When the pears are green

Chapter 210 How to deal with scoundrels

Under the cover of night in the early morning, an oil lamp emitting yellow light was placed in a sheltered corner. Jiang Qingzhou's figure pushing the stone mill was occasionally reflected on the south and west walls of the new house.

Song Li scooped soybeans from the feeding port while discussing with Jiang Qingzhou: "Qingzhou, when you and Ping'an pass by my grandmother's house, give them two pounds of tofu. Although we don't usually interact with them, we can't embarrass my mother. Make less today, make more tomorrow, and give some to Uncle Heng and Uncle Ji. If we want to keep doing business in the village, we have to rely on their help in the future."

Jiang Qingzhou knew that Song Li was always thoughtful, so he agreed with a smile. The laughter of the two mixed with the creaking sound of the millstone, drifting in the quiet night.

The east gradually turned white, and Song Li called Jiang Qingye and Song Xing, who were standing at the kitchen door, to come and have a bowl of soy milk first.

Jiang Qingye and Song Xing both felt that the bean smell was too strong. After drinking with bitter faces, they hurried to the yard and began to clean the courtyard, the pigpen, the chicken coop and the rabbit hive.

Mr. Li and Li Yi came to the kitchen one after another, and Song Li scooped two bowls of soy milk and handed them to them.

After taking two sips, Li Yi frowned tightly, then smiled and poured the rest to Master Li.

Master Li held the bowl and sighed in a low voice: "Nian Nian hasn't suffered for a long time."

"Li Yi's behavior shows that the Master is capable. Xiaoxing and Qingye don't like to drink it either. If sugar were added, they would definitely rush to drink it." After Song Li finished speaking, she smiled and asked Li Yi to help her pick two onions to prepare for breakfast later.

Master Li then told Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou about his plans to move back to the study tomorrow.

"Okay, wait for Qingzhou to come back from selling tofu tomorrow, and let Qingzhou help deliver the bedding and clothes to the study." Although Song Li was reluctant to let him go, she did not say anything to keep him. After all, this was not Master Li and Li Yi's home, and Master Li still had the study to run.

Master Li smiled and nodded. He first helped Jiang Qingzhou carry the bean paste that had been soaked in gypsum water to the corner, and then washed the bowls that he and Li Yi had used.

After the group had breakfast, the tofu was not yet fully formed. Song Li asked Jiang Qingzhou to wait patiently at home, and then took Li Yi, Jiang Qingye and Song Xing to the town.

After sending Jiang Qingye and Song Xing to the study, Song Li and Li Yi went to the clinic to ask the old doctor if they could buy some gypsum powder for them.

The old doctor happily agreed, and the price was still ten cents per two taels. He asked Song Li to come to the clinic to pick up the goods in three days.

Song Li was very grateful. The old doctor's little help saved Song Li the time and energy of traveling back and forth to the county town.

After paying a deposit of one hundred cents to the old doctor, Song Li left the clinic with the document signed by the old doctor and went to the restaurant with Li Yi.

To Song Li's surprise, Kai Xin and Zhang Er were not in the restaurant. It was Hu Zhimin who was personally inspecting the goods in the backyard.

While weighing the garlic sprouts, Hu Zhimin asked Song Li, "Madam Jiang, if you encounter a scoundrel, what should you do?"

After hearing this, Song Li frowned and thought for a while, then answered seriously: "To deal with scoundrels, you can either threaten them with force, suppress them with power, or be more scoundrel than them. But it's best not to solve it with money, as this will make those scoundrels even more fearless."

Hu Zhimin smiled and said that he had the same idea as Song Li, then motioned to Zhang Da to take Li Yi to the kitchen to eat some pastries.

"Mrs. Jiang, do you want to do tofu business in town?" Hu Zhimin asked softly.

Song Li understood that the rogue Hu Zhimin just mentioned was Liu Shulin, and replied helplessly: "Boss Hu knows that Liu Shulin is not someone that ordinary people like me can afford to offend. Qingzhou and I have no intention of participating in the tofu business in the town."

"To be honest with Madam Jiang, the restaurant has suffered from Liu Shulin for a long time. Back then, the second brother was forced by the situation to let Liu Shulin deliver tofu to the restaurant. Now he has returned to the county to take over the family's pharmacy and cloth shop, but he has left me a mess. Liu Shulin's tofu is not only short in weight, but also of poor quality. Although the restaurant does not care about the few dozen cents for tofu, the quality of tofu has a lot of impact on the restaurant's reputation. The whole town knows that the restaurant's tofu is not tasty. Lingling often praises Madam Jiang for her intelligence and cleverness in front of me, so I want Madam Jiang to give me some advice. After that, the Jiang family can supply the restaurant with tofu." Hu Zhimin sighed and said, then looked at Song Li with hope.

Song Li did not think she was smarter than Hu Zhimin. She had heard Lingling say that Hu Zhimin had been involved in the family business since he was thirteen or fourteen years old, and what he had seen and heard was far beyond her reach. So she guessed that Hu Zhimin asked this question just to tie herself and the restaurant together to deal with Liu Shulin, and to share the risk of being retaliated by Liu Zhen and Liu Shulin in the future. However, wealth and honor are sought in danger, so she might as well give it a try. Even if the sky falls, there is still the tall Hu Ji Restaurant to support it.

Song Li smiled mysteriously at first, then whispered to Hu Zhimin: "Boss Hu, I've heard people say that Liu Shulin has done a lot of bad things, but he's afraid of retribution. It's better to send him a punishment from heaven."

Hu Zhimin didn't take it seriously and told Song Li that he had asked Kai Xin and Zhang Er to throw dead willow branches stained with chicken blood into Liu Shulin's house, but it had no effect.

"Kai Xin and Brother Zhang will not tell anyone about what the Hu family did, and Liu Shulin will not tell anyone about it either, so naturally there will be no effect. The divine punishment I mentioned is to let everyone talk about it, for example..."

Song Li paused for a moment and continued, "For example, if the fish is delivering a message, there are many guests in the restaurant. If one of the guests eats something from the fish's belly, the effect will naturally be different."

Hu Zhimin burst into laughter after hearing this. He first took Song Li to the counter to settle the bill for the past three days, and then asked Zhang Da to pack some cakes for Song Li to take away.

Song Li quickly refused. Hu Zhimin smiled and told Song Li not to be polite, saying that this was for the three children to try out, after all, they would be relatives in the future.

Song Li embarrassedly took the two pastries handed over by Zhang Da, and then took Li Yi to the butcher shop to buy pork elbows.

After Song Li and Li Yi left, Hu Zhimin asked Zhang Da to keep an eye on the restaurant, and then went to Li's house with Zhang Er and Kai Xin who were hiding in the dark. They were going to go to several relatives of Yang Yu with Yang Zhang to inform them that Yang Yu would go to Wu's house to propose marriage the day after tomorrow.

Li Liu liked Yang Jing very much and was also very clear about Wu Mingshu's affairs. So, she asked Hu Zhimin to bring some people to help Yang Zhang, fearing that Yang Zhang had been wronged by the Yang family.

When Song Li and Li Yi returned home, the tofu had already taken shape.

Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou lifted the wooden box containing tofu onto the cart, and Li Yi placed the basket containing the dagger and scale next to the wooden box.

"Qingzhou, don't be anxious, walk slowly." Song Li stood at the gate of the yard and instructed Jiang Qingzhou.

"I understand." Jiang Qingzhou said, pulling the cart slowly forward.

After Song Li returned to the kitchen, she started to prepare stewed pork elbows with dried vegetables as a farewell meal for Master Li and Li Yi.