Uncle Liu smiled and shook the broken pu fan in his hand, and pushed the plate of watermelons cut by Mrs. Liu in front of Banniang and Cang'er: "The watermelons we grow ourselves are sweet and sandy, come and taste them." ”

Waiting for Banniang and Cang'er to pick up a piece and eat it unceremoniously, they said: "It's not a difficult thing, it's just that if you and your second brother Liu go to the city to work, and leave the two grandsons at home, I don't worry, the old woman is a soft-hearted grandson, I'm afraid that I can't control the two live monkeys, so I want to ask Banniang if I can call Tie Dan and Dog Dan, and also go to Zeng's school house to study for a few years." How can our private acquaintance in the countryside be compared with the Zeng family's school? It's also my old man's selfishness. ”

It's just two students, it's not a difficult thing, and Mr. Chen won't mind if he thinks about it, Banniang smiled and said: "This is natural, the gentleman we invite in Zeng's school is a very talented person, and he teaches seriously, even my father respects him very much." At that time, the old man and the second brother Liu were busy, and I was afraid that they would not be able to take care of the two children. It's not as good as this, our brothers in the family are studying outside, and most of the houses are empty, so they will be called Dog Egg and Tie Dan, and they will live in our house, so that my little ninth brother and two nephews also have a companion to play, Dog Egg and Iron Egg, and they don't have to go back and forth to the school house every day, but can save more time to study. ”

Uncle Qiao hurriedly said: "How can this be done?" Isn't it troublesome? I and your second brother Liu are not afraid of anything, after all, if there is only one wife left in the family, this field can not be planted, and when the autumn harvest season, the land will be planted by the neighbors, and then let the old woman go to the city to take care of it. ”

"It's just the mouth of the two children, what's the trouble? Even if Granny Liu also goes to the city, it is better to stay in the workshop when the time comes, help take care of the living life of the old man and the second brother Liu, the two children, or live in our house, it is good to study for them, if Uncle Liu misses his grandson, ask them to visit you every few days. ”

Being able to stay in the Zeng family, the Zeng family's learning style is prosperous, and it will naturally benefit the children a lot, which is also unbelievable, Uncle Liu humbly said a few words, and he happily responded.

Banniang then talked to Old Man Liu about the commission: "...... Because it is a newly opened shop, I don't know how the business is, and I can't give much salary at this time, I think about the monthly money of the old man for fifteen times a month, and the second brother Liu for ten times a month, and see how the business is at the end of the year, if it is good, I will also give the old man and the second brother Liu red envelopes. In addition, there is another thing that asks the uncle. ”

Liu Erlang is now in the shop, but it has only risen to three times a month's salary, this time it has reached ten, and he has fifteen times a month, and the business is good, and there are dividends at the end of the year, Uncle Liu's eyes widened when he heard it, and he couldn't hear what Banniang said later, so he only said again and again: "Banniang, this, how does this make it?" ”

Banniang said with a smile: "Since we promised to give so much to the uncle, we naturally have a reason, the uncle just takes it, and when the time comes, the uncle will know that I have given it, in fact, it is not too much." I think the old man also knows that no one in our family has ever done the business of the carpentry shop, so he is not familiar with this business, and the old man just doesn't say it, I can also see that the old man used to be an expert in this woodware line, so when I come, there is still a place to rely on the old man's help. In fact, I have a matter now, I want to ask the old man to help, help me bring out a group of guys who are good at making household goods, and a group of guys who are good at carving. In addition, because the shop is in a hurry, I am not familiar with the purchase of wood, and I need more guidance from the uncle, not for anything else, the source of goods is a big deal, and I don't trust others. So I can only rely on the help of the old man. ”

Really speaking, the ancestors of the Qiao family are considered to be technical shares, and his family's ancestral lacquer art is hard to find, and Banniang gave a salary of fifty yuan a month, and a bonus of one percent, which is still cheap. And Uncle Liu only relies on exquisite carpentry skills, so giving his father and son a salary of 25 times a month is very generous, you know, now he is an ordinary shopkeeper, and it is only a monthly salary of five or eight times. No matter what else, it is a county magistrate, and the monthly salary is only ten taels of silver, of course, the county magistrate also has other incomes such as Lutian cloth and carbon respect. Despite this, the two fathers and sons are really up to the sky on the 25th of January, and it is no wonder that Uncle Liu is shocked.

In fact, Banniang also planned to hand over the woodware workshop to Uncle Liu, so she opened this price. This old man seems to be a Zhuang family, Shi Ba Niangzhi has the idea of opening a carpenter, and saw that the Liu family father and son have a good craft, so they began to pay careful attention to observe, and found that this old man looked simple and kind, he is really a successful person, and he is a person who has hills and valleys in his heart, but he is good at hiding clumsy, and the most important thing is that the Song people take honesty and trustworthiness as the moral standard of the whole people, and most of the ancient people attach great importance to moral integrity, which is incomprehensible to later generations.

It is difficult for a person with a bad reputation to get along under this social standard, which is also the reason why the Zeng family is poor and poor, but they are still very respected.

And Uncle Liu is a very moral and ethical person, which can be seen from the honest young man Liu Erlang he taught. And in several interactions with the Zeng family, he has never taken advantage of the Zeng family, and the Zeng family has overpaid the money, and he can always use his method to repay the favor.

