Chapter 186 Xu Yu, why are you still asking for more?
"It's a shame to let such good things go bad."
At dawn, after checking the little ones' homework, the old man glanced at Xu Wenxiu, who was carrying food to feed the chickens, and said, "Tell Xia Yatou and the others that if no one comes out at mealtime in the future, there's no need to save food for anyone."
The only person in the family who could do such a thing is the old lady, so it is obvious who the old man is targeting.
Xu Wenxiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded with gritted teeth: "Yes, daughter-in-law will take note of it."
"Where's Xia girl? Is she out or still asleep?"
Without waiting for Xu Wenxiu to answer, the old man said with a stern face, "Yu'er has told me several times that this girl is hiding her illness and avoiding doctors in order to avoid taking medicine and drinking tonic soup. How can this continue in the long run?"
"Didn't you say you were going into the city today? Did you go hiding in the fields again?"
"Grandfather, I didn't hide..."
Sang Zhixia, who had just finished packing and came out of the west shed, had a sullen look on her face. She touched her nose and whispered, "I'm right here, aren't I?"
"Are you there?"
The old man raised an eyebrow as if he saw through her: "Is it because Yu'er is watching that you're still here, or did you intend to be here from the beginning?"
Sang Zhixia lowered her head deeply and stuck her face towards the ground, and it seemed that she was not going to speak anymore.
The old man was too lazy to argue with her. He looked at Xu Yu who came out later and said, "Be sure to take a good look when you go there today. Don't be stingy with your money."
Xu Yu lowered his head and agreed.
The old man added, "Farmers are beginning to harvest, and the children from the village school are all going home to help. From today until the end of the harvest, I will be home."
"Just take care of your own business, I'm at home."
With the old man at home, there is naturally no need to worry too much.
Xu Yu and Sang Zhixia had breakfast and left the village.
Sang Zhixia was just about to say that the mule cart that was coming to pick people up had not arrived yet when he heard Xu Yu curl his index finger, put it in his mouth, and whistle loudly.
After the whistle, there was some movement in the woods beside the road, like the vibration of horse hooves.
Sang Zhixia raised an eyebrow in surprise. She saw the black horse snort as it lunged towards Xu Yu. Then she looked at Xu Yu, who had already grabbed the reins, and asked in surprise, "Do you two know each other?"
Xu Yu stroked the horse's flowing mane with his large hand and laughed out loud: "What do you mean we know each other?"
Sang Zhixia also realized that what he said seemed not quite right. He laughed a few times and looked at the tall horse, with a sparkling curiosity in his eyes.
It’s not her fault that she is short-sighted. The main reason is that the children really don’t have much chance to get too close to them.
Xu Yu didn't urge her and waited patiently. Seeing her tentatively reaching out to poke the horse's head and then quickly retracting her hand, the corners of his lips curled up.
"Can you ride a horse?"
Sang Zhixia shook her head decisively: "No."
The original owner only knew how to be a little quail with her neck tucked in in the backyard of the Sang family. When she lived, riding a horse was a luxury activity. It was difficult for her to survive when she was poor, so how could she have the opportunity to learn it?
Xu Yu raised his eyebrows and smiled, loosened the reins, walked over and pinched her waist.
Sang Zhixia was caught off guard and was suddenly picked up. She screamed and her vision was reversed. When she looked down again, she found that she had been placed on the saddle.
Xu Yu jumped up on his toes and landed behind her. Noticing her tense figure, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, patting her side soothingly. "Don't be afraid."
"I promise you won't fall."
Sang Zhixia was a little nervous, but this indescribable nervousness soon disappeared in the calmness of nothing happening.
She even had the leisure to gaze at the golden rice and wildflowers and grasses by the roadside. She tugged at Xu Yu's clothes and asked, "Where did you get this horse? If you don't take it home and hide it in the woods, aren't you afraid someone will take it away?"
Xu Yu controlled the reins and said slowly, "Chen Jing'an sent it here. I couldn't think of a reason to take it home, so I just left it scattered in the woods for now."
This horse has been trained and recognizes its owner and knows the way.
Even if it is not tied up and is allowed to roam freely in the woods, it is difficult for ordinary people to get close to it, let alone have the chance to lead the horse.
Sang Zhixia hummed, stroking her chin and asking curiously, "Who is Chen Jing'an? Why haven't I heard you mention him before?"
Most of her life was spent in Luobei Village, and she was familiar with everyone in and outside the village. But when she thought about it carefully, she and Xu Yu had very few intersections in their past lives.
She knew nothing about the people and things Xu Yu was talking about.
