Aunt Fan recognized Qin Fang's voice and opened the door in a hurry: "Master is back. Hey, Master has caught a lot of prey." There are hares and pheasants, but what is this bigger one? Aunt Fan doesn't know. The
servants' yard is closest to the door. When they heard the movement at the door, the private guards and their families came out to see, but they just looked around in the servants' yard and didn't go in. Although they didn't know the rules of a wealthy family, they still knew some basic common sense, and they didn't dare to go in front of Qin Fang.
This time, Qin Fang went out early in the morning with five private guards. They stayed in the mountains for a day and only caught four prey, a pheasant, two hares, and a roe deer. In fact, it was also good luck, because it was the beginning of spring, and the prey came out to look for food.
At the border, it is good to hunt in the beginning of spring, and it is also good to hunt in winter. Because in the beginning of spring, the prey comes out to look for food, while in the winter, the prey is not very active, so as long as you find traces, you can always catch it. But relatively speaking, spring is still the best time to hunt.
Qin Fang and Kun Shi took the four prey to the kitchen, and Huang Huzi and others took the horses back to the stable to wash them. Aunt Fan followed behind, looking at the prey, and was already thinking about how to cook the meat to make it delicious in the evening.
When Yang Haiyan and the children heard the noise and went to the kitchen, they saw the prey on the ground. Yang Haiyan suddenly thought: "Husband, can we catch a live wild rabbit?" Rabbits are the best at reproduction. If we raise rabbits, will we still worry about not having meat?
Qin Fang thought she wanted rabbits, and said confidently: "Yes." What she likes, he must satisfy.
When Yang Haiyan heard it, she said: "Then you catch a male and a female and bring them back, so they can reproduce." After reproduction, raise them and eat them. Rabbits are so cute that they can't be eaten. Yang Haiyan never thought about it.
Qin Fang heard this and his heart moved. After the New Year, his wife will be eighteen years old. There are still nine months left. She must be eager to have a baby with him. "Okay."
Aunt Fan looked at the four dead prey and asked, "Madam, how do we deal with this?"
Yang Haiyan began to arrange the game: "Braise the two rabbits, stew the pheasant, and put the dried bamboo shoots, dried fungus, and dried mushrooms in the stew."
Aunt Fan responded loudly, "Hey."
Kunshi went to skin the rabbits neatly, Aunt Fan took Aunt Yu to pluck the pheasants, and Qin Fang did the rest of the roe deer himself.
After the game was processed, the private guards who had brushed the horses also came over.
Seeing that the five private guards were all there, Yang Haiyan thought of what happened before and said, "Captain Kun, all of you come here."
The five private guards led by Kun Shi walked up to Yang Haiyan and said, "Meet the Madam."
Yang Haiyan said, "No need to be polite. I mainly want to tell you something. In the past, everyone had no family and it was inconvenient to cook for themselves, so the mansion always prepared meals and sent them to you. But now that your families are back, I decided not to cook in the mansion anymore. Prepare your meals. But don't worry, the meals will be converted into grain and sent to you every month.
According to your appetite, the government will give you 40 kilograms of grain, 40 kilograms of vegetables, 4 kilograms of mustard greens, and 10 eggs every month. Starting from April, and for the remaining days of March, each of you will be given a subsidy of 50 coins. What do you think? "
Kunshi: "I have no opinion." This is also good. There is a wife at home, and these things can be cooked by yourself.
Then, the other private guards also said that there is no problem.
Yang Haiyan smiled with satisfaction: "Then you can come to collect the food for next month tomorrow morning. Vegetables and mustard greens are collected every seven days, and grain will be given all at once." Otherwise, the vegetables and mustard greens will be spoiled if they are given all at once.
Kunshi and others: "Yes."
This dinner was a great pleasure for the master and servants. Especially the families of the private guards, each of them received a bowl of braised rabbit meat and a bowl of chicken soup. Although there were not many pieces of braised rabbit meat, each private guard only received five or six pieces, the chicken soup was a big bowl, and even if it was just soup, it tasted good. However, for a single private guard, this was enough for one person.
