Next to the Customs and Excise Department, behind a two-story stone building, two rows of old buildings formed a small courtyard. Against the backdrop of the behemoth Customs and Excise Department, both the small building and the courtyard looked very small. This small courtyard is the old He Ji store that owns more than half of the warehouses in Linhai Town.
A simple cart with half-worn curtains stopped at the door of He Ji Lao Hao. The chief put the pedals on, opened the curtain, and He Chengze, the head of He Ji Lao Hao, got out of the car.
In the old house of He Ji, He Ruiming, the eldest son of He Chengze, ran out to welcome him.
"Dad, around noon, it seems that the prince came to our Linhai town." He Ruiming approached his father and whispered.
"Seems like?" He Chengze paused, frowning and looking at his son.
"I haven't seen you. I went to see the goods early in the morning and I just came back. It's Wu Shi from Zhaoyue Tower. Didn't he follow us to the capital to deliver new year's goods? I saw Master Shi from a distance. I'm back
When I arrived, Wu Shi was already waiting, telling me about the meal that man had at Zhaoyue Tower at noon. He looked like the prince." He Ruiming explained hurriedly.
"Yeah." He Chengze's face softened, he hummed, and then walked inside.
"I just asked someone to inquire about it, and they said that I entered Linhai Town at the third quarter of the afternoon. I entered Zhaoyue Tower at quarter past noon, and ordered some of Zhaoyue Tower's specialty dishes: sea crab legs with scallion oil and stir-fried clams.
After eating for nearly three quarters of an hour, we walked along Xingyang Street to the entrance of the Customs and Excise Department. Before entering the Customs and Excise Department, we stood on the opposite side of the street and looked around before leaving, saying that we were heading to Pingjiang City.
Gone."
He Ruiming followed his father He Chengze, suppressing his voice and speaking in great detail.
He Chengze listened attentively, and for a moment, he hummed and said, "Bieye sent me a message. They received an urgent delivery from Hangzhou the day before yesterday, saying that the prince will live in Pingjiang Bieye for a whole year."
"Ah? So is this person today really the Crown Prince?" He Ruiming was very surprised, "Why did the Crown Prince come to Pingjiang City? Wei Xuezheng is in Hangzhou. Besides, people from the palace always live in Hangzhou..." "Is this your responsibility?" He Chengze interrupted his son.
"Yes." He Ruiming dwarfed.
"Get ready, let's go to Pingjiang Villa to have a look." He Chengze ordered.
………………………………
Li Xuedong was left in Lijiaji by Mr. Kuan to discuss a lot of clan affairs, and the Li Jinzhu sisters returned to Xiaoli Village.
Li Yinzhu was cooking the pot, and Li Yuzhu was cooking. Li Xiaonan sat next to Li Yinzhu, holding her chin and watching her cook the pot. Li Jinzhu sat against the wall, watching Li Yuzhu wash and chop vegetables.
When Li Yuzhu scooped up a ladle of water and was about to pour it into the pot, Li Jinzhu ordered: "Stir-fry the vegetables and add more lard."
"Shall we kill a chicken and eat it?" Li Yinzhu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the eldest sister opening her mouth, and immediately became excited.
"Let's do it tomorrow. It will take a while to kill the chicken, scald it, and wash it. Everyone is starving, and Grandma's stomach keeps growling." After Li Jinzhu said these words, a smile appeared on his face, and his whole body relaxed. p>
Ever since she got on the big car at noon, her heart has been tense.
"Our grandma is really amazing." Li Yuzhu smiled and praised in a low voice.
"Don't mention it again in the future, don't even think about it, forget it!" Li Jinzhu's back suddenly straightened up, and his voice was stern.
"Sister, it's okay. I'm over." Li Xiaonan hurriedly pulled Li Jinzhu.
Li Jinzhu let out a long breath, his back relaxed, and he leaned back against the wall. After a moment, he reached out and hugged Li Xiaonan, "It's all over, just like a dream."
"Me too!" Li Yinzhu said in a high-pitched voice, "Sister, that cow belongs to our family? There are also twenty-four copper coins! Can he give us so much copper coins? Can we get it?
Really like a dream!"
"He dare not refuse to give it." Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
"The fire is too big! Damn you, the pot has been burnt." Li Yuzhu saw the fire getting stronger and stronger, and laughed and cursed.
Li Yinzhu quickly withdrew the fire.
"Sister, my brother has a limited number of days to register for school. What should we do?" Li Xiaonan looked at Li Jinzhu and asked.
"We?" Li Yinzhu stretched his head over, his eyes widened.
What does Ah Nan mean by what to do? Are they going to Pingjiang City too?
Li Yuzhu, who was cooking, also paused and looked at Li Jinzhu.
"It's time to discuss." Li Jinzhu patted Li Yinzhu, indicating that the fire was about to be put out.
"I never dared to think that Xuedong could really pass the exam. Now, Xuedong has passed the exam."
Li Jinzhu hugged Li Xiaonan.
"Xuedong was assigned to go to Pingjiang City to attend school. On the way, I helped Xuedong and A-nan discussed this matter. It is definitely not possible for Xuedong to go to Pingjiang City alone. If our family of five is divided into two places,
."
