Chapter 78 Chapter 78 New Year
Brother Bao San was quick to act and replied to Kang He's question the next day.
The pawnshop next door also wanted to sell quickly, so they asked for two strings of coins and five cents from the public. But if someone they knew introduced them, they would charge two strings of coins and three cents.
Kang He had been to that shop before. It was slightly bigger than theirs, but not much bigger. It just had an extra eaves at the back where they could put some stoves and other miscellaneous items.
The price of this shop is not low, but the price of a shop rented through a broker is naturally higher than renting it directly from the owner like them.
They rented the shop with a courtyard to a merchant who sold sauces. They received two strings of cash and five cents, but the merchant had to pay three strings of cash to the pawnshop every month.
The shops on this street are rented out quickly, and Kanghe has been running this business for almost a year, so how could he not know?
He got the news about Brother Bao San, and since he had some thoughts about it, he didn't delay and told He Xiaoqiu about it.
"It would be great if we could rent a shop, but the cost would probably be quite a bit higher."
"If you rent a shop, you'll inevitably have to pay a large rent. If you want to run a successful business, you must have a shop."
Kang He and He Xiaoqiu said, "We can't just stick to these few things in the future. If we want to add some new things, it will be even more difficult to expand."
He Xiaoqiu nodded in agreement. He had been helping with the business these days and knew how difficult it would be to crowd into one shop when business was booming.
Not to mention that a customer almost fell into the pot due to pushing and shoving, this kind of thing is rare after all.
But the weather is often bad in winter, and it is a real torture for customers to wait to buy meat.
When the weather is good, it is not a problem for customers to line up on the street outside. However, when it rains or snows, it is really cold for customers to wait outside in the rain and snow.
If you don't really love this, who would be willing to suffer like this?
There are also people who give up buying meat from them because of bad weather and long queues, which is also a loss to customers.
Furthermore, we had a conflict with the Shuangxian Bank before. If this continues, we might get into another serious dispute with the oil store next door over business, or maybe they didn't rent the shop next door.
Seeing He Xiaoqiu was lost in thought, Kang He said, "I just happened to see the shop next door was up for rent and wanted to say something. I'm not necessarily determined to rent it, nor do I have any objections to the braised meat stall taking up the pork shop's space."
"I know you don't mean that. We're just doing business together, so if you have anything to say, you should speak up. This is for the long term."
He Xiaoqiu wasn't the type to resort to rash thinking. She said, "I'll go back and tell Dad about it first. It's not easy to make a decision on my own."
"Of course."
He Xiaoqiu went home and told He's father about the matter. Unexpectedly, when He's father heard that the shop next to the pork shop was going to be rented out, he was surprisingly happy.
Before his family was in trouble, he was walking around the streets selling braised geese when he came up with the idea of opening a shop.
He Xiaoqiu got married before he found a suitable one. Later, Lei Xiaoan gambled away his money, and in order to fill his hole, he spent all the money the family had saved for renting a shop.
Now that things at home have improved and He Xiaoqiu has also gotten on his feet, renting a shop to run a business is a good idea instead of working so hard.
During the day, I see my brother getting up before dawn to prepare the marinade, rushing to the city, and only coming home in the afternoon. He also has to help his mother kill the goose, which makes the family feel sorry for him.
Moreover, Old Man He had his own plans. He was in poor health, his wife was mute, and he was the only son in the family. Without a male heir to support him, he would be easily bullied if anything happened.
This is because the Fan family, although they have only been in business for a little over half a year, seem very kind and treat He Xiaoqiu well. If they rent a shop next door, the two families can look after each other, which is much more stable than renting a shop somewhere else and going it alone.
Old Man He agreed to this matter and only told He Xiaoqiu that even if he opened a separate shop selling braised meat in the future, he would not break the agreement he had made before.
He Xiaoqiu took it to heart and told Kang He and Fan Jing about it.
Seeing that the He family also had this intention, Kang He went to call Brother Bao San to come and discuss the rent of the shop.
Kang He felt that two strings of coins and three cents was still a bit high. It was fine for a complete layman who didn't know the rent, but after renting a shop himself, he compared the two and understood the ins and outs.
Brother Bao San went to the brokerage shop and talked to his brother twice. In the end, he said that no matter how low the price was, it would still be two strings of cash for rent. Even his own relatives could only offer this price. If this person still thought it was too high, he would just have to find another better shop.
