It's a good 130 or 140 square meters. After all, it used to be a proper cowshed, so how could it be small? Now, it's been partitioned into two rooms inside and has a kitchen outside. The living room is very bright and spacious, with three shelves. It's a pity that there are no glass cabinets installed.
Although it was called a move, Zhang Cheng didn't actually have any belongings... he was all alone.
Zhang Cheng had a smile on his face and offered cigarettes to everyone he met, acting very familiar with people.
Zhang Da Nao led his men, laboriously moving all the family's stock into the new place.
Aunt Hua approached Zhang Cheng and tugged at his sleeve.
"Auntie, is something the matter?" Zhang Cheng turned his head.
Aunt Hua was a little embarrassed, and lowered her voice, "Er Gouzi, you mentioned at the beginning of the year that you wanted me to help you with your accounts and stuff, does that... still stand?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Zhang Cheng nodded immediately. He had to go to the county every few days, so it was good for Aunt Hua to mind the shop and keep Shi Yangyang company—a win-win situation.
Having received confirmation, Aunt Hua's face beamed with joy. She pulled a red envelope from her pocket and stuffed it into Zhang Cheng's hand. "Er Gouzi, this is a relocation gift from your aunt. Take it. You can't refuse it; it's bad luck!"
"Then I'll definitely accept it!" Zhang Cheng happily stuffed the red envelope into his pocket.
Once Aunt Hua took the lead, it was like lighting a fuse; other villagers swarmed around her, laughing and stuffing things into her hands.
"Er Gouzi, this is from your aunt, don't think it's too little."
"Ergouzi, your auntie's family is really broke. This dress is still new, you can wear it in the summer!"
After being injured by the bear, Uncle Mancang and his friends spent all their savings on Zhang Cheng's medical treatment. They really don't have a single penny to give, so they can only send some new clothes, hoes, shovels and the like as a gift.
It's a small gift but a big sentiment.
Zhang Cheng accepted them all with a smile.
"Big Head Bro, set up a few tables. We're all eating here tonight!" Zhang Cheng stuffed the cured meat and roe deer meat in his hand into Zhang Big Head's hands as he leaned over.
"Okay!" Zhang Da Naotou replied cheerfully.
Shi Yangyang was wearing a new cotton-padded jacket, her little face beaming with a bright smile. She was surrounded by a group of older women who praised her for marrying into a good family and for enjoying a blessed life.
"Second Uncle! Second Uncle!"
Er Ya, with her round belly sticking out, leaned on her crutches and called out to Zhang Cheng from afar.
Zhang Cheng quickly went to greet her, "Sister-in-law, your belly... is a bit too big, isn't it?" He wondered to himself, could it be twins?
Er Ya chuckled, patted her belly, and pulled a red envelope from her pocket, handing it to Zhang Cheng. "Second Uncle, this is the money for Anzi and me to give as a wedding gift. Please keep it safe."
"Sister-in-law, come inside and sit for a while, have some nuts."
"No, no!" Er Ya was a little flustered. She had come secretly, and Zhang An and the others didn't know. "The fire is still burning at home. I'll come again tomorrow!"
"Aunt Hua, could you please take my sister-in-law home?" Zhang Cheng turned and called out to Aunt Hua, who was busy in the distance.
"Alright!" Aunt Hua hurried over, looking at Er Ya's belly with amazement, "Cui, your belly looks like you're carrying two or three babies!"
Er Ya rubbed her belly with a happy expression, "Auntie, thank you for your kind words!"
Zhang Cheng turned and ran into the house, took out a piece of cured meat, and caught up with Er Ya, who was being supported by Aunt Hua. "Sister-in-law, take this piece of cured meat."
"Okay!" Er Ya didn't stand on ceremony; it was a return gift, and it was only right.
Watching Aunt Hua carefully help Er Ya walk away, Zhang Cheng frowned slightly. There were midwives in the village, but Er Ya's belly was too big if it was only one child, and it might be difficult to give birth.
If you count the days, it'll only be about ten days to two weeks.
He thought he should find some time to talk to Zhang An, and that he should accompany Er Ya to the county hospital to give birth tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.
