Archives: FS

“What did you say?” Mrs. Qian jumped up and rushed forward again. Fortunately, the Eldest Aunt grabbed her.

“It’s your son who is shameless and has his eyes on my Xing’er. You are the one who should keep an eye on your son. If he dares to come after my Xing’er again, I will break his legs.”

Aunt Huang sneered: “Don’t worry, I don’t like your daughter. With a mother like you, your daughter is also not a good thing!”

“She dares to flirt with a boy before they even get married. Bah, so shameless! Who dares to marry a girl like her?”

Xing’er was crying with her face covered. When she heard this, she choked and bit her lips tightly.

Mrs. Qian was furious and was about to rush forward when Shanzi suddenly yelled: “Mom, stop talking!”

He suddenly knelt in front of Mrs. Qian: “Aunt Qian, I really want to marry Xing’er, please help me and Xing’er.”

Aunt Huang was so angry that she pointed at Shanzi and trembled.

Mrs. Qian spat on Shanzi’s face: “You, go away, don’t you see what your family has? With you, can you afford to marry my Xing’er?”

“Want to marry Xing’er? Sure, bring a betrothal gift of 30 taels of silver!”

Aunt Liu muttered beside her: “You are crazy about money!”

Back in their hometown, marrying a wife only required a few taels of silver as betrothal gifts. For families with poor conditions, two taels of silver, and for families with good conditions, five taels of silver at most.

30 taels?

Hahaha.

When Aunt Huang heard this, she was no longer angry. She glanced at Shanzi and said: “Look, what did I say? Do you want to marry that girl with such a mother? Give up as soon as possible!”

Shanzi was frightened by the number of thirty taels. When his family was the richest, they only saved more than twenty taels of silver, which was earned by his father with his life. Now he not only has no silver but also owes debts.

Thirty taels, when can he save this money to marry Xing’er?

He just wants to hug her every day, he almost goes crazy.

Shanzi’s expression became gloomy, staring at Mrs. Qian, and suddenly said: “Auntie, Xing’er, you have to marry me, she and I have already–”

Aunt Huang’s face turned pale for a while. Xing’er was even more surprised to take away her hand covering her face and stared at Shanzi in a daze.

“My gosh, are you going to let me live!” Mrs. Qian screamed and collapsed on the ground.

Gu Zhong’s face flushed red, and he grabbed Shanzi’s collar, with veins on his forehead throbbing: “What did you say?”

Shanzi stiffened his neck: “Xing’er and I were in the grove–”

Before he finished speaking, Gu Zhong’s fist landed on Shanzi’s face: “I’ll beat you to death, you bastard!”

Gu Zhong’s fists rained down on Shanzi. Shanzi didn’t dodge, letting Gu Zhong beat him hard.

Aunt Huang was so anxious that she didn’t care about much. She hugged her son and blocked Gu Zhong’s fists for him, shouting: “Don’t hit him, don’t hit him, it’s too late even if you kill him.”

Xing’er looked at all this in a daze, with only two words in her mind: it’s over.

It’s over, her reputation was completely ruined.

She seemed not to know Shanzii. Although she and he kissed and hugged, they didn’t do anything else.

Of course, kissing and hugging were considered infidelity, but it made no difference whether they went further or not.

Shanzi said this because he wanted to marry her, she knew.

But if this spread, who would not point fingers at her behind her back in the future?

If a girl marries with such a reputation, her in-laws will also look down on her.

Mrs. Qian suddenly jumped up from the ground, her eyes bloodshot, grabbed Xing’er’s hair, and beat her without thinking: “Shameless little whore, why don’t you die? You did such a shameless thing still have the face to live?”

 

Juhua’s eyes lit up, she put the half-bitten ginger candy in her hand into her mouth and ran outside with Gu Fei.

In the yard, Mrs. Qian slapped Shanzi on the head and was cursing. Xing’er stood beside her, looking anxious and crying.

It turned out that Shanzi hadn’t been able to get close to Xing’er for a few days. He called her to go to the grove, but she refused to go.

Today, he went to the city and bought a velvet flower. He finally saw Xing’er coming out of the house. Shanzi gave the velvet flower to Xing’er and called her to go to the grove again. Xing’er refused. Shanzi was anxious for a while and wanted to leave with Xing’er. Mrs. Qian came out and saw them.

Mrs. Qian spat on Shanzi’s face: “You lowly fellow, why are you trying to get my daughter? Don’t you even look at yourself? How dare you covet my daughter? Bah, dream on!”

Shanzi’s face flushed, he lowered his head and dared not say a word.

