It was such a coincidence. Jiang Cheng remembered that the house that Old Man Xu had just entered was the village chief's house that the old woman mentioned. With a plan in mind, he went to the old woman and asked her to give them some time. He also told her the reason. At this moment, the village chief was reunited with Old Man Xu, and he didn't want to disturb them.
"That's exactly the truth." The old woman felt relieved when she heard that he had fled here with the village chief's relatives.
"Come on, I'll take you to see the house first." She said, holding the basket in her hand.
She walked in front, and Jiang Cheng and others quickly followed.
There is a courtyard right at the entrance of the village, surrounded by mountains and water. The courtyard is very large, with four main rooms and three side rooms. It is equipped with stoves, cellars, and even some furniture.
The house is not new, but it is much better than the house the Jiang family lived in before. It is spacious and solid.
"This is where we used to live. Now we have built a new house." Speaking of the new house, the old woman's face was full of joy.
Jiang Cheng had just seen her new house, which had five main rooms and two courtyards. It was really magnificent. He was envious. He would be satisfied if he could have a house like this one someday.
Yes, once he gets into the mine, everything will be there. He is full of expectations for the future.
The two men agreed on the price, one tael of silver a year. They just need to wait for Jiang Cheng to find the village chief tomorrow and report to the county, so that they can sign the contract.
The Jiang family can stay here tonight.
The old woman is a local and is not afraid of outsiders like the Jiang family playing tricks.
Jiang Cheng thanked Chen profusely, saying that they had met a good person. Such a good house only cost one or two taels of silver a year.
They were polite and courteous, and the old woman was happy. After all, she had lived in this house for more than ten years and had feelings for it. She felt relieved to rent it to such a family. Otherwise, she would rather not have that little money than let others defile her house.
"Okay, you are tired too, pack up and take a rest!" The old woman smiled and left.
After closing the door, Chen looked at the bright house, then at Jiang Cheng and others, her eyes became red again. Finally, they had a place to live again.
Jiang Cheng was also excited and held her hand and said, "It will be fine."
Chen nodded vigorously. She had said this before to comfort herself, but now, she believed that, yes, things would get better!
The family began to clean up the house.
The house is well maintained and can be lived in as long as it is cleaned.
Jiang Yunzhu was busy tidying up her room. Finally, she went to bed again! She didn't expect that Old Man Xu's journey to find a relative would be so smooth, and they also benefited from it.
Jiang Wuze ran around excitedly, looking here and there, and from time to time he raised his little face and asked Chen and others, "Mom, can we really live here in the future?"
"Of course." Chen and others would answer him tirelessly, and the huge courtyard became lively again.
At night, someone knocked on the door again. It turned out to be the old woman. She thought that the Jiang family must have nothing to eat since they had just arrived here, so she brought them a pot of hot soup and some white flour cakes.
"How can this be? We can't have it." Chen said hurriedly. They could only eat cakes mixed with white flour on special days.
The old woman didn't care. The people in Wuling County were wealthy, and these cakes were just their daily food.
Leaving the cake behind, she left.
That night, the Jiang family drank hot soup and ate hot pancakes, and they felt warm in their hearts.
Occasionally, a thought flashed through Jiang Cheng's mind. They had six taels of silver in their hands when they fled the famine this time, and they met Old Man Xu, so they were able to get here so smoothly. If they waited until next year and the silver was spent before taking this route again... He really didn't dare to imagine how difficult it would be.
Fortunately, fortunately!
After a sweet night, Jiang Cheng got up early the next morning, washed and went to find the village chief Gu Yongde.
Gu Yongde didn't know him, but Old Man Xu knew him well. He immediately told Gu Yongde how Jiang Cheng helped him drive away the thieves, and how the two families supported each other and arrived in Changshi Village safely. His words were full of praise for Jiang Cheng.
"So that's how it is. This matter is easy to handle." Gu Yongde believed in Old Man Xu. Wuling County was short of population right now. As long as he spoke up for this matter, nothing would be impossible.
"Thank you, thank you." Jiang Cheng thanked Gu Yongde and also thanked Old Man Xu.
"Hey, between our two families, there's no need to thank each other." There seemed to be a deep meaning in what Old Man Xu said.
Jiang Cheng actually liked Xu Qingshan very much. The Xu family was simple, and if Jiang Yunzhu married into the family, she would not be bullied. However, he still had to discuss this matter with Jiang Yunzhu, and now was not a good time to talk about it, so he just pretended not to understand.
Gu Yongde did what he said. It just so happened that if Old Man Xu and Xu Qingshan wanted to stay here for a long time, they would have to go through this.
The three of them went to the county government office together.
In less than two hours, Jiang Cheng came back with a happy face.
"Is it done?" Chen was standing at the door waiting.
Jiang Cheng showed her the household registration certificate in his hand and said, "I owe the village chief and the Xu family another big favor."
The fact that things went so smoothly was largely due to the package of good tea that Gu Yongde gave to the county yamen chief clerk.
How can you ask someone to do something for you and let them pay for it? Even if the money was not all for him, Jiang Cheng felt that he owed them too much. He decided in his heart that he would repay them double when he had money in the future.
Chen took the certificate, read it again and again with joy, and then put it away. From then on, they were considered people of Wuling County, and no longer had to worry about being arrested as refugees by the government or driven back to their hometown.
"I'll go find Aunt Zhao to sign the lease for the house." Jiang Cheng decided to solve all these problems in one go.
"I'll go with you." Chen said.
After a while, the two came back and had signed the contract, and everything was settled.
