No pain no gain

……

"Brother, why did you give so much money to Yang Zhuzi and the others? If you dig so much at one time, what if you can't sell it? Our family..." Er Zhuang asked one sentence after another.

"Er Zhuang, he dug the lotus roots for us, and I paid them the wages. This is true no matter where in the world! As for the sale, it hasn't started yet. What are you worried about? How do you know what's going on if you haven't done it... "Da Zhuang explained the truth to Er Zhuang with some helplessness.

"Brother!" Er Zhuang called out excitedly.

"I know, I know, you're worried about your family, it's okay, brother has his own way!" Da Zhuang assured Er Zhuang, stroking Er Zhuang's hair reassuringly.

"But, I don't like that big brother is selling baskets like last time..." Er Zhuang lowered his head and said in a low voice.

"Isn't it a good solution to sell the baskets last time? It's not like you don't know how much money our family made from that. You, just study hard now. When you get married and start a business, worry about these problems... "Da Zhuang said while packing up his things quickly, and before he finished speaking, he walked towards the house with his things.

Er Zhuang gritted his teeth and quickly walked into the room.

"Big girl, Er Zhuang, come here!" Da Zhuang called out from the kitchen door.

"Here we come!" The big girl who was playing with a few little ones responded, and said a few words to the second girl before running out.

Er Zhuang came over while reading a book in his hand. The book was left for Er Zhuang when Zhao Ziyang came during the Chinese New Year. It was two basic books for the scientific examination here.

"Big girl, take these to Aunt Wang, let them taste it!" Da Zhuang picked up a few better lotus roots from the digging hole, put them in a small basket and let the big girl carry them.

"En!" The eldest girl responded happily, then turned her head and shouted towards the main room: "Er Niu Er, Er Niu Er, let's go, let's go to Aunt Wang's house to play!"

The second girl jumped up and down and jumped into the arms of the eldest girl.

"Okay, let's go!" Da Niu'er said to Da Zhuang, holding lotus root in one hand and Er Niu'er in the other.

"Well, it's getting dark, come back as soon as you go!" Da Zhuang confessed, although this small village is full of people he knows, it is reasonable to say that there will be no problems, but Da Zhuang always feels that children, especially girls Don't worry about walking at night!

"Er Zhuang, I haven't read these two books yet!" Da Zhuang took the book in Er Zhuang's hand and flipped through it and said, "During the Chinese New Year this year, if I have extra money, I'll buy you some more books!"

"Really?" Er Zhuang asked with his eyes wide open, "Brother, books are not cheap!"

"If you can afford it, buy it. If you can't afford it, work hard and copy it down..." Da Zhuang said while picking lotus roots.

"En!" Er Zhuang replied heavily.

"Okay, take these to the uncle's house!" Da Zhuang stuffed the lotus root into Er Zhuang's hand and said with a push.

Er Zhuang responded, turned around and walked out.

"Wait a minute, don't hold the book!" Da Zhuang stepped forward and grabbed the book in Er Zhuang's hand and said, "It's not good to read while walking, and it's already dark."

Er Zhuang nodded and ran quickly.

Da Zhuang brought the things to be processed for the fire at night to the door of the main room, and while processing, he watched San Niu'er playing with the twins.

"Wow - ah, woo woo..." The eldest girl came in with difficulty carrying the crying second girl on her back.

"What's the matter?" Da Zhuang hurriedly put down the things in his hands and greeted him, took Er Niu'er and hugged him in his arms.

"Second sister fell down..." the eldest girl said anxiously.

"It's okay, you go in first and watch San Niu'er and the twins!" Da Zhuang said to Da Niu'er with a reassuring smile.

The big girl responded and quickly walked into the main room.

"Come on, brother, take a look, where does it hurt?" Da Zhuang took a cotton kerchief and came out to help Er Niu'er wipe the snot, tears and sand from her face, coaxing softly.

"Here, and here, and the belly..." Er Niu'er whimpered and pointed to her arms and legs with her short fingers.

Da Zhuang carried Er Niuer to his room, opened Er Niuer's sleeves and trousers and took a look. They were all small scratches, and there should be no major problems with her stomach. It is estimated that Er Niuer fell on her stomach while running. When I got to the ground, my stomach was also thrown...

"Did you fall down because you were running on the road again?" Da Zhuang took out the ointment and helped Er Niuer apply some lightly, and asked helplessly.

"Wow..." Er Niu'er cried louder again.

