My humble days in ancient times

From the second to the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Huang Guiyun went out early and returned late every day, begging in the streets and alleys of the county town. Her pitiful appearance, coupled with her clever talk, really made her a lot of money.

On the sixth night of the New Year, Huang Guiyun returned home. Regardless of his tiredness, he couldn't wait to pour out all the copper coins he had begged in the past few days.

She counted them carefully one by one, her fingers almost cramping from counting, and when she finally tallied up, there were 526 coins. Huang Guiyun was so happy that her eyes widened, her mouth opened wide, and she danced with joy, her laughter echoing throughout the room.

Although Widow Wang asked for less than Huang Guiyun, she still had three hundred and eighty-five copper coins in her hand. She then looked inside the basket, which was filled to the brim with steamed buns and pastries. The buns were plump and white, and the pastries were varied and delicious.

Widow Wang was so happy that her face was beaming with joy. Her smile was like a blooming flower, and she couldn't stop smiling for several days. She even walked with a much lighter pace, and couldn't help showing off to everyone she met.

Lying in bed that night, Widow Wang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She thought to herself: The people in the county are so kind-hearted. They give food to those who don't have money. Look at this harvest! It's much better than the hard work in the village every day. I will continue to beg during the New Year. During these few days during the New Year, I have done odd jobs for a month.

The news quickly spread throughout the village. When the villagers heard that Huang Guiyun and Widow Wang had collected a lot of money, they were all extremely envious.

Some people murmured privately: "Huang Guiyun and Widow Wang are so lucky. They made so much money so easily."

Some secretly regretted not having thought of this idea sooner. Others stared eagerly in the direction of Huang Guiyun and Widow Wang's house, their hearts filled with jealousy, wishing they could go to the county town and beg for money themselves.

The day soon arrived at the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. The morning sun shone on the earth, bringing a touch of warmth.

Xu Ruyi and Xu Qinghe took Lei Da and Lei Er to Ruyi Fast Food Restaurant in the county town in high spirits.

Arriving at the store entrance, Xu Qinghe solemnly set off a long string of firecrackers, the crackling sound echoing through the sky. Everyone cheered joyfully, "Good luck in starting the business!" Their voices were filled with anticipation and longing for the new year.

Xu Ruyi smiled and gave Lei Da and Lei Er and the two helpers twenty copper coins each, saying, "In the new year, let's work hard together!"

Afterward, everyone worked feverishly to clean the shop, leaving it spotless inside and out. Once they were done, they rushed to buy groceries and prepare lunch. Soon, the shop was open for business.

After leaving the fast food restaurant, Xu Ruyi and his sister went straight to the new house.

As soon as she reached the door, she saw Du Lei approaching excitedly with a plaque. Xu Ruyi looked up and saw the words "Ruyi Chili Shop" written in large, powerful strokes, which looked very beautiful.

Du Lei asked expectantly, "What do the young master and young lady think?"

Xu Ruyi smiled and nodded, and Xu Qinghe said with satisfaction: "Very good, hang it up!"

Upon hearing this, Du Lei quickly and skillfully hung the door plaque. Xu Qinghe then set off another string of firecrackers, the crisp crackle echoing once again. Afterward, Xu Qinghe gave each of the family twenty copper coins.

This made Du Xiaoyue and Du Xiaoxing very happy. They cheered and jumped for joy, their little faces smiling like blooming flowers. Du Xiaoyue took Du Xiaoxing's hand and shouted that they wanted to go to the village grocery store to buy something to eat.

Back home, Xu Ruyi sat at the table, chin in hand, and thought carefully about her plans for the year: building a house, planting fruit trees, raising chickens. She must make full use of the wasteland and barren hills to maximize the value of this land.

Xu Qinghe was very satisfied after listening to Xu Ruyi's thorough and detailed plan. He nodded and praised her, "Sister, this is a good idea. We will definitely have a big harvest this year."

Xu Ruyi frowned slightly, feeling that this year seemed to be quite busy, but when she thought of the wonderful life in the future, she became full of energy again.

As soon as the weather warmed up, Xu Ruyi and Xu Qinghe hurried to find the village head.

Xu Ruyi smiled and said sincerely, "I'd like to ask for your help, Uncle Village Chief. We want to build a big house this year, plant fruit trees to the west of the house, and finally fence off the hillside."

After hearing this, the village head's eyes lit up with excitement. He clapped his hands and said, "That will take a lot of bricks! I guess we can go buy some soon."

Xu Ruyi and Xu Qinghe looked at each other and nodded.

Xu Ruyi continued, "Thank you so much, Uncle Village Chief. After we buy the bricks, we can fence off the hilltop and then plant fruit trees. Finally, the weather is getting warmer, so it's best to build a house."

The village head nodded in agreement and said, "That's great. I'll arrange it right away."

The next day, the village head took Xu Qinghe to the brick kiln, where they carefully selected bricks. During the days they went to buy bricks, the villagers saw only truckloads of bricks arriving non-stop. The brick-carrying trucks, one after another, continued to deliver for several days, creating a unique sight in the village.

The village head called Wang Youcai over and said solemnly, "Go find the people. Once you find them, you can start the work. The wages will remain the same as before."

Wang Youcai was overjoyed when he heard this. He grinned and said, "Now I have work to do. I feel much more at ease." Then he said, "Okay, I'll go to the village and find someone right away. We can start work tomorrow!"

The village head said with satisfaction, "Let's decide on the people first. It's best to use the same group as before. They will do a good job and it will be easier for us. We don't want to hire some newbies who will cause trouble."

Wang Youcai painstakingly searched the village and eventually identified the following individuals: Zhang San, Xu Shi, Xiong Da, Xiong Er, Xu Dashan...

Zhuzi is setting up a stall this year, so he can't join. Xiong Da and Xiong Er are new members this year. Besides Xiong Da and Xiong Er, Da Hu and Daniu are also interested in working this year. They're still young, only thirteen years old, their bodies still immature and naive.

The village head hurried over and explained the situation in detail to Xu Ruyi.

After listening to this, Xu Ruyi nodded gently and said, "Let them all stay. Since Xiong Da and Xiong Er are new here this year, they should be paid the same wages as everyone else. Da Niu and Da Hu are still young, so they can get less. They all get 30 wen a day, so let them get 20 wen a day!"

The village head narrowed his eyes, pondered carefully for a moment, and said, "That's a good idea. This arrangement is both reasonable and will satisfy everyone. Miss, you are truly thoughtful and considerate."

Zhuzi is setting up a stall this year, so he can't come. Xiong Da, Xiong Er, and Xu Baolin are newcomers this year. Also wanting to work this year are Da Hu and Daniu. They're both older boys, only thirteen, and still immature, looking a bit immature.

The village head hurried over and told Xu Ruyi the details of the situation.

Xu Ruyi nodded slightly after hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Let them all stay. Since Xiong Da and Xiong Er are new here, they should be paid the same wages as everyone else. Da Niu and Da Hu are still young, so they should be paid less. They all get 30 wen a day, so let them get 20 wen a day!"

The village head stroked his chin and said, "This is good. It gives them a chance to make money without breaking the rules. The girl arranged it very well."

At this time, Han Jun came trotting over and said breathlessly, "Xu girl, Uncle Lizheng, count me in as one!"

The village head looked him up and down and asked, "Aren't you going to teach the children?"

Han Jun chuckled and said, "Teach in the morning and earn money in the afternoon! I also want to earn more money to improve my life."

Xu Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "Half a day, then half a cent, so fifteen cents a day!"

Han Jun nodded without hesitation: "I'm satisfied. Any money I can earn is good."