My humble days in ancient times

The next day, they came to work. Xu Ruyi secretly observed that they were doing a good job, so she felt relieved.

Xu Ruyi said to Lei Da, "From now on, this shop will be handed over to you. For small matters like hiring people, you can arrange them on your own! If two people are not enough, you can hire more."

Lei Da nodded and said, "Don't worry, Miss, I will take good care of this store."

Xu Ruyi said seriously: "If there is anything, remember to tell us."

Lei Da nodded.

Xu Qinghe and Xu Ruyi drove back in a donkey cart.

After staying in the fast food restaurant for seven or eight days, as soon as Xu Ruyi and Xu Qinghe returned home, Xu Ruyuan and Xu Qingyan seemed to have clairvoyance and ran over from their grandparents' house in a flash.

Xu Qingyan hugged Xu Ruyi's legs tightly, rubbing his little face on them. Xu Ruyuan also held Xu Ruyi's legs tightly with both hands, fearing that his sister would run away if he let go.

When Xu Qinghe saw this scene, he felt a little envious and thought secretly: These two little brats are closer to their sister than to me, their brother.

Xu Ruyi smiled and asked, "What are you planning to do? Have you been missing me these past few days?"

The two little ones nodded hurriedly, shaking their heads like rattles.

Xu Ruyi gently touched their heads and said, "Big sister will stay at home with you from now on."

When the two little ones heard this, their eyes instantly lit up like stars. They were so happy that they cheered and their laughter echoed in the yard.

Xu Ruyi suddenly remembered that she had not been at home these days, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried. She wondered whether Du Lei had handled the chili oil matter properly.

So the four brothers and sisters hurried to the new house.

As soon as Xu Ruyi saw Du Lei, she couldn't wait to ask, "I haven't been home these past few days. How is the chili oil business?"

Du Lei replied respectfully, "Everything is normal. Manager Zhao came over twice. The first time he took away 3,000 kilograms, and the second time he took away 3,200 kilograms. I recorded everything carefully."

Xu Ruyi nodded with satisfaction and said, "It's very well done. By the way, we are running low on ingredients at home."

Du Lei quickly said, "It's all been used up just now. There's nothing left."

Xu Ruyi nodded again to indicate that she understood.

Du Lei hurriedly brought over the silver from selling chili oil. After Xu Ruyi took it, he gave a few instructions and left with the three siblings.

On the donkey cart, Xu Ruyi said to Xu Qinghe seriously, "Let's go to the county town tomorrow and get Du Lei a donkey cart or a horse carriage. It will be more convenient for him to buy ingredients later."

Xu Qinghe frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "If I really need it, let's go buy it tomorrow."

The next day, Xu Qinghe went to the county town early and bought a carriage after careful selection. When he enthusiastically handed it to Du Lei, Du Lei looked hesitant and said, "Master, I'd better ride the donkey cart! This carriage is too expensive, and I'm afraid I won't be able to control it well."

Xu Qinghe pondered for a moment and said, "That's fine." Then he gave him his donkey cart.

Now there was a horse in Xu Ruyi's yard, instead of the donkey as before.

When Old Li passed by, he asked curiously, "Qinghe, how much did you pay for this horse?"

Xu Qinghe answered simply, "Fifty taels."

Old Li said cheerfully, "This horse looks good, with shiny fur and a strong physique. It's worth the price."

Old Li continued walking forward as he spoke. It was already getting dark, and a dim twilight enveloped the earth. Old Li wandered westwards, and when he reached the end of the road, he could just see the new house on the wasteland to the west.

Old Li looked up to the west and was startled to see two children wandering around outside. He felt his eyes were blurring and muttered to himself, "Xu Ruyi and her family haven't moved into the new house yet. How could there be someone here?"

Old Li rubbed his eyes hard, but when he opened them again, the two children were gone. "Oh, what a ghost!" Old Li's heart suddenly trembled, a chill ran down his spine, and he immediately turned around and hurried home.

When he got home, Old Li was still feeling uneasy and panicky, as if a small drum was beating non-stop.

Old Li firmly believed that he was not seeing things and that he saw the two children clearly.

Is there really a... in this world?

This was the first time that Old Li suddenly became so superstitious.

The villagers now don’t know that Xu Ruyi’s family has bought a servant, and they don’t know that someone is already living in Xu Ruyi’s new house.

So it is very normal for Old Li to have this reaction.

The more Old Li thought about it, the more restless he became. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to find someone to talk to. He really couldn't help but get things off his chest.

But who should I go to? I definitely can't tell Xu Ruyi and the others, lest they be scared. I can't tell my wife either, she's timid.

Then let’s go find Big Bear and Little Bear next door.

At this moment, Xiong Da, Xiong Er and Zhou Qiang were sitting around the table drinking happily.

Zhou Qiang brought some delicious beef, crispy peanuts, and a nice glass of wine. Xiong Da also skillfully cooked a few dishes: stir-fried beans, braised eggplant, spicy tofu, and stir-fried pork and green peppers, filling the table.

Zhou Qiang picked up a piece of tofu and put it in his mouth. After chewing it carefully, he praised: "It tastes good. Your cooking skills have improved!"

Xiong Da laughed so hard that his eyes narrowed into slits, and said, "I bought chili oil from Xu Ruyi's house. I put a little bit in the stir-fry, and it really tastes different."

Zhou Qiang nodded in sudden realization: "So that's how it is."

Big Bear, Little Bear, and Zhou Qiang raised their glasses and clinked them together.

Speaking of Xu Ruyi, Zhou Qiang added, "I was in the county town before, and I once saw them setting up a stall there. They are two hardworking children, and they are so capable at such a young age."

Xiong Da smiled and said, "They are two kids who can make money. To be honest, I used to think we were able to endure hardships and earn money, but when I compare ourselves to them, how come I don't think so anymore?"

Hearing this, Xiong Er smiled bitterly: "It seems so, it makes us worse than them!"

Zhou Qiang was also moved after hearing this: "In terms of pity, we are all pitiful. You see, our relatives passed away early, and we all relied on ourselves to persevere, right? Xu Ruyi and Xu Qinghe also lost their mother early, and they relied on themselves to work hard after separating from their father." When he said this, Zhou Qiang choked up, then raised his head and took a big sip of wine.

He then continued, "Speaking of enduring hardships, we can all endure them. Look at you two brothers, you often go hunting in the mountains, sleeping in the open air, it's tiring and dangerous. As for me, I watch the gambling house every day, working all night, and sometimes it's dangerous when I encounter troublemakers. But Xu Ruyi and his sister can also endure hardships. It's not easy to set up a stall from dawn to dusk. We all work hard to make a living, and we all have our own difficulties and hardships... But when it comes to making money, we can't compare to Xu Ruyi and his sister. Do you agree?"

Big Bear nodded without hesitation, while Second Bear sighed and said, "Why wouldn't we acknowledge them? Those two siblings bought land and built a house. They even rode a donkey cart. They're in Xujia Village now, which is probably the best place they've ever been. In just a few months, they've become very prosperous, much better off than we are. I'm afraid we can't catch up even if we want to."

Zhou Qiang nodded in agreement and said, "Chili oil still sells well and makes a lot of money. Egg pancakes and rice balls are just small businesses."

Big Bear and Little Bear agreed with what was said and nodded in agreement. The three of them raised their glasses, clinked them together again, then drank it all in one gulp, with a slight blush on their faces.

Big Bear, Little Bear and Zhou Qiang were chatting excitedly when suddenly there was a creaky sound and the door was pushed open.

Everyone looked closely and saw that it was Old Li.