As a result, Banniang decided to hand over the woodwork workshop to Uncle Liu, first, he is proficient in woodwork, and has the ability to manage the entire woodwork, second, his own craftsmanship is enough, which is enough for him to bring out a group of excellent carpenters, and third, this father and son are trustworthy.

Uncle Liu listened to Banniang's last sentence, "I don't trust others, I can only rely on Uncle Liu" and his heart was completely relieved. He no longer shirked, and said: "Since Banniang trusts my father and son, other old men dare not promise you, but when the wood is alive, there will never be a mistake." As for the timber thing you said, Uncle Lao still had some old relationships in the early years, but he could help buy some good wood, and the price could also be fair, but," Speaking of this, Uncle Liu paused, "You should know that Li Yuanwai's family in the city also has a carpentry business, and it is the largest carpentry shop in our Nanfeng, and now Erlang is doing things in his family's Ledeju, if your carpentry shop is opened, with my understanding of Banniang, the business of this carpentry shop will definitely be stronger than the Li family, not for anything else, The patterns drawn by Banniang can't find a second person in the Great Song Kingdom now. In this way, in the eyes of the Li family, it is to rob his family's business, and it is inevitable that there will be collisions and frictions when the time comes, and Banniang must also make plans in advance. ”

is business, competition is inevitable, although she and that Li Yong, there are also a few friendships, but friendship is friendship, business is business, not to mention that Li Yong is in front of the Li family and his son, I am afraid that I can't speak.

Banniang said with a smile: "I know in my heart, after all, we can't do this business because of difficulties, and I don't dare to guarantee other places, in the neighboring counties, although the Li family is domineering, it can't cover the sky with one hand, our Zeng family is not afraid of this, when it comes to the sky, as long as our business is legitimate, we are not afraid of others making trouble." ”

Although Uncle Liu didn't think so, he had seen a lot of dirty things in the business for most of his life, otherwise he would not have lived in the countryside for many years with his ability, but since the master said so, there is always a truth in someone's family, so he smiled and said: "It's this reason." ”

Then he asked Banniang about when he and Erlang needed to go to the workshop, Banniang smiled: "The shop and the workshop are being renovated, it is estimated that it will take a month, but please ask the old man to help contact it first, to see where to buy good wood, even if you can't do business for the time being, when the shop can open, you need to make a few sets of samples of household goods and put them in the shop." ”

Uncle Liu thought for a while and said: "This is very urgent, in this way, I will go into the city when I turn around, talk to Erlang, and let him resign from the matter of Ledeju first, I will take advantage of these few days, I will also go to each house to walk the wood, and choose some wood to come back first." Banniang, I see that you also know a lot about wood, if you are free, you can also go around with me. Besides, only me and Erlang will definitely not work, I have brought a few apprentices in the past, and the skills are good, but the people are not in Nanfeng, if you agree, I will have time to ask someone to send a letter to see if I can invite someone to come. If it can be done, it can save some things at the beginning, and you can also climb tight and invite some people, and it doesn't take much to start, there are five or six people, it is enough, and then you can add people as appropriate to see the business situation in the future. In this way, you can also be frugal. ”

Banniang hurriedly said: "It's still the old man who thinks carefully, or people say that there is an old man in the family, if there is a treasure." ”

Both Cang'er and the old man laughed at what she said.

Banniang asked Uncle Liu to be free to send the iron egg and the dog egg to study in the Zeng school first, and the road was after going back, but let the family clean up the house where the two children lived, Uncle Liu thought about it, and sent the two children first, he and Erlang could also save a lot of trouble, and they were really busy when they were saved, and they didn't care about the two who were naughty all day, so they should be.

Because it was summer, it was the season with the most vegetables in the year, and Granny Liu saw that the two of them had hired a carriage to come, so she took advantage of their conversation to pick two watermelons and two baskets of vegetables, all of which were cucumbers and beans, and asked Banniang to take them back.

There is no shortage of dishes at home, but this dish is better than freshness, Banniang did not shirk, took it with a smile, thanked her, and said with a smile: "I like your generous coolness." ”

Banniang smiled: "As long as my mother-in-law is willing to give it, I will take it all." This watermelon is sandy and sweet, even if my mother-in-law doesn't give it, I have to ask two to go back, and let my father and mother taste it. ”

"What a filial person." Granny Liu praised while sending two out of the courtyard with Uncle Liu.

Banniang and Cang'er went to see the process of the decoration of the woodware shop again, and after watching for a long time, they saw that they were quite satisfied, so they turned out, because they were not far from home, so they let Cang'er go back first, and they went all the way home.

At this time, it is the twilight of the four hours, Guangci Temple came out of the sound of drums, the morning bell of the evening drum, because it is not close, the sound is melodious, falling in the ears, with the lively and noisy secular atmosphere of the Guangci Temple Square, as well as the smoke and warm breeze in summer, the magnificent red clouds on the horizon, the ancient costumes of passers-by walking leisurely on the square, that feeling, just like walking in a distant but cramped real dream.

As soon as she bypassed Guangci Temple and turned to the alley leading to her house, she was startled when she saw a man in ink standing in front of her.