Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Inspection
It had only been two months since Mou Dalang came to the Fan family, and he had already learned how to prepare livestock and poultry.
Poultry that reproduce quickly, such as chickens, ducks, rabbits, and quails, hatch four or five nests. Each person incubates three eggs. Sometimes two eggs hatch at least, and sometimes several eggs hatch at most. The little ones also grow up healthy and smart.
The cages and sheds are also kept clean and comfortable, without any bad smell, so people won't feel shabby even if they sleep in them for a night.
Livestock rarely suffer from diarrhea or lethargy anymore, and they are all in high spirits.
The Fan family was very satisfied to see how good Mou Dalang's cooking skills were.
When the villagers heard that the Fan family had hired such a person to help, if anyone had any problems with their livestock, they would bring their things and ask Mou Dalang to take a look when he was free.
The Fan family didn't stop them. Why wouldn't they allow people to go for such a small matter that didn't interfere with their own affairs? They could also do a favor for them.
Kang He saw that the poultry at home was gaining momentum and that the ducks and rabbits would be grown up and ready for sale in less than two months, so he decided to start his business.
Taking advantage of the early October when the autumn harvest was over and many families were busy with business, he and Fan Jing spent the whole day running around the villages slaughtering pigs and promoting their business.
"The weather is good this year, and the crops are also good. I heard that Uncle Zhang is getting married at the end of the year, so it will be a lively occasion.
We should have at least 10 to 20 tables."
"How could we possibly have such a grand occasion? With all the relatives and friends coming to attend, having a dozen tables is already a great achievement."
The old man surnamed Zhang said, "I told you in advance that you should come to our place to slaughter the pig on the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Don't go to any other house on that day."
Kang He laughed and said, "Uncle Zhang told me so long ago, how could I be so dishonest as to go to someone else's house? I already wrote it down on paper. Even if someone offered my son Dajing two hundred coins to slaughter a pig that day, we wouldn't go."
"Uncle Zhang's good day, how can we let a joke ruin it?"
Old man Zhang laughed. His family took advantage of the good pig prices this month and slaughtered one to sell for money. They would slaughter another one in the twelfth month to prepare a feast.
Kang He saw the situation and asked again, "Dad Zhang, have you arranged all the vegetables and meat for the twelfth lunar month banquet? I have some chickens and ducks at home right now. If you need any for the banquet, I can send you as many as you want."
"Since we're regular customers, the prices are negotiable."
"You still keep these at home?"
Old man Zhang said, "You are really capable."
After that, he asked Kang He what animals he had at home, and Kang He told him one by one.
Old Man Zhang said, "If I had known earlier, I would have bought it from you. But I already made arrangements with the villagers. The two chickens from the east and the three ducks from the west cost a lot of favors and a lot of effort. It would be easier to just exchange them from you."
Kang He heard this and was not annoyed when he saw that the deal was not going through. He just said, "It's a good thing that everything has been explained. I will just say something to make it easier for Dad to hear.
You know I have these things over there, if they are useful, I can also advertise them."
Old man Zhang nodded in agreement.
"If anyone in my village wants to prepare a feast and can't find chickens or ducks to buy, I'll tell them about your story."
Kang He smiled and agreed, saying, "We don't usually come to your village to slaughter pigs. When we go to the county to buy groceries, we just come to the shop and tell them."
On the way back, Fan Jing was driving the car and saw Kang Yi drinking water all the time. These days, when he went out to slaughter pigs, he talked much more than before, all about business.
Even so, the livestock and poultry raised at home have nowhere to go.
He watched silently, feeling unhappy.
Kang He, however, did not seem impatient. He believed that things like this needed to be done slowly. Selling livestock and preparing banquets was different from setting up stalls in the city.
There are many people in the city, and it is common to buy a chicken or duck for three meals a day. People come to buy them, and at most they buy one or two at a time, and most of the time they buy half a chicken or duck.
It is considered a big deal in the village. A family prepares a banquet with at least ten tables, and buys chickens and ducks in batches of three, five, seven or eight. If the banquet is big, there may be more than ten or twenty ducks.
