The skilled widow is busy farming

Chapter 31
"Brother Qun, come."

Xiuniang waved to her son. The original owner was really Hui Zhilanxin, who raised two good sons and was sincere and kind.

The brothers knelt on the ground, lowering their heads and not daring to look at their mother.

She touched her son's head and smiled knowingly, feeling a blood-blooded love in her heart.

"Son, I won't admit defeat and I will be strong, you know. My heart is broken when your father is gone. But I promised your father to raise you two and I want you to be his pride. Your father was a brilliant figure back then and was chosen by the Zhou family to be his son-in-law."

"mother……"

The group of brothers laid their heads on their mother's knees and shouted aggrievedly, suppressing the grief in their hearts. Dad was gone. The people who suffered the most were their grandparents and mother.

"I still have many plans. I want to build a wine shop for your grandfather and his family, so that the men in the village can learn a craft and make money. I also want to pass on the craft to the villagers and build a weaving and embroidery spinning machine to specialize in embroidery and tapestry. painting."

"These all require money, but we can't really specialize in business. Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, and merchants have a low status. It will ruin your reputation and block your career."

"Your uncle has helped me a lot over the years. I also tried to do my best to leave a way for you. Only when the brothers-in-law and family members unite can we be stronger. Now my uncle is in need of help. My skills can help a little. At the worst, I can still make money by selling paintings, leaving you with a good relationship. Why do you think I can help you just by writing a letter to the county magistrate? That's because your eldest uncle is a Beijing official."

"Son, are you really good if you are good? Only when the whole clan is prosperous and prosperous can people see the huge potential and value of the Li family. The officialdom is stable at every step. Why should the Zhou family lend you connections and strength? Could it be that Zhou Don’t our children and grandchildren work hard enough? I am a married woman. When I die, I will be buried in Lijia Village, not Zhoujia Village. If you want to borrow the power of the Zhou family’s connections, you must provide equal value."

Xiu Niang knows these things well.

The group of brothers raised their heads and looked at their mother, their faces full of admiration, but also a little surprised and confused.

Obviously, given his age and experience, he couldn't think so far ahead, and he was still a little overwhelmed after hearing this.

"Brothers, what the second aunt said is true. She really worked hard for us. Brother, the second aunt is a daughter of a noble family. She has her own pride and does not bother to beg for mercy. She must be filial and obedient. ah."

Brother Jing stood up to dissuade Brother Qun.

"Yes, Brother Qun, have you really thought about why your second uncle is gone and why your second aunt doesn't go back to your parents' home? Because you won't necessarily be well-received if you go back. Your best son is gone and your son is still young. What's the future like?" It depends, there is a son-in-law who is better than you. You don’t have to put the treasure on your second aunt or Lijiacun. If you don’t add insult to injury, it means your relatives are well-educated and kind. It’s enough to maintain the relationship. Wait and see. "

Li Rui's words were clearly thought through and he had a more accurate grasp of people's hearts.

"Is that so..."

Brother Qun's voice was soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing anyone, and his lips were trembling. It turned out that his father's death was more serious than he thought, and the loss was huge.

"Brother Qun, your father is the leading man in our village. What Lijia Village has lost is not just a strong laborer, but the hope of the clan. He is smarter and better than Brother Quan."

Uncle Li said it with a cry at the end.

The father-in-law lowered his head and his big, rough hands were trembling slightly, trying desperately to endure the huge pain, the heart-gnawing and bone-gnawing pain.

The mother-in-law wept silently and was very sad.

"I am telling you today not to show off how great I am, but to tell you that the Li family still has a long way to go if they want to be on par with the Zhou family. The Zhou family is led by my eldest brother, but who is the leader of the Li family? Brother Youquan can barely hold it in his eyes now, but what about the future."

Xiu Niang's eyes were slightly red, "I plan to bring a high-quality tapestry painting to my eldest brother as a birthday gift when Brother Heng comes to Beijing next year. It has two purposes: one is to give my eldest brother a chance to change his life, and the other is to give gifts or sell money to solve his predicament. It helps; secondly, your coming to Beijing to let my elder brother take care of you is not just free money, but also asking him to lead you into an official career, make a good start, and connect you with relatives."

