Chapter 75 The Girl of Lantern Festival
Naturally, the wind and rain in Cuifeng Village and Yue's House couldn’t reach Luohe Prefecture. When You Jin sent a letter to Mrs. Han, she only said that she had settled down in the south. No fine detail where she settled down. It wasn't her that she didn't believe Mrs. Han, but it was Yue Family who made want to desparately dodge. She really didn't want to get involved with Yue Family.
During the Lantern Festival, Luohe Prefecture was crowded with people. Bustling with life.
Six or seven lanterns of different shapes were also hung in front of Sujiaxiang’s gate. Like Luohe Prefecture, which was full of lanterns, it was caught in the middle of the carnival. The sound of hawking and laughter on the street was endless The crowd of pedestrians with unknown starting point and destination brushed shoulder to shoulder. Smiles were pasted on everyone’sr faces. It made the severe winter cold that had not yet dissipated become warm.
"You Jin, don't go far with Kang-er in your hand." The whole Su Family also came to the city today. One, Su Family had never seen the lanterns. So they joined in the fun. Second, the business in the shop so good that Mrs. Su was pulled in to help out.
You Jin held Kang-er in her arms and looked at the jade rabbit lamp hanging under the eaves of theyr shop. Kang-er was fixated on it and kept trying to reach out to grab it. This made You Jin laugh: "Oh! I know!"
Little Seventh was firmly pigbacked by Han Li who was holding Han Er Hua’s hands. Looking at the beautiful lanterns and tourists outside, she was overjoyed. Then she began to encourage Han Li: "ELder Brother Han Li, let's go see lantern!"
Han Li had been begging for food in Luohe Prefecture for two or three years. Naturally, he knew that some children would be abducted every year during the Lantern Festival. How could he possibly board little Seventh's sneaky boat. He just shook her head silently.
Seeing that he refused, little Seventh had no choice but to sigh like a little adult. No pestering to go out. Just obediently laid on Han Li's back and watched the bustling pedestrians outside.
"Miss Su." It turned out to be He Xuan Hai who was hanging out with his classmates. From a distance, he saw You Jin standing under the lantern with Kang-er in her arms. Perhaps it was the beauty of the Lantern Festival Lanterns. He Xuan Hai, whom was always joked around for having an unbloomed heart by his classmates, his mind was full of the girl with a soft smile on her face. Sky thundered, fire stirred. It was already out of control.
Hearing someone calling her, the smile on You Jin's face became sparse and polite. When she turned her head and saw that it was He Xuan Hai, she smiled and nodded: "Elder Brother He."
Seeing that the smile on her face was completely different from just now and seeing Han Li standing beside her like a green pine guarding her, He Xuan Hai felt an inexplicable sense of loss in his heart. Pursing his dry lips, he spoke, "Did Miss Su come out to watch the lanterns by herself? There are people everywhere during the Lantern Festival. Why don't I send you back?"
You Jin smiled and declined politely: "Thank you, Elder Brother He for your kindness. Han Li had came out in a mule cart. We will wait until there are fewer people before leaving." Seeing the disappointment on the young man's face, You Jin had no choice but to say sorry to him. She continued: "Elder Brother He, are the two over there your classmates? They are calling you!"
He Xuan Hai wanted to say something, but was diverted by You Jin. The thin-skinned him couldn't say anything any more. Holding it in until his face was red, the boy gave a peer salute to the girl he liked before escaping.
After He Xuan Hai left, You Jin breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that she didn't see the suspicious blush on He Xuan Hai's face. She just thought he was a young man who was ignorant. So she didn't take this matter to heart.
"Trully a dense bookworm." On the other hand, Han Li suddenly said such a sentence for some unknown reason. It caused You Jin to look sideways, but no comment was made.
The Lantern Festival did not end until 10pm. The city gates of Luohe Prefecture were opened tonight until after the Lantern Festival ended. Seeing that the pedestrians on the street had almost dispersed, everyone in Su Family hurriedly packed up. Mrs. Su, Yu Lan , You Jin and the others were each holding a sleeping toddler. Because there were too many people, they rented an extra mule cart. The two mule carts headed to Luohe Prefecture one after the other.