After dinner, the kitchen sent roe deer meat, two kilograms for each of the five private guards. This was what Qin Fang brought everyone to hunt, so naturally he had to share some with them.
Kun Zhang accepted the roe deer meat and asked Kun Shi with some confusion: "Why did the kitchen send meat over?"
Kun Shi remembered that he had not mentioned the matter of food distribution that his wife had mentioned, so he said: "My wife said that starting from tomorrow, the kitchen will no longer send us cooked food. We will be given a subsidy of 40 kilograms of food, 40 kilograms of vegetables, 4 kilograms of mustard, and 10 eggs every month. For the remaining few days of this month, the subsidy is 50 cents. I think it's great. Since you are here, you can cook these dishes according to your taste."
A monthly subsidy of 40 kilograms of food, plus mustard and eggs, is indeed considerable. Kun Zhang said, "It's better this way."
Kun Shi said, "Madam said we can collect it tomorrow morning. The grain will be a one-time subsidy, and the vegetables and mustard greens will be collected once every seven days."
Kun Zhang understood, "It's just right to collect it once every seven days, so that the vegetables won't go bad. Then when I'm free, I can go to the mountains to dig wild vegetables and mushrooms. By the way, this afternoon, we went to visit Madam, and Madam asked us what our plans were..." Kun Zhang told her what happened in the afternoon, "What do you think I should do?"
Kun Shi thought for a moment: "Madam has a snack shop. Before Mrs. Han got pregnant, she often went to her snack shop to buy snacks, and then took them to the county town to sell. I saw that Mrs. Han often went there to buy snacks, so it should be good. What do you think?"
Others didn't know that Yang Dahua went to Yang Haiyan's snack shop to buy snacks, but Kun Shi knew it. After all, he followed Qin Fang every day. Once, Han Zhen mentioned that Yang Dahua was pregnant, and she was still thinking about the snack shop buying snacks and selling them in the county town, so he remembered it.
When Kun Zhang heard this, she was a little hesitant: "Will this be considered as stealing Mrs. Han's business? If so, it would not be good, after all, she is the wife of a hundred husband."
Kun Shi smiled and said, "No. First of all, Mrs. Han is pregnant and cannot go to the county town to do business. Secondly, the county town is so big, even if Mrs. Han can go to the county town to do business, as long as you are not doing business on the same street, it will not affect her. However, you go to visit Madam tomorrow, Listen to her opinion. "
Kun Zhang said: "Okay. What if Huang Huzi's family and Meng Ping's family ask about it? What if they know that I went to the county to sell snacks and asked Madam for approval of snacks?" "
Kun Shi: "This cannot be avoided, and the county is big, you can sell separately. Such a big county is not enough for you to do business separately?" "
Kun Zhang: "Okay, I know what I am talking about."
The couple of the Kun family were talking about these things, and so were the Meng Ping family.
In Meng Ping's house, Meng Ping and his wife were in one room, and Meng An and Meng Qiu were in another room. But it was late at night, and everyone had dinner and sat together to discuss.
Meng Ping's wife said: "Master, Madam said that we should find a job for ourselves. Meng An said that he can wash clothes for people in the town, or collect firewood. Which one do you think is good?"
Meng Ping thought for a while and said, "Let's pick up firewood. Sitting down while washing clothes is not good for the waist. Besides, Meng An is a girl. If she has to wash men's clothes, it will not sound good if it gets out. If you three pick up firewood, it won't damage Meng An's reputation. Besides, this area is very peaceful and safe."
Meng Ping's wife said, "Then I'll listen to you."
Meng An said, "I'll listen to you, too."
Meng Ping looked at his sister and said, "Little sister, what do you think of Chen Dashi and Tao Shan?" Meng Ping thought about it when he brought his sister here, and he also discussed it with his parents at home, so he brought his sister out. He thought that although his sister's reputation was ruined by that beast, she would still get married in the future, and they didn't know whether her life would be good or bad after marriage. In this case, it would be better to find someone he was familiar with and thought had good character.
