As usual, Zhuang Keqing got up early in the morning to grind beans. Qin Manzhi couldn't bear her daughter's hard work and wanted to come over to help.
"Mom, I'm used to it. It's okay. You take Manbao and have a rest first. When the tofu is ready, I have to ask you to come to the stall today." Zhuang Keqing held down her mother who was about to get up with her.
In the hazy sky, I put on my clothes and left the house.
After making tofu today, she had to go to the village chief's house to deliver the things. If the time was right, she would like to discuss renting land with the old man again. In addition, she also had to visit Lu Shijiang's house. Yesterday
You agreed to send the deposit, but you can't lose your trust.
After being busy cooking and grinding beans, Zhuang Keqing finally finished making the tofu. Zhuang Keqing packed up the things he wanted to bring to the village chief, said hello to Qin Manzhi and walked out of the house.
When I turned off the dirt road leading to my house, I met several people who came to buy tofu.
"Girl, are you going out?"
"Well, Aunt Liu, let's go out and do some errands."
"Is there any tofu left today?"
"Yes, you can just go. My mother is here."
After answering the question, Zhuang Keqing walked briskly towards the village chief's house. Aunt Liu and the others behind her looked at her back and praised her.
"This girl from the banker also has an idea. You see, the banker has only been around for a long time. The family has even started a small business."
"Yes, look at this piece of tofu, which costs a penny and sells for two pieces a day. The price of beans is so low now. Isn't it a profitable business?"
"It can be calculated. I don't know how much tofu a bucket of beans can produce, but I think you can make a lot of money."
As they talked, the voices of several people became sour, and they felt a little uncomfortable. However, my husband and children were hungry for this, so they still had to buy it.
Zhuang Keqing didn't know that these aunts and daughters-in-law were still helping her settle accounts. She was holding two hands of things and stretching her head to look into the courtyard of the village chief's house.
The old village chief and his wife live together with their son, daughter-in-law, and their whole family. They borrowed the name of the village chief, and the family is considered prestigious in the village, and others can look up to them when they speak.
Li You had breakfast and was about to go to the ground. When he came out of the house, he saw the dealer's girl outside the yard, carrying some things in her hand, so he called out: "Girl Zhuang, are you looking for my father?"
"Yes, Uncle Li, open the door quickly, it hurts to hold it in my hands." As he spoke, he raised the tofu in his hand, and Zhuang Keqing smiled at the man and showed his white teeth.
"Dad! Girl Zhuang is here to see you!" He shouted, walking to the courtyard door in a few steps, flipping the buckle and opening the courtyard door. He reached out to take the things from the little girl's hands and put them in the courtyard.
"I'll go out first, you wait for my dad here." Li You said, without waiting for anyone to answer, he walked away.
Zhuang Keqing stood in the courtyard and was bored. Fortunately, after a while, the village chief came out of the house on crutches.
He hurriedly stepped forward and helped the old village chief sit down on the stone bench. She stood aside obediently.
Village chief Li Shu looked at the things on the stone table.
Oh, it's tofu, dried tofu and some tofu skin, which I and my children like. Since helping this girl, she has given her some things from time to time. Although they are not valuable, her sincerity is genuine.
"What are you doing here today? Looking at this generous gift, can you ask me for anything?"
After this month, Zhuang Keqing had more contact with the village chief and knew that this old man was a hard-spoken and soft-hearted person. He was teasing her by saying this. Besides, she really had to ask him for some things.
"I just came to see you, I don't have anything else on my mind." The little girl smiled harmlessly.
The village chief smoothed a few strands of white beard under his chin and smiled without saying a word. He only looked at the pile of tofu and said nothing.
In the end, Zhuang Keqing couldn't hold it in any longer and confessed honestly: "Grandpa, village chief, I'm mainly here to thank you. Besides, I do have something else I want to ask you for."
"you say."
"I have borrowed your stone grinder for a long time. I have saved some money recently. I went to the next village to order one from Stonemason Lu yesterday. It will take about a month to get a new one. I have to borrow yours for the time being.
."
This small stone mill in the village chief's house was the dowry of the second daughter-in-law, so she doesn't use it at all in normal times. This time she borrowed it from the banker. Originally, the daughter-in-law was a little unhappy, but because this girl often brings things, I haven't heard anything from her recently.