Once back home, everyone washed up and fell asleep in a flurry. After all, today had been busy from morning to night. Xin Yi and others who were serving guests in front were hoarse from talking. While back kitchen staff like Bai Zhi, Shan Nai, and the others, their arms were too tired to even lift after all the dough kneading and making snacks.
But everyone's tiredness had paid off. Although it was a little exhausting, nearly four times the usual income was made. After You Jin recorded today's income into the account, she collapsed and fell asleep too.
***
After the Lantern Festival, the canal workers started to resume work. Su Family’s silent for half a month canal worker dormitory was once again full of people. In Wuliqiao Village, there were many more families this year who freed up their courtyard or room and rented them out to the canal workers. There were many unfamiliar men in and out of the village.
In February, the spring breeze was like scissors. There were some blowing winds that made people's faces ache. Still, You Jin had to brave the cold wind and run around the market every day. She was looking for a suitable caravan to bring some things back for her. She had also asked Broker Chen to find a construction team. She planned to build a new house on the two mu of wasteland next to Su Family's current house.
Broker Chen had a wide range of connection. In two days, he found the construction team and then brought the leader of the construction team, a strong middle-aged man named Zhao Er, to meet You Jin.
After listening to You Jin's general request, Zhao Er patted his chest and accepted the job: "Miss Su, don't worry. The house built by me will definitely satisfy you!"
Zhao Er had been doing construction in Luohe Prefecture for more than 20 years. He had a very wide network in this industry. Those wood, tile, brick, and building materials were all delivered three or four days before Su Family agreed date to start construction.
After the second of February’s dragon raising head day a.k.a little Eighth and Kang-er’s first birthday,the construction of Su Family's new home officially started on the eighth day of February.
This time, You Jin had set aside enough money to build a new house. Zhao Er also knew how to act. Within the range that You Jin can accept, the materials he chose were the best. Because the new house of Su Family was built on a large scale, Zhao Er and his construction team of nearly 30 people rushed to build it. The last tile of Su Family's new house was put in place before the Dragon Boat Festival.
Although the construction period of nearly three months was a bit long, You Jin didn't spend much time on it because of Zhao Er's presence. She had been busy non-stop in the past few months; running around outside.
The 56 mu of fertile land that Su Family bought back was fully planted with grain at the beginning of spring. As for the newly purchased 100 mu of barren hills, You Jin had hired 20 people from Houjiawan to sort out the miscellaneous trees and weeds on the barren hills. After cleaning, all the 100 mu of barren hills around were planted with thorn rose trees as enclosures. It took more than half a month to tidy up the 100 mu of land.
After tidying up the barren hills, a small stream that originally flowed through the barren hills was diverted as much as possible so the 100 mu of land was included in the scope of irrigation.
After this side was almost cleaned up, the groups of merchants from the north that You Jin had found before brought back what she wanted. You Jin felt very distressed when seeing a good chunk of the money box gone..
You Jin had been occupied that her feet couldn’t rest these days. Cart after cart, things were pulled back. Everyone in Su Family was puzzled. Even Mrs. Su, who didn't ask much about business, approached You Jin at the sight of unknown tree saplings piling in the courtyard and worriedly asked, "You Jin, what are you going to do? What kind of saplings are in this yard?"
After recording the newly spent money in the book, You Jin put down the brush in her hand and merrily answered: "There are the sapling to be planted in Houjiawan. There are sweet-scented osmanthus trees, peach trees, and magnolia trees. Also miscellaneous stuff like thorny rose tree."
"Are you going to plant these for our family's snack shop?" Mrs. Su was the one who taught You Zhu and others how to make snacks. Hearing what You Jin said, she knew what these were for: "But our family’s snack shop is only that big. How can it use so much land?"
You Jin pushed Mrs. Su down to sit on the kang before roughly stating the plan she had in mind: "Mother, my future goal is not just this snack shop. When these flowers bloom, let's raise some bees. In a 100 mu flower forest, just collecting honey is a huge income. For example, the thorn roses. Not only can they be used to make snacks, but also be dried to make scented tea?"