"Okay, okay, the pain will be gone after applying the medicine, stop crying, it's not someone else who knocked you down, stop crying..." Da Zhuang coaxed Er Niu'er with his arms around her.

"I want to eat, I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes..." Er Niuer took the opportunity to make a request.

"Well, don't cry anymore, you should pay more attention when you walk in the future!" Da Zhuang carried Er Niu'er to the main room, and coaxed Er Niuer a few more words to make Er Niuer happy, and then went to cook dinner again.

After dinner, Da Zhuang was cleaning up the dishes with Da Niuer when there was a knock on the door outside.

"Big strong, big strong..."

"Zhuzi, what's the matter?" Da Zhuang asked while opening the yard door.

"Da Zhuang, are you going to the market tomorrow?" Yang Zhuzi asked standing at the gate of the yard.

"Of course, we have dug up so many lotus roots, what's the matter if we don't go to the town?" Da Zhuang asked with a smile.

"Can I go with you?" Yang Zhuzi looked at Da Zhuang and asked expectantly.

"No problem, we'll meet tomorrow morning under the willow tree at the head of the village, a little earlier! It's about a quarter of Yin's hour, do you understand?" Da Zhuang confessed straightforwardly.

"Well, then I'll go back!" Yang Zhuzi ran away in a hurry after saying a word, not even entering the yard.

Da Zhuang shook his head and closed the courtyard door again.

As soon as he arrived in the town early the next morning, the fool drove the donkey cart to the market habitually.

"Ada, I was wrong, this way, let's not go to the market!" Da Zhuang stopped the fool and said.

"Ah, Da Zhuang, then I'll go to the market first!" Yang Zhuzi jumped off the donkey cart and said.

"Well, you go, we will gather at the gate of the town at noon." Da Zhuang explained and let Yang Zhuzi go alone.

"Da Zhuang, where are we going?" the fool asked in a low voice.

Da Zhuang hesitated for a moment before answering: "Go to Zhao Ziyang's house first!"

"En!" The idiot responded, and changed the direction of the donkey, making the donkey trot.

"Slow down, there are too many people here!" Da Zhuang explained from the back of the cart.

"I know!" The fool controlled the rein and replied honestly.

At this time, the sky was already bright, and when they arrived at the small courtyard where Zhao Ziyang lived, Da Zhuang directed the fool to stop the donkey cart far away, got out of the cart first, and tidied up the new clothes he had specially put on before walking over.

The courtyard was quiet, and the concierge was also empty. Da Zhuang frowned, stepped forward and knocked on the door lightly, but no one answered...

"Zhao..." Da Zhuang thought about swallowing the name he wanted to call out, and asked loudly, "Is anyone home? Is anyone there..."

"Da Zhuang, is that you?" Zhao Ziyang put down the book in his hand, ran out quickly, and asked while pulling the latch.

"Zhao Ziyang..." Da Zhuang called out hesitantly.

"Da Zhuang, it's really you! I thought I heard it wrong again!" Zhao Ziyang pushed open the courtyard door, pulled Da Zhuang and shouted happily.

"Come in, I sent those people away last time..." Zhao Ziyang turned his body to let Da Zhuang pass through the door, and explained with a smile.

"No, I still have something to do today! Ah Da, come here!" Da Zhuang shook his head, and waved to the idiot not far away.

The fool slowly approached with the donkey cart.

"Wow, so many lotus roots!" Zhao Ziyang exclaimed.

"Hey, these are here for you, you can try them! I came here today just for these lotus roots..." Da Zhuang explained softly while moving a pannier half-filled with lotus roots from the cart.

Zhao Ziyang circled the donkey cart, turned around and asked, "What are you going to do? It may not be easy to sell in Beishi! Not everyone will buy this!"

"That's why I won't go to the market!" Da Zhuang smiled, and then said, "Go in, I'll come and find you next time I'm free!"

"Hey, Da Zhuang, do you want to help?" Zhao Ziyang stopped Da Zhuang and asked.

"No need, I have a solution..." Da Zhuang said with a smile.

"The last time you came, my parents sent people to see me. Those servants came from my own family. They were born with powerful eyes. I, I have already driven them away..." Zhao Ziyang pulled Da Zhuang and explained quickly.

Da Zhuang sighed in his heart, this is not the case at all, you said for a long time that there are several servants, but I don't care about those at all...

"Okay, okay, look at you, I know, I know, I plan to negotiate with some restaurants in the town, and give them regular lotus roots, so that it will be easier in the future..." Da Zhuang compromised Said.

