Chapter 13 Chapter 13 It’s snowing outside, so it’s hard to set up the stall, and…
Jiang Hongguo's period didn't come on the day she was supposed to have it, and she thought she might be pregnant. But the hospital couldn't find out what was going on, so she decided to wait a little longer.
When Aunt Liu came over in the morning, she saw Jiang Hongguo eating stir-fried sweet potato leaves and stalks with rice porridge. It seemed that Hongguo's family had not eaten pickles for a long time.
She asked, "Hongguo, do you want to eat some fermented bean curd? I'll go back and dig two pieces for you."
Jiang Hongguo felt that she was pregnant, and even her taste had changed. She used to like eating Aunt Liu's fermented bean curd, but now she felt sick just by hearing it. She hurriedly said, "It may be because of the pregnancy. I don't want to eat pickles. I just like these stir-fried vegetables. They are more comfortable to eat."
The sweet potato leaves are about to end their season. One morning, Aunt Liu saw Gu Changzong squatting on the ground picking out the tender and edible ones, so she picked a bowl of them for Jiang Hongguo. She suddenly felt sad.
Hongguo has a good father who picked such a good husband for her. Even after her family was rehabilitated, she refused to go back. Hongguo detained Gu Changzong and would not let him go home or go out to earn money. I wonder if Gu Changzong will regret it in the future?
Aunt Liu said, "Hongguo, if you don't let Changzong and Boss Kong go to the city to work, I will let my son Lao Yang go."
Jiang Hongguo felt something was not right. If her dream last night was true, then Boss Kong's job in the city might not be smooth. If he didn't get paid after being away for two or three months, it wouldn't be worth it even if he had to pay for food and travel expenses.
But she didn't want to persuade him. Didn't Aunt Liu say that to her behind her back last night? They were just maintaining a relationship on the surface. She only wanted to give that sincerity to Gu Changzong.
Jiang Hongguo nodded: "If Uncle Yang is willing, then go and give it a try."
Jiang Hongguo thought Uncle Yang would go, but Boss Kong sneaked away without taking anyone with him. Several villagers who had agreed to go as well as him went to the bus station to argue with him. Boss Kong then said that he had drunk too much and talked big, and he didn't care about himself, so he sneaked away for fear of embarrassment. He also promised that when he had the ability in the future, he would take everyone out to make money.
"Isn't he just kidding?" Aunt Liu cursed for a long time at the door.
Jiang Hongguo had other ideas in his mind. Boss Kong was not the kind of person who would lie. It should be related to the fact that Changzong went to find him last night. Not sure how Changzong did it. He said he would take back the blood he had given. Was Meng Qingdai really dead this time?
Jiang Hongguo's father once told her that one should be cautious when helping others, because if one is not careful, one may end up helping one's enemies.
It was true. Meng Qingdai responded to Kong Laosan's every request and was killed. She was kind to Meng Qingdai and almost harmed Changzong. Only then did she understand her father's earnest teachings.
I really can’t make much money from farming. Now I’m pregnant and will give birth in July or August next year, so I have to think about making money.
Jiang Hongguo and Gu Changzong said that they wanted to set up a stall at the county bus station. The bus station was crowded, and to set up a stall selling sesame cakes, all they needed was a cart and a charcoal stove. It was simple and convenient. For her and Changzong, no matter how much they did, they would make money. It was a business with the lowest capital.
Gu Changzong felt that getting money was the easiest thing for him. Ginseng and gold could both be exchanged for money.
The last time he went to the city, he strolled along the antique and jade street. Some people actually treated those stones, plates, and vases as treasures and were willing to spend money to buy them. They were buried in many places in the mountains, and he was just about to tell Hongguo about it.
"Guoguo, you don't allow us to dig ginseng or pick up gold, but those stone vessels buried in the soil can also be sold for money, can we dig them up?"
Jiang Hongguo showed a puzzled look. If something buried in the soil can be sold for money, isn’t it an antique?
But these things are only buried in tombs. That would be tomb robbery, which is even worse.
Changzong must be made to appreciate money and understand the hard work of making money.
"I've already told you not to pick up or dig things randomly. If you think it's too hard and embarrassing, I'll go by myself."
How could Gu Changzong let Hongguo go alone? He spent several days preparing the cart, hanging stove, charcoal, and flour, and placed them in the yard, and then went to Hongguo to ask for a reward.
