Archives: FS

After they finished their work, they opened the door and came out. Mrs. Chen stood at the door of the main room and shouted: “Come and eat, it’s already noon.”

Then she called Chunhua to fetch water for them to wash their hands.

While washing their hands, Gu Zhang told Gu Qing: “Put all the pearl clams in that room into the pond, be careful.”

After washing their hands, they went to the main room to eat with Gu Fei.

While eating, Gu Fei talked about the store of Old Man Huang.

Mrs. Chen listened while sewing shoe soles next to them.

Gu Zhang frowned after hearing this: “The store is 10 taels of silver a month, which is cheap. I heard from Liu Zhuangtou the other day that the stores in Ping’an City are all 20 taels a month, and the rent has to be paid once a year.”

“But that idiot is trouble.”

“What Shopkeeper Wang said makes sense. We are not afraid of thieves stealing, but we are afraid of thieves thinking about it. Who knows, if we are careless one day, something might go wrong.”

Gu Fei sighed: “Who says it’s not true.”

“But we don’t have enough money. Old Man Huang allowed me to pay the rent monthly and didn’t ask for a deposit. Where can I find such a good thing?”

“Everyone can only be alert.”

Everything has its pros and cons. If you want to get a bargain, you have to take risks.

Gu Zhang looked at his daughter: “Are you determined to do it?”

Gu Fei nodded: “I think that Er Laizi is a human being after all, and everyone has weaknesses, so I can always think of a way to deal with him.”

Gu Zhang said: “But who will help you? Your mother and your sister-in-law have to take care of the farm. Fortunately, they are not planting rice, so the work is light.”

“Dalang and I have to take care of the pond. The fish in the pond have to be fed every day, and the pearl oysters have to be taken care of carefully, for fear that they will get sick.”

“Erlang and Sanlang can only drive the cart, I am worried about you doing things alone. ”

“How about letting your elder brother help you first? When you are done, your elder brother can come back to help me.”

Gu Fei thought for a while: “Okay, there are still many things to do before opening the store, and elder brother will run errands for me.”

“Also, I have to bring Lian’er and Lanzhi with me in the future. Lanzhi can read and do accounting, and can help me.”

Gu Zhang nodded: “It’s up to you.”

“By the way, Dad, I may have to live in the city in the future.” Gu Fei said while eating a mouthful of rice.

Mrs. Chen was shocked: “How can you live in the city alone as a girl?”

Gu Fei turned and smiled at her: “Mother, I am not alone. Let Lian’er and Lanzhi live with me. Besides, I want to open an inn, and there must be someone living in the inn every day.”

“I have to live in the city. I have to be on guard against that idiot.”

Mrs. Chen became more and more worried: “What can I do? I feel very nervous when I hear this. Fei’er, why not just forget of this opportunity?”

Gu Fei shook her head: “Opportunities are rare. Such a good opportunity is worth taking some risks.”

Mrs. Chen didn’t know what to say. She looked at Gu Zhang, who seemed to be not worried at all. She cursed the old man in her heart for being careless, and the needle in her hand pierced her hand.

Mrs. Chen put her finger in her mouth and took a sip, then continued to sew the soles.

After dinner, Gu Fei returned to her room, and then she took out the colorful lamp from the space and placed it on the table under the window.

She sat at the table, holding her chin and looking at the lamp quietly.

Everything last night was as beautiful as a dream. Gu Fei shook her head. It was just a dream. She didn’t deny that she had a good impression of Su Chen, but it was just a good impression. Her reason would not allow this good impression to ferment into something else.

She stared at the lamp for a while and put the lamp back into the space with a calm expression.

Gu Fei and Lian’er got on the mule carriage together. Gu Sanlang almost fell asleep waiting, so he drove to the south gate.

In a little over a quarter of an hour, Gu Fei arrived home.

After entering the second gate, she saw Mrs. Chen coming out. Mrs. Chen said: “You are back. Go and take a look. Your father has brought back many pearl oysters and said he wants to do some implantation.”

“He also despises us for being clumsy and won’t let us get involved.”

“Where is my father?”

Mrs. Chen pouted: “Look for him in the west wing.”

Gu Fei hurried over.

The door was open, and she saw a square basket on the floor of the room, with dozens of pearl oysters neatly stacked in it, all cleaned.

Looking at Gu Zhang again, he hadn’t started yet and was still reading the book.

Gu Fei breathed a sigh of relief.

She read and copied the book once, and she had some ideas in mind.

