loyal dog becomes cat

"Ah?" Ma Ke was taken aback, put the dried tofu aside, and asked, "Congratulations? Who is it? I didn't invite any guests for the opening."

Ma Dingbang said: "I don't know him either. He's an old man with two mustaches and a decent job. He's carrying congratulatory gifts. He doesn't look light."

"Could it be the shopkeeper Zhou of Hexiangji?" Ma Ke suddenly thought of him, and hurriedly said: "You go and take care of it first, and I will come after I wash my hands."

When Ma Ke arrived at the front hall, he saw the shopkeeper Zhou sitting on a stool. When he saw him coming in, he cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations, Miss Ma... Uh, it's time to call you Boss Ma now. Business is booming."

Ma Ke hurriedly saluted and thanked him, shopkeeper Zhou twisted his beard and said with a smile: "I didn't expect your store's business to be so good. It opened the day before, and the tofu was sold out before noon. Congratulations."

Ma Ke was modest, and asked Hua Jian to pour tea again. Shopkeeper Zhou said with a smile: "My senior officials heard that the girl is going to open a shop, and specially asked me to prepare a congratulatory gift, but I haven't waited for your post, so I have to make my own decision." I took the liberty to send it here, please don’t take offense, girl.”

Ma Ke didn't expect Ximen Fang to attach so much importance to such a small thing of his own, he hurriedly said: "I'm really bothering Uncle Zhou, what kind of shop is this, I just find a place to shelter from the wind and rain for the original small stall, Therefore, no one else was notified. I didn't expect the high officials to be so kind, and I asked Uncle Zhou to express my gratitude."

Shopkeeper Zhou handed the gift list to Ma Ke, and said: "The senior officials often say that your father is a good person, and they lament that it is not easy for you as a girl to take care of the family, so they often ask me to take care of it. With the help of nobles like officials, the future business will definitely be better and better."

Ma Ke understood what he meant. Presumably, the shopkeeper Zhou helped him get customers for Ximen Fang's entrustment. He couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, but he took all the customers. It would be hypocritical to say anything at this time, so he had to be sincere. thank.

A few days later, Ma Ke’s newly developed dried tofu was finally on the market, and was immediately warmly welcomed by customers. Because the stewed meat is good and chewy, it is especially favored by wine drinkers, and several restaurants came to order.

At the same time, a young guy of fifteen or sixteen years old was recruited in the store, and the manpower suddenly became more abundant.

Seeing that dried tofu was selling well and Mancang’s injury was almost healed, Ma Ke discussed with him to let him live in the city. Firstly, it was a big place where it was convenient to marinate dried tofu, and secondly, he needed a family of his own. Live in the store and run the business.

Mancang was originally worried that he was a cripple who ate nothing, but now that he has a skill to help Ma Ke, he is naturally happy in his heart, and seeing that Ma Ke thinks highly of himself, he is full of energy.

After more than a month passed like this, the business of the new store gradually got on track. Mancang and Dingbang were resident in the store. Hua Jian and Madam Wu went to help for half a day every day. With the newly hired work, Ma Ke was free , as long as you go for a walk every three or five days.

The business is good, so naturally people are jealous. There are several groups of people who come to make trouble in a month. Deng Sanjie also brought a few sisters to find trouble.

Although the matter is over, Ma Ke is still worried that these troubles will definitely never end in the future, Third Sister Deng is still light, and it is even more difficult to deal with the rascals.

Unexpectedly, two days later, the matter was inexplicably resolved.

That afternoon Dingbang suddenly rushed back from the store, and said solemnly to Ma Ke, "Two yamen servants came to the store today."

Ma Ke was taken aback: "Yacha? Yacha also buys tofu?" After asking, he felt that this question was embarrassing, and changed his words, "Are you here to collect taxes?"

Dingbang shook his head and said: "At first, Uncle Mancang and I were also puzzled, thinking they were here to fight the autumn wind, so we sealed some money for them, but they didn't expect them to ask for anything, just that recently people have come to the yamen to complain, saying that there are bad people Intimidate merchants, disrupt order, let us report this kind of people to the government immediately, and they will be severely punished."