You Jin's ambitions were naturally more than this. A snack shop can only annually make a few thousand liang max. She had seven younger sisters who needs to marry. And she had to support such a large family. Naturally, she wanted to scratch her head open and think of money earning way.
"Scented tea?" Mrs. Su was a little puzzled, "Can this flower be made into tea? That’s quite novel!"
You Jin grinned: "Of course it’s possible. I read from a medical book that thorn roses have the effect of beautifying the skin! Just think about how many rich wives there are in Luohe Prefecture! It goes without saying, they love beauty the most. This business haven’t been done yet. Since we have so much land, why not try it?"
Mrs. Su had always been convinced by her eldest daughter. Seeing that she was so determined, she wouldn’t obstruct her. Just let her do as she like.
Although You Jin currently had a hundred acres of land, she can't afford to buy so many saplings at once. So she had to plant the first batch of saplings this year in the already fertilized land. Peach trees, rose trees, magnolia trees, osmanthus tree and pear tree got two mu each. Each tree was separated by a distance of three feet. As for the rest of the land, just continue to compost and fertilize. She’ll make plans after slowly raising the fertility of the land.
After You Jin finished all these tasks, the cold wind in early spring and February had long since disappeared. Now it was April when the grass grew and the warblers flew. Su Family's new house was still being worked on every day. The sunflowers and garlic seedlings planted in composted open space beside Su Family had sprouted green branches and leaves. It wantonly grew in the misty spring rain.
There were more and more canal workers at Wuliqiao. Perhaps it was an order of the imperial court, the speed of excavating the canal channel had been accelerated. In just over two months, the digging reached the swale in front of Su Family’s house.
Because the people outside were all adult men, Mrs. Su and Yu Lan governed over the little girls at home even more, for fear that something will happen. Su Family currently had six adult and strong wolfdogs guarding the home. No one would dare to idly provoke Su Family.
However, there will always be people, who want money and not life, testing it out.
Naturally, the wind and rain in Cuifeng Village and Yue's House couldn’t reach Luohe Prefecture. When You Jin sent a letter to Mrs. Han, she only said that she had settled down in the south. No fine detail where she settled down. It wasn't her that she didn't believe Mrs. Han, but it was Yue Family who made want to desparately dodge. She really didn't want to get involved with Yue Family.
During the Lantern Festival, Luohe Prefecture was crowded with people. Bustling with life.
Six or seven lanterns of different shapes were also hung in front of Sujiaxiang’s gate. Like Luohe Prefecture, which was full of lanterns, it was caught in the middle of the carnival. The sound of hawking and laughter on the street was endless The crowd of pedestrians with unknown starting point and destination brushed shoulder to shoulder. Smiles were pasted on everyone’sr faces. It made the severe winter cold that had not yet dissipated become warm.
"You Jin, don't go far with Kang-er in your hand." The whole Su Family also came to the city today. One, Su Family had never seen the lanterns. So they joined in the fun. Second, the business in the shop so good that Mrs. Su was pulled in to help out.
You Jin held Kang-er in her arms and looked at the jade rabbit lamp hanging under the eaves of theyr shop. Kang-er was fixated on it and kept trying to reach out to grab it. This made You Jin laugh: "Oh! I know!"
Little Seventh was firmly pigbacked by Han Li who was holding Han Er Hua’s hands. Looking at the beautiful lanterns and tourists outside, she was overjoyed. Then she began to encourage Han Li: "ELder Brother Han Li, let's go see lantern!"
Han Li had been begging for food in Luohe Prefecture for two or three years. Naturally, he knew that some children would be abducted every year during the Lantern Festival. How could he possibly board little Seventh's sneaky boat. He just shook her head silently.
Seeing that he refused, little Seventh had no choice but to sigh like a little adult. No pestering to go out. Just obediently laid on Han Li's back and watched the bustling pedestrians outside.
