The husband's son-in-law

There is an old saying that once Laba is over, it is a new year.

Local people in Zhaozhou don’t celebrate the Laba Festival very much, but Lifu must celebrate it.In addition to Laba porridge and Laba garlic, Li Da asked the servants in the mansion what you eat here for the New Year.

"Red bean rice, peanut soup."

Li Da said that they should all be prepared, and do as the Romans do when they go to the countryside.Laba Garlic was pickled in a jar every week, and it was pickled on this day, and it would be disassembled by the New Year's Eve, and delivered at that time.

From top to bottom in the Tianfu, Laba porridge and peanut soup were eaten.

Sweet, Fu Bao stuck out his tongue and licked his mouth. He looked at the empty small bowl, then looked at Grandpa's big bowl, his eyes glowed with envy, and then he went to look at Dad, and the bowl was so big oh.

Why Fubao's small bowl?

"Yo Fufu's finished eating? So fast." Seeing Fubao's pitiful appearance, Li Da knew that Fubao wanted to have another bowl.Fubao likes to eat sweets, and has been like this since he was a child. Zhou Zhou listened to Zhao'er's words, saying that eating too much sweets is not good for his teeth, so he is tight.But Li Da felt sorry for his grandson, looked at Zhou Zhou, and said, "It's a big festival, we Fufu can't go hungry, can we?"

Fu Bao hugged his little bowl and nodded to Grandpa, then went to see Father.

Li Zhouzhou laughed angrily, and did the same trick again, but today is the holiday, and told Li Chun next to him: "Give him half a spoonful, he just drank a small bowl of porridge, he should be able to support himself later."

Fu Bao smiled happily, with rows of white teeth, "Thank you, Aunt Chun~" with a rising sound at the end.

"Young master, you are welcome." Li Chun took the bowl to fill the soup.

Fu Bao obediently waited for his peanut soup, and when he came back this time, he took a small spoon and ate it slowly, eating with relish, and said: "The peanut soup is delicious, grandpa drinks it, daddy drinks it, when will daddy come back?" Let's drink together."

Gu Zhao, who asked the servants to stop him from making a sound outside the door, entered the side hall door, and heard Fu Bao's witty words. This jingle was better than him, and Fu Bao was only four years old.

My birthday was half a month ago.

Gu Zhao couldn't make it in time outside, so he walked into the side hall with a gift and said, "Daddy, try Fufu's peanut soup, is it good?"

"Father?!" Fu Bao was still enjoying the soup, but when he heard the sound, he was stunned with the spoon in his hand. When he saw the gate, he immediately slipped down from the chair happily, "Father!"

"Daddy, daddy, daddy is back!"

Gu Zhao hugged his son with one hand and said, "Be careful, don't press it down."

Only then did Fu Bao notice that Daddy was holding a living creature in the other hand, "The black puppy is barking."

"Why did you bring a puppy back?" Li Zhouzhou also stepped forward.

Gu Zhao put the puppy on the ground and said, "This puppy is a local dog in Minzhang County. It follows our Fubao's birthday. The magistrate of Minzhang County saw that I spent money to build roads. His bitch gave birth to a baby dog." Nest, let me pick one back, I thought it happened to be our family Fufu’s birthday, so I took it back.”

The puppy has black fur all over, a pair of round and cute wet eyes, short limbs, and it is very cute when it walks up and down.Nor is it a breed of dog—Minzhang County is not a palace, and there are rare breeds of foreign tribute, all of which are local dogs.

"This dog is good, it's black, rhubarb." Li Da gently stroked the puppy's head with his hands squatting on the big cattail fan.

Fu Bao got down from his father's arms and squatted next to his grandfather, his eyes were full of curiosity, "Grandpa, the puppy Wang Wang is black, why is it called Da Huang?"

"This local dog is so black that it has yellow hair when it grows up." Li Da's eyes were filled with love, and he said, "Dogs are good, dogs can protect the owner, but when I was in the village, every family was poor, who could afford a dog? .”

Fu Bao turned to look at his father, "Daddy, is this puppy dog ​​a gift from Fu Fu?"

"Yes, I bought it for you." Gu Zhao talked to his family Zhou Zhou, and took the time to reply to his son.

