Chapter 95
There was a light snow at the end of the year, and it was cold for three or two days. After that, there were only a few rainy days, and the whole winter was sunny. It was a rare warm winter.
The people are all happy about the warm winter as they spend less money on charcoal and thick cotton cloth. However, it is a pity for the vendors who sell ice drinks in the summer as they cannot store ice in advance due to the warm weather, so their business will be bad next year.
The Zhang family’s ice cellar was not used this year.
During the Little New Year, Zhang Shixin came home and told Zhang Fangyuan that he wanted to have the New Year's Eve dinner in their big house, and the Zhang family could also get together at that time.
Zhang Fangyuan knew that his uncles and aunts were all counting on him. After all, they were members of the same clan, and even if his family prospered, he could not abandon the clan. So he did not go against his uncle's wishes and agreed to have the New Year's Eve dinner here.
I don't know whether it was his eldest uncle or fourth uncle who informed his sixth uncle, but his sixth uncle also came to the New Year's Eve dinner, but this time he didn't bring his wife and children back.
Zhang's brothers, descendants, wives, and the entire family sat at three tables. Although there were some minor frictions, they were wary of Zhang Fangyuan, so they spent a lively and happy New Year in harmony.
After the Chinese New Year, Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He took their two children to visit several relatives to wish them a happy new year. The two children were very happy to receive some small red envelopes.
On the seventh or eighth day of the first lunar month, Zhang Fangyuan hosted a banquet in the city to entertain some business friends. The idle days passed quickly without doing anything, and it was already the fifteenth day in a flash.
At the end of the month, Xiao'e came of age, and Zhang Fangyuan prepared a small banquet. Xu He brought some fine cloth from the city, and while he made silver bracelets for the two children, he also gave Xiao'e a pair of silver jewelry as a coming-of-age gift.
After the wedding banquet, the Zhang family became bustling with matchmakers coming to propose marriage every few days, and the door was almost broken down by the visitors.
It was often Xu He who received these matchmakers at home, and he had no say in the matter. Later, the matchmakers were smart and went directly to the guest house of the tea shed to find Zhang Shiyue.
"There are always people coming here, first disturbing your peace, and then disrupting your business in the guest house. I really feel a little guilty."
After this happened so many times, Zhang Shiyue felt embarrassed to talk about this with Xu He.
"What's the big deal? Life events are the most important. There are a lot of people over there. Second Aunt doesn't have to be so busy. Just pay attention to Xiao'e's husband, which is the most important thing now."
A daughter in a family is sought after by hundreds of families. Not to mention that Xiao'e has grown up with bright eyes and white teeth in the Zhang family over the years, and has also studied in Fei Lian's village school. The girl was studious. Although she started school late and could not compose poetry and prose like the girls in the city, she had no problem writing and reading.
On the other hand, everyone within a hundred miles knew that Xiao'e and her mother lived with Zhang Fangyuan and his wife. With Zhang Fangyuan, a rich landlord cousin, as their backer, many families were attracted by the wealth and power behind them. Not only did those who proposed marriage come knocking on the door of their house, but their door lintels were also quite high.
Ordinary poor families are too embarrassed to invite a matchmaker, so what kind of people are those who come? Landlords, village chiefs, scholars from relatively well-off families... everyone who came here had good conditions, making the unmarried women in the village envious.
Even though she was younger than Xiao'e, Xiaomao was still very envious of her. Sometimes, when they were eating at Zhang Fangyuan's side, the two of them would chat and laugh together.
"If you see someone you like, please tell Ayuan. Don't just listen to the matchmaker. The matchmaker only says good things and never says a word. If you like someone, let Ayuan find out about his family background and character first."
Seeing how the couple cared so much about their Xiao'e, Zhang Shiyue felt very grateful. If she hadn't followed Zhang Fangyuan all these years and was still making a living in Yuan County, Xiao'e would definitely not have had the good life she has today. As she spoke, she wiped her eyes and said, "It's nothing else. As long as he's a good and down-to-earth person and treats Xiao'e well, that's enough. Another thing, it's better not to marry far away."
Xu He nodded. It would be difficult for her family to make a decision if something happened when she married far away. Fortunately, most of the people who came to propose marriage were from nearby.
