Buy a donkey cart.

 

Jing Yi loves to employ familiar people, so he has found reliable partners for these transactions.

 

Zhang San is not a clueless person. When Jing’s small restaurant opened, he went there too. He knew that this rural boy could quickly start a thriving business. He heard that the boss of Jixiange and an official also came to show their support. It must be someone extraordinary.

 

So he first took Jing’s father and Jing Yi to the donkey market to have a look around and inquire about prices, so that Jing’s father and Jing Yi could get an idea of the general market situation in town. An adult donkey usually costs between fifteen and eighteen taels.

 

Then he recommended a relative from his own family: “Boss Jing, this is our town’s donkey market. Of course, there are some individual sellers in the market, but it’s not easy to deal with them. I won’t hide it from you; I have an uncle who is also in this business. The animals he has are strong, in good health, and reasonably priced. Shall I take you to have a look?”

 

“Since I came to find you, it means I trust you. Let’s go!” Jing Yi replied happily.

 

In a joking manner, Zhang San led the two of them to a shed. The owner was a middle-aged man with a stubbly beard. Perhaps because he had to take care of the animals, he wore rough and old clothes.

 

“San Xiaozizi is here. Is this gentleman here to see the donkeys?” The owner put down what he was doing and came forward to ask.

 

“Uncle Si, this is Boss Jing and Uncle Jing. They came today to buy a donkey for transporting goods and people. Help them pick one.” Zhang San explained their requirements to the owner in detail. The owner, being an expert, didn’t even blink and immediately took them to the side of the shed to see the donkeys.

 

“Take a look at this one. It’s tall with long legs. The muscles on its body are perfect for transporting goods and people. It can run exceptionally well. It’s just that it’s not as agile for field work.” The owner pointed to a donkey and introduced it.

 

Indeed, this donkey looked spirited. It had a coat of bluish-gray fur with a few white patches under its belly, resembling embroidered flowers. Its two ears stood straight, giving it a lively appearance.

 

It wasn’t afraid of people. When it saw someone approaching, it turned its head and looked curiously, fluttering its long eyelashes playfully.

 

“How old is this donkey?” Jing’s father immediately took a liking to it and lovingly touched the donkey’s neck.

 

“Big brother, this donkey is just one year old. It still has some growing to do for another six months.” The owner looked at the fondness in Jing’s father’s eyes and also reached out to touch the donkey, showing a gentle expression. His donkeys were his treasures, and naturally, he wanted to find a buyer who would take good care of them.

 

Seeing Jing’s father’s interest, Jing Yi knew that they were interested too and didn’t waste any time. He directly asked, “Boss, how much is this donkey?”

 

“I have a close relationship with San Xiaozizi, so I’ll give you the real price. This donkey alone is sixteen taels, and with the cart, it’s three taels of silver, making it a total of nineteen taels.”

 

After speaking, he turned his head and shouted to a young man nearby, “Er Xiaozizi! Bring out the cart that arrived a couple of days ago for the customer to have a look!”

 

“Sure thing, Father!”

 

The young man quickly pushed out a cart from behind the donkey shed. It was slightly larger than the average cart and had just been made, still emitting the fragrance of wood.

 

Jing’s father tried it out, knocked on the wood in various places, and found it to be sturdy. The wood was also oiled and treated for waterproofing.

 

“Uncle, can this donkey cart be any cheaper?”

 

Both the donkey and the cart had caught Jing Yi’s attention.

 

So Jing Yi reassured the owner, “Uncle, both of us are honest people. Zhang San brought us here, and we won’t go to other places. If you give us a discount, I can settle the payment and sign the contract right away.”

 

“You’re a straightforward young man. How about this? The donkey is a good one and can’t be cheap, but I’ll give you a one-tael discount on the cart. I’ll make a small profit from it.” The owner smiled warmly and even added, “My family also does business in the mule and horse market in town. If you need anything in the future, just go there directly.”

 

“Done, no problem!”

 

The boss felt very happy in his heart. It had been a long time since he had encountered such a straightforward buyer.

 

Both parties exchanged money, completed the contract, and the boss reluctantly touched the donkey’s head, instructing, “When you get home, you must work hard and not be temperamental or stubborn.”

 

The donkey responded with two loud snorts.

 

Jing Yi couldn’t help but think that the boss was truly a person of character. If they had any similar needs in the future, they could approach him.

 

After leaving the donkey market, they gave Zhang San twenty wen as a token of gratitude. Zhang San initially refused, saying he had already received an introduction fee from the boss, but Jing Yi insisted on giving it.

 

“You keep it. It’s not much money, just consider it a token of gratitude. I’m not familiar with this town, so I might trouble you in the future.”

 

“You brought me business, so I should be grateful to you.”

 

After exchanging pleasantries multiple times, they bid farewell, and Jing’s father and Jing Yi hurried back to their shop with the donkey cart.

 

With the donkey cart, life became even more convenient for the Jing family. A journey that used to take an hour now took less than half an hour. Even in the depths of winter, they could freely return home.

 

In the blink of an eye, it was nearing the end of the year. The small restaurant continued to thrive, and the spicy hot pot they served was a dish that people wouldn’t get tired of even if they ate it every few days. Over time, people even craved it when they didn’t have it.

 

The Jing family’s recipe for spicy hot pot was a secret. They used a variety of seasonings, including a type of chili pepper that was hard to find in this region. Even though some other restaurants tried to imitate their dish, they could only manage a mediocre “boiled vegetables” dish, which didn’t affect the flow of customers to the Jing family’s restaurant in the slightest.

