Chương 45: 45. Gifting some and some borrowing
The man with a scar came with a horse and sighed. ''Miss I would like to ask you for a favour. Please take me again as a worker no matter what others say about me.''
Shu Ya nodded. ''I don't care about rumours. As long you do your job I don't care about your past.''
He bowed deeply and was about to leave when he remembered. ''Miss, those people from before... They might be a small gang but they have someone big supporting them. I have no idea why they came to bother you, but whatever it is, it has nothing to do with you personally. It could be something about your Bai family or something about this place. Be careful if you can. I will be back in spring.''
Shu Ya stopped him. ''Do you have a family?''
He nodded in wonder. ''I have. But because of my past, we really have big trouble surviving.''
Shu Ya waved to Mingli. ''How much rice can horse carry?''
Mingli understood her and checked the horse. ''Four to five bags miss, but he would have to walk.''
''Give him five bags of rice. You what is your name?'' She looked at the perplexed man.
He just answered in adze as he saw five bags of rice being bond on horses back. ''Po Laosi. Miss, why...?'' He pointed at rice bags.
Shu Ya rose her eyebrow. ''Nothing is free. Four bags are my payment for your information and one bag is just to make sure you come back next year. I can borrow you some money and you can buy as many vegetables as you can. You saw me doing stuff today, from drying to salting, to putting it in vinegar. Right? To let your family survive do the same. Next year bring your wife and children and you can work it off. How big are kids?''
Still in a daze, he blinked at her. ''Two boys are ten and eleven and the girl is six.''
She nodded. ''Boys and wife can help in field with your nd girl can just sit around. She is too little. I am sure that with so many people you will be able to pay it back in a short time. Mingli, give him two big silvers. Po Laosi, go do what I told you. Buy food. This winter will be hard, I can feel it. Five bags might be little but if you adding dried vegetables and make porridge at least once a day, it can last you for a while.''
She wanted to give him more, but then he would be completely dependant on her. Five bags of rice for five people is really a little bit. But with two big silvers, he can buy a few more bags of rice and lots of vegetables. And meat? Well, that is not her problem. Isn't it?
Po Laosi didn't live inside the city. He had a simple house outside the city and a tiny garden. His wife was a smart woman that knew to survive with little and still live happily.
When he came home with rice and money he handed it to his wife with a smile. She actually wanted to scold him, but when he said it was a loan that they can repay next year with working, she accepted it.
The dry period was long and she feared already the next winter. Luckily Po Laosi was good at building things. He used stones he found to build a house and used clay to make inner walls smooth and then he built all the furniture in the house himself. So she had no worries about paying anyone rent. She put aside some money for the yearly tax and rest she will buy food.
Some people even paid him to help them renovate their homes. With that money, his wife bought a lot of wood and a goal that she carefully his in the cellar that he built for her.
Looking at rice and thinking about the rice she bought before from all the money she saved, she nodded happily. Now they can be safe even until summer. She thought about it and went to buy lits of vegetables as he explained to her and used some methods to prepare for winter.
But she was good with bargaining as well. While Shu Ya wanted to pay a fair price, she just bought all the vegetables extremely cheap as they were now left, only those that no one wanted. Seeing her full cellar she sighed in relief and went to a friend of hers to buy dry meat that in the north was quite cheap as everyone had their own animals.
Her husband was quite surprised by the amount of food when he went down and happy deep in his heart marrying someone like her. She knew how to save but at the same time, she was not stingy or something. They always had enough food on the table and good clothes on their bodies.
They lived a very simple life but were quite happy. He promised to be an even better husband in the future and then the small girl crossed his mind. He definitely needs to repay her what she did for him and his family.
On the farm, everyone looked in wonder the huge amount of jars filling almost every corner of the small yard.
Bolin wrinkled his eyebrows. ''Miss, what about we turn one of the rooms into storage and we all sleep just a little bit closer.''
Shu Ya smiled ta him and shook her head. ''I know what you think about but there is no need for that. The nights are getting colder so all the things that sour inside we will put in the storage and those with salt I planned to make a shed. Just simple shed. These things don't need much. We can put them into the shed in the outer yard and let them be. We can't eat them all anyway, so when winter comes, many people that live from herding will try to buy some salted vegetables. Then we can exchange the vegetables with them for rare furs or meat.''
''But those that heard sheep have their own gardens. Why would they buy salted vegetables?'' They were were all curious.
''They might have some summer vegetables, but winter is long. I fear that this winter will be especially long. Maybe we should save those and prepare for hunger year.'' She feared that some things might become awkward if she sells them in mid of catastrophe.
Maybe she can save lives if she just stands still. ''Never mind. Let us live happily for a while. From today on, there is no need to go back to the city. Now... let's start with something else. I have new ideas.''
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực