He Zifeng stayed at home for three days. On the last day, Qiuyu made him some chili sauce with diced stir-fried duck meat in it. Half of the large spoonful of chili sauce was meat, and it was delicious whether dipped in steamed buns or mixed with rice.
Qiu Yu wanted to go to the county town with He Zifeng, but she had an elderly person and a child at home, and she couldn't just leave them there!
He Zifeng saw that he had prepared a lot, including chili sauce, mung bean cakes that could be stored for a long time, and even a dried braised duck. This thing could be eaten as soon as it was steamed, without any seasoning.
He Zifeng noticed that Qiu Yu seemed a little reluctant as she packed her things.
He Zifeng hugged him from behind, saying, "I'll be back as soon as I get some rest."
Qiu Yu then took out cotton gloves and socks from the box. There were also thick cotton insoles. Qiu Yu's needlework was not good, so these things were all made by others, the warmest and thickest kind.
The cotton socks were bought at a high price from Gouzi's father. I heard that only wealthy people outside could afford to wear them. They were made by finely twisting cashmere into yarn, and a skilled embroiderer could only weave two pairs. It took fifteen days to make a pair of socks, and they sold for eight taels of silver.
These socks are lightweight and soft to wear, and given the unusually cold weather this year, they're very popular with wealthy people.
Dog's father had a good relationship with them, so he only charged them six and a half taels, which was the cost price. Dog's father only made three pairs in total; he sold two pairs to wealthy families in the city, and Qiu Yu bought this pair.
Qiu Yu is usually not very talkative, but when it comes to He Zifeng, she can't help but give him a few more instructions: "Take it out to air every day, don't let your hands and feet get frostbite, otherwise you'll develop a chronic illness."
Qiu Yu knew that He Zifeng handled important matters very well, but he always forgot to take care of himself.
He Zifeng leaned close to Qiu Yu's ear and whispered, "I know." His warm breath traveled down Qiu Yu's ear and into her heart.
Qiu Yu didn't want him to hold her. Today, Fang was cooking, and Xiao He Ran went to the yard to look after his big rabbit and horse. She was afraid they would suddenly run back. The two had been married for many years, and it wouldn't look good for people to see them holding each other.
But when she thought about He Zifeng leaving tomorrow, she couldn't bear to refuse him. She gently leaned against him and said, "Find a comfortable place to sleep outside, don't catch a cold."
He Zifeng picked up a strand of Qiu Yu's hair with his finger and twirled it around his fingertip.
Qiu Yu saw that he was still playing. She said, "Did you hear what I just said?"
He Zifeng laughed, "I listened to everything." Then he leaned close to Qiu Yu's ear and said, "Let's heat up the kang in Ranran's room today. The little brat can't keep sleeping with us!" It's not easy to come back for a visit, and the next time he comes back will be for the New Year. This man with such a strong temper has been holding back for more than two days. He knows that Qiu Yu is shy, so it's not appropriate for her to secretly drag him away for a while.
Qiu Yu understood what he meant, then lowered her head, revealing her smooth nape.
He Zifeng found the soft flesh exceptionally easy to bite. He couldn't resist and took a bite without much force, but Qiu Yu let out a muffled groan as He Zifeng bit that sensitive spot.
He Zifeng seemed to snap out of his daze and gently licked the spot where he had just bitten.
Qiu Yu blushed and said, "You're such a rascal." She wanted to glare at him, but she was afraid that he would see the affection in her eyes and that He Zifeng would become even more pleased with himself, so she could only say, "Take a look at the bundle I packed for you. Is there anything I forgot?"
He Zifeng said, "No, that's all."
Then they heard footsteps outside; it was Xiao Heran running back, covered in sweat from playing.
When they got back inside, He Zifeng picked him up; the little guy's cheeks were all rosy. He excitedly said, "Dad, I built a snowman outside!" The snow outside was very thick; he had spent the whole morning kneading it to make it. He used two twigs for the snowman's arms and two lumps of coal for its eyes.
After finishing, he ran back to show off to his two fathers.
Upon hearing this, He Zifeng kissed his son's rosy cheeks and said, "Qiuyu, let's go take a look together."
Qiu Yu hummed in agreement, put on her cotton-padded coat, and went out the gate into the courtyard. Sure enough, she saw a pile of snow, which didn't look like a snowman.