Meng Ping thought of the fact that Chen Dashi and Tao Shan were still unmarried on the Master's side. They were all private guards and served in the army together, so they were sworn brothers. So if his sister married one of them, he would be able to take care of her. Besides, being the Master's private guard was better than working in the fields in the countryside. Meng Ping analyzed the situation with his parents and brought Meng An with him.
Of course, they kept the fact of Meng An a secret when they brought him with him. After all, his sister had just had such an incident, so she might be more disgusted with the person she was dating.
Meng An was a smart person. She didn't know about her brother's arrangement before, but now that her brother asked about it, she knew what he meant. She had met both Chen Dashi and Tao Shan, and didn't know if they were good or bad people, but at least she would have a good future if she followed the Master. She thought about it and answered conservatively, "Very good."
Meng Ping thought there was something going on when he heard it: "Then let me introduce you to one? Which one do you like? Meng An, I'll tell you the truth, that beast has no conscience, so don't even think about it. People like Chen Dashi and Tao Shan, they all follow the adults like me, we are loyal to the adults, and if the adults are well in the future, we will be well too. Besides, they have a monthly allowance of 300 coins, and they eat at the mansion, so we can save this money every month, and our future life will definitely not be bad. When my brother brought you here, he told my parents about this, and they also thought it was very good. What do you think?"
Meng An naturally did not have any passionate love for her previous fiancé, they were engaged, and women in ancient times were conservative and loyal, so she did not think about other men. She had been wholeheartedly planning to marry her fiancé, have children, and live a good life.
But the man betrayed her in the blink of an eye, so she naturally would not think about it. She was also clear-headed. She could not be an old maid all her life. She would get married and have children in the future, so she was not opposed to the idea of looking for a partner. Now that her brother asked her about the other two private guards, she thought it was not bad. Living in such a small courtyard, the man had a proper job, and she could find a job for herself. If something happened, her brother would take care of her.
After thinking it through, Meng An nodded: "I think Chen Dashi is good." Because Chen Dashi is a little taller than Tao Shan.
Meng Ping was very satisfied when he heard this: "Then I will say hello to Chen Dashi and see what he thinks. If he likes you, I will make the decision and let you get married."
Meng An blushed: "I will listen to you."
Meng Ping went out happily, intending to talk to Chen Dashi about this matter.
Chen Dashi ate six pieces of pork and a big bowl of chicken soup by himself, and his stomach was full. As long as the chicken soup is too filling. Then he sat on the stool, thinking about what to do with the food tomorrow? The wife said that starting from tomorrow, the food will be solved by themselves. Although the kitchen will distribute the food, he can't cook, what to do?
Chen Dashi was worried at this time, and Meng Ping came. "Brother Meng." Meng Ping is older than Chen Dashi. When Chen Dashi came to serve in the army, he was only 15 years old, but he is 21 this year.
Meng Ping chuckled: "Dashi, we are so familiar with each other now. We have known each other for five years. I will not keep you in suspense. You should answer my questions honestly."
Chen Dashi was shocked. What happened? "Brother Meng,"
Meng Ping said. "Dashi, has your family found a wife?"
Chen Dashi was very depressed: "When I went back this time, my family did look for a girl for me, but they didn't like her. When they heard that I was still at the border, they thought I would become a widow at any time, and they didn't want to travel thousands of miles with me to the border." This is the truth. Of course, he did not say that he followed a captain of the seventh rank. He only said that he found a job at the border, and if they got married, the other party would have to go to the border with him.
For someone like Meng Ping who was willing to leave his parents behind and come to the border, there must be more than one son in his family, so he was relieved. Of course, not only Meng Ping, but other private guards also have more than one son in their families, otherwise who would bear to leave their parents alone? Besides, if there is only one son in the family, the parents would not have the heart to let them serve in the army, and would use the money to buy the quota for military service even if they have to borrow money. A son is the lifeblood of life.
