Chapter 27: Shared Benefits
In the days of waiting for the county test, life in the Yun family was regular and happy. Every morning, that stout snake would emerge from a certain corner, its belly full and round, lazily coiled into a snake-like shape, waiting for the sunlight to shine on it automatically.
Then a yellow dog would stretch out its four limbs, arch its back up and down several times, and consider that its morning exercise. At this time, a girl in a blue blouse would come out of the bamboo building with a water bucket, carefully closing the bamboo door behind her, climbing down the small building on the bamboo ladder, first going to see her beloved two pigs, finding them sleeping sweetly in the hay nest, and then happily carrying the water bucket to the riverbank.
"Salted meat, did your young master sleep with you last night?" A plump woman with disheveled hair and carrying a water bucket was dozing off, but upon seeing the salted meat, she immediately became spirited, came over, and blinked her small eyes as she asked.
"Our young master is a scholar, so refined and elegant. He will marry a delicate official's daughter in the future, unlike your second egg who bullies you to death every day." When it comes to talking about vulgar things, the mountain girls are not ashamed at all. Many 12 or 13-year-old girls have children, and they are also influenced by the brothels, so they don't feel embarrassed at all.
"Silly woman, you won't find a good man in the mountains. Your young master is so delicate and tender that even a pinch of his skin would make water come out, he's more tender than the flesh on my nipples! If he doesn't sleep with you, can't you just wait until the young master falls asleep and then go find your way into his bed? What a great opportunity this is! Your young master is also kind-hearted, as long as he sleeps with you, he will definitely give you a name in the future. Seize it, tonight!"
As soon as the young woman finished speaking, a rough and loud aunt took over to educate the cured meat.
By the riverbank was a gathering place for gossip, where long-tongued women would get together and first glance at Lao Rou's body, asking him to walk a few steps so they could take a look. They all said that there's no mouse that doesn't steal oil, it must be that Lao Rou is too bold, scaring the timid master.
Cured meat walked to the upper reaches of a small river, found two large leaves and carefully washed them clean. After washing the water bucket several times, it was filled with water and covered with large leaves on the surface before carrying it back home.
As she walked, she couldn't help but think about it, and sometimes her face would flush red. But whenever she thought of the young master not even wanting to take a second glance at that beautiful Miss Liang, her heart would secretly ache.
Lived for thirteen years, only these two months have lived like a human being. When I was hung naked on the wooden frame, I just thought about whether I could survive or not. I didn't expect to fall into a blessed life suddenly. Mother said that women cannot be greedy, under the protection of the young master, if I can live out this life like this, it is already a great blessing. Don't think too much.
From a distance, I saw the two young masters standing on the bamboo building and starting to make those strange movements again. The joy in Larou's heart was surging and almost overflowing. When she found that they had started jumping up and down, she couldn't help but quicken her pace. As long as they started jumping up and down, it meant they had finished their work and were about to start washing up.
"This mountain water is sweet." Yun Zheng took a sip of water, started to brush his teeth with a willow branch that had been stripped of its flowers and dipped in green salt, carefully cleaned his teeth, rinsed his mouth, and only then discovered that Yun Er had already finished. He walked forward, pinched open this guy's mouth to check, and indeed, there was still a strand of green vegetables stuck between his teeth. Roughly, he helped Yun Er clean his teeth, and only then did he enter the bamboo building with satisfaction.
"You're hurting me." Yun Er complained while kicking Yun Da's heel with her foot.
"In this era, if you don't brush your teeth properly, when the time comes and you have a toothache, who do you expect to find a dentist for you? I'm doing it on purpose, just to make you remember." Yun Da walked over to a low table with his hands behind his back and sat down.
Cured meat had already brought up the hot congee with added beans, and also took out a dish of wild vegetables pickled in salt. The three people started eating breakfast, and while drinking the congee, Yundajie told Yun'er and Cured Meat that he planned to take them to Dou Sha Guan for a stroll today, and also pay a visit to Old Zhu Bo, to finalize the exam matters early. According to Liu Doutou, there were only five or six days left before the exam.
When he saw himself going out, the cured meat hastily finished drinking the thin porridge and ran downstairs to feed the pigs and cows. He also had to wipe the cow cart clean, as the young master couldn't stand dirtiness.
By the time we set off, the sun had already climbed more than a zhang high on the mountain. The mountainside was shrouded in mist and fog, which was extremely annoying. In other places, the fog would disperse as soon as the sun rose, but only in this valley, the sun had to rise and dry up the dew before the fog would appear.
The wooden wheels of the ox cart creaked, and Yun Er stood in the bamboo basket, pointing to the wild chickens that occasionally flew up from the grass, asking Yun Da again and again if he could catch one for him.
This kind of retaliatory language is usually ignored, but the cured meat will chatter and tell Cloud Two that this kind of flower girl's meat is lewd and can't be eaten, so it will fly everywhere and no one will catch them.
"I just like being naughty." Yun Er continued to be unreasonable, and even wanted to catch the cured meat. Yun Da slapped him on the forehead, and only then did he sit quietly in the bamboo basket, pouting.
When passing by the big green stone, two catchers were guarding there with knives, and all idle people would be driven away. Several other catchers were constantly transporting goods into the mountain valley. Today was another trading day, and the catchers were very busy.
"Yun Da, try some of the new mountain goods." A basket of bamboo shoots was tossed over, Liu Doutou wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat down on Yun Da's ox cart with a thud, lifting up his robe to fan himself, looking utterly exhausted.
"Listen, the mountain people trust me, every transaction requires my presence to be assured of a smooth deal. Now that spring has just begun, we mainly collect mountain delicacies and some bamboo rats, do you want them?"
"Of course, I'm here to get some gifts. Today I have to visit the old master, as a junior apprentice, it's not good to see my teacher with empty hands." Yun Zheng's eyes widened and his mouth opened like a lion.
Liu Dutou laughed so hard that he couldn't catch his breath, pointing at Yun Zheng intermittently: "I knew you weren't someone who would suffer a loss, do you know what the old steward said when I came?"
"He said, 'The young master of the Yun family will definitely come to visit me today. The reason he didn't come in the past few days was that he didn't have a suitable gift. Be careful, you might get robbed today!' Haha, indeed, I just opened up and the robber has already arrived!"
Yun Zheng couldn't help but laugh and after a while, he grabbed Liu Dou's hand and said: "Do you know how to make this business last forever?"
Liu Dutou hastily cupped his hands and said: "Please instruct."
"It's nothing more than sharing the benefits, what you're doing now is correct. By this time, you should know how much profit there is in this business. As long as you don't think about monopolizing it, ten years later, I might even hear your name mentioned in the imperial reports in the capital!" Yun Zheng said matter-of-factly.
Recommendations and collections needed.
