webnovelfull Chapter 164 Discussing Building a House
Chapter 164 Discussing Building a House
Li Dalang said in distress: "It's no use calling the police, and it's no use trying to reason with them. What should I do?"
Li Laosan said: "How about we just beat up the troublemakers."
Li Erlang laughed out loud, "Uncle San, you really think you're a hero, you can beat up anyone you want. If you beat them up, you'll ruin our business, and then they'll report you to the police, and you'll be skinned alive by the county magistrate."
"This won't work, that won't work either, I can only watch my stall go bankrupt?" Li Dalang said angrily. Why is it so difficult for ordinary people to do business? It's really a problem.
Everyone was in a low mood and full of worries. It seemed that doing business was not an easy thing. During the New Year, they were used to smooth sailing and had become a little lazy.
Li Yuer saw that the time was almost right, so he said, "This is why I always pay attention to some news. If someone makes trouble, we should ask the doctor to check their pulse in public to see if they are in trouble. Then we can ask the doctor to help test the food for poison in public, so that we can convince everyone.
When everyone is on our side, their scheme will fall apart."
"Great! Why didn't I think of this? I'm so stupid." Li Erlang sighed in annoyance.
Li Meir said: "So, in the future, we should not only do business well, but also learn what it is."
Li Dalang added: "We also need to have a sense of crisis."
Li Yuer continued, "It's not that you are stupid, but we are all good and honest people in our family. How could we have thought of these twists and turns?
But just because we don't have bad intentions towards others doesn't mean that others don't have bad intentions towards us. Doing business is just like living your life. You can't just close the door and live your life by yourself because you can't live in complete isolation.
We also need to have a good relationship with the yamen runners. They are all officials inherited from their ancestors. Sometimes, if you offend them, the consequences will be more serious than offending the county magistrate.
Wu Paopi's term of office is seven years at most. If you are patient, it may pass. These local officials are hereditary. If you provoke one, you will provoke the whole group."
Li Dalang frowned and said, "Ah, I'm really not cut out for business, so I'll just be in charge of cooking from now on."
Li Yuer admired Li Dalang's self-awareness and self-positioning. "Then you have to work hard, cousin. Cooking is our family's secret recipe. You have to protect our secret trump card."
"Don't worry! I always cook behind people's back. When villagers come, I will cover the pot so that they can't see."
Li Yuer thought that this was not a long-term solution, so she should quickly build the new house. By the way, she also needed to modify the blueprint and make two kitchens, one for cooking at home and the other for food business.
If we open a branch in the future, we will have to recruit chefs or apprentices. The kitchen is a confidential area and must be strictly managed.
Li Laosan asked: "What does this Hu Banxian have to do with us?"
Li Yuer smiled and said: "Doing business also requires business acumen. Hu Banxian is a big merchant in Jiangnan. In Jiangnan and even the whole country, he is a figure who can shake three times if you step on him. His movements are related to the entire business trend.
Think about it, if there is no benefit, why would he give benefits to Wu Bapi, a minor official of the seventh rank?"
Li Meier thought for a moment and said, "Yes, what is it about our remote coastal town that attracts him?"
Several people looked at each other, and their faces changed when they thought about transporting grain to the dock.
Li Yuer said, "I heard from the scholars in the town that when marching to war, food and fodder must go first. I'm afraid the north is not peaceful anymore."
Li Erlang has just had a few days of good life. If a war breaks out, can they still continue to set up their stall?
"Will the attack reach us?"
Li Laosan said uncertainly, "No way. We are still far from the northern border. I heard that it is even poorer there than here. Many people there are herders, and the farmland is barren. The winter is even colder. Those who fled from famine in the north said that many people freeze to death or starve to death there every winter."
Li Dalang was kindhearted and said sympathetically, "So we are still relatively lucky. At least we have the sea, so we won't starve to death. We are just a little poorer."
Li Yuer also didn't understand the operating mechanism of this era, so he could only be prepared for danger and try to think of everything he could.
"Let's buy more food. We might run out of food in the near future, especially for fishermen like us."
In the evening, good news came from Old Mrs. Cai that the land purchase deal had been settled.
"The land price is not high, but we have to give an extra three taels of silver as a tribute." Old Mrs. Cai said, "Our Li family has already divided up, and this year the third child has become an adult, so we will divide up again. In fact, there is nothing to divide up. The money from selling whale meat has been divided up. We just need to separate the third child out in advance in terms of household registration."
Then, she looked at Li Laosan and said, "Laosan, although you haven't gotten married yet, it will only be a year or two. You should do it this time. Nowadays, you have to pay bribes to get things done in the government. If you do it again, I don't know how much the bribe will be next time."
Li Laosan said, "Mother, I understand. I will do as you say."
Old Mrs. Cai nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Now that you have split up the family, you will have to pay for the homestead and the house. What are your plans?"
Boss Li held it in for a long time before finally saying something old-fashioned: "I listen to my parents."
Zhang nodded, "I'll listen to my husband."
Li Laoer had no idea in his mind and was about to say: I will listen to my parents too, but he was interrupted by Li Yuer.
Li Yuer took out the blueprint he had drawn and said, "I have an idea. This is the design of the courtyard house I drew. I plan to build my house according to this."
Everyone gathered around the design curiously.
"This house is so beautiful. Can a rich landlord's house be this beautiful?" Boss Li said curiously.
Sketching is about being realistic and easy to understand so that everyone can understand it.
Li Laoer exclaimed: "This house is spacious. It must have cost a lot of money, right?"
Li Erlang was extremely happy. If he could live in such a house, even if he didn't have the airs of a rich young master, he could be almost like a young master of a landlord's family.
"Yu Baoer, you have a smart little brain. I think this house is good. Let's build it according to your drawing!"
Mrs. Fan liked the painting of the garden full of flowers and plants, but she was worried, "Do you think it would be too eye-catching if we built a house like this?"
Old man Li has been honest all his life and is afraid to take the lead in everything. He fully agrees with what Fan said.
"Juanzi is right. Our family is just ordinary people. It is not appropriate for us to build such a nice house."
Li Erlang was afraid that this plan would fail, so he quickly said, "What's wrong with it? What's wrong with our family? Why don't we deserve to live in a good house? Are the landlords born to enjoy happiness, while we ordinary people are born to suffer?"