Li Jinzhu paused when he spoke.
The third cousin has lost his power, and Li Zheng has also withdrawn. Now the second and third sons are left at home, so there is no need to worry about them being bullied by the third uncle.
Li Yuzhu and Li Yinzhu held their breath, looking at Li Jinzhu with their four eyes full of excitement and desire.
Li Jinzhu looked at Li Yinzhu, then at Li Yuzhu, and raised his hand to wipe his face.
Forget it, she couldn't bear to leave the two of them here in Xiaoli Village.
"Ah Nan, let's get the tenants out, and we can all follow Xuedong to Pingjiang City..."
"Oh!" Li Yinzhu exclaimed excitedly and waved his arm on the firewood at the stove. The firewood hit the bottom of the pot and sparks flew everywhere in the stove.
"You damn girl! You spilled the pot!" Li Yuzhu laughed and cursed, then looked at Li Jinzhu, "How much rent can we collect from these fields? Is it enough for us to eat? There are five of us!" "We still have two cows!" Li Yinzhu quickly added, "and twenty-four coins! Grandma said that the third cousin didn't dare not give it!"
"I'm not sure at all. I'm thinking that tomorrow, Yuzhu and I will go to Lijiaji. We have to discuss this matter with the boss of Wangzifangtang. A'nan and the third child will look after the house...
”
"It's impossible for the two of them to stay at home, especially grandma." Li Yuzhu interrupted the eldest sister and said solemnly, "The third uncle and his family are all unreasonable, so don't take any chances."
"Bring Yinzhu and A'nan with you, let's go together." Li Jinzhu nodded.
Early the next morning, the four Li Jinzhu sisters had breakfast early and rushed to Lijiaji.
Li Yinzhu and Li Xiaonan played with Li Wenhua's eldest daughter Cuiye for a day. Li Jinzhu, Li Yuzhu, and Li Xuedong discussed with the elders of various clans and heads of families in the ancestral hall about Li Xuedong going to school in Pingjiang City.
After discussing for a while, Mrs. Kuan sent someone to invite Mr. Gao. When Mr. Gao arrived, they continued to discuss until the evening, and finally agreed on the matter of Li Xuedong going to Pingjiang City to study.
Their scholar, Xuedong, is only seventeen years old and has an unlimited future. Since he is going to school in Pingjiang City, it would be more beneficial for Xuedong and the Li family to let Xuedong settle in Pingjiang City. This is the reason for Mr. Kuan and several others
Mr. Gao also fully agrees with the common understanding of clan elders.
Li Xuedong, the head of the family, has settled in Pingjiang City, so his sisters will naturally follow him to Pingjiang City. This is as it should be.
Li Xuedong, a scholar, had fifty acres of farmland free of labor. Now Li Xuedong's family only had more than thirty acres of paddy land, so the clan used money to add fifty acres, plus two cows and five tile houses, which were taken care of by Li Wenhua.
According to the wishes of Mr. Kuan, all the harvest of the fifty acres of paddy fields and the money for renting cattle and houses should be handed over to Li Xuedong. Several other clan elders strongly agreed. However, Li Jinzhu firmly disagreed and must collect them according to the regular rules of land tenure.
Rent and cattle money, as for the five tile-roofed houses, according to the rules of the tenancy, they are all free for the tenants to live in. Their families must also abide by the rules, so naturally they can no longer take the money for the tiled houses.
Li Xuedong strongly agreed with his eldest sister's opinion, but Mr. Kuan and several clan elders couldn't resist it, so they had no choice but to agree with Li Xuedong's sister and brother.
Mr. Kuan proposed that the clan should give Li Xuedong five taels of silver for entertainment and two taels of silver for writing and ink every month. Several clan elders and heads of the family strongly agreed. Li Jinzhu once again firmly disagreed.
She and her younger sisters have enough resources to take care of themselves and support Xuedong. Besides, Xuedong has a lot of money, which is half a copper coin a month.
Li Xuedong unswervingly supports his eldest sister. Even Mrs. Kuan and several elders of the clan could not defeat the Li siblings.
Mr. Kuan proposed to buy a three-bedroom house for Xuedong in Pingjiang City. Before Mr. Kuan finished speaking, Li Jinzhu shook his head and waved his hands, firmly refusing.
Finally, Mr. Gao came forward, and Li Jinzhu reluctantly gave in. The house still could not be purchased, but the money they paid to rent the house in Pingjiang City was paid by the clan.
After discussing for a whole day, Li Xuedong moved to Pingjiang City with his four sisters and received a share of the money from the clan to rent a house.
The Li clan had high hopes for Li Xuedong, a seventeen-year-old scholar, but Li Jinzhu and the others knew what was going on with Li Xuedong. The heavier the clan's expectations, the more guilty and uneasy Li Jinzhu was.
Every copper coin comes with expectations, how dare she take it?
Li Jinzhu had also thought about the money to rent the house. First, the cheaper the house, the better. Second, when they settled in Pingjiang City, they would pay for the money to rent the house themselves.
