Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Having an Apprentice (Contains Zhang and He's drama...
By the time the bandit situation had subsided, it was already late winter.
Before this, Kang He and Fan Jingsheng waited for a few days. When the situation died down and they heard no more trouble from other bandits or escaped fish, they went up the mountain to bring their families back.
"Is it fun in the mountains?"
Kang He hadn't seen his child for two days. It was strange that on the way back, he and Fan Jing took turns holding the child.
The mountain road was too narrow for carriages and horses, so they brought two mules to pick us up. We put our luggage on the mules and went down the mountain on our own, without feeling very tired.
"It's too cold in the mountains. I have to sit by the fire all the time. It snows in the morning and rains all day. Grandma doesn't want me to go out into the woods."
This was the first time that Dafu had gone into the mountains since he was a child. He stayed there for several days. Since the child was born, he had not lived a single day that could be called hard.
I was worried that he would cry and make a fuss because he wasn't used to living in the mountains, but he turned out to be very well-behaved and listened to his family very well. The only difference was that I couldn't see Kang and Fan Jing every day, so I always had to ask about him.
His little face was chapped and red from the cold mountain wind. If Qiao'er hadn't applied some ointment on him, he would have been even colder.
He said to Kang He, "But there are many little birds in the mountains, and they sing beautifully all day long. I even saw a small spotted deer running by the door. Uncle Xiaoqiu even gave me a big, delicious chicken drumstick to eat."
Kang He laughed and said, "There are many small animals in the mountains, but they are smarter than the ones we raise at home, so they are not easy to catch."
Dafu nodded and said, “Yeah, that’s what my grandmother said.
She said that her father and her younger brother used to live in the mountains, and they had to work hard every day to hunt for spotted chickens and rabbits in the mountains. They earned money so they could eat.
He hugged Kang He's neck and said coquettishly, "When I grow up, I will study hard and become a high-ranking official. I will teach my father and my little father never to go into the mountains again."
Kang He laughed: "Even if our Dafu doesn't become a high official, Daddy can still support you. But you have ambitions in your heart, and Daddy and Xiaoda are also happy."
When they returned to the house, everyone was quite tired. They packed up and took a nap for a long time before they regained some energy.
On the afternoon of the next day after the bandits were captured, Kang He and Fan Jing went up the mountain to deliver some rice, grain and thick clothes to the mountain. They only said that the bandits had been captured in the village, but did not tell the details of how they were captured.
After Chen Sanfang's father Fan came down the mountain, he heard from the villagers that the bandits had attacked their house and ambushed them there.
That day was so thrilling, the whole village was brightly lit.
Chen Sanfang was terrified after hearing this and couldn't sleep well at night. The couple tossed and turned in bed, feeling terrified. They didn't dare to think about what would happen if bandits broke into their house. If something went wrong, what would happen when Dafu was still so young?
In fact, it was not just them. Many families in the village felt a shadow in their hearts. They only felt relieved when the government issued a notice that all the bandits had been brought to justice.
The notice issued by the county government was only a few sentences long, and the details were discussed by Xu Yanglai and Kang He.
"This time, the bandits started from Cangwu Prefecture in the west. After hearing that a water source had revealed signs of a dragon vein, some people took advantage of this to gather many unstable people and plot a rebellion."
"This bandit group came to our county to stockpile food and money for the war, and also to destabilize the local peace. This kind of thing has happened not only in our county, but also in other places."
Local authorities captured people one after another, and after trial, they finally found out the whole story. The captured bandits confessed, and by following the clues, they were able to capture many of their accomplices.
When the imperial court heard about this, it attached great importance to it and specially dispatched officials from Kyoto to lead troops to Cangwu Prefecture. Patrols were also increased in various places.
Kang He heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that the higher-ups had taken action. It was much more reliable for the government to take action than for the common people to defend themselves. It seemed that the group of traitors who were plotting rebellion would no longer dare to act as openly as before.
As the saying goes: It is better to be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times. Now, just a group of bandits has disturbed the lives of ordinary people. If another war breaks out, how miserable will it be? The people hate those who start a rebellion and want to disrupt peace.
Xu Yang said, "The county has commended your family again this time, saying that you were not afraid of the strong and assisted the government in capturing the bandits. You are credited with this achievement."
Kang He smiled and said, "This is no small achievement, is it just a verbal reward?"
Xu Yang also felt that the county government was a bit stingy. He remembered that when Kang He and Fan Jing caught a kidnapper, the county government rewarded them with twenty taels of silver.
The county magistrate praised us a lot for catching the bandits, but he just talked a lot without doing anything practical. It was all in vain that he said a lot of good things.
