The Salted Fish Concubine of the Qing Dynasty

121-125

Chapter 121

Cao was able to make money again, so Aunt Li naturally returned to her former amiable self. The next day, she not only bought two pieces of fat meat and two bags of brown sugar, but also filled half a basket with eggs from her own chickens. She also asked Li Laoda to borrow a cart from the next door to take Cao back to her parents' home, saying that she was afraid of tiring her eldest daughter-in-law.

The cart from the neighbor's house was a one-wheeled rooster bus, which got its name because it looked a bit like a rooster. A large wheel stood high, like a cock's comb, and the two wings were solid wooden frames, which could be used to stack goods and people could sit on. The two wooden handles at the back were lifted by the cart pusher and placed beside his hips, like a chicken's tail.

On the country roads, this kind of wheelbarrow is the cheapest, and it can easily pass through the ridges of fields that are no wider than one foot. For families without livestock, this is a very good thing.

"No need, mother," Cao twisted her fingers, her face full of fear, "There is still work to do in the fields, I can go back by myself."

"No work is more important than my eldest daughter-in-law," Aunt Li said firmly, "Big brother, why don't you go quickly."

Big brother Li has always been filial. He looked up at his mother, then looked at his daughter-in-law, and finally agreed in a low voice, "Hey, mother, I'll go now."

Cao was dragged by Aunt Li and could only wait at the door for a while. After a while, Li Laoda pushed the cart over and put the wedding gift basket on one side. She climbed on the other side. The weight on both sides was different, so the cart was inevitably a little tilted, causing the wooden handle to press heavily on Li Laoda's right hip.

The weight of the person and the cart were pressed on his hips, which must be a little painful. Cao was scared and her face turned pale. She wanted to jump off the cart immediately.

"Go a little further inside," Li Laoda frowned and said in a muffled voice.

Cao did not dare to refuse, so she nodded and leaned against the "cock's comb". When she saw Li Laoda's frowning eyebrows loosen, she exhaled a breath barely perceptible.

It was at least eight miles from Shimiao Village to her parents' home. Although she was a country girl and had never worn bound feet, the soles of her shoes were soft and she was really tired walking there. Now she was not tired when she took a bus back, and she could see the pink flowers of wild peach trees on the roadside.

It was great to be able to make money, Cao thought, and she just hoped that the woolen mill could continue to operate.

Also, maybe she should learn from other sisters in the woolen mill and save some money for herself.

Although she was timid and dumb, she was a person who understood things in her heart. Her mother-in-law and the head of the family were good to her only because she could make money. As long as she had money, she would naturally be able to live a good life.

Cao worked harder. She was the most diligent person in the woolen shop. Hongguo was her apprentice. She soon learned how to use the new spinning machine and won the praise of Hu.

But this time she did not hand over all the money as before. Instead, she kept a part of it with Hu.

Hu was also very proud. The woolen shop he managed had the most and fastest shipments in the nearby towns. It was said that the last shopkeeper with the most shipments had met the most powerful person in the woolen shop - Zhang Gonggong.

Eunuch Zhang is a popular person in the palace. He used to serve the emperor. People say that the prime minister is a seventh-rank official. I don't know what rank Zhang Guanshi, who served the emperor, is. Anyway, no matter what rank he is, he must have the dragon spirit. If he can get a little dragon spirit, even if he dies, he will be the one who meets his ancestors in the underworld.