The afternoon sun was warm, driving away the cold of spring. The clouds in the sky were leisurely, making people feel better.
In front of the artificial lake Between the Clouds and the Water, an old man and four young people sat together. From time to time, the sound of reciting could be heard. There was also the old man's deep voice explaining.
Lil 'Red had nothing to do, so it drove Furry over with some ducks and geese. The surface of the lake reflected the wooden building and the ducks and geese.
The old man closed the book and said to Zhang Xiaobao, Wang Juan, Liu 'er, and his granddaughter, "Okay, that's all for today. Go back and take a look. If there's anything you don't understand, come back next time."
"Alright, Grandpa Bi. Let's go for a walk and eat something while we're at it." Xiaobao also closed his little notebook. He and Wang Juan had been taking notes the whole time so that they could slowly read it when they got back.
"Grandpa, I don't understand what you're saying." The old man's granddaughter was a little anxious when she saw that everyone else seemed to have learned something, but she didn't understand at all.
The old man patted his granddaughter's head and said, "Xin Er, don't be anxious. Take your time to learn. When I taught you before, you didn't learn. Now that you see others learning, you're anxious?"
Xin Er nodded. She looked at Liu 'er and said, "I used to think that I was smart, but then I met Liu' er. Liu 'er knows so many things. If I don't learn now, I'll be done for."
"It's good that you know how to learn. There's still time. Let's go. Walk around with grandpa." The old man stood up. Zhang Xiaobao and the others followed him out. Now, the corridor had been repaired and connected to the pavilion. Who said that they couldn't repair things in winter? As long as they were willing to spend money, they could still do it.
Everyone walked out. Liu 'er respectfully walked beside Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. She was no longer as thin and weak as she was when she first came here. She had grown taller and was carefree all day. She didn't have to take care of her younger brother. Zhuangzi had arranged for someone to take care of her.
She only needed to study on time with the teacher who was specially invited for her. She only needed to eat, have fun, and sleep well. After Bi Shangshu came over, she followed a classmate. No matter what, Bi Shangshu was better than the teacher who was invited. He was full of talent.
The five of them walked in the direction of the mountain. At this time, the grass had already drilled out of the soil, revealing tender green sprouts. It would grow up in a few days.
From time to time, there would be little swallows flying back from the south, chirping as they swept across the sky. The house that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan lived in had a swallow's nest. It was in the lattice above the door frame, and there was a small hole on the side that was connected to the outside for the convenience of the swallows. Otherwise, the swallows would have to wait for someone to open the door before they could fly in and out.
There were also swallows making nests under the eaves. When such people were happy, they envied the people who let the swallows into the house. Every time the weather was hot, they would see people sitting at the door with the door open and watch the swallows enter and leave. They would hope that the swallows under the eaves could also enter.
The group walked up the mountain. Liu 'er and Xin Er skipped around the old man. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were much more stable. They followed step by step and looked at the fields beside them from time to time. It was a scene of prosperity.
When the five of them saw that they had reached the foot of the mountain, two people from the protection team finally came to accompany them. When they saw them, they thought that they would turn back. They didn't expect that the five of them would want to go up the mountain. Naturally, they had to send people to protect them.
"I heard that there's a spring in this mountain. It's not small, is it?" The old man looked at the mountain in front of him and asked Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao replied with certainty, "Yes, there are a few springs. That one is the biggest and is used to raise things. I don't know if the prawns and crabs will be so stupid that they don't know how to drill into the hole in the winter. After the spring plowing is over, I'll get someone to build a pavilion there. During summer, when people come here to play, we can go over and take a look."
The old man narrowed his eyes and thought for a while. He asked, "The place where the animals are raised in the mountain is not under your two families' control, right?"
"It's not under their control. If someone wants to take it, let them do it. My mother said that now is the time to take advantage of them." The old man was already used to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's intelligence. Zhang Xiaobao didn't hide much when he spoke, just like a little adult.
The old man didn't say anything this time and continued to walk forward. After walking for half an hour, they stood at the top of the mountain. When they saw the pool of water below, the old man said, "In the future, we will be neighbors. Give this land to me, two thousand mu. I will retire and return to my hometown. This is a favor that the Emperor can still give."
Hearing the old man's words, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's eyes lit up. This was a good thing. There was one more person in Zhuangzi. Others would have to think carefully before they came to cause trouble. A retired person was not to be trifled with. If Li Xun grew up and got a fief, he would leave.
"Grandpa Bi, don't you want to go back to your hometown? If you want to live here, just tell me where you want to live, and I'll tell my family to build a house for you there. You can't live on the mountain, after all. When there's production in your land, we'll help you sell it and split the profits. "
Zhang Xiaobao looked around, wanting to find a suitable place to live and build a house for the old man.
