Poor Family

  Chapter 58 Dianmai Maid

  The four talked for a while, and then went home. Li Yanqing is still living in Liwen Village, and his life doesn't seem to have changed much from five years ago.

But no one would have guessed that Li Yanqing was already a rich man in the country at this time, and the Liji grain company they founded five years ago has now developed into the largest grain merchant in Xiangzhou. The business is all over Hebei West Road, and the assets have increased from the initial one thousand to ten thousand. It also has a fleet of ten large ships.

However, they only belong to small and medium-sized grain merchants in the capital. There are hundreds of large and small grain merchants in the capital, and they are not ranked. background, and has a history of hundreds of years.

  It is not easy for a small grain merchant like them to establish a foothold in the capital after only five years of establishment. Thanks to the help of Li Wenyou's brother Li Wensi, they escaped two catastrophes.

However, although the assets of Liji Grain Company have increased tenfold, Li Wenyou and his father did not disperse the profits under Li Yanqing's strong advocacy, but continued to accumulate. Prepare to move.

  Even though he didn't share any profits from the firm, Li Yanqing has thousands of taels of silver in his hands, which he earned from writing books in five years, and this money is enough to make him one of the top ten squires in Xiaohe Township.

Li Yanqing's home has doubled in size compared to before. That's because Uncle Hu came back quietly four years ago to find out if Fang La would continue to send people to look for him. Before leaving, he sold the foundations of several old houses to Li Daqi.

Li Daqi built another five or six brick and tile houses on the basis of Hu's house, turning their house into a courtyard with two entrances. Since Li Daqi stayed in Anyang County for most of the year, he hired an old servant to take care of Li. Yanqing hired another cook to cook, so that Li Yanqing no longer had to go to Li Zhen's house for dinner.

Li Yanqing walked into the yard, and Dahei, who was lying in the yard basking in the sun, stood up, staggered to Li Yanqing, rubbed his head affectionately against the little master, Dahei was one year older than Li Yanqing, and had arrived In his later years, he could no longer catch weasels, and spent most of his time basking in the yard.

  Li Yanqing patted its head, took out a pancake with syrup and stuffed it for it. This was Dahei's favorite food, and Dahei returned to its den with the pancake in its mouth.

   "The little official is back?" Aunt Aju, the cook, poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled.

Mrs. Aju's surname is Wu, from Tangbei Township. She is the niece of Aunt Gu in the village. Her husband died in the Western Xia campaign last year, so she became a widow and lived with a two-year-old daughter. The house and pension were robbed by her parents-in-law and brother-in-law. At that time, the mother and daughter had no way out, so they came to seek refuge with their aunt.

Third Aunt Gu saw that her niece was living a difficult life, and it happened that Li Daqi's family needed a cook, so Aunt Gu introduced her to cook for Li Yanqing full-time, earning four pennies a month, including food and housing, and the mother and daughter settled down .

   "Hi Aunt Ju, where's Ding Ding?"

   "She's sleeping in her room, do you want something to eat, my little official? I stewed an old wax gourd with some brown sugar, it's quite sweet."

   "Hmm! Give me a bowl."

  Li Yanqing walked to his room, and after a few steps he asked again: "Where's Uncle Zhong?"

Uncle Zhong is their old servant, from Anyang, and his surname is Li, but he has nothing to do with their Li family, he is very honest and responsible. Li Daqi was bullied when he was feeding horses in Li's house. He was the only one who sympathized with Li Daqi. Ask to take care of Li Yanqing.

   "Uncle Zhong went to Qianshan Village. It seems that there is something. I didn't ask."

"I see!"

  Li Yanqing returned to his room, sat down and began to write. He had a lot of homework today, so he might not be able to sleep until very late.

   Not long after, Mrs. Aju brought him a bowl of candied wax gourd soup, and then went back. Not long after writing, there was a sound of talking at the door, as if a guest had come to the door.

Li Yanqing had no choice but to put down his pen, and walked to the outer courtyard, only to see several people standing in the courtyard, one was Uncle Zhong, the other was a middle-aged man, and behind him was a little girl, who was wearing a coarse cloth that was washed white with starch. He was wearing short clothes, lowered his head timidly, and was carrying a small bundle in his hand.

  Uncle Zhong said with a smile: "This is Zhang Ping from Qianshan Village. He said he met a small official before."

Li Yanqing remembered that it was Li Dongdong's brother-in-law, a rascal, Li Dongdong also took good care of him and often helped their family, but every time Zhang Ping got the money, he went to Yichun Courtyard, and he was lucky enough to gamble because he owed money outside. He has so much debt, if he is not afraid of Li Dongdong, he would even sell his wife to someone else.

  Zhang Ping stepped forward, nodded and bowed with a smile: "Little official, I heard from Dayan that you need a little maid here, and I happen to have a little girl. Let's see if the little official can accept it?"

  Dayan is Zhang Ping's eldest daughter. She was sold to Li Wenyou for seven years, and she will be married in two years. However, the patriarch's wife likes her very much and plans to keep her.

  Li Daqi wrote a letter to the patriarch in Anyang County, asking him to pay attention to finding a young maid for his son. Li Wenyou handed this matter over to his wife. Dayan heard the news and immediately told his father.

  How could Zhang Ping let go of this opportunity to make money, he immediately brought his little daughter to the door.

Li Yanqing recognized the little lady behind Zhang Ping, who seemed to be the magpie he had seen back then. He had a deep impression on this little girl and had a good impression on him, so he looked back at Uncle Zhong, who smiled and said, "Just now I I have been to Qianshan Village and asked Baozheng, there should be no problem."