"Ah?" Ma Ke was stunned. How could it be such a coincidence that as soon as someone made trouble in his store, the yamen launched an anti-illegal operation?

"It's strange to say that when they said this, they stood by the counter, their voices were very loud, as if they were afraid that others would not hear them." Dingbang said, "Later when they were about to leave, I followed them secretly. The money was given to them. These yamen servants are embarrassed to accept it in front of the people, and dare to take anything behind their backs."

Ma Ke roughly understood that someone must be helping him, and he specially invited the Yacha to make a show of suppressing the place, but he couldn't think of anyone who was so kind, so he asked with a frown: "Then you ask them what's going on?" Is it?"

Dingbang lowered his voice and said: "They don't know what's going on, but the officials from Ximen invited their masters to the 'Douyan Hall' to drink flower wine yesterday afternoon, and their masters sent them to our store this morning .”

It was Ximen Fang again, and Ma Ke's heart sank. Although Ximen Fang did help him and solved a lot of troubles, there is no free lunch in this world. He doesn't think Ximen Fang is really a chivalrous sword Danqin cares about the suffering of the people.

Eighty percent, it's because of his own face.

Ma Dingbang left, and Ma Ke looked at his face with a bronze mirror. This face is so beautiful. The eyebrows and eyes that can break the country, the skin that can be broken, even if you go to Korea for plastic surgery, you can't make it so perfect...

It's a pity, what brother wants is not this ah mouth!

Ma Ke was anxious about his beauty, when he turned around and saw Liu Xiaodong, the kitten jumped onto the table at some point and was looking at him obsessively.

"You face control!" Ma Ke was in a mess, he put the mirror on the table angrily, pointed to Liu Xiaodong and said, "Inner beauty is the real beauty! I am a pure man, a pure man!"

Liu Xiaodong was stunned by his yelling, tilted his head and stared at him for a long time, his beard flicked, and suddenly jumped on his lap, stepped on his legs with his front paws, nodded seriously: "Meow."

"Fuck!" Ma Ke frowned, picked Liu Xiaodong up and threw it aside, and said, "What are you stepping on! Get out and step on yourself!"

"Aw..." Liu Xiaodong was rolled on the ground by his fall, stood up and gave him a sad look, smiled wickedly, then lifted his hind legs, exposing XX, urinated calmly, and left .

"What the hell are you doing, you! Nonsensical? Performance art? One or two are here to tease me!" Ma Ke flipped the table.

Regardless of Ximen Fang's mentality and what he was planning, after the yamen came here, no one in the "Little Horse Doupinfang" would dare to provoke trouble again. Even if Third Sister Deng couldn't be more angry, she could only Spit on the ground when passing by, poke a scarecrow in the back or something.

The days slipped smoothly into June, the weather became hotter, peaches and watermelons were on the market one after another, and the wheat was ripening. The fields in Dengzhuang were busy, and the golden ears of wheat were piled up on the threshing ground. Shirtless and threshing farm tools, the air is filled with the warm smell of harvest.

After harvesting the wheat, it was time to plant the corn. In the previous year, the Make family had no winter wheat for the winter because they had no labor.

Although the business of the bean store is good now, farming is still the mainstream in the farming society. Besides, crops are reliable. If something goes wrong in the business, the whole family will not be without food. Therefore, Ma Ke decided to move Dingbang from the city. Call back and plant this season's crops.

Although corn is much easier to grow than other crops, it is very difficult to grow five acres of land by one person alone. No matter how capable Ma Dingbang is, he is not superhuman. After thinking about it, Marcus realized that buying cattle is obviously imminent.

Originally, he still had some spare cash in his hands, but he spent most of his savings building a house and opening a shop a while ago, and bought a batch of low-priced soybeans two days ago, which is not enough now.

This afternoon, Ma Ke was sitting in the room frowning and thinking deeply, while Liu Xiaodong was squatting at his feet playing with balls of thread. It originally disdained such childish and boring activities, but its nails are too long, and if you don’t sharpen them, your claws will be hurt. , I had no choice but to steal a ball of thread from Mrs. Ma to sharpen my nails.

