Du Heng and Xiaoman's stalls closed earlier than other stall owners, and it took them more than an hour to go home, unlike other stall owners who were from the county, and it took only a stick of incense to go home.
Although it was early to collect the work, the ingredients prepared by the two were almost sold out.
The days are short in winter, and it was already dark when we got home.
Huzi who was alone at home watching the gate could hear the movement of the two of them with keen ears. He lay down on the low wall in front of the courtyard early, and wanted to jump out to meet him, but he was not high enough, so he wagged his upturned tail and rushed out. phantom.
When I saw my old buddy Big Scalper appearing, I barked a few times excitedly.
Du Heng opened the courtyard door, and the dog jumped on him immediately.
"Okay, I saw you, go back to the house."
The dog jumped and barked around him, Du Heng helplessly touched its dog's head before it stopped.
Du Heng advanced into the kitchen room to light the stove, and then went out to unload the ox cart with Xiao Man.
As soon as the two of them were busy, the house suddenly felt like someone was at home.
Du Heng was afraid that Xiaoman would freeze for a day after going out, so when the water in the pot was hot, he first poured a bucket of water to soak Xiaoman's feet, this is the fastest way to get rid of the cold and warm his body.
In winter, Xiaoman also likes to soak her feet, but she used to soak her feet before going to bed, but when she has a child, she naturally puts the child first and takes good care of herself.
Du Heng was carrying a bucket of pig food to feed the animals, and he soaked his feet under the stove while cooking hot dinner. While feeling comfortable, he did not forget to take out the bag of copper coins he earned today and count them carefully.
Too many copper coins are very heavy, but the things beside them can be heavy, no one thinks too much money is heavy.
"There are more than 1,800 articles here!"
Seeing Du Heng coming out of the pigsty, Qin Xiaoman couldn't wait to talk about today's results.
Du Heng put down the bucket and washed his hands in hot water: "Then calculate how many copies we sold today."
In fact, Du Heng could calculate it with a moment of silence in his heart, but he was still waiting for Xiaoman's result quietly. Xiaoman pinched his fingers and muttered for a long time: "More than a hundred copies?
" According to calculations, it is said that she was stupid for three years after being pregnant, how could she be stupid at the beginning." She
is not very smart in the first place, and if she is stupid, she will not know how to go home even if it rains when she goes out.
Qin Xiaoman pursed his lips.
"One hundred and twenty copies. Calculate the cost first. One copy can earn five cents. If you ignore the cost, you can earn six hundred cents."
Du Heng told Xiaoman the result of the calculation: "Our business today is really good. Hearing this ,
Qin Xiaoman laughed again, and he gently touched his stomach: "If you can earn so much money every day, you will be blessed when the baby is born."
Du Heng sat down beside him, Caressing Xiaoman's hand: "Anyway, I won't starve the child."
The two warmed up for a while, had dinner together, and had to prepare ingredients for the night.
Du Heng's plan was to set up a stall in the county town on Jixian day. He didn't plan to go every day. The time to go back and forth was too early. If he went home and prepared all the ingredients for the next day, he would have to go in the middle of the night up.
This is also the reason why farmers who live in the countryside seldom go to the county to do business. If it is close to the county, that's all.
If the business can be as it is today, even if you go to the county every two or three days, you can earn a few taels of silver a month.
But Du Heng knew that he could earn a day's worth of money today, so he couldn't think too far, because there were too many variables, so he didn't know that he couldn't do it because of some reason.
The next day, Du Heng was making ingredients at home, so he stopped by to tell Qin Xiong to leave the offal of his newly slaughtered pig to him.
Xiaoman went to ask someone to help their family plow the land in exchange for collecting firewood. They were free in winter, and everyone had nothing to do. Hearing that they were willing to do this job, he quickly found someone.
"What's the matter, are you and Du Heng not feeling well? Hire someone to do it if you have cows digging the ground?"
The folks were idle and had nothing to do, and they asked very directly: "I heard that Du Heng is studying, is this necessary?" Have you tried it with all your heart?"
