Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Asking about the injury alone...
Why is there a donkey braying at home?
Lin Qiuran was a little surprised. He put on his clothes and went out, only to find a little donkey in the yard.
Xiao Xun was bending over to tie a donkey's cart. The cart was narrower than the one pulled by an ox. But just looking at the donkey, he could actually see that it was smiling.
It was still early, and Sun and the others hadn't arrived yet. The snow in the yard had been cleared, but there was still some on the eaves. The sun shone on the snow, making it shimmer with a variety of colors. Xiao Xun and the donkey were standing in the yard. When they heard the commotion, they both looked towards Lin Qiuran.
Lin Qiuran was a little puzzled. Xiao Xun patted the donkey's head and said, "The donkey is small, but it can fit through the alley. It walks slowly but steadily, and has a gentle temperament. From now on, you can come to the shop by car. I'll teach you how to drive the car this morning and show the donkey the way."
In the afternoon... Xiao Xun lowered his head, he had to leave in the afternoon.
Lin Qiuran walked around the donkey and asked, "How much is this?"
Xiao Xun followed behind Lin Qiuran, "The donkey is eighteen taels, and the cart is three taels."
The total amount was twenty-one taels. Including the money sent back and the money given to Lin Qiuran, a total of thirty-one taels of silver was taken home.
His monthly salary was about ten taels of silver, and including the rewards from his superiors, he almost spent it all after a trip home.
The donkey we bought was newly born and has a good temperament. If it doesn't pull a cart, it can still work as a millstone. It is also sturdy enough to tie a cart. However, when it is cold, the donkey cart is not as warm as a horse cart.
Lin Qiuran nodded and studied the donkey for a moment. She had originally planned to buy a carriage. Her family could afford a horse-drawn carriage now, but it was too ostentatious. Besides going to the restaurant every day, she didn't use it much.
If you're only in the county town, a donkey cart is a good choice. It saves time and effort, but the problem is that it's not covered by a roof, so it doesn't protect you from the wind and rain, so it's still hard to go out on a rainy day.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Let's build a shed when we get back. How big is it?"
Xiao Xun patted the donkey's head again, "You're a little over a year old. I'll take you to try it later. Let's eat first."
Lin Qiuran went to the front hall, where there were tables and chairs. Aunt Liu had cleaned up the place last night, and they had all eaten here. Xiao Xun had bought some plain noodles, steamed buns, and sauce-flavored pancakes.
The sauce-flavored cake was not bought, but was forced upon me by Aunt Yu.
The family was busy with business, and Sun hadn't told anyone about Xiao Xun's return. They all lived in the county town and rarely returned to the village. But Aunt Yu, seeing Xiao Xun grow up, had also moved to the county town. When she saw him on the street, she recognized him immediately. She was so happy that she immediately cut three pounds of cake for Xiao Xun to bring back.
Xiao Xun wanted to give her money, but Aunt Yu refused. She almost cried. It was such a happy thing for someone to come back from the dead. She had watched with her own eyes as Sun and Xiao Dashi almost died, and she had also watched the Xiao family live a good life.
It’s good that he’s back, otherwise Lin Qiuran would give birth to a child without a father. Even if the business grows bigger and bigger, she always feels like something is missing.
It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back!
Da Hu was also very happy. After Xiao Xun left, he couldn't help but say, "Brother Xiao Xun is back. It's great."
Aunt Yu glared at him, and Da Hu said, "Mom, what are you looking at me for? I didn't say that I won't give the Xiao family a share when Brother Xun comes back. Really."
Da Hu and Xiao Xun had a good relationship and had often gone hunting with him, so he was naturally happy for him. He had also figured out the split; it was something his family had insisted on giving him, and it wouldn't be right to ask for it back.
Aunt Yu stopped looking at Da Hu. It was a rare thing for someone to come back to life, so she planned to go and ask what happened when she had time.
Unable to refuse the kindness, Xiao Xun brought the person back.