Xing’er was filled with shame and anger, and reached out to pull her mother: “Mom, I beg you, stop talking.”

Mrs. Qian threw her hand, jumped up, and pointed at Shanzi: “I’m telling you, you who have a mother but not taught by your father, get out of here. If I see you talking to Xing’er again, I’ll break your legs!”

While she was cursing, a figure rushed out from the west wing like a whirlwind, rushed to Mrs. Qian, stared at her with eyes that seemed to want to eat her, and said viciously: “What did you say? You dare to scold my son for not being taught by his father?”

Mrs. Qian was not intimidated: “What does it matter if I scold him? It’s true, he was born by his mother but not taught by his father–”

Before she finished her words, Aunt Huang grabbed Mrs. Qian’s hair and slapped her.

Mrs. Qian was not a pushover either, she screamed and reached out to grab Aunt Huang’s hair.

The two women pulled each other like bullfighting, holding each other’s heads tightly, and with the remaining hand, they tried every means to hit each other on the body and face.

Aunt Huang shouted while fighting: “You dare to scold my son, your shameless daughter, who seduces my Shanzi all day long. I have lived for half my life, but have never seen such a shameless girl!”

Mrs. Qian was not resting either: “Shameless stinky woman, it was your son who seduced my Xing’er, and you dare to blame it!”

Xing’er covered her face and cried beside her. Shanzi wanted to step forward to stop the fight but didn’t dare.

Gu Fei and Juhua looked at each other, and both were shocked. What a big melon!

Shanzi and Xing’er were secretly together!

Gu Zhong rushed out of the room when he heard the noise. Seeing Aunt Huang and Mrs. Qian twisted into a ball, he stamped his feet anxiously:

“Stop fighting, let go, let go quickly!” He, a grown man, couldn’t step forward to separate them.

Gu Zhang also came out of the old lady’s room and stood by the door, his mouth twitching.

The eldest aunt walked over with a gloomy face. Mrs. Qian was a fool. Could she yell about such a thing outside? It would only embarrass her daughter!

Auntie Liu also walked over quickly, saying: “What can’t we talk about it properly? We are all from the same village. Stop fighting.”

The eldest aunt and Auntie Liu each grabbed one and finally separated Mrs. Qian and Aunt Huang.

Aunt Huang threw away a strand of Qian’s hair that she had pulled from her hand, spit fiercely, and pulled Shanzi away.

Mrs. Qian rushed forward: “Stop right there. If I don’t make it clear today, you can’t leave!”

Aunt Huang sneered and smoothed her messy hair: “Okay if you don’t come to me to talk, I’m going to talk to you.”

“Your daughter, you better watch out from now on, stop seducing my son!”

 

Shopkeeper Liu secretly let out a sigh of relief. He originally thought that the peppers had been bought out by Yipin Pavilion, but it turned out that they had not. This was easy to explain.

But in the past few months, he could only watch Yipin Pavilion make a lot of money.

Shopkeeper Liu stood up and bowed: “Second Master Gu, I’m also busy in the shop, so I won’t bother you anymore. If the peppers are harvested, you must notify me first.”

Gu Zhang laughed: “Of course, of course, I’ll let my son send you a letter when the time comes.”

After sending Shopkeeper Liu away, Gu Zhang hummed a tune and returned to the backyard.

Mrs. Chen asked with a smile: “What’s wrong? Seeing you like this, is there any good news?”

Gu Zhang smiled and said: “It’s wonderful news. The shopkeeper of Zuixianlou came to our house to buy peppers. I guess, the more time passes, the more people will know about this pepper, and the more people will buy it.”

“Our peppers will be sold without any worries.”

Mrs. Chen said angrily: “Are you still worried about this? I knew that peppers would be sold without any worries after they were grown. That Young Master Zhu is not a fool. How can he spend so much money to buy them if the products are not good?”

Gu Zhang bowed and said: “My wife is wise.”

Mrs. Chen smiled and said: “I don’t know where you learned to be so slick every day.”

During dinner, Gu Zhang discussed with Mrs. Chen: “It’s already the New Year, it’s time to send this year’s silver and grain to Mother.”

Mrs. Chen said: “Should we take coarse grains or fine grains?”

Gu Zhang paused. In previous years, he always took coarse grains, but now his family eats rice and flour every meal, so it seems unreasonable to give coarse grains to his mother.

He thought about it: “How about giving her two taels of silver in total, and buying whatever she likes to eat.”

Mrs. Chen nodded, it was better this way, so as not to be criticized.

