Chapter 94: Take one step and look three steps ahead
"That's great! We will write a letter and ask you to take it to the young master to see if you can help!" said the village elders.
"Thank you all, village elders!" Hu Erlang hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
If someone really helps, not only can the business be expanded to Chang'an, but it also means that one's own network of contacts will be expanded to Chang'an, and maybe even get to know some great scholars.
"You're welcome, young man. Actually, we are helping ourselves!" the village elders said frankly.
Big families are very realistic. When you are gone and no longer famous, no one remembers you and you become a thing of the past.
But if you have new value, can bring honor and benefits to the family, and promote the development of the family, the family will concentrate resources and do everything possible to support you!
Don't underestimate vermicelli, honey, and tea oil. Vermicelli was a pioneering invention at the time, not to mention honey and tea oil. They were indispensable daily necessities for the upper class, scarce and highly profitable.
Apart from anything else, it not only brings wealth but also serves as a bargaining chip for the powerful to make friends.
No big family would not be tempted!
The village elders who had been exiled to Lingnan for nearly twenty years also needed an opportunity to reconnect with their family and pave the way for their descendants to return to Chang'an.
This letter helped Hu Erlang as well as himself, complementing each other.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was lively again. Every dish was a delicacy, and even the rough stale rice was sweet and delicious.
This old rice is indeed very fragrant. Su Ying washed it three times with hot water and added a spoonful of oil and a little salt when cooking to enhance the flavor.
The dry rice is cooked in a clay pot, then slowly roasted on low heat. Use a rice spoon to loosen and dissipate the heat before serving. The rice will be crystal clear, with distinct grains and chewy.
The rice crust in the jar was also very crispy. Hu Zi, A Mu, Asang and other children scrambled to eat the rice crust rice balls.
The dinner ended in a happy and peaceful atmosphere, and County Magistrate Hu and his companions stayed overnight at the homes of several villagers.
As the banquet ended, a faint oil lamp shone into the room. The light was as small as a bean, and the light and shadow on the wall danced, flickering.
"Old man, take a rest. What are you still thinking about?" Gao saw her husband sitting there in a daze.
"I'm thinking about the subsequent staffing arrangements!" Old man Yang glanced at his wife.
"Old, old! Look at Ah Ying, you have to admit she's old! If I had her insight when I was young, my whole family wouldn't have ended up in this situation."
"This girl is quite capable!" Gao agreed. "I wonder which family will marry a girl like this."
"I'm afraid there's no one like him in Lingnan!" said the old man Yang, stroking his beard.
"Why, the second son of the county magistrate..." Gao felt that Hu Erlang and Su Ying were a good match.
Regardless of appearance, upbringing, or family background, the two are a perfect match.
"Shh, don't match people up randomly! We can't lose our sense of proportion just because the county magistrate is close to the people!" Old man Yang stopped his wife from having wild thoughts.
No matter how low the ninth rank official is, he is still an official. Now they are exiles and belong to a different class, with an insurmountable gap between them.
"You old man! Am I that kind of person? Isn't this just idle chat? Besides, who says that girls are not worthy of Mr. Hu?
Don't forget, although Su Langjun is an exile, he is different from us. He is a convicted official of the new dynasty. If there is an amnesty, he may be able to return to Chang'an!" Gao glared at her husband in dissatisfaction.
As a descendant of the royal family of Qi Dynasty, he was familiar with the procedures for punishing and pardoning officials.
It is true that Su Bucheng was an exile, but exiled officials were still on the list of the imperial court's Ministry of Personnel.
Every year, the Ministry of Personnel summarizes the assessment of exiled officials. Those who perform well can be demoted, that is, exiled to a place with a better environment.
If you have made great contributions or are pardoned, you may be able to go back. Although the possibility is not high, it is still possible.
"Yes, yes, you are right!" Old man Yang didn't want to argue with his wife, so he coaxed her.
"You old bastard, that's what you are!" Gao scolded with a smile.
The old couple went back to the house chatting and laughing.
"Ah! This little girl is very capable of thinking three steps ahead. She's not only focused on the present, but also on long-term planning. If nothing unexpected happens, she should have some ideas that she hasn't expressed yet.
It’s not simple, it’s not simple! I wonder which boy is lucky enough to marry her…”
Old man Yang muttered to himself, his tone full of regret.
"Sleep, sleep! It's not our boy anyway!" How could Gao not understand her husband's thoughts?
But my own grandchildren are all younger than Su Ying, not presentable, and have not even been to school. How can I have the nerve to flatter her and marry into this family?
If you want to plant flowers in cow dung, it has to be a pile of nutritious cow dung, otherwise how can the flowers survive?
It is important for people to know themselves. If you are not worthy of someone, then don't dream! Don't dream!
Facing the evening breeze, the Su family walked slowly. No one spoke, but their hearts were filled with heroism.
"Brother, do you really want to dig a pond?" asked Su Laoer.
During the meal, when the niece mentioned digging ponds to cultivate paddy fields, the brother did not show any surprise.
"Yes!" Su Bucheng nodded. "Lingnan has a warm climate, so rice can be harvested twice a year. If used properly, one acre of land can be used as two acres!"
"Really!" Su Lao Er exclaimed, "Is there such a good thing?"
"Of course! I've heard colleagues who have worked in Lingnan Road talk about it before. In fact, Lingnan is a good place. If it weren't for the miasma and dangerous roads, it would have prospered long ago." Su Bucheng said with a smile.
Fortunately, I was exiled to Lingnan. If I were exiled to such a cold and bitter place as the North or the Western Regions, I would have been helpless.
Although this place is wild, as long as you can withstand the miasma, there is plenty of food naturally grown in the Ten Thousand Mountains, so it is not difficult to survive.
Two crops of rice, just thinking about it makes me look forward to it. If they can really be grown, I won’t have to go hungry and I will have surplus food.
"Well, after we finish planting the winter wheat, we'll start by digging a pond!" Su Laoer rubbed his hands excitedly, wishing he could start work right away.
"No rush, follow Ah Ying's instructions and build the vermicelli noodles, oil mill, and beekeeping first!" Su Bucheng patted his brother's shoulder, "Everyone will be busy before spring!"
"It's good to be busy! Then there will be hope for the future!" Su Laoer is not afraid of hardship, but he is afraid of having no hope for the future.
When they first arrived, they had nothing. Now they have thatched houses, a large piece of wasteland, simple living utensils, bamboo beds, oxen and Jiangdong plows, and they will add more later.
Life is always getting better and better!
The only ones who are worried are his wife and daughter. It is said that husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.
Chang'an and the road were so difficult, but they walked through it holding each other's hands. I was secretly glad that the family was united and the couple had shared the ups and downs and hardships.
But he didn't expect that he would be faced with a family storm just after ending his wandering life.
Su Lao Er used to think that his daughter Su He could be saved, but today when she hooked up with Mr. Hu Er in public, he felt completely chilled to the bone.
This daughter is really useless, her foundation is rotten.
Fortunately, he was not there at the time, as he was leading the oxen around. If he had been there, he would have found a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Oh, Su He is afraid that this will be a disaster! Who would want such a shameless, brainless and pretentious girl?
Thinking of this, Su Laoer's passionate heart gradually cooled down.
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