Upon hearing this, Shi Tou's eyes lit up instantly, his face full of excitement. "Really, Sister Meng Zhao! If we're going to keep it, can we let it go to the pig farm?"
Seeing Shi Tou's excited expression, Meng Zhao gently shook his head. "That won't do. Pigs and dogs eat different things and have different living habits. If they live together, they are prone to catching diseases. So we can only let it live outside the pig farm. It must be tied up all the time and we must never let it into the pig farm."
Even though he couldn't let the puppy live in the pig farm, Shi Tou was still very happy. He spent his days either looking after Shun'er or the pigs, and he had been looking forward to the arrival of new people at the pig farm for a long time.
There are many things to say about raising dogs. While feeding them well, you also need to train them so that they can be more loyal. So Meng Zhao chopped wood while carefully explaining to Shi Tou the precautions for raising a dog.
After saying all this, Meng Zhao was still worried and added, "Although this dog is said to be intelligent, it was probably starving before. Now it wags its tail at whoever feeds it. You two still can't relax your guard over the pig farm. You need to train it properly again."
Shi Tou patted his chest and assured her, "Don't worry, Sister Meng Zhao. Shun'er and I have always lived at the pig farm. Even if we need to go to the village, we go alone. The pig farm's walls are high, and we've even put a lot of wooden forks under the walls so no one can climb over."
In the village where he and Shunzi were born, let alone raising pigs, even raising chickens and ducks was rare. If a family had a handful of grain, they would first feed their own family members, and there would be no surplus grain to feed livestock.
Now that Sister Meng Zhao makes sure they have enough to eat every day, they are determined to help her take good care of the pigs.
After sealing off both charcoal pits, the group slowly descended the mountain along the original route. As soon as they arrived at the pig farm, Shi Tou couldn't wait to tell Shun'er that they were going to leave Gouzi behind.
Shun'er was very happy to hear this. He took his wages and went to the village, wondering if he could buy some old mattresses to put in the dog's bed, worried that the dog would be cold in the winter.
It would take another day or two before the charcoal kiln was opened. Then, Shun'er and Shitou were arranged to go up the mountain to check on it. Although the place where they burned charcoal was not deep in the mountains, they were still asked to bring the dog with them and be careful. Then, Shun'er and Shitou left in a donkey cart with Xiao Chuan.
Back in the county, Meng Zhao sent Xiao Chuan to the braised pork shop, while she went back to the Meng family's meat shop, intending to discuss with her mother the things she needed to pay attention to when expanding the workshop. However, she found that there were many people standing in front of the shop, but only Xu Yunrong was inside.
She looked around as she asked, "Mom, where's Dad? Why are you all alone?"
“Your father went to the village to buy pigs. It’s almost the end of the year, and every household wants to slaughter their pigs to make money so they can have a good New Year. Your father will be busy for the next month.”
Seeing Xu Yunrong busy, Meng Zhao wiped his hands clean and went up to help pack meat and collect money. "Didn't I tell Mother the other day that you should hire two more apprentices? The shop is getting better and better, and we can't keep up with all the work."
With Meng Zhao's help, the few people standing in front of the shop quickly paid for the meat and left. Seeing that there were no people around, Xu Yunrong wiped her hands with her apron and a smile appeared on her face. "How could we not find a solution? Your father and I are also anxious, but we just haven't found a suitable one."
Meng Zhao felt this shouldn't be the case. Although pig butchers generally don't have a good reputation, to be honest, they earn quite a lot. In this day and age, there are so many people who can't get enough to eat, so how could they not find a suitable one? So he asked what was on his mind.
Xu Yunrong sighed softly and pulled Meng Zhao to sit down beside her. "How can we find a good one so quickly? First of all, the person has to be physically strong, otherwise how can they carry those pigs? They also have to be brave, at least their face can't turn pale when they're being bled."
Meng Zhao nodded. The pigs that come and go in the shop every day, even the lightest ones weigh one or two hundred pounds. You can't hold them down without some strength. Being tall and strong is the most basic requirement.
Xu Yunrong continued, "Moreover, when choosing people, we must look at their character. They must be down-to-earth and hardworking. If we hire someone who is lazy and cunning, wouldn't that ruin the shop's reputation? Being grateful is also a must. We can't let the skills be taught for nothing."
Meng Zhao nodded again. In ancient times, the relationship between master and disciple was like that between father and son, so moral character was of paramount importance and could not be taken lightly.
"Also, the kinship should be simple. Too many relatives will cause too many problems. It's best if they are orphans who can move into our house directly."
Meng Zhao was taken aback. Although many craftsmen preferred apprentices like this type, who were easy to manage and had few family problems, wasn't it a bit much to ask that they had no parents?
“The most important thing is the face. It has to be handsome. Your father wouldn’t even look at those hunchbacked, ugly guys. It can’t be worse than the Shen brothers.” Xu Yunrong said, gesturing with her hands.
At first, Meng Zhao listened attentively and offered suggestions from time to time. But the more she listened, the more something seemed off. These rules and regulations didn't seem like they were simply looking for an apprentice; it was more like they were looking for a child groom for her.
Meng Zhao didn't hold back and asked directly, "Mother, what does Father mean by this? Why do we have to consider looks when choosing an apprentice? What are you trying to do?"
A hint of panic flashed across Xu Yunrong's face. She coughed lightly, trying to hide her guilty conscience. "What are you thinking, child? Our shop has a storefront. If the apprentice is too ugly, wouldn't it scare away customers? If we choose someone with a decent appearance, the customers will feel more comfortable, right?"
Meng Zhao wasn't buying it. "Mother, don't try to fool me with that. Just tell me what you and Father are thinking."
Seeing that she could no longer hide it, Xu Yunrong stopped pretending. She took Meng Zhao's hand and said earnestly, "Zhao Zhao, you'll be seventeen after the New Year. If it were any other girl, she'd probably be carrying a baby by seventeen. Your parents are just worried about you and are thinking of picking out two people for you to raise in advance. Then you can choose whichever one you like. Isn't that convenient?"
Sigh, what a mess this is. Seventeen is still high school age in modern times, and dating is considered puppy love. Having a baby at seventeen is simply against common sense.
Having been given a second chance at life, she was just beginning her journey and had no intention of getting married and having children. So she said, "Mother, Qing'an has only been gone for less than a year. If I were to do something like this now, who knows what people would say?"
Xu Yunrong was a little unhappy. She pouted and spoke with a hint of shrewishness, "Anyone who dares to say that, I'll tear their mouth apart. As for your mother-in-law, you don't need to worry about her at all. In the past six months, everyone has seen clearly how you've treated the Shen family. Just look at what they ate and wore before, and look at what they eat and wear now. You've done so much for the Shen family, I don't think they can find any fault with you."
Then she patted Meng Zhao's hand and said, "Besides, I'm not asking you to remarry right now. I know how much people talk, but I'm just being selective first, don't you think?"
Meng Zhao slowly stretched out her arms and hugged Xu Yunrong, resting her head on her shoulder. "Mother, I know you mean well, but I really don't want to think about these things right now. I just want to do my business well, be a good daughter to you, and live a happy and harmonious life as a family. Isn't that good?"
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