After a busy afternoon, the Eighth Prince and his personal servant borrowed twenty cents each and put them into their pockets like treasures.
"Master, I will never complain about the low monthly salary again. I didn't expect that it would be so hard to make money outside the palace. This is because Butler Cao deliberately put our wages on the same level as adults. The children in the village earn half as much as we do!"
Qi Zhengyue couldn't help but say: "But I see everyone is very happy, no one complains about the small amount of money?"
“This....” The servant couldn’t answer for a moment. He just came here with his master a few days ago and was not clear about some things.
Xu Can said, "That's because if you go to other families to do the same job, you probably won't get even 30% of what the Qiao family pays you. Even then, the employer may still refuse to pay. The wages offered by the Qiao family are the highest in Weizhou Prefecture, and they never default on payments. Whether it's daily, monthly, or even half-yearly, they can calculate it clearly for you."
The Eighth Prince was shocked: "Less than 30%, no... not that bad, right?"
"Hmph, not really? Some people work so hard that they end up owing money to their employers. In the end, they have to sell themselves as slaves and work like cows and horses for their employers for the rest of their lives! Such things are common, but in the Qiao family, there is no need to worry. Many people even wish that the old lady would accept their indentures."
ah!!!
His personal servant felt the same way: "Master, what Master Xu said is right. It was because of the disaster that my family encountered that I was forced to be sold into the palace by my parents."
The Eighth Prince was stunned and didn't know what to say.
He originally thought that his life was hard, but he didn't expect that the lives of ordinary people were even harder. He had hoped to be reborn into a commoner's family. After this experience, looking at the blisters on his palms that had not yet disappeared, he could no longer envy the common people's families.
The common people have their own sufferings, and the nobles have their own worries. Everyone lives to be the scenery and the object of envy in the eyes of others.
When they were silent, Guanjian Zefeng ran in, took his stool and rushed out. Seeing that they were sitting in the room, he asked in confusion: "Why don't you two go to the threshing floor and take a seat? I heard that the old lady will tell stories in the threshing floor tonight."
Xu Can jumped up, holding his stool, and was about to rush out with him. As soon as he stepped out of the door, he remembered that the Eighth Prince didn't know that the children in Laohu Town had this benefit, so he turned around and pulled him out.
"Hurry up and grab a seat so you can listen to stories tonight! You won't hear them anywhere else."
Several people hurried to the seats reserved by Qiao Dalang and his friends. Before they even sat down, they couldn't wait to ask, "Do you know what we're going to hear today? Your grandmother hasn't started talking for a long time. Is she going to continue with the previous stories?"
Qiao Erlang held his chin with both hands and said expectantly, "I want to hear about Monkey Brother. Grandma told me the beginning last time. The stone monkey was born and was about to go across the ocean to learn skills. I don't know if he learned it or not, but grandma didn't have time to tell me. I've been thinking about the following part in my heart. I'm scratching my head and cheeks. I'm almost anxious to turn myself into a monkey!"
Qiao Sanlang immediately had an idea: "Why don't we ask Sanniang to ask? I want to know, too!"
Qiao Dalang hesitated and said, "That's not good. What if grandma has prepared a different story for the evening? Wouldn't it be embarrassing for her if we ask her this?"
"Hey, when did you become so procrastinating? Just ask. The old lady won't do anything to you!"
The third lady pursed her lips and said in refusal, "I won't go. Grandma is busy as soon as she opens her eyes every day. I don't want to cause trouble for her. Just listen to the story. Second brother, you are still picky. Be careful or I will tell uncle!"
Qiao Erlang was so frightened that he quickly stuffed the two candies he had saved into Sanniang's hands, clasped his hands together, and begged for mercy, "My dear sister, I know I was wrong. Please don't tell my father, or he will beat me to death. I will buy you a month's worth of candies later!"
The eldest lady pushed him away and said, "Second brother, please don't do evil. Third lady's teeth are about to change, and you are secretly giving her so much candy at this time. If her new teeth are damaged, your uncle will beat you to death, and your grandmother will not forgive you either!"
Qiao Erlang was aggrieved and anxious: "How come it's all my fault? Don't you want to know?"
Seeing this, the lady stopped teasing him and said, "Don't ask me anymore. I asked my grandmother before I left. Today I promise to let you know where Monkey Brother went to learn and what skills he learned."
Not to mention that Dalang's group of children were extremely happy. Even Liang Shengming and other teachers heard the news. The old lady wanted to tell stories to the children in the village.
Originally they thought that only children, big and small, came to listen, but when the master and his disciples took a walk past the wheat field after dinner, they saw that the field was already filled with men, women, old and young, a huge crowd. There were still many people in the village, rushing here in groups!
Zhang Zheng muttered, "Aren't you telling stories to children? Why are adults here to join in the fun? What's the best story? If this old lady coughs, will Laohu Town shake three times?"
Liang Shengming stroked his beard and said in a good-natured manner: "It is a rare thing for a second-rank imperial lady to tell stories to rural peasants. As for whether the stories are good or not, we will know after we listen to them. Go prepare a few stools. Since we have nothing to do, let's join in the fun!"
He Jinzhuo hurried back to prepare! Li Zhong was surprised to see Dean Liang coming to join in the fun. He ran over first to ask the nearby villagers to make room for him, and invited Liang Shengming to come over.
"Mr. Liang, why are you here too?"
"I am considered half a native of Old Lake Town. I came here to join in the fun. I wonder what story the old lady is telling, but why are all the men, women, and children here?"
Li Zhong looked afterward: "Well, what else can I do? It sounds good! It's just a monkey that jumped out of a stone nest, but it can actually talk like a human and even ask for immortality and learn skills."
Zhang Zheng asked again and again: "What happened next?"
"Later, it was gone!"
"Gone?" They, the master and his disciples, had never heard of such a story. Their curiosity was piqued, but it was gone?
"Yes, that's all. The old lady told the beginning of the story to appease the children, and then she was too busy for a few months and didn't have time to tell it again. Today, seeing that the children in the village are suffering, she agreed to continue telling stories to them!"
He Jinzhuo smiled and said, "This move by the old lady really whets people's appetite. I hope the following story will not disappoint people!"
That’s right. The suspense left behind is like a hook. Once you’re concerned, you can’t help but get to the bottom of it!
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