Seeing that Kang He had given up another three coins, he agreed.
I also made an agreement with the broker that if the previous owner wanted to come to the shop to argue, the brokerage firm would mediate and they also guaranteed that this would not happen.
Before the Chinese New Year, Kang He went to get this matter done and got the key to the shop on the day before the New Year.
One day or another, the neighbors quietly moved all their things out and cleared out the place. Both the Fan and He families came together to clean up the new shop.
Then, the process was similar to the previous one, and a carpenter was invited to repair it and make a sign.
It will take at least a month to get everything ready for opening. The carpenters need to rest for a few days during the New Year, and they also have to visit relatives during the first month of the lunar year.
However, although we cannot move in quickly, we can still pile up pots, stoves, stalls and other miscellaneous items there after closing in the afternoon.
During daytime business, he simply moved his stall outside the new shop, so it was no longer as crowded as before.
When customers come to ask, I just told them that the braised food stall will be opened in the shop next door. So I don’t have to worry about losing business if my regular customers can’t find the stall.
On the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, the Fan family shop closed and hung a sign saying it would be closed for seven days. It would reopen on the 5th day of the 1st lunar month.
Many of the outsiders who came to the city, or those who came from the village to do business like the Fan family, closed their businesses a few days after the Little New Year.
Although the city is bustling during the New Year holidays and people are willing to spend money, some merchants want to make more money during these days, but there are also many who feel that New Year family reunions are more important than making money, and they gradually close their businesses as the New Year approaches.
That afternoon, the Fan family invited Hu the butcher to help slaughter the pig. This year, the Fan family wanted to kill the first pig of the year to make the occasion lively.
The pig weighed more than 200 pounds and was very strong, so three large tables were invited to the pig-killing meal.
The remaining fresh pork was distributed to the eldest wife, the He family, the Hu family, the Xu family, and a few other families with whom the couple were friendly.
Mr. Zou, a friend of mine in the city, tied two large pig legs with red cloth, and also brought four pounds each of sweet and salty sausages smoked in the winter month, and five pounds of smoked pork bone sausages.
Liang Hui also sent fresh pork, honey, dozens of kilograms of millet from her own autumn harvest, and a basket of vegetables.
The fat pig slaughtered at home seems to be very big. It is eaten at the pig-slaughtering banquet, the New Year's reunion dinner, and given as New Year gifts. Most of the pig is used up, and there is not much left.
But the New Year gifts were not just given away without being received. The family also received two large fresh fish weighing five or six pounds, two bags of malt sugar and brown sugar, three pounds of dried fruits and candied fruits, and some other pickles and dried goods.
Liang Hui sent four bundles of cloth, eight kilograms of cotton, two boxes of tea, and a jar of lamb wine.
Mr. Zou sent five pounds of mutton, two baskets of sweet oranges, a box of candles, and four pounds of good lamp oil.
Apart from those families who came to visit each other with gifts, this year was unusually lively, with several families who had not visited each other before coming to visit on their own.
When people bring New Year gifts and are related to each other, they will also return some gifts.
It is said that Chen Sanfang's parents' home, Chen Laoer and his wife came to pay New Year's greetings this year. They used to be stingy and only wanted to take advantage of others, but this year they also brought a basket of fruits and two cents of rice wine.
Chen Sanfang still gave the couple a piece of fresh pork and a piece of smoked bacon.
After all, they are close relatives, so it is not surprising that they have contact with each other.
What was strange was that one of Chen Sanfang's cousins also came to pay New Year's greetings for the first time.
This cousin's surname is Yun. When she was a girl at home, she had a good relationship with Chen Sanfang. However, cousin Yun was very pretty and her family was better off than their Chen family, so she was able to marry into a good family.
Her husband was a scholar who had passed the imperial examination a few years earlier. The family also had a lot of land, so they lived a comfortable life.
Chen Sanfang was from such a good family, but she married into a poor family like the Fan family. How could she have the nerve to try to establish a relationship with them? She lost contact with them over the years.
Unexpectedly, in the second half of the year, she went to a shop in the city to help with business, and once met her cousin Yun, who even came to wish her a happy new year.
