Chapter 139 Villagers are rushing to recommend themselves
Just when everyone was planning to go back, Xu Zhiyi remembered to buy some lard. On the road of fleeing famine, most people only ate bread and paste and had never eaten any stir-fried dishes.
I had no choice but to go back to the butcher's shop and buy seven pounds of pork fat, twenty-four cents a pound. Everyone followed suit, thinking that since we were already here, we all bought five pounds of pork fat.
When I passed by a grocery store, I went in and bought four oil lamps, one for each room, so that I wouldn't have to grope in the dark when I got up at night. The oil lamps were not expensive, only seven copper coins each. What was expensive was the oil for lighting the lamps. Half a pound of lamp oil cost two hundred and twenty coins!
After we finished shopping, we headed back home. It was good to live close to the town, and with the mule cart, it only took a quarter of an hour to get back from the town.
When everyone arrived at the door, they found that the house was crowded with villagers. What happened?
Su felt a headache looking at such a large group of women. After seeing Xu Zhiyi coming back, she seemed to have found her backbone and hurried over to Xu Zhiyi: "Zhiyi, you are back"
Xu Zhiyi glanced at the people in the courtyard and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with them?"
Su: "The village chief selected workers to help us build the house tomorrow. I heard that 20 people were selected. When the villagers heard the news, those who were not selected came to recommend themselves or their husbands!"
"Not only did they come to our house, but also the village head's house."
Xu Zhiyi understood what was going on after hearing this. He walked into the thatched cottage and said to everyone, "Although we do need people to build the house, there are so many people in your village, I can't hire them all."
"Girl, my man is tall and strong, very hardworking, and works honestly. He is much better than the one chosen by the village chief. Girl, add my husband, and I will definitely not let you down."
"My husband is also a good worker, so I can save a penny a day."
"Then my husband can save two copper coins a day."
"Ms. Wu, you can't be like this! Are you trying to steal my life?"
Wu: "Ma, you surrendered first, why can't I surrender?"
Ma: "Okay, very good, young lady, I will reduce the price by another three copper coins."
Wu: "Then my family will reduce the price by four copper coins."
"You...you...I'll reduce the price by another five copper coins."
Wu: "Reduce it by six copper coins"
Ma: "Ah! I'll lower it by eight copper coins. Come on! If you have the guts, lower it further."
Upon hearing this, Wu shrugged and said, "Okay! I'm not good enough, so congratulations on your victory!"
"No, you have to lower yourself again. How can you not lower yourself?"
Mrs. Wu: "I've already admitted defeat, why should I surrender? Humph, let your man do whatever he wants, okay?" After saying that, she walked out angrily.
When Ma saw her leaving, she thought that she had reduced the price by eight copper coins in public, so what was the difference between that and drinking for free? Then she quickly lowered her head and bent over, intending to run away quietly.
"Hey, Ma, why did you run away? Didn't you ask your husband to come and work for you for eight copper coins? Why did you run away like that when you couldn't do it?"
Hearing this, Ma was so frightened that she ran away immediately: "Ah! There's a fire at my house, I have to go back to check on the fire! I'll give you this chance!"
Xu Zhiyi looked at the people who were about to say something and said, "Everyone, go back! We have hired enough workers this time!"
Then he said: "However, if I encounter someone who is sneaky and cunning, I will definitely replace him at that time, and the candidate at that time will definitely be chosen from among you."
After hearing this, the villagers lost hope because the person chosen by the village chief was really hardworking! Alas, in the end, everyone could only say goodbye and go back in a hurry.
Shen Wuyou waited until everyone had left before moving the things he bought today off the mule cart.
Seeing how many things they had bought, Su immediately pulled Xu Zhiyi aside and said, "Zhiyi! We have to be more frugal with our money! Building a house will cost a lot of money."
"Mom, don't worry! These things I bought are all needed at home now. We will use these farm tools tomorrow. Let's go to the fields tomorrow, turn over a few plots of land, and plant some vegetables."
When Su heard the word "land", she was extremely happy. Common people like them depended on the weather and the land for their livelihood. If the weather was good and the people were diligent, the crops on the land would naturally grow well and the harvest would be good. At least they would not have to worry about running out of food and going hungry!
Xu Zhiyi took the pork fat to the kitchen and looked at the newly bought iron pan, which had to be brushed with oil before it could be used properly.
Su packed up the things she had brought from town, and when she entered the kitchen, she saw Xu Zhiyi washing pig fat, so she quickly went over to grab it and said, "Hey, Zhiyi, you just came back from town, go and rest for a while, let me do this."
"Mom, I need to cut some pork fat to brush the new iron pot."
"Using pig fat to scrub the pot? Isn't that just making it greasy?"
Xu Zhiyi: "Mom, don't worry about it. Cut the pork fat for me and I'll do it."
Upon hearing this, Su had no choice but to do as he was told. He took a knife, cleaned a piece of wood, and started cutting.
Xu Zhiyi rinsed the pot with water several times, put it on the stove and started to light a fire, boiled the pot dry, and then walked to Su's side: "Mom, cut a palm-sized piece for me."
Take the palm-sized piece of pork fat and put it into the hot iron pan. When you see a little oil coming out, start to use a spatula to press the pork fat and brush the entire pan. Don't stop until the pork fat is almost turned into oil residue. Watch the entire iron pan become shiny.
Then he picked up the oil residue and threw it into the fire.
"Zhiyi! Why did you throw away such a big piece of oil residue? Oh, such a big piece, I can use it to cook noodles later, and it can also get rid of some fishy smell."
Xu Zhiyi watched as Su suddenly rushed over to pick up the oil residue, and quickly took it over to wash it clean: "Mom, that's what I used to clean the new pot, you can't eat it!"
"I've heard from others before that after frying some fat in a newly bought iron pan, use a spatula to press the meat and scrub the entire pan until it's shiny. Then leave it for a day and then use it to clean the oil. The pan will be easy to use and won't stick easily."
"But we don't want to eat the meat that has been cooked, and we only cut a small piece. Forget it, we don't want it."
Upon hearing this, Su lowered her head to look at the oil residue that was half the size of her palm in her hand, and finally threw it away reluctantly!
Upon seeing this, Xu Zhiyi quickly put the small iron pot that had been washed on the side on the stove to light the fire, put the lard into the pot, and then poured some water into it, preparing to start boiling the lard.
Xu Zhiyi, who was lighting a fire, saw Qin come in with a basket of shepherd's purse.
"Aunt, are you going to the mountains?"
Qin heard this and put down the basket: "We didn't go to the mountain. I went to the foot of the mountain and the fields with your grandmother, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Hu family, and the mother and daughter of the Ye family. We saw some wild vegetables, so we dug some and brought them back."
Then he added: "Oh, our field has been decided! It's just across the river where we want to build the house. It's directly opposite, so it's easy to recognize."
Xu Zhiyi nodded and said, "Okay."
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