Chapter 141: Coming Back 1/4

Li Qingzhi held onto Jin Xiaoye, and as usual, gave Li Laogen a daily allowance of five cents.

This sum wasn’t much, but it wasn’t little either. It was enough for Li Laogen to enjoy a pot of tea at the teahouse, and then have a bowl of noodles or two steamed buns.

If Li Laogen had breakfast at home, he could save some money.

However, ever since Li Laogen came to the county town and had a place to spend money, he seemed like a sieve… the money couldn’t stay in his pocket overnight.

Sometimes Li Qingzhi or Jin Xiaoye would ask him to help buy things, and give him a few extra cents, which he promptly spent.

Because of this, Li Qingzhi hadn’t increased his allowance.

But for going to the lantern festival… Li Qingzhi said, “Dad, during the lantern festival these days, I’ll give you ten extra cents each day, making it fifteen cents a day.”

“Great!” Li Laogen was overjoyed, then added, “Ah Qing, split that fifteen cents for me, give me five cents in the morning, and the rest when I go out in the evening.”

Li Laogen was aware of his own spending habits. He knew that if Li Qingzhi gave him all the money at once, he might spend it all in the morning.

“Alright.” Li Qingzhi agreed and also told Zhao Xiaodou to give him ten cents of pocket money.

Jin Xiaoye said, “I’ll also give the female workers from Miaoqian Village ten cents of pocket money each day.”

Jin Xiaoye had never paid these female workers their wages, but she had given them pocket money a few times.

But she had also spent quite a bit of money on these female workers. Not long ago, she bought cloth and silk to let them make new quilts for themselves.

When it gets cold, she’ll buy cloth and silk again for these female workers to make padded jackets for themselves.

These things were not cheap.

She also bought washbasins and other items for them. Now these female workers already had quite a few possessions, more than the dowry of rural girls.

“Yes, give them some money so they can also buy things.” Li Qingzhi agreed.

The family discussed their plan to go to the lantern festival tomorrow, and many families in Chongcheng County were also talking about it.

The people from Miaoqian Village were looking forward to the lantern festival.

“I heard that the lantern festival is even livelier than the temple fair.”

“My brother went to see it yesterday, and there’s even a stage set up! There will be opera performances!”

“I must go and see.”

“Our whole family is going.”

…

At the riverbank of Miaoqian Village, everyone agreed to go see the lantern festival together tomorrow, and then they saw Jin Liushu and Jin Sangshu coming back on a boat.

The specialties from Juewei Restaurant weren’t cheap. Now people in the village rarely bought from Jin Liushu, except for a man whose wife had just given birth, who bought two braised eggs from him.

It’s uncomfortable to have a baby during hot weather. His wife had no appetite and couldn’t eat anything, only these braised eggs could stimulate her appetite.

“Jin Liushu, are you going to the lantern festival tomorrow?” people in the village asked.

“Of course! I’m going to set up a stall to sell braised dried tofu and braised eggs!”

“That’s really good, I’m sure many people will buy.”

“I heard many people will set up stalls.”

“The more stalls, the better, we can stroll around!”

…

While everyone was chatting, Jin Xiaoshu came back.

People asked Jin Xiaoshu if he was going to set up a stall.

“I’m not going. I have something to do tomorrow, I have to go to the prefectural city.”

When they went to the prefectural city before, they looked at a few shops. Jin Xiaoshu will go there tomorrow and rent one of them.

When Fang Xiuniang cleans up the shop, invites a carpenter to make a counter, and makes a signboard, the “Juewei Restaurant” in the prefectural city will be open.

On this side of Chongcheng County, he has already rented a shop, and the counter has been made.

In a few days, his parents will be able to open the shop in the city.

Jin Xiaoshu was already thinking about buying a piece of land near the new dock to build a house, or buying a house in the city to live in, which would be more convenient.

“What’s the prefectural city like, Xiaoshu?” people in the village asked curiously.

They were really envious of Jin Xiaoshu. Jin Xiaoshu used to be just an ordinary kid, but now?

He bought a boat, married a beautiful wife, and had a child… and he even went to the prefectural city!

Jin Xiaoshu picked some stories about the prefectural city and the villagers listened with relish.

While the villagers were eagerly looking forward to the lantern festival, the city people were even more so.

Compared to the villagers, the city people had some money in hand.

They were ready with money now, just waiting to spend it tomorrow!

The neighbors of the Fang family were discussing, “I heard that the area near the new dock is already filled with lanterns.”

“Yes, it’s true. Those lanterns have words written on them by the young master of Magistrate Gou’s family. If you touch them, you’ll receive blessings!”

“Those are just ordinary lanterns. If you want to see something beautiful, it’s the lanterns made by those shops! The porcelain shop even made a particularly large lotus lantern to place on the roof.”

…

Both Mrs. Fang and Fang Zijian heard these words.

If it were before, Mrs. Fang would definitely go and take a look at such festivities, and so would Fang Zijian.

Back then, they had money in hand and could buy some food and drinks.

But now…

Mrs. Fang and Fang Zijian exchanged glances, their expressions a bit gloomy.

When Fang Xiuniang was alive, even though Fang Zijian couldn’t continue his studies, they could still get by with the money spent to redeem Fang Zijian, thanks to Fang Xiuniang’s ability to earn money.

She not only earned money, but also took care of all the household chores.

But now, with Fang Xiuniang gone…

What’s more infuriating is that before Fang Xiuniang jumped into the river, she even went to collect her wages!

As a result, after Fang Xiuniang’s incident, Mrs. Fang and Fang Zijian not only faced criticism from others, but also had no money left to spend!

Mrs. Fang’s embroidery work had never been as good as her two daughters’, and with the help of her two daughters earning money… she actually didn’t do much embroidery before.

She always told Fang Zijian that she had raised him through hardships, but in reality, it was his two sisters who supported him.

Now that Fang Jinxiang is married and Fang Xiuniang is gone… their family almost couldn’t afford to eat.

Fortunately, Fang Zijian’s books were valuable… Mrs. Fang sold them, which could sustain them for a while.

But this wasn’t a long-term solution.

“Mother, let’s move away,” Fang Zijian said to Mrs. Fang.

He hadn’t been out for a long time, but as soon as he went out, he was pointed and talked about, which he couldn’t bear.

“Mother, we don’t have money on hand, where can we go? Originally, it was agreed that your second sister would become someone’s concubine and they would give you a job, but now your second sister is gone…”

“Mother, I have the ability, I’m sure I can find a job!” Fang Zijian said.

“It’s not that easy! Going to another place, renting a house, everything costs money…”

“Isn’t it the same here? Mother, I’m definitely leaving. If you don’t want to go, then stay here!” Fang Zijian hardened his heart.

Mrs. Fang suddenly became afraid, “Mother will go, Mother will go with you.”

Mrs. Fang didn’t want to go to another place, after all, she had never been out before.

And she still had some life experience… she knew that if they went to another place, their life might not necessarily be good.

But Fang Zijian was determined to leave… then they should leave, her son was so clever, he would definitely find a way to support them.

The two of them began to plan to sell their belongings and leave with the money.

The lantern festival in the county town was coming up, and no one paid attention to them, so they could leave quietly.

Fang Zijian really didn’t want to stay in this place any longer!

In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.

The lantern festival was in the evening, so during the day everyone did their own things. Li Qingzhi took the three children to school as usual.

But today… there was unrest among the students in Li Xiucai’s school.

Even Xu Qifei seemed a little absent-minded.