When implanting the pearl nucleus or the inner mantle into the pearl oyster, it must be hygienic to avoid infection of the pearl oyster, and the action must be fast to minimize the damage to the pearl oyster.

Gu Zhang looked up and saw her: “My daughter, you are back. If you don’t come back, I will do it myself.”

Gu Fei said: “Dad, have you got all the tools back?”

Gu Zhang nodded: “I ordered it before the New Year and got it back the other day.”

There was a wooden box on the table. Gu Fei opened it and saw scissors, tweezers, a knife, and a long needle.

There was also a small box. When it was opened, there were very small pearls and a wooden wedge.

At this time, there were already artificially raised pearls, and these small pearls were specially used for implantation.

Only by implanting these round small pearls can the pearls grow round easily.

However, the survival rate of oysters was not high if only pearls were implanted, so modern techniques were used to wrap the pearls with the inner mantle of pearl oysters for implantation.

Gu Fei saw that everything was ready, stretched out her head, and called Lian’er, “Lian’er, bring a clean small basin.”

Lian’er hurried to the kitchen in front, found a basin, washed it, and brought it over.

Gu Fei closed the door, took out a bottle of 75% alcohol from the space, and put the scissors, tweezers, knife, long needle, small pearls, and wooden wedges in it for disinfection.

Gu Zhang saw that she was done: “Then I’ll start.”

Gu Fei said: “Dad, disinfect your hands too.”

Gu Zhang saw that the book also wrote about disinfection. Although he didn’t quite understand what it meant, he did what his daughter said.

Gu Fei poured some alcohol on Gu Zhang’s hands, and Gu Zhang rubbed them.

Gu Zhang picked up a clamshell put it on the table, and began to pry the edge of the shell with a knife.

It took a long time to pry it open, and Gu Zhang looked at it: “Let’s cut the flesh.”

He pried the pearl oyster open with force and took off a layer of flesh membrane on the edge of the clamshell. Gu Fei quickly wiped the table with alcohol, and Gu Zhang put the flesh on it.

Gu Fei picked up the knife and cut the membrane into strips first, and then into small pieces.

Gu Zhang opened another pearl oyster, and said: “This one is big, this one should be good for implantation.”

After placing the wooden wedge on the edge of the clamshell, Gu Fei quickly took a small piece of membrane to wrap the pearl nucleus and then used a long needle to carefully implant it into the pearl oyster.

After completing one and removing the wooden wedge, Gu Zhang and Gu Fei both breathed a sigh of relief, and Gu Zhang smiled: “It’s not very difficult.”

The father and daughter cooperated tacitly and spent two hours to implant all the pearl oysters.

The two looked at these pearl oysters with a full sense of accomplishment.

Gu Zhang smiled and said: “We may have a harvest next year or the year after.”

Old Man Huang was chewing on a chicken leg. Seeing Gu Fei shaking her head and sighing, he said: “What are you thinking about, little girl?”

Gu Fei said: “I wonder how the bad guy will not get retribution?”

Old Man Huang stared at Gu Fei blankly, and said after a while: “You know everything?”

Gu Fei nodded: “I heard it from someone.”

Old Man Huang smiled bitterly: “This is a debt I owed in my previous life. In this life, he came to me to collect the debt.”

Gu Fei comforted him: “Uncle Huang, don’t be discouraged.”

“Wait for me to think of a good way to deal with that idiot, and you can still open your shop.”

“I think you are still young. Once you open a shop, marry a wife, and have a child, you will have everything.”

Old Man Huang shook his head: “I have long stopped thinking about those things. I live one day at a time.”

“Little girl, you don’t have to fight for me, an old man.”

“He is a tough guy. Once you get involved with him, you can’t get rid of him. Don’t get yourself into trouble.”

Gu Fei stood up: “Uncle Huang, I’m going back. I’ll come to see you when I go to the city one day.”

As soon as she turned around, she heard a voice: “What are you doing here?”

Gu Fei looked up and saw Xiao Yu riding on a horse, with a pair of deep eyes looking at him steadily.

Gu Fei held her forehead. Why did she meet this person again?

“Nothing.” Gu Fei answered sullenly.

Xiao Yu glanced at Old Man Huang on the ground. Old Man Huang was also staring at him blankly with a roast chicken in his hand.

Xiao Yu retracted his gaze and snorted at Gu Fei: “Why did you run away last night?”

Gu Fei said in a muffled voice: “If I didn’t run away, you would force me to agree to that thing again.”

“I–” Before Xiao Yu finished speaking, Shitou reminded him: “Young Master, we have to go. We came out late today.”