Meng Ping heard this and said directly: "What do you think of my sister?"
Chen Dashi was stunned at first, and then he understood what Meng Ping meant. He and Meng Ping were both private soldiers of the master, and the five private soldiers had a good relationship. After all, before becoming the private soldiers of the master, they were all soldiers in the barracks and in the same team, so after becoming the private soldiers of the master, their relationship became closer.
He had also seen Meng An when she came. She looked quiet and virtuous, and was very suitable to be a wife. However, Chen Dashi regarded Meng An as a sister. After all, she was Meng Ping's sister, so at that time, he didn't think much about it.
Now that Meng Ping asked this, he thought about it and said, "It's good." Knowing what Meng Ping meant, his answer was naturally not the meaning of a brother looking at a sister, but the meaning of a man looking at a woman. In addition, everyone has a wife, but he doesn't have a wife, and he is old, so he really wants it in his heart. With a wife, he doesn't have to wash his clothes by himself, the quilt is warm, and he doesn't have to cook his own meals. It's good.
Meng Ping was also happy when he heard this. Meng An was his sister, and he was of course happy that someone liked her. However, "I want to tell you about Meng An..." Then, Meng Ping talked about Meng An's previous marriage. While talking, he carefully observed Chen Dashi's expression. If the other party showed any sign of disdain, then there would be no need to talk about it.
However, after he finished talking, Chen Dashi did not show any sign of disdain. Instead, he said, "This has nothing to do with Meng An. It's that person who is not good." Chen Dashi really didn't think there was anything wrong. After all, when he went home in March, he met a girl and was also rejected by that person, so he didn't think he had the qualifications to disdain Meng An. Moreover, Meng Ping's home was far away from his hometown, and it was impossible for the news about Meng An to reach his hometown.
Besides, he thinks a person's character is much more important than this kind of reputation. "Brother Meng, I don't care. I think Miss Meng An is pretty good." So, when are you going to get married? He is eager to get married now.
Meng Ping didn't know Chen Dashi's eagerness: "Then I will formally introduce you to each other, and then you can see each other?"
Chen Dashi: "Okay."
Main Courtyard
Yang Haiyan wiped the sticky liquid off her hands with a wet towel. Since she knew the skills of the hands, Qin Fang has been a little bit wild, and he always grabs her hand from time to time. For example, today, although she didn't drink deer whip wine, this man was particularly excited.
After wiping her hands clean, she stretched them in front of Qin Fang: "Look, they are all red." She felt that her skin was about to break.
Qin Fang grabbed her hand and rubbed it gently: "It's my fault."
Yang Haiyan was not happy that he admitted his mistakes. He was very active every time he admitted his mistakes, but he would forget about it.
Qin Fang faced her murderous eyes and gently massaged her hand, saying aggrievedly: "You have to have mercy on me too." He is a normal man, a 21-year-old man, and it's hard to hold it in every day.
Yang Haiyan snorted. It must be said that she was still very moved by Qin Fang's endurance. Some men say nice things and won't touch you, but they turn around and try every means to touch you. "By the way, I asked Uncle Hong to go to a nearby village to buy land today. We bought ten acres of medium-quality land."
Qin Fang paused while massaging her hands. "So much?"
Yang Haiyan explained to him, "Well, I plan to grow some vegetables, and then raise some pigs, chickens and ducks. I was originally thinking that the private guards need to be subsidized for food, and the family also has expenses. In the long run, I still buy land to grow and raise vegetables myself. It is more cost-effective to breed. Moreover, the families of the private guards have come. If they cannot find work, it will be a burden for the private guards. Although this has nothing to do with us, it will also affect the private guards. So I thought that I would have to hire people after I bought the land, so I might as well arrange the families of the private guards to work on the land. "When she asked Uncle Hong to arrange to buy the land, she thought of this idea. In the afternoon, she heard those families say that they could work on the land, so she thought this arrangement was appropriate.
