I don't know if everyone is particularly competitive when it comes to whether they can handle spicy food. Even though it was so spicy that he was about to cry, Shen Qinghe still firmly shook his head and said, "Hiss~ It's okay, sister-in-law, hiss~ I can eat it."
Seeing his appearance, Meng Zhao felt both amused and helpless, and could only pour him a cup of milk tea to relieve the spiciness.
Wei Jinglan and the others, though sitting by the clear broth pot, kept glancing at the spicy broth, occasionally coming over to grab some food, making "hissing" sounds as they ate, yet still couldn't help but exclaim, "This spiciness is so satisfying!"
According to custom, people don't sleep during the first half of New Year's Eve. Everyone stays up together to welcome the new year. After finishing the hot pot, there were still many dishes left on the table. Instead of cleaning up, everyone scooped everything out of the pot, blocked the air vent of the stove, and set it aside. If anyone got hungry later, they could cook some more.
To pass the time, Meng Zhao prepared a storybook he had never read before. At first, Shen Qinghe was telling the story, but after only fifteen minutes, the people sitting below began to doze off.
Shen Qingyu buried her head in Meng Zhao's arms and mumbled, "Sister-in-law, I'm so sleepy..."
Shen Qingze rubbed his eyes and yawned, "Brother, you sound like a teacher. I'm so sleepy too."
Because of the children, Meng Zhao did not choose those romance novels, but instead chose a story about a highly skilled swordsman who upholds justice and helps the weak.
The reason Shen Qinghe was chosen to tell the story was because he was literate and had a pleasant voice. However, when he told the bizarre and dramatic story, it sounded as bland as chanting a sutra, without any ups and downs. Even Meng Zhao couldn't stand it anymore.
When they temporarily replaced him with Xiao Chuan, aside from the occasional need to ask someone for help because he didn't know some words, he was incredibly vivid when it came to telling stories. He could not only make the plots in the storybooks exciting and dramatic, but also remove some of the formal language and tell them in plain, everyday language.
Gu Shi, who had been sewing with her head down, stopped her needlework without realizing it as she listened. She couldn't help but look up and ask, "And then? What happened to the swordsman?"
Seeing that everyone was listening intently, Xiao Chuan became even more enthusiastic, gesturing wildly. Unfortunately, the story was too short, and it was over in less than an hour.
So they set up another table, took out the playing cards they used to teach the children, and gathered together to pass the time.
There wasn't enough room for everyone at the table, so the rest of the people found something to pass the time. Meng Dashan and Fang Muyun sat by the stove, chatting while warming themselves by the fire.
"Xiao Fang, after the New Year, I'll be handing over the butcher shop business to you." Meng's Butcher Shop is doing better and better, and now they've hired two more young assistants.
Because the original intention was to find a son-in-law for Meng Zhao, Meng Dashan specially chose Fang Muyun, who had no parents, and gave him the title of apprentice, not a shop assistant, so Fang Muyun lived in the butcher shop.
More than a year has passed now, and he has taught her almost everything he needed to. After the New Year, he will be traveling back and forth with his daughter, so he won't be able to manage the butcher shop much anymore. As for Xu Yunrong, she has a lot of accounts to manage now, so she will just stay at home and watch over things and won't actually do any work.
Upon hearing this, Fang Muyun immediately straightened his back and nodded earnestly, "Master, you can rest assured to leave the butcher shop to me. I will definitely maintain good relationships with our old customers. These days, I have also talked to the owners of several restaurants about cooperation, and I will be able to supply them after the New Year."
The pig farm is growing larger and larger. It can now supply Mengji Braised Pork and their butcher shops at the same time. One-third of the meat in the butcher shops comes from the pig farm, and the rest comes from pigs they buy from the village. There's no other way; the meat from the pig farm is more expensive, and the butcher shops can't use it all.
The pig farm is about to have more pork than demand, so Meng Dashan has no choice but to find a way to expand the market.
So Fang Muyun was asked to contact some restaurants in the county. They charge high prices, but as long as the quality is good, they can accept the higher meat prices. They have already reached cooperation agreements with two or three restaurants and can start supplying meat after the New Year.
Looking at the sturdy and obedient Fang Muyun, Meng Dashan couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder and ask, "Little Fang, you work so hard, what do you want to do with the money you earn?"
Fang Muyun scratched his head and chuckled twice. "Master, I have no parents. I am so grateful to you for teaching me a skill and feeding me. When I earn money, of course I will be very filial to you and your wife."
Meng Dashan laughed heartily upon hearing this, praising him as a good apprentice. Then Fang Muyun continued, "Once I've saved enough money, I'll get married, have a child, and our whole family will take good care of you and your master's wife."
Meng Dashan frowned. "Xiao Fang, aren't you thinking too far ahead? A real man should be building his career, why rush into marriage and having children?"
"No, Master. What man doesn't want a wife, kids, and a warm bed? I have to prepare early, otherwise all the good young ladies will be snatched up by others."
Yes, getting married and having children is the dream of many men. Even he thought his daughter's idea was a bit too unconventional, but he still said, "Getting a wife is fine, but why do you have to have children? Raising children these days is not easy. Providing them with good food and drink costs a lot of money. It's better for the couple to just live a good life together."
Fang Muyun nodded, his tone firm, "So I'm starting to save money now. Once I've saved enough, I'll get married and have children."
According to Fang Muyun's previous thinking, once married, one should naturally have children, and it must be a son to carry on the family line. But now, seeing how promising his master's daughter is, he thinks that if he could have a daughter like that, it would be even better than having a son.
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