Lin Qiuran was eating plain noodles and also put in a tea egg, but left the rest untouched.
Xiao Xun had been working on the donkey cart in the yard, tying it up and checking to see if it was secure. Then he busied himself with the donkey, not knowing what he was busy with.
Lin Qiuran took a few bites and looked up. Xiao Xun was working seriously. He was feeding the donkey with hay. There was naturally no green grass at this time of year, so the feed was a mixture of straw.
The donkey chewed the food happily, and Xiao Xun touched the donkey's head.
Lin Qiuran suddenly thought of something, and she asked, "Have you eaten?"
Xiao Xun stopped and looked towards Lin Qiuran. The sunlight fell on his head, shining brightly. "I'll eat after you finish."
Lin Qiuran suddenly remembered that she had eaten first yesterday. After breakfast, she didn't want to stay with Xiao Xun, so she went to the kitchen. Xiao Xun cleaned up the dishes. When he came into the kitchen, Xiao Xun said something and Lin Qiuran nodded.
In the morning, Xiao Xun went to the yamen. In the afternoon, Lin Qiuran slept and cooked. They didn't talk much all day. In the evening, she finished her business and went to bed early. She didn't even know when Xiao Xun went to bed, got up early, or left.
Lin Qiuran said, "Don't you want to come and eat with us?"
Xiao Xun was stunned. He could see that Lin Qiuran didn't want to pay attention to him and was not very happy.
After not seeing each other for more than half a year, they naturally felt unfamiliar. Xiao Xun knew that Lin Qiuran blamed him.
Xiao Xun smiled and said, "I didn't finish it just now. I'll come over right away."
He went to wash his hands. With his long legs and quick walk, he soon sat down opposite Lin Qiuran.
Lin Qiuran didn't have the habit of sharing a bowl of food with others, so he let Xiao Xun eat the buns and sauce pancakes. If he was thirsty, he could drink water later.
Xiao Xun took two bites of the sauce pancake and offered Lin Qiuran a piece. He observed Lin Qiuran's expression and said, "This is from Aunt Yu's house. I passed by on the street and scared Aunt Yu. She insisted I take it. And Da Hu, he's much more stable. I knocked on Aunt Yu's door that day, but she wasn't there. I thought she had gone out for something. Now it seems she's moved to the county town."
Xiao Xun talked a lot, and Lin Qiuran thought that it was she who taught Aunt Yu how to make the sauce cakes. Aunt Yu's family had moved to the county town a few months ago.
Xiao Xun didn't know any of this.
Lin Qiuran took a bite of the tea egg and said, "A lot has happened in the past six months. You...it must have been tough out there. Are your injuries okay?"
Xiao Xun even slowed down his eating of the cake. He smiled, looked at Lin Qiuran's drooping eyebrows, and quickly looked away.
He said, "Well, it's not nice to just stand here."
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but think that when the news of Xiao Xun's death came, he must have been seriously injured. No wonder he looked so thin, his face pale from staying in the house for so long.
Lin Qiuran didn't want to ask any more questions, let alone rip open Xiao Xun's clothes to see how badly he was injured. The two of them hadn't gotten that close. He was right. He was already standing there, fine. Should he tell the Sun family and make them worry? Thinking about the past would only add to his troubles.
Lin Qiuran said, "Eat more and take good care of yourself. Your health is the most important thing."
Xiao Xun nodded and looked at Lin Qiuran again, "I know. What about you? Have you been having a hard time these days?"
Xiao Xun saw that Lin Qiuran got up early to eat these two days, and went to the kitchen to cook the stew at the appointed time. The portion was large, so cooking became a physical job. It was the busiest time at noon and in the evening when the restaurant was open, and he had to stir-fry all the time, cooking several dishes at a time. The pot was heavy and kept hot by the stove.
Occasionally, when stir-frying spicy dishes, the smoke would be so intense that one would have to cover one's head. When he looked from outside the kitchen, he would see Lin Qiuran with a big belly, still stirring the wok.