We all know that the Qin family's work is easy to do, and you can go to the private mountain to collect firewood with a cow to help others plow the land. It is not enough to burn firewood, and it can't be used as charcoal for heating. It can't be compared with the firewood of trees in the mountains.
The Qin family only needed three or two people, and the others were sour because they didn't have a good heart, and if they were embarrassed to say anything else, they could only pass the time by asking people about their family affairs.
"There will be an exam for children in the spring next year. Let's take a look at it. You can't be unprepared."
Qin Xiaoman is not hiding the truth from the villagers. Although Du Heng told him to keep a low profile, it has been a long time. Everyone knows some rumors, and they can't hide them if they want to.
"That's right, what about you? Why did you suddenly invite someone?"
"I have a child, and I need to rest and recuperate." "
Ah! Really!"
It's not uncommon to get married and become pregnant, but Qin Xiaoman has been jumping up and down in the village all the time, so it's really hard to connect with having a child.
It was cold outside, so Qin Xiaoman and his fellow villagers went back after only talking a few words, but the villagers couldn't stop talking.
"The autumn harvest is earning money, and people are hired to dig the land. This is for Du Heng to study and bet.
" Yes, in the end the money for studying was wasted." "
The young couple are young and don't know how to manage the family. These days I live in Qin's house, and I can smell the smell of meat every day, and the food is more like New Year's." "Speaking of which, it's
full My brother is really lucky."
Everyone was discussing, talking about Du Heng's study for a while, and mentioning that Xiaoman had a child for a while, and the field was lively for a while.
When they arrived in Ji County, the two drove the ox cart to the city to go out of the stall as usual. Because they left early, they didn't disturb the people in the village much.
I went out of the stall once before, but I didn't go back the next day. The stickiness of customers has not been improved, and there are not many repeat customers, but after the stall was set up, people who came to buy food immediately recognized them.
The couple were still setting up a stall, and there were people waiting. They wanted to buy braised meat to eat in the tavern, and they brought a food box. They asked Du Heng to add more brine to keep warm. The business was still the same as the first time they came, and it was better in the morning
. Business is sluggish from noon to meal time.
What Du Heng brought out today were books, and he flipped through them in front of the low table. There was a sudden commotion in the market, and the vendors who were resting around hurriedly shouted.
Scholars in groups of twos and threes came from the front street, and Du Heng discovered that there was an academy in front of Old South Street. When he came back to meet Xiumu from the academy last time, he didn't make money from this wave of guests.
Seeing other hawkers getting busy, Du Heng quickly put down his book and began to attract customers.
"Hey, I've never seen this food stall before. Is it newly opened?"
"What kind of food are there?"
Under various invitations, a scholar noticed Du Heng's cart and came looking for the scent.
A group of three scholars came forward together, one was carrying a bookcase, the other was holding a brocade stove in his hand, and the third was slightly behind the two, with empty hands, he was shorter than both of them.
Du Heng glanced at the cyan clothes, and knew that these people belonged to Bairong Academy. He lifted the lid of the braised pot and was about to introduce him, when the shorter scholar immediately half-covered his mouth: "It's the smell of braised vegetables. The things made by such pigs are really shabby, let's change to another." The
scholar holding the stove said: "I smell very good, and it's hot, so I can warm myself up today by taking a bite."
"Warm up and eat mutton soup, I know a restaurant's mutton soup is delicious." The short scholar turned his head to look at the two of them, and suggested: "Brother Mu, Brother Cheng, how about my treat today? "
The scholar holding the stove didn't refuse or agree, but looking back at the scholar carrying the bookcase: "What do you think, brother Mu?"
The scholar waved his hand: "You two go, I have to go back to the academy for a simple meal, Mrs. Fan asked me to look for him later." "
In that case, let's go."
Mu Ti responded, and carried the bookcase to the back of the low table and sat down.
Seeing that Mu Ti didn't want to go, the scholar who proposed to eat mutton showed a slight disappointment, and immediately led the scholar who was holding the stove away very earnestly.