Fu Bao nodded, and then seriously said to his grandfather: "Grandpa, the puppy Wangwang belongs to Fufu, not Dahuang, Fufu wants to call the puppy Wangwangwangwang."

Li Da turned the corner, "Wow Wang?"

Fu Bao nodded, and focused all his attention on the puppy. He stretched out his small hand and touched Wang Wang's head, showing his teeth, and happily rounded his eyes, "Wang Wang is so soft."

"Wang Wang!"

The little black dog was clever. He glanced at Fu Bao with wet dog eyes, and rubbed his head against Fu Bao's palm. Fu Bao was very happy, and said excitedly: "Daddy, Daddy, Wangwang is sticking to Fufu!"

When I looked up, my father and father had long since disappeared.

Fubao:?

Seeing Fu Bao's bewildered look, Li Da smiled and said, "Your father just came back and went to wash and change clothes in the house. Fu Fu and grandpa are here to accompany the grandpa——Wang Wang talk, grandpa will tell you how to raise Wang Wang well." .”

Fu Bao looked at the direction of the main room with a fleshy face, and was entangled for a second before he arrived, and soon threw himself into Wang Wang, his round eyes were very happy, "Grandpa, how do you take care of Wang Wang?"

"You're right to ask grandpa. Whether it's a mule, a lamb, or a dog, it's yours if he follows you. Then you have to take good care of it. It can't be tired when it's young. When it's hot, you have to brush it frequently. Scrub and wash it, let it cool down, if the weather is cold and it rains, then it can’t be frozen..." Li Da was talking about his experience in raising mules.

The mules bought in Xiping Village have been with their family for almost ten years. When they were in the village, they carried food and worked hard to pull things. Followed their family to Zhaozhou.

Li Da called the mule the old man, which means he really followed his family all the way.

"After a long time, it recognizes you as its master, so you should cherish it."

Fu Bao nodded his head, "Grandpa, I will take good care of Wang Wang."

"Good boy." Li Da said with emotion in his heart.Fu Bao patted Wang Wang's head, looked at Grandpa, and said, "Does Grandpa miss mules?"

Li Da said: "That's right, it's old now, so it can only stay in the stable. Grandpa will go for a walk with it. This mule is just like a human being. Its arms and legs will become stiff if it stays still for a long time."

Fu Bao was ignorant.

Gu Zhao simply washed up and changed his bunt, and told Zhou Zhou all the way about the situation of going to various prefectures and counties this time, and finally said: "... this time, spend a good year at home, and we will talk about it later."

That is to stay at home for more than a month.Li Zhouzhou quickly counted the days in his heart and smiled happily.

When Gu Zhao saw his wife smiling, he laughed and said, "I miss you too, very much."

Both laughed.

After coming out, the servants re-served porridge and peanut soup, as well as some other foods, such as pancakes, vegetarian and meat dishes, and rice.When Gu Zhao looked at the pancakes and buns, he couldn't help sighing, "This is a rare item, expensive, right?"

"Yes, it's almost 20 Wen per liter of noodles." Li Zhouzhou said.

When I was in Ningping Prefecture, the price of rice and noodles was the same, which was fourteen five cents per liter.The rice in Zhaozhou is two cents lower than that in Ningping County, 25 liters, but flour is rare, [-] liters. There are not many places in Zhaozhou where the climate is suitable for growing wheat, just above the city of Zhaozhou Those villages can grow some, or the merchants can buy them from Mozhou.

In short, ordinary people in Zhaozhou don't eat flour, and they can't afford it.

But Li's family is in the Central Plains, and they went to the capital for a few years. They have a typical appetite in the northern part of the Central Plains, especially Li Da. After eating rice, they always feel that there is something missing. They like to eat half a steamed bun, which is considered food. full.

"I love this too—where's dad?" Gu Zhao looked at the side hall and saw Fu Bao playing with the puppy, and asked, "Where's Grandpa Fu Bao?"

Fu Bao walked over with Wang Wang in his arms, and said, "Grandpa said he went to see the mules."

