Chapter 274: How to Solve It (Part Two)
s carrying a bag. He walked up to him and looked at him intently, head tilted upwards.Those eyes, black and white.Hi, sensing something was up, Xu Huaiyi couldn't help himself and asked, "Is something...Nowadays, filial piety is paramount. As children, we are born in a position of weakness. Even if our parents are wrong, we have to endure it. Otherwise, our reputation will be tarnished and we will be scorned by everyone.
Especially for scholars, this would affect the imperial examinations.
So, for someone like Xu Huaiyi to so openly say that he doesn't support his parents, it would definitely challenge the ability of others to handle it.
"Mr. Xu's face turned pale with shock, "Waiyi, consider those words never spoken, as if we never heard them. Once we leave this door, none of us are to mention it again."
The younger ones looked at each other in surprise.
Xu Huaiyi smiled nonchalantly, "Uncle Village Chief, since I dare to say it, I dare to admit it. You don't need to cover for me. I live with a clear conscience and am not afraid of what others think."
"How could that be possible You're thinking too simply, too impulsively. This isn't a matter of right and wrong; it's filial piety! You still have to take the imperial examinations, how can you allow people to talk about you" Village Head Xu was anxious for him, his face etched with worry. He gave Xu Mao a hard look, signaling him to say something to dissuade him.
Xu Maoyuan smiled wryly, "Waiyi, I know you have a knot in your heart towards your parents and siblings, and are unwilling to associate with them again. But times change. Now that you've finally been admitted to the Jingwu Academy and gained some fame, you can't be as willful as before. You have to cherish your reputation."
Xu Huaiyi twitched the corner of his mouth, "Cherishing one's feathers means finding trouble for oneself Does it mean pushing my wife and children back into the fire pit"
Xu Maoyuan immediately said, "No worries this time, I'll definitely discipline them and keep them in line. I won't let them bother you again. Don't worry about it."
Village Head Xu took the word, and followed with an assurance, "As for me, I'll keep a close eye on them too. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be driven out of the village and left to fend for themselves."
Xu Huaiyi shook his head. "I believe in you, but I don't trust them. A change of dynasty is easy, but changing one's nature is difficult. How long can you expect to restrain them"
Xu Maoyuan earnestly said, “It’s just a temporary stay until they build a new house and move out naturally. You guys have already split up, there’s no reason to interfere anymore.”
“It’s easy to invite the gods but hard to send them away. They came, will they be willing to leave” Xu Huaiyi gave a self-deprecating smile. “Anyway, I don’t believe them. I know their nature too well. Before, they wanted to squeeze every drop of blood and flesh out of me to support themselves. It took so much effort to break away, I absolutely won’t make the same mistake again.”
Well, if they were to propose staying with you and you refused, it would damage your reputation. Even if they are not good people, they are still your parents and siblings. Outsiders wouldn't care about the reason; they would only see the outcome.
"Uncle, don't you remember I'm no longer part of the Xu family. I married into the Gu family, so I belong to them. They have four sons already, it wouldn't make sense for me, as a son-in-law, to be responsible for supporting them. Besides, there's something else you might not know: this house, including the workshop and farmland, all belong to my wife. To be frank, I'm just living here. What face would I have to ask the Gu family for help"
"What" Xu Maoyuan was shocked, looking at him incredulously. "You're serious"
Xu Huaiyi nodded lightly and said nonchalantly, "The silver in the house was all earned by my daughter-in-law. The house and land were bought in her name. Isn't that natural"
Xu Maoyuan, “…”
The others didn't know what to say for a moment.
This matter is truly inconceivable. Although our dynasty permits women to establish households and possess private property, over the centuries, tradition has prevailed. It is an unspoken agreement that property belongs to men, and only men have inheritance rights. Women only own their dowries.
After a moment of silence, Xu Chang, the village head, calmed down first. "I know what to do. At that time, Maoyuan, you should take the initiative. As brothers, they live with you, so it's only right for them to contribute."
