Chapter 202 Pests
With the ten taels and twelve cents of silver she earned today, Qin Yao drove her five children back to Liujia Village after school.
His ox cart was much faster than the driver's. When he arrived at the village, the setting sun was still hanging in the sky and the fields were filled with busy figures of villagers.
Qin Yao parked the ox cart in front of the factory gate and asked the five children to go home first, and she would come back later.
She wanted to settle the money she received today with Carpenter Liu, and also discuss the matter of modifying the details of the bookcase.
Dalang and the others agreed obediently and went home first, dragging their own book boxes.
Jinbao, carrying his own book basket, and Erlang, who was empty-handed, walked behind, looking at the book boxes of the three people in front with eyes full of envy.
Erlang did it all himself, and thinking that Qin Yao would definitely give him a commission on the sales volume later, he was in a good mood.
Jinbao was different. He was really envious, but he knew that a bookcase from his third aunt would cost more than five hundred coins, and his parents would never buy it for him, so he could only think about it in his heart.
Or maybe, let Auntie San sell him one at cost price?
Thinking of this, Jinbao couldn't hold back any longer and said to Erlang, "I'm going home first!"
After saying that, he ran away. His eagerness made Erlang curious, "Where is he going?"
Dalang had seen through it a long time ago, "Let's ask my uncle and aunt to buy him a magic book box."
Ji Lang said with a sigh, a little regretful, "He should have bought it from me."
In this way, not only can he give him a discount, but he can also get a commission.
Dalang scolded him for being crazy about money and wanting to make money from everyone, and warned him to be more restrained.
"It's good to keep the wealth within the family." Erlang responded weakly, not thinking that there was anything wrong with his idea.
But we are all cousins, so we still have to take care of our family ties. Erlang shut up and said nothing more.
Dalang glared at him, then urged Sanlang and Si Niang, who were playing with grass on the side of the road, to walk faster, as they had several days' worth of housework piled up and had to finish it quickly while they were on holiday.
All the dirty clothes and socks have to be washed, and the yard and house have to be cleaned. If it is still early, you have to take Lao Huang to the river and let him stay for a while, so that he can take a bath and eat some tender grass.
By the way, the chicken coop needs to be cleaned, otherwise Aunt Yao will be exhausted just by herself.
Dalang's mind was full of things, but the three younger ones didn't think so much. Although the eldest brother urged them, they couldn't help but be attracted by things on the roadside and got home slowly.
Qin Yao tied up the ox cart, called out Carpenter Liu, and the two of them settled the accounts.
This time she took back ten taels, two hundred and twenty-four coins, and after deducting the cost, her net profit was six taels, five hundred and sixteen coins.
Qin Yao also did not forget Erlang's commission. He gave him six cents for each chicken, and exactly ninety cents for fifteen chickens.
After deducting the ninety coins, the two men divided it equally, and each received three taels and two hundred and thirteen coins.
Qin Yao also took two book boxes to the Ding family as a favor, so she only got three or two pieces.
Carpenter Liu said that he didn't need to pay for it, but under Qin Yao's insistence, he had to accept it.
Clear accounts are conducive to long-term cooperation.
After receiving the money, both of them were happy and continued to discuss the details of improving the book box.
When everything was discussed and Qin Yao and the others were about to go home, Jin Bao ran in with He Shi and said expectantly, "Aunt San, I want to buy a book box!"
He followed behind and said angrily, "This kid is jealous of your Dalang's magical bookcase, and he's been throwing a tantrum at home. I'm almost pissed off!"
Qin Yao was not surprised at all to see the mother and son appear. She let Carpenter Liu go first and led the two to the warehouse for Jinbao to choose one.
Looking at her son who rushed in cheering and choosing a book box, He first sighed helplessly, then looked at Qin Yao nervously.
Without waiting for her to speak, Qin Yao said, "Just give me two hundred coins. After all, this is a business between two people. I have to recover the cost, otherwise it will be difficult to explain."
He exclaimed in surprise. She didn't expect Qin Yao to take the initiative to reduce the money by so much. While she breathed a sigh of relief, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
"Then, then I will thank his third aunt on behalf of Jinbao." He counted out two strings of copper coins from her purse and handed them to Qin Yao. She felt embarrassed for having taken advantage of more than three hundred coins.
Qin Yao collected the money, smiled and shook her head, "You're welcome, we're family."
"Yes, yes, family is always the best." He praised.
Although all the book boxes looked similar, Jinbao still carefully selected one that he thought was very special. He was reluctant to leave it and carried it with him all the way.
The three of them were about to separate at the door of the old house. He warmly invited Qin Yao to her home for dinner, but Qin Yao refused because she had to go home to see how the wheat harvest was going.
Speaking of wheat, He's smile faded, her brows knitted slightly, and she shook her head and said,
"A lot of wheat this year has been infested with insects, and it's not growing well. I heard that the wheat near the foot of the mountain is almost dead, and there's no harvest at all."
Fearing that Qin Yao would be too worried, he quickly added, "But Liu Dafu's fertile land by the river is fine, and your ten acres should be fine too."
Qin Yao's heart suddenly rose, "Is the pest so serious?"
He sighed, "It doesn't look good, but it happens every few years. We still have food stored from last year, so we are not afraid."
But it is hard to say whether those tribesmen who sold all their surplus grain last year to pay for labor service can survive until the autumn harvest.
Qin Yao had been busy making book boxes in the factory shed these days and hadn't really noticed this.
When I passed by the river on my way home, I saw the piles of black wheat straw covered with insects by the fields. Then I realized that what He said was too gentle.
Most of the wheat fields near the mountains in the village have been infested by insects. Once this bug spreads, it will cover a large area. Some of the scattered land can still be saved, but those large tracts of wheat fields that are connected have suffered heavy losses.
Qin Yao grabbed a handful of wheat ears and squeezed them. They were all flat. A cloud of gray dust fell on her fingers. The wheat grains had been eaten away long ago.
Farmers in the fields piled up the wheat straw and burned it, hoping that the fire would kill the pests and not affect spring plowing.
Now that it has happened, farmers can only try their best to ensure that there are no problems with the next crop of food.
I thought to myself, I just have to grit my teeth and hold on until the autumn harvest.
Qin Yao returned home with a nervous mood. The yard in front of the door was full of wheat that two temporary workers had helped to harvest.
The two temporary workers have already harvested half of the wheat, and the rest will be harvested in half a day tomorrow.
With the last bit of afterglow of the setting sun, Qin Yao checked her own wheat and found many black spots. The seemingly full ears of wheat were half empty when she touched them. Her heart sank.
Si Niang called from the courtyard: "Mother, it's time to eat!"
Qin Yao patted the empty shell on her palm, stood up and responded: "Here it comes."
Putting away all the worries, I walked into the yard with a smile, washed my hands and started eating.
After dinner, there was a familiar sound of footsteps outside the yard. Qin Yao's ears twitched slightly and she turned to look towards the gate.
Liu Ji, who was supposed to be waiting for the announcement of the results in the county town, actually came back exhausted with a bag on his shoulder.