"Don't hold it like this, it's uncomfortable." Li Zhouzhou told Fu Bao.Fu Bao looked down, and Wang Wang seemed uncomfortable. He knelt down and put Wang Wang down, and said, "Grandpa said that Wang Wang is small, so he can't be too tired. Wang Wang has been running for a long time, and his short legs must be tired."

Gu Zhaoxian laughed, and deliberately teased, "Your legs are not long or short, are you tired after running for a while?"

"Master, Fu Bao's legs are not short." Li Zhouzhou looked at Fu Bao's round face angrily, and said with a smile.

Fu Bao sticks to his father, saying: "My father loves Fu Fu, Fu Fu's legs are not short."

Li Zhouzhou took Fubao to wash his hands and wiped them clean. The family of three sat at the dining table. Fubao's peanut soup was cold and replaced it with hot one. Fubao smiled happily when he saw that the small bowl was full again. curved.

"It's a good thing for a puppy to be active. It's healthy if it runs. If it's tired, it will lie down and rest by itself. At this time, don't disturb it. Let it sleep and eat and rest." Gu Zhao said While eating, I talked to Fu Bao.

Fubao's only playmate is Xiaoji.But Xiaoji is a servant's child. It's not that Gu Zhao cares about it, but Xiaoji is only five or six years old, and he already knows what's going on. He conscientiously puts himself on guard as a servant. Friends get along and play together.

Xiaoji's ideas must have been instilled by his family.

You have to take good care of the young master Fubao, don't let the young master fall and knock.

You have to take good care of what the young master wants to eat and drink. If you make the young master cry and cause your mother to lose her job, the whole family will go to hell.

Everyone in the Lin family told Xiaoji these words, so Xiaoji was very stable and like a little adult when he was beside Fubao at a young age. No.

Gu Zhao was often not at home, so he wanted to find another pet for his son, but he happened to meet Wang Wang and brought it back. He paid 2000 taels of silver and got a cub born by a bitch in the backyard of the Minzhang County Magistrate's Yamen. It was a good deal!

It is good for children to keep pets, and cultivate the responsibility of taking care of puppies by themselves.

"Daddy, grandpa also said that a mule needs to move like a human being, otherwise its arms and legs will become stiff. Does Wang Wang have to run every day?" Fu Bao sat on the chair, not eating well, and kept looking at Wang Wang on the ground. .

Li Zhouzhou then said: "Fufu has finished eating first, and will make a nest for Wang Wang later, and then feed Wang Wang."

"Okay!" Fu Bao was so happy that he couldn't wait to eat the peanut soup.

Li Zhouzhou looked at it with a smile and said, "Before I was greedy for sweet soup, but now that you have Wangwang, you don't feel anxious anymore."

"For the holidays, Fubao can drink whatever he wants."

"It's the third bowl."

Gu Zhao: "...That's a bit too much." Then he took his son's small bowl in one hand, gulped down the rest, "No more, dad finished it."

"Thank you Daddy!" Fu Bao was very happy, and turned to look at Daddy with shining eyes, "Fufu's bowl is empty, can we go play with Wang Wang?"

Li Zhouzhou laughed, "Go."

"Let Li Chun go with him, be careful, don't let Wang Wang bite Fu Bao." Gu Zhao said.There is no rabies vaccine at this time, and it would be bad if they bit someone.

The county magistrate of Minzhang said that the dog was a good and loyal dog, that he would not bite the owner, but would protect the owner, and was very affectionate.

It can be said that it is Wang Wang's mother, not Wang Wang.Gu Zhao took it all the way back and didn't see any sign of Wang Wang being a bit aggressive, but he still had to pay attention, first make a puppy nest and keep it in the yard, and let Fu Bao feel it.

Fu Bao left.

Gu Zhaocai said: "Father is bored in the house."

"Some time ago, when I recruited a nursing home, my father was very caring. He went out to see people all day long. When I got busy, I seemed to be in good spirits. It was the same as when I was in the village. I sighed a lot when I was free during this time." Li Zhou Zhou also saw that his father didn't like to be idle.

"I told Dad to watch the business of the shop, but Dad didn't like to intervene. He said that after the past, he just settled accounts and kept accounts. He didn't like to read these things. His old eyes are dim and he can't see clearly."