After dinner, Gu Zhang waved his hand and called Gu Fei: “Let’s go to the farm together.”

Gu Fei was free at the moment, so she happily followed her father.

Arriving at the farm, Gu Zhang went to the upper room to give the old lady money, and Gu Fei went into the eldest aunt’s house. The eldest aunt’s family was making ginger candy.

The family had no income, so they had to find ways to make money.

When Gu Fei walked in, she saw a long iron nail nailed to a pillar in the house, and her eldest cousin was pulling candy.

He threw the syrup on the nail, hung it, stretched it, threw it again, hung it, and stretched it again, repeating this action over and over again.

Gu Fei saw that the candy had been pulled white, and a sweet and greasy fragrance filled the room.

The eldest aunt was sprinkling flour on a chopping board, and turned back to smile at Gu Fei: “Xiao Fei, you came at the right time, the candy is about to be ready, and I will cut a few for you to try later.”

“This candy is softer and delicious than the ones sold outside.”

So Gu Fei waited obediently for the candy.

After the candy was pulled, the eldest cousin put it on the chopping board and rolled it into thin strips. The eldest aunt took a pair of scissors, smeared it with oil, and cut it diagonally, and the ginger candies came out one by one.

Juhua took one and gave it to Gu Fei. Gu Fei put it in her mouth. The soft candy was still warm and a little sticky when chewed.

While chewing the ginger candy, Juhua said proudly: “I have been going to the city with my eldest brother to sell candy every morning recently, and I can sell dozens of coins a day.”

“Juhua is capable.” Gu Fei praised with a smile.

Juhua blushed: “No way, my cousin is capable.”

While talking, a sharp woman’s voice suddenly sounded outside: “Shameless thing, what are you doing?”

Gu Fei heard it sounded like Mrs. Qian’s voice.

What happened?

 

Gu Zhang was silent for a long while: “You ask Lanzhi in private what she thinks. If both of them are willing, then let’s do it.”

Mrs. Chen frowned even more: “But what I am most worried about is not those. I am afraid that if Erlang marries Lanzhi, he will not be able to keep such a beautiful wife!”

“Lanzhi is the daughter of the Marquis’s mansion. If she is forced to marry Erlang, will she be willing?”

“It is not a good marriage if the two families are not well-matched! If Lanzhi has second thoughts at any time, I think Erlang will not be able to survive!”

Gu Zhang waved his hand: “You worry too much!”

“Just go and test Lanzhi’s attitude. If she is willing, the family will find a date to arrange the wedding for them.”

“As for how will they live in the future? Or can Erlang keep his wife? That’s Erlang’s business. If he is willing to do it. He has to bear it himself. What’s the point of you worrying about it!”

Mrs. Chen sighed: “I know I am worrying too much, but which mother doesn’t want to consider her children carefully?”

“I just want my son to live a good life.”

“I’ll think about it again. After the peppers are harvested and there is more money at home, we can talk about this matter. There is no money to do it now.”

Gu Zhang nodded: “Okay, then let’s talk about it after the peppers are harvested. It will only take a few months anyway.”

Gu Qing knocked on the door outside at this time: “Dad, Liu Zhuangtou brought someone here and said he was looking for you.”

“Okay, I’ll go.” Gu Zhang opened the door walked out to the front yard, and asked Liu Zhuangtou and a middle-aged man he brought to sit in the front yard hall.

Gu Qing sent Lian’er to make a few cups of tea and brought them over.

After they sat down, Liu Zhuangtou introduced them: “This is Shopkeeper Liu from Zuixianlou in the city. He came to me specially and asked me to introduce him to Second Master Gu.”

Gu Zhang hurriedly bowed: “Shopkeeper Liu, I’ve heard that Zuixianlou is one of the best restaurants in the city.”

Shopkeeper Liu also bowed: “Thank you for the compliment. I came to trouble you.”

“Today I came to see Second Master Gu because I have a business to discuss with you.”

Gu Zhang held out his hand: “Shopkeeper Liu, please go ahead.”

Shopkeeper Liu smiled: “Recently, the Yipin Pavilion in the city has launched a lot of spicy dishes. I was lucky enough to try them once. The flavor is unique. Chili is also strange. Some people can’t eat it at all, but some people want to eat it again.”

“Recently, Yipin Pavilion has been relying on two spicy dishes a day to whet the appetites of diners. Their business is booming.”

“I won’t hide it. I’ll tell you the truth. I spent a lot of effort to find out that Yipin Pavilion bought its chili from you. It is said that only your family in the whole kingdom has it. I came here today just to ask if I could also buy some peppers to take back.”