Xiao Yu stared at Gu Fei for a long time: “I have something else to do. I’ll talk to you when I have time.”

After saying that, his legs clamped on the horse’s belly, and the horse galloped out.

Gu Fei breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to get on the mule cart, Old Man Huang, who was sitting on the ground, suddenly stood up: “Little girl, come here. Don’t you want to rent my shop? I’ll rent it to you.”

Gu Fei turned her head and looked at Old Man Huang. She hesitated for a moment. She wanted to rent this shop, but Er Laizi was indeed trouble.

Seeing that Gu Fei didn’t move, Old Man Huang provoked her: “Could it be that the little girl is also afraid of my bastard brother? Didn’t you say that you would find a way to help me deal with him? It turns out that the girl is just trying to coax an old man like me.”

Young people can’t stand provocation. Gu Fei turned around and walked toward Old Man Huang: “I’m not afraid of him, I just don’t want to cause trouble.”

She tilted her head to look at Old Man Huang: “You are also strange. Just now, you told me not to get involved with him, why did you change your mind now?”

Old Man Huang smiled: “I think you are a blessed person, with a unique bone structure and a dignified appearance. You will be able to turn danger into safety.”

Gu Fei curled her lips slightly. She doesn’t believe it.

She doesn’t know what trick this old man was up to.

However, he was just a rogue, so Gu Fei is not afraid. In this era, the most terrifying thing was power.

No, except for the end of the world, the most terrifying thing was power, no matter which era.

Gu Fei looked at Old Man Huang: “Then let’s talk first?”

Old Man Huang nodded with a smile: “Let’s talk inside.”

He opened the door, and Gu Fei followed Old Man Huang in, and Lian’er quickly followed.

Old Man Huang closed the door with his backhand: “Please come in.”

Shopkeeper Wang shook his head: “3,000 taels of silver is not expensive. I’ve been to his house before. His yard is big and there is a building in the backyard.”

“This old man probably wants to sell this store and leave here.”

“After so many years of entanglement, he can’t hold on any longer.”

Gu Fei nodded: “This Mr. Huang is also a poor man.”

Shopkeeper Wang sighed: “Who said he wasn’t? He lost his wife and children, and now he has such a rogue brother. Alas–”

“Back then, his business was the best among the silk shops on this street. His family would deposit a large sum of money in the bank each day. Who knew it would be like this.”

Gu Fei stood up and bowed to Shopkeeper Wang: “Thank you, Shopkeeper Wang, for telling me.”

Shopkeeper Wang waved his hand: “It’s nothing.”

“If Miss Gu wants to do business, why don’t you go find a broker to ask for help? Listen, you must not get involved in that store.”

Gu Fei smiled: “I would like to, but I don’t have 3,000 taels of silver.”

She bowed again: “Thank you, Shopkeeper Wang, for telling me these things. I won’t disturb your business. I’ll come to see you another day.”

Shopkeeper Wang sent her out with a smile: “Have you planted your peppers?”

Gu Fei nodded: “I have planted them, and they have sprouted. My mother serves them like she serves her ancestors every day.”

“That’s good, that’s good. When the peppers are planted, Miss Gu, tell me, and I’ll send someone to your house to pick them up.”

“Okay, when the time comes, my family will pick the peppers and send them directly to Shopkeeper Wang.”

Shopkeeper Wang laughed: “Then it’s settled. I’ll wait for the peppers.”

Gu Fei went out and got on Gu Sanlang’s carriage. The mule carriage went forward for a while and soon arrived at the store of Old Man Huang.

Gu Fei lifted the curtain and took a look. Old Huang was wearing tattered clothes and had messy gray hair. He was still sitting at the door.

Gu Fei couldn’t bear to watch, so she waited for the mule carriage to pass a delicatessen in front, asked Gu Sanlang to stop the carriage, got off to sell a roast chicken, and asked Gu Sanlang to go around again.

The mule carriage stopped at the door, Gu Fei got out of the carriage and walked to Old Huang.

Old Huang looked up and squinted at Gu Fei: “Aren’t you the girl from last night?”

Gu Fei smiled, squatted down, and handed over the roast chicken wrapped in dry lotus leaves: “Uncle Huang, this is for you to eat.”

Old Huang stared at the roast chicken for a long time, revealing a smile that was uglier than crying: “When I was young, thousands of silver passed through my hands, but I didn’t expect that when I got old, I become a beggar.”