"Let's order something simple." The scholar who had already sat down said to Du Heng and then turned his head: "Uncle, I want a bowl of noodles." Du Heng hurriedly prepared a
stack of lo-mei, added soup and brought it over, seeing the scholar waiting for food Flipping through the book he left on the table: "I'm sorry, this is the book I just put here and I forgot to accept it, so I will accept it now so as not to block my husband." "Is this your
book? But I will plan next spring Tong Kao?"
Du Heng put down his food and responded, "Exactly, Mr. Lang has good eyesight."
Mu Ti was a little surprised, then Ruhe smiled, gently closed the book and handed it to Du Heng: "I see that this book is Poems that must be tested in the children's test, I think so."
The children's test only examines whether students have basic knowledge and learning ability, and the things in the test are also very shallow. If scholars who pass the children's test will not read the most basic poetry again, most It will attack the article's conclusion.
Seeing Du Heng generously accepting that he is a scholar, Mu Ti was slightly moved.
Nowadays, most scholars claim to be noble, and if they don’t want to do this or that they don’t want to do it, it’s fine. Even food is divided into three, six, or nine grades, and they feel shabby; Helping the family with farming, I'm afraid that my classmates will lose face if they find out.
There are very few people like Du Heng who support a small stall to make a living and study at the same time.
Mu Ti appreciates people who are hardworking in the mud, seeing Du Heng's handsome face and his young age, he couldn't help but chat with him.
However, after school in the academy, the couple was busy with business, so he didn't delay them.
Most of the students of Bairong Academy are from good families. In fact, they seldom eat at these small stalls, but there are always people who are used to big fish and big meat and want to change their tastes, and occasionally eat some.
Small vendors know that the students who come out of the academy are either rich or noble, and if they take a step back and say that they may be high-ranking officials and nobles in the future, even if they solicit, they rarely do business and are still very attentive.
While eating noodles, Mu Ti looked at the young couple generously and enthusiastically recruiting the cold-faced passing scholars. He waited until the enthusiasm for the scholars on the street to leave school subsided and there was really no one to recruit.
I saw that the scholar first boiled hot water on a separate small stove, then took out the cold water in the hand warmer, rubbed it in the palm of his hand, and then covered it for his little husband when he saw that no one was paying attention. Covering the backs of their hands, they didn't know what the two whispered and laughed, but they were very happy anyway.
Another guest came, which interrupted the young couple.
After a while, my brother poured a cup of hot water and brought it over, and sat in the empty seat next to him.
He was rubbing the stove in his hands, his eyes were full of curiosity, and he took the initiative to come forward to chat: "Is Lang Jun a student of Bairong Academy?" Mu Ti thanked him, and replied: "Yes."
Qin
Xiaoman's eyes sparkled He said: "My husband is also a scholar. He will be retiring next year. I wonder if he can pass the exam?"
"Do you make a living by cooking and eating?"
Qin Xiaoman shook his head: "We are from the village, and it costs a lot of money to study, and I have a child again, and my husband said that it is OK to come out to earn some money during the slack season. Take it easy."
Mu Ti's brows twitched: "If that's the case, why do you have time to study?"
" Get up early to read, and read under the stove while cooking for the pigs, and now when you come to the county town to set up a stall and there is no business. Flipping through the books. Although they have so much time to study their homework compared to other scholars, they are still working hard."
Qin Xiaoman showed a sense of pride when he said that.
Mu Ti took a deep look at Du Heng's back: "It really is hard work."
He reached out for his bookcase, and was about to open it, when there was a commotion, and a peddler next to him responded to Qin Xiaoman: "Brother, hurry up and tell your husband to pack up your things and hide, Boss Peng will take your things away." Someone is coming!"
Qin Xiaoman didn't know who Boss Peng was, but when he saw several peddlers packing their things in a hurry, he stood up vigilantly: "What's wrong with him coming!"
While packing up his things, the uncle peddler said, "He came here to ask for protection fees, and once he came, it was just a day's business money. Hurry up and hide!" Qin Xiaoman panicked when he heard this, and hurried to call Du
Heng , The two of them don't have many things, and the small cart is lifted onto the cart at home, and there are only two tables and benches, so they can be stuffed into the cart quickly.