Mouth.
Nodding, he agreed to the girl's request.
Seeing that the old man agreed readily, Zhuang Keqing mentioned the idea of renting a piece of land to build a hydraulic stone mill on the snake-beating stick.
"Grandpa, village chief, actually I have something else to do."
"explain."
"I recently thought of a way. If we combine a water wheel with a stone mill, maybe we can make a stone mill that can be pushed without manpower." Zhuang Keqing saw that the village chief had his eyes closed and did not answer her words, so he simply swallowed.
Swallowing, he said directly: "I think the mountain spring behind the village is a good place, and it would be perfect to build a mill there."
"Do you want to borrow that land?" Li Shu has been the village chief for so many years. He is also well-informed and has met everyone. He can tell what the other party is planning right away, let alone the person in front of him.
This little girl.
"Yeah. Actually, it doesn't take much. I've already decided on the stone mill. I can find a carpenter to make the small waterwheel that will be used next. I've already thought about how to connect it in the middle. All I need to do is build a small room at the back."
Zhuang Keqing knew that this idea was a bit sudden, and the village chief might not agree. At this time, she still didn't say anything when she saw the other party, so she thought about it and then said: "I usually use it in the morning. At other times, if the villagers want to use it,
You don’t need to use the big grinding machine in the village, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. You can go there at any time and use that grinding machine.”
The village chief raised his head, and the old man's eyes, which should have been a little cloudy, shone brightly when he looked at hers.
"Are you willing to share the idea you came up with with the village for public use? No charge?"
"Then I won't charge you for sure. Everyone in the village helped with my father's matter this time, and this place also belongs to the village. I'm not qualified to charge that money."
The village chief felt comfortable after saying these words.
He knew that this girl was not selfish, and when he thought about Mrs. Liu and the two families that had separated, he began to have some concerns.
"I have to think about this again."
After saying that, he waved his hand and asked people to go back first.
Knowing that this matter would not be urgent for a while, Zhuang Keqing didn't say much. She only told the old man to soak the tofu in cold water as soon as possible to prevent it from going rancid when the weather was hot. After that, she left the yard and walked back. She had to go home to get the money and
Tofu will go to the mason's house again.
We had just left the village chief's house and were about to help bolt the courtyard gate when a bullock cart came up on the path ahead. It was the same one we met yesterday.
It was the same coachman who stretched his neck and asked her, "Does Village Chief Li live here?"
Zhuang Keqing nodded at the other party. After thinking about it, he returned to the yard and told the old man about the people coming from outside before going out again.
The bullock cart happened to be parked outside the door. The woman had already got out of the cart, holding her son in hand, and was about to come in.
At this time, I passed by Zhuang Keqing and saw that she was a yellow-haired girl wearing rough and shabby clothes. I couldn't help frowning and pulling my son away from her.
Zhuang Keqing raised her eyebrows. She didn't have the habit of being submissive. She walked around the woman and boy with playful eyes. Since the other party couldn't avoid her, she walked even more swaggeringly.
Zhou didn't forget the main purpose of today. She turned around and raised her hand to signal her servants to carry the box into the yard, without paying any attention to the little girl.
But Shen Huan, when he saw this girl walking past him, he couldn't even salute, and she looked back at her mother and him arrogantly. He was not happy to go to this country place in the first place, but now everyone in this country is so indifferent to him. Li, I felt even more unhappy.
In the land under his father's jurisdiction, whoever did not coax and support him would dare to despise him like this. Thinking of this, a ray of fire burst out of his chest. He loosened his grip on his mother's hand and wanted to give her to her. One kick.
But Zhuang Keqing was not a vegetarian. He twisted his body slightly and avoided it. Shen Huan missed the kick and almost sprained his foot. He was about to open his mouth and cry, but Zhou grabbed him, covered his mouth and dragged him into the yard. .
"Don't cause any trouble today. Mother will bring you some sweets later." Ms. Zhou knew that her family was here to avoid the limelight, so she couldn't cause any more trouble. After paying homage to the village chief and promising him some gifts, Mrs. Zhou I lived my life behind closed doors, waiting for the master's matter to be settled, so I could leave this poor village as soon as possible.
She knew that her son had a naughty temper, and she was quite dissatisfied with the girl's behavior, but at this time, it was better not to cause more trouble.