But the feast is not often available, and if it is, you don’t necessarily have to buy from them. But whether you buy or not, you have to let people know in advance that there is such a place as theirs doing this business.
After returning to the shop, Kang He and Fan Jing cleaned up the slaughtered pigs. The couple exchanged Yi Huan and Chen San Fang back and let them look after the shop for a few days.
Kanghe put up a sign in front of the stall, announcing that chickens, ducks, rabbits, quails and other items were available for sale.
Those who can read can read it themselves, and those who cannot read will explain it to others one by one.
So, Kang He didn't bother with anything else.
After the autumn, the Fan family was busy. This year's harvest was three times more than in previous years. They hired four strong men who traveled around the countryside during the autumn months to help people harvest crops. They finally finished the harvest in time for the autumn.
Father Fan took inventory and paid the taxes. He still had 35 stone of grain for this year, and the family's granary was full.
Since he was born, Fan Shoulin had never seen so much food in his family.
He was both happy and worried, for he was afraid that thieves would set their sights on the granary. Whenever he got up at night, he would wander over to the granary to take a look before he could feel at ease.
One day, he bumped into Mou Dalang who had gotten up at night. It was pitch dark and both of them were scared to death.
The noise caused the two dogs tied outside to jump up and bark, causing the whole family to hurriedly light the lights and get up, thinking that there had been another thief.
Chen Sanfang said to Kang He, "We should take this grain to the county and sell it, so that your father won't feel uneasy every day.
Not to mention him, I was also worried. The wall of our house is low, and the thieves can easily climb in. Whenever we think about the previous incidents of being robbed, we are still scared.
We've spent quite a bit of money this year, and we're just selling some grain and putting some coppers in our pockets."
Kang He indeed thought so. Although there were many people in their family, they were not afraid even if a thief came. But nothing is perfect. If they wanted to let the cunning thing sneak in, there would be not only food in the house, but also a lot of smoked bacon and sausages.
If someone gets this, it will be a serious loss.
When he had some free time, he and Fan Jing went to the grain store in the county and found a shop with decent prices.
I kept a few dan of grain for my own consumption, and sold thirty dan. The harvest was good this year, and the price of grain was not high. I sold thirty dan of grain for thirty-three strings of cash.
After all, the wasteland that is opened up in the first year is not as good as the land that has been carefully cultivated year after year. After three or two years, it will be better.
During the winter months, the paddy fields cannot be taken care of and are left idle, but some winter vegetables can still be grown in the land.
Outside, Kanghe bought some rapeseed seeds home and asked Father Fan to plant them. After they overwintered and bloomed the next year, he could bring down a few boxes of bees from the mountains to collect honey. The seeds could also be sent to the oil shop next door for pressing.
Rapeseed oil is good for both personal consumption and for sale, and the price is not cheap.
After making arrangements with the land at home, it was already the twelfth lunar month in the blink of an eye. This year is slightly warmer than in previous years, and there are fewer days with snow than in previous years.
At the end of the year, the Fan family went to the Xu family to attend the 100-day banquet.
Yuan Ge'er and Xu Yang had a boy. The Xu family was very happy and celebrated the wedding with great enthusiasm.
We ordered a lot of chickens, ducks and rabbits from the Fan family to prepare a banquet, and there were a lot of vegetables and meat left over.
After the banquet, Xu Yang asked Kang He to take some vegetables and meat home to eat, because there were too many leftovers that would go bad and be wasted.
Seeing that Dafu liked to eat fried fish nuggets, Kang He brought a plate back from Xu's house and enjoyed it with him.
The fried fish pieces coated with starch are originally crispy and fragrant, but after being steamed in the pot, the crispy skin becomes soft.
Dafu smelled the fragrance and sat obediently on Fan Jing's lap, staring at the fish pieces in the plate, and waiting for Fan Jing to feed him with his two chubby little legs.
Fan Jing found a piece of fish belly meat, removed the bones, and fed it to the little boy bit by bit.
Kang He, who was tidying up in the yard, said, "I see that Da Fu likes the taste of fish. I'll buy a few big bluefish this afternoon and chop them up to make fish balls for him. I'm not afraid of the bones getting stuck in his throat."