The family did not settle down too early, thinking that Xiao'e had just reached the age of marriage and was not too old. Even if they kept her for another three to five years, her cousin could afford the money for her late marriage.
Before the matter was settled, Xiao'e became the second Xu Shaochun in the village. Young men always brought her gifts and she was often stopped on the way home from school. However, Xiao'e had a stern face and never accepted anything from others, which gave the men in the village no chance to take advantage of her.
Once the whole family is calm and not anxious, it becomes easier to see which family is the most sincere.
Knowing that the girl did not want to get married so early, the Tang family, a wealthy landlord in Tangjiabao, had been persistent and always found opportunities to visit. They first said frankly that they wanted to visit Zhang Shiyue, but after being rejected, they simply said that they wanted to do business with Zhang Fangyuan, saying that even if the marriage was not possible, the business was still there, and they won Zhang Fangyuan's favor.
As time went by, Zhang Shiyue couldn't help but ask Zhang Fangyuan at the dinner table: "What about the Tang family?"
Although Zhang Fangyuan had dealings with the Tang family, they were genuine business dealings. He would, for example, buy fruits from the Tang family orchard at low prices and sell them at the guesthouse, and introduce merchants to the Tang family to get goods. He never talked about marriage all the time, and he also didn't tell Zhang Shiyue about the Tang family, which might influence her second aunt's judgment.
Since Zhang Shiyue asked, he said, "The one I usually interact with in the Tang family is the master of the Tang family. The Tang family has three sons. The eldest and the second have already married, and their children are four or five years older than Ruijin and Ruili. The youngest son of their family is eighteen this year, and he has not yet found a suitable family."
"Has Ayuan ever seen this young master?"
Xiao'e was eating silently. When she heard such discussions, her face turned red, she put down her bowl and chopsticks and went back to the house.
Xu He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw this.
Zhang Fangyuan looked up at the girl and pinched Xu He's face: "What are you laughing at?"
"Xiao E is too afraid of morning sickness." Thinking back to the time when his spouse was so thick-skinned that he even came to his house to eat at the same table and discussed the betrothal gift in person.
Zhang Fangyuan could probably guess that he was thinking about the time when the two of them were just about to get married. Although the family conditions in those years were not as good as they are now, there were not so many rules and regulations. They still met secretly before getting married, which was much more free than it is now with a higher social status.
"Go on." Xu He turned around and urged Zhang Fangyuan again.
"Oh, Master Tang also brought Young Master Tang out a few times before. He is a reserved man who doesn't talk much. Unlike his elder brother, he is good at managing the family property and the land, but he is a good student. He has now achieved the title of Tongsheng."
To be honest, because of Fei Lian, Zhang Fangyuan subconsciously paid attention when he heard about scholars. For this reason, he carefully considered the young master of the Tang family. After all, he came from a good family and his upbringing was much better than that of a poor scholar.
Zhang Shiyue nodded silently: "That sounds good."
Xu He said: "There is also a scholar in Pingye Village who is also seeking Xiao'e. He is a scholar and has a higher reputation than the young master of the Tang family. However, his family background is not as good as that of a landlord. In the end, it all depends on Xiao'e's opinion and what kind of person she likes."
Zhang Fangyuan said again: "How about I invite all the suitable people to the banquet, and Xiao'e can see each other through the screen at home?"
Zhang Shiyue thought this was a good idea. Although wealthy families have many requirements, they cannot arrange a blind marriage. How can they arrange a marriage without even meeting each other?
"Xiao'e, what do you say?"
He Ge'er shouted loudly and in a serious manner, but in fact the girl was not far away, she was just listening at the back of the canteen.
Hearing Xu He's call, she went out again leisurely, hesitated for a moment and said, "No need for a banquet."
Zhang Fangyuan's eyebrows twitched slightly: "No one is satisfied?"
He smacked his lips for a moment and couldn't help but sigh. Fortunately, the Xu family was of ordinary financial status at the time, otherwise Xu He would have received countless proposals for marriage, and by then he would have been lined up eight hundred miles away. People would have been dazzled by the choices and would not have chosen a butcher like him.
Then Xiao'e's words surprised everyone at the table: "It's ok, it's fine to go with the Tang family."