"Miss Su." It turned out to be He Xuan Hai who was hanging out with his classmates. From a distance, he saw You Jin standing under the lantern with Kang-er in her arms. Perhaps it was the beauty of the Lantern Festival Lanterns. He Xuan Hai, whom was always joked around for having an unbloomed heart by his classmates, his mind was full of the girl with a soft smile on her face. Sky thundered, fire stirred. It was already out of control.
Hearing someone calling her, the smile on You Jin's face became sparse and polite. When she turned her head and saw that it was He Xuan Hai, she smiled and nodded: "Elder Brother He."
Seeing that the smile on her face was completely different from just now and seeing Han Li standing beside her like a green pine guarding her, He Xuan Hai felt an inexplicable sense of loss in his heart. Pursing his dry lips, he spoke, "Did Miss Su come out to watch the lanterns by herself? There are people everywhere during the Lantern Festival. Why don't I send you back?"
You Jin smiled and declined politely: "Thank you, Elder Brother He for your kindness. Han Li had came out in a mule cart. We will wait until there are fewer people before leaving." Seeing the disappointment on the young man's face, You Jin had no choice but to say sorry to him. She continued: "Elder Brother He, are the two over there your classmates? They are calling you!"
He Xuan Hai wanted to say something, but was diverted by You Jin. The thin-skinned him couldn't say anything any more. Holding it in until his face was red, the boy gave a peer salute to the girl he liked before escaping.
After He Xuan Hai left, You Jin breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that she didn't see the suspicious blush on He Xuan Hai's face. She just thought he was a young man who was ignorant. So she didn't take this matter to heart.
"Trully a dense bookworm." On the other hand, Han Li suddenly said such a sentence for some unknown reason. It caused You Jin to look sideways, but no comment was made.
The Lantern Festival did not end until 10pm. The city gates of Luohe Prefecture were opened tonight until after the Lantern Festival ended. Seeing that the pedestrians on the street had almost dispersed, everyone in Su Family hurriedly packed up. Mrs. Su, Yu Lan , You Jin and the others were each holding a sleeping toddler. Because there were too many people, they rented an extra mule cart. The two mule carts headed to Luohe Prefecture one after the other.
Once back home, everyone washed up and fell asleep in a flurry. After all, today had been busy from morning to night. Xin Yi and others who were serving guests in front were hoarse from talking. While back kitchen staff like Bai Zhi, Shan Nai, and the others, their arms were too tired to even lift after all the dough kneading and making snacks.
But everyone's tiredness had paid off. Although it was a little exhausting, nearly four times the usual income was made. After You Jin recorded today's income into the account, she collapsed and fell asleep too.
***
After the Lantern Festival, the canal workers started to resume work. Su Family’s silent for half a month canal worker dormitory was once again full of people. In Wuliqiao Village, there were many more families this year who freed up their courtyard or room and rented them out to the canal workers. There were many unfamiliar men in and out of the village.
In February, the spring breeze was like scissors. There were some blowing winds that made people's faces ache. Still, You Jin had to brave the cold wind and run around the market every day. She was looking for a suitable caravan to bring some things back for her. She had also asked Broker Chen to find a construction team. She planned to build a new house on the two mu of wasteland next to Su Family's current house.
Broker Chen had a wide range of connection. In two days, he found the construction team and then brought the leader of the construction team, a strong middle-aged man named Zhao Er, to meet You Jin.
After listening to You Jin's general request, Zhao Er patted his chest and accepted the job: "Miss Su, don't worry. The house built by me will definitely satisfy you!"
Zhao Er had been doing construction in Luohe Prefecture for more than 20 years. He had a very wide network in this industry. Those wood, tile, brick, and building materials were all delivered three or four days before Su Family agreed date to start construction.
After the second of February’s dragon raising head day a.k.a little Eighth and Kang-er’s first birthday,the construction of Su Family's new home officially started on the eighth day of February.
This time, You Jin had set aside enough money to build a new house. Zhao Er also knew how to act. Within the range that You Jin can accept, the materials he chose were the best. Because the new house of Su Family was built on a large scale, Zhao Er and his construction team of nearly 30 people rushed to build it. The last tile of Su Family's new house was put in place before the Dragon Boat Festival.
