Chapter 149

　Lu Yang wouldn’t skin the sheep. He thought for a moment and said, “Then you guys take care of it. I’ll set up a meat stall at the front gate and go out for a walk.”

　　He wanted to take Lu Liu out for a walk.

There were four sheep, and Li Feng asked Wang Meng and San Miao to help.

Xie Yan couldn’t do this kind of work, but he was curious. Since he didn’t know anyone else, he kept asking questions beside Li Feng.

Li Feng was annoyed by his questions: “You’re not going to do this kind of work in the future, so why are you asking so many questions?”

　　Xie Yan disagreed: “How do you know I won’t do this kind of work? I don’t even know yet.”

What scholar would do the work of a butcher? Li Feng didn’t even think about it and said it was out of the question.

Xie Yan said, “You can learn to read, so why can’t I learn to slaughter sheep?”

That was a good point, and the two of them started arguing again.

　　When going out, it’s best to cover up a bit, but not too much. Just pull up your scarf to cover half your face.

Lu Yang was advertising all over the street, saying that the shop had new mountain goods in stock.

“We have all kinds of mushrooms, as well as mountain chickens, rabbits, and lamb—all fresh, just brought down from the mountains. There’s not much, so buy while you can!”

　　The first place to go is definitely Mr. Ding’s shop. There are too many items to carry, and the value isn’t equal.

Lu Yang packed some dried wood ear mushrooms, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and a few wild persimmons, then gave him the good news: “The lamb has arrived! It’s freshly slaughtered and sold on the spot. Which cut of meat do you prefer? I’ll have my brother-in-law set some aside for you!”

　　Mr. Ding wanted the whole sheep: “You know, our family is of low status and has many members. When we eat something good, everyone wants to have a taste. If we buy too little, there won’t be enough to go around. We need to buy more, as we’ll be visiting relatives during the New Year.”

This was even better.

Lu Yang asked again, “Shall I cut it for you?”

　　Mr. Ding nodded.

Lu Yang went home and told his younger brother.

Sanmiao quietly gave Li Feng a thumbs-up.

Selling the whole sheep was impressive. At the market, they usually sold by weight. Whole sheep were sold to shops like lamb soup restaurants or inns. They had to haggle over the price.

　　They quickly got to work, ignoring the other sheep and focusing on one first. They were afraid Mr. Ding might change his mind.

Within half an hour, they delivered the sheep to Mr. Ding’s doorstep, making him smile.

Lu Yang took Lu Liu out again to teach him the ropes of door-to-door sales.

　　Be enthusiastic, make sure your calls are clear and targeted, mention what goods are available in which areas, and always highlight the main recommended goods at the end.

Door-to-door selling is all about targeting others’ wallets. Everyone understands this implicitly, so there’s no need to state it outright. Just create the illusion that supplies are limited and that those who come late will miss out.

　　As they walked across the street, Lu Yang bought some snacks for Lu Liu.

Living in the mountains, they rarely had the chance to buy snacks.

Lu Yang bought him some candied hawthorn. In Lu Yang’s memory, this sour and sweet treat was very popular with children.

Lu Liu shared it with him, taking one piece while his brother took another.

　　The two brothers also went to watch a variety show.

　　Lu Liu had always been in a hurry when he came to the county before, as he had to walk a long way home. He was afraid that if he stayed too long, he would be too hungry to walk, and he was also afraid of being on the road after dark, so he never dared to stay longer. To be honest, this was the first time he had watched a circus performance for so long. He stared intently, forgetting to eat his sugar-coated hawthorn.

　　The two brothers clapped and cheered. After the performance, the performers rang a gong to ask for tips, and they each gave three coins.

Here, along the street, people could also shout a few words. They were all businesspeople, and businesspeople earned money to make a living. Making a living meant eating and drinking.

His shop sold food, and those in need could go and take a look.

　　Someone who recognized him struck up a conversation: “Mr. Lu, aren’t you selling your hundred-tael-worth of braised pork buns today?”