Little He Ran is only four years old, and it's already quite an achievement to have him in this state. He Zifeng said, "Let me help you reshape it." After saying that, he reshaped the little snowman.
Round off the head. Then reassemble the body, pressing it down firmly, and reattach the nose and eyes. After pressing it down, let it freeze overnight to solidify. This way, it won't easily melt even if the sun shines outside.
Ranran jumped up and down excitedly: "Daddy is so amazing!"
He Zifeng was pleased with his son's admiring praise.
They ate pickled cabbage and frozen tofu that day, and the stew was served hot and comforting, which they enjoyed very much.
After finishing his meal, the little guy went to recite his lessons. He Zifeng didn't know how his son's grades were; he never needed to be supervised.
That evening, Qiuyu lit the small kang (heated brick bed) in her son's room. Remembering that her son rarely slept alone in this room, she first coaxed him to sleep before quietly returning to her own room.
He had just returned to his room, the lights still off, when he took off his cotton-padded coat and found the kang (heated brick bed) empty. Qiu Yu was then carried onto the kang. A familiar kiss pried open his mouth, and his whole body felt like it was on fire.
After so many days of control, things finally eased up again. They fooled around until the middle of the night before gradually settling down.
The next day, when He Zifeng was about to leave, he said a few words to Qiu Yu, who was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open.
Qiu Yu vaguely heard it, but he was too sleepy. Seeing that he didn't react, He Zifeng boldly kissed him, his hands tucked behind Qiu Yu's back in his hair. Qiu Yu was forced to open his eyes, only able to let out pitiful whimpers like a small animal.
How could a man like He Zifeng resist such provocation? He wished he could do it again.
By the time she mustered her self-control, Qiu Yu's cheeks were flushed, and her lips glistened with an alluring moisture. Her smooth neck bore many suggestive marks.
Qiu Yu's voice was hoarse and a little flustered as she said, "Go quickly, don't be silly." She then tried to get up, but her body ached all over. Unable to get up, she simply hid under the covers, and, out of some childlike impulse, pulled the covers over her head!
Afraid that he would get bored, He Zifeng quickly shook him out, a helpless smile on his face, and said, "Okay, I'm leaving."
After He Zifeng left, Qiu Yu put on her clothes and opened the window. When she went out to make breakfast, she found that the millet porridge was already cooked and the steamed buns were heated up. She had no idea when he had made them.
She took a sip of porridge to moisten her dry throat. He Zifeng had only just left, and she already missed him.
...
He Zifeng returned to the county government office, but was immediately summoned away. There were two government-run tofu workshops in the county, producing over five hundred blocks of tofu a day. This even boosted the carpenters' business.
Now that the county magistrate had tasted the benefits of concentrating resources, he set up a craftsman's workshop. Three meals a day were provided, apprentices received 100 coins a month, and craftsmen received at least 300 coins, plus a cotton-padded coat for anyone selected.
The day He Zifeng returned, all the work was done by Constable Zhu. Lately, the orders he'd been handling were all for various tools for the tofu shop. Now that they had the tools, efficiency had greatly improved.
Upon hearing that He Zifeng had returned, the county magistrate immediately summoned him.
He Zifeng said, "My lord."
The county magistrate has implemented so many measures to benefit the people. In addition, after the heavy snow sealed off the city, he consolidated his power, and now his orders are very effective.
The county magistrate said, "I've told the officials to sell pickled cabbage soup twice a week." It's not expensive, and it's served hot. It'll be a good opportunity for the common people to get a little something extra.
I thought this was only for poor people, but I didn't expect some rich people to like it too. Firewood prices skyrocketed in winter. It used to cost five coins for two loads, but now it costs five coins for one load. If you don't buy coal ash, a load of firewood won't burn for long, so people are reluctant to use it for cooking.
"Your Excellency has the people's well-being on your mind, and those people are very grateful to you."
The county magistrate said, "The county is almost out of money!" It wasn't a wealthy county to begin with. His tenure was short, and there had been a series of expenses, including building city walls, stockpiling grain, and buying pigs. Now, they still needed to pay the craftsmen and the tofu makers. They were also short of cooks, and the yamen's accounts only had five hundred taels of silver left.
