Chapter 220

Amidst everyone’s expectations, it was evening. The Ge’ers went home to prepare greenfeed for pigs and grass for cattle, while the men were still working in the orchards.

Tangtang and Guoguo happily ran home today. They called their dad and daddy from far away. And also they didn’t forget to greet their uncles or uncles’ spouses they met on the way. When they got home at last, they told about the good deeds they had done in school today.

Mm, they were really good deeds. Tangtang and Guoguo promised.

Then they hurriedly reported in detail what they had done in school. When the teacher ordered the kids to answer questions, they could not answer them, so the two brothers helped to answer them. When others had something they didn’t like to eat at noon, they two also helped to pour the food out. Even when others swept the floor, they both helped sprinkle some water on the floor.

Of course, the real situation was not as simple as they described, and the adults were able to guess it.

As a matter of fact, the two brothers today were not less engaged in fighting with others. But from the smiling faces of the two kids, Xu Ran did not find any marks of wounds. Xu Ran asked them to turn around a few times but didn’t see any problem with them. They insisted that they were not injured today but they had returned all the grievances they suffered yesterday.

The teacher’s education today was the same as that for the other kids who fought yesterday. He turned a blind eye to their mistakes, actually because he did not think these several children could cause much trouble.

During supper, several children exaggerated what happened during the day, and vividly described the expressions of the bullied children, which amused the adults present.

After supper, Xu Ran called Tangtang and Guoguo to the yard and told them that it was not difficult to win for a moment, but what they needed to strive for was the eternal victory.

Even though to win the eternal victory was too difficult, how could they know if they didn’t try it? Thus they had to study harder as well as practice martial arts, so that they could show those who used to bully them their real strength.

Both Tangtang and Guoguo understood that they would work hard.

They were already seven years old and they should grow up.

Looking at the two kids who had reached his chest height, Xu Ran couldn’t help stroking their hair.

He knew that these two children would not be willing to be ordinary when they grew up under his education. Although he was willing to be a farmer himself, he would not stop his children’s choice about their future.

However, he understood that the current Emperor still had a deep grudge with King Yan, so the children could not leave the Xu Village for the time being. When the time was right, he would take the children to see King Yan. He believed that as long as the new emperor was not fatuous, he would not have to worry about any threat to his two children.

However, the trouble among the children in school didn’t come to an end. Children actually bore grudges. In addition, as these children were influenced by their elders, there appeared no big contradictions, but there appeared a lot of small ones. From that day on, there would often be people bringing their wounded children to demand their reasonable explanation.

Xu Ran recalled what these people had done to him at that time when he was a fool, and then treated them in their own way without any mercy.

Xu Ran’s response made these people feel like that they had experienced before. They thought about it carefully and remembered that they indeed used to treat Xu Ran that way before. They realized that they were wrong. This time, they at last knew that several of their children worked together to bully Xu Ran’s two kids. The result was that they even lost to them two. It was really an embarrassing fight actually.

Of course, Xu Ran bitterly satirized their deeds. In the end, they had to take their children to retreat with tails tucked firmly between their legs.

In this battle, the dad and sons played in perfect unison. Needless to say, they made some progress.

And Tangtang and Guoguo’s life in school was much more lively than before. They would fight with others from time to time. Well, nothing serious would happen actually. It could be regarded as their exercise.

At the same time, the impression of Tangtang and Guoguo is getting better and better in their teacher’s mind. Although the teacher may be not good at many other things, he had read a lot of The Four Books and The Five Classics. From time to time, he would teach the two kids in private, which benefited them a lot.

However, in this situation, the growth of Tangtang and Guoguo was also starting to divide. One of them was adept with the pen while the other, the sword. They would never develop in the same way.

There were too few perfect people in the world. Xu Ran did not require his two children to be so perfect, so he let them be. He just asked them to learn what they should.

……

After the fruit trees were planted, it was time to get in the potatoes. This year, they had planted more potatoes. After they dug the potatoes out, Xu Ran began to send them to the town. Both Mr. Chen and Qin Shuwu were waiting for their produce.

Of course, Xu Ran did not forget to write to Lin Hua and ask them to come over to collect the potatoes. And also, it was time for him to collect the money. After all, he had no spare food at home. To raise such a large family, the expenses were not small.

Luckily, this batch of potatoes could support the family for some time.

This year’s strawberry harvest was good. Most of the strawberries were sold to Qin Shuwu, while some of them were made into strawberry jam by Liu Tong to sell to Mr. Chen.