Xu Yang was, after all, a minor official, and it was difficult for him to criticize the magistrate. He said to Kang He, "The new magistrate must have different rules. People and officials are always different."
How could Kang He not understand what this meant? He would be happy if he had it, but it didn't matter if he didn't. After all, he didn't fight against the bandits for the reward from the government.
The two talked for a while, and Dafu ran out and asked Xu Yang: "Uncle Xu, is Shiwu back?"
Xu Yang saw Dafu and hugged him, feeling that he was much more important than his own little boy. He said, "I was just saying that I would go and pick him up in the next two days. His little father misses him very much, and from what his grandfather said, he has been missing home for a long time."
When Dafu heard that Shiwu was coming back, he was very happy and jumped around all day long.
As the days gradually settled down, Kang He and Fan Jing went back to tidy up and reopen the shop. When the bandit incident happened, the shop was closed for more than half a month. Not only did they not make any money from business, but they also had to pay rent, which caused a lot of losses.
Early that morning, the couple pulled the pig they had slaughtered the day before into the city. While they were busy setting up their stall, they saw He Xiaoqiu also coming back to open the shop.
It wasn't surprising to see him like that. When the two of them went up the mountain to pick up their family, He Xiaoqiu had said that they would go down the mountain on a sunny day.
It was cold in the mountains, and He's father, who was already in poor health, could not bear it up there and kept coughing. Besides, the geese at home were still kept in the house, and they were afraid that they would run out of food and starve.
The next day, Zhang Shili went down the mountain to the Fan family and borrowed a docile mule to carry He Dad down the mountain.
Chen Sanfang was very grateful for his care when they were in the mountains. Originally, she had heard that Kang He was involved in those murder cases and was not happy about Kang He getting too close to him, but now he no longer had those prejudices.
She prepared a good meal and invited Zhang Shili to eat at her home as a thank you.
Having said that, it was not surprising to see Xiaoqiu early in the morning, but what was surprising was that in the morning when the sky was just getting light, Zhang Shili actually followed He Xiaoqiu, carrying her on his back, and the two of them came to the shop together.
Kang He turned his eyes and looked at Fan Jing.
He couldn't hold back in front of his close friend, so while helping Zhang Shili pick up something, he took the opportunity to ask, "Did you come down the mountain yesterday?"
Zhang Shili was not the type to keep things to himself, especially in front of Kang He, so he kept it a secret. He didn't answer Kang He's question, but only said, "You two should come to my house for dinner tomorrow."
"Home? Which home? In that wooden house on the hilltop. I'm not going there. If you want me to eat, let's eat in the county."
Hearing Kang He's teasing, He Xiaoqiu took her things and went into the shop first. She seemed to be busy packing, but her face turned red.
"Who wants you to go to the mountains for such a big project? I mean my home in Shangxiaotan Village."
Kang He smiled and teased Zhang Shili, "That's your home, so just shout people over there."
Zhang Shili said, "From now on, that will be my home! Just tell me whether you want to go or not."
"Go, go, go. Why not go?"
When Kang He heard this, he understood the meaning very well. He was very happy to get this confirmation and asked what was going on.
That day, Zhang Shili came down the mountain to sell some live things, so he had to come to see He Xiaoqiu. He didn't know yet that there were bandits in the county, and when he went there, He Xiaoqiu was panicking and didn't know what to do.
Knowing that the bandits were robbing and killing people, Zhang Shili suggested taking them to hide in the mountains and return after the storm had died down.
When it comes to life, everything else has to be put aside. He Xiaoqiu naturally agreed, but his father was in poor health and could not walk long distances, let alone go deep into the mountains. The family didn't have any livestock yet.
It was difficult to get livestock those days, and no one was willing to rent them. Time could not be delayed for a long time, so Zhang Shili went to the He family to make arrangements, and carried He's father all the way to the top of the mountain.
Mr. and Mrs. He were deeply moved.
During those days in the mountains, they lived under the same roof, facing each other day and night. Not only did Zhang Shili take good care of the three members of the He family, but a few days later, the Fan family also took their family members into the mountains to avoid disaster, and he took care of them as well.
Old Man He saw this and felt that although Zhang Shili looked rough and rough, and had many common male problems, such as not liking cleanliness, he was actually prudent in doing things and could make decisions and deal with big things.
Such a person is much stronger than many men.
Old Man He also let go of many of his prejudices, and the two of them had a calm and peaceful talk.
Zhang Shili told Old Man He everything that had happened in the past. After he realized that it was not Zhang Shili's fault, he changed his mind a lot.
Zhang Shili told Old Man He that he was indeed a little hot-headed in the past when he was young, and he was not steady enough in doing things, and he got angry without considering the consequences.