"Guoguo, I bought it from a chef in the county who knows how to make pancakes. He said adding some meat to the pancakes would make them more fragrant. I'll make a batch of pancakes for you."
Changzong, who was so handsome and capable, was very kind to Hongguo, always obedient and never angry with her. Jiang Hongguo was so happy that she held Gu Changzong's face and asked, "Changzong, if I don't let you dig things to sell and don't let you go out alone, will you be unhappy?"
Gu Changzong had never been unhappy. Meng Qingdai's in-laws made her do this and that, and soon killed Meng Qingdai. Hongguo was the one who was really good to him. After he figured it out, he was very happy.
"Guoguo, if you feel guilty, just kiss me. I'll be happy and you won't have to feel guilty."
This is easy to do. As soon as Jiang Hongguo touched his lips, she was carried back to the house by Gu Changzong. Jiang Hongguo smiled shyly: "Aren't you going to make pancakes?"
Gu Changzong said: "After a while, the sesame seed cakes will taste better after the dough has risen for a while."
…
Gu Changzong made a batch of sesame cakes. They were very crispy and had a little minced meat inside. They tasted salty and had a meaty aroma. There was a layer of white sesame seeds on the surface. Jiang Hongguo, who had such a small appetite, ate two.
After eating two, Aunt Liu was still not satisfied. She was too embarrassed to ask for more and asked, "Hongguo, do you really want to set up a stall in the county? Can you sell anything? Are you not afraid of being driven away by the local tyrants?"
With Changzong's abilities, how could the gangsters have the ability to drive him away? Hongguo and Changzong are together, so as long as they are not alone, there is nothing to be afraid of. Jiang Hongguo has considered all these.
"Let's try it out for a few days. We don't know if we can make any money yet."
Aunt Liu took the remaining two home to give her man a taste: "Hongguo said that she wanted to sell sesame cakes at the bus station. Changzong, a grown man, was willing to accompany her in her failure."
Old Yang didn't think so: "It's good to be able to do some small business without leaving home. Hongguo still has a plan. When she found out she was pregnant, she was ready to make money and take care of both ends. Changzong listens to his wife and is willing to work. Her family can live a prosperous life even without farming."
Aunt Liu said, "The young couple is comfortable now, but when the baby is born and needs someone to take care of it and spend money, it won't be so comfortable anymore."
Old Yang didn't understand: "You are good friends with Hongguo, but you say this behind her back. Isn't this contradictory?"
Aunt Liu didn't know why, maybe it was human nature: "That's what the villagers said, I just heard it and told you, I won't tell anyone else."
…
Jiang Hongguo and Gu Changzong went to the bus station to set up a stall. They were in a hurry when they came back to the station last time and didn't pay much attention. Now, it seems that both sides of the bus station are almost full of small stalls and it is very lively.
Changzong has already paid the management fee to the management office and has a good location, close to the entrance. The owner of the stall next to him saw that the young couple was young and had thin skin, so he took up a foot of space, making it difficult for Jiang Hongguo to move around.
Jiang Hongguo first raised the issue politely, but was met with harsh words from the stall owner next door. Gu Changzong used his own strength to push his stall open exactly one foot.
The man wanted to fight with Changzong, and the woman wanted to come over and overturn Jiang Hongguo's stall.
Jiang Hongguo scolded, "You dare to bully others without knowing the situation clearly. Are you sure you don't want to ask around?"
The woman hesitated for a moment, and the man was reckless. He had already swung his fist at her, but Gu Changzong grabbed it and twisted it with his backhand, pinching her meridians. The pain was so unbearable that the man knelt on the ground, unable to move.
After the stall next door apologized obediently, it stopped its actions. Envious of the good business of the pancake stall that day, it dared not to do anything bad again.
The sesame seed buns with minced meat are very popular. Many passengers buy them to eat. Before departure, they come back to buy a few more to take with them. The sesame seed buns are five cents each, and city people don’t mind buying a few. You can’t make much money from one, but a little bit adds up to a lot. Today, I sold 200 sesame seed buns, which is ten yuan a piece, so I can make five yuan.