Xiao Xun saw this, which meant that it had been like this for the past few days. It was probably still good now. In the past, there were no restaurants, so they had to cook at home. Not only was the place small, but the Sun family also had to go out to sell it.
Whether it is hard or not, it is hard.
Lin Qiuran said, "I'm just sitting here peacefully."
Xiao Xun smiled again. That’s true.
Lin Qiuran only had some noodle soup left. She said, "I'm done. I'll go cook first. You can eat slowly."
Xiao Xun: "Well, that donkey cart..."
Lin Qiuran: "Eat first, and try again when you have time. By the way, when dad comes, you two can go out."
Xiao Xun raised his eyes and asked, "What's the matter?"
Lin Qiuran said, "While you are at home, take a look at the fields."
With money in hand, Lin Qiuran plans to buy land.
It had just snowed and the snow on the street had not melted yet. Lin Qiuran didn't want to go out, and Xiao Xun was there, so he let him go.
The shop's business is about the same every day, but thanks to the few days at the beginning of the month when we sell beef, the income this month is still considerable.
In the first few days of the month, there was a daily profit of six or seven taels, and about two taels in the past few days. Xiao Xun came back and gave him another five taels of silver. Not counting the income from the shop this month, the savings were already two hundred and thirty taels. Lin Qiuran felt that saving the money was just saving it, and it would be easy for thieves to take advantage of it.
It would be better to cultivate the land and buy a donkey cart. In the past, I thought of buying the land and then buying a cart. After all, I don't have to pay taxes, and hiring people to farm is also profitable. Now that Xiao Xun is back, I still don't have to pay taxes, and I have a donkey cart, so I will buy the land first.
Lin Qiuran also wanted to see how Xiao Dashi and Sun would treat her after Xiao Xun returned. Sun and Xiao Dashi had been very happy these past two days and treated her as always. She even saw Sun secretly asking Xiao Xun to buy her breakfast and take care of her.
But these are just small things, there are other things.
Money is important. She doesn't know what the future holds, so she has to keep it in her own hands. The restaurants and houses are all in her name. If Xiao Dashi and the others suggested buying more land and putting Xiao Xun's name on it, Lin Qiuran would definitely not agree.
It’s not that Xiao Dashi of the Sun family doesn’t work and has no say. After all, Lin Qiuran has put a lot of effort into the restaurant, and Lin Qiuran doesn’t want to work hard for others.
Xiao Xun's return was a surprise to Lin Qiuran, and she didn't know whether it was good or bad.
Soon, Xiao Dashi and his friends arrived, bringing meat for lunch.
Lin Qiuran and Sun Lindong were busy cooking. She asked Xiao Dashi to take Xiao Xun to find Zhao Guangcai to see if anyone was selling land.
The land around the county town is not expensive, only a few taels of silver per mu. The Xiao family now has three mu of land, and one hundred taels of silver can buy thirty or forty mu of land.
The two of them would go and take a look first. If it was suitable, Lin Qiuran could go and pay directly.
While they were cooking, the two of them went out.
Sun was very happy. It was good to have more people at home, so Lin Qiuran didn't have to worry about everything.
Around noon, Xiao Xun and his companions returned. Xiao Dashi said, "Look, it's right in Xiaojia Village."
Yaji only buys scattered plots of land and sells them off based on the situation. When the family wanted to buy a house, Xiao Dashi suggested selling the land, but Lin Qiuran refused. Villagers won't sell their land unless they have no other choice.
But those who gambled and lost all their land, or those who encountered serious problems, had to sell it.
The land we are looking at today also includes Li Cuihua's.
Her family was anxious to raise money to redeem her son, but they could only sell their land. The New Year was approaching, and they couldn't let the two of them live in prison.
There are about twenty acres in total, all connected together. The land is good, and one acre costs three taels of silver. Including taxes and other things, it is almost eighty taels of silver.
Tax exemption does not include these.
Lin Qiuran nodded after hearing this, not caring whose family it was before. She said, "My family has some money from business, so we can buy this land. Next spring, we can hire people to plant it, and we can also grow some vegetables for the restaurant."
