frightfiction Chapter 212: Waste of Time
Chapter 212: Waste of Time
The next day, at daybreak, Shen Zhiqiu got up and washed his face. When he walked out of the room, he saw his wife carrying out basins of water.
"Wife, get up so early to steam steamed bread!"
Li Jingshu looked back and continued walking forward: "We have to get up early, you don't know how early the elder brothers get up, they probably only sleep for less than two hours and then go to the forest to chop firewood.
My sister-in-law came to our room to inform us that we should steam some dry food for breakfast so that we can fill their stomachs first.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiqiu went to take a look at the barn in the backyard. It was extremely clean inside and there was not a single person in sight.
The luggage and other things were gone. If he hadn't heard from his wife that they went to the woods, he would have thought that they were still asleep or that they were all robbed.
The barn was also restocked with new hay and cleaned.
Shen Zhiqiu smiled knowingly. There was really no need to arrange anything. Everyone had grown so much now.
He walked around and came to the back door of the clinic. What caught his eye were more than a dozen large pots with steamers on top, and the air was filled with heat and smoke.
The luggage and carts were also here, obviously for the women to look after while they cooked.
"They all went to the woods? Just to chop some wood?"
The strong laborers and young men are not here, and with so many people going to chop wood, won’t it create a mountain of firewood?
Li Jingshu took time out of his busy schedule to reply, "My brother-in-law said there were bamboos to the west, which was just right for adding carriages to a few carts. But they were afraid that the clattering here would disturb other guests, so they pulled the carts over there to work."
Shen Zhiqiu was helpless. These people, who had only slept for a little while last night, were already chopping wood and loading carriages. They were more hardworking than the diligent old ox.
When he arrived at the woods beside the official road, Wang Shitou was the first to spot him and shouted from a distance:
"Uncle, I've heard that you're not allowed to cut down trees on the mountain. You can only pick up some dry wood to cut. It's really not as convenient as on the mountain."
It turns out that so many people came out, not to chop wood, but to collect firewood!
Before he could say anything, his brother-in-law Wang Fuxi pointed to the newly made two-wheeled cart with a bamboo carriage and said proudly:
"The bamboo boards are light and can be easily pulled as carriages. We can put a layer of oilcloth inside to block the wind. When the time comes, the children and the elderly can sit inside and the cold wind won't get in. Mr. Meng won't have to worry about whether our children will get cold."
Boss Guo also smiled and said:
"Yes! The master is so kind that he wants us kids to sit in his carriage. And the way everyone looks at us is as if we are in such a bad situation. When we set off later, let them see that we have a carriage this time!"
Although winter has passed, it is still a bit chilly in the morning and evening in the north this month. The cool breeze was blowing in the early morning, and this group of people were so busy that they were sweating profusely.
Shen Zhiqiu sighed: "Go back and eat early after you finish your work."
Leaving behind a few words, he strode back, his mind filled with the men's honest smiles and hopeful eyes.
Why am I so sad?
This team will have to separate after today. He also saw the dissatisfaction of the yamen runners and some people who bought carriages yesterday.
As for Mr. Meng? How many people are there like that old Mr. Meng?
He could even imagine that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, when people would think that they were slowing down the journey and planned to abandon them and go their separate ways.
What kind of expressions would these people have on their faces, as they didn’t get much sleep and had to get up at night to work in the carriage?
After breakfast, the two team leaders began to gather everyone together. Everyone was in much better spirits than yesterday.
Although the people in Shenjia Village did not have new clothes to wear, they washed and changed into clean clothes. Even though the clothes had faded and turned white, and even had many patches on them, they were not dirty.
In the lobby of the post station, a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar asked the shopkeeper: "Who are these people?"
The shopkeeper immediately apologized: "Sir, did this wake you up?"
The middle-aged man waved his hand and said, "No, they didn't make any noise in the yard. I woke up early to study and saw them pushing and pulling the carts into the woods beside the official road."
Seeing that no one was blaming him, the shopkeeper heaved a sigh of relief and explained:
"There is a disaster in the south, and there is war. They are fleeing from the famine. However, the leader of this group is a scholar. I saw in the documents yesterday that he was the first in the county, prefectural, and imperial examinations."
The scholar suddenly realized: "No wonder, they don't look like an ordinary family, they are very polite."
At this time, the waiter came over and said, "Boss, those people used a lot of our firewood to boil water yesterday. I just went to the firewood room in the backyard and it was full of firewood, and it was neatly stacked."
The shopkeeper smiled slightly, and together with the scholar, he looked at the receding backs of Shen Zhiqiu and his group.
Wish in your heart: "Have a safe journey!"
There were also a few waiters who sent them to the gate of the post station, jumping and waving: "Settle down soon!"
In the newly installed bamboo carriage, Shen Yuanbao was the leader, and all the passengers in the carriage were boys.
The little girl followed her grandfather in another carriage.
Shen Luming looked eagerly at the candy jar in Brother Yuanbao's hand, raised a little finger and said to the other kids:
"Sister said that if we behave well today, we can each have a piece of candy as a reward. But we can't make noise in the carriage. Whoever makes noise will not get any."
"Okay, stop making trouble. Brother Yuanbao, when are we going to separate?"
A group of boys answered in baby voices, and what they were most concerned about was when they could get the food in their mouths.
Shen Yuanbao opened the jar carefully and distributed the pine nut candies to his brothers one by one.
The little kids held the pigeon egg-sized pine nut candies in their little hands with bright eyes. They were reluctant to put them directly into their mouths, but licked them one by one, and seemed quite satisfied.
They looked at each other while eating, and soon the giggling of little kids could be heard in the carriage.
In the carriage pulled by Shen Mazi and Shen Douzi sat Grandpa Shen, with Shen Nannan and three other little girls from Shenjia Village beside him. They all looked happy at this moment, with sweet pine nut candies in their mouths.
There is also great-grandfather who tells stories, but the stories he tells are either about foxes or weasels. It is better to listen to the stories told by sister Yoyo about monkeys.
When the others heard the laughter, they couldn't help but smile.
The two team leaders rode their horses and led the way in front, talking and looking back from time to time.
Another leader said to Zhou Zhi, "You can imagine how much they have fallen into. They are pulling and pushing carts, and even have to set up several carriages. Not only do they slow down the journey, but they are also having fun!"
Zhou Zhiyuan heard the babyish laughter from behind and smiled.
But after hearing his companion's words, he frowned slightly and did not respond to the sentence, but said:
"Let's go slower. They are slow, so don't let them fall behind."
The leader looked disdainful and said, "You are just too easy-going. A lot of things have been delayed because of them."
The main reason is that he can't make any profit from this group of people. Last night, he asked other yamen runners and found out that these people didn't bring anything to buy. They just exchanged herbs with others.
Why not stay in an inn like them? There is no money for room, and no money for food and drink. It would be a waste of time to bring this group of people along.