The money was all scattered change, one, two, five or ten cents, piling up in the bag. There was no time to count them, but Hongguo wrote down the number of sesame cakes sold in a notebook, drawing a stroke of the Chinese character "正" for each one she sold. When she closed the stall, she filled a page with strokes of "正". It looked so happy.
The stall next door didn't have much business, so it closed early. Before leaving, he glared at me fiercely.
Gu Changzong packed up the stall, pushed it to the entrance of the state-owned restaurant, ordered a bowl of dumplings with fresh meat for Jiang Hongguo, and asked her to wait for him.
"Guoguo, I'll be back when you finish eating."
Jiang Hongguo was afraid that he would cause trouble: "What are you going to do? Don't cause trouble."
Gu Changzong doesn't cause trouble, but if others provoke him, that's not okay. If he doesn't teach the owner of the stall next door a lesson, he will resort to force. Gu Changzong whispered in Jiang Hongguo's ear that he would make sure that couple would not dare to provoke them again.
Jiang Hongguo was very worried, but what Changzong said made sense, and things that make sense should be supported.
The next day, the stall next door did not come to set up the stall. After several days, the stall owner next door came back to set up the stall. He was very polite to Jiang Hongguo and even treated Gu Changzong as a brother.
After asking, I found out that Gu Changzong saw this couple being attacked by wild dogs, and he helped them regardless of past grudges, and they were grateful.
Jiang Hongguo laughed, thinking that Changzong was using force to intimidate, but Changzong was not stupid and changed his method. But why would the dog cooperate with him? Jiang Hongguo just thought it was another skill of Changzong.
Aunt Liu saw Jiang Hongguo and Gu Changzong going out early and coming back early every day, and they had used up all the dough and meat stuffing they brought with them, so she asked, "Hongguo, how much can you make from selling sesame cakes in a day?"
In fact, the villagers can figure it out. Jiang Hongguo said that after deducting the costs, they can earn five or six yuan a day.
"A small food business that pays cash is better than working as a worker," said Hong Guo.
Aunt Liu did the math in her mind. It was just over a hundred dollars a month, which was much better than going out to work, and she could also take care of the family.
She became more thoughtful and begged Jiang Hongguo, "Hongguo, you see my family is in a difficult situation, why don't you ask Changzong to help us set up a stall?"
Jiang Hongguo sighed inwardly, having already expected Aunt Liu to speak.
"Auntie, what are you going to sell?"
"Can I sell pickles? People say my pickles are delicious. I'll try selling them."
Pickles probably wouldn't sell well at the bus station, so Jiang Hongguo suggested that Aunt Liu sell them with steamed buns, by putting some pickles in the middle of the buns, and try selling them for a few days. There was no need to rent a stall, but to try it at Jiang Hongguo's stall. If they could sell, she could rent one.
After trying for a few days, the business was good and she could earn one to three yuan a day. This was a lot of money for farmers during the slack season. Even renting a stall was cost-effective. Aunt Liu couldn't wait to rent a small stall and specialize in selling hot steamed buns.
After closing her stall, Aunt Liu counted the money at home. In just a few days, she had earned enough money to pay for her son's one semester of high school tuition. The counting made Aunt Liu burst into tears.
"Hongguo really wanted to help me. If it weren't for her family's Gu Changzong's protection, I wouldn't have been able to set up my stall at the bus station. I would have been bullied and chased away long ago."
Uncle Yang was naturally happy: "You know how good Hongguo Changzong is, so you should be sincere to them."
Aunt Liu counted the money twice and found it was correct, so she put the money away with satisfaction.
"I know that I am sincere to Hongguo's family. She doesn't like to eat pickles now. She wants to vomit when she smells them. I don't have anything good to give her. I will save some for her after she has made some sugarcane brown sugar next year. Homemade ones are always better than the ones bought."
It was snowing outside, making it difficult to set up the stall. The New Year was also approaching, so the two families discussed closing the stall.
Uncle Yang remembered something: "Hongguo should be more than three months pregnant, how come there is no sign of it? Now it's different from before. We all have to go to the hospital to have a checkup. You should urge Hongguo to go to the hospital for a checkup."
Aunt Liu is now genuinely concerned about Jiang Hongguo: "I have urged her a long time ago, but Hongguo is too young to take it seriously."
The next day after closing the stall, Aunt Liu urged her again. Jiang Hongguo didn't want to go because she was afraid that she would find out that her pregnancy was different from others.
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