Farming and reading family

When he came to He County, the person he was most wary of was Gao E, after all, she was the one Xu Boyan had instructed.

He didn't expect that he would be reduced to asking Gao E for help, but no one would pay any attention to him.

Hearing a knock on the door, Zhenghui ran to open it: "Who are you looking for?"

"Is Madam Chen at home?" Cao Geng didn't expect that it was a child who opened the door.

"Mom, someone is looking for you." Chen Zhenghui turned around and called out.

Gao E stood at the door of the main hall and saw that it was Lord Cao. She immediately came out to greet him: "Lord Cao, please come in."

She wondered what Cao Geng wanted from her when the fifth day of the New Year hadn't even passed yet.

Cao Geng actually bowed in return.

When the children in the yard saw guests coming, they stood aside and performed the ritual of juniority when passing by them.

"Are they all your children?" Cao Geng was a little surprised.

A family that can educate their children so well must be well-educated and well-mannered.

"There are also my eldest brother's family and my third brother's family." Gao E explained.

Lu Qingluo and Lianxin were sitting beside the brazier in the main hall and only stood up when they saw Cao Geng come in.

"Please take a seat, Lord Cao." Gao E did not let Qing Luo and Lian Xin leave.

Cao Geng, on the other hand, was a little reserved: "Mrs. Chen's family is so harmonious and happy, it's really the envy of others."

Gao E looked at Cao Geng with a puzzled expression: "Master Cao, are you being polite to me?"

Cao Geng felt even more embarrassed when he heard Gao E say this: "After all, I'm asking you for help again."

Gao E felt that Cao Geng was not honest but had a bad brain: "Master Cao, let's talk about reason..."

"I also think that what I did is unreasonable." Cao Geng nodded.

This made Gao E at a loss for words. Who exactly did Xu Boyan choose? Even he could make mistakes sometimes. "You're not going to ask for firewood again, are you?"

"Yes." Cao Geng nodded, "But this time it's coal."

Gao E stared at Cao Geng.

Cao Geng hurriedly explained: "Don't worry, Madam Chen, I didn't tell Zhao Zhengyuan about the coal mine."

"Then he will know as soon as you ask for coal." Gao E said, what's the difference.

"But human lives are at stake. It has snowed for the past two days and several people have frozen to death in the city. The weather is not clear yet, and it will probably be even colder when it clears up. There will be an even greater shortage of firewood, and more people may die." Cao Geng was anxious.

"Lord Cao, this is a man-made disaster." Gao E didn't know what to say.

Years ago, she had already lowered the price of firewood in He County. Now people are still freezing to death. This only shows that Cao Geng did not take advantage of this opportunity to do anything.

"I know it's a man-made disaster, but human life is at stake." Cao Geng was helpless.

"Why don't I think that in Lord Cao's eyes, human life is of paramount importance?" Gao E looked at Cao Geng.

Cao Geng didn't know how to answer. He really didn't do the job well.

"Lord Cao, even if you are as upright as a bamboo, it still has branches and buds, and it also has moisture, otherwise it is dead." Gao E said helplessly.

She now suspected that Cao Geng had problems with his ability, and that his so-called honesty was just a cover-up.

Cao Geng looked at Gao E in surprise.

"Integrity is a very beautiful virtue, but it is a person's principle and bottom line, not a superficial way of dealing with things." Gao E couldn't touch the coal mine now.

"Yes, yes, yes." Cao Geng nodded three times in a row. He needed help from others now, so he had to be nicer.

"Sir Cao, can't you be tough?" Gao E looked at Cao Geng's reaction.

Cao Geng was stunned.

What makes him so tough?

He had no power to ask the gentry to provide firewood, so he could only negotiate.

Besides, he came from a poor family and his backers were probably not as strong as those of the gentry, so how could he be tough with them?

Gao E looked at Cao Geng's reaction and said, "You can't just talk to any sheep you want. Why don't you just pluck the wool from any sheep you catch?"

"Not really...the price of coal will be much better if we sell it now," Cao Geng analyzed.

"Then Lord Cao, why do you think I didn't sell it?" Gao E asked directly.

Cao Geng was silent for a while. The mountain was bought by Gao family from Zhao family, and then transferred to Xu Boyan because Gao family could not hold on to the coal mine.

If people knew there was a coal mine there at this time, they would definitely become interested.

"Sir Cao, I'm just an ordinary citizen who lives cautiously. The gentry in He County don't target me because Sir Xu is very observant and still has some influence. Otherwise, if I had opposed them like that before, they would have come to my house long ago." Gao E said helplessly.

Cao Geng looked apologetic and said, "I thought it was too simple."

"If Lord Cao wants to do something and asks me to support him, I will definitely find a way to support him, but if he always tries to fleece me, I really don't have that much to fleece." Gao E spread her hands.

"I didn't think it through." Cao Geng smiled apologetically.

After some polite exchanges, Gao E sent Cao Geng away.

Looking at his shabby carriage, struggling to move on the road, the snow on the road seemed to be about to swallow his wheels.

Such an official may have ideas and ambitions, but he cannot do it without the means.

After leaving Baotou Village, Cao Geng got out of the car and walked side by side with Aniu, wanting to give the horse some relief.

"Aniu, isn't your master really that useless?" Cao Geng sighed.

"The master is an official now, so he's too easy to talk to." Ah Niu felt aggrieved. "If it were Ah Niu, the master should be like Madam Chen, and beat up anyone who comes to cause trouble."

Aniu didn't know that Zhao Zhengyuan brought people to Chen's house and was beaten. He was talking about the last time when those people who bought firewood came to Chen's house and were beaten.

"You want to hit me?" Cao Geng asked jokingly.

Aniu didn't say anything.

"Don't we have anyone who can fight?" Cao Geng said helplessly.

Cao Geng was somewhat similar to Gao E in that they would not act rashly without knowing the other party's background.

Now he didn't understand the situation in He County, so he naturally had to be cautious. Who knew that things would be beyond his control from the very beginning.

"I thought you would help him." Lu Qingluo was a little surprised.

Given Gao E's personality, she would definitely take care of it since it involves human life.

In fact, it is already underway at the coal mine.

But instead of selling raw coal, they make it into honeycomb coal and sell it. The workshop has not been built yet.

Gao E estimated that once the workshop was built and she could sell honeycomb coal, and Uncle Yishun had been dealt with, everything would go smoothly.

"If you take it slow, you'll have a happy ending," Gao E said calmly. "Many people died during the winter, and we can't possibly save everyone. Besides, we've already sold a lot of firewood to He County, and it's Cao Geng who didn't take the opportunity to resolve this matter."

Lu Qingluo thought about it and agreed.

Nowadays, people prepare enough things for half a month before the New Year. If they don’t even prepare firewood, it’s not just a matter of firewood.

After the fifth day, it started snowing again. Jin Ruyi braved the snow to bring Jin Chao.

"Did your parents accept the Jin Dynasty?" Gao E asked in a low voice.

"They are very close." Jin Ruyi said with a smile, "Ye Linchuan is dead, and no one will mention him anymore. Jin Chao is the grandson of our Jin family."

"You'd better be cautious about this matter. After all, the Jin family is now guilty." Gao E reminded.

"Of course. Once Jin Chao takes part in the autumn examination this year and obtains the status of a scholar, it will be easier for him to do things in the future." Jin Ruyi also had his own plans.

"So do you plan to let Jin Chao participate in the Spring Examination?" Gao E suddenly asked.