Dafu listened to Kang He's words, immediately turned his head to look at Fan Jing, and shouted: "Big herring, I want big herring!"
Fan Jing held the kid in one hand, straightened him up, and fed him a mouthful of fish.
He said to Kang He, "I told him I'd heard him talk about the big blackfish all afternoon."
Kang He said with a smile: "I don't know who this kid takes after. He has a very good memory."
He finished the work at hand, washed his hands, and was about to go and play with Dafu when Zhang Jingui from the first wife's house came over.
"How come my aunt is free to come here today?"
Kang He called Zhang, brought her a stool, and asked her to come into the main room to warm herself by the fire.
Zhang Jingui pinched Dafu's chubby face. The little boy wanted to eat meat and refused to play with Zhang Jingui. So Zhang Jingui sat down on the stool and watched Fan Jing feed the little guy fish.
This big fat boy becomes more and more attractive the more you look at him.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, Zhen'er found a good husband and got married. Dafu was almost two years old, and even Xu Yang had a big fat boy.
The more Zhang Jingui thought about it, the more upset she felt. As the New Year was approaching, she didn't feel the joy of previous years. She didn't have the energy to buy New Year's goods all day, and she was too lazy to take care of the house. She would just lie on the kang for most of the day.
Seeing Zhang Jingui looking listless, Kang He asked, "Aunt, what's wrong?"
"Sanlang, I'm really worried about your brother Daxin."
Kang He smiled when he heard this, and knew what Zhang Jingui was worried about without asking.
Zhang Jingui glanced at Kang He and Fan Jing, then looked away. Seeing that they were silent, he hesitated and said, "Sanlang, I wonder if you can find the He family brother from your shop?"
Kang He's eyebrows twitched when he heard Zhang Jingui's words. Before he could open his mouth, Fan Jingxian glanced at Zhang Jingui and said, "Why are you asking this?"
Zhang Jingui felt a little sullen when she saw Fan Jing open his mouth. She said, "I'm just asking."
Fan Jing, however, did not look at her in a good mood and said directly, "Don't try to get your hands on him anymore. It will make no one happy."
Zhang Jingui blushed when she heard this and didn't want to say anything more. The room felt strangely depressing. Just at this moment, an old man came in and said he wanted to buy a rabbit. Kang He stood up and led the man to choose a rabbit. Zhang Jingui took advantage of this opportunity and slipped back home.
After Kang He saw the people leave, he said to Fan Jing, "This aunt is really something. She first wanted to talk to Mom about Daxin, but Mom refused to discuss Daxin's affairs with her because of what happened before. She must have figured it out, so she had to come to us to talk."
Fan Jing said, "Looking for trouble."
Qiao'er came back from outside and heard the two of them talking. She ran over with a smile.
"My aunt is getting anxious again. This morning she went to see Doctor Zhu building a house. She wanted to go over and talk to Brother Ji, but Brother Ji and our eldest brother Mou were talking the whole time, and she didn't even have a chance to interrupt."
Kang He heard this and said, "How can our brother Mou and Ji Ge'er talk like this?"
"They're both doctors, one treats humans and the other treats animals, but no matter how different they are, they can still talk better than Brother Daxin."
Qiao'er said, "I didn't know that my brother-in-law was not at home some time ago. Whenever Brother Mou had time, he would go to Brother Ji to discuss medical knowledge and help Doctor Zhu."
"I laughed at him, and he immediately blushed."
Kang He laughed: "Girl, you have a powerful mouth."
After talking for a while, they put the rabbits into a cage with the old man who had selected them. Each of them traded for six rabbits. Kang He had nothing important to do, so he drove the man back.
Not only is the weather cold, but the roads in the village are always difficult to travel on in winter. Xu Yangxian even joked with him that when he became rich, he would donate some money to the village to repair the roads.
The old man was very grateful. Yan had heard from the villagers that these things were sold here, so he came here to ask.
It was not in vain that Kang He and Fan Jing had been busy for the past two months. At the end of this year, relatives were visiting each other more frequently and buying more meat and poultry. Some people even came to the Fan family to buy.
