Farming and reading family

Chen Qing felt that today was very successful. His second brother had made friends with those teachers, and he could ask more people for advice on academic matters in the future.

When Chen Ke heard his elder brother ask this, he calmed down and sat up. "I'm not unhappy, I'm just a little tired. Dad used to drink when he was tired."

Chen Qing suddenly realized: "You are indeed a little tired today, so eat and rest early." He said and was about to go out.

"Brother!" Chen Ke suddenly called his elder brother.

Chen Qing turned around and looked at Chen Ke, only then realizing that he was not just tired: "What's wrong?"

"What if..." Chen Ke hesitated and said, "What if I fail the exam in my lifetime?"

Chen Qing paused and then laughed: "Those who can pass the exam are rare, just do your best."

Chen Ke looked at his elder brother, who had a calm expression on his face: "What if I become a burden to you?"

"We are brothers, what's the point of talking about being a burden?" Chen Qing didn't care. "After all, you are the scholar in the family."

Chen Ke tried to smile.

Chen Qing frowned when he came out of the cave. He had been busy recently and hadn't paid attention to his second brother's situation. Today he felt that something was wrong with him.

"How is my second brother?" Yang asked worriedly.

"It's okay, I'm just too tired today." Chen Qing smiled.

"That's good." Yang was relieved.

Chen Ke looked at the oil lamp in the cave and suddenly felt that he had never seen himself.

Gao E didn't know what happened to Chen Ke all of a sudden. He was very excited before, and today's groundbreaking ceremony was very successful. He Tangchun even gave him a plaque out of respect. Why did he become so depressed now?

Fortunately, the next day Chen Ke went out with Master Xie to work on building the school. Gao E thought that Chen Ke might have gone there by himself.

But she planned to buy some wine and keep it at home. It’s okay to drink it occasionally.

After finishing the groundbreaking for the school, Gao E remembered that the government office should have measured the beach land in Bashang Village and Bawei Village, and she had to pay the money and get the land deed.

After thinking it over, she decided to bring some smoked meat and pickled bamboo shoots, since He Tangchun's current identity was useful.

When she was about to go out, Chen Yuning and Luo Qing'er also wanted to go to He County.

"What are you going to do?" Gao E looked at the two of them.

There is no reason why women like to go shopping, and they have never been out before.

"We embroidered some handkerchiefs and wanted to sell them for something else." Chen Yuning said boldly.

Gao E looked at Luo Qing'er, but Luo Qing'er didn't dare to speak.

Maybe because she took good care of her, she thought Luo Qing'er was even more beautiful.

In a sense, it is a disaster for such a beautiful girl to be born in an ordinary family.

"Qing'er won't go." Luo Dagang said with a dark face.

"Brother——" Luo Qing'er wanted to go.

Her brother didn't let her go out in He County before, and he still doesn't let her go out now.

Gao E smiled and said, "Tell me what you want to sell or buy, and I'll get it for you."

Both of them looked unwilling, but they didn't dare to refute, so they had to take out the embroidered handkerchiefs and purses.

They originally wanted to buy velvet flowers and rouge and powder, but they thought they might not like what Second Aunt brought, so they gave up.

Luo Dagang drove Gao E to He County.

"Qing'er doesn't need to sell the things she makes." Luo Dagang said in a low voice far away from Baotou Village.

"Yeah." Gao E responded, "Why don't you tell her that you don't need money now?"

"She has something to do." Luo Dagang didn't take it seriously.

Arriving in He County, Gao E went straight to the government office. The beach had already been measured there, amounting to nearly 600 mu, and the government office had already signed the document with a construction cost of 800 taels.

After paying the silver, Gao E once again lamented that she spent money like water. If the literati and scholars that Chen Ke mentioned could not be hyped up in a short time, she would have to start budgeting carefully.

After doing all this, Gao E went to find He Tangchun with smoked meat and pickled bamboo shoots.

"I heard that Lord He likes to eat smoked meat and pickled bamboo shoots, so I brought some here specially." Gao E smiled apologetically.

Seeing Gao E's smile, He Tangchun knew something was wrong: "Just leave it there."

Gao E handed the things she was carrying to the servant beside her and said: "I would like to ask Master He a question."

"What's the matter?" He Tangchun knew something was wrong.

"Where can I buy cheaper salt?" Gao E said directly.

He Tangchun's eyelids twitched. Why did he feel that Gao E wanted to smuggle salt? "I really don't have this."

Gao E refused to give up. "Salt and grain are crucial to people's livelihoods. Since the flood, the price of salt in the county has more than doubled. Is this a regulation set by the imperial court?"

He Tangchun certainly knew that those merchants were hoarding goods, but what could he do?

"If you think there is a problem, you can go and bid for salt permits." He Tangchun said directly.

Gao E almost cursed the official: "Master He is such a joke. How can a family like us afford salt permits?"

He Tangchun's eyes were filled with pride: "Then there's nothing I can do."

Gao E wanted her to take away the smoked meat and pickled bamboo shoots she brought with her: "Then I won't bother you anymore." After she said that, she left without waiting for He Tangchun to speak.

He Tangchun didn't get angry but laughed instead.

After thinking about it, he realized that he really had no way to deal with the price of salt. Since the merchants had bid for the salt permits, they would be protected by the government.

Gao E left the yamen, calmed down, and went to buy some wine. She confirmed that she was not that familiar with He Tangchun, and she would not bother him so easily in the future.

When she arrived at the tavern, she saw a woman in a bloodstone red dress leaning against the counter like a boneless person. The dress was old but not gray. Gao E subconsciously took a few more glances at her.

When Lu Er Niang saw that it was a woman coming in, she stood up a little straighter, glanced at her, picked up the two jars of wine on the counter, and left with a twist of her waist.

Gao E smelled the fragrance of osmanthus, which was neither elegant nor turbid. She turned her head and took a look in surprise.

The waiter at the tavern didn't care and looked directly at Luo Dagang: "What would you like, sir?"

Luo Dagang looked at Gao E, and the waiter realized that he had asked the wrong question and looked at Gao E hurriedly.

"Give me two jars of the wine she just ordered." Gao E said directly.

"This lady has good taste. Mrs. Lu is not a very good person, but she is a first-class wine picker. Although Jiulichun is not the signature of our store, everyone who has tasted it wants to try it." The waiter introduced the wine while holding it.

Gao E didn't quite understand, she just knew that the alcohol content of the wine should not be high, so she immediately paid the money and asked Luo Dagang to carry the jar of wine to the carriage.

After that, I had to buy some salt at a high price, otherwise there would be no salt at home.

On the way back, Gao E wanted to ask Luo Dagang if he could still get the salt he had brought back, but she gave up in the end. She didn't need to take such a risk now.

Although he bought the wine, Chen Ke didn't think about drinking it. Every day, apart from teaching the children in the village to read and write, he would go to the school to watch the foundation being dug.

Two days later, Master Xie brought Gao E a blueprint, which made Gao E's eyes widen.

It turned out to be a planning map of Baotou Village, with several streams as the center and courtyards scattered on both sides, giving people a feeling of paradise.

Gao E never thought that such a stubborn old man could plan such a beautiful place.

"How is it?" Xie Laosan was very proud of Gao E's reaction.