bookcurios Chapter 167 Surrounded
Chapter 167 Surrounded
Mrs. Hu asked, "Master, do you know who Han Guancha is this time?"
Shen Huai fell into deep thought upon hearing this. The last official bulletin that Miao Zhu borrowed was from May or June, and there was no news about the appointment of the Deputy Censor of Bingzhou.
Captain Chen was also a cautious person and had never borrowed any recent court bulletins.
"Brother, haven't you ever asked for his name?" Shen Miaozhu thought it was not right. It was impossible for her junior sister to remain silent and not ask.
Shen Xianzhu was about to mention Mr. Han's name when his mother shook her head gently. "Tell your father to use his brain. He's been so absorbed in wandering around the mountains lately that he doesn't pay much attention to anything else. When he gets tired, he just falls asleep."
Miaozhu was busy with the small workshop at home and the business outside. Mrs. Hu had complained to him several times that it was inappropriate to send the children out to take care of the family, but Shen Huai always used the excuse of training the children to continue to indulge in the mountains and forests, picking fruits and digging bamboo shoots from time to time.
Shen Huai smiled and said, "My lady, you're joking. Restoring the forest is also a big deal. We need to plan everything from clearing to replanting.
If big and small bamboos want to bloom and plant peaches on the mountain, it is not just talk.
Besides, we don’t know how long we’ll be staying here, so it would be nice to look at the mountain behind us if we take care of it.”
"Aunt, uncle is not wandering around. He is surveying the entire back mountain and inspecting the soil, trees and grass in different areas to prepare them for next year's fruit tree cuttings." Shen Miaozhu had told her aunt twice.
It seems that she has forgotten again. Giving birth at an advanced age has affected my aunt's memory. It seems that she has to continue to eat the medicinal food for a few years.
As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Jiu called out from outside the door, "Miaozhu, the red date soup is ready, come and get it."
"I'll be right there." Shen Miaozhu turned and went into the inner room to get a box of cracked walnuts for her uncle.
Mrs. Hu asked her to rest for a while and said, "Go get the soup first."
"Really?" Mrs. Hu watched her son leave, then looked at Shen Huai suspiciously and said, "Why do I feel like I've heard these words before?"
Shen Huaiqing knew what was going on. He peeled the walnut and handed it to Hu: "Miaozhu just told you at lunch a few days ago.
Don't worry, everything is fine at home and the children are fine too."
Mrs. Hu took it and sighed, "I made a padded jacket for Xiao Zhuzi, but I forgot to let her wear it. Look at my poor memory."
"She has a strong fire energy, she is not cold." Shen Miaozhu comforted her and went forward to rub her temples.
A moment later, when Shen Xianzhu came in with the soup, he heard his father say, "...according to the two children's description of this man's age, accent, and the fact that he had suppressed a rebellion and severely offended the vassal king.
"Han Guancha, it seems, is a descendant of Han Yongxi from Changzhou. Within a few years of his appointment, he became famous for his bold and courageous criticism."
He put down the soup pot and said, "Dad, it's definitely him. Xiao Zhuzi learned a lot from General Zhang, including the information about the vassal kings of several regions in Jin."
"Brother, let's talk about what happened in the county." Shen Miaozhu interrupted him and talked about the prince's affairs. Although the wet nurse had been sent away, there were people coming and going in the yard, so it was not a good time to talk about this.
Shen Xianzhu understood her expression and quickly changed the subject to the county town.
He tried his best to present the information he had gathered to his father one by one, and finally said, "Xiao Zhuzi said that it would be great if we could open a shop in the county.
You can integrate into it and get the latest developments at any time."
"Xiao Zhuzi's idea coincides with Miao Zhu's." Shen Huai nodded in agreement, but Miao Zhu focused on placing and training personnel.
He originally planned to let the young men from the Shen and Chang families learn a skill to make a living and work on their own, but his wife and Miaozhu both thought it was not a good idea.
Not to mention the painstaking training at home, the teenagers only learned the basics for a few months and could only make a bellows rocking chair when they returned, which was very limited.
In the future, your kindness may very likely lead to resentment.
"Master, you'd better ask someone to find out when the new county magistrate will arrive and what his character is." Mrs. Hu hoped very much that the newcomer would not forget her master.
Shen Huai didn't want his wife to worry, so he said calmly, "Wait slowly, there's no rush."
Then he said, "Little Zhuzi is calling for someone, why hasn't he come yet?"
As if in response to him, Xia Wang's voice came from outside the door.
On Shen Lingzhu's side, she was surrounded by Qi Damai and others whom she had recruited.
"Miss Shen, the work will stop at the end of the month. If we go home, we must find another job.
If you need people next year, we may not be able to come."
"If we renovate this shed, we can still work in the winter."
"Miss Shen, we can also press pickles and cut grapes."
"Go away, women and children also do that kind of work.
We are a group of men who can make bricks and build walls, and we can make the shed as warm as Miss Shen's greenhouse. We can do it."
No one wanted to leave. The Shen family not only paid high wages but also provided good food. In the past, when working elsewhere, being able to eat meat and vegetables once a month was definitely considered a good job.
As for the Shen family, there would be meat every two or three days, no matter if it was fat or big bones, at least everyone could have meat often and fill their stomachs.
And every time there was a festival, they would be given meat.
"Miss Shen, if we only stopped work during the 39th day of the twelfth lunar month, we wouldn't be worried.
But we have to rest from November, and we are unsure whether we will be allowed to work next year. " Qi Damai stopped everyone from asking questions and also expressed their concerns.
Shen Lingzhu clasped his fists and said, "Thank you all for your kindness to the Shen family.
“In fact, my uncle is already thinking about what everyone will do next month. Don’t worry, even if the work stops again, there will be no shortage of work for everyone.
At worst, I can still collect a lot of firewood from my hilltop, which I can transport to the county town and sell for some pocket money."
Her last part caused everyone present to laugh. "Miss Shen wouldn't dare chop down all the trees on the mountain for firewood."
"Yes, if we cut down too much trees, the village chief will come to our door and punish us."
Seeing that everyone was not as sad as when she first came in, Shen Lingzhu pressed her hands together to ask everyone to be quiet, and then said, "In the next day or two, my family will give everyone a definite answer.
In winter, I won’t let you be idle.”
"Okay, I believe Miss Shen."
"No problem, get to work."
Shen Lingzhu saw everyone disperse and continue working. She left the shed and said to her grandmother, "It seems we need to make some other tools to keep making money."
Grandma Qi asked, "What are you making? In the countryside, people just make tables, chairs, and benches.
Take it to the county seat, the old brand there is much more beautiful than your makeshift furniture."
"Then we can find another way, such as making the table into a movable turntable style. I believe that wealthy families with large populations will not like it." Shen Lingzhu came up with another idea in a blink of an eye.
Grandma said, “Okay, but be careful not to let anyone see what you are doing, so learn it secretly.
It's getting late, you count the number of doors and report back. I'll go get the car and go home with Xunzhi later."
Shen Lingzhu's first reaction was: "Is there something wrong at home?"