noffsinger Chapter 280 The "life-saving money" was earned by the second brother, one copper coin at a
Chapter 280 The "life-saving money" was earned by the second brother, one copper coin at a
Lin Xi left Da Niu's room.
Ah Li, who was standing next to him, opened the door and asked curiously, "Big brother, are you going to call Da Niu?"
He's on vacation, let him sleep a little longer, he'll get up and practice his kung fu on his own!
Lin Xi felt ashamed; even Ah Li knew this, but he, as her "father," knew nothing about it.
Lin Xi could only sob softly as she nestled into Gao Mengli's arms, who had just come out of the room.
A-Li: ...
My brother's "little sweetheart" is really catching everyone off guard.
Ah Li quickly raised her hands to assure him, "Sister-in-law, I didn't bully him, really!"
Gao Mengli looked at Lin Xi's feigned aggrieved appearance, feeling both amused and annoyed. She gently patted his back and said, "That's enough. I'm going to the slaughterhouse to keep an eye on things. Do you want to come?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xi immediately perked up, straightened up from Gao Mengli's embrace, and straightened her clothes.
He glanced at Ah Li, then cleared his throat: "Go, if we're going, let's go quickly!"
After saying that, he grabbed Gao Mengli's hand and ran outside.
Ah Li watched the two figures from behind, her lips twitching violently.
Da Niu opened the door and looked at A Li standing next to him with a happy expression: "Good morning, Auntie!"
Ah Li rubbed Da Niu's head: "Good morning, Da Niu. Hurry up and go wash up and practice your horse stance in the yard."
Da Niu nodded obediently, and after washing up, he recited his lessons and practiced horse stance in the yard.
For parts he didn't remember, Ah Li would promptly remind him with the book.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's already two days before Lunar New Year's Eve.
Gao Mengli, along with A Li and Lin Xi, cleaned the house spotlessly.
She looked up at the clean door frame. It was Chinese New Year, and they had to put up Spring Festival couplets, but no one in the family could write them well enough to be presentable.
Da Niu held Gao Mengli's hand: "Mom, we can ask Uncle Jiang to write some Spring Festival couplets!"
After all, Jiangbei is a scholar, so his calligraphy must be quite impressive.
Gao Mengli nodded: "Okay! Let's go quickly!"
With that, he threw the broom to Lin Xi, grabbed Da Niu, and hurried towards his aunt's house.
She wasn't alone in thinking this way; the whole village was thinking the same thing!
So my aunt's house was always bustling with people.
Gao Mengli and Da Niu were dumbfounded. How could they possibly squeeze in?!
At this moment, the village chief, beaming with joy, squeezed out of his aunt's house with several pairs of Spring Festival couplets in his hands.
Gao Mengli quickly stepped forward: "Village Chief!"
Hearing the shout, the village chief stopped and turned around to see Gao Mengli and Da Niu. He smiled broadly and said, "Lin family, are you also here to ask Scholar Jiang to write Spring Festival couplets?"
Gao Mengli nodded somewhat helplessly: "Yes, village chief, look at this scene, we don't even know when we'll be able to get in line. Have you already received your Spring Festival couplets?"
The village chief nodded: "Yes, I came early this morning, and I just got the Spring Festival couplets!"
"Those calligraphy pieces by Scholar Jiang, once pasted up, truly bring out the festive spirit!"
As he spoke, he turned to head back.
Just then, a few people walked over from a distance. The village chief paused, walked up to them, and asked with a puzzled look, "Which village are you from? You don't look familiar."
The villager in the lead bowed to the village chief and said, "We are villagers from Qingquan Village. There is only one scholar in Jiangbei in this area, and we would like to ask Scholar Jiang to help us write a few Spring Festival couplets!"
They paid five copper coins for a pair of Spring Festival couplets, and they brought enough coins to come all the way here!
Qingquan Village?
Gao Mengli nodded knowingly. This was her uncle and aunt's village, not far away.
It must have been my uncle who told the villagers, so they knew about the scholar from Jiangbei.
The village chief frowned, looking troubled: "Fellow villagers, I understand your feelings."
"But look at this scene! People from our own village are lining up in a long queue, waiting from morning till night. Even if Jiang Xiucai didn't stop working, he couldn't possibly keep up in such a short time."
The leading villager from Qingquan Village hurriedly handed over the cloth bag in his hand, smiling and saying, "Village Chief, you see, we know that Scholar Jiang has worked hard."
We brought all the five-cash couplets we had written, not a single one less, so that we wouldn't let Scholar Jiang work for nothing.
Moreover, we've come all this way, hoping to share in the auspiciousness of Scholar Jiang's calligraphy. Please, be kind enough to make an exception for us."
Since there's money to be made, why would we pass it on?
