Xiao Heran took the little rabbit outside for a stroll, making all the children in the village extremely envious; none of them had ever raised a rabbit before. They all had to wait in line, and only those whom Xiao Heran allowed could touch it.
When did Xiao Heran get to enjoy such privileges? He was followed by a group of children, and his imposing presence drew attention wherever he went.
Qiu Yu went out to find Sister Liu and asked her to make clothes for the family of three. Sister Liu was the best seamstress in the village. She took the job. She charged twenty coins for adults' clothes and ten coins for children's clothes.
Qiuyu took the fabric over. Sister Liu liked it at first sight: "The cotton fabric you bought is so fine, breathable and comfortable to wear." She also had similar fabric, but she couldn't bear to use it.
Sister Liu said, "You have enough fabric to make shoes for two adults and a child, and you still have about half a foot left over. How about this, I won't charge you, you can leave the scraps to me!" After thinking about it, she realized that such good fabric wasn't cheap, so she added, "I'll also buy the cloth shoes for your family of three."
The main problem is that they don't buy much from the fabric shop, and the clerks look down on them. Liu's youngest son is about the same age as He Ran. If they save up, they can probably cobble together a set for their son.
Qiu Yu said, "Alright, then thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law."
Sister Liu laughed and said, "What's so hard about it? I can't sit still. It's good to have something to do." She was usually close to Qiu Yu and said, "My son heard that Ranran got two rabbits, so he went to play with them."
Qiu Yu said, "His father got it for him."
Seeing how well the young couple loved each other, Sister Liu smiled and said, "No one in the whole village loves children more than He Zifeng. Why don't you give Ranran a younger brother or sister?"
Qiu Yu's ears felt a little hot: "Let's... let's talk about it later."
After giving the measurements, I went home. This made Aunt Liu laugh so hard; her child was four years old, yet he acted like an immature young person. Young people are just so easily embarrassed.
Following the measurements he provided, Sister Liu planned to start work immediately so that they could wear new clothes and shoes as soon as possible.
He Zifeng used a needle from his sewing to prick the large blood blisters on his feet at home. He was strong and didn't feel tired carrying things, but his shoes were uncomfortable. The blisters were now oozing blood and he was a little sore, but they would heal in two or three days.
He Zifeng was at home when Liu Zi came over. Liu Zi was also his uncle's generation and had treated him well when he was young. He preferred Liu Zi to be the village chief rather than Village Chief Xu. Liu Zi was carrying a piece of meat that looked like it had been slapped in the palm of his hand, and said, "Just bought it. I was thinking you guys just moved, so I'm making you a little something for the bottom of the pot."
"Sixth Uncle, you're too kind!"
Liu Zi said, "Your father was a terrible person. It's true what they say, different strokes for different folks. Back then, he insisted on divorcing your mother, refusing to answer any questions, making her lose face. After the divorce, he ran away. Less than a month later, your father brought Xiao Wanshi home!" Maybe the two of them started an affair back then. To betray his own son for a stepson—he's the only one in the village like that.
"I heard he gave the soy sauce workshop to Wan Hai, which infuriated your uncle. He said it was the He family's property that was given to someone with a different surname," Liu Zi said.
He Zifeng said, "He can give his things to whomever he wants." He wasn't going back anyway. The He family wasn't poor, but look at the kind of life he and his wife lived! They were treated like slaves! And even then, people weren't satisfied; they wanted to break him to pieces. It's better now that they're divorced. The He family's wealth has nothing to do with him, and their poverty has even less to do with him.
Liu Zi said, “My brother-in-law is a foreman, building houses for people. He wanted me to introduce some good workers to him. Among the young men in our village, you are the strongest. They pay 30 coins a day for three meals, and the money is paid daily. Xiao Wei from the next village wanted me to introduce him to someone, but I didn’t agree.”
He Zifeng has just separated from the family and is currently poor. In addition, he is a good laborer trained by the He family, so everyone is eager to hire him if he goes out to find work.
He Zifeng was very grateful and said, "Thank you, Sixth Uncle. Just let me know when you need me."
Liu Zi laughed and said, "He hasn't come back yet, probably in another three to five days. But he's a reliable guy, so once he's back, we'll have him come find you!"
"Um."
Liu Zi is now the village chief, and he's riding high. Like a new broom sweeping clean, he's always eager to solve people's problems wherever he goes: "Tell me what's wrong with you."
He Zifeng said, "Xu Li's father was removed from his position as village chief, so he must hold a grudge against me. If I go out to work, and Qiu Yu and I are the only two people at home, I'm afraid he'll do something funny."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zi thumped his chest loudly and said, "With me here, let's see who dares to do those useless things. If you have any problems, just come to me."
He felt reassured when he heard that he had someone to vouch for him.
Liu Zi is from the village and knew how dilapidated this place was before. Now that the weeds and debris have been cleared away, the yard feels much more spacious. It's definitely different when someone lives here.
Liu Zi had previously heard people say that He Zifeng was a foolishly filial son, but now it seems that's not entirely true. They separated their households, and their new family is doing quite well.
Liu Zi sighed, "You two should keep working hard. You're both diligent people, and your lives are no worse than others."
He Zifeng said, "Sixth Uncle, there's another favor I need to ask of you."
Liu Zi asked, "What's the matter?"
He Zifeng said, "I received ten taels of silver from the family division, and I want to buy two acres of land." In the countryside, you need land to have food.
Upon hearing this, Liu Zi said, "I have two acres of poor land, in a pretty good location, next to Xiao Xiuzi's land. That land used to be fertile, but no one has farmed it for years, so it's been lying fallow. Do you want to buy it?"
Good farmland is expensive now, costing eight taels of silver per mu. And even with money, it's hard to buy; those who own land plan to leave it to their descendants. Nobody is willing to sell, so the price of land keeps rising. Now even poor farmland costs five taels of silver per mu.
He Zifeng said, "I'll discuss it with Qiu Yu."
Liu Zi said, "Of course, if you want to buy, just come find me." After saying that, He Zifeng escorted him to the outside of the courtyard before leaving.
He Zi is a restless person; he even made a rabbit cage for his son. His work is exquisite, and his son will surely like it when he sees it.
After a while, Qiuyu returned and saw him still busy in the yard. She said, "Go back inside and lie down. Why are you busy again? The blisters on your feet haven't healed yet."
He Zifeng laughed, "It's not that precious, it's alright." Then he asked Qiu Yu if she wanted to buy land. He Zifeng said, "I once heard an old man talk about how to compost. If you fertilize it properly, it will ferment and become fertile land next spring. It's just that my son's schooling will have to be postponed for a year. But my sixth uncle asked me to work with his brother-in-law building houses. I can earn nine hundred coins a month." That's enough to live on.
Qiu Yu said, "Buy it, it's your decision." Anyway, she didn't feel at ease keeping the money in her hands.
He Zifeng said "oh," feeling that his Qiu Yu was acting strangely. Curious, he followed her back into the house, and the more he looked at her, the stranger she seemed. Her ears were red, and he wondered what Qiu Yu was thinking.
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