"Next, I have plans. I just said that I want to open a wine shop and a weaving and embroidery shop. I have thought about it repeatedly. Opening workshops is encouraged by the imperial court. It is not a business, but it can make money and let the whole village learn something. With more income from crafts and family studies, girls can also read, read and learn rules. The girls who go out are even more outstanding than the Li Zhou family, which also represents the upbringing of the Li family. Only the sons of our village can marry rich girls and take good care of them. Education is brought into the home and adds to the foundation of my Li family.”

"All of this requires money, and it all depends on my grandparents. My father-in-law and uncle can't do it in the fields. The only way to get the money is through my brocade. The tavern is the first step. Your father is dead, but I want to let Zhou Everyone in the Li family knows that I, Li Zhou, are not weak, I can afford a second house for the Li family, and I can create a bright road for the children and grandchildren of the Li family."

Xiu Niang looked at the whole family and showed her ambition for the first time.

"I heard you all clearly. From now on, we have to discuss matters with your second aunt before doing anything about our family. Her words are equivalent to what I mean. Boss and second, can you admit it?"

Grandpa put down the water bowl, his eyes calm and firm. "Dad, I admit it."

Uncle Li was the first to speak out.

"I will listen to your second aunt from now on, do you understand, boss?"

"Hey, I remember."

"I listen to my siblings."

The sister-in-law also spoke up.

"Okay, now that we've figured it all out, let's talk about the next step. Don't be hesitant about money in the future. I'll just say one thing. Your second aunt has done nothing wrong for you and your children. There is no obstacle that we can't overcome together."

"Yes."

The children and grandchildren of the Li family, whether it was Brother Jing or Uncle Li's children and grandchildren, all stood up and responded.

"Xiu'er, tell me how to run the tavern. Do you have any rules?"

"Uncle, do you still have 50 taels left to repair the shop? You also need to fill in some things. Can I take a look?"

Xiuniang asked Uncle Li.

"Yes, I will take you to see it another day. Brother, you can also take a look. Tell me what you want to add and I will run away."

Uncle Li was talking to Xiu Niang's father-in-law.

"Yes, there is a lot to fill in. I really need to take a look. Then I need a plate for the stove. If you don't know how, I have to do it."

My father-in-law used to work as a mason and brewer. He was also a hard worker when he was young.

"Then let's do the same thing, in order. First fill in the stuff and support the shop, and we ladies will also be busy. I want to open the business before winter. I will choose the elder sister-in-law and the three younger siblings, Sister-in-law Feng, to work together. The third younger sister is here The front desk keeps accounts and collects money. You know how to do it after studying, but they can't do it, right?"

"Zhong, listen to you."

Everyone nodded.

"Brother Kang, the waiter, you guys have to go to the store to help with the work. I'm a widow and can't go to the front, so you have to come."

Xiu Niang started to make arrangements now. As a widow, she was restricted from traveling and doing things, otherwise people would talk about the widow's publicity, and she didn't know what she wanted to do.

"to make."

"The wine is from home, and the vegetables and meat are from the village. Then I will make arrangements to ensure a constant supply of goods. Then we have to decide on the menu and contract. The two families will work together. How to divide the money and how much work to do? Let's make it clear in black and white in advance, and press fingerprints. To avoid hurting the relationship between relatives for money in the future.”

"Zhong, this is all agreed upon before. Let me tell you first. The shop has to pay rent to Xiu Niang, and Xiu Niang must share [-]% of the money earned by the shop. This is bought by people, otherwise our family would not be as good as we are. Let’s work together, the two shops are big enough, and we can do enough things, so we don’t have to worry about not making any money, do you understand?”

Second Aunt Xu glanced at the two daughters-in-law with sharp eyes.

"Understood, mother, we just follow the work. We agreed at home. If Xiu Niang hadn't helped us, we wouldn't have had such a good thing. We would never be able to afford a shop in our lifetime. The brocade dazzled me. We all know how hard it is. .”

The third daughter-in-law happened to be the best at talking, and her words were heart-warming. Xiu Niang took a liking to her and asked her to stand in front of the customers to settle accounts.

(End of this chapter)