Siheyuan: Starting with one acre and three fen of land

The next morning, the sky was turning pale.

He Yuzhu rode his bike to the outside of Dongzhimen, ready to go to Niulanshan. He thought that the road conditions were poor and the distance was far.

He went to a place where coachmen were waiting for work, intending to rent a horse-drawn carriage and buy some wine on the way.

As soon as He Yuzhu approached, several coachmen surrounded him enthusiastically.

"Hey young man, what goods do you need to transport?" one of the drivers asked enthusiastically.

He Yuzhu took out a cigarette box from his pocket and distributed a cigarette to a few people: "I'm going to take a ride to Niulanshan. I want to find someone who is familiar with the winery."

The leading driver thought for a moment and asked, "Are you going to take the goods back to the city?"

"It depends on the situation. Once I've negotiated it, the goods will be shipped back." He Yuzhu said with a faint smile.

"How about a mule cart? You can negotiate the price yourself." When he saw He Yuzhu nodded in agreement, he turned around and shouted, "Tian Laogen! Come here quickly, there is a job!"

"Hey, here I come!" An old man sitting not far away responded and trotted over.

"You can talk to Tian Laogen!" After saying this, the few people dispersed and returned to the roadside to wait for other customers to take business.

Tian Laogen came up to him, his face full of wrinkles, showing a sincere smile, and bowed to He Yuzhu: "Brother, I wonder what cargo you are going to transport this time?"

He Yuzhu smiled and handed over a cigarette: "It's not about transporting goods, it's about taking me and the car to Niulanshan. Does Xu's Winery know about it?"

Tian Laogen took the cigarette, sniffed it from under his nose, and put it to his ear: "Of course I know, I often look for work there. Do you know the cost?"

"I'll only pay half of the trip, but I'll give you lunch. If you need to take some wine back to the city in the afternoon, I'll pay the full amount." He Yuzhu said as he patted the backpack on the handlebars.

After hearing this, Tian Laogen thought for a moment and felt that the price was a bit low, but seeing that He Yuzhu was generous, the food he prepared must be good, so he could barely accept it.

When we get to town, I'll look for some odd jobs, it won't be a big deal.

He made up his mind and nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's go now! It will be cooler in the morning."

"Okay, that's great! Don't worry, I guarantee you won't suffer any loss." He Yuzhu handed him another cigarette and waited on the side of the road pushing his bicycle for him to drive over.

Not long after, Tian Laogen drove over with a mule cart and called out, "Brother, get in the car!"

He Yuzhu glanced at the back of the truck and saw that it was covered with a clean straw mat and there was no dirt.

He nodded to Tian Laogen and moved the bicycle onto the truck bed.

"Uncle Lao Gen, I'll take a nap first. Just call me when we get there." After saying that, He Yuzhu found a comfortable position and lay down.

Tian Laogen waved the whip in his hand and turned back to say, "No problem, you can take a rest!"

Along the way, the mule cart was shaking. He Yuzhu lay in the cart, looking at the sky with white clouds. The sound of wheels rolling came to his ears, and he fell asleep unknowingly.

When he opened his eyes again, the buildings on both sides of the road came into view, and he realized that he had arrived at Niulanshan.

"Young man, we're almost at the winery. I saw you fell asleep, so I didn't rush to call you." Tian Laogen said with a smile when he saw that he woke up.

Tian Laogen's voice interrupted his thoughts. He Yuzhu turned around, took out a cigarette box from his pocket and gave him a cigarette.

He Yuzhu gave a thumbs up and said, "Uncle Lao Gen, you are really an expert. I didn't feel any bumps during the whole journey. Look, I even fell asleep."

Tian Laogen smiled happily when he heard the compliment and reached out to take the cigarette: "Young man, when can you finish the conversation?"

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment, and estimated that it wouldn't take too long, so he replied, "We should be able to finish the discussion before noon."

"This..." When Tian Laogen heard this, a trace of confusion appeared on his face.

He had originally thought of taking on some odd jobs before returning, but now that time is so short, he feels a little embarrassed.

He Yuzhu saw what he was thinking and suggested, "Is there a place to rest in this town? We can meet there when the time comes."

After that, he took out a lunch box from his bag and handed it to Tian Laogen: "This is the lunch I promised you. Just return the lunch box to me when the time comes."

Tian Laogen took the lunch box and looked at He Yuzhu gratefully: "Young man, you are very open-minded. Go back along this road. There is a tea stall over there. I will come over earlier so we can leave earlier."

He Yuzhu nodded, jumped off the truck, unloaded the bicycle, and stretched.

He looked up at the winery in front of him and saw a wine banner hanging in front of the store, swaying in the wind.

Xu Baogen was concentrating on the account book on the counter, the abacus beads moving quickly between his fingers.

He heard the sudden sound of footsteps, raised his head and looked towards the door: "Welcome, young man! Are you here to drink or buy wine?"

He Yuzhu glanced across the room. There were only three or five tables and the space seemed a bit cramped. It seemed that the main business here was still wholesale wine.

Hearing the voices, he walked straight to the counter: "Manager Xu, you can buy wine if you want to drink. Give me a pot of wine first to see how it tastes."

Xu Baogen smiled when he heard this: "Okay! Please sit down for a moment, I'll serve you some wine right away."

He put away the account book, put down the abacus in his hand, turned and walked to the wine jar beside him, and skillfully poured a pot of wine.

Xu Baogen walked to He Yuzhu's table, put down the wine pot and wine glass, and handed over a plate of side dishes: "This is home-made pickles, please try it first."

"Manager Xu, sit down and have a drink together!" He Yuzhu took the wine glass, poured a glass and handed it to him.

Seeing that he had something to say, Xu Baogen took the wine glass and sat down: "Then I'll have a drink with you."

He Yuzhu raised his glass, clinked it with his, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Good wine! Your wine is authentic. Shopkeeper He did not lie to me."

After hearing this, Xu Baogen asked curiously, "Are you talking about the owner He of the Qianmen Tavern?"

He Yuzhu put down his wine glass and nodded: "Yes, I heard him say that you two are relatives?"

Xu Baogen nodded and responded: "Yes! We just met on a blind date not long ago."

He Yuzhu's heart moved, and he asked Xu Baogen tentatively: "It seems that Manager Xu is very satisfied with the marriage?"

"Of course, it's better to be in the city than to stay in this remote corner!" Xu Baogen said proudly.

He Yuzhu thought that he couldn't say it clearly. He knew that something strange would happen in this blind date and it would cause trouble in the future and put Xu Huizhen in trouble.

He said in an indirect way: "Manager Xu, I would like to say that it is better to be cautious about this marriage."

After hearing this, Xu Baogen frowned slightly and looked at him suspiciously, not knowing whether it was his relative or He Dongsheng who leaked the news.

"What can parents' orders and matchmaker's words do? A spit can kill a nail!"

He Yuzhu saw his face change and thought that Xu Huizhen was probably making a fuss.

It can be seen from Xu Baogen's character that his attitude is so firm. This matter is a done deal and there is no point in talking further.

"Manager Xu, please forgive me for saying so much! I'll drink first as a sign of respect!" He Yuzhu drank the wine in the glass to show his apology.