Xu Yu pinched the tip of her ear, then lowered his head and rested his chin on her shoulder. He said, "Chen Jing'an is my father's adopted son. He's one year younger than me. When we meet, I'll respectfully address you as sister-in-law."
"Didn't I tell you before that there was someone who could do business? That person is him."
Xu Yu concealed more of the things hidden in the dark and explained in a soft voice: "The wine from the winery must be sent to the county town to be sold, and the grain harvested from the fields, any leftovers must also be sold."
"I've thought about it. Instead of going through all the trouble of looking for buyers ourselves, or waiting for buyers to come and deliberately lower the price, why not open a grain store and sell it ourselves?"
"It's just that doing business like this isn't something anyone in the family has done before, except for Second Aunt, who has family experience. So, why not just have Chen Jing'an stand up and walk around outside, and let him handle all the chores of buying and selling. That way, the money from the sales goes into the account, and you can have less trouble, okay?"
Sang Zhixia didn't expect that this person would think of this before the rice was even harvested. She was stunned for a moment and laughed, "You've thought of this so thoroughly?"
Just took a small step and you’ve already thought about the follow-up?
Xu Yu smiled: "It's not quite arranged yet, I just have some general ideas."
Sang Zhixia's creative ideas are indeed unexpectedly numerous, but her immaturity and blankness in certain aspects are fully exposed in the eyes of the old man.
Xu Yu could also see it.
Most of the noble ladies from aristocratic families are carefully trained. From dealing with people to being in charge of a government office, they have to handle everything, big and small. Only through going through ups and downs can they grow and hone their decisiveness and skills.
But Sang Zhixia had never experienced this.
She grew up in the inner house of the Sang family and was neglected and out of touch. Her biological mother, who treated her well, was of humble origin and had limited knowledge, and could teach her very little through words and deeds.
Her own unknown experience in the ivory tower is also completely blank in this area.
Sang Zhixia grew up freely in an unnoticed corner into her current pleasing appearance, all thanks to herself.
But imagine that one day, when we leave Luobei Village, these alone will not be enough.
Xu Yu didn't want to see Sang Zhixia being at a loss when forced to move forward, so before that happened, he would try to clear all the obstacles that needed to be cleared.
Xu Yu thought of the old man's secret advice to him and softened his voice and said, "Zhizhi."
"I don't know much about business, but Chen Jing'an is definitely better at it. Let's go take a look at the shop Chen Jing'an has built today. If you think it's suitable, we can decide on it for now."
"Everything is difficult at the beginning. As Imperial Physician Hu said, you should avoid overexerting yourself right now. So, at the beginning, let Chen Jing'an help you."
"First, you can watch from the sidelines. Then, he can teach you step by step: how to choose a location and set up a shop, how to negotiate prices for goods, how to open up channels for grain transportation, and the methods and techniques of bookkeeping and verification. These are all things he specializes in. After a while, you will learn them all and build up the necessary framework. Then, you can let him retire and take charge independently."
Xu Yu is very similar to the old man in some ways. For example, when it comes to planning for Sang Zhixia's future, the old and the young have exactly the same ideas.
They would try to help Sang Zhixia turn her ideas into reality, and would do their best to assist her, but they would never deprive Sang Zhixia of the right to make the final decision.
None of them wanted to help Sang Zhixia make the decision.
They all believed that Sang Zhixia was the one who was not dependent on them and could make the decisions in front of others.
On the contrary, they guide and lay the groundwork every day, just like holding the hand of a young child who has no idea about running a business or being in power, and leading him forward step by step as he takes his first steps.
Sang Zhixia might still think that she was just farming and selling some food at this moment, but the old man and Xu Yu's eyes both fell on a distant future that she could not imagine for the time being.
Sang Zhixia was not the type of person who didn't know what was good for her. After a little thought, she understood what Xu Yu meant.
She paused, blinked, and said, "Am I the only one who will learn?"
Xu Yu lowered his head and kissed her hair gently: "Of course not, I will learn with you."
"I don't know what I just told you. If you learn it before me, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you for advice."
"Will you teach me?"
Sang Zhixia narrowed her eyes in satisfaction: "That's hard to say."
"Grandfather teaches for a year and gets paid a stipend. And you come here as a student with a big mouth and nothing to say?"
"You've been learning farming from me, and I haven't even asked you for your salary yet. Why are you still pushing your luck, Xu Yu?"
Xu Yu hugged her and chuckled softly, mumbling something about paying off the debt with his body. Only when Sang Zhixia pinched his arm in anger did he obediently ride the horse.
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