The old man laughed, "You little child, why should I split the output in my land with you? Who asked you to raise them? I will just treat them as wild prawns and crabs. En, I will send someone to guard them when I go back later, in case someone steals them and throws them into the pond. "
Zhang Xiaobao looked serious and stared hard at the pool below. He said, "Grandpa Bi, there is no need to trouble your people. I can help. But this place to block the water was built by my family. How about this, when Grandpa Bi sells the prawns and crabs to my family, my family will find a way to sell them. Grandpa Bi, this will save you a lot of trouble."
Zhang Xiaobao knew that the old man was joking with them, so he was willing to chat with the old man. How much money could the prawns and crabs have? He didn't care, and the old man didn't care either.
A gust of wind came out. The old man took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He asked, "Then tell me, where should I sell them?"
"Grandpa Bi, you promised to help my father, right?" Zhang Xiaobao didn't answer. Instead, he asked a question in return.
"I promised. Why would I lie to a child like you? Hehe, tell me quickly. If I let you sell them, where will you sell them? " The old man was stunned when he heard Zhang Xiaobao's words. He didn't know what selling prawns and crabs had to do with his father's imperial examination.
Zhang Xiaobao coughed and said, "Sell them to Between the Clouds and the Water. Some of our family's servants' transactions are settled separately, and they are also recorded separately. We can't take the things in the mountains and the water directly to the restaurant.
The prawns and crabs here aren't that good. It's hard to make good dishes, so we can only make simple dishes and some green vegetables. We have to make at least twenty kinds of dishes, including cold dishes. The hot dishes are stir-fried in a big pot. One pot is enough for hundreds of people to eat. The prawns and crabs here are just right. "
"If we stir-fry them in a big pot, the taste won't be as good as usual, right? Xiao Bao, Between the Clouds and the Water still wants to make money? "The old man felt that Xiao Bao wasn't stupid. How could he come up with such an idea?
"Grandpa Bi, are you sure you want to help my father?" Zhang Xiaobao asked again.
"I'm sure. Child, tell me quickly. Hehe!" Zhang Xiaobao made the old man so angry that he laughed.
Zhang Xiaobao then said, "These things are used to make boxed lunches. If we stir-fry them in advance, others will eat faster. There's no need to wait. Once Grandpa Bi's nephew's river is connected, then this side …"
Zhang Xiaobao told the old man what he had just said to Wang Juan. At first, the old man didn't think much of it, but as he listened, he was stunned. He helped Zhang Xiaobao's father with the condition that the Zhang family would suffer losses when they connected the river. From the looks of it, he didn't suffer any losses. He agreed to help Zhang Xiaobao, but he was the one who suffered losses.
The big pot of rice was specially sold to the boatmen and those who weren't rich. It was faster to stir-fry dishes with a big pot, and one pot could produce a lot of food. That way, they could earn half a copper coin. After a long time, so many people would eat it, and it wouldn't be a small amount.
"Xiao Bao, did you come up with this idea?" the old man asked.
"Yes, I'm the smartest. I know everything." Zhang Xiaobao puffed out his chest and answered.
"Child, don't lie to me. Did you and Cuckoo go back to Zhuangzi and have other people teach you?" How could the old man believe him?
"No, definitely not. We're the smartest." Zhang Xiaobao denied.
"Good, smart. It's definitely not because there are other people who teach you these things. I'm not in a hurry. There will be a day when we meet." The old man was even more certain that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had other people teaching them. That person taught Zhang Xiaobao everything in this area. That was why Zhang Xiaobao could come up with this idea when they met.
After a few days of observation, he found that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were smarter than Liu 'er. They definitely weren't the kind of people who didn't use one corner and reverse three corners. As long as someone taught them something, they would be able to use it when they encountered similar situations.
Thinking of the person teaching them behind the scenes, the old man sighed. Since they didn't want to meet, he could only wait. He patted Zhang Xiaobao's head and said, "Little liar, you tricked me into helping you for free. Haha."
"Yes." Wang Juan made a sound on the other side and nodded vigorously. Then, she shook her head and said, "You're a big liar."
"Hahahaha." The old man laughed heartily.
Zhang Xiaobao didn't care. So what if he was a liar? A liar who did things for the people was a good liar. He picked up a mushroom under a tree. It was a frozen mushroom. At this time, the frozen mushrooms just happened to be out. He pierced it with a straw stick and said,
"Grandpa Bi, your nephew also benefited a lot. Learn this. You can learn this too. Don't think that you can't make much money. I think you can make a penny. Making and selling boxed meals requires people and things. This way, the people who have nothing to do can have more income. They don't have to go through the trouble of taking out some of the locally produced things."
The old man also thought of this point. It seemed that he really had to connect the river. It was a good thing for the people. Even if there were difficulties, he had to do it. Besides, there weren't any difficulties.
"Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, when you go back later, tell your families to hurry up and dig the river. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can do something for the people. As an old man, I can also do something for the court."
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