Chapter 194 Setting up a stall
"Have the things been loaded?" After setting off the firecrackers, Yang Dalang, Pei Sanlang and others counted the ox carts one by one.
After hiring six ox carts from Heifeng Township, we had dinner and went to bed early. It was time for my son to set off, and the journey would take at least three hours.
The children were half-drowsy, but when they heard they were about to leave, they forced themselves to stay awake and go out.
It was pitch black outside, with only torches lit by the oxcart.
"Hiss!" It was getting late and the dew was heavy. The children had just crawled out of their warm beds and couldn't help shivering. They climbed into the car with their necks hunched.
Each family left someone to watch over the house and feed the pigs.
The younger children rode in the car and the older children walked, as the ox cart was too small for them to fit.
Yang Dalang looked towards the Su family, and a torch came slowly towards him.
The Su family had their own ox cart, which was loaded with their own belongings.
Su Laoer drove the cart, while Xiaotao, Atang and Zhaoyan nestled in the middle bed, snoring like little pigs.
Bingyan was older and couldn't fit in the ox cart, so he lay on his father's back and fell into a deep sleep.
Mrs. Du and Mrs. Wei went with them, while Su Zhongyan and several other young men stayed with the old lady to look after the house and review their lessons at the same time.
Su Lu originally wanted to stay, but was taken away by Su Ying.
This cousin was always ignored. People worked silently and forgot about her when they played.
Zhang San and Li Si are very happy, as they have big business at the beginning of the year. It is a good start and a good omen, indicating that the business will be booming in the new year!
They are witnesses to the changes in Huanggou Village.
I have been here many times, and each time I stopped at the intersection of the official road and could never get in.
I watched them building the road from behind and wondered how many years it would take before we could get in, but I didn't expect it to be open now.
In the evening, when we finished work and went home to prepare for the New Year, Yang Dalang and Pei Sanlang came hurriedly and asked us to hire a few cars to take people from Huanggou Village to the county town.
Seeing that they were old acquaintances, Zhang San and Li Si did not raise the price and immediately ran to find their colleagues from the carriage and stable.
The group happily went to Huanggou Village to pick up people.
I had hot rice at Yang's house. I don't know what was in it, but it contained vegetables, meat, and braised food. After finishing a big bowl of hot rice, I felt warm all over.
It was a delicacy they had never tasted before, and they lingered on it for a long time!
The road was too long and the child's feet started to hurt after walking for a while, so he switched with the other children in the car to rest.
"Third brother, you drive the cart!" Su Laoer jumped off the ox cart.
"I don't know how, you go on!" Su Lao San didn't answer.
"Next! Bingyan must be frozen, warm him up quickly!" Su Laoer handed the reins and whip to Su Laosan without giving any explanation, fished out his youngest son from the car, and carried him on his back.
"Uncle San, let Bingyan cover it up!" Su Ying also advised.
Bingyan was lying on his father's back, and although he was wearing a coat, his hands and feet were exposed.
Su Laosan didn't hesitate any longer. He put his son in the car and wrapped him in a quilt.
Su Zhaoyan took out the warm quilt and curled up into a ball because he was so cold. Su Ying put Bingyan's coat on Zhaoyan.
"Xiaotao, come here, let sister carry you! Let Alu rest for a while!" Su Ying called her sister.
Atang opened his eyes and was about to jump out of the car, but Su Ying held him down and said, "Go to sleep!"
How could you let the youngest child walk? Regardless of whether Atang has superpowers or not, Su Ying couldn't bear it.
"Sister!" Atang wanted to insist.
"Be good! Atang, be good! Go to sleep!" Su Ying patted Atang and coaxed her to sleep.
Atang had no choice but to give in, otherwise his sister would not like him.
The little girl next to her had a chubby face and squinted her eyes. The cricket pupa took a while to come out and crawled onto Su Ying's back.
"No need! I can walk!" Su Lu pulled Su Ying, "I walked all the way from Chang'an, I'm not that delicate! Let Xiao Tao sleep a little longer, otherwise she will be tired during the day."
"I'll sleep on my sister's back!" Xiao Tao muttered, wrapped her arms around Su Ying's neck and continued to sleep.
"Hurry up and get up! The quilt is still warm!" Su Ying strode away with her sister on her back.
Mrs. Du hurriedly took out Xiaotao's cotton coat and caught up with her, putting it on her.