Ten acres of land will be given to the private guards and their families to farm, and the families of the private guards will be asked to guard the land on weekdays. Of course, a yard will be built on the land for convenient living. Especially these female families, they are even better at raising pigs, chickens and ducks. Although at the end of the year, with food and monthly wages, the expenses for three families would be at least six taels of silver. But at the same time, each private guard could save on the food allowance of two hundred coins per month, and the extra vegetables, chickens, ducks and pigs could be used to buy. All in all, it was a stable income throughout the year.
Of course, these were just her plans, and she did not tell the private guards' families about them, because she wanted to observe their character first. Although they were just farmers, their character was not that important, but she did not want to hire people with bad character.
Qin Fang listened to Yang Haiyan's detailed arrangements, and while listening... he fell asleep.
When Yang Haiyan heard his snoring, she wanted to pinch his muscles. But he still couldn't bear to leave, after all, he and his private guards had been hunting in the mountains for a day and were very tired.
The next day
Early in the morning, Aunt Fan and Aunt Yu came back from buying food. After a while, Kun Shi and the other five private guards went to the kitchen to collect food for April.
Aunt Fan said, "40 catties of food per person is collected at one time, and the remaining vegetables are collected on the first, eighth, fifteenth, and twenty-second day of each month. After collecting them this time, you have to wait until the eighth day to collect them."
Kunshi and others said, "I understand."
Aunt Fan continued, "The 40 catties of food are 5 catties of rice, 15 catties of brown rice, 10 catties of sweet potatoes, and 10 catties of potatoes. The 10 catties of vegetables include green vegetables, lettuce, wild rice stems, and cabbage. The 1 catty of pickled vegetables is spare ribs, and there are 10 eggs every month. In addition, the lady said that for the remaining days of this month, a subsidy of 50 cents will be given. You all check it, and if there is no problem, sign here."
The private guards checked it, collected the 50 cents, and carried their own food back to the yard.
At the gate of the yard, the family members were waiting, wanting to see what they could collect today. Seeing the private guards coming back, the family members came forward one after another.
Meng Ping's wife's machine gun voice rang out the fastest: "What did you get?"
Meng Ping said: "Rice and eggs."
Meng Ping's wife: "Well, let's make soup with the ribs first, and pickle the two pounds of meat we got last night."
Meng Ping: "All right."
Chen Dashi listened to the arrangements of Meng Ping's wife, thinking that he had no one to cook, so his eyes shifted and shifted to Meng An. Meng An was also secretly looking at Chen Dashi. Her brother told Chen Dashi about his opinion when he came back last night, so she was secretly looking at him at this time. As a result, their eyes met.
Meng An blushed and quickly looked away. Chen Dashi, a rough man, also blushed and felt a little embarrassed. However, he walked up to Meng An bravely and asked, "Do you like eggs?"
Meng An wanted to be more subtle and say that he didn't like them, but who doesn't like eggs? She nodded: "Yeah."
Chen Dashi blushed and said: "I also have eggs, I will give them to you to nourish your body."
Meng An shook his head: "You nourish your body by yourself, I don't need any, my eldest brother at home also has eggs."
Chen Dashi said: "I can't cook, and the eggs might go bad if I leave them here."
Meng An laughed: "How can eggs go bad, and they just need to be boiled in water, they are very easy to cook."
Chen Dashi took the opportunity to say: "I really can't, then... can you help me cook? I have so many here, if no one cooks, they will definitely go bad."
Meng An's face turned even redder: "Then I'll come over to make lunch for you later."
Chen Dashi grinned: "Okay."
After Yang Haiyan finished breakfast, she and Qin Fang took Qin Siya and Qin Shoucheng to Mrs. Lu's house. The private school that Qin Shoucheng was going to was the same one that Lu Dawei was attending, and Yang Haiyan wanted them to get familiar with each other first
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