Chapter 262 Business is Bad
In the end, a thatched hut was added outside the Lu family's wall.
According to Mo Lang, he can not only protect the Lu family from here, but also monitor the movements on the opposite mountain.
Fu Leng brought back several mining masters, and they were already preparing to start mining.
The people he arranged will gradually enter the mountains. He can go for a stroll in the mountains whenever he has free time. Staying in Liuyun Village is more convenient.
Having said that, Lu Qingqing had no choice but to agree.
However, since it was getting cold, Lu Qingqing told him to stay in the shed for the time being, and then build two more rooms outside the west wall for him to live in.
The happiest person about Mo Lang living here is Old Man Lu.
"It's settled, it's settled. It saves me from worrying about those girls all the time."
"Chao Lu, prepare a few dishes tonight, I want to drink with Brother Mo!"
Morning Dew loves cooking!
The aroma of food and steamed buns fills me with joy.
She learned many tricks.
I can now cook baby meals, healthy meals, and prepare all kinds of dishes, including steaming, stir-frying, pan-frying, and deep-frying!
She set up two tables, one inside the house and one in the yard.
Old Man Lu and Mo Lang were eating and drinking in the courtyard.
The moonlight was bright and clear.
Laughter, voices, a child's cries, and babbling could be heard coming from inside the house.
It was exceptionally lively.
Perhaps because he had drunk some alcohol, Mo Lang felt warm all over despite the chilly weather.
He seemed to recall a similar scene.
Maybe not, I don't remember clearly.
But there is one thing he remembers clearly.
Just a few months ago, the young master returned to the county government office one day, looking unusually relaxed.
He said, "Molang, do you know what it feels like to eat with your family?"
It's the constant sound of chewing and swallowing, the visibly decreasing amount of food, the hearty appetite, the passing of food from one person to another, the daily necessities, the pause, the sense of belonging.
You definitely don't know this.
But I hope that one day you will feel it.
Mo Lang suddenly realized what the young master was talking about, looking at the flickering candlelight, the moving figures, and the constant conversation inside the room.
Although he didn't feel those things, he understood them.
This is what the young master desires.
He must protect the young master and wait for his return.
"Mo Lang, I have a small question for you."
Old Man Lu dragged the wooden stump closer to Mo Lang.
"Uncle Lu, please speak."
Mo Lang put down his wine glass.
Three cups have been drunk; no matter how good the wine or how safe the place, one should not drink anymore.
"You know about the Holy Healer Sect, right? Tell me about this Holy Healer Sect."
Tell me if you know anything, I need to hear who's better, my daughter or them.
"Of course, Miss Lu is more capable."
Just the fact that Miss Lu was able to save the young master from certain death is something the Holy Physician Sect can't compare to.
Moreover, the current Holy Healer Sect is somewhat wicked and has strayed from the righteous path.
"Tell me about it," Old Man Lu said, clearly intrigued.
So Mo Lang told him.
"Dad, how many drinks have you had? You're not allowed to drink anymore!" Lu Qingqing shouted.
Old Man Lu quickly put down his wine glass.
Anyway, I've heard everything.
"I won't drink anymore, I'm going back to the workshop now."
"Let Mo Lang take you."
Mo Lang obeyed.
When they saw that Old Man Lu swayed as he got up, they quickly helped him up and eventually just carried him on their backs.
"Good child, good child... Mo Lang, why did your young master give you to my daughter?"
"Young master... thank you, Miss Lu."
"Good heavens! He's giving away such a handsome young man as a thank you gift? Isn't he worried about trouble in his own backyard?"
Mo Lang stumbled a little.
"Uncle Lu, you've had too much to drink."
"I'm drunk, but I know what I'm saying. Don't think our family doesn't know that your son likes my daughter."
If he weren't so well-behaved, we wouldn't have let him see anyone!
Mo Lang dared not utter a sound, for fear of saying the wrong thing.
Old Man Lu continued to nag, "As long as my daughter is willing, we won't interfere. Tell me the truth, what exactly has your son been up to?"
He had noticed that his daughter had been absent-minded for several days!
Mo Lang is honest enough, more straightforward than Fu Lengxin, and doesn't seem to lie.
After hesitating for a while, Mo Lang said, "I'm going to earn the bride price."
What?
"You little rascal, I thought you were an honest guy..."
"Really, Uncle Lu, the magistrate is very poor, really poor! You don't know, things are in chaos in the south now, and rice can't be transported here. The magistrate has to buy rice from other places at high prices to stabilize the rice price here."
The imperial court doesn't care! There are plenty of people crying poverty, but this small town of Ming'an County isn't one of them.
All the money earned from selling medicinal herbs went into this.
So, young master went outside to see if there were any other ways to make money.
"Really? Don't try to fool this old man."
"I would never dare to deceive Uncle Lu."
Old Man Lu finally sighed, "Magistrate Xu is truly a good official! But... the bride price doesn't need to be that high, does it?"
If my daughter takes a liking to someone, what difference does it make if we don't ask for a dowry? If Magistrate Xu is willing, it's fine to have your son come to my house.
It also requires mutual consent.
Mo Lang held back for a long time.
"Uncle Lu, my young master wants to give Miss Lu the best."
"The best thing is that it's unique. Your young master will only marry my daughter for the rest of his life, with one heart and one mind, and he will never change his mind. That's much better than those material possessions."
However, one cannot be without material possessions; what kind of man is he if he can't even earn them?
"Yes, yes, that makes perfect sense."
Mo Lang took off running as fast as he could, and in the blink of an eye, he delivered Old Man Lu to the workshop.
Just as he was about to run, he heard Old Man Lu say softly behind him:
"Tell your young master not to stay out too long. My daughter won't wait for anyone. Now, the line of people coming to our door is almost stretching from Liuyun Village to the town."
Who knows, maybe my daughter will come to her senses and choose a reliable man to settle down with.
That won't work!
What is he good for? Does he expect other men to have a chance to get close to him?
As if knowing what he was thinking, Old Man Lu added:
"Your supervision here is useless!"
...
The autumn wind is chilly, and the ground is covered in yellow.
This year has been tough for everyone.
Business is bad at all the shops.
In previous years, this time of year was the peak season for Wanjia Cloth Shop in the town, when people would buy warm clothes.
But now, we can't even sell two bolts of cloth a day. If this continues, we'll lose money everywhere.
An argument could be heard coming from the fabric shop on the street.
It turned out the manager wanted to deduct money from the employees' pay.
The incident started when a worker was wiping the shipping container and water got on the cloth, leaving a stain.
The shopkeeper immediately tore off two feet of the cloth, threw it to the waiter, and deducted the money from his salary, treating it as if he had bought it.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened.
Last time, he was fined ten coins because he hadn't cleaned the container properly and a spider had fallen on it.
The time before last, he didn't greet a guest when they came in, and he was fined ten coins.
All things considered, my salary for this month is already down to eighty coins, and it was deducted again today.
The guy threw his hat down and quit!
"You're just relying on being a senior employee here. Aren't all the goods sold by us guys every day? What real skills do you have? All you do is make things difficult for people!"
The shopkeeper sneered, "Hey, the boss just values us old folks. He trusts us. What can you do about it? Quit? Then get out! We don't need so many of you!"
The waiter spat.
"This rag shop will collapse within a year!"
"Who wants to stay here! My brother already told me to go work at the Lu family's workshop. Once the cloth shop goes bankrupt, you'll be crying!"
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