If things continue like this, we'll just be wasting our resources.
Merchants are profit-driven. In the face of such a disaster, they could have made a fortune simply by selling grain, but the county magistrate forbade them from doing so, so they closed their doors.
He Zifeng asked, "What insightful opinion do you have, sir?"
The county magistrate replied, "Not yet." His foundation was still weak. A few days ago, he had acquired some brick and tile kilns.
The county magistrate said, "Since we've put everyone to work, there haven't been any fights or brawls." In his opinion, people are just idle and have no use for their energy. Now, with the snow disaster, people are lacking food and clothing, and half the shops are closed, which could easily cause anxiety among them.
This could easily lead to armed conflicts, so people are being recruited everywhere. Poor people who go out to work receive food and cotton-padded coats, and at the end of the month, their silver can be converted into grain and distributed to them.
There were almost no incidents of provoking trouble.
The county magistrate had taken many precautions, but faced some limitations due to insufficient funds in the accounts. He wanted to ask He Zifeng if he had any good ideas.
He Zifeng said, "I heard that the idea of growing vegetables on a heated brick bed has already been put into practice!"
The county magistrate nodded.
He Zifeng said, "Why not sell this stuff? It's hardest thing to find fresh food in winter. Although there are many poor people in the county, there are also quite a few rich people." He didn't know this before, but later he saw that fat Taoist priest casually carrying a demon-exorcising tool, charging more than ten taels of silver for a small ritual, and more than a hundred taels of silver for a large ritual. That's when he learned about it.
The county magistrate said, "But what can we do?" He was good at doing practical things, but he really didn't know much about business. He had previously talked to the president of the chamber of commerce.
They all held back when it came to their own areas of expertise.
In the eyes of these businessmen, the county magistrate was nothing more than a troublemaker. If he were to get involved, other people's businesses would be affected, so they would play hard to get with him.
This annoyed the county magistrate, but he was too embarrassed to say anything. He really couldn't overstep his bounds. If his superiors found out, they would think he was competing with the merchants for profits.
Throughout history, the only ways to make money have been through heavy taxes, exploiting merchants, and solving dubious cases.
Nowadays, the public has a very good impression of them, and nothing they do seems appropriate.
He Zifeng saw that the county magistrate was distressed because of money. He said, "Sir, everyone says that food is the most important thing for people. Why not open a shop and bring together some small food vendors, collect rent according to the area, and sell some fresh vegetables and the like there as well?"
He Zifeng's suggestion inspired the county magistrate. He said, "That's excellent." And then he began to study it.
Then word spread that the county was going to open a food collection shop.
The county has a rich history, and there are indeed a few shops that were originally built by the county magistrate. They were originally two households per wall, with only the pillars for weight-bearing remaining, while the rest of the partition walls were demolished.
This made the space more spacious, divided into twenty stalls. The main entrance was also rebuilt, and the second floor, which is large, was not divided and was rented out as a whole.
The rent for half a year is thirty taels, but it can accommodate sixty large tables.
In smaller places, the rent for a six-month lease varies from two to five taels of silver, depending on the size of the place.
Most people didn't have much of a livelihood, but the county magistrate always managed to come up with something interesting. Many were watching the county's big moves closely. As soon as they saw a new scheme emerging, they all rented out their properties.
He Zifeng rented the largest shop, which cost thirty taels of silver. The location was far superior to his own shop; it was a proper storefront on the main street. For the porridge distribution, they only needed fifty catties of rice a day, cooked in advance. They just needed to reheat it the next morning; anyone who had been there long enough knew how. The main thing was to keep an eye on it so it didn't burn.
This way, Chef Zhang and his family were transferred out, and ten people were found to serve Chef Zhang. The rest of the staff did the dishes or worked as waiters.
We need to remake cookware, stoves, and the like.
The county magistrate reserved a stall for people to sell vegetables grown on their heated brick beds. Although the vegetables were somewhat thin and not as delicious as those in season, the wealthy were tired of pickled foods and craved this refreshing taste. Besides, such expensive and rare items naturally deserved a good price, making their hard work worthwhile.
Inside a wealthy mansion, several people were playing cards. Judging from the gold and silver on the table, it was a high-stakes game. However, these rich young masters seemed rather uninterested. They used to crave playing cards because their families forbade it. Now, spending all their time together, they found it all rather dull; even cricket fighting and keeping cats and dogs seemed pointless.