"Okay, I'm familiar with the restaurant in this town or you. Come in, come in, sit down for a while, I'll go change a dress..." Zhao Ziyang pulled Da Zhuang and said straight, he insisted on pulling Da Zhuang in : "Ada, drive the donkey cart in first..."

Seeing that Da Zhuang had been pulled in, the fool quickly responded and followed in with the donkey cart.

"Master Liu, Master Jin, hello!" Da Zhuang greeted Zhao Ziyang's two masters cautiously.

"En!" Master Liu replied seriously, and opened his mouth to preach to Zhao Ziyang.

"Hehe, Da Zhuang is here, the young master has been looking forward to it for a long time!" The warrior surnamed Jin quickly grabbed his relatives and said with a smile.

"Well, ah, I'm bothering the two masters!" Da Zhuang said straightly.

"It's nothing, I'll give Eldest Young Master a holiday today, and we'll relax for a day, haha..." the warrior surnamed Jin said with a big laugh.

Da Zhuang had no choice but to laugh too.

"Okay, you can play freely with the young master, let's go out!" The warrior surnamed Jin patted Da Zhuang on the shoulder, and explained that he was about to drag the scholar surnamed Liu out.

"Wait a minute, I still have a few words to say to the young master!" the scribe Liu said struggling.

"Okay, okay, let's go, let's go..." the warrior surnamed Jin put his arms around the scribe and persuaded with a light smile.

"No... ah, I must tell the young master, hello..." the literati surnamed Liu moved his hands and feet and shouted, pulling on the door frame.

Da Zhuang stared dumbfounded at Master Liu, who had lost all demeanor and became completely different from usual, and stammered, "Ah, Master Jin, um, Zhao Ziyang should come in soon, just wait a little... "

"Hehe, I really can't do anything about you..." the warrior surnamed Jin put the scholar surnamed Liu away with a smile, and said dotingly.

The literati surnamed Liu glared at the warrior surnamed Jin fiercely, and hurriedly straightened his robes. The warrior surnamed Jin posted it up to help him, but it seemed that he was mostly making trouble...

Da Zhuang looked away in embarrassment, although he knew that two men could get married here, and he had heard about homosexuality in his previous life, but seeing two big men kissing me in front of his eyes was still not big. Get used to it...

"Okay, Da Zhuang, let's go!" Zhao Ziyang ran over excitedly and shouted loudly.

Da Zhuang looked up, and Zhao Ziyang changed the previous white satin dress, which looked like a high-end material, into an ordinary navy blue silk dress, which looked similar to ordinary children from richer families in the town. , but the aura of the noble young master cannot be concealed...

"Young master, you are not young anymore, pay attention to etiquette and manners..." The literati surnamed Liu broke free from the warrior surnamed Jin, stepped forward to help Zhao Ziyang pull the folds on his clothes, and began to explain in chatter.

"Yes, yes, I know, I will definitely pay attention..." Zhao Ziyang turned his body following Master Liu's movements, and responded helplessly. It seemed that it was not the first time that Master Liu was so verbose.

"It's fine, Renxue, the young master has already remembered..." Master Jin said while pulling the scholar named Liu out.

"Ah, hey, I haven't finished talking yet, you, you let go..." The scholar surnamed Liu struggled all the way and was pulled out.

"Hehe, Master Liu has been like this since he received a letter from my father, I'm making you laugh!" Zhao Ziyang said to Da Zhuang with a smile.

"It's nothing, Master Liu is also kind to you..." Da Zhuang replied softly.

"Let's go!" Zhao Ziyang shook his sleeves and walked outside first.

Da Zhuang had no choice but to greet the fool, and followed Zhao Ziyang out.

No matter when, as long as you are with Zhao Ziyang, you will naturally take Zhao Ziyang as the leader, unless Zhao Ziyang himself just has the mentality of watching the fun and doesn't want to participate. This time Zhao Ziyang is very active and enthusiastic to help Da Zhuang, so Da Zhuang originally planned The good ones are useless.

"This is a restaurant I own, how about it! Let's talk to the shopkeeper first, and see how much lotus root this restaurant needs a day!" Zhao Ziyang said proudly.

"I know you are good, look at your virtue, be careful Master Liu..." Da Zhuang responded with a smile, then turned around and shouted to the fool: "You wait here for a while, I will come out right away, take care of the donkey!"

"Well, I know!" The fool answered honestly.

