Chapter 23 Entering the City
Li Laoer's eyes lit up, "Mom, do you want to start this dried meat business?"
"I think it's fine. Just give it all to me. I'll sell it tomorrow. I guarantee it'll fetch a good price. Don't eat the meat at home anymore. Cut it all up and make it into jerky. I should be able to have two or three more basins like this."
Li Laoer stretched out his paw to pick up the dried meat, and Qin Fangci turned sideways.
"You're right. Something this fragrant should fetch a good price. However, we'll go with you to sell the jerky."
Li Laoer was stunned. "You guys?"
"Yes, us, Xiaowu and I. Let's go into the city together."
"Ah?" Li Lao Er and Li Lao Da said in unison.
"Mom, I can do it alone," Li Laoer frowned anxiously. If he went alone, he would have the final say on how much he sold. "You don't know how to do business, what are you going for?"
Qin Fang smiled lovingly and said, "Second brother, you are thoughtful. You are right. We don't know how to do business, but we can learn. You are going to do big business. How can you be interested in such trivial matters at home? Of course not. Your little brother and I have learned it. In the future, you can do your big business and make big money, and we can do some small business to support the family."
"Mom, I'm a scholar. How can a scholar do business? Mom, you'd better take me with you. I will manage the family business for you in the future." Boss Li interrupted hurriedly, fearing that if he spoke a little too late, he would have nothing to do!
Li Laoer has always looked down on his eldest brother, but when they have the same stance, they can still look at each other.
"Mom, what Big Brother said is right. I am our family's Wenquxing, a natural scholar. How can I go out to the market to do business? If the teacher finds out, he will be punished. What will his classmates think of him if they find out? Will they laugh at him to death?"
"My elder and second brothers are right. Studying is indeed important, but if I don't work hard and don't know the difference between grains, no matter how much I read, it will be just mere rote learning. If I can't get down to earth as a person or an official in the future, I won't be considered an honest person, and I won't be able to be an honest official."
Boss Li and Li Lao Er looked at each other and said: I don’t understand.
"Reading is reading. What's the point of studying like a rote memorandum? Can books become spirits? Don't make things worse, little brother." Li Laoer said impatiently. He thought he was capable after studying for two days.
"Brother, I'm not trying to stir up trouble. I'm just being realistic. It doesn't matter if you don't understand. I'm telling you clearly... I don't know anything. If I become an official in the future, blah blah blah... then I won't be a good official, blah blah blah..."
After listening to a lot of discussions about being an official, Li Laoer's mind was sometimes confused and sometimes clear. He felt very tired and complicated!
Boss Li immediately changed his tone and said, "Mom, I'd better go with you. I can still take care of you."
Qin Fangci finally made the decision, "The eldest and third sons will stay home to work tomorrow. The work in the fields cannot be delayed. We will go with the second son."
Li Lao Da and Li Lao Er: “!”
Before everyone fell asleep, Qin Fangci arranged the housework, mainly for her three sisters-in-law and Li Yulan. Tomorrow, Yuan and Wang will follow the men to plant vegetables and beans in the fields.
Mrs. Du took Li Yulan home to cook.
Daya cleans the yard and takes care of the ducklings.
Erya takes care of the children, while Dadan and Erdan study at home first. After reviewing what they learned today, each of them needs to go out and dig a basket of wild vegetables.
"Mom, my third brother's wife is cooking today, and it will be my turn to cook tomorrow." Yuan didn't want to go out at all. Her waist and legs were sore and it was painful!
If her mother-in-law insists that she go to the fields, she would rather cook at home.
Qin Fangci: "How about you and the second brother go to the city and I go to the fields?"
Yuan's eyes lit up and she was about to nod, but Li Laoer pinched her and she immediately shook her head, "No, mother, I didn't say you should get out of bed."
Qin Fangci continued Yuan's words, "I told you to go to the fields. Tomorrow you and the eldest brother will order some vegetables, and the third brother and his wife will order some beans."
Yuan and Boss Li: “!” Bad luck!
The next day, Qin Fangci got up before dawn.
Li Baisong opened his eyes dazedly when he heard the noise, and Qin Fangci just came over to call for help.
"Xiaowu, are you awake?"
"Wake up, mom. What time is it now?"
"It's almost six o'clock. It takes an hour to walk from here to the county town. Get up as soon as you wake up."
Li Baisong sat on the bed for a while before getting up.
This is an era where transportation basically relies on walking.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Du had already gotten up and was making pancakes for Qin Fangci and the others.
"Put some minced meat in the pancakes and make a few more. When everyone in the family wakes up, they can have one."
Mrs. Du wanted to object to her mother-in-law, but she remembered what her eldest daughter had said last night. She swallowed the words that were about to come out of her throat and mumbled, "I understand, mother."
Qin Fangci glanced at Mrs. Du and then at Daya who came in, and nodded slightly at Daya.
Daya is such a delicate and smart child, and Erya and Sanya are also very capable. It is another blessing for Mrs. Du to have three such daughters.
As soon as the sky was getting light, Qin Fangci and the other two went out.
Daya took good care of the grass that was dug up yesterday, and Qin Fangci carried it in a basket herself.
The dried meat was in Li Laoer's backpack, and Li Baisong followed him empty-handed.
As they left the village, Li Laoer couldn't help but ask, "Mom, what kind of grass is in your basket? Are you going to sell it in the city? Is it worth money?"
When Li Laoer saw these grasses yesterday, he thought they were just some weeds and should be used by Li Baisong again.
This grass was brought here on purpose today, and Li Laoer noticed something was wrong.
"Mom, is this what Xiaowu said again? What is this Xiaowu?"
"Some herbs should be able to be exchanged for some money at the pharmacy. I don't know if I can earn back what I spent." Li Baisong sighed.
Li Laoer lost interest after hearing this, but he felt that as an older brother he had to give his younger brother some advice.
"Xiaowu, this is your fault. Mom spent money to send you to school so that you could study hard. Look at what you have done..."
Qin Fangci looked at Li Laoer quietly, "Can't you carry the dried meat anymore?"
Li Laoer immediately shut up.
The three of them walked for an hour and finally saw the dilapidated city gate.
The original body had never been to the county town and had only been to Hedong Town. Coincidentally, the same was true for Li Xiaowu.
The mother and daughter looked at the dilapidated city gate in front of them in some amazement.
There was a tea stall on the left side of the city gate, and on the right side there was an ox cart with two donkeys tied to it.
People entering and leaving the city gate were dressed in rags and carrying baskets. Some were entering the city to collect nightshades and some were leaving the city from nearby villages to sell vegetables and firewood.
Li Laoer straightened his chest quietly as he looked at his mother and younger brother, who looked like they had never seen the world.
"Mom, little brother, stop looking and let's go. The county town is just crowded and better than our countryside. But, if you come a few times, you'll find it's just so-so."
Qin Fangci and Li Baisong walked forward silently.
After entering the city gate, Li Laoer muttered quietly, "It's only because the new county magistrate waived the entrance fee this year, otherwise the three of us would have had to spend three cents just to go around. If you don't believe me, go ask around. I wasn't lying to you before."
Qin Fangci: "Oh, I see."
"Mom, where are we going first?" Li Baisong asked.
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