Lu Yang laughed: “Of course I am. Everyone knows I sell buns, so I won’t say much. Today, I have some good goods delivered. I’ll tell everyone about them. If you need them, go take a look. There aren’t many, so if you come late, they’ll be gone!”

　　His shop was still modest, but the goods were indeed abundant, with something new every day.

　　Besides lamb, Lu Yang was also promoting winter bamboo shoots.

It wasn’t the season for digging bamboo shoots after the snow, so it wasn’t easy to get them to the county to sell. If you want to eat them, you have to hurry!

As before, the vegetables attracted a lot of people. Once the shop was bustling with people, the customers who came to buy vegetables saw the meat, smelled the aroma, and couldn’t resist.

　　Those with money in hand would pay for the meat. Half a pound or a pound—that’s the flavor.

　　Lu Yang stared at the small piece of silver for a moment, then, thinking about their current difficulties, took it.

　　This news surprised Lu Yang slightly: “He? He’ll give money?”

Lu Liu nodded and spoke up for Li Feng: “Da Feng is actually quite good. People say he’s a bit domineering, but he always considers my feelings when making decisions and never puts me in a difficult position.”

Lu Yang didn’t say anything bad about Li Feng; he was just surprised.

“Does his mother have any objections?”

　　Lu Liu mentioned the matter of dividing the family again and said, “Mother knows we’ve exchanged brides. She calls me ‘Liu Ge’ in private.”

Lu Yang patted his head: “That’s impressive. Indeed, every problem has its solution. I was worried you’d suffer hardships. Since they can accept this, and you’re so obedient, everything will go smoothly from now on.”

　　No other conflicts would be as big as this one, and Lu Liu wouldn’t clash with anyone. That’s good.

Lu Liu talked about business again and looked forward to spring coming soon. He wanted to catch chicks and raise them!

The rabbits couldn’t be exposed to the cold all the time either. He now had four rabbits.

　　“By the way, the female rabbit gave birth. I’m raising the baby rabbits. Every day, I have to remind Dafeng what I did, how I fed them, and how the rabbits reacted. I’m afraid that if I encounter the same situation in the future, I’ll forget how to handle it. Brother, I also want to learn more characters so that I can write them down on paper. It will be more convenient to read them.”

　　Lao Tongsheng is too far away, so Li Feng has to go there to learn and then come back to teach him.

Lu Liu wants to learn some in the county as well, and will jot them down whenever he has time.

That’s all fine.

The characters to be learned this time will be chosen by him, arranged in order by himself, and written down by Xie Yan at Lu Yang’s request.

　　These were all things Lu Liu had muttered to himself, things he could recite with his eyes closed. He would study them carefully at home, write them down carefully, and take his time. In the future, he would be someone who could write and calculate.

As they parted, Lu Yang gave him a small red envelope. The character “Fu” (meaning “good fortune”) was written on the outside of the envelope. Lu Liu recognized this character; he saw it every year during the New Year.

He also prepared a red envelope for Lu Yang.

　　This year, Li Feng gave him fifty coins as New Year’s money to play with. He had asked several times, and Li Feng said that what he gave him was his to do with as he pleased.

Lu Liu took out thirty coins, strung them together with hemp rope, and wrapped them into a red envelope for his older brother.

Given the Chen family’s circumstances, his older brother had certainly never received New Year’s money before.

　　Lu Yang smiled, his eyes welling up with tears. After refusing several times, he finally accepted the money.

His small pouch now contained another treasure.

He wouldn’t spend this money. He would keep it to look at.

Just looking at it made him feel good.

…………………..

　　After moving to the county seat, the shop could stay open longer.

　　Lu Yang would always encourage them to buy some mountain mushrooms to take home. Winter is the best time for nourishing and tonifying the body. It’s already the first month of the lunar year, and spring will be here soon, bringing busy times. If you don’t eat something good now, how will your body hold up?

　　Lu Yang was skilled at speaking from the heart, always expressing concern and empathy. People couldn’t resist such heartfelt words; they softened immediately, feeling truly pitiful and compelled to treat themselves better.

However, this also depended on the person. Since they were all regular customers, Lu Yang knew who had extra money and who was strapped for cash.