The next day, Li Dian and his brothers went to repair the dam, and everyone in the family also got up.
Miao and Cui were washing clothes with Mingjin and Mingyue, while Li Zhi and his two younger brothers were chopping firewood. They were going to chop some more firewood and sell them together.
I have been spending some of the money sent by my cousin these days, but my grandfather said that we can't just sit back and have nothing. The family has opened a few acres of wasteland and bought ten acres of fertile farmland. In addition to cutting firewood, I usually work in the fields.
The women at home also do some needlework.
"Why haven't your grandparents gotten up yet?" Mingyue, the youngest, looks at the door of her grandparents' room from time to time. The elderly people often wake up first in the house.
Ms. Cui sighed. Every time she received a letter, her father-in-law and mother-in-law would always feel sad for a few days.
"Don't bother your grandparents. After washing the clothes, you and your sister will do some embroidery work again. You can sell them for a few bucks in a few days."
"Yeah." Mingyue nodded and sped up the movements of his hands.
At noon, Jixiang Drug Store sent another letter from Huo Xi. It was a thick letter.
The two old men laughed while watching, laughing so hard that the sadness on their faces disappeared.
Several children in the family gathered around to look at it, laughing at the same time: "Nian'er's writing is so big, a few words can fill a piece of paper."
Ma had a big smile on her face, laughing so much that tears came out. She wiped the corners of her eyes: "This is the first time your cousin has written a letter. It's great to be able to write like this."
Li Zhi couldn't help but laugh: "My cousin is better than me. I haven't written a letter at this age."
Li Shimian also smiled brightly, but for a moment he couldn't help but sigh and couldn't say anything.
He just said: "This child, this child."
Prepare for a while and write a reply letter to the two children. He is an Imperial College student offering wine and having peaches and plums all over the world. The two grandsons cannot write well. How can I do it?
A letter was circulated to several children, Miao family, Cui family and others. Everyone laughed when they saw it.
Ma's eyes were glued to the letter: "Nian'er can write a reply, I'm so happy."
Li Shimian nodded: "Well, I'm happy too. The child will grow up eventually. Sister Ning takes good care of him, and his adoptive parents are also good. If we have the opportunity in the future, we must thank them."
"That's natural, you don't have to say it." Thinking of the little grandson whom he had never met before, thinking about the childishness in his words, he laughed again.
After a while, she felt a little sad again: "It's just that Sister Ning's other sisters are raised in the house and are proficient in playing the piano, calligraphy and painting. Our Sister Ning, who will teach her these things, in the future..."
"Speaking of those things, Sister Ning is much better than them! What's the use of learning to play the piano, calligraphy and painting, Rou'er knows very little? As far as I'm concerned, it's useless, just don't learn it."
"It doesn't matter if you don't study, you still want to write stickers for two children?"
"...Writing stickers can be the same? If you write well, it will be useful in the future. Writing letters to me will also look better."
Ma's lips curled up, it didn't look good, didn't you also watch it with gusto and laugh?
"Mother, come and see what Sister Ning has sent. Why are there so many white silks and silk threads sent this time?" Miao and Cui were packing the packages sent by Ning.
Ma and Li Shi looked over hurriedly and saw a few pieces of paper among the threads, so they hurriedly picked them up and looked at them.
After reading it, I couldn't help but feel sad.
"Xi'er sent it for you to make needlework, handkerchiefs, and velvet flowers."
In her last reply, she told Sister Ning not to send any more money, saying that her family would be able to survive by washing clothes, doing needlework, selling firewood, and reclaiming wasteland. Unexpectedly, Sister Ning sent her money.
Such a big package.
"Velvet flowers? I have never made velvet flowers." Mingjin Mingyue was very surprised. Who doesn't like beautiful headdresses among little girls?
"My cousin even sent us copper wire! She also dyed the silk and wrote down how to make it! I want to learn!"
"I'll learn too."
"Grandma also comes to learn."
A good velvet flower in the capital is not cheap. She has bought a lot of it before, but this is the first time she made it herself. Ma is very happy. If she makes the velvet flower and sells it in Sichuan, it will be a big deal.
A good income.
The family was studying there with silk. Li Shimian smiled and went into the study with his hands behind his back to write a reply to his two grandchildren.
On the other side, Huo Xi returned to the city and communicated with Shopkeeper Shen. Early the next morning, she pretended to be a steward and followed Shopkeeper Shen into Jiangnan Trading Company.
If you pretend to be a servant, you won't be able to get in, so just say you are sent by your employer.
Jiangnan Trading Company is a three-story house, neither big nor small, decorated in a solemn and simple style.
As soon as you enter the hall, there is a black and red square table in the middle, with two Taishi chairs on both sides. There are two rows of high-backed chairs on the left and right of the hall, with coffee tables in between. There are two rows of low-backed chairs behind the two rows of high-backed chairs, with no chairs in the middle.
coffee table.
There is no problem for dozens of people to sit in. It's just that there are so many famous shops in the capital. It's no wonder that Shen Qianzhong can only stand outside the hall every time he comes.
If Shen Qianzhong hadn't insisted on letting her come, Huo Xi would never have stepped into a noble place.
Huo Xi only glanced at the hall, and then stopped looking. Before everyone came, everyone was just chatting in the garden.
Familiar people gathered together, the small merchants fawned over the big merchants, but the big merchants had no time to pay attention to you and didn't even bother to nod. Huo Xi saw Shen Qianzhong saying hello to this one and that one, but she just looked at the flowers and grass.
She didn't know anyone, and no one wanted to talk to her.
Hey, Manager Huo?
Looking at the person next to him, it was not Pei Dong's family from Longxing Company. Just as he was about to move over there to say hello to Huo Zhong, he saw that the two of them were surrounded by people. Huo Xi stopped in his tracks.
Huo Zhong saw her from a distance, smiled and nodded at her.
After another tea time, everyone went into the hall.
This time, a waiter led Shen Qianzhong into the hall. Although he was at the end of the last row, he finally entered the hall. It was rare.
Huo Xi also followed into the hall and stood behind him.
Turning around again, I saw several people standing outside the hall. The small businesses that were not invited into the hall were all standing outside to listen. Of course, it’s okay if you don’t come, but for small businesses, getting to know people and sharing resources is the key.
A desirable thing.
Huo Xi looked at the people on the outer floors of the hall and sighed.
Businessmen have a low status and are divided into three, six or nine levels within their own industry, which is also difficult.
But the world is like this, people are divided into high and low, and business houses are big and small, so naturally they have to be divided into ranks.
The two presidents of the trading houses present chatted with everyone for a while and then got down to the topic.
"This time I'm calling you all here mainly for two things. Let's talk about the first thing first."
No one spoke, everyone listened with open ears.
"Everyone knows that the Emperor ordered the Water Transport Department to clean and dredge the North-South Canal, which invested hundreds of thousands of laborers and cost a huge amount. Many of the businesses here among us make countless trips back and forth on the canal every year. This is closely related to our government and us, and it is
It’s a great thing that benefits future generations and businesses like us. We can’t just sit back and enjoy it without contributing, can we?”