One of them, a young master Zhang dressed in black, said, "I've come across an interesting deal."
Everyone present was a wealthy young nobleman, whose family businesses had been passed down for generations and could never run out of money. He asked, "What interesting thing is this?"
Young Master Zhang said, "The county magistrate has a greenhouse with various stalls, right? I've rented two large ones. We can combine them into one. I can have my family's chef, who makes crispy fish, go over and show off his skills."
"Your crispy fish is absolutely amazing."
The others also agreed, but it's unclear what the point was.
Young Master Zhang, like them, is a playboy who never does anything serious; he's good at eating, drinking, and having fun.
Young Master Zhang said, "I have nothing better to do anyway, and my father always complains that I'm useless. The recipe for this crispy fish came from out of town, and I also hired a chef from elsewhere. What's the point if only my family knows about it? I might as well set up a stall and let other people try it, so I can prove myself and become the best eater in the county." After saying that, he gave himself a thumbs up.
Actually, he just wanted to show off!
To make crispy fish, you need to prepare a fish weighing about one pound in advance. After gutting it, you marinate it raw with seasonings. Then you smoke and grill it. When you want to eat it, you pan-fry it in oil. It's sour, fragrant, and crispy. You can also mix it with fermented ingredients. Although it's not crispy anymore, the fish meat has a chewy texture. It's absolutely delicious with wine.
They never leave the house, and the whole family, young and old, is getting tired of each other. They want to find something serious to do, but have nowhere to go, so renting a stall is a good idea for them to do.
The other young masters were also tempted upon hearing this.
Everyone has something decent to eat: "Let's share it, brothers."
"Exactly, those people used to look down on us. They weren't good at studying, but when it came to eating, drinking, and having fun, we were the best."
"We were only interested in having fun ourselves before, and no one else knew about our talents."
How is my lotus-shaped cheese?
"Then I'll make braised tendon in soy sauce."
"Last time I got a recipe for roast suckling pig, the meat was so tender. Brushing it with honey makes it even better."
These rich kids spend money like water.
It was purely a hobby; I had no intention of making money from it.
Young Master Zhang was just worried about not having any allies, and seeing that his former brothers were also in high spirits, rubbing their hands together and saying they were ready to make a big splash, he suddenly remembered something important: "Why didn't you tell me sooner? There were quite a few stalls available when I was choosing them, but now they're probably all gone."
Several young noblemen waved their hands dismissively, saying, "You don't need to worry about that." They then ordered their men to go find it.
They'll just double whatever amount others offer.
In a poor family, there was a sense of gloom and misery. Everyone thought the second son was reckless. He spent three taels of silver to rent a stall. The family complained to him, saying that grain was expensive these days and seasonings were going up in price. Not to mention making a profit, how much would he have to sell to break even?
Just then, there was a knock on the door. The person who came was a well-dressed man. He said, "Did you rent a shop in the county government office?" He had found this place by going through the rental records of a familiar yamen runner. Since the young master wanted it, he had no choice but to go to the trouble of making the trip.
The family replied, "Yes."
The man said, "My master wants to rent it out. How about this, I see you've offered three taels of silver, we'll give you six taels, and you can transfer the shop to me."
The poor men looked at each other in disbelief. Could it really be true that a windfall could fall from the sky? They were just regretting renting the shop, and it seemed as if the heavens had heard their prayers, allowing them to recoup their investment and even make a profit. Was this really true?
The servant seemed to sense their doubt and said, "We can go directly to the county government office to handle it, and we'll give you the money directly. We don't play any tricks."
Seeing this, the family hurriedly urged their second son, who was renting out a shop, to handle the transfer of ownership. The second son went, but returned looking completely bewildered. His family, seeing this, asked anxiously, "What happened? Did you pay the money?"
The second son took out six taels and went home, still feeling like he was dreaming.
After telling my family what I'd found out, I learned that wealthy people were also eyeing that stall. I regretted it a bit; that stall was still highly sought after, and I should have rented two more.
Such scenes have also been playing out in many other places.
In no time, everyone in the county knew that these wealthy people were renting shops near the county government office, saying they wanted to make a big splash, and everyone was incredibly curious.
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