Hearing this, Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He exchanged a glance and asked, "Why did you choose the Tang family's? Because your cousin said the Tang family's is pretty good?"
Xu He asked with a smile, to be honest, all those who came to propose marriage are worth mentioning, and the conditions of the Tang family are not the best among those who came to propose marriage.
Zhang Shiyue worked in a guest house and had come into contact with the masters and merchants in the city. Now, someone from the city came to propose marriage to her.
Although Xiao'e was shy, she did not hide it from her family, especially after her cousin said that the Tang family was not bad, she honestly said, "I saw them when I went to the city."
Xu He frowned and smiled. It turned out that he had seen her before. However, he still asked cautiously, "Did you meet her before or after you came of age?"
"Before I came of age."
"Why are you asking this?" Zhang Fangyuan was puzzled.
"Are you a fool? The Tang family came to propose marriage early, and Xiao'e came a few days after she came of age. If they met after she came of age, it means they met after the proposal was rejected. If they met again, they would know which family she was from, and there is no doubt that the Tang family was determined to deceive Xiao'e with sweet words. They met before she came of age, which means her intentions are pure."
Zhang Fangyuan laughed: "You are thoughtful."
"Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that the young master of the Tang family hasn't found a suitable family yet. It's not that he can't find one, but that he deliberately doesn't want to find one."
The more you talk about it, the more satisfied you become.
Since he had obtained the consent of the young lady and her mother, Zhang Fangyuan also passed the news to Mr. Tang. The Tang family was very happy and acted quickly. Not long after, they invited a matchmaker over again. Knowing that the matter would definitely be successful, the betrothal gifts were carried over here in big boxes. From afar, a long line of people with joy could be seen.
The villagers were busy with spring ploughing and saw the excitement in the fields. When they saw the handsome young master of the Tang family and the huge betrothal gifts, they were all jealous.
But no matter how jealous they are, it is, after all, a powerful combination, which is something that ordinary people cannot envy.
The Zhang family started late and is not as well-established as the Tang family. It might seem like the Zhang family is marrying above their station, but as the saying goes since ancient times, it is better to marry someone higher than you are to marry someone lower than you. This marriage is quite appropriate.
The wedding was scheduled for the summer of that year. The family was satisfied with it, and it was a big event.
Now that she was about to get married, Xiao'e no longer went to school, but stayed at home to concentrate on needlework and prepare her dowry.
The two elders from Zhang Fangyuan's fourth uncle's family were happy for Xiao'e's marriage when they saw how it went. But at the same time, they felt a layer of worry as they didn't know what would happen to Xiaomao from their family.
The two children are not far apart in age and will be coming of age next year.
Zhang Fangyuan knew that his fourth uncle was worried about this, so he promised: "When the time comes, I, as his cousin, will definitely find a good marriage for Xiaomao."
Zhang Shicheng wanted to hear this, so that he would feel at ease. However, under the influence of alcohol, he still revealed his true feelings to Zhang Fangyuan: "I don't want to marry as well as Xiao'e did. Your fourth aunt couldn't bear to part with such a child, so she wanted to find a live-in son-in-law."
Zhang Fangyuan thought about the situation of his fourth uncle's family, and it was indeed more suitable to invite a son-in-law to live with them. However, it was difficult to find a son-in-law, so many families without sons could only marry their children off.
But now that he is supporting the Zhang family, it is still easy to find a son-in-law, but there will definitely be no one with very good conditions.
"I'm keeping an eye on it."
Zhang Shicheng was very happy to hear this: "Great, great!"
By the end of spring, most of the land purchased by Zhangjiazhi had been reclaimed. The villagers were busy with spring plowing, so fewer people went to Zhangjia to reclaim the land. However, Zhang Fangyuan was not in a hurry. The two of them had not originally planned to grow crops on the wasteland this year. As long as they reclaimed the land this year, they could just use the manure from the poultry shed to fertilize the soil.
It was not until the beginning of summer that Song Yong finally came to collect the silk cocoons.
It was originally planned that he would come to collect the cocoons in spring, but he never came. Xu He couldn't help feeling anxious, fearing that Song Yong would break his promise and not come to get the cocoons after taking the secret recipe of the tooth incense chips.