Now that he is older, his temperament has become calmer. If the past events were to happen again, he would definitely deal with that man again, but he would not be as impulsive as before.
He Lao said: "A man should have blood in his veins. If he is patient, he will lose his self-respect and make people think he is easy to bully.
When those things happened at home, it was because I, as a father, was too weak. Otherwise, Xiaoqiu wouldn't have suffered so much."
The two opened their hearts and talked for half the night.
When they returned to the village, Old Man He asked Zhang Shili to come to his house for dinner when he was free, saying that they should get engaged first and spend some time together. He and Xiaoqiu still had the same feelings, so they decided to live together.
Zhang Shili got the approval of his father-in-law. He went down the mountain to sell some live things yesterday and then went to the He family. He stayed there for one night and came back to open the shop with Xiaoqiu this morning.
He had no one to express his joy to. Seeing Kang He and Fan Jing, it was understandable that he couldn't help but show off.
Kang He had not sent his family up the mountain before, and he did not know what was happening in the mountain. Only Fan Jing saw Zhang Shili and the He family getting along in the mountain, and they looked like a family.
At that time, he was worried about Kang He and did not have the time to ask more questions. He just asked Zhang Shili to take good care of their family members, and then he hurried down the mountain. But seeing the situation, he guessed that the two of them would be able to succeed after overcoming this hurdle.
That day, the four of them warmly welcomed the Fan family. Zhang Jingui and Fan Xin, who went up the mountain together, saw He Xiaoqiu and Zhang Shili walking together, and they felt an indescribable feeling in their hearts.
Although the farce had unconsciously become a thing of the past, when we encountered it again under the same roof, it was such a scene. Who wouldn't sigh?
"As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Everyone in the county has suffered from the bandits, but you are the only one who has taken advantage of it."
Kang He couldn't help but laugh.
Zhang Shili said, "If you say a friend in need is a friend indeed, I agree. That day, Fan Jing sent his family up the mountain and came to ask me to take care of them. He barely even took a breath before rushing back after entrusting them with the task. I really admire him."
"Hey, what you said is not entirely true. Even if my family's A Jing and I are not in trouble, it still shows our true love."
"Go to hell!"
After chatting and laughing for a while, no matter how happy they were, they couldn't help but talk for long.
The pork shop and the braised meat shop have been closed for more than half a month. It is inconvenient for residents in this area of the city to make purchases. They are looking forward to it opening soon, but they are afraid that once the door is closed and the lock is dropped, they will never come again.
Fortunately, the storm has passed and the business has reopened.
A while ago, not only the countryside, but even the city was closed, and people rarely went out unless it was necessary, and food and supplies were tight.
Who has the time to roast meat every day? Even if they do, they are still afraid that the aroma will drift out and attract bandits into the house.
Now that things have settled down again, business in the city has returned to normal. It’s the end of the year and people are busy buying New Year’s goods.
The business in the shop is good today. A pig was sold out in less than half a day.
In the afternoon, Kang He and Fan Jing went to the village to kill a pig and brought it back to the shop. The next day, after selling the pork, the couple, Zhang Shili, and He Xiaoqiu drove to He's house for dinner.
"It's still easier to get in and out of the mountain if you have an animal."
Zhang Shili patted the mule's back and said, "There are ox carts at the village entrance for people going to the city in the morning and evening, but it's hard to find a suitable one for going out on weekdays."
Kang He said, "The roads down there are much smoother, unlike those in the mountains, where you need animals to drive. You used to stay in the mountains for a long time, but once you come down and live there for ten days or half a month, you'll realize its benefits."
Zhang Shili said this because he had the idea of buying some livestock. Later, when he lived in the village and had his own car, Xiaoqiu would no longer have to rush to the village entrance to ride other people's ox carts.
This morning, the two of them were waiting at the entrance of the village early. After being exposed to the cold wind for a quarter of an hour, He Xiaoqiu's nose was frozen red. They didn't want to ride the ox cart because there were so many people. The driver wanted his relatives to ride. Since they arrived the earliest, they ended up squeezing the seats.
Zhang Shili felt unhappy, but he knew that it was normal to be bullied if he had to rely on others.
If you want to avoid such humiliation in the future, the best thing would be to have your own ox cart.
"Do you have any strong livestock at home? I'll go get one tomorrow."
Kang He said, "That's fine. If you want, I'll give you a good one."
He Xiaoqiu, who was sitting at the back with Fan Jing, heard the two talking about buying livestock. He said to Kang He:
"Don't listen to him. I can't learn to drive. Two years ago, when we were buying livestock, Dajing taught me how to drive for a while. If he were sitting in the cart, I'd dare to pull the reins and the cart would move a few steps. But if he told me to drive alone, I'd break out in a cold sweat and wouldn't dare to drive at all."