Lin Qiuran plans to change the menu as there are more vegetables. Stir-fried eggplant, cowpea and pumpkin are all delicious.
Cowpeas were mostly used in street vendors in the past, but later restaurants mainly sold stir-fried vegetarian dishes, and the unsold dried cowpeas were kept for home consumption.
Restaurant menus should change with the seasons.
Xiao Dashi nodded and said, "Leave this to me. I'll tell Zhao Guangcai to come over this afternoon."
I have done so much business with Zhao Guangcai, and I believe he is trustworthy.
Lin Qiuran nodded and looked at Xiao Xun again, "By the way, when are you leaving this afternoon?"
Xiao Xun: "No rush."
You can stay a little longer.
Zhao Guangcai came over in the afternoon and asked Xiao Xun to go to the government office after signing the documents. Lin Qiuran also asked him to come again tomorrow.
Zhao Guangcai guessed Lin Qiuran wanted to see something else, so he readily agreed. The land deed required going to the government office, but Lin Qiuran didn't go, and it was easily done. Her name was still on the deed.
Lin Qiuran felt that she was a little mean-spirited. The Xiao family had no other thoughts, and she was the one who thought too much.
In fact, this is not the case. Sun and Xiao Dashi have seen how Lin Qiuran has taken care of them these days. They have long said that they will listen to Lin Qiuran, and their lives are getting better and better.
Furthermore, since Sun Shi treated Lin Qiuran as her own daughter, she naturally wouldn't regret it. They weren't stupid enough to give up their good life.
Xiao Dashi used to think Lin Qiuran was too delicate, thinking that whoever was pregnant didn't work, but as time went by, he was the hardest-mouthed one at first, but now he was the softest at heart. When he left, he also warned Xiao Xun that being an official was a good thing, but he should not forget his roots.
Xiao Xun shook his head and said no.
However, the two of them hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they felt a lot more distant. Xiao Xun felt that Lin Qiuran was blaming him. As for whose name should be on the land deed, he felt that it should be Lin Qiuran's. Although he made a lot of money, which was considered a lot in the Xiao family's past, it was nothing compared to what he made at home. At most, he would help look after the land, so why would he interfere in other matters?
As for being ungrateful, Xiao Xun had never even thought about it.
The Xiao family's behavior made Lin Qiuran have a better impression of Xiao Xun, but it also made things even more difficult for Lin Qiuran. Lying on his bed at home that night, Lin Qiuran did not fall asleep immediately as usual.
Before Xiao Xun left, Lin Qiuran gave him some money, but Xiao Xun refused, saying he didn't need it. Xiao Xun was a good person, as were Sun and Xiao Dashi.
The next day, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.
Xiao Xun passed away yesterday afternoon. For people like them who have to do business every day, when someone passes away, they are gone. They know that it is a joy to be alive, but they still have to work hard to make a living, so it will not affect their lives for the time being.
They still came to the shop to work in the morning, but the difference from before was that Lin Qiuran now went out in a donkey cart, with Xiao Dashi pulling the cart. A mattress was laid on the cart, so it was not too bumpy.
There are more donkey carts than horse carts on the streets, but most people still walk. A donkey cart costs at least twenty taels of silver, and not every family can afford it.
After sending Lin Qiuran over, Xiao Dashi went out. It was cold now, and he was afraid that the meat stall owner wouldn't come the next day because of snow, so he bought the meat a day in advance. If he bought a lot, he would freeze it and use it next time. It kept fresh better now, and it wouldn't be considered dead meat if he kept it for two days.
In the afternoon, Zhao Guangcai arrived, and Lin Qiuran said to him, "Brother Zhao, I want to see a bigger house."
The purchase of the land cost eighty taels, and there was still one hundred and fifty taels of cash left at home. If that was not enough, the money from this month's shop had not been used and could be used.
Zhao Guangcai nodded, "How big do you want it?"