"I'm sorry, sir, we have to close the stall first."
Mu Ti saw this battle for the first time. Although he didn't understand the situation, he still picked up his things and watched the couple take all the stalls. Dongxi took back the bullock cart, and soon the two jumped into the cart.
Surrounded by the terrified voices of traders: "Let's go, let's go!"
The turmoil intensified, and Mu Ti was still standing there. After realizing it, I remembered: "Little brother, I haven't paid you yet!"
As soon as the words fell, several fierce and burly men appeared in the small stall market, and they came from both sides of the market, one of the slow-moving and fast-moving vendors It didn't work out.
"You fucking dare to run away, who gave you the guts!"
"Go back, get all of you back!"
"Brother, we don't have any business, we just want to close the stall, so we don't want to run away.
" Only timid flattery to curry favor.
The bullock carts of Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman were also forced to retreat.
"Don't talk nonsense with me, hand over all the money!"
Seeing this, Mu Ti went straight forward, stopped the small merchant who was shaking his hands and wanted to pay, and said to the leading man: "Are you Boss Peng?"
"Who are you, kid? Don't mind your own business. I'm not going to study today."
The man glanced at Mu Ti contemptuously. Although he was not polite, he saw that his clothes were from Bairong Academy, so he still didn't do anything directly. .
"Don't worry about who I am, do the county magistrates know about you taking money from the common people
?
" Impatiently, he pushed him away, and Mu Ti was almost thrown to the ground, the book box was also thrown out, the books inside were scattered, and a token rolled out along with it.
"What is this?"
A man with Boss Peng saw the thing rolling to his feet, and was about to kick it away. When he lowered his head and saw the words on it, his face turned pale in fright.
He hurriedly went to grab Boss Peng who was furious: "Boss, this is, this is Young Master Mu."
"What Young Master Mu! "
When he reacted, Mu Ti picked up his book, blushed with anger, and stepped forward to snatch back his token.
"Scraping people's fat and bullying people on the street, that's great!"
Mu Ti pointed at the man, and those who came to collect the money were frightened, so they didn't dare to collect the money, they just hoped that nothing would happen.
"The villain doesn't know it's Master Mu, but the water rushed into the Dragon King Temple. Master Mu, you didn't fall, did you? My hands are neither light nor heavy, so don't take it to heart." Boss Peng changed his ferocious tone He immediately lowered his face and made a small gesture to help Mu Ti, but he was pulled away.
Mu Ti refused to accept this, and said sharply: "In the future, you are not allowed to come here to collect business money from the common people, otherwise you will be arrested one by one and put in prison! We are determined not to come here again!"
"Hurry up and get out!"
The villain hurriedly withdrew as if he had received an amnesty.
Seeing the gangster leaving, the street vendors heaved a sigh of relief as if they had escaped from death.
"Thank you, Young Master Mu! If you weren't here today, these villains would be bullying me again."
Everyone rushed to thank Mu Ti.
"It's okay, if you meet the magistrate when you go back, you must explain to him that at this time, the county soldiers will come to this area for more inspections." "Thank you, young master ,
thank you, young master!"
After hearing the words of the young master of Tongzhi's family, it must be safe for a while, and everyone is very happy.
Seeing that the crisis was resolved, Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman also drove the ox cart back.
"Come on, I didn't have time to pay the money just now."
Mu Ti went to Du Heng, restrained his anger just now, paid for the food, and asked: "Does this happen often?" "
We just came to set up a stall not long ago." , It’s also the first time I ran into it, but the uncle who listened said that it was not once or twice.” “
These people are really hateful, let’s drive them away today, and go back and call someone to catch them all!”
Du Heng’s brows moved slightly, looking Looking at Mu Ti, he felt that this person was a bit expedient.
"If this is the case, it will be a blessing to our common people."
Mu Ti sighed, the ruffians in the market will not change after repeated admonitions, but this is not the only case in Luoxia County, most of them are bullying people.
"By the way, I heard that you want to take a children's exam. These books may be of some use to you. You can read them in your spare time."