Gu Zhao then said: "Father doesn't like to do idle work as a clerk in the office, but likes to do some physical work. It's better not to be too physical. I used to be afraid that Dad would be tired, but now that I want to come, Dad in Jingli can talk to Uncle Yan about it." Talk and listen to storytelling, now you have no friends, and you will be bored as soon as you are free."

"But don't worry, there will be plenty of life after the next year."

Li Zhouzhou: "Does Zhaozhou City need to build roads?"

"Well, the prefectures and counties are getting busy, and Zhaozhou City will also be repaired, so it will be soon, and the factory will be built. I will take care of the business. When the time comes, our family will get busy, and I am afraid that there will be insufficient manpower. Gu Zhao sighed in the middle of eating, and took his head to stick to his wife, "I went to the other side this time, it's okay, there are a few who don't understand and don't do things, but they can move even if they kick a big cake, only one But it didn't piss me off."

Li Zhouzhou hugged Xianggong's head and touched it, just like touching Fubao.

Gu Zhao smiled in his wife's arms.

"But I figured out how to treat him." Gu Zhao proudly raised his eyebrows at Zhou Zhou.

This is for praise.Li Zhouzhou laughed, "Who's going to be unlucky?"

"Zhou Zhou, I want him to learn well." Gu Zhao said seriously.

Li Zhouzhou: "Okay, okay." So: "Whose family?"

"Rong Guan's county magistrate, Rong Guan and Ji Ting counties, I told you before that the local Li family is very powerful, so they are definitely not the same family. Here, Chen and Li are common surnames, but the Li family twisted a rope, The local area is still united, and they married their daughter to the county magistrate Rongguan..." Gu Zhao briefly explained the matter.

This time I went to five prefectures and counties, even if the last and poorest county magistrate of Minzhang scolded him, Gu Zhao didn’t get angry at all, each had its own shortcomings, but they could all deal with it and be able to work, only this In charge of the county magistrate.

Gu Zhao said in a bully tone: I really want to manage the whole family of the county magistrate! ! !

Let's eat cold food! ! !

"But we still have to use our strengths. Li's family is doing well, and it's easier than me going down to manage things. A surname has good and bad everywhere. Ji Ting next door looks okay. I'll wait for the details next year." Go down and have a look."

Li Zhouzhou nodded and said, "By the way, my husband, I have searched around for carpenters, and I have written down the list. I have become closer to several companies in Zhaozhou City. If you want to do the multi-textile machine you mentioned, you must keep it secret first." , let the Yamen do it."

"Success, I'll take over this."

Gu Zhao had eaten and didn't do any work, so he took his family Zhou Zhou's hand to walk around the mansion - it's been almost half a year since he came to Zhaozhou, and he really hasn't visited the yard carefully.

To eliminate food, the husband and wife talk, and talk about family affairs.

When it was dark, he went back to the main courtyard arm in arm. The lanterns hanging under the eaves had already been lit. Fu Bao sat on the small bench with his hands on his cheeks and waited.

Gu Zhao was the first to catch everyone's attention, "Have Fufu finished playing with Wang Wang? Your father and I wanted to take a walk with Fufu, but after we finished eating, hey, why did you disappear?"

"..." Fu Bao's swollen cheeks were suddenly stunned, and he was aggrieved. He said that Fu Fu didn't smell bad, and then went to cling to Dad, "Fu Fu is so happy to see Wang Wang, it's not that he doesn't want to stay with Dad."

Li Zhouzhou couldn't see Fu Bao's wronged appearance, so he patted Fu Bao's head, "Father knows, Fu Fu didn't do it on purpose, your father is teasing you."

Gu Zhao saw his wife stroking his son's head gestures, which looked familiar no matter how you looked at them. Seeing the boy's aggrieved face, he pinched his cheeks and said, "I'm playing with you. I haven't seen your father for a long time. We are very close. "

"Fu Fu also wants to get close." Fu Bao pestered Dad.

Li Zhouzhou had no choice but to say, "Tonight, Daddy and Daddy will sleep with Fubao."

"Zhou Zhou~" Gu Zhaoyin pulled the old elder, with a drooping face, and whispered, "I haven't hugged you for a long time."

Li Zhouzhou's ears turned red, and he pretended to be calm and said, "I've already accepted the blessing." He said it too soon.