Gao Mengli stepped forward and whispered two cricket sounds in the village chief's ear: "Village chief, we have one scholar in our village, but we also have the potential to become a provincial graduate and the talent to become a metropolitan graduate!"
"A Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination)? A Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination)?"
The village chief frowned. Where did Wangyue Village get such a scholar and a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)?
After a long pause, the village chief suddenly realized: "You mean Lord Dou and Master Qin?"
Is it really a good idea to have the county magistrate and his advisor write Spring Festival couplets?
Moreover, it's only five coins a pair, and it's uncertain whether they'll even do it.
Knowing the village chief's concerns, Gao Mengli quickly waved her hand: "Village chief, just go and say it's five copper coins a pair. You don't need to persuade him; Lord Dou will bring people over!"
"Really...really?"
The village chief was skeptical, but he still nodded in agreement and quickly went to ask around. If it didn't work, he would reject the requests from other villagers as soon as possible.
The village chief underestimated Dou Weiyi's ambition to make money.
He had just started to say that a pair of Spring Festival couplets cost five copper coins, but hadn't finished speaking.
Dou Weiyi was so excited that her hands and feet trembled. She slapped her forehead and said with a face full of regret, "I should have thought of this business earlier. I made a mistake!"
With the Lunar New Year approaching, this is the peak season for business.
After the Lunar New Year, both public toilets and oil mills will see a significant decrease in income and expenditure for some time.
He never disliked money; no matter how little, little by little, it would add up!
He immediately grabbed his pen and ink and ran to his father's yard to call Qin Shen Shen.
Seeing his "idle" older brother leisurely practicing boxing, he quickly pulled him over as well.
"Brother, come with me quickly, let's write Spring Festival couplets and earn some money!"
Dou Zhan was taken aback by Dou Weiyi's energetic enthusiasm. He stopped what he was doing and looked bewildered: "Writing Spring Festival couplets? Making money? What's going on?"
"Come with me first, I'll explain when we get there."
Dou Zhan quickly wiped the sweat from his face and hurriedly followed Dou Weiyi into the village.
When the village chief saw that Dou Weiyi had gone to call for help, he returned early and set up a table in front of Jiangbei's house.
Seeing the three approaching, he quickly waved to them: "Lord Dou, over here!"
Dou Weiyi led Dou Zhan and Qin Shensheng to the table and neatly arranged the brush, ink, paper and inkstone.
Then he cleared his throat and said loudly, "Fellow villagers, today we will make a fool of ourselves and write some Spring Festival couplets for you."
The purpose of pasting Spring Festival couplets during the Lunar New Year is to bring joy and good fortune, even though we are not professional writers and poets.
But the pen in his hand was also quite strong, and the characters he wrote were sure to satisfy everyone.
Five coins a pair, line up if you want some!
Dou Zhan was somewhat shocked. Looking at his second brother's practiced business acumen in attracting customers, his eyes reddened.
His second brother had previously paid no less than a hundred taels of silver each time to redeem him.
These were all "life-saving funds" earned for him by his second brother, one copper coin at a time.
Without saying a word, he picked up his pen and wrote a picture on the side.
The general's handwriting was vigorous and powerful, penetrating the paper. The dot in the character "福" (fortune) was like a spear thrusting straight through, full of immense force.
The strokes, one left and one right, resemble a wielded broadsword, exuding a powerful and majestic aura.
The surrounding villagers were taken aback at first, then burst into cheers.
Gao Mengli really liked this wild and powerful calligraphy: "I want this one!"
General Dou, please write nine more!
Upon hearing this, Da Niu quickly picked up his own Spring Festival couplets and placed them on the open ground to dry!
In the blink of an eye, General Dou had ordered ten paintings!
Upon seeing this, the villagers first looked at each other in bewilderment, then came to their senses and immediately erupted in a commotion.
"Oh dear, I was too late! General Dou's calligraphy is so powerful, it's sure to ward off evil spirits and protect the house!"
"Exactly, I need to book right away, or I'll miss this opportunity."
In an instant, everyone rushed forward, shouting that they wanted to reserve Dou Zhan's calligraphy.
Of course, we also need the calligraphy of Lord Dou and Master Qin; both of them have the auspicious name!
Seeing the lively scene, Dou Wei was overjoyed, as if he were seeing coins flowing into his pocket; he couldn't stop smiling.
While maintaining order, they shouted, "Don't push, everyone! There's enough for everyone! Line up and come one at a time."
Seeing the bustling scene, Gao Mengli quickly led Da Niu out.
Looking at the Spring Festival couplets drying on the open ground, she reached out to collect them.
The moment she touched the Spring Festival couplets, her mind automatically started playing: "Happy mushrooms, sprouting sticky mycelium~"