Kang He also remembered this incident. Fan Jing patiently taught He Xiaoqiu for at least half a month, and he was worried that he would never be able to learn it well.
Once, he gathered all his strength, closed his eyes and swung the reins. The donkey ran so fast with its hooves that he couldn't hold it back. The cart swung and hit a tree. He Xiaoqiu almost fell off the cart. He Xiaoqiu was so scared that he fell ill.
After that, Fan Jing said that Xu was not suitable for driving a cart, so he stopped teaching him and the matter was shelved.
"Xiao Qiu, he's already come down the mountain. He'll be driving from now on. What are you afraid of?"
He Xiaoqiu's ears blushed. "Who knows when he'll go back to the mountains? If the livestock aren't taken away, the family will have to get fodder and take care of him."
Zhang Shili said, "I won't go back to the mountain. I've already made an agreement with my father that I'll run the business with you down the mountain."
He Xiaoqiu felt sweet inside when she heard Zhang Shili say this, but she couldn't help but say to him, "You're so clumsy, you can't even serve customers, and today you scared two regular ladies. I can run the shop, so you should find another job. You're not comfortable being treated like that in the shop."
Kang He couldn't help laughing at Zhang Shili being disliked.
Zhang Shili was also helpless. People are different. Look at Kang He. He didn't know how to hunt in the mountains. The chief instructor Fan Jing was watching him. He even made fun of Kang He and said that Fan Jing wished he could just tie him off his belt.
Now in this county, Kanghe is doing very well and running his business in an orderly manner. However, he can't get those jobs, so Xiaoqiu has to keep a close eye on him, for fear that he might cause some stupid trouble if he is not careful.
At this moment, Fan Jing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said, "Why not learn how to kill pigs?"
Hearing this, Kang He couldn't help but say, "That's a good idea! It's easy for hunters to switch to killing pigs.
Now that the family business is flourishing, there are many things to do and worry about. It is easy to find someone to look after the shop, and my mother and Qiao'er can take turns looking after it. However, when it comes to slaughtering pigs, Dajing still has to come in person. "
Sometimes, when other businesses at home were delayed, or when someone was having a banquet, they had to spend money to hire someone to help slaughter a pig and send it to the shop. Not only did it cost more than a hundred yuan each time, but it was also not easy to find a suitable one.
Butchers and craftsmen have a lot of things to do, but they are not like idlers on the street who are always waiting for work. They will come as fast as you call them.
Kang He originally wanted to find a reliable person to teach him how to butcher pigs, so that he could take turns with Fan Jing, but he never found the right person.
At the end of last year, Hu Tuzi stopped slaughtering pigs because his old waist could not bear it at all. Without an old craftsman in the surrounding area, slaughtering pigs during the New Year became more difficult.
They ran from one house to another and were really exhausted during the winter month.
It would be great if Zhang Shili could learn to kill pigs.
Firstly, he had a stable job at the foot of the mountain and could earn a lot of money; secondly, the two businesses were closely connected, so Fan Jing could take him with him and there was no need for him to go outside to find a master.
For example, Fan Jingxun spent a lot of effort to learn the craft from Hu Tuzi. Although the two families have a good relationship now, it cannot be denied that he spent a lot of effort to learn the craft in the past.
After much consideration, there is no one more suitable than Zhang Shili to learn the skill of slaughtering pigs.
He Xiaoqiu also thought it was a good idea after hearing it, but it was not enough for a few people to just think about whether it was suitable or not. It also depended on Zhang Shili's own opinion.
Seeing everyone looking at him eagerly, Zhang Shili couldn't help scratching the back of his head: "It's a good job for me, but isn't it taking away your business?"
Kang He tutted his words when he heard this: "What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean by stealing our business? We were originally doing business with Xiao Qiu. When you two get married, there will be no distinction between you and me.
If you learn how to butcher pigs, you'll have someone to help you run errands. Let's share the burden and make money together."
Zhang Shili heard Kang He say this and said, "What else is there to say? I got a good deal, why would I refuse? If I can do this business, it's much more stable than doing odd jobs like carrying things with other people in the county."
Originally, he had found a few friends in the county, hoping to work with them in stone-cutting.
The work was not only hard work, but he might also have to go to another county to cut stones, which would take at least two to three months. He hesitated after hearing this. Compared to this, wasn't it still worse than living in the mountains?
You can go hunting in the mountains and come down every now and then, instead of going to other places.
Kang He said, "Then it's settled. From now on, you call Da Jing your master."
Upon hearing this, Fan Jing glanced at Kang He and thought that this man would be willing to take in an apprentice for him.
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