 

Jing Yi also knew that to stay ahead, he needed to keep moving forward. So recently, he had been contemplating new products and planned to introduce something new to the Jing family’s restaurant after the Chinese New Year, ensuring a sense of freshness for the customers.

 

But the immediate priority was the upcoming Chinese New Year. Regardless of the era, it was always the most important festival in people’s hearts, a year-long anticipation.

 

After discussing with his family, they decided that since they had earned a lot this year and would be busy until the end of the year, they would close the restaurant on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, take three days to prepare for the new year, and reopen on the 16th of the first lunar month.

 

During the Chinese New Year, every household prepared a lot of festive goods, and it was a rare occasion for families to rest and reunite. Fewer people went out to eat during this time, and those who did would often choose to splurge on a lavish meal.

 

Starting from the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Jing family consciously informed their customers about their vacation time during the Chinese New Year to prevent disappointed customers from coming to eat during the festive period.

 

They also informed Aunt Lin about the situation. Surprisingly, Aunt Lin waved his hand and said it didn’t affect him. His family had no goods left, and he didn’t let Lin’s father go up the mountain in winter to avoid danger.

 

So Aunt Lin gave himself the entire first lunar month as a holiday.

 

By the time the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month arrived, everyone in the Jing family, except Jing Yi who collected money, was working absentmindedly. Fortunately, no major mistakes were made. Jing Yi took a look and decided to end the workday early.

 

So after the peak lunch hour, they stopped receiving customers, paid the aunt who helped with washing and cleaning, and gave her a year-end bonus of fifty wen, which made her very happy. She thanked us repeatedly and went home. The Jing family members happily started packing up and preparing to return to the village. After tidying up carefully, they locked the front door and headed home.

 

Upon arriving in the village, they couldn’t avoid exchanging greetings with the villagers. The current Jing family was no longer the same as half a year ago. Everyone wanted to talk and build relationships, including several women who used to look down on the Jing family. They were all thinking about sending their children to work at the Jing family’s restaurant in town. Just look at Jing Feng, he could earn six hundred wen in a month! Wasn’t their son better than that foolish Jing Feng?!

 

Little did they know, Jing Feng wasn’t a foolish boy. He appeared simple-minded, but that was only when he was with his own people. Moreover, he wasn’t interested in competing with women and younger brothers. During his two months of helping at the Jing family’s restaurant, he was not only diligent but also had a good sense of judgment. While working in the restaurant’s dining hall, he not only served dishes and cleared tables but also doubled as a salesperson, recommending delicious dishes to customers. When he saw customers waiting for their spicy hot pot, he would chat with them and recommend tea eggs and sour plum soup.

 

What was even more commendable was that although the restaurant belonged to his own uncle’s family, Jing Feng never stayed in the kitchen for long. He quickly served the dishes and didn’t linger near the cash box counter.

 

This Chinese New Year, in addition to his monthly wage of six hundred wen, Jing Yi also gave Jing Feng a bonus of one or two silver. Jing Yi calculated that Jing Feng’s workload at the Jing family’s restaurant was actually quite substantial. He planned to discuss with his parents after the New Year and increase Jing Feng’s monthly salary.

 

Jing Yi had no control over the average monthly earnings of the town’s waitstaff. His restaurant would follow the principle of remuneration according to work.

 

On the other hand, after receiving his monthly wage and bonus at home, Jing Feng immediately gave them all to his uncle and aunt. The couple was taken aback and hurriedly asked about the extra one or two silver. They were afraid that Jing Yi had given Jing Feng more money out of family obligation, which would be detrimental to their own family.

 

“Mother, Brother Yi said this is a New Year bonus, and there will be one every year! I asked Brother Yi, and he said he can afford it. I worked hard and deserve it!”

 

Jing Feng felt proud and confident. He spoke with his head held high, and his head was lifted so high that he could almost see the roof.

 

“You brat! What are you so proud of?” Jing San scolded, his mouth stretched from ear to ear. He didn’t want his younger son to get too carried away.

 

“Enough, let him keep it. Second Brother and Xiao Yi know what they’re doing.”

 

After Jing San spoke, Jing San’s wife happily accepted the money.

 

Jing San and his wife never clung tightly to money. However, because the eldest and youngest brother hadn’t divided their household, they split their earnings equally. One share was given to the family, and the other was kept for themselves.

 

But Jing Feng didn’t mind giving more to his own family. He gave an extra three hundred wen to his family, saying it was for his eldest nephew’s new clothes for the New Year. He noticed that the children in town were dressed so well. The remaining money would be used to buy some festive goods and have a prosperous New Year.

 

The most moved were his elder brother, Jing Zheng, and his sister-in-law, Xiao Lan.

 

Jing Zheng patted his younger brother’s head several times and kept saying that he didn’t regret caring for him.

 

Xiao Lan smiled with her eyes and thought about making fried meatballs for Jing Feng tomorrow. He loved them the most.

 

Xiao Lan was a petite and delicate girl who was spotted by Jing Zheng at the market in the neighboring village. When she came over, Jing Feng was only twelve years old, so she treated him like her own child. For the past three years, she had taken care of her younger brother-in-law wholeheartedly.

 

Xiao Lan’s family was poor, and her parents were also timid. She herself was cautious and shy, and she generally didn’t express her emotions or feelings easily.

 

Fortunately, she married Jing Zheng, who, although not particularly talented, was very kind to his wife.”