  The most worrying thing about buying a maid these days is that one girl will be sold to the other, and it will be unclear at that time, so Uncle Zhong will go to Baozheng to confirm.

  Li Yanqing asked Zhang Ping, "I can accept him, how much do you want? How many years?"

Zhang Ping was very excited, with a sly gleam in his thin eyes, he rubbed his hands together and said, "Last year, someone fell in love with a magpie and paid seventy taels of silver to buy it for ten years. I would be wronged, so I didn't agree. If the petty official likes the magpie, I hope I can sell it for seventy taels of silver for ten years, and add another thirty taels of silver for **** sale. The magpie is obedient, hardworking, and looks good. Pretty, petty officials won't lose money if they buy her."

   There is a difference between Dianmai and Hiring. Hiring means how much wages are paid every month, and then the contract period is counted. The wages are given to the other party's parents in one go. When the contract expires, people will be free.

  Purchasing is to give an extra sum of money on top of the agreed salary, which is equivalent to a personal deposit. After the expiration of the period, the deposit needs to be returned to the redeemer. If not, the prostitute will hardly be free.

Zhang Ping had no intention of redeeming his daughter at all, so he sold the geese to Li Wenyou, and of course he would not sell the magpie cheaply. Uncle Zhong next to him coughed heavily, meaning that the price was too expensive, and fifty taels of silver would be enough. .

Li Yanqing couldn't bear seeing Magpie's cute and pitiful look, and Zhang Ping's cruelty to sell girls, so he said to Zhang Ping: "Then agree on a hundred taels of silver, and you can take it back first, and find it tomorrow." After Baozheng signs the contract, I will give you the silver."

Zhang Ping was very happy, his youngest daughter could not be sold for 40 cents, because she was too thin, many people thought she could not do anything, and buying her was a burden, so they refused to buy her. Zhang Ping hated to beat and scold her every day at home eat plain rice.

   Didn't expect him to get a hundred taels of silver from Li Yanqing in a lucky turn of events. Zhang Ping was afraid that Li Yanqing would repent, so he hurriedly said: "No need! Just stay here, tomorrow I will go to Uncle Zhong to go through the formalities."

  Zhang Ping turned around and reprimanded his daughter severely, telling her to obey the master absolutely obediently, and beat her to death if she was returned.

  Watching Zhang Ping run away in a hurry, Li Yanqing said bitterly: "There are such fathers in the world. Today is an eye-opener for me."

  Li Yanqing saw that the magpie was still bowing her head in embarrassment, so she told Mrs. Aju next to her, "Let her eat first, and then tidy up the west wing in the back room and let her live in it!"

  Sister-in-law Aju and Uncle Zhong looked at each other meaningfully. They both understood that since the little official arranged for the little lady to live in the inner room, it meant that the little official was going to treat her as a personal maid.

   Actually, the two of them thought too much, Li Yanqing only let her live in it because the magpie was young and the west wing was closed, and he didn't have any idea of ​​being a maid.

  Li Yanqing then arranged for Uncle Zhong to go to Zhang Ping to go through the formalities tomorrow, and he went back to his room to continue his homework.

  While concentrating on writing, Li Yanqing suddenly felt someone behind him. He was startled, and suddenly turned around, only to find the little girl standing behind him holding a bowl of tea. It was obvious that she was also startled, with panic on her face.

  Li Yanqing remembered that he had a little maid, and quickly comforted her: "Don't be afraid, I forgot about you, that's why I was shocked."

   Magpie said in a low voice: "Little slave knows, I won't stand behind the little official from now on."

  Li Yanqing felt awkward hearing it, so he scratched his head and said, "Don't call him Xiaonu from now on, it would be nice to call him Magpie, it's auspicious and fluent."

   "Yes! The magpie remembered."

  She put the tea on the table, twisted her hands, and asked a little nervously, "Do you have any other orders, my little official?"

  Li Yanqing looked at her and asked with a smile, "Do you still remember me?"

   "Remember!" the magpie whispered.

   "How time flies! At that time you were still a little bit tall, and now you have grown so big, are you nine or ten years old this year?"

   "Nine years old!"

She lowered her head, looking even more cramped. Li Yanqing wanted to play a joke on her and ask her to call herself Uncle Qing again, but it was obvious that she was timid, so he stopped joking and asked her, "Is everything packed?" ? There's a bed over there, but no bedding or pillows."

   "Sister-in-law Aju brought them to me."

   "Okay, go to bed! I'll be working late today, so don't wait for me."

The magpie didn't make a sound, but still stood aside. Li Yanqing knew that she was timid, so he stopped urging her, and continued writing at his desk, writing three thousand characters in one breath. Suddenly, Li Yanqing felt something, and glanced at the magpie out of the corner of his eye. At a glance, seeing that she was so sleepy that she could hardly keep her eyes open, she secretly yawned with the back of her hand covering her mouth.

  Although the homework was not finished yet, Li Yanqing didn't want to write any more. He put down his pen and said with a smile, "It's over, you go get a basin of hot water, and I'll go to bed after washing my feet."

   "Little official, wait a moment, I'll go right away."

Seeing her thin body running away, Li Yanqing felt a little pity in her heart. She came out to be a maid when she was only nine years old. In his era, which nine-year-old girl was not loved by her parents, and children from poor families were already in charge of the house. , This is absolutely true, but after thinking about it, I feel that her family is not because of poverty, but because of a father who is not good at learning.

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  (end of this chapter)