Gu Zhao went to pinch his son's face.Fu Bao happily covered his cheeks with his hands first, and smiled at his father, meaning that he couldn't pinpoint it!

"Just wait." Fu Bao gritted his teeth.

Playing around is playing around, Gu Zhao is not a stepfather, and he feels distressed after not seeing his son for a long time. At night, the family of three sleeps in the same bed, and Fu Bao sleeps in the middle, and Gu Zhao tells an interesting story.

Others' Journey to the West, his Gu Zhaozhou's travel notes.

After coaxing Fubao to sleep, Gu Zhaowu yawned silently, intending to go to sleep, so he heard Zhou Zhou say, "Master, let Fubao sleep in it."

Gu Zhaoshun tucked his sleeping son into the quilt, and just after he made it, he turned his head and turned sideways, and a person slipped into his arms. The candlelight was dim, and the couple raised and lowered their heads, laughing silently.

Nothing to do, the child is still there.

But thinking about it tightly, just hugging and sleeping like this is also at ease.

The next day, Gu Zhao went to work in the Yamen. There were still more than ten days before the Chinese New Year, so he had to work before the holiday.First, he hired a carpenter to enter the yamen and signed a non-disclosure agreement—Gu Zhao gave him a serious scare.

You are relying on a merchant at your back, can he keep you safe and secure, can he keep your family safe?

Pure scare of course.

These carpenters were all terrified, Gu Zhao said again, "If anyone researches the machine that I said can spin more cotton and linen, the Yamen will not only reward 50 taels of silver, but also open a factory and do business in the future. Give him one percent."

The dozen or so carpenters were still dazed and panicked, obviously not understanding.

"For example, if the net profit is 1000 taels, you can get 50 taels, and it will be free for five consecutive years. Add the [-] taels given by the yamen, and do the math yourself."

100 taels of silver, this is the level of a well-off family in Zhaozhou City, and they can live comfortably for five or six years without having to work, buy, sell, or work.

With money comes motivation.The carpenters who were originally dazed and afraid gradually regained light and spirit in their eyes.

"If it is revealed, don't say it offends the official, let's see if the bosses behind you can pay you this salary." Gu Zhao said lightly.

These craftsmen were not raised by anyone, but small craftsmen, such as the Wang family who opened a silk and satin shop. They needed to spend more on looms, so they hired old acquaintances to do it, and they paid more money for large quantities.

The carpenter's matter was settled in a few words, mainly because the machine had not been developed yet.Gu Zhao is a science student, but he studies history. I remember the little story of the Jenny loom back then, and now I tell it to the carpenters.

Jenny Textile Machine: The man in the family came back from get off work and was dark in the room. He accidentally kicked the textile machine down, and saw that the machine was still working...

He just told the carpenters a short story for inspiration.

If Jenny's father can figure it out, you must be able to, come on!

The climate of Zhaozhou City is more stable than that of the five prefectures and counties. There are no typhoons and storms, and the terrain is relatively flat.

Like the Wang family silk and satin village, the Wang family regularly collects silk from the village outside Zhaozhou every year, and then let the Weaver Girl weave it into silk.The silk and satin took a lot of work, and the finished product was not comparable to the brocades in the Zhejiang and Zhejiang areas. It wasn't that the silk was bad. Gu Zhao had seen it, but the weaving method was old-fashioned and single.

In the current handicraft industry, all the skills are handed down from family to family. Those who rely on this handicraft for a living are not willing to spread it to the outside world for how much money they are paid-children and grandchildren will use this handicraft to eat.

Zhaozhou's weaving techniques are incomparable to those of Zhejiang and Zhejiang. The silk weaves is a piece of whatever color it is. Before Gu Zhao was in Beijing, he didn't mention the satin fabrics used for the clothes and cloaks that the Lin family gave Fubao. What Yingniang wore on her body, where there is no embroidery, if the silk itself is scarlet, there will be dark lines if you look closely.

It is dyed one by one to a color close to the scarlet color, because the color change is not particularly obvious, and ordinary people can't see much difference with the naked eye when two silk threads are put together alone, but such silk threads are arranged and woven, and the finished product Only the color can show the difference.