This arrangement allows us to thoroughly remove Xu Huaiyi without damaging his reputation.
Xu Maoyuan sighed, "Okay, you can stay at my place."
Xu Huaiyi's eyes flickered, thinking to himself, he had helped so many people in the village, and now he was finally seeing results. Even though he was considered 'unfilial', they were willing to stand by his side and even proactively help him out of trouble.
He cleared his throat and said, "Uncle, you don't have to worry too much. If they really come to live with us, we'll definitely need to build houses to accommodate them. With so many people, it would be inconvenient if they all stayed in other people's homes. They might bump into each other constantly. It would be fine for a few days or weeks, but over time, who knows how many problems could arise. So, why don't we take advantage of the fact that they haven't arrived yet and designate a piece of land to build some temporary houses This way, we can house them until next spring when we have more money and everyone can build their own homes."
Xu Mao'yuan was taken aback. "Is that possible"
"Why not This would save so much trouble. Who's house is big enough to fit everyone in anyway They would just be crammed in there, living uncomfortably."
"That's building a house..."
“I'll provide the funding, you guys contribute your labor.”
"Aren't you at a disadvantage then"
"That's a good deal. When they move out to their new houses in the future, I can turn these empty rooms into workshops. That way, nothing goes to waste."
"Are you going to open another bakery"
"I have that in mind, but I haven't figured out what to do yet. We'll talk about it later."
Xu Chang sighed, “I think Huaiyi’s proposal is not bad. We don't know how many people will come. If they all come, over a hundred people, it would indeed be troublesome. No matter whose house we put them in, there will inevitably be conflicts and discomfort. It's better to do as Huaiyi said, build a new house, and let them temporarily stay there.”
Xu Huaiyi nodded. "Uncle, one thing at a time, let's just leave this to you. You have the experience with building houses, just follow the blueprints I gave you before."
Saying that, he took out a fifty-liang silver note from his bosom and handed it over.
Xu Maoyuan took over the conversation, "OK, I understand."
When Xu, the village head, saw this, he suggested, "Huaiyi, if you have some extra money, why not buy another piece of farmland Build your house on the farmland. This way, you'll kill two birds with one stone and won't waste anything."
What's even better is that those people from home came and lived on the estate. They stayed far apart, so they wouldn't cause any trouble.
Xu Huaiyi smiled and said, “Village Head Uncle is still thoughtful. I'll go to find Village Head Hu tomorrow to ask, if there are any empty lands around, buying land is never too much, everything can be used.”
Once these matters were settled, the conversation turned to business.
Liu Xiwen showed Xu Huaiyi the recent accounts. The amount had increased tenfold. This was just the beginning. Later, Su Zhe tasted the sweetness and the demand would continue to grow. Then the workshop would truly be prosperous.
Gao Zhuang reported the handover situation with Manager Li. Currently, both inside and outside the city are busy with disaster relief, so it's not a good time to launch a new hotpot. Therefore, the base ingredients and fermented bean curd have been transported to the northwest for testing by the merchant caravan. However, these past two days, the disaster relief has stabilized, and Shui Yun Xuan is already preparing for a new product launch.
Xu Huai-xiao also talked about the production plan arrangement of the workshop. The personnel are in place, and currently there is no need for overtime. As for the future situation, it remains to be observed.
Meng Erzhu also mustered his courage to speak, although he stumbled and fumbled, but he explained everything that had been recently purchased clearly and in detail.
Finally, Village Head Xu made a summary, the tofu factory is developing well and flourishing. As long as everyone works together, there will be great achievements to be made.
After the meeting, Xu Huaiyi prepared a gift for everyone, sending them home happy.ment.Every household had smoke billowing from its chimneys, and the constant clatter of pots and pans came from packing up belongings. There were also the mournful cries of chickens, ducks, and geese,...