"Liu Xiaodong, where do you think I can find money to buy cattle?" Mark said to himself, "If we don't plant for another season, we will run out of food in autumn. If something goes wrong in the tofu business, then we all You have to drink the northwest wind."

Liu Xiaodong's subordinates kept on following the ball of thread with his eyes moving from left to right, and gave a perfunctory "woo". Ma Ke rested his chin in thought for a long time, then patted the table and said, "Just go to the bank to borrow it."

Liu Xiaodong groaned, as if saying that this way is not feasible, Ma Ke thought for a while and said: "Forget it, let's try with a senior official from Ximen."

"?" Liu Xiaodong's eyes froze instantly, his paws pressed the ball of thread, and he turned his head and said, "Meow?"

Mark propped his chin and said, "Tomorrow I just go to Hexiangji to pay the bill. If he is here, with my good tongue, I might be able to persuade him to pay me half a year's payment in advance."

"Meow!" Liu Xiaodong grabbed the corner of his skirt, with a warning expression on his face, Ma Ke squinted his eyes and touched his chin: "If it doesn't work, I can do a beauty trick or something..."

Liu Xiaodong clung to his skirt and objected angrily: "Oh——"

Ma Ke knew that Liu Xiaodong was a jealous person, and he couldn't help being funny when he saw that he was serious, so he simply wanted to tease him, so he pulled out his skirt and walked around in the ground, then acted like a shy nympho, opened the suitcase and rummaged through his clothes: "What should I wear tomorrow?" ?”

"Oh—" Liu Xiaodong was so angry that he couldn't stop rolling.

"Hahaha." Marco laughed out of breath while supporting the suitcase, and twitched, "Have you been irradiated by something? Your brain has mutated?"

Liu Xiaodong stopped rolling, squatted on the ground and said nothing angrily, Ma Ke laughed enough, and said: "Okay, you have to take it seriously, what kind of beauty trick is used by a man, won't I be exposed if he falls for it? "

Liu Xiaodong snorted, and Ma Ke bent down and hugged it in his arms, saying: "It is said that if outsiders know my identity, I will die, so you will become an orphan?"

Embarrassed by Liu Xiaodong, Ma Ke laughed and said, "So you have to keep it a secret. You can't tell other cats, not even your girlfriend."

"Meow." Liu Xiaodong patted his chest to express his loyalty.

The next day Ma Ke went to Hexiangji with Huajian. The shopkeeper Zhou took him to the cashier to settle the bill, and said: "Some time ago, our officials bought the Chenji Inn next door. Recently, Hexiangji is being expanded. Next time From the beginning of the month, all the purchased raw materials will be doubled, and you can also send twice as much every day. As for the price... you should stick to the current price here-I originally wanted to suppress it, but since the last time it was The price set by the high officials will not be changed."

Ma Ke hesitated for a moment, and said: "Uncle Zhou, thank you and the officials for your care. Now that your store has increased the volume, the original price is a bit high. Logically, it can be slightly lowered."

Shopkeeper Zhou was taken aback. He has been in business for so many years, and he has never seen anyone like Ma Ke asking for a price cut.

"However... I have an unfeeling request. If your store is willing to settle the payment for half a year at a time, I am willing to adjust the price by [-]%."

"What?" Shopkeeper Zhou broke his glasses and said with a smile, "Girl, I'm a restaurant, not a bank. How can there be any reason for advance payment?"

Seeing that he refused, Ma Ke could only ask, "What about [-]%?"

Shopkeeper Zhou shook his head and said, "The price is indeed very low, but Miss Ma, our business rules must not be broken. If everyone pays in advance like you, how can we open this store?"

Ma Ke was speechless. Doing business in this era is different from modern times. I’m afraid it’s useless to say anything else. He sighed and said, “You’re right. It turned out that I didn’t think carefully, so let’s do it according to the contract. Don’t worry, next time I will definitely deliver the goods within a month on time and according to the quantity.”