Qiao Mingjin asked with a frown as she watched Zhou Yanqing's servant carrying many things from the car into the door.
Zhou Yanqing glanced at her and said, "How many are there? If it weren't for Zhou Wenxuan in the car, I could have brought more. Isn't it mid-autumn soon? I think you must not have time to go into the city.
As for the purchase, I will bring you some more food and drink by the way."
Looking back, I saw Qiao Mingjin frowning, still hesitant to speak.
Then he said: "What are these things worth? They are all sent by the stewards of Zhuangzi. They are not used for food at home, so they are given to people everywhere. I gave your pulley to the boss in the capital. Listen.
It is said that the palace has given me a lot of rewards. But I can't give you one or two pieces. How can these things compare with those things? This time I brought you a few pieces of fabric. Look.
Let’s make some clothes for the children to wear.”
After Zhou Yanqing finished speaking, he looked at Qiao Mingjin, and he was still wearing dusty homespun clothes.
When did the woman standing next to him, Zhou Yanqing, wear clothes made of this kind of fabric?
Even the rough lady in his house, the clothes she wore were made of much better materials than what she was wearing.
Tsk tsk tsk. You have a long face, when will you know how to dress up?
Qiao Mingjin followed his gaze and looked at herself, glared at him fiercely, then turned around and walked into the yard first.
In the countryside, the mother of a child is busy all day long, how can she be expected to wear Sichuan brocade silk?
Zhou Yanqing didn't pay attention to Qiao Mingjin's gaze at all, and was quite happy. Sometimes this woman didn't look like a normal woman. Her face was as light as if she had read thousands of sails. This occasionally made her stare back, and she could still
It seems to be a bit popular.
Zhou Yanqing shook his head and smiled, then followed into the yard...
At lunchtime, after paying their wages, Master Guan and the craftsmen he brought said goodbye and went back.
The people who helped in the village were very excited when they received their wages. After receiving the money, they happily returned to their homes, causing their children to happily follow suit and ask for some conditions that were not too excessive.
After Yue Laoer and Yue Laosi received their wages, they came in person to thank Qiao Mingjin before going back.
Zhou Yanqing watched the two boys handing out the work money. He didn't leave even after lunch at Qiao Mingjin's house, and just teased Wan'er in the courtyard.
Ming Qi also became familiar with him, so the two children played picking up stones and showed them to Zhou Yanqing.
After dinner, Yun Jin, the He family and his son, He Xia and He San also said goodbye to her and went home. The He family and Xiao Yunluan had gone back first two days ago, and Qiao Mingjin was afraid that Yun Jin and the others would be delayed too long on the road.
I couldn't make it home before dark, so I asked Yun Jin to drive the family's ox cart back.
Yun Jin looked at some snacks that Qiao Mingjin brought to him in the car and pushed them a few times. Seeing that they wouldn't go away, he accepted them.
"Sister, I'm going back then. Zhongqiu, if you want to go back to Yunjia Village, I'll drive an ox cart to pick you up."
"No, cousin, if I go back, I will borrow the oxcart from Sister Xiu. You don't have to come to pick us up."
"Oh. That's fine, then we'll go back now."
"Cousin, goodbye, I'll come again." Xiao Wan'er waved her hand towards Yun Jin.
"Okay, my cousin will be back in two days. You have to listen to your mother obediently..."
Qiao Mingjin and her two children stood at the door and watched the oxcart drive away...
"The ox-cart is still too slow. If it were a horse-drawn carriage, it probably wouldn't take an hour to get to Yunjia Village." Zhou Yanqing stood behind Qiao Mingjin and said leisurely.
Qiao Mingjin glanced at him and said, "Wouldn't it be faster to ride a horse?"
"What's the meaning?"
"The carriage is very fast. But in the countryside, ox-carts are still used more often. Those with money will often buy donkey-carts. Oxen and donkeys are for labor, and they carry more weight. Like before, I delivered firewood and fertilizer to the city.
"You can't pull that much with a horse-drawn carriage. Besides, oxen and donkeys are very docile, and country people can handle them."
Zhou Yanqing nodded after hearing this.
"Besides, carriages are expensive, and we in the countryside don't know how to choose horses, so we might not be able to buy them? Half a year ago, there was still a war, so how can horses be so easy to buy?"
Zhou Yanqing looked at her and curled his lips, and said, "Do you really want to keep that money as a family heirloom? That money is not enough for you to buy a carriage?"
Qiao Mingjin glanced at him sideways and said, "I want to buy it now, which doesn't mean I can't afford it. It's just that firstly I can't drive a carriage, secondly I'm afraid I won't be able to control it, and thirdly I'm afraid we country folk won't have the means to buy it.
horse."
Zhou Yanqing smiled very proudly: "If others can buy it, it doesn't mean that I can't buy it. Not to mention a car, even if your family has a lot, Master Liu can buy it for you."
The corners of Qiao Mingjin's mouth twitched.
"When did Mr. Liu become part of my family?"
Zhou Yanqing glanced at her and said, "I will become your family whenever you want, Mr. Liu."
Qiao Mingjin was stunned.
I glanced at his face.
Zhou Yanqing was still feeling proud when he saw Qiao Mingjin looking at him and looking back. He blinked twice before he realized what he was doing.
What did you just say?
I couldn't help but feel annoyed.
Is this because he drank two more drinks at noon?
