Chapter 51: Business 2/3

“Xiaoye, you can earn two silver coins a day?” Li Laogen gasped in surprise.

Jin Xiaoye earned much more than two silver coins in a day, but she didn’t dare to tell Li Laogen too much: “Yes, I can earn about two silver coins a day now. In a month, I can earn about five or six taels of silver. Dad, just enjoy eating meat without worries.”

Li Laogen’s anxiety disappeared instantly: “Xiaoye, you’re really good at making money. You’re definitely the most capable wife in our village! Xiaoye, I bought tofu and meat today and cooked something delicious for you. You must eat more!”

Li Qingzhi: “…” The tofu and meat were bought by him, and he even instructed Li Laogen on how to cook the vegetables!

During the day, Li Qingzhi praised the butcher who came to sell meat, bought two and a half pounds of good fatty meat, used the fat to render lard, and then instructed Li Laogen to pour the leftover bits of oil into the pot, stir-fry some greens, and then add tofu to make a pot of braised tofu with oil residue.

As for the lean meat, Li Qingzhi chopped it up and mixed it with beaten eggs, then steamed it on a steaming rack, making minced meat steamed eggs.

The meal was still hot, and everyone gathered around the table to eat.

Having eaten well these past few months, Li Laogen’s complexion had improved a lot. Feeling much better after knowing about Jin Xiaoye’s income, he eagerly grabbed a large piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it into his bowl.

Seeing this, Jin Xiaoye got up and divided the meat, then poured the soup from her bowl into the bowls of the three children.

There was oil in the soup, which was a good thing.

In modern times, people say that meat soup is not good, but Li Qingzhi didn’t stop Jin Xiaoye from giving the meat soup to the three children.

Their family’s food was considered good in the village, but compared to modern standards, it wasn’t much. Take tonight, for example… After removing the fat, there was only a bit over a pound of meat left from those two pounds. And who was eating the meat? Their family of five plus Jin Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaodou totals seven people!

In the end, each person didn’t get much meat, plus they had high activity levels… they still lacked enough food.

“This meat is really delicious!” Li Laogen enjoyed the meal and then asked Jin Xiaoye, “Xiaoye, it’s time to harvest our grains. How should we do it?”

Jin Xiaoye replied, “Dad, after I finish eating, I’ll go out and find someone to help harvest the rice. You can watch them work.”

“We’re going to hire people to help harvest the rice?” Li Laogen was extremely delighted.

In his view, only families with money would do this. Were they wealthy now?

“Yes, we’re hiring help,” Jin Xiaoye said, then looked at Li Damao and Li Ermao and said, “Damao, Ermao, when we harvest the rice, you two can also go to the fields and help pick the rice ears.”

“Okay!” Li Damao and Li Ermao immediately agreed.

Jin Xiaoye continued, “I’ve checked our rice. We’ll start harvesting the day after tomorrow. I’ve already ordered a rice bucket, and it will be delivered tomorrow. Then we’ll have them thresh the rice in the fields, and the straw will be dried there as well…”

Jin Xiaoye had already made plans for all of this, and as she said, she went out to find people right after eating.

Once Jin Xiaoye left, Li Laogen also immediately went out.

Jin Xiaoye earns two silver coins a day, he definitely had to tell someone about this!

Li Laogen went to the neighboring Yao family.

He was about the same age as Mr. Yao. When he was young, no one looked at him, but Mr. Yao managed to marry the beautiful and capable Yao Mother.

Although Yao Zhenfu was ugly, Yao Mother was actually quite pretty. It’s just that after years of hard work, the Yao mother in her forties no longer showed the youthfulness she had when she was young.

During this period, Yao Mother’s temper improved a lot.

In fact, she used to be annoyed with people all the time, partly because she was at the age of menopause and always felt uncomfortable, and partly because… Yao Zhenfu spent too much money.

As the money at home dwindled, she felt particularly anxious.

Although they had sold four acres of land, ever since Yao Zhenfu stopped going to school, the money at home increased day by day, which improved her mood. Plus, she didn’t dare to argue with Jin Moli… they stopped quarreling altogether.

However, today, the atmosphere in the Yao family wasn’t good.

The Yao family used to have twelve acres of land, but since Mr. Yao had to manage the boat, they couldn’t harvest it all by themselves, so they had always hired people to help.

But now they only had six acres of land left, and Yao Zhenfu was still idle at home. Mr. Yao and Yao Mother wanted him to help with the rice harvest.

But Yao Zhenfu was unwilling.

Although Yao Zhenfu started studying at a young age, he grew up in the countryside and knew how hard it was to harvest rice.

Moreover, going to the fields to harvest rice… that was too embarrassing!

“Father, Mother, I’m taking the county exam next year, so I have to study at home now.” It was impossible for him to work in the fields. Not in this lifetime!

Mr. Yao frowned, “It’s only six acres of land. It won’t take much time.”

“While others study late into the night, if I don’t study during the day, can I still pass the exam?” Yao Zhenfu insisted, refusing to comply.

But although he spoke confidently, he actually felt scared inside.

He hadn’t studied much these days.

He had been repeatedly reading the textbooks he had bought before, even copying them with a pen… but he just didn’t want to study.

Yao Zhenfu knew he was in the wrong, but he couldn’t help it.

“You’ve been studying for so many years, but you still haven’t passed!” Mr. Yao said.

Yao Zhenfu felt even more uneasy and was about to say something when he heard Li Laogen’s voice outside the door, “Mr. Yao, are you there?”

“Yes, Li Laogen, what’s up?” Mr. Yao asked.

“It’s nothing… your family had meat today, and so did ours. Ah Qing bought two pounds of meat and finished it all in one meal. I told him it’s too wasteful to eat like this, but he wouldn’t listen!” Li Laogen laughed with his mouth wide open, revealing only a few remaining teeth.

The Yao family members: “…”. They did have meat today, but they just chopped up a little meat and stir-fried it with pickled vegetables. The meat was so scarce that it was hardly visible.

Did Li Laogen come to their house to show off?

Li Laogen was indeed showing off, “These young people nowadays, as soon as they earn a little money, they spend it recklessly. Xiaoye can earn two silver coins a day, yet she wants to eat meat every day. Who eats like that! It’s like they’re living the same life as those rich landlords in the county!”

The Yao family members didn’t want to talk to Li Laogen.

But Li Laogen was full of enthusiasm, “We only have this little land, yet Xiaoye wants to hire people to harvest rice. Unbelievable…”

Li Laogen had always been looked down upon before, but now he finally turned over a new leaf with his cheap son and daughter-in-law. He looked like a petty man who had achieved success.