan. He was stunned for a moment before he said, "Aren't cocks used for cockfighting very difficult to raise? I heard they have to be carefully raised, and their food is even more expensive than humans."
Manbao said, "That's not true. To raise a good rooster, you have to feed it well, but not better than humans. My second sister-in-law is the best at raising chickens. The roosters she raises have shiny feathers and tall red combs. We raise all the chickens on our small farm according to my second sister-in-law's method. Although they are not as good as hers, they are not bad either. If we take better care of them, I estimate that we can produce about thirty fighting cocks a year."
Bai Shan said, "Three taels of silver per piece, so thirty pieces would be ninety taels. We can each get thirty taels."
Bai Erlang also said, "We eat the grains and vegetables produced in the farm, and basically don't spend any money at all."
County Magistrate Yang looked at them in confusion, "Are you short of money?"
The three of them nodded together.
Bai Shan said, "There are more and more things to learn in the school, and everyone likes to buy expensive and good things. After the fifteenth, I will go to the school and must buy a good violin. Ma can continue to rent from the school."
Bai Erlang said, "The prices at the prefectural school are extremely high. Treating people to a meal outside costs a lot of money. I can't always eat at other people's table. I have to treat them back."
Man Bao said, "Besides books, I also need to buy some medicinal herbs. I also need to treat guests. If the teacher wants me to learn music, I also need to buy a piano."
County Magistrate Yang: "Your family won't give you money?"
Bai Shan said, "I did give it to you, but after the winter solstice, my grandmother said that Manbao didn't spend any money on her studies outside, and her father still kept her money. So she said she wouldn't give me any money anymore. She told me to use my own money first, and then ask for more from my family if it's not enough. It's not free to ask for it."
Bai Erlang felt even more aggrieved. "When my father heard that Bai Shan didn't want any money from the family anymore, he cut off my money too. Humph, he also said that my eldest brother didn't have any land. The family had already given me a piece of land as private property, so I shouldn't ask for money from the family anymore."
So Bai Shan and Bai Erlang looked at Man Bao together.
Manbao lowered his head guiltily and whispered, "My fourth brother just said this. Who knows who spread it back? My family will never tell anyone outside that my father took my money."
This is the rule of the Zhou family.
You should only know how much money you have at home. You can tell your family members, but you must never tell anyone else.
There are so many people in the Zhou family that it is impossible to trace where the news leaked from, but it is true that they need money and need to make more money.
County Magistrate Yang, who originally did not agree with their business, could not say anything against it. He could only pat the three of them on the shoulders to comfort them.
However, he still warned: "When you deal with people like this, you must be careful not to be infected by their bad habits."
"Don't worry, we will never gamble."
County Magistrate Yang laughed and said, "Many people say this before they gamble."
Bai Shan: "We won't. If we are moved, we can just think about Brother Zhou Si."
Manbao nodded.
County Magistrate Yang was curious, "Why, Zhou Silang has gambled before?"
Manbao said solemnly: "I gambled and almost sold me to pay off my debts."
County Magistrate Yang widened his eyes in surprise.
Bai Erlang laughed heartily and said, "You're kidding! Your family is rich, how could they possibly sell you? My housekeeper said you still have a silver longevity locket, but your parents couldn't bear to part with it, so they borrowed the money. They couldn't even bear to give away your longevity lock, let alone sell you."
County Magistrate Yang finally felt relieved. He had said that the Zhou family didn't look like that kind of family, but... "Erlang, I'm not a ghost."
Good night
(End of this chapter)
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