Xiaoyaoshanjun

Chapter 2 Selling Tofu

Swallow City

Zhangji Cloth Shop
Zhang Fulai was doing some accounting when he suddenly heard a burst of laughter.

Not long after, he saw his daughter Zhang Hui and the maid Qiao'er coming out from behind the curtain.

Zhang Fulai has a son and a daughter. His son died of an illness a few years ago. In recent years, he could not bear to see his daughter marry far away, and his busy business delayed things. Now his daughter is 20 years old and has not yet married.

"Dad, look at the veil I embroidered. How much can it sell for?"

Zhang Huilian walked lightly to the counter and put down a red-sleeved veil.

Zhang Fulai picked it up and looked at it in his hand, feeling happy but also a little sad.

"This thing is good, but if it can be used on you, I'm willing to buy it no matter how much it costs."

Zhang Hui heard this again and complained, "Dad, I won't get married. I want to stay with you for a few more years!"

Just as Zhang Fulai was about to speak, he saw a little beggar wearing ragged linen clothes, with messy hair and dirty old cloth shoes coming in from the door.

Although this man's face looked washed, he still gave people the feeling of a beggar.

"Boss! My name is Tian Buli. I was originally a good family member of Fuyuan Escort Agency. I was kicked out of the farm because I accidentally dirty some hay in the stable. Now I have no one to rely on. May I ask if you are hiring here?"

Zhang Fulai quickly waved his hand after hearing this, "Get out, get out! We are a small business here and we are not hiring anyone!"

Tian Buli continued, "I can do some manual labor, I can do accounting, I can recognize a few words, but I can't write."

"Please don't worry about Fuyuan Escort Agency. I was just kicked out because I messed up. The owner of the manor is kind and doesn't care about a nobody like me."

Zhang Hui said directly: "We are not hiring here, you can look elsewhere."

Tian Buli looked at the friendly-looking girl and said, "I don't want a salary, I just want a clean set of clothes. I will work here for two or three months to earn money for my trip home."

Zhang Hui covered her nose, "How can you be so shameless? I said I won't admit it, so get out of here!"

The maid Qiao'er also said, "You stinky beggar, hurry up and leave! Or I will call someone!"

Tian Buli turned around and said goodbye helplessly.

Qiao'er waved her sleeves to dispel the stench, quickly walked to the door and looked around, and saw the beggar again.

"Miss, the beggar went to the shop next door!"

At this time, the owner of the shop on the left came out of the house and said to this side: "Ha~ I came to your place too. This beggar asked every household. I thought he was a robber who wanted to collect money, but I didn't expect he was looking for a job."

Zhang Fulai came out and said to his daughter, "You two go back to your room and don't get involved in what's going on outside."

"What's so good about it!" Zhang Hui found it boring and quickly went back into the house with her maid.

Zhang Fulai continued to check the fabric in the room. About half an hour later, he heard the man's voice again.

"Boss! I'm Tian Buli. I'm good at talking, thick-skinned, and grateful. I live in Tianjiagou outside the city. I've been running errands for Fuyuan Escort Agency since I was a child. I have a clean record. May I ask if you need someone to do some manual labor?"

Zhang Fulai turned around and looked at Tian Buli carefully this time.

After about two or three seconds, Zhang Fulai still shook his head and said, "No, go ask somewhere else."

"I'm sorry for disturbing your business!" Tian Buli clasped his hands together and bowed, then quickly left.

This time, Zhang Fulai went out to take a look and saw the beggar being driven out of the shops one by one.

This man is persistent and eloquent. If you can't find a job, just keep him and see.

Zhang Fulai had the idea of ​​taking this young man in. He felt a little relieved when he heard that he spoke with a local accent and was from the Fuyuan Escort Agency.

Not only Zhang Fulai came to watch the fun, but also several idle servants and shopkeepers.

The young man asked from house to house, and after being turned away again and again, he came to a tofu stall where he had asked before.

The tofu seller was a beautiful woman in her thirties, with a pair of charming and affectionate peach blossom eyes. Her grey coarse cloth clothes were stretched open by Hao Ru, revealing a small part of her upper body. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and her hair was wrapped in a blue square scarf. She was smart, capable, charming and generous. Tian Buli looked at this woman with beautiful eyes looking at him with a smile, and clasped his hands together.

"Boss! I'm not good at farming! Don't look at my young age, but I'm strong and powerful. If I'm well fed, I'll definitely be more capable than a donkey!!"