There are not many people who come to the stall to ask for delivery, and some are not afraid of the trouble and want to come home to check it themselves.
Kang He knew very well that if someone came to their place to buy poultry, it might be a scam, so he had to check it out in person to feel at ease.
After the Little New Year, the village has an increasingly festive atmosphere.
Fan Jing bought some firecrackers in the city and played with Dafu while making them. The boy was very brave and was not afraid of the sound of the firecrackers. He and Fan Jing were laughing happily.
At the end of this year, Xiangxiu came to visit her husband's home.
Zhang Jingui took the opportunity to pull Xiangxiu aside and cried to her, saying that she was now married to a good family and lived a comfortable life, but she could not forget her brothers at home. She begged her to find a good family for Fan Xin in the city.
Xiangxiu was so easygoing that she agreed to it. She acted quickly and brought back a letter in the first month of the year.
It was said that they were a family in the city that was engaged in the grain business. Their surname was Lu and they were of good financial condition. The daughter was also pretty and not ugly. She was just a little older, over 25 years old.
Zhang Jingui secretly went with Xiangxiu to take a look, and it was just as she said. However, she thought to herself, why hasn't such a good person been promised to someone at such a young age?
Xiangxiu asked her in return, her son looked good in every way, so why hadn't he found a good husband yet?
Zhang Jingui asked Xiangxiu so many questions that she was speechless and didn't dare to find fault anymore. With the previous experience, she became much more honest. She was afraid that if she annoyed Xiangxiu, she would not be able to find the person again and would go find someone else.
Xiangxiu pulled her mother aside and said earnestly, "Mom, Daxin is my real brother. I would never harm anyone but him. To be frank, after my parents pass away, my brothers will still be the only ones I can rely on in my family."
"If he's not doing well, what good will I get? And I can only hope that he's doing well. He can handle it."
Zhang Jingui persuaded Xiangxiu with some soothing words and she agreed to the marriage.
As for Fan Xin, he no longer argued about the marriage and let his family make the decision.
This time the marriage was decided quickly.
Kang He found it a little strange. Although he thought Xiangxiu would not betray his brother, Zhang Jingui's suspicion was somewhat reasonable.
Since he was a city dweller, he went to ask around.
That night, Kang He secretly told Fan Jingting, "The Lu family is indeed as Xiang Xiu said. They are not poor, and the daughter is also decent. She was originally engaged to a family, but she was ruined and has been delayed until now."
The two of them lay side by side on the couch. Kang He moved closer to Fan Jing and asked, "Do you know why you ruined it?"
Fan Jing replied, "How would I know?"
Kang He said, "I heard that the young man from that family was not a decent man. Before getting married, he secretly kept a prostitute outside. One day, he went to meet her and was caught by the girl from the Lu family."
"This girl is quite a powerful person. She slapped the boy twice right outside, making his face look like a pig. Then she scolded him in the street, making the boy look very embarrassed."
"The marriage between the two families was called off. Although it was the man's family who was dishonest that ruined the marriage, people outside the Lu family saw how powerful the girl was and said she was domineering and fierce, so they didn't dare to marry her. After enduring year after year, she finally reached this age."
When Fan Jing heard this, his eyebrows moved. Most men like virtuous and gentle girls. If a girl makes a mistake, she will not be afraid of being criticized by her family. The girl from the Lu family is fierce and many men are afraid of her.
He looked at Kang He and said, "Given my aunt's temperament, would she allow such a powerful girl to be her sweetheart?"
Kang He said with a smile, "I guess Xiangxiu deliberately didn't tell her aunt about this, or maybe she didn't dare to complain after what happened before. But it's most likely the former. If it was the latter, she wouldn't be bragging about her family's happy marriage these days."
"If you ask me, Xiangxiu has good vision. She found such a wife for her brother. The eldest wife needs a strong girl to control her. Daxin is a man with no ideas. If the couple are like this, life will be difficult."
Fan Jing didn't say anything, but he agreed with Kang He's statement.
Now that Fan Xin has settled down, the Fan family has also achieved a great thing, and Zhang Jingui no longer has to come and sigh all day long.
