Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
As soon as Zhou Ying heard that, her eyes lit up. She took the silver and asked, âThatâs normal. Are there a lot of wealthy people in town now?â
âYou want to sell them meat?â
âThatâs right; if we donât sell to them before the New Year, who knows when weâll have to wait for the next opportunity?â
âAlso, cattle and sheep will go into heat once spring arrives. We canât just stop them from breeding.â n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âIâll try to ask around then.â
âThanks. Also, ask around if thereâs anyone selling pork. We have to buy some fatty meat to prepare for the restaurant and the manor. Beef and mutton canât compare to pork, after all.â
âI havenât seen anyone selling pork in town. Why donât we ask Manager Liu? Heâs more well-informed than us.â
âThatâs true. Iâll go over to the manor again tomorrow.
âBy the way, you shouldnât leave that early tomorrow. Iâve asked them to send the beef and mutton over early in the morning.â
âIâll go with you tomorrow morning.â
âAlright, you drive the carriage.â
The next day, the couple was afraid the manor would send the meat over, so they got up early and rushed over.
After Gu Chengrui left with the butchered meat, Zhou Ying found Manager Liu and asked him about buying pork.
She didnât expect Manager Liuâs manor to have it, but he only kept the breeding pigs to save food.
It was near the county, but it was still too far. Because of the heavy snow, Manager Liu was unsure if even his pigs had survived.
On the other end, after Gu Chengrui arrived in town, he sent a holiday gift to Tian Jingzhongâs house in an open and aboveboard manner.
In return, he received two pounds of salt, five pounds of white sugar, and two batches of cotton cloth.
As expected, someone came to Gu Chengrui to buy meat in the afternoon.
Gu Chengrui immediately got them to write their order.
In the next half a month, he sold another 20 cows and 100 sheep, either in whole or in small amounts. All the wealthy households in the vicinity became his customers in one fell swoop.
The day before the new year, Gu Chengrui butchered a sheep in the interspace. He prepared five pounds of mutton as festival gifts for the various families in the village and had an extra ten pounds of cotton for his old house.
After sending the gifts, the two were just about to leave when Madam Qiao stopped the young couple. She asked, âAre you guys familiar with the Yu family in town?â
âThe Yu family? The one that lives near the academy?â Gu Chengrui asked.
âYes, their family. Two days ago, a matchmaker proposed a marriage to Chengye, and she said the bride would be the Yu familyâs eldest granddaughter.
âBut the matchmakerâs words canât be trusted completely, so Iâm asking if you know her.â
âEspecially the brideâs character.â Father Gu added.
Although their family had declined, they didnât want their son to marry a troublemaker.
âOur Chengye is such a handsome man; the bride looks must look good as well.â Mrs. Liu echoed.
Gu Chengrui was speechless. He was a man. How could he know the details of the girl about to be married?
He had no choice but to say, âI only know that their grandfather opened a bookstore near the academy in his early years. Their family also has about 50 acres of land.
âHis eldest son is a scholar who opened a private school in town to teach the children, and his wife and children care for the village elderly.
âHis second son had replaced Old Master Yu in managing the bookstore in town.
âHonestly, Iâve only seen the second sonâs family, not the eldest.
âHowever, the second sonâs daughter is only fourteen years old. She shouldnât be the bride.â
âThatâs right. The daughter of the eldest sonâs family is the one offering the marriage. They claimed that she has remained unmarried because of the recent disasters and is already 17 years old.â Madam Qiao said.
âThen you all should ask around. As long as the Yu family doesnât favor men over women in their upbringing, I think the eldest granddaughter of the family shouldnât have a bad character.â Gu Chengrui gave his piece.
âOh right, how did they know about Chengye?â he asked curiously..