Although the construction period of nearly three months was a bit long, You Jin didn't spend much time on it because of Zhao Er's presence. She had been busy non-stop in the past few months; running around outside.
The 56 mu of fertile land that Su Family bought back was fully planted with grain at the beginning of spring. As for the newly purchased 100 mu of barren hills, You Jin had hired 20 people from Houjiawan to sort out the miscellaneous trees and weeds on the barren hills. After cleaning, all the 100 mu of barren hills around were planted with thorn rose trees as enclosures. It took more than half a month to tidy up the 100 mu of land.
After tidying up the barren hills, a small stream that originally flowed through the barren hills was diverted as much as possible so the 100 mu of land was included in the scope of irrigation.
After this side was almost cleaned up, the groups of merchants from the north that You Jin had found before brought back what she wanted. You Jin felt very distressed when seeing a good chunk of the money box gone..
You Jin had been occupied that her feet couldn’t rest these days. Cart after cart, things were pulled back. Everyone in Su Family was puzzled. Even Mrs. Su, who didn't ask much about business, approached You Jin at the sight of unknown tree saplings piling in the courtyard and worriedly asked, "You Jin, what are you going to do? What kind of saplings are in this yard?"
After recording the newly spent money in the book, You Jin put down the brush in her hand and merrily answered: "There are the sapling to be planted in Houjiawan. There are sweet-scented osmanthus trees, peach trees, and magnolia trees. Also miscellaneous stuff like thorny rose tree."
"Are you going to plant these for our family's snack shop?" Mrs. Su was the one who taught You Zhu and others how to make snacks. Hearing what You Jin said, she knew what these were for: "But our family’s snack shop is only that big. How can it use so much land?"
You Jin pushed Mrs. Su down to sit on the kang before roughly stating the plan she had in mind: "Mother, my future goal is not just this snack shop. When these flowers bloom, let's raise some bees. In a 100 mu flower forest, just collecting honey is a huge income. For example, the thorn roses. Not only can they be used to make snacks, but also be dried to make scented tea?"
You Jin's ambitions were naturally more than this. A snack shop can only annually make a few thousand liang max. She had seven younger sisters who needs to marry. And she had to support such a large family. Naturally, she wanted to scratch her head open and think of money earning way.
"Scented tea?" Mrs. Su was a little puzzled, "Can this flower be made into tea? That’s quite novel!"
You Jin grinned: "Of course it’s possible. I read from a medical book that thorn roses have the effect of beautifying the skin! Just think about how many rich wives there are in Luohe Prefecture! It goes without saying, they love beauty the most. This business haven’t been done yet. Since we have so much land, why not try it?"
Mrs. Su had always been convinced by her eldest daughter. Seeing that she was so determined, she wouldn’t obstruct her. Just let her do as she like.
Although You Jin currently had a hundred acres of land, she can't afford to buy so many saplings at once. So she had to plant the first batch of saplings this year in the already fertilized land. Peach trees, rose trees, magnolia trees, osmanthus tree and pear tree got two mu each. Each tree was separated by a distance of three feet. As for the rest of the land, just continue to compost and fertilize. She’ll make plans after slowly raising the fertility of the land.
After You Jin finished all these tasks, the cold wind in early spring and February had long since disappeared. Now it was April when the grass grew and the warblers flew. Su Family's new house was still being worked on every day. The sunflowers and garlic seedlings planted in composted open space beside Su Family had sprouted green branches and leaves. It wantonly grew in the misty spring rain.
There were more and more canal workers at Wuliqiao. Perhaps it was an order of the imperial court, the speed of excavating the canal channel had been accelerated. In just over two months, the digging reached the swale in front of Su Family’s house.
Because the people outside were all adult men, Mrs. Su and Yu Lan governed over the little girls at home even more, for fear that something will happen. Su Family currently had six adult and strong wolfdogs guarding the home. No one would dare to idly provoke Su Family.
However, there will always be people, who want money and not life, testing it out.
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