Mu Ti came back to his senses, and took a stack of books from the bookcase.
"Although Tong Kao is a simpler exam, there are many things to be tested. Apart from the general exams of the Four Books and Five Classics, you also need to know some other books. It is so-called preparedness." Du Heng did not expect that the young master of the Tongzhi family was so approachable
. , although I don't know what fame this person has now, but he is from a scholarly family, and the learning materials must be much better than those of their class.
He quickly accepted it with a smile: "Thank you, Young Master Mu, for giving me the book."
"Call me Mu Ti."
After saying that, Mu Ti was a little worried, and he opened the page for Du Heng: "I will use it for important things." Zhu Zhu, you can see that this poem is very good, so I specially wrote a good word, and then you read this paragraph of this article..." Du Heng raised his eyebrows, he really wanted to say that he was not
illiterate , but seeing that Mu Ti explained very carefully and enjoyed it very much, he was too embarrassed to interrupt.
"You read after me, don't be embarrassed, the book has to be read aloud." "
..."
The two stood talking for almost a stick of incense, Du Heng saw that Mu Ti didn't stop at all Meaning, he couldn't help but look up at Qin Xiaoman who had restored the stall to its original state.
"Du Heng, don't get distracted, let's take a look at the words written by Lan Bian here
." Qin Xiaoman received Du Heng's help-seeking gaze, and chuckled at the other end: "Master Mu, come and have a cup of hot water and sit down."
Du Heng lightly He took a breath, thanking his husband for his rescue, but unexpectedly heard Mu Ti say: "Okay."
The man had no intention of leaving at all, Du Heng had no choice but to follow the man over and listen to him repeat until Bai Rong The bell of the academy rang, and Mu Ti slapped his thigh: "Oops, I forgot about my master looking for me."
Du Heng stood up and sent Mu Ti: "Du Heng, you are very talented, study hard.
" just went.
Du Heng looked at the man sprinting with the bookcase and waved his hand.
Seeing that the person had finally left, Qin Xiaoman hopped over, and after a long time his feet became stiff: "This young master is really warm-hearted." Du Heng closed the pages of the book and slightly raised the book in his hand: "The
book The text is a good book."
It was a false alarm today, but in the following days until New Year's Eve, South Street was very peaceful. Du Heng didn't know if those troublemakers were really arrested, but the vendors were indeed not harassed anymore.
The couple continued their business until the end of the year, and other stalls began to sell the same food as them on the same street. Although the tastes may be different, people who don't know don't know which one is good and which one is good. not good.
As the number of stalls selling the same food increased, Du Heng's business slumped a lot, not to mention that the couple only set up a stall every two days.
On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the young couple left the stall for a long time, collected their work early and bought some New Year's goods to take home, so they didn't plan to go to the county town to continue doing business.
This year's happy event is approaching, and the situation is not bad. Du Heng bought two red lanterns and hung them at the entrance of the main room, and pasted the New Year pictures left over from Wang Zhuzi's sale on the windows.
Wang Zhuzi sold the New Year pictures last year, but this year I came to Du Heng to ask for them.
Du Heng has been reading and writing intermittently for the past six months, and his New Year pictures are better than last winter when he was born with his hands.
The simple decoration has the taste of the New Year. Du Heng got into the back room and put a charcoal basin inside, so the room is quite warm.
Qin Xiaoman wears thinner clothes in the bedroom, and he is arranging the piggy bank at the moment. The little boy is four months old, and if he doesn't wear thick clothes to cover it up, he will already show a lot of pregnancy.
Every time Du Heng saw it, he couldn't help but touch it lightly. The fetus started to move at four months, and the two liked to listen to the baby's movement more and more.
Xu is a quiet child, but he doesn't often disturb others.
I earned some small money in the past two months, and gave up the tax I paid, leaving more than 5,000 cash on hand.
Qin Xiaoman was delighted, he bought some extra things during the Chinese New Year, but it was not for the two of them to eat during the New Year, they were going to visit relatives and friends during the New Year, and they were officially married. This year, Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman will go out to visit relatives together.