jdhmnovel Chapter 91 The 1nd Year
Chapter 91 The 1nd Year
The old patriarch pulled his two grandsons, Chen Daquan and Chen Erming, who were about 17 or 18 years old, in front of Chen Jianshu and said embarrassedly: "Jianshu, your two nephews can read and write, and can do some accounting. Do you think you can take them to your place? Let them see the world. If they stay in our village, they will just be mud legs for their whole lives. I want them to go out and maybe they will have a good future in the future. You can let them work on the farm, or they can learn business from Xiao Si'er. It's up to you. I'm willing to sacrifice my old face, please!"
The two children bowed tactfully.
Chen Jianshu quickly helped the two of them up and said, "Okay, come with us this time. When we get home, I'll let Xiaosi arrange some work for you two. Just be willing to endure the hardship."
The two children said in unison: "Uncle Jianshu, we can endure hardships and are not afraid of fatigue. We will not cause trouble for Fourth Brother."
Chen Jianshu also thought that the family had many businesses and was in need of manpower, so he gladly kept the two children.
When leaving Chenjiabao, villagers came to see him off. They presented homemade pancakes and steamed buns to express their gratitude to the Chen family. Chen Jianshu set off on his journey home with full of emotion and blessings.
When Chen Jianshu and Bai Qiang's motorcade returned to Pingyang City, it was already mid-December. The New Year was approaching, and Chen's family was busy preparing for the New Year.
Chen Daquan and Chen Erming followed Chen Jianshu to Chen's house. Chen Ruotong received them warmly and arranged suitable jobs for them according to their abilities and interests.
Chen Daquan was smart and good at accounting, so he was assigned to be Chen Jianshu's long-time attendant to manage the accounts of the farm; Chen Erming was strong and hardworking, so he followed the servants to work in the fields. Both of them cherished this opportunity very much, worked hard, and soon gained everyone's recognition.
The weather is getting colder and colder. It has been snowing heavily these days, and the ground is covered with thick snow. The weather is cold and the roads are difficult to walk on. Few people go out, and they all stay at home to prepare for the New Year. But there are beggars on the street who are homeless and have no cotton clothes for the winter. Some even freeze to death on the street.
After Chen Ruotong learned the news, she and Zhang Yishun went to the home of Zhang Zhifu to discuss how to accommodate beggars and homeless people. In the end, Zhang Zhifu settled those people in unsold houses, so that at least they had a place to live. Chen Ruotong donated 10,000 taels of silver and 10,000 kilograms of grain to the government as a fund to help the homeless.
Chen Ruotong's good deed was praised by Prefect Zhang. He became rich, but cared about the suffering of the people. Such a businessman deserves praise!
As the New Year approaches, the atmosphere in Chen's house becomes more and more festive. Everyone is busy pasting Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, and preparing a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
Chen Ruotong also prepared New Year gifts for her friends in Pingyang City. First, she went to the home of Prefect Zhang, where she received candies, dried fruits, white wine, and several bags of hot pot base and dipping sauce, which were not available in the city. Then, she sent Zhang Yishun and Ding Wangchun special New Year gifts.
Qiao Zien is also on winter vacation, and Chen Ruotong invites Qiao Zien to come to Chen's house to celebrate the New Year.
The popularity of Chen's house is growing, the New Year atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger, and everyone's face is filled with happy smiles.
Chen Ruotong also held an annual meeting for the two shop assistants. The so-called annual meeting is to conduct a year-end summary and encourage everyone to make further progress next year. And give out year-end bonuses, each person will receive an extra 20 taels of silver. Of course, the three brothers each received 100 taels.
The servants working in Chen's house were given five taels of silver each, and those who worked on the farm were given ten taels of silver each.
Everyone was very happy to receive the bonus and they can have a good new year!
The happiest people were the Qiu family. Qiu was a skilled craftsman, so his monthly salary had increased to 20 taels. The other five people were paid 10 taels each, so they could get 70 taels a month. Plus the bonus of 120 taels, they got 190 taels in December.
The old silversmith was filled with emotion. It was a blessing for them to work for such a master. They had good food, meat every meal, and a good house, with all the necessary furniture and bedding in the room, warm in winter and cool in summer. Most importantly, the wages were high. There was no such high wages in the whole Pingyang Prefecture. If they worked for another year, they could buy a big house in the north city.
On the morning of New Year's Eve, the head of the farm delivered two slaughtered pigs. Chen Ruotong also took out a lot of vegetables from the space, and the big kitchen was busy preparing a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
This is Chen Ruotong and Qiao Zien’s first New Year in ancient times. They are one year older and are full of hope for the future!
As night fell, the lights in Chen's house were brightly lit. The family sat around the round table and enjoyed a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner together.
Chen Ruotong raised her glass, smiled and said: "Thank you all for your hard work this year. May the coming year be even better!" Everyone responded, with laughter and cheers rising one after another.
After dinner, Chen Ruotong and Qiao Zien set off fireworks in the yard, and the brilliant colors lit up the night sky. Old Man Chen and his friends sat together and chatted, sharing the past year.
At this time, Zhou Qian and Feng Liangyu stepped forward and bowed deeply to Chen Jianshu and Chen Ruotong.
"Thank you for giving us such a good opportunity. We will work hard and live up to your expectations!" Zhou Qian said sincerely.
Chen Ruotong smiled with satisfaction, "I am very happy to see you guys doing things so efficiently. Old Zhou, you should work harder to manage the household and worry more about it. If you have any difficulties, just let me know."
As night fell, the fireworks bloomed more brilliantly. The Chen residence was filled with warmth and happiness. Everyone was looking forward to the new year and a better future.
Chen Ruotong gave everyone in the family a red envelope of 100 taels as New Year's money. She also gave grandma 2,000 taels of pocket money. Grandma Chen patted Chen Ruotong's hand and said, "I never thought that life would be so good. We are all blessed by our grandson. Grandma has never had such a grand New Year!"
"Grandma, our family will have more people in the future, and the New Year will be more lively and grand!"
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Chen family was filled with joy. According to custom, the younger generations should pay New Year's greetings to the elders. Chen Ruotong and Qiao Zien got up early and respectfully saluted the elders, who also prepared red envelopes for them.
Old Mrs. Chen was very happy when she saw the two children. She liked Qiao Zien very much. She was good-looking, well-mannered, and well-educated. She was a perfect match for her eldest granddaughter. She hoped that the two children could get married in the future.
After breakfast, the family began to visit each other to wish each other a happy new year. Chen Ruotong prepared some exquisite gifts and asked Chen Daquan and Chen Erming to distribute them to the servants in the mansion. After receiving the gifts, everyone smiled and was grateful.
On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Chen Ruotong invited some relatives and friends from Pingyang City to her home. Everyone gathered together, chatting and laughing, and spending the New Year's Day together. Among them, the wife of the prefect Zhang praised the cakes in Chen Ruotong's space and asked about the production method.
During the Spring Festival, Chen's house also held various activities, such as guessing lantern riddles and tug-of-war competitions, which added a lot of joyful atmosphere. People spent a happy and unforgettable New Year in laughter and joy.