Ye Erquan didn't get home until evening.
Mrs. Wei was washing vegetables in the kitchen when she saw him enter through the window and said:
"Didn't you say last night that you were going home for lunch? I even saved some food for you."
Ye Erquan put the messy tools into the woodshed: "After returning at noon, I went to my eldest brother's house and had lunch there. My eldest brother and younger sister gave me a few small stools."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wei came out while wiping her hands: "A small stool?"
Ye Erquan placed several small stools on the ground.
Mrs. Wei laughed and said, "It doesn't cost any money?"
"Nonsense." Ye Erquan rolled his eyes. "I already said it was a gift. Those were defective products from a furniture workshop."
Mrs. Wei looked at the three small stools in turn, and then sat down for a while:
"It's quite comfortable, but wait, why is the pattern a bit messy? And there's a little dent on this leg! And why are these two legs not the same thickness?"
Ye Erquan said irritably, "I already said it's a defective product, what's there to be picky about? If you don't like it, I'll just give it away."
"I only said a few words, I didn't say I didn't want it." Mrs. Wei pouted.
Although Ye Erquan said he would replace the furniture last time, he did replace some, at least the beds and cabinets in several rooms are now complete.
However, some small stools, coffee tables, and chests of drawers are still missing.
We only have three small stools at home, which isn't enough for most of the time. How could we refuse such a free gift?
Ye Erquan pulled over a small stool and sat down: "Also, let's go to the cattle market together tomorrow and buy a cow."
"What, buy cattle?" Mrs. Wei exclaimed in surprise. "Why buy cattle? Don't you have two? You can borrow yours when you need to plow the fields."
Ye Erquan said, "The season has come. You're the only one who needs to plow the land, but I don't? I have 80 mu of land!"
"Also, when we go out to work, we have to bring custom-made toilets and some miscellaneous tools with us every time. We have to rent an oxcart every time, which is really inconvenient."
"Anyway, I've made up my mind. I'm going to buy an oxcart."
Mr. Wei's heart was bleeding; a single oxcart cost more than ten taels of silver!
But thinking about it, only Cai Ping and the village head have cattle in the village. If their family also bought cattle, it would be a proud thing.
Mrs. Wei nodded: "Alright! Then let's go see the cattle as a family tomorrow. I'll go back and cook some dishes first."
Ye Erquan laughed.
As darkness fell, the food was finally served.
The Ye family of four sat around a table for a meal.
For dinner, I made steamed egg custard and stir-fried bok choy.
When Mrs. Wei brought the rice to the table, Ye Erquan was furious when he saw the coarse rice.
He usually ate brown rice, so he didn't think much of it at the time.
After all, he was so poor in the past that he couldn't even afford brown rice. Now that he can have brown rice every day, along with eggs and vegetables, he is very satisfied.
But today, after eating a bowl of leftover rice at Ye Daquan's house, he realized that his elder brother's family had always eaten white rice, while his own family ate brown rice.
Ye Erquan slammed his chopsticks down on the table: "Is your family so poor that you can't even afford white rice?"
Holding her bowl, Mrs. Wei frowned and said, "What do you mean by white rice? Don't we always eat brown rice? Apart from my younger sister, who in the village eats white rice as their staple food?"
Ye Erquan angrily said, "My elder brother's family treats white grain as their regular food!"
“My elder brother’s family only makes a living by delivering spicy soup, and I heard that they have to pay my younger sister 10 taels a month, leaving them with only 13 taels, which they eat with plain rice every day. Our family also has the outhouse business, which brings in more than 90 taels a month. Can’t we afford a single grain of rice?”
"How much is that little bit of white rice worth? It's 20 coins a pound, and 70 pounds a month should be enough for the whole family! That's only 1.4 ounces! With all the money the family earns, you can't even spare 1.4 ounces to give your family something nice to eat?"
"And these dishes, every day it's either steamed eggs or scrambled eggs, and we only eat meat once every three or four days. Is your family really that poor? Even if you eat 10 catties of meat a day, it's only six or seven ounces a month."
Mrs. Wei's expression changed: "I just wanted to save a few bucks, didn't I?"
Ye Erquan nearly fainted: "What are you saving this for? To take with you to your coffin?"
"If that's the case, I'd rather not go out to work. Anyway, no matter how much I earn, I can't spend it all; it'll all end up in my coffin."
Wei's expression changed.
Ye Erquan continued, "From now on, we'll eat white rice, and the whole family will have at least three dishes together, two meat and one vegetable. Otherwise, I'll manage the money myself."
After saying that, Ye Erquan shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice, finished eating in no time, and turned to leave angrily.
Mrs. Wei's face turned pale and then red as she was being talked to.
That won't do. I only feel safe if the money is in her hands!
Seeing their parents arguing, Ye Peng and Yin Hua were too frightened to utter a sound, and even the food in their mouths lost its taste.
...
The following day, Ye Caiping arrived at the furniture workshop.
Discuss with the shareholders about wholesaling small furniture to Hu Xiaosi.
Hearing that someone was willing to sell it, Ye Lizheng and Wang Shuantou's eyes lit up.
Ye Lizheng said, "After all, this batch of goods are practice products and not very refined. If we rent a storefront in the future and put them there, it might damage our reputation. It's even better now that someone is willing to take the goods."
Wang Shuantou and Uncle Ye also nodded.
Ye Caiping said, "Then let's set a price and talk to Xiao Si about it later."
After discussing it for a while, the group dispersed.
After lunch.
Ye Caiping sat in the corridor for a while, and then Shanzi brought Hu Xiaosi in.
"Hello, Aunt Ping," Hu Xiaosi greeted her nervously.
Ye Caiping smiled and said, "I already discussed it with everyone this morning, and you can sell these small pieces of furniture."
"I'll sell them to you wholesale for 40 coins each. As for how many you sell and how much you make, that's up to you."
"Also, I know you don't have any money. You don't need to pay now. Just take it out and sell it as much as you can. If you can't sell it all, just bring it back. As long as it's not damaged, we'll take it back."
Hu Xiaosi said gratefully, "Thank you, Aunt Ping."
He had originally intended to shamelessly ask Ye Yong to borrow some money.
Unexpectedly, Aunt Ping solved his problem.
Ye Caiping smiled and said, "The hot and sour soup workshop will be closed tomorrow, so you can ask your third brother to come with you. After all, you're only eight years old, too young. Also, your village head grandfather said he can lend you the oxcart."
Ye Lizheng knew that the Hu family children were struggling financially, so when he heard that Hu Xiaosi wanted to take things to sell, he not only agreed but also offered to lend him an oxcart.
"Alright. Go find your brother-in-law first thing tomorrow morning and pick up the goods from the workshop."
Hu Xiaosi's eyes were already red: "Thank you, Aunt Ping, thank you, Grandpa Village Head. Xiaosi is going back now."
After Hu Xiaosi left, Ye Caiping sighed softly.
The Hulatang workshop has three days off a month: the 10th, 20th and the last day (the 30th).
Today is June 30th, the last day of June.
Tomorrow is July.
Ye Caiping rubbed her temples. July was Li Jiaojiao's third opportunity, the month she would meet her third benefactor.
Li Jiaojiao's two benefactors are gone: the first is in jail, the second has returned to the capital, and the third is a miracle doctor who will appear soon.
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