Although the strength of 0.7 is not as good as the roar of some middle-aged men, it is not bad, especially since Tian Buli is full of momentum at this time. His pair of competitive eyes collide with the bean lady fiercely like lightning.

Soon, Lady Bean lowered her head and said with a smile, "It just so happens that my useless man has been seriously ill since last month and can't get up. I and I can't support three boys by ourselves. Come and eat some tofu, and come back with me when I close the stall."

Tian Buli finally had a place to sleep and quickly clasped his fists.

"Thank you, boss! With the testimony of my neighbors, I, Tian Buli, will do my best to repay your kindness in taking me in during the past few months I have worked for you!"

"What boss~" The bean lady smiled coquettishly and said openly: "Just call me bean lady. If you can get up at three o'clock in the morning to grind tofu for half a month, I will definitely not treat you badly after half a month~ It will save you the money of going to the red-light district."

"If you can't do it for half a month, don't try to take advantage of me. The scissors on my body are not vegetarian. If you dare to bully us orphans and widows, I will cut off your dirty roots!"

Tian Buli nodded, "That will definitely be the case! Just make sure they have enough food to eat, and nothing else will be fine."

Dou Niangzi thought the young man had a kind face and did not look like a bad person. She had been sitting here watching him come in and out for several hours and could not bear to see him being rejected again and again. It just so happened that her family really needed a man.

Grinding tofu uses people instead of animals, getting up in the middle of the night and working until midnight, feeling confused and in a daze, as if falling into the animal realm, so it is painful!
After Dou Niangzi's husband fell ill, he could no longer do the hard work. Dou Niangzi had to work at night and set up a stall during the day. She really couldn't bear it.

Although the old woman at home can help sell tofu, there are fewer people buying it. Only when the bean curd lady goes out to sell the tofu can she sell more tofu to support the family of six.

"Sit down first and eat some tofu. I have some bread here."

"Thank you!"

Tian Buli quickly took a bowl of tofu and noodles and went to the back of the stall to eat. Because he was hungry and had a stomachache and a beating yesterday, he finished everything in just three or five minutes.

Soon someone came over and started a conversation out of curiosity.

A woman came over and looked at Tian Buli. "I heard there's a little beggar looking for work on the street, and he doesn't even want any money. Is that you?"

Tian Buli stood up and said respectfully, "It is me."

When Granny Li saw this, she smiled and said, "I'm short of someone to do odd jobs in my shop. Come with me and I'll find you a job."

Tian Buli clasped his hands together and said politely, "Thank you for your kindness, but Dou Niang has already taken me in. I begged everywhere before but was rejected. Fortunately, Dou Niang took me in. If I go somewhere else right after I arrive, it would be disgraceful."

Li Po said directly: "You are a good talker, my family runs a restaurant, you used to have a lot of money, but you can only taste bitter water in this tofu stall!"

Tian Buli said politely: "Madam, you have good intentions. I understand the good and bad. However, there are high and low lives, and people are good and bad. I don't steal, rob or cheat. Since others have done me a favor, I must repay them!"

Zhang Laifu clapped his hands and shouted, "Good! Well said!"

The others also clapped and cheered, it was as exciting as a storyteller!

The bean lady's face turned red as she watched from the side. She didn't expect that this guy had such a powerful tongue.

After hearing this, Li Po felt embarrassed to poach more people. "Forget it, what a pity."

Tian Buli stepped forward to sell his product and said, "As the saying goes, a helping hand in need is worse than a brocade on a flower. Why don't you do me a favor and buy a piece or two of tofu? When you get home, you can eat tofu and chat about family matters. I can also close the stall and go home early with Dou Niang. Isn't that wonderful?"

Many people had just praised Tian Buli, and now they saw Tian Buli enthusiastically promoting tofu.

One or two pieces of tofu were not worth much. After someone who was watching the fun nearby took the lead in buying one, the others followed suit and paid for it readily.

The two buckets of tofu of Dou Niang were quickly sold out. She happily wrapped the money in cloth and hid it in her arms, then picked up the carrying pole with one hand.

"My home is not far from here, and I can get there by foot. Today, thanks to Brother Tian, ​​I will go get you a pot of wine, and then I will fry some beans for you to drink with it when I get home."

Tian Buli quickly reached out and grabbed the shoulder pole, "Let me do it. How can I just eat and not work? From now on, let me do the hard work."

"Okay!" Dou Niang happily let go of her hand, and said charmingly: "Don't worry, wait until I have settled my mother-in-law and children tonight, and then you can come to my room. I will definitely not let you suffer any loss."

(End of this chapter)