There was less than one tael of silver left in her hand, and Chen said, "I'll go to town to buy some food and daily necessities." She thought, I don't know if that one tael of silver is enough, if it really doesn't work, I can only pawn the hairpin left by her mother. Although she didn't want to, she had to buy everything in a new house, and the weather was getting colder and colder, so she had to cover herself with a quilt in the morning and evening, and put on more clothes at ordinary times, so there were places to spend money everywhere.
"I'll go ask in the afternoon how I can get into the mine to work." Jiang Cheng knew the difficulties at home and said immediately.
After a quick lunch, the couple went their separate ways.
When Jiang Yunzhu heard that Chen was going to town, she immediately offered to go with her. She was just looking at the prices here to find a way to make money. If Jiang Cheng could avoid going to the mine, it would be better not to go. It was too dangerous.
When Jiang Lin and others heard about it, they immediately wanted to follow.
Chen thought that she would have a lot of things to buy later, so it would be nice for them to go with her and help her get things.
Several people went to town together.
Although Hongye Town is just a small town, because the people are rich, the streets are more lively than the county town where Jiang Yunzhu and her friends came from. There are shops selling cloth, food, furniture, mules and horses, and everything else.
Chen went shopping everywhere.
Jiang Yunzhu looked left and right.
Freshly baked sesame pancakes, meat-filled ones cost three cents each, spiced ones cost one cent each; sizzling meat pancakes cost five cents each, and a bowl of millet porridge and pickles is also given with the purchase of meat pancakes; the fragrant mutton soup, which can be smelled from a long distance, costs ten cents a bowl, and is paired with a two-cent pancake, which is enough to satisfy you...
Jiang Yunzhu specifically looked at those who sold food. She thought very clearly that she had no capital and no way out now. There was no hope for her to do other businesses but food. It was hard work, but the capital was low and she could make money if she did it well.
She liked cooking in modern times, and in her dream she stayed in the kitchen of Anping Marquis Mansion for two years, learning a lot of skills. As long as she found the right positioning, it should not be difficult to sell some snacks.
But she couldn't make up her mind what to do.
In the evening, several people returned home with their loads of things.
Pots and pans, grain, oil, salt, and two pieces of cloth to make quilts, we finally feel like a family that can live a normal life.
Jiang Cheng was already waiting at home. "I have already talked to the person in charge of recruiting workers. I will go to work at the mine tomorrow. The salary is six cents a month, and I can get one month's salary in advance." He said excitedly and handed a large string of copper coins to Chen.
A heavy string of money looks more impressive than a dime, and the family is short of money right now.
"Can I get an advance payment?" Chen asked happily as she took the money.
"The recruiter said that the mine is short of workers recently, so they added new regulations." Jiang Cheng replied. He was lucky to have come at the right time.
“With so many people going, you’re still short of staff? The wages are so high…” Chen was feeling happy, but suddenly she became worried again.
"It's okay, I went to check it out, I can do that job. Besides, everyone in the county is working there, and everyone else is fine, so what can happen to me?" Jiang Cheng comforted her.
Chen thought this was the truth and hurried to cook for him so that he could rest early.
Jiang Yunzhu was listening at the side, and suddenly slapped her forehead, wondering how could she have forgotten the most profitable place.
With so many people working in the mines, the market prospects are huge!
She immediately asked in detail about the Jiangcheng mine, mainly about food and accommodation.
Jiang Cheng had visited the mine this year and had a certain understanding of it. As for food, the workers ate at home in the morning and evening, and brought their own lunch at noon. It was said that there was a canteen in the mine, but it was for the stationed officers and soldiers and some experienced craftsmen.
There are several large sheds on the mine with large bunk beds. Workers who live far away from the mine can also stay there for only forty cents a month.
The living conditions are poor and cost money, so most people working in the mine would rather spend more time living at home.
By the way, Jiang Cheng also saw a market at the foot of the mountain. When he went there, it was working time and there were not many people there. But it would probably be very lively when people were going to and leaving work.
This is it, that market, Jiang Yunzhu thought to herself, and decided to go and take a look with Jiang Cheng tomorrow.
Changshi Village is close to the mine, so Jiang Cheng headed there after breakfast the next day.
Jiang Yunzhu followed beside him.
Before the two men left the village, they met some people who were also going to the mine. The closer they got to the mine, the more people there were around them.
When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, we saw a large area of smoke from afar. When we got closer, we saw a huge market. Most of the stalls in the market sold food, and all kinds of aromas were wafting in the air. If you walked here without eating breakfast, you would be so attracted that you would be unable to walk.
The market was very lively at this time. Many workers and even many soldiers off duty came here to buy food, and it was crowded with people.
"The gate of the Chenshi mine will be closed, and there will be no one here." Jiang Cheng said.
Chenshi is seven o'clock in the morning. The miners start working at seven in the morning, take a half-hour break at noon, and finish work at seven in the afternoon. Jiang Yunzhu calculated that they have to work eleven hours a day, and they do the most tiring physical work, which is really very hard.
Jiang Cheng didn't think so. It was the same job, but the wages here were so high, and he was already very satisfied.
As the two walked forward, Jiang Yunzhu wondered what she should sell.
At this time, a bearded man who was obviously dressed differently passed by them, followed by two soldiers.
"Deputy General Zhao, what would you like to eat today? I'll go buy it for you." A soldier asked the bearded man.
"What's delicious? It's just the same thing all day long. My mouth is dry." The bearded man said sullenly.
They passed quickly.
Jiang Yunzhu stopped and suddenly thought of what she could sell!