Zhan Zhumen

Chapter 815 The Well Digger

After Niu finished speaking, Huo Xi was stunned.

"Have you been bullied by the shopkeeper?"

Niu shook his head, "That's not true. It's just that I want to learn how to run a shop myself."

Huo Xi was a little puzzled.Based on the influence of the Mu family in Yunnan, no one dared to object to saying that it was the local king.The third house is valued by Duke Qian. Even if the old Hou Ye and the first Hou Ye are gone, they still live in the mansion and there is no branch mansion.

Moreover, Mu Ang and his son also held important positions in the army, so the third house shouldn't be short of money?

Mrs. Che glanced at the two of them, fearing that Huo Xi might misunderstand, she explained: "There has never been a shortage of our third house in the mansion. We are not short of money, it's just that she wants to learn to manage the shop herself."

"Yes, I want to learn it myself." Niu nodded straight.

"I'm not like the second sister-in-law and the fourth sister-in-law who have children. I don't like reciting poems, drawing pictures and playing the piano. I just want to find something to do to pass the time. I don't expect to have a big business like the second sister-in-law. I just want to learn something more."

Niu was a little embarrassed to say that.

A family like the Mu Mansion doesn't need women to show up and take care of common affairs.

But her husband, the fifth son Mu Zhong, is neither the eldest son nor the first son. Now they have nothing to worry about in the mansion, but when the eldest son inherits the title, they should live in separate houses.

Living together now is brotherly love, so we can't be the prince in the future, and also raise uncles and cousins, right?When the time comes, she will always learn to take care of common affairs.

Mrs. Che comforted her: "Don't worry about the children. You have only been married for less than a year, and you will have children."

Niu lowered his head.

She has been married for almost a year, and her stomach still hasn't moved.My aunt was very favored at first, but now because my third brother always made my father angry, and my husband also behaved mediocrely, my father rarely came to my aunt's room.

My aunt often took out her anger on her and the third sister-in-law.

Ke'er, born to the third sister-in-law, is four years old and has not conceived again.And when she married into the Mu family, everyone envied her.But she is the only one among several sisters-in-law who has no children.

Aunt Wen has no grandchildren under her knees, and she feels that she can't stand up in front of her father. She often takes revenge on them and arranges a concubine room for her husband.She doesn't want to compete with the concubine's favor now, and wants to find something to do to pass the time.

Huo Xi thought about the situation of Niu Shi and Sanfang, and fell silent.

He didn't talk about the sons anymore, just smiled and said: "Okay. It's hard to say that it's difficult to manage a shop, and it's easy to say that it's not difficult. If you really want to learn, I will teach you. I will definitely make you a powerful boss." , no one in charge of the shopkeeper dares to bully you."

"Thank you, sister-in-law!" Niu was very excited.

Seeing the sincere joy on Niu's face, Huo Xi smiled, and said sincerely: "Then let's start with looking at the ledger. After you understand the ledger, the purchase, sales and storage, and how the shop works, I will Teach you how to manage the shop."

"I knew that the second sister-in-law is the best! I will definitely learn from the second sister-in-law!"

"Then I'll learn from my second sister-in-law too." Mrs. Che also jokingly said.

"You still need to learn?" Huo Xi smiled and said to her.

Mrs. Che married Mu Jun, the only legitimate son of the Second Household. Her natal family was also a well-known family. How to take care of common affairs and take charge of the middle class? She has been learning since she was a child, so why ask her for advice?
"How can I compare with the second sister-in-law. Or is it that the second sister-in-law looks down on me and doesn't want to teach me?"

"I like you, I like you the most! The little lady is at the beck and call of the third lady."

Che Shi and Niu Shi were overjoyed, they covered their lips with handkerchiefs and laughed non-stop, the relationship between the three sisters-in-law was better.

Huo Xi was happy to see it succeed.Mu Yan is the only one in the big house, he always has to find some helpers, build up prestige in the mansion, get the support of a group of brothers, it is better than making enemies.

Among the five married sons in the mansion, the eldest young master Mu Zhan and the third son Mu Xi have a good relationship, and their wives also get along well, and there are not many opportunities to attend banquets with Huo Xi, Che Shi and Niu Shi.Even on some occasions, when the five sisters-in-law are all there, those two are only for face with Huo Xi.

Huo Xi didn't care.She is busy.

Usually in the mansion, he either teases Mu Lin or teaches Niu to read the ledger.It's even more busy when I'm out of the house.To inspect the shop, to check the workshop, and to check the work of the military family members in the barracks.

The dry mover came to her again with the account book, and told her about the progress of the project to benefit the people in the city.

"Madam, the wells in the city have been dug. According to Madam's order, wheels have been installed above the wells, and pavilions have been built to cover them."

Huo Xi nodded, and opened the ledger to check.

Now the wells in various parts of the city, including the wells in various houses and mansions, are mostly open-air.When it rains, the well water will be turbid, and it will take a long time to settle before it can be used.There are often dead branches and fallen leaves in the well, and the installation of wheels is convenient for people with weak strength, and it also prevents people from falling into the well.Building the pavilion, firstly, there is no shortage of money, and secondly, it is also convenient for the people who fetch water in rainy days.

In fact, Huo Xi said that it would be better to build a pressurized well, and there is no need to build a pavilion.There is no need to worry about who jumped into the well again.

However, the water inlet pipe and the upper components in the well need to be made of iron, which consumes a lot of iron.In case there is a shortage of iron one day, the well may be smashed to steal iron.The loss outweighs the gain.

"Is it all built? How many places have been built?"

"It's all been built. Sixteen large wells with pavilions have been built. Fourty-eight small wells have been built. Now, after my wife's acceptance, I can announce that they are put into use."

"Okay, I'll go take a look with you."

The city of Kunming is surrounded by rivers, and there is also a lot of groundwater in the city, so it is convenient to dig wells.And the well water is also good water, sweet and dry, perfect for making tea and wine.

Families with a little wealth in the inner city have wells dug in their mansions.But for ordinary people, to dig a well would cost five or six taels of silver for smaller ones, and seven or eight taels of silver for larger ones.

Not every family is willing to pay this money.

And there are also many people who live here temporarily.Therefore, at least half of the city's population draws water from public wells for food.

"The mouth of this well is so small?"

Huo Xi was a little taken aback.In a street, I saw a well whose mouth was not much bigger than a bucket, and the edge of the well had not been repaired.

"Ma'am, this Hongye Alley is narrow and there is no way to build a big well, but there are many people living there. So we can only dig such a narrow well. There is no way to repair the edge of the well."

Huo Xi looked at the alley.It's so small that even horse-drawn carts and ox carts can't get in.The distance between the two houses is only a little wider than that of a shoulder pole.

"The small wells you mentioned are all of this size?"

"Yes. We build such small wells in the streets and alleys. One is not to obstruct vehicles and pedestrians, and the other is not to take up space. They are all of this size. The well mouth is only a little bigger than the bucket for water."

Huo Xi looked around, it is estimated that most of the low-level people live in such an alley, and the place is small and densely populated, and it is afraid that a large well cannot be built.

Nodding: "How big is the well?"

"The mouth of the well is wider than a shoulder pole, and it can accommodate three to four people to draw water at the same time. The wife said that to prevent children and animals from falling, they installed wheels on the top. When there are many people, they can only wait." Only one person can operate the wheel.

Advantages and disadvantages.

Huo Xi nodded, "Then let's go and see Dajing."

At this time, the people living in the alley heard the movement and stuck their heads out one after another, "It's Mrs. Shizi!" Someone yelled, and Huo Xi was soon surrounded.

(End of this chapter)