We walked and rested along the way, and when we arrived at the county town, it was already early morning and the city gates were wide open.
There were not many people on the road. It was New Year's Day, and many people had just stayed up all night, so they were dozing off and would not get up until around 9:00 am.
Niu Er had been waiting at the south gate of the city and was shocked to see the huge convoy.
Are the people in Huanggou Village trying to escape? Why did they bring pots, pans, bowls, and bedding with them?
County Magistrate Hu sent someone to deliver a message, saying only that a few stalls with better locations would be arranged for the people of Huanggou Village, but he didn't say anything else.
Niu Er was very honored that the county magistrate assigned him the task during the New Year.
Nowadays, the county government has money, so there is more work to do and more money to earn, especially during festivals, when salaries double.
Huanggou Village is of great significance to County Magistrate Yu. Assigning him this position naturally shows that he values and trusts him.
He had to do it properly.
"Captain Niu! Happy New Year!" Zhang San and Li Si greeted from afar.
They became acquainted with Niu Er after a fight. Niu Er took their car several times later and paid the fares.
Gradually, Niu Er was not so scary in their eyes, and they would say hello to him when they met him.
"Happy New Year!" Niu Er smiled.
"Captain Niu, Happy New Year and may you make a fortune!" Su Ying bowed to Niu Er.
"Congratulations, may you make a fortune in the new year!" Niu Er hurriedly returned the greeting.
Su Ying quietly stuffed a purse into her hand and said, "Thank you, Captain Niu!"
"Oh, the girl is insulting Niu Er! It's my job, it's my job! You don't deserve this!" Niu Er hurriedly pushed the purse away as if it was hot.
In the past, they would be eager for it and even think it was too little, but now the monthly salary is high and the family has side jobs, so the yamen runners no longer engage in this kind of gray income obtained by exploitation.
County Magistrate Hu specially reorganized the government office, demanding that the government be clean and honest and that no one be extorted from the people.
"Oh! Captain Niu, please keep it. It's not much money. Today is the first day of the new year, so it's for good luck. I wish Captain Niu and all your brothers make a fortune in the new year!" Su Ying advised.
"This..." Niu Er hesitated for a moment, then accepted it readily. "Thank you, Miss Su!"
It's not that I'm greedy for this little money, but I'm looking for good luck!
They brought their motorcade into the city and set up stalls in the busiest places, such as the main streets and the city gates.
"Miss Su, what are you going to sell?" Niu Er didn't leave after finishing the job because he was really curious.
"Don't go yet, let us invite a few brothers to have a taste!" Su Ying said with a smile.
"Oh, okay!" Niu Er and his companions happily agreed.
I didn't just sit there and wait, I helped move things, light the stove, and set up the table.
Su Ying took the kneaded dough out of the bucket, rolled it out on the table, and cut it into small pieces for frying.
When the yamen runners saw Su Ying pour half a pot of oil into the pot, they were stunned. This, this is too extravagant! A waste of money! A waste of money!
The golden fried dough sticks were taken out, and the delicious smell made the onlookers yamen runners drool!
Ordinary people can hardly eat oily food a few times a year, and these fried foods are too tempting.
"Try it!" Su Ying gave one to each person.
The hungry yamen runners took the hot fried dough sticks, looked at each other, and were reluctant to eat them. They all wanted to take them home to feed their children.
"Come, try it!" Su Ying understood immediately. She took another one, cut it into several pieces, and distributed them to the yamen runners.
Crunchy, crispy, melts in the mouth, so delicious!
"What is this food called?" Niu Er smacked his lips.
"Dough sticks! A new food! Four cents each!" Su Ying replied.
"Four cents per piece?" the yamen runners exclaimed, then paused.
Compared to three cents for a Hu Bing, four cents is more expensive, but since it is fried in tea oil, four cents seems cheap.
Su Ying calculated that one pound of flour costs five cents and can make five fried dough sticks.
Four cents per stick makes twenty cents in total. After deducting five cents for flour, tea oil, firewood, etc. and seven cents for other things, you can make eight cents, which is an average of more than one cent per stick. The profit is slightly higher than that of Hu Bing.
It costs four cents. It's a new food and it's oily, so it's reasonable to be expensive.
They had to raise the price to compete with Hubing so as not to steal Hubing's business and anger the public.
Due to the combination of multiple factors, the price is four cents.
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