Not to mention that there are already hundreds of kilograms of silk cocoons piled up in the warehouse. The mulberry leaves are harvested in spring, and the first batch of silkworms raised by the villagers in spring are about to spin silk. By that time, the goods will not be sold and will pile up again. I am afraid that the loss will be huge.
"This year, we came here from Kangjian City and encountered mountain torrents, which delayed us for quite a while. That's why we're late. I'm really sorry."
Song Yong was full of apologies. The Song family had a wide range of business, but most of them were in various prefectures and counties. This year, there were delays on the road, and not only was Zhang Fangyuan worried, but other merchants were also writing letters. He rushed here in a hurry and apologized all the way.
In fact, after doing business for so long, Zhang Fangyuan was still confident in Song Yong's character. Even if the two parties had signed and sealed a document in the beginning, he would be able to win the lawsuit by taking the document to the government, after all, the Song family was a well-known family.
Zhang Fangyuan also prepared a letter to send to Suzhou to inquire about the situation. Before the letter could be sent out, a clerk from a shop in the city who specialized in delivering goods came to the village to tell him that Song Yong had arrived in Siyang, and handed him a letter asking him to send the cocoons to the city.
Zhang Fangyuan immediately called for people to move out all the silk cocoons piled up in the warehouse, loaded them into two or three trucks, and transported them to the city.
"It's okay. Boss Song is exhausted from the journey. Why don't you rest for a few more days in Siyang?"
Song Yong, who was obviously tired from the journey, waved his hand and said, "We have wasted too much time on the road. In addition to Siyang, we still have many places to go, and other merchants are waiting for goods. It's summer now, and it gets hot early this year. If the cloth is not delivered earlier, I'm afraid it will delay everyone's business."
Song Yong sighed, "The weather is strange this year. Siyang is still okay without any disasters. I came all the way from Suzhou and encountered flash floods and signs of drought. I'm afraid this year is a bad season. It will be difficult for us merchants."
Zhang Fangyuan had lived in Siyang for a long time, so his keen insight into the weather was naturally not as good as that of a traveling merchant who had traveled far and wide and met all kinds of people.
But he thought it was not strange, as there was no fixed time for the right weather, and the weather in the past two years was good, especially last year.
People say that after a good year, the land will go downhill for a while, just like the fruits and vegetables on the land. This year the fruits are full and sweet, but next year the trees will have to rest, and the fruits will be sparse and sour.
Song Yongjian looked at the harvest from last year and felt much better when he saw the plump and large cocoons. "This batch of goods is really good. It's worth the trip to Siyang."
"Everyone says last year's cocoons were good."
Song Yong held the silk cocoons in his hands as if they were treasures. It was a relief to receive so many silk cocoons at one time.
He calculated the price for Zhang Fangyuan to be 100 wen per catty, which meant that Zhang Fangyuan could earn 40 wen from every catty of silk cocoons in the hands of the villagers. Although one catty was not much, he could still earn more than 10,000 wen from 300 to 400 catties of silk cocoons at one time.
"It's summer now. I was going to come to Siyang once in the fall, but I haven't visited many places this year. If time goes on, I may not come to Siyang in the second half of the year."
Song Yong said, "You can only come next year. I'll say this in advance to reassure Boss Zhang. If you really can't come by then, I will definitely send a letter."
Zhang Fangyuan responded, "Okay, everything is subject to the letter."
After Song Yong was busy delivering the new summer cloth he brought to the cloth shops that had placed orders, he was in a hurry to go to the next county town. Zhang Fangyuan sent Song Yong some local dishes that were very popular among traveling merchants in the teahouse, which were the dishes made by Xu He.
It is most useful when traveling long distances for business.
Song Yong thanked Zhang Fangyuan and set off again.
After emptying the warehouse containing the silk cocoons, Xu He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved of a burden that had been weighing on his mind.
So he devoted himself to taking care of Xiao'e's marriage. Although it was a girl's wedding, the main thing she would be busy with was the husband's family, but her parents' family still had to celebrate the wedding and entertain the guests, and a banquet would have to be set up.
Xu He decided to cook for the guests himself. At the end of June, there was another big party at the Zhang family's house. The sound of firecrackers could be heard most of the day, and they would go off at Tangjiaba as soon as they went off on one side.
The wedding procession was lined up in a lively atmosphere.