Chen Sanfang also said that it was hard to say whether the man renewed his relationship with her because he saw that her family was doing well, or whether he was really still thinking about the friendship they had before she got married.
But no matter what, since people came politely, she greeted them warmly.
Qiuyue's family renovated the house, laid floor tiles, and widened and built three sheds for poultry and livestock.
The old man in the family also ordered some new tables and stools from Carpenter Wang, whom he was good at, making the house look much more luxurious.
Chen Sanfang was happy to have guests coming to her house. Now there were fruits and cakes in the house, and good tea to entertain the guests. It was no longer as poor as in previous years, so people were more willing to come.
Cousin Yun and Chen Sanfang were chatting for a long time while roasting hot charcoal in the house. Chen Sanfang invited them to have lunch at her house.
When leaving, Cousin Yun gave Zhen'er and Qiao'er a red envelope each, and Chen Sanfang also packed a few pounds of sweet sausages for her. She thought the sweet smoked sausages on the lunch table were delicious.
Zhen'er and Qiao'er returned to the house and opened the purse to see that there was actually a penny of silver stuffed inside. They thought that scholars were very generous.
In the first month of the year, the families of the first and second wives had dinner together. Xiangxiu also came home. Her wedding was scheduled for the beginning of March, and everyone was very happy.
"Look how fast things have flown by. Last year, when the family had their reunion dinner, Xiangxiu mentioned the good news of marriage, and now it's all settled. Dajing and Sanlang also have a child, and in the blink of an eye, they'll have a great-grandson in February."
Grandpa and Grandma Fan were so happy when they talked about these two things, but when they turned around and looked at Fan Xin, they immediately became worried: "Daxin, you have to work harder. Don't just focus on the school and delay your own important things."
When Kang He heard Mr. and Mrs. Fan holding Fan Xin and giving him earnest advice, he felt sorry for him and also found it a little funny.
At the end of the year, the family was urging for marriage to happen particularly urgently. Uncle and aunt had just finished saying these words in front of Fan Xin's ear when they turned around and bumped into Chen Sanfang and were scolded again. When Xiangxiu came home and saw her brother, she couldn't help but speak out.
Fan Xin hid in the house and told Kang Heyan that he and Fan Jing were best friends and he didn't tell him these things.
Kang Hexin said that this matter depends on fate and it cannot be achieved by urging.
"Grandson knows."
Fan Xin had no choice but to answer this way.
"Just knowing it won't do you any good. Look at Xu Yang, who's the same age as you. He got married in March. You two used to be good friends and single together, but in the blink of an eye, someone's already passed you by."
Xiangxiu also smiled while holding the bowl of rice.
She laughed at how she, the brother who used to be the apple of his eye and the most beloved person in the family, was now disliked by her family.
Last year, the family also took care of Fan Xin a lot. Zhang Jingui had taken a fancy to Doctor Zhu's apprentice, so she asked him to help, and Doctor Zhu was willing to do so.
Since both elders were satisfied, they asked the two children to come back and see each other. However, Fan Xin was an honest man and not very talkative. Doctor Zhu's apprentice felt that people were not satisfied with him, so the relationship did not go through.
Seeing that Fan Xin was so upset that he couldn't even eat, Kang He spoke up for him, "I think Brother Daxin knows what's going on. Besides, he's a teacher now, taking good care of the children in and around the village. He won't have to worry about finding a good marriage."
After hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Fan stopped nagging Fan Xin.
That’s all. Grandma Fan pried her eyelids open and looked at Fan Jing, who was eating in silence. She said, “Is Da Jing about to give birth?”
Kang He nodded: "February is the due date. Doctor Zhu said that we should keep an eye on her during these two months."
Even with a big belly, Fan Jing was still able to walk very fast. Although he was not as agile as before, he was not clumsy either, which made it easy for people to ignore the fact that he was about to give birth.
"But I asked Doctor Zhu if it's a boy or a girl?"
Kang He said, "The doctor never said that."
"That's true. I see Dajing's belly isn't that big, so it doesn't look like a boy. It's probably a boy and a girl."
But the child hasn't been born yet and we don't know whether it's a boy or a girl yet, so there's no telling what will happen."
Grandma Fan muttered, "I got a piece of talisman paper from a master. Da Jing took it home and burned it. Then he mixed the remaining ash with water and ate it. It will definitely ensure a boy."