He moved his feet and pressed them against Kang He's legs. This man was like a furnace. It would be fine if he sweated a lot in the summer, but he was still so hot in the winter.
Tonight, Dafu coaxed Chen Sanfang to sleep over there with a piece of chestnut cake. Now that there was no little kid on the bed, the bed felt a lot wider for no reason.
Once it becomes spacious, it will feel colder when sleeping in winter.
Seeing Fan Jingken sticking close to him, Kang He put his hand into his underwear.
He whispered in Fan Jing's ear, "What do you think those men are doing by keeping prostitutes?"
Upon hearing this, Fan Jing glanced at Kang He.
This person was clearly trying to say something inappropriate again, but he didn't respond.
Seeing this, Kang He said, "Don't you know?"
"I don't know."
Kang He said, "Then let me tell you about it."
Fan Jing thought that whatever he said would fall into his mouth. He wanted to hear what he had to say, so he said, "You say it."
Kang He lowered his voice: "Actually, it's just for..."
"Alas, I haven't read for a couple of days, so I can't explain it clearly. Otherwise, give me some copper coins as a favor, and I'll teach you how to do it myself."
Fan Jing raised his eyebrows and asked him, "What's your price?"
"My figure and appearance, if not top-notch, are definitely above average. But they're just for show, useless. Aside from being able to light a lamp, they don't offer any real advantages."
"What matters is that I have strength and time, and I'm not a petty person."
Fan Jing's ears turned red. This man had been in business for a long time and was very good at talking about business. He even spoke in such a good way about selling himself.
"You are so capable, why not go to work in a brothel?"
"I'm not that easygoing. I'm selective with my buyers, and I'm selling to you alone. The price is good today, so just pay, no matter how much."
Kang He pinched Fan Jing's waist and asked, "Brother, are you going to cover it or not?"
Fan Jing said: "Inspect the goods first."
Kang He threw his already thin clothes under the bed and let Fan Jing check them clearly. The two of them were in a lot of trouble.
A few days later, Zhen'er and Luo Chuanyi also came home to pay New Year's greetings.
The couple returned in a carriage, bringing with them six pieces of cloth, four boxes of snacks, and several boxes of unknown New Year gifts.
Kang He personally cooked a table full of dishes, making the house lively.
After dinner, Zhen'er chatted with the women in the family.
"You've only been married for half a year, but you look so good. Are you doing well in the Luo family?"
Zhen Er said a little shyly, "He treats me very well."
Chen Sanfang and Qiao'er both smiled when they heard this.
"My eldest sister-in-law is the housekeeper. She's a capable person, sensible, and easy to get along with. Apart from tending to the mother-in-law and the other two, I don't have much else to do. Most of the time, I just accompany him to study."
"What about Luo Tongsheng? Is your father-in-law still okay with you?"
Zhen'er said, "My father-in-law usually has to go to a private school to teach, leaving early and returning late, and he has a lot of social engagements. Although he is more dignified than the other people in the family, I rarely run into him."
Chen Sanfang felt relieved after hearing this. She was busy at home in the second half of last year. Cousin Yun invited her to play several times, but she was never free to go, so she didn't know much about what was going on there.
Then she asked a few more questions about how many people the Luo family employed and whether Luojia Dalang's business was good last year.
Qiao'er listened with great interest and was very curious about the affairs of such wealthy families.
In the afternoon, Zhen'er will go back.
While the others were chatting about family matters, Fan Jing went to the shed and grabbed two rabbits, two geese, and four quails, slaughtered and packed them up. He then went up to the house to find some things to pack them up, and took them all to Zhen'er's carriage.
Zhen'er felt very uncomfortable when she saw Fan Jing silently packing up all these things with her.
She said, "Big brother, there are already a lot, I'm sorry to take any more."
Fan Jing glanced at Zhen'er. He didn't say much, just said, "If you have anything, come to the shop."
Zhen'er responded.
When she left, the whole family came to see her off. Dafu called her auntie, and Zhener hugged Dafu and kissed him, seeming reluctant to let her go.
On the way back, she couldn't help crying in the carriage. Luo Chuanyi wiped her tears and tried to comfort her.
In this way, three years of quiet days passed in the blink of an eye.
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