When Gu Zhang heard he was a shopkeeper, he roughly guessed his intention and smiled: “Shopkeeper Liu, I can’t promise you this.”

Shopkeeper Liu frowned and then heard Gu Zhang continue: “It’s not that I don’t want to do this business, but there are no dried peppers. The remaining ones were all sold to Yipin Pavilion.”

“If Shopkeeper Liu wants it, he has to wait until mid-April when the fresh peppers are harvested.”

Shopkeeper Liu’s eyes lit up: “You mean, these peppers are divided into fresh and dried? Then, can fresh peppers also be used as seasonings?”

Gu Zhang nodded: “Of course, there are many ways to make fresh peppers, and these are all figured out by my daughter herself.”

Shopkeeper Liu’s eyes moved quickly: “Mid-April, it’s not long.”

“Then can I place an order first?”

Gu Zhang smiled: “Shopkeeper Liu, there’s no need to rush. We’ve planted a lot of peppers. Once the peppers are planted in the fields, you can see them in person, and it won’t be too late for us to do this business.”

“It’s easy to get fresh or dried peppers.”

 

When Mrs. Chen opened the door, she saw Gu Fei holding her chin with one hand, and staring at a colorful object on the table in a daze.

Mrs. Chen’s heart skipped a beat. Her daughter looked strange. Could she have someone in her heart?

And what was on the table?

It looked so beautiful. It was not an ordinary thing. Where did it come from?

Yesterday, she also went shopping all night, but she didn’t see any place selling such exquisite things!

Could it be given to her by some young man?

Mrs. Chen quietly retreated and closed the door.

As soon as she left the house, she pulled Gu Zhang into the room, closed the door, and whispered: “Why are you at ease when your daughter wants to open an inn in the city alone?”

Gu Zhang replied: “Don’t worry, my daughter is smart and capable, I trust her more than Dalang.”

Mrs. Chen choked: “You are not at ease, you are just too careless!”

“My daughter will be 15 in half a year. She is a girl, and she is out in public at such a young age. How can that be good in the future?”

Gu Zhang snorted: “What’s wrong with showing up in the public? This Ping’an City is not like the countryside at home. Don’t you see that the streets are full of girls?”

“Besides, since the day my daughter came back, I made up my mind. From now on, she can do whatever she likes. If she wants to get married, she can get married. If she doesn’t want to get married, I will support her for the rest of her life.”

Mrs. Chen glared at Gu Zhang: “What nonsense are you talking about? How can a girl not get married? Will she be alone for the rest of her life? Not only must she get married, but she must also marry a good young man so that I can feel at ease.”

“No matter how successful she is, she is still young. How can parents not plan for her?”

Gu Zhang patted her shoulder: “Okay, okay, I didn’t say that I wouldn’t let her get married. I just said that she can do whatever she wants.”

“Just plant the peppers and save more dowry for the girl. The girl is still young, so don’t worry about it.”

Mrs. Chen couldn’t tell him what she had just seen. The girl’s reputation was important, and she was just guessing.

She sighed: “And Erlang, he’s already 18. When I was at home, I asked someone to find a suitable family for him. Now that he’s settled down, we have to find him a suitable family.”

Gu Zhang casually said: “You decide on these matters.”

Mrs. Chen was worried: “I do want to, but–”

Gu Zhang was confused: “You mean Erlang? What’s wrong with him?”

Mrs. Chen was speechless: “Erlang’s eyes are always on Lanzhi, don’t you see it?”

Gu Zhang was stunned: “Is that true?”

He didn’t notice it.

Mrs. Chen said worriedly: “Erlang’s temper is a bit twisted. I want to find someone to find him a wife, but I’m afraid he won’t agree with it.”

Gu Zhang fell silent for a while.

Mrs. Chen said again: “Lanzhi, although she is down and out now, she is the daughter of the Marquis’s mansion after all. She is proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and she is also good-looking. Erlang is neither good at literature nor martial arts, and can barely recognize a few words. How can he be worthy of her!”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s okay whether he is worthy of her or not. As long as she is willing, it doesn’t matter.”

“But I’m worried that if he marries such a delicate wife, Erlang will have to serve her every day?”

“Marrying a wife is to carry on the family line and serve the man. I think if the silly boy marries her, he will have to serve her in return!”

Gu Zhang looked at Mrs. Chen: “Then what do you want to say?”

Mrs. Chen said unhappily: “I don’t know what to do, that’s why I am asking you to make a decision!”

 

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.