Da Zhuang followed Zhao Ziyang in, and the guy inside obviously knew Zhao Ziyang, so he immediately greeted him obsequiously.

It's not time to eat yet, the shop is empty, only two guys are guarding.

"Where's your shopkeeper? I have something to talk to him about. Prepare a private room on the second floor and just serve a pot of good tea!" Zhao Ziyang ordered lightly.

"Yes, my boss, please!" A man bowed his body and answered, leading the way ahead.

Another guy walked back quickly, apparently looking for the shopkeeper.

"Little boss, what is this?" The shopkeeper asked respectfully after calling a thousand.

"Look!" Zhao Ziyang said while sitting by the window.

The shopkeeper stepped forward to the open window, looked at it and called out: "Lotus root!"

"My friend planted it by himself. Let's see if our restaurant needs it!" Zhao Ziyang said to Da Zhuang.

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment before saying: "You can try it. The lotus root is only produced in the Zhuangzi of those big families, and it is usually not taken away, so it is considered a rare item. I wonder what price this little brother wants?"

Planting lotus root is considered a technical job, not like other common crops. Plant it when the time comes, weed when there is grass, catch insects when there are insects, and water when there is drought. The most important thing is that people here seem to think that Planting lotus roots is not doing business properly, so no one wants to plant this at all...

"I noticed it last year. The price in the market is about eight to twelve cents a catty. We don't have to bother. We can fix a price. How about ten cents?" Da Zhuang said after consideration.

The shopkeeper looked at Zhao Ziyang as if, Zhao Ziyang picked up the teacup and took a sip without any reaction.

"Our restaurant can try it with a hundred catties first, and if possible, we can discuss it in detail next time!" The shopkeeper calculated, kept looking at Zhao Ziyang's face from the corner of his eyes, and made a tentative suggestion.

"Well, yes, I will send another batch of lotus roots the day after tomorrow, and then I will talk to the shopkeeper!" Da Zhuang nodded and agreed. It seems that Zhao Ziyang really hired a good shopkeeper, who is shrewd and measured. Because Zhao Ziyang said that he was his friend, so he agreed indiscriminately...

"Okay, let's go down and weigh a hundred catties first, and add lotus root to the restaurant's dishes at noon today!" Zhao Ziyang put down his teacup and said with a smile.

"Yes, please, little boss!" The shopkeeper stepped forward to help Zhao Ziyang open the door of the private room, and said respectfully.

The shopkeeper paid the whole tael of silver directly. After Da Zhuang collected the money, Zhao Ziyang said goodbye to the shopkeeper and told Da Zhuang to leave.

Since the people who came to sell lotus roots in the past were all from the Zhuangzi established by big families here, and ordinary people in the town couldn't afford to provoke them, so even though many people gathered around the donkey cart to watch the fun, nothing happened.

"Let's go, Ah Da!" Da Zhuang stepped forward and touched the little donkey's neck to comfort him, then turned to the fool and said.

"How many lotus roots can you dig in a day?" Zhao Ziyang asked Da Zhuang, sitting on the side of the donkey cart, dangling his legs.

"Three or four hundred catties is definitely not a problem. If there is more, you can have eight or nine hundred catties!" Da Zhuang said worriedly, supporting Zhao Ziyang with one hand and grabbing the railing with the other.

"Well, that restaurant will definitely not disappear!" Zhao Ziyang said with a frown.

Da Zhuang took a look at Zhao Ziyang. When he was selling baskets, Zhao Ziyang knew the importance of monopoly. He is really a shrewd kid...

"Forget it, let's go to the next one!" Zhao Ziyang consciously ruled out the few restaurants that were close to his own restaurant that were competing for business, and took Da Zhuang to the east of the city.

This town is not big, and the family members who know how to do business all know a little bit. With Zhao Ziyang's network, Da Zhuang's carload of lotus roots was quickly solved. The lotus roots dug by individuals, on average, each dug about 300 catties, which is more than [-] catties of lotus roots. In addition to Zhao Ziyang's own restaurant, he also found three large and small hotels in different parts of the town. Zhao Ziyang said that they are all good hotels. The two big ones cost [-] catties, and the smaller one only costs [-] catties. They also agreed that if they sell well, we can talk about it in detail... …

"Thank you so much for today!" Da Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhao Ziyang with a smile.

"It's nothing, it's just a little effort!" Zhao Ziyang said indifferently.

"It's because you owe a favor..." Da Zhuang shook his head, pulled Zhao Ziyang and said seriously.