After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 159 Another Springtime

His air of having never seen anything good before successfully drew frequent glances from the Su family.

Before leaving, Ma Xingteng shamelessly asked Han for some more before finally departing satisfied.

Shen Yi saw him out, and when he came back, he said to Su Tai with unusual seriousness, "Don't let Ma Xingteng come to our house in the future, he's too shameless!"

"Hahaha," Su Tai laughed so hard she almost fell over, looking at the gift boxes on the table. "It's not that bad, they did bring something with them after all."

Shen Yi pursed his lips and went over to open the gift boxes one by one.

Han leaned closer to take a look and exclaimed in surprise, "What is this?"

Su Tai also took a closer look. "It should be bird's nest and deer antler, which are good for nourishing the body. The colors of these materials are suitable for my parents, so they are prepared for them."

At this moment, Shen Yi took out a set of pure silver baby headdresses, decorated with carp, lotus, peony and other flowers, clearly intended for a little girl.

Madam Han immediately looked at Shen Yuezhang, picked her up affectionately, and put the headdress on her. After she put it on, Madam Han happily praised her, "Not bad, not bad. With this on, our precious granddaughter looks much more elegant!"

Since it was Han who put the item on her, Su Tai didn't stand on ceremony with her.

After returning from Dongmen Village, the family of three will soon be spending nearly two months hibernating.

For the past two months, apart from making guokui (a type of flatbread) and delivering goods, there has been nothing else going on at home.

Shen Yi had half a day of free time.

It just so happens that the paving stones and walls in the backyard of the neighboring yard haven't been finished yet, and the doors and windows haven't been installed. I can take this time to get these jobs done.

Seeing his eagerness, Su Tai could only indulge him. She then went to the Fire Dimension and asked the brick kiln owner for a lot of broken bricks.

The boss was overjoyed when he heard Su Tai's request. "Last time you took away those broken tiles, I remembered that we still had a batch of bricks in our warehouse that hadn't been sold. Those bricks were originally needed for an ancient city development project. They were special earthen bricks for old houses, thick and heavy, with excellent water absorption. They were just treated to look antique, so they didn't look smooth and flat enough."

The ancient city project has been abandoned due to a broken funding chain, and the project has been cancelled. Our goods are stuck in the warehouse, and we can't sell them. I'm reluctant to get rid of them, since our capital is all tied up in them. If you're willing to take them, I'll sell them to you at cost price, how about it?"

Su Tai initially wanted to refuse, but upon hearing about the antique-style treatment, she decided to take a look anyway.

When she actually saw the item, her eyes lit up immediately.

These floor tiles are all red clay bricks, in square and hexagonal shapes. Each one looks small and has some irregularities on the surface. If these bricks are used to pave the floor, firstly, they won't be too eye-catching, and secondly, people can tell at a glance that they were purchased and fired. In fact, it could be said that Shen Yi fired them himself. There are other families in the surrounding area who do the same, but it's just that there are fewer of them.

Most importantly, these bricks can also be used to cover walls, and even yards can be paved with them.

Su Tai immediately had an idea, but she didn't show it on her face.

"Boss, what price would you offer if I wanted it?"

The shopkeeper was overjoyed when he saw an opportunity and quickly said, "I won't lie to you, the previous price for these hexagonal ones was 22 yuan, and the price for the square ones was 18 yuan. If you want both, I'll give you half of each and charge you one price, which is 8 yuan."

This price is incredibly cheap compared to tiles, but they didn't spend a penny on broken tiles before. Seeing Su Tai frown, the shopkeeper's heart tightened, and he said with a wry smile, "Miss, this is already the cost price I'm giving you. Any lower and I'll lose money! Here's the lowest price, seven yuan each, I really can't go any lower."

Su Tai borrowed a calculator from the shop owner. Based on the size of their house, the backyard next door was about an acre in size, requiring nearly two thousand bricks. If the house in the front yard was also paved and the walls were also covered, then at least three thousand floor tiles would be needed.

It requires at least 21,000 virtual coins, which isn't too expensive.

"Okay! That's the price then, I want three thousand." Su Tai had barely finished speaking when...

The boss immediately called for people to haul the goods away.

In addition to the floor tiles, she also bought 10,000 virtual coins worth of cement and gravel.

Once all these things were moved to the neighbor's backyard, Shen Yi began his career as a cement worker.

While Shen Yi was busy, Su Tai harvested another batch of water chestnuts. Now she could rely on the water chestnuts to earn virtual currency for her, and she didn't need to think about how to make money from money anymore.

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was March again, the beginning of spring.

Little Shen Yuezhang is over four months old. She's chubby and always smiles at everyone she meets.

Having not seen him all winter, Xu was overjoyed to see him again, holding him tightly in her arms and not putting him down. "Xiao Tai, where did Shen Yi go? What are you planning to plant in your fields this year?"

Su Tai found it a bit strange. "Second Aunt, aren't we still eating the same things as before, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Madam Xu chuckled and said, "I just came to confirm to put my mind at ease! You know Shen Yi's second uncle is a blockhead. All he does is work and he doesn't think about anything else. We have two boys in our family waiting to get married, so I can't afford to be careless at all. I'm counting on the autumn harvest to earn some extra money so I can help them build a family business!"

Su Tai understood Xu Shi's implied meaning and smiled, "Second Aunt, I understand. This year will be the same as last year, but we estimate that the county government will no longer buy grain at high prices starting next year. It will probably be difficult to make a fortune from the crops in the fields in the future."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Madam Xu panicked.

They just bought so much land. What will they do if the crops don't make money?
Su Tai placed her hands on her shoulders, signaling her to calm down. "Don't rush. This year will most likely be the same as before, and you can make money again. Next year, high-yield wheat will be promoted nationwide, and the price will definitely come down. I estimate it will be only ten or twenty coins per pound. If you continue to grow grain, that's fine, but it's impossible to make a fortune like before."

But lower food prices are good for everyone; at least no one has to worry about going hungry, right?

"That's true!" Xu Shi was somewhat relieved but also a little regretful, looking at Su Tai with longing eyes, "Good little Tai, if your second aunt's family doesn't rely on farming to make money, what else can they do to earn a living?"

Su Tai chuckled and said, "Second Aunt, didn't you raise a lot of pigs last year? There are quite a few pig farmers in the village, and they're starting to harvest them one after another now. If you don't have the capital, I can lend you some first."

"We buy a pig, and our family can keep half of the meat. We can sell the rest by going door-to-door. It's hard work, but we can save up several dozen taels of silver a year, can't we?"

Ms. Xu nodded thoughtfully, "You're right, it is indeed a bit hard work, but it pays well!"

"And another thing! At the end of the year, I can help my second aunt get fireworks and firecrackers, which can earn a lot of money. After all, our family has been selling them for two years without any problems. Everyone recognizes our products, so we don't have to worry about selling them."

"Shen Yi can catch fish and sell them to you, that should keep you busy enough." Su Tai counted on her fingers for Xu Shi.

(End of this chapter)