Kang He frowned when he heard this.
He respected his elders and would not easily turn against them, so his happy expression disappeared.
"Boys and girls are both fine with me. But if it's a little boy like Dajing, I'd be even happier."
Kang He said calmly, "Grandma, you have good intentions, but we can't use it. This talisman paper is hard to come by, so let's keep it for those who are praying for children."
Everyone in the room could tell Kang He was unhappy, but the two elders were clueless and tried to persuade him: "Who doesn't want a child? How can you give such a good thing to someone else? Grandma loves you two and only gave it to you because she wants you to have a child."
"I originally wanted to keep it with Daxin, but the child is not very ambitious and hasn't started a family yet. I don't know if I will see him have children while I am still alive."
Fan Jing, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly put his chopsticks on the table. The sound was not loud, but not quiet either.
There was a moment of silence at the table.
Fan Shoushan quickly said, "Dad and Mom, may you live a hundred years, how can you say such things?"
I'm afraid that if we continue talking about this matter, the young couple will get angry, thinking that their parents are so old, why do they still care about these things.
The parents didn't say anything. They were so worried that they changed the subject: "The beans are stewed well today. Mom and I will serve some more. Look how happy she is eating them."
Seeing this, several people also changed the topic and changed the subject.
Even if Fan Bingbing were to talk about that again because she was breastfeeding, she wouldn’t have the chance to do so.
Kang He and Fan Jing didn't get angry and finished the meal.
After dinner, they went home. It was snowing again outside. Kang He swept the snowflakes off Fan Jing's sleeves at the door and took him into the house.
Fan Jing looked at the man in front of him who had taken off his cold-air-stained coat. There was still some anger on his face that only he could see. He couldn't help but raise his hand and pinched his ear.
Kang He raised his eyes to look at Fan Jing: "What's wrong? Are your hands cold?"
Fan Jing pulled out the talisman paper mentioned on the dining table from Kang He's pocket, but he didn't pull out the whole one, only a piece of torn paper.
When they were about to leave, Grandma Fan called Kanghe into the house alone.
The man didn't say what Grandma Fan asked him to do, but Fan Jing knew what it was when he saw the unhappy look in his eyes and eyebrows.
"If I wasn't afraid of making this old lady sick in bed, I would have torn the talisman paper into pieces and thrown it around the house."
When Kang He saw that the talisman paper had been discovered, he no longer hid it. He took it out of his pocket and threw it into the chamber pot.
Fan Jing said: "Don't take what they say to heart."
"I wouldn't mind them, I just don't like hearing what they say. I think everyone is just like them, just thinking about having a child."
"They've always been like this, ever since I was a kid."
Fan Jing said: "Fortunately, apart from these two elders, the rest of the people also take your feelings into consideration."
Kang He calmed down a little, hugged Fan Jing gently, and kissed him on the face.
"I don't care about others. I just want you to be my best."
"I've already arranged for two lactating sheep to be kept outside, and hired two midwives. We've been visiting Doctor Zhu to check his pulse every month, and he's been paying extra attention to me over the past two months."
"Don't worry about anything else, just focus on giving birth."
Fan Jing didn't feel anything to worry about. He didn't feel much discomfort while pregnant with this child, not even much morning sickness, and he was not afraid of giving birth to the child.
I'm actually looking forward to having the baby soon so that I don't have to worry so much.
The two were together, thinking about what name to give their child, when Chen Sanfang knocked on the door.
Kang He went to open the door and asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"
Chen Sanfang brought a charcoal brazier into the house and asked them if they were cold.
Kang He smiled and said that he was just about to get a charcoal plate for Fan Jing to get rid of the snow on his body.
Chen Sanfang saw some scraps of paper on the ground. She picked it up and took a look at it. Her face immediately changed and she started cursing.
"She used to love using these crooked tricks. It would have been fine if she'd just called me to eat, but now she's even messing with her grandchildren. My eldest brother at the table has already stuffed food into her mouth, but she has such a good memory that she still doesn't forget to slip food into her mouth behind her back.
If you care so much about it, why don't you eat it yourself and give birth to more? "
Chen Sanfang had difficulty selling the main house, so he went home and cursed loudly, but ended up coming back to ask Kang He to persuade him.
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