Lin Qiuran: "It would be best if it has two entrances, with four or five rooms."
There are so many people in my family that it’s a bit too crowded.
Xiao Xun didn't come home often, and when asked when he'd be back next time, he wouldn't say. But whenever he did, he had to stay like this for the past two days, and Lin Qiuran found it too crowded. Even if Xiao Xun wasn't mentioned, there wouldn't be enough room after the baby was born.
Lin Dong and Lin Xia were born on the 15th and 13th of the same year after the Lunar New Year. There were three rooms in their house, one of which was used as a kitchen. The east room where Lin Qiuran lived was originally quite big, but it felt small when there were more people living there.
Lin Qiuran was not used to sleeping with them all the time.
To put it another way, even if she couldn't make a living in the Xiao family, she had to have a house to live in so that she could separate from the family with peace of mind.
Zhao Guangcai said, "I have some here. I'll go back and take a look and list them for you."
Before leaving, Zhao Guangcai and Lin Qiuran congratulated him. Lin Qiuran smiled and hoped that Xiao Xun's return was a happy occasion.
Zhao Guangcai still needed a few days to come here. Looking at houses is different from buying land. Land can be bought if it looks good enough, and the price is roughly the same. But a house needs to be carefully considered, and you can also negotiate the price. Even a small amount can save money.
Lin Qiuran touched her belly. She had originally thought that three rooms would be enough to live in and give birth to a child, but she didn't know that things change so quickly.
Today is November 21st, and Lin Qiuran has something else to do in the afternoon. She needs to inspect the second floor.
After a few days of jingling bells, the second floor was finally decorated. It was true that Lin Qiuran didn't have to worry about it, but if he added a little more money to decorate the second floor, it would be enough to buy another house.
Manager Xu arrived shortly after Zhao Guangcai left. He had paid half the deposit initially, and after inspecting it today, he paid the other half if he thought it was okay. The total cost was over twenty taels, which was more than Lin Qiuran had estimated, and the construction period was longer.
She followed Manager Xu up to the second floor. The interior had been completely renovated, with newly built walls that were clean and white. Below was a wooden wall with hollowed-out and carved patterns, depicting a landscape painting that was very elegant.
Coming up from the first floor, I felt like there was a whole other world going on here.
The color of the floor and even the ceiling was changed. The wood is light in color, making the second floor look brighter.
There are four private rooms with plaques hanging above them. The names have also been chosen, and a few song titles have been selected, which sound very stylish.
Lin Qiuran pushed the door open and entered. The main room had large windows, spacious and bright. The stained glass windows were newly renovated, even featuring a swastika pattern. A large, reddish-brown wooden table held ten chairs. An antique display case sat against the wall, devoid of any ornaments except for a single pot of flowers.
Lin Qiu needs to add this slowly later, the twenty or so taels do not include these.
The decor was a bit expensive, but the table alone was worth the money. If the dishes were brought upstairs, Lin Qiuran would have thought the price would have doubled.
She went to the dark room again. The window was small. After entering, she turned on the light. The window faced the yard. If it was noisy, she could close the window and it wouldn't affect anything.
There is also an antique display shelf, and you can buy some porcelain to put on it later, which will definitely look nice.
Manager Xu said that Feng Shui was considered during the renovation, and it would bring prosperity and wealth to the house. Lin Qiuran inspected the interior and exterior and was very satisfied. Xiao Dashi then looked around to see if the items were sturdy. Seeing everything was good, Lin Qiuran happily paid.
Manager Xu said, "If anything breaks, tell me. If it's not fixed, we'll just fix it."
Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded. She said, "If the Second Young Master comes back, please tell the steward to prepare the food. I hope the Second Young Master will do me the honor of coming."
If Lin Qiuran were alone, he would never be able to do this.
Steward Xu nodded, a smile on his face. "That's easy to say. I heard there's a happy event in the Xiao family. Madam Lin's husband has returned?"
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The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angel for the nutrient solution and Lei, thank you for your support~
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