And, after all the fruit trees in the orchard were planted, Xu Ran fenced the orchard with bamboo and named it Mountain Garden. Anyway, he thought it was nice.

For this name, no one could talk him round, so they just let him be. He also carved a big wooden sign and hung it on the tree. As long as people looked up when they passed by, they could see it. Because of this sign, Xu Ran was very satisfied and had a smile on his face for several days.

This period of busy time finally passed, Xu Ran took their four puppies to the orchard every day, in order to make them familiar with the surroundings there. In addition, he also prepared a kennel for the dogs in the orchard. After all, these puppies would live there in the future. In this way, they could get familiar with it earlier.

At the end of June, Zhuo Yun and Qin Shuwen went back to their home with Qingshu. However, a few days later, the whole family returned. Because it’s too hot. Not to mention the town was much hotter than the village, and their house was also hotter than Xu Ran’s.

At that time, as soon as they got home, Qingshu cried. How could they continue to live in their own home? They had to come back to escape the summer heat.

Together Zhuo Yun also brought news that he would make a trip to the north in July with the caravan who used to work with him. He specifically came to Xu Ran and asked if he had any bacon to sell to them. As for the price, it was negotiable.

The bacon was still in stock, of course. Since he told Xu Ran last time, Xu Ran had kept it specially. Apart from bacon, Xu Ran had stored sausages, too. Thus, all these were no problem at all.

At the same time, Xu Ran had other ideas about the handcart and chess.

Since last year, he had prepared at least two hundred handcarts, occupying a lot of space around. As for the chess, they started make it from early June this year.

Since the New Year last year, the carpenters and the apprentices had been away at home until early this June. Xu Ran let them make chess pieces as soon as they returned, so that they could get things ready when the caravan started their journey for business.

After hearing Xu Ran’s idea, Zhuo Yun had no objection to chess. As for handcarts, he hesitated because they were too big to carry.

Xu Ran tried to persuade Zhuo Yun,”These handcarts don’t have to be transported to the north to sell, but they can be sold on the way. As long as you and the caravan go into more villages, it will work. Do you remember the Li Village? In such a village where fruits are their main produce, they have to use handcarts when picking fruits. So handcarts must sell well there. Why don’t you take me to have a talk with the people of the caravan? ”

Zhuo Yun nodded, “All right, I’ll go back to town again and make an appointment with them. Later you can bring some samples of the handcarts and chess to talk with them. After all, I don’t understand this as well as you and it’s hard for me to do it well in the talk.”

“Yeah, We have invested too much money in the orchards now, and apart from that we will spend a lot of time and energy later on. Thus we have to find other ways to make some money now. Although we won’t make as much money by selling these things to the caravan as we sell them by ourselves, it’s also a good thing for us because we don’t have to go out, isn’t it? ” Xu Ran said.

“Yes, this way is really better than our going out for the selling. Then, you get those items ready. I’ll go back to town now,” said Zhuo Yun and hurriedly went away.

Xu Ran didn’t have a spare moment either. He immediately went to Xu An’s house.

According to the previous practice, Xu An was not at home at this time. He should have gone to work in town. But since Xu Ran recovered, he didn’t need to go to work in the town. And he didn’t have to be separated from his family. Thus, no matter what, he was very grateful to Xu Ran.

At the moment, Xu Ran told Xu An about his plan, and Xu An was also very happy to hear that. He said, “I originally planned to build a new house this year, but my family doesn’t have enough money. I had planned to borrow some. Now it seems that as long as these products are sold, I don’t have to borrow money.”

Xu An’s eyes were full of excitement as if he saw that the house had been built.

Xu Ran replied with a smile, “Brother Xu An, you guys are great. Now, you have saved up all the money for your new house. Is it possible that you’ll be able to save the money for Dahu to marry his spouse soon?”

Xu An was a little embarrassed. He then said smilingly, “We have saved this money for several years. How can we compare with you?! Your new house has been there for almost a year. We envy you! We want our own new house. Although it’s not as good as yours, a brick house is certainly better than an adobe house, isn’t it? Dahu is growing older and we should prepare something for his future marriage. ”

People in this era got married early. Maybe in a few years, when Dahu didn’t go to school, his family would be busy making arrangements for his marriage.

Xu An and his family should have been anxious about these tasks.

Xu Ran smiled, “Then Brother Xu An, don’t worry! Your new house will surely be built this year.”

Xu An also smiled, “Yes, I am looking forward to it!”