He quickly looked away and pretended to be calm: "Ahem... Hey, where did this Wan'er go? Wan'er? Xiao Wan'er..."
Qiao Mingjin looked at his figure entering the courtyard calmly and shook his head. Did this guy drink too much at noon? His mouth was open.
Qiao Mingjin followed into the yard and saw Zhou Yanqing sitting on a wooden pile watching her daughter and Ming Qi playing with stones.
"Aren't you going back yet?"
"I'll go back later. We have a carriage."
Qiao Mingjin shook his head and decided to ignore him.
I went straight to the woodshed and brought out a bundle of straw to prepare the straw rope.
Their straw ropes were sold to Liu Yuanwai and some to Zhou Yanqing, and a lot of them were used at the construction site during the rest of the period. These straw ropes are often used at home. Nowadays, there is a lot of straw, so it is difficult to survive.
In a few days, the four acres of land she bought will be ready for autumn harvest, and a lot of straw will be harvested, and all the next year's straw in the woodshed will have to be used.
That week Yanqing glanced at Qiao Mingjin, thought about it, and walked towards her.
"So this is how the straw rope is twisted?"
Zhou Yanqing stood aside and watched Qiao Mingjin pick up a few straws and put them together with both hands. After just rubbing them in his hands, a length of straw rope came out.
I was very curious, so I squatted aside and imitated the same, just rubbing it for a long time. The straw ropes were all loose and not sticking together, so I couldn't help feeling discouraged.
Qiao Mingjin glanced at him in amusement and said with a smile: "Where does your sixth master do this kind of work? Stop doing it now, there is no need to waste my straw there. I sprinkled water on this and beat it yesterday.
You must be raped."
"Does this straw rope still need to be sprinkled with water and beaten? Can't it be used just as it is?"
"No." Qiao Mingjin followed and said a few words.
"It looks simple. I didn't expect there are all these doorways here."
Seeing that Qiao Mingjin didn't even raise her head, she added: "Do you want to buy a carriage? It will be convenient for you with a carriage. If you need something, it will be more convenient to go to your parents' house. It is not good to wake up early and stay up late with a child. Your two brothers are back from sleep.
You can hire carriages and horses in the city, but I'm afraid it won't be convenient when you return to the city. After the workshop is completed, if it's not convenient for Manager Zhou to come over, if something urgent happens in the workshop, you might as well arrange for someone to drive the carriage to take you there.
Give me the letter."
Qiao Mingjin buried her head in thought for a while and said nothing.
Zhou Yanqing glanced at her and asked, "Are you afraid that buying a carriage will cause trouble in the village?"
Seeing that Qiao Mingjin was still silent, he added, "I don't think you care about other people's opinions that much?"
"Just because I don't care about other people's opinions doesn't mean that I like to deal with a lot of trouble."
If Zhou Yanqing has some enlightenment.
After staring at the back of Qiao Mingjin's head for a while, the woman was still the same, with only a wooden hairpin stuck in her thick black hair. Really, why should she keep that money as a family heirloom?
Then he said: "If you buy a carriage, just say that I left it for you. If anything happens, ask Yun Jin to come to the city to discuss it with me. In the future, it will be convenient for you to send news to the city or make purchases.
You don't have to worry about horses. Although they have been under control for a few years, the war has ended. There are also many war horses that have been eliminated on the battlefield. Good horses may not make it to Qingchuan, but horses for home use are still easy to buy.
Don’t let it travel thousands of miles a day. Originally, fifty taels of silver for a horse was enough, but now it may be a little more expensive, but you can buy a slightly better one for about a hundred taels. It’s not too expensive..."
"I'll pay for the horse money."
Zhou Yanqing glanced at her: "Are you still worried that I can't afford to get out? Okay, you can get out if you want. Then I will give you my carriage and I will make a new one. When others ask,
, just say that I lent my car to your family, and no one would say anything."
Qiao Mingjin thought for a while, then nodded in agreement.
She really needs a faster means of transportation. She also said that the distance of more than ten miles would take half a day, which is really tooth-ache. At this time, it is too inconvenient to travel.
After the horse matter was settled, the two of them sat on the small benches, one was rubbing the straw rope, and the other was watching attentively.
After a while, Qiao Mingjin thought about it and asked again: "Is there any shop in the city where I can buy it now?"
"You want to buy a shop?"
"Well. I still have some money in my hand now. I gave some to my parents' family to help buy some fields in Yunjia Village. But after all, we depend on the weather, and no one can say for sure in the future. So I want to see if there is a shop to buy.
I usually collect some rent, and the water will flow smoothly. I might as well leave it to my children in the future."
"You're thinking far ahead."
"Adults can live no matter what...I'm just afraid that my children will be wronged. I have to think more about my children."
Zhou Yanqing glanced at her again, feeling a little uncomfortable for some reason.
After thinking for a while, he said: "If you don't have to run it yourself and just want to buy it to collect rent, then you will have more choices. I will ask you when I get back to the city. Then I will have someone send you a message."
"Well, thank you very much, Mr. Saturday."
"Hey, why are you so polite?"
Qiao Mingjin glanced at him and smiled.
"You should smile more, you look pretty when you smile." Zhou Yanqing felt that the distance was very close, and he could see the tiny hairs on the woman's face.
Qiao Mingjin felt a little hot on her face after listening to it, and she hurriedly lowered her head to rub the rope. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