This is how the dark patterns come from.

Gu Zhao heard it, but if he really wanted to do it, he would definitely not be able to do it, so Zhi Niang could only work slowly.But now silk reeling is cumbersome and costly, and the weavers must not dare to practice with it. What if it breaks?

Boss Wang’s business has a certain amount every year, and the annual net income is about [-] to [-]. It is enough to eat and drink in Zhaozhou City, and has a little status, so I don’t think about opening the market again. Sell ​​outside.

Do you still want to sell it in Beijing?Idiots talk about dreams.

If the machine comes out, the high-end one will be silkworm reeling and weaving satin, and the mid-end one will be hemp.In fact, Gu Zhao put his head in hemp. If he added some cotton, it would be a modern cotton and linen texture, which is comfortable, soft and sweat-absorbing. Pure cotton is too easy to wrinkle and tear.

Villagers outside Zhaozhou City can do this.

The whole Zhaozhou is moving.

"Master Gu is going to be drafted for labor."

The people in Zhaozhou City said it with joy on their faces. Now that they don't work in the slack season, they eat at home all day and waste food without any income. Isn't it uncomfortable?

If you say that the Chinese New Year is coming soon - then you have to work as a slave and get money, otherwise the family will be empty, and there will be no two meat dishes on the Chinese New Year table, so what should I do?The children's new clothes are not in order.

The people in the nearby villages outside the city were the happiest. When they heard the news, they ran to the village chief's house first. They dared not go to the yamen in the city to ask, so of course they would ask the village chief.

"That's right, Mr. Gu said, the men are five Wen each, and the female brothers are three Wen, and they are in charge of food." The village head also had a wrinkled smile on his face, and he only received the news yesterday.

The surrounding villagers were overjoyed and chattered.

"Do you still care about the meal? How many meals?"

"Why do you still have three meals a day? It's fine to take care of one meal. It can save a mouthful and a mouthful."

The village head said: "I don't know how many meals to take care of. The superiors didn't say anything, but the construction is about to start. Whoever wants to sign up with me will know when they go."

No matter how many meals he had, it would be good if he had money and food, but he didn't have a penny when he was idle at home.

"When will this be fixed?"

"Where are you going to fix it?"

The village chief said: "I don't know about the other side. Our village connects the ten villages in the east and west. The road from Zhaozhou to Bolin is even wider."

The villagers were surprised, such a long road?It must not be repaired in a few days, some people have already started to count, five pennies a day, and you still care about food, that is, you don’t spend half a penny, just keep it, work for a month, then there will be, there will be——

"It's 150 Wen, and it's still for one person. If there are more people in the family, and they can go to the fields in the next spring, shouldn't they save more than one or two?"

More than one or two!

Everyone in the village was excited, everyone raised their hands to sign up, and even said to write for his son.The village chief looked at it and scolded: "Your baby is not even hairy. It is said by the superiors that men over 14 years old are paid three pennies. Girls need to be over [-] years old to work. Men Don’t be too old... and if you bring your own guy to plan the ground, then I will give you an extra penny every day, as a rented tool guy..."

And this good thing!

Originally, the villagers thought there were too many rules, but now they don't. Your house doesn't go, some people go.

This is money.

This is the case in all Bailai villages, large and small, near Zhaozhou City. I heard that there are some people from above who came to inspect the roads.

In the middle of the first month, it was still dark, and every family in Linjia Village got up in the dark, without burning firewood for cooking, just two bites of the boiled taro and rice balls from yesterday, wearing old clothes and straw sandals, a family of men, women and children could almost move out All of them were dispatched.

This is the case in every household. A family of three or four people, carrying things, gather at the entrance of the village. The village chief's family is also almost there. There is no counting the number of people. The money is paid out once a day.

"It's done, let's go."

Zhaozhou Chengli Mansion.

Li Da also got up early in the morning, washed up, put on his old clothes from the early years, wore a sheepskin hat, and a sheepskin waistcoat. He went to the stable with high spirits, patted his old buddy, and said: " Let's go, let's go to work."

The mule snorted and rubbed Li Da's palm affectionately.

"Good man, I knew you were bored and wanted to move around."

The author has something to say:

Fubao's little bark, Fubao touch it.