He couldn't be bothered with Old Zhang, his mother, or Zhang An's affairs.
But Er Ya is a good person, she has no bad intentions, and she never looked down on Yang Yang for being crazy. She often came to keep him company. We can't deny her kindness.
Everyone worked enthusiastically to help organize the goods.
Once everything was almost done, Zhang Jianhao called Zhang Cheng over to take a look.
Upon entering the room, Zhang Cheng nodded in satisfaction at the wide array of goods on the shelves, including food and household items.
"Brother, the village chief told me that tomorrow we'll go to the nearby villages to collect Solomon's Seal and Panax notoginseng," Zhang Weiguo said excitedly, cracking open a pine nut.
Zhang Cheng reached out and patted Zhang Weiguo on the shoulder, "The collected Solomon's Seal and Panax notoginseng, do as I said, clamp them with bamboo strips. If I don't come back after the Solomon's Seal has set, you take it to the county."
"Brother, where in the county should I look for you?"
"No. 120, South Street!"
"middle!"
Funing County comprises eleven towns and over three hundred villages. The work of collecting medicinal herbs is no easy task.
Of course, Zhang Cheng couldn't possibly consume so much Polygonatum and Panax notoginseng.
After the Lunar New Year, herbal gift boxes will definitely not sell well.
Zhang Cheng was thinking to himself, what other ways are there to make money quickly this year?
There are indeed many ways to make money these days, but you need capital and connections.
While he was talking to Zhang Weiguo, a few young men, including Zhang Da Nao, Zhang Jianhao, and Li Qiming, came over.
"Weiguo, Qiming, Dongzi, and Xiaohao, you guys stay in the village and help me collect medicinal herbs. Big Head Brother and Jianhao, come with me to the county tomorrow," Zhang Cheng arranged.
"middle!"
"Brother, are we still going to trade medicinal herbs when we go to the county?" Zhang Jianhao asked.
Zhang Cheng shook his head. "Director Zhou will handle the herbal gift boxes. As for the shop, I'll arrange for Li Yuanyuan to go there."
Li Yuanyuan?
Everyone was slightly startled and exchanged glances.
"Brother, if we're not going to make herbs anymore, what are we going to do?"
Treasury bonds!
"Treasury bonds? What are those?" Zhang Jianhao asked blankly.
"I know!"
Tie Zhengzi, who was limping, came over and, upon hearing the words "treasury bonds," grinned and said, "I heard someone mention it last year when I was working at the cannery. They said it was money the country owed to the people."
"The country owes money? Are you kidding me?"
Tie Zhengzi curled his lip, "The cannery has quotas, forcing regular employees to buy them, and the factory subsidizes 30% of the cost."
"Tell me, a one-yuan treasury bond, the factory pays three mao, and you pay seven mao?" Zhang Da tilted his head and calculated, "Can you buy anything with that stuff?"
"Buy my ass. Last year, the cannery workers offered fifty yuan in treasury bonds, but nobody wanted them even if they were exchanged for thirty."
"ah?"
So, these treasury bonds are just worthless pieces of paper that nobody wants!
Everyone turned to look at Zhang Cheng, wondering why he brought this up.
Zhang Cheng smiled and said, "We'll talk about this when we get to the county. Anyway, just do whatever I tell you to do, and don't ask any questions."
"Er Gouzi, don't worry, we trust you!"
It was evening.
The villagers arrived one after another, each carrying their own eight-immortal tables. Luckily, the cowshed was big enough, otherwise it really wouldn't have been able to accommodate so many people.
According to the old rules of the village, women do not sit at the table.
The older women would all crowd inside the house, waiting for the men to finish eating and drinking so they could clean up the leftovers and fill their stomachs.
Last year, the village was plagued by one bad thing after another, so this time the relocation banquet was unusually lively.
The old village chief drank a few cups of rice wine, his face flushed and his neck thick. He stood up and began to speak: "Fellow villagers! Our Zhangjia Village had a bad year last year! But our village also produced a true dragon! You all know Er Gouzi's abilities! But I still have to tell you a few more stories!"
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