Gu Fei hurriedly said: “Uncle Huang, how can you be a beggar? You still have such a big house. I just came to tell you that I can’t get the money to buy your shop.”

Old Huang took the roast chicken, a turbid tear oozed from his eyes, and waved his hand: “Forget it, little girl, you are kind-hearted, I won’t cheat you, and I won’t sell this house even if you want to buy it.”

“When I have lived enough, I will burn this house down, and it will be clean.”

Gu Fei looked at Old Huang, feeling pity and anger at the same time. How could there be such a hateful person as Er Laizi in this world?

If only he could think of a way to control Er Laizi, Old Huang would have a better life.

Break his legs?

Gu Fei shook her head. A broken leg will get better one day. Even if it can’t get better, Er Laizi will probably crawl over.

As long as this kind of person is alive, he can disgust people.

Kill him?

Gu Fei didn’t dare to kill him, but firstly, this was not a messy disaster area, no matter how many people died, no one would care. If someone died here, the government would investigate.

Secondly, even if the law requires sentencing, this idiot was bad, but his crime doesn’t deserve the death penalty.

Gu Fei’s eyes wide opened: “What happened?”

Shopkeeper Wang sighed: “This Old Man Huang has a brother, a lazy loafer. When the two brothers separated, the storefront next door to Old Man Huang was given to him.”

“This man is nicknamed Er Laizi, and he is also a gambler. Within a year, he mortgaged the store to the casino and lost it all.”

“Without the store, Er Laizi had no source of money, and he would go to Old Man Huang to ask for money from time to time.”

“Old Man Huang paid off a lot of his gambling debts and provided him with food and drink every day. Who knew that one day this Er Laizi stole Old Man Huang’s house deed and went to gamble again.”

“Fortunately, Old Man Huang found out. Old Man Huang was furious and beat his brother severely and carried him to The government, wrote a document of breaking off the relationship.”

“It was at this time that Old Man Huang’s son got into trouble and stopped doing business. This second-rate guy used to go to the store and make trouble, and he could always get some money. But now that the business was gone, Old Man Huang was also half dead. He hadn’t gotten any money for half a year, and he couldn’t hold on any longer. Seeing that Old Man Huang had rented out the store, he went to Old Man Huang to ask for money again.”

“When Old Man Huang didn’t give it, the second-rate guy went to the silk shop every day to make trouble. The shopkeeper of the silk shop was also tough, and he sent people to beat the second-rate guy up.”

“Who would have known that the next night, someone entered the silk shop and cut long slits in the silk that cost several taels of silver or even dozens of taels of silver per piece.”

“The store suffered heavy losses. It is said that this one incident cost him thousands of taels of silver.”

“The store owner sued the government, and the government arrested Er Laizi, but they could not find any evidence against him, so the matter ended up in vain.”

Gu Fei frowned when she heard this: “This man is too bad.”

“Who said he wasn’t!” Shopkeeper Wang sipped his tea: “The store owner could only consider himself unlucky and didn’t dare to do business anymore. Old Man Huang felt bad and returned the rent for a year to the store owner.”

“After that, the store was empty for more than half a year. Then someone else rented the store and opened a restaurant.”

“The Er Laizi came to blackmail every few days. The store owner gave him a few copper coins at first, but then Er Laizi asked for more and more, and the store owner got annoyed and stopped giving him. Not long after, something happened in the store again.”

“Several guests ate in the store. The owner ate the food and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea. He almost lost his life. He reported it to the government. The Yamen Officers investigated and said that the food in the store was put with laxatives. ”

“This store owner is wronged. Who would put laxatives in their food? But the government couldn’t find any other evidence, so they sentenced the owner to compensate the customers. ”

Shopkeeper Wang shook his head: “This store owner is no longer in business, and Old Man Huang returned the rent to him.”

“The store owner later hired someone to beat Er Laizi half to death, but so what? He still lost a lot of money.”

“Since then, Old Man Huang stopped renting out the store and said he wanted to sell it.”

“As soon as this was said, Er Laizi said that his eldest brother’s family had died out, and this store would be his in the future. Whoever dared to buy this store, he would burn it down.”

“Who would dare to buy it?”

“There is only a thief who steals for a thousand days, but no one can guard against thieves for a thousand days. Who knows when this idiot will succeed in stealing?”

“So, the store has been empty all this time.”

“After all, doing business requires harmony to make money. Who wants to get into this trouble? There are more than one store.”

Gu Fei nodded: “So that’s how it is.”

She muttered: “Old Man Huang asked me to pay 3,000 taels of silver to buy his store yesterday.”