CHAPTER 1371: CHAPTER 1349 EATING AND DRINKING

Old Zhou felt very upset, "Can’t we let each household cover their own expenses?"

Ms. Qian couldn’t help but glance at him, "Fine, I’ll talk to them. The children’s tuition and board will be covered by the family funds, but they’ll need to buy other things themselves."

She didn’t really think much of this matter, "Anyway, the money we earn will eventually be divided among the children. Using the family funds doesn’t matter. When Sixth and the others grow up, they will do the same. After we’re gone, they can think about dividing things up."

So much money is kept in the family funds, and it’s divided every year anyway. If it accumulates in the family funds over time, dividing it would be a problem.

It’s better to earn and spend now. Each household keeps their own money and decides how to spend it. We just need to save money to marry off Sixth and Manbao, and then this generation’s major events are completed.

Thinking this way, Ms. Qian told Old Zhou, "I’ve talked to Old Madam Liu. Manbao is still young and needs to stay longer, so her dowry can be saved slowly. But this time, Sixth’s betrothal gifts need to be prepared and sent."

Manbao actually had some ideas, "Dad, Mom, how about you also go to the capital to discuss the marriage with the Qiu Family? You should go, right?"

"Your Fourth Brother and the others are there," Ms. Qian said, "Since you and Fourth and Fifth said the Qiu Family is good, then it must be good. Just bring back the news for us next year during New Year and we’ll take a look."

She said, "We’re getting old and won’t be going."

Old Zhou nodded repeatedly.

Going out for a trip takes about ten days or so; it’s not easy.

Not to mention Old Zhou and Ms. Qian, even Zhou Dalang was reluctant to go out. To him, going to the county town, Mianzhou, or Yizhou City was fun, but going further than a three-day journey was just suffering.

The children went out because they were young, suffering doesn’t matter. When they get older, what’s the point of following along?

Only Zhou SiLang couldn’t sit still and liked to run outside.

After getting up, he finished his breakfast, watched the sun rise high, completely ignored the custom of not going out on the first day of the month, and just ran outside to meet friends for a meal.

The young people in the village who were friendly with him were also happy to accommodate him.

The loafers who used to hang out with him were now all settled down with families, and counting it, Zhou SiLang was the last to marry among them. After all, he was delayed for two years because of his reputation.

But now he seems to be the most capable.

Everyone felt sentimental, and then they poured him some wine.

Zhou SiLang didn’t just come to drink with them, but to discuss the tea business.

The tea leaves outside are too expensive, so he wants to take advantage of the holiday when everyone is at home and collect some from the nearby villages.

Although most families have loose tea leaves, small amounts add up, don’t they?

With so many villages and so many households, he certainly couldn’t do it all himself; it would be exhausting.

So he approached his friends and set the prices for them. He brought three types of tea leaves this time, all commonly consumed here.

He pointed them out and said, "I pay sixty wen per jin for tea that is fried like this, fifty-five wen for this type, and fifty wen for this one. As for how much you charge per jin, it’s up to your own abilities."

Zhou SiLang put his arm around his brothers’ shoulders and said, "But let me say first, all these teas have to be properly fried and cannot be damp."

His brothers patted their chests and promised, "Don’t worry, Zhou Si, we understand perfectly well. We know your tea is sold to nobles in the capital, who dares to mess around?"

Zhou SiLang nodded repeatedly, "That’s right."

"So about the payment..."

Zhou SiLang: "After you collect them and my family checks the goods, I will settle the accounts on the spot."

Everyone hesitated, "Doesn’t that mean we’ll have to cover the costs ourselves first?"

"What do you mean by cover? We’re all neighbors, just tell them when you go to collect that you’ll pay them after you get the money. Once they trust you, what problem is there to borrow again next time?" Zhou SiLang also feared someone might take the money without paying the neighbors, so he said, "Let me tell you, things outside aren’t like in our mountain."

"In our mountain, we only drink tea in summer and autumn, but outside people drink it all year round, so the tea business is done year-round. You better not mess with the rules, if you can’t do business anymore, it won’t be my problem."

"Listen to yourself, we’re not that kind of people, are we?"

The matter was settled, and everyone urged him to drink more.

But actually, there wasn’t much wine. In Qili Village, things have eased up in the past two years, but not to the extent that every household has lots of stored wine.

So there’s not much wine, and they’re reluctant to put it all out at once, so everyone drank a bowl and then just ate the dishes.

Zhou SiLang left soberly and returned soberly, only with a faint smell of wine.

Indeed, when there’s just a little bit of wine, it’s a fragrance, but drink too much and it turns into a stench.

Even the Zhou Family isn’t wealthy enough to have wine stench, so when they smelled the wine scent on him, from Old Zhou to Zhou Sanlang, they all felt a bit envious of Zhou SiLang.

Zhou Wulang didn’t like to drink, so he didn’t feel envious.

But Zhou SiLang wasn’t satisfied yet. He wanted to visit his uncle’s house in the afternoon to continue drinking, because it’s best to involve the cousins in tea-buying business.

He said to Ms. Qian, "Mom, though collecting loose tea earns less, it’s still money, right? Might as well let our cousins make some too."

Ms. Qian was about to object, then frowned and waved him off.

Zhou SiLang grinned, reached out to ask his mother for some New Year gifts.

Ms. Qian slapped his hand and told him, "Just take some pastries and go over, and tell your uncles that Daya is visiting tomorrow, so we won’t be going over for New Year’s greetings. We’ll wait until the third to let your eldest brother and others pay their visits."

Zhou SiLang nodded regretfully.

Ms. Fang wrapped up some pastries for him, and when no one was looking, she pinched his waist and said through clenched teeth, "Don’t think I don’t know you just don’t want to bring the child. If you don’t come home early tonight..."

Zhou SiLang grinned, covered his waist, and ran out, carrying only three packages of pastries.

Ms. Qian glanced at them and snorted lightly, not stepping up to help her son.

Manbao and Sanya happened to come back from the vegetable garden, carrying vegetables, and saw their Fourth Brother running out like a rocket. Manbao raised her hand to greet him, "Fourth Brother, are you going out drinking again?"

Zhou SiLang’s waist was still sore, he just ran with the pastries, turned around, and shouted, "No, I’m doing serious business!"

Then, in no time, he was out of sight.

In the courtyard, Ms. Qian said, "Manbao, don’t worry about him. He’s going to your uncle’s house."

Manbao carried the vegetables back, squatted down to pick them with her sister-in-law, while Ms. Fang also squatted across from Manbao and asked, "Manbao, when in the capital, does your Fourth Brother also frequently go out eating and drinking?"

Manbao felt like a sword was hanging over her Fourth Brother’s head. She hesitated for a moment and then truthfully said, "He doesn’t often eat and drink, just needs to frequently go out to find work and sometimes socializes a bit more."

Ms. Fang then became thoughtful.