Ruili sat on his father's shoulders, looking at the many people wearing red clothes. He didn't understand what joy meant, but he could see that everyone was very happy.
But his brother was still the same. He didn't like the lively scene and ran into Xiao'e's room with his short legs.
Xiao'e asked him if he was reluctant to see his aunt get married and came to visit her for the last time. She was so moved that she couldn't help crying even with makeup on.
Rui Jin said seriously, "My aunt's room is the quietest, so I came here."
“…”
Xiao'e wiped her tears, grabbed Ruijin and spanked him: "Auntie has hugged you a lot, you have no conscience at all."
Rui Jin said, "Aunt's new home is very close, in Tangjiaba where there are many big watermelons. Xiaoli likes big watermelons, so Xiaoli and I will often go to visit Aunt."
Xiao'e laughed again.
Looking at Ruijin's round, peach-like face with rosy whiteness, he is obviously a little cutie, but his expression is like a little adult, which is very funny. I couldn't help but kiss him on both sides. It won't be so easy to kiss him in the future.
Ruijin ran out of Xiao'e's room with two lip balm marks on his face. He thought it was good to have some noise outside, at least there was no aunt who would pick on his relatives' faces.
Xiao'e was sent to the bridal sedan amidst the beating of gongs and drums, and the Zhang family began to have dinner without further ado.
A lively event in the summer started from the Zhang family, but unexpectedly it also ended with the Zhang family. After the peak of summer, the villagers fell into anxiety and no one had the heart to do anything.
Many families in the village made money last year, so they were happy to pay taxes after the spring plowing this year. The people from the county government quickly collected the money and left the village, and few people came to borrow money.
After everyone finished their work, they returned to Zhang's land and reclaimed the remaining wasteland.
The Zhang family's land was fully cultivated during the hottest days of summer. The weather was extremely hot and the newly dug land was so dry that it was painful to walk on before noon.
Ruijin and Ruili like to go outside and play. This year, the weather has been as hot as the dog days of summer in previous years. When the dog days of summer come, the surface of the body feels like it is burning in fire. As soon as you step into the shade, your face will get sunburned.
The two cubs have delicate skin, so Xu He doesn't let them go out to play. But they are obedient this year. The most naughty and noisy Ruili doesn't go out. He just opens the big window in the house and lies on the mat with his brother to enjoy the cool air.
Xu He wanted to give the children some ice drinks, but the weather was warm last year and few households stored ice for the winter. Ice was extremely expensive this year, so the family didn't use ice much. They just tried every means to fan themselves and put a large basin of well water on the window, hoping to cool down a little.
Zhang Fangyuan was sweating profusely when he returned home. When he entered the children's room, he felt cool, as if he had entered a deep well of cool air. However, the two children who had been staying in the cool room felt that their father was like a big fireball. They could feel the heat from a long distance away. When their father stretched out his hand, the two children ran to the edge of the cool mat barefoot and neither of them refused to let him hold them.
Xu He brought a bowl of cold tea. Zhang Fangyuan didn't force himself to bully the boy, and drank the tea in one gulp. He wiped the sweat from his head, sat down on the chair next to him, and said, "The rice fields in the village are all dry. The villagers are diverting water from the river to irrigate the fields and fish ponds. If it doesn't rain, the crops will die. I watched the fun for a while and lent a hand."
"I'm afraid this year will be a drought."
Zhang Fangyuan said, "If it is really a drought, it will be bad. Life will be very tight and business at our tea shed will be bad. Although the river water is not as much as in previous years, it will not dry up. It should be able to irrigate the rice fields in the village, but it will take more manpower. The water cannot flow up to the fields on high ground, so we can only rely on carrying water, which is also hard."
He was somewhat thankful as he spoke: "Fortunately, we didn't rush to plant crops this year. Otherwise, if we did, the land wouldn't be fertile, and with this kind of weather, the crops would definitely be ruined."
Xu He thought so too.
Zhang Fangyuan glanced at the two children who were not as lively as before because of the heat, and said, "I will go to the city's medicine shop tomorrow morning to get some heat-clearing herbs and boil some soup for Ruijin and Ruili to drink. Don't let the children get heatstroke."
"good."
Zhang Fangyuan went to the city and got a lot of news from other counties.
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