Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Old Sun's lips curled down slightly, and he clicked his tongue, saying, "Sanlang, you're living a comfortable life, tsk tsk!" He walked to the stone table and sat down. Before he was even properly seated, he reached out, poured himself a bowl of water, and drank it down in one gulp.

He rubbed his fingers, looking at Zhang Sanlang's lazy face, and couldn't help but shake his head: "Sanlang, you've finally come to your senses these past few days. Before, you would never have wanted to lie like this!"

Zhang Sanlang didn't even lift his eyelids: "Uncle Sun, what are you saying? I didn't have time before, but now that I'm busy, I finally get a day off, so I have to relax."

"Aren't you the same? You never had time to visit and chat before. Now you come over every few days, and you're enjoying life much better than before."

Old Sun chuckled twice at his words, shifted his posture, and straightened his back a bit. "Speaking of which, you're only a few years old, yet you're already sitting in the clerk's position. Many people spend their entire lives trying to reach that level."

He placed the empty bowl on the table. "Uncle has watched you grow step by step, and I'm truly happy for you. Now that you have more money, it's time to learn to enjoy life."

"When I was young, I was just like you, reluctant to part with anything. It wasn't until I got old that I realized that it's better to spend money than to save it. While my teeth are still good, I should eat and drink as much as I want."

Zhang Sanlang opened one eye and turned to look at him: "Uncle Sun, Brother Sun is now working in the county government. He's not much older than me and he became a county lieutenant. You are truly blessed. Why do I never see you praising him?"

Old Sun's smile vanished instantly, his lips drooping as if he'd been punched in the chest. He swallowed the remaining half of his smile, letting out a heavy snort: "Hmph! Don't mention that beast!"

"If it weren't for Ce'er's sake, I would have... I would have chopped him to pieces!" He raised his right hand, made a downward chopping gesture, and slashed sharply in the air.

Zhang Sanlang was amused by this action and said, "Uncle Sun, why are you doing this? Brother Sun had his own difficulties back then..."

He was speaking when he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that the small gate in the courtyard had opened a crack at some point, and a corner of his clothes was peeking out from the crack before he quickly withdrew it.

Old Sun had obviously seen the hem of the garment as well, and his expression darkened further, letting out a muffled groan.

Zhang Sanlang picked up the teapot on the table, filled Old Sun's empty bowl, and pushed it in front of him. "Uncle Sun, it's been months already, please calm down. In the end, you've enjoyed the happiness of being with your grandchildren, isn't that better than anything else?"

"Brother Sun was young then, and he acted impulsively without thinking things through, which really put you in a difficult position. He himself survived countless battles and faced death many times, so he has been punished for it. Let bygones be bygones."

Old Sun picked up his bowl and took a sip. This time he drank slowly, and his anger seemed to have dissipated a bit. "Sanlang, would I really chop him up? I was just saying it."

He sighed, his tone softening slightly. "I don't want to think about what happened back then. Ce'er is growing up day by day, and he's very close to his grandfather. That's enough."

Zhang Sanlang hummed in response but did not reply.

He knew that Old Sun probably needed to vent his anger a little longer.

The rift between father and son is not so easy to untangle.

Sun Jizu really went all out back then, taking all the money left over from the land sale.

If that kid Qing dares to do that, he'll search high and low and find him to kill for a drink.

Now that Old Sun is living a better life, his true nature is gradually being revealed. He not only loves to nag, but he also has a very fiery temper. All he can do is listen to Old Sun's ramblings about everyday matters.

The sound of several young girls laughing and talking came from the backyard. Zhang Sanlang listened carefully and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Old Sun followed his gaze and glanced at the backyard. "Sanlang, your uncle came today because there's something he wants to ask you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sanlang withdrew his gaze, sat up straight, and put his legs down from the footstool, placing them firmly on the ground. "Uncle Sun, please speak."

Old Sun rubbed his hands together on his knees, as if choosing his words, "Do you know Old Shi, the vegetable vendor in the alley next door?"

Zhang Sanlang thought for a moment, "The Shi family, I know them. They have thirty acres of vegetable garden in the east of the city, where they grow seasonal vegetables. They didn't originally live in this area, but they bought the vegetable garden in the east of the city and moved here for convenience."

"His house is in the alley across the street, the one with the storefront facing north. Speaking of which, the vegetables he grows are quite good. Sister Yue'e bought some from him a few days ago, and they were fresher than the ones sold at other stalls."

Old Sun nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "It's that old man Shi. Sanlang, listen to your uncle, he came to see me this afternoon, saying he wanted me to pass on a message for him."

"You know that his vegetable garden needs to be composted with manure. At this time of year, the vegetables grow quickly in the hot weather, and after one harvest after another, the soil fertility can't keep up, so he has to apply fertilizer quickly. He said that for thirty acres of land, he needs five or six hundred dan of manure a year."

Zhang Sanlang raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard the words "five or six hundred loads".

Seeing his surprise, Old Sun spread his hands to the sides and said, "You don't know, do you? In our Juancheng, there are four families who make a living by collecting night soil."

"Every year, each family can earn over a hundred strings of cash thanks to this trick. Old Shi wants to take over the cesspools in Jinshi Lane and pay five strings of cash every year."

Zhang Sanlang was somewhat stunned.

He had been sitting in the tax office checking the accounts for so long, and he remembered that there was indeed a "manure money" in the workshop register, which was about thirty or forty strings of cash every year.

The workshops set up official toilets in various places such as county government offices, docks, ferry crossings, markets, temples, Taoist temples, theaters, and near city gates. In addition, most alleys also had one or two public toilets.

So these things can be sold for money!

The official toilets and household latrines throughout the county town were all contracted out by the workshop.

He only glanced at it and didn't think about it in detail.

Only now do I realize that behind the words "manure piling up" lies the real flow of money and grain.

In a flash, Zhang Sanlang thought of his own outhouse, which he had built two against the wall. One was in the front yard, and the other in the back yard.

It was just two small wooden sheds with doors that opened inwards and ventilation openings at the top. A large vat was buried underground, and two long wooden planks were placed on top of it. A wooden bucket was placed next to it to hold stove ash, and a handful of it would be sprinkled on top after cooking to suppress the stench.

It needs to be cleaned up about once every one or two months. In the past, Old Sun would help find someone to do it, so it seems that not only does it not cost money, but it also brings in a few dozen coins.

Ever since Old Sun moved next door, he's left the job of finding people to help him. Zhang Sanlang himself has never bothered with these trivial matters.

He picked up his water bowl and took a sip. "He'll pay for it; he can just go to the workshop to do it. There are established rules with the clerk; he just pays according to the regulations."

Old Sun waved his hand, "That's what they say, but things aren't that simple. Old Shi has discussed it with the Liu family, who are the head of the latrines in the east of the city. Old Liu and his four sons have taken over all the latrines in the east of the city."

"This alone can support a large family every year. Old Shi offered five strings of cash, but the Liu family demanded ten before they would let him do it. Otherwise, even if Old Shi paid the gambling fee, the Liu family would still come and make trouble, preventing Old Shi from doing it."