I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 6 The Happy Life of the Lin Family

Biyun walked up to Lin Youniu and said respectfully, "Master Weng, what can I do for you?"

Lin Youniu smiled and said, "Shisan has secured a big business for our family. Go to the entrance of the alley and find Xiaoqi, and ask him to bring the braised sick beef and four small dishes from Zuixiaolou."

Suohuan is the takeaway boy in later generations.

Some authentic old Beijing cities have strict rules. Young wives at home never go out of the front door or the back door.

The Lin family doesn't have so many bad rules.

When Lin Youniu was a teenager, he fled from Shunde Prefecture to the capital city to escape famine. He was so poor that his buttocks were exposed through his pants.

After decades of hard work and hardship, he now lives a good life. He doesn't care about those seemingly sophisticated formalities.

Biyun walked out of the courtyard with a light figure.

Lin Shisan said, "Dad, let's be serious. It's true that Liuxinju owes me a favor. But since they are willing to give us this business, we must get what we pay for and be honest for a long time."

Lin Youniu laughed and scolded, "It's not my son's turn to instruct me yet. Tomorrow I will go to Yuquan Mountain and rent another three acres of swampland. Before winter comes, I will dig two more cellars to supply Liuxinju."

In autumn, the ice house would rent a depression near a river or lake, called a "dangtian". Before the winter solstice, the dangtian would be filled with water.

When the weather gets really frozen on the 39th day of the coldest period of winter, we hire strong men to dig ice out of the fields and transport it to the ice cellar using ox carts.

When summer comes, buyers can come to the ice cellar to get ice with ice tickets.

Lin Shisan asked casually, "Where's Hu'er?"

Lin Youniu replied: "He slept late today and hasn't gotten up yet."

Hu'er is the son of Lin Shisan and Biyun. His full name is Lin Hu and he is two years old this year.

Lin Shisan left the front yard and went to the east wing, which was the bedroom of Lin Xiaosan and his family.

There was a cat lying and a dog squatting at the bedroom door, and there was a cage containing a rabbit.

The lion cat yawned lazily. This cat was the offspring of a palace cat, and was actually related to the Jiajing Emperor's favorite "Shuangmei".

The dog was a big yellow domestic dog, the kind that ordinary people keep at home, not as noble as the lion cat.

The rabbit was a white rabbit, chewing a bundle of grass in a cage.

Seeing its owner return, the yellow dog ran to Lin Shisan, wagging its tail affectionately and rubbing against his legs.

Lin Shisan said with a smile: "Cat, you didn't bully Rabbit today, did you?"

That's right, the Lin family's dog is named "Mao'er", the cat is named "Tu'er", and the rabbit is named "Guisun Gao Xiaoqi".
Gao Xiaoqi always takes advantage of Lin Shisan, but Lin Shisan never argues with him because he is his superior and because he feels sorry for Gao Xiaoqi as he is old and childless.

But I still have to satisfy my craving at home, and I would call out to the Moon Spirit White Rabbit: "Grandson Gao Xiaoqi, are you chewing grass again?"

The big yellow dog seemed to understand what people were saying, and tilted its neck. There was a large tuft of hair missing from its neck. It was obviously caused by the lion cat.

It seemed to be saying: Heaven and earth are the only ones who are bullying whom!
Lin Shisan understood what he meant and cursed the lion cat: "Rebellious son!" Then he walked into the bedroom.

There was a long table against the east wall of the bedroom, on which were a variety of fighting insect jars and singing insect cages.

He collected more than twenty of them, including Crab Green General, Drum-winged Grasshopper, and Mountain Green Grasshopper. All of them were of medium and high quality.

On the long table, there were three cowhide ropes hanging from the beams, with three bird cages hanging on them: a thrush, a lark, and a canary.

Any one of these pets is worth a few cents or even two ounces of silver.

Even though Lin Shisan's annual salary was only seven and a half taels, he had a lot of money. He could earn at least eight or ten taels by taking on three or five jobs for wealthy families to find their favorites every month.

Lin Shisan always divided his salary and benefits into three parts. Forty percent was given to his father for the turnover of the ice cellar.

Thirty percent was given to his wife, or used to buy rouge and powder, or to buy some decent cloth, or to save for his own use.

Keep 30% for yourself and buy the flowers, birds, fish and insects you like.

Lin Shisan was not like his colleagues on the list or in the family, who would visit brothels, sleep with women, and gamble and whore as soon as they got the money. He spent all his money on these things.

The young couple slept on a walnut bed. Even for a wealthy family like the Lin family in Beijing, a walnut bed still seemed a bit extravagant.

Three years ago, when he hired a carpenter to make the wedding bed, Lin Youniu said to Lin Shisan, "Son, the dressing table, three sets of cabinets, and copper basin stand in the bridal chamber are not important."

At that time, Lin Shisan asked: "Dad, what is the most important thing?"

Lin Youniu narrowed his eyes and put on an unpredictable smile: "The most important thing is to have a good bed."

This walnut bed was indeed good, made of real material. Lin Shisan and Biyun slept on it, and within a year they had a child.

There was a small bed next to Hutao's bed. The fat white tiger was sleeping soundly, drooling at the corners of his mouth.

Lin Shisan gently pinched Hu'er's little face: "Hu'er, get up and eat."

Hu Er opened his eyes and called out in a baby voice, "Daddy."

Then he opened his arms as white as lotus roots and said, "Daddy, hold me."

Lin Shisan picked up Hu'er and kissed his little face: "Let's go, let's go eat."

There is a small dining room in the east room of the courtyard, which is one and a half meters square and has an octagonal table.

Biyun had returned and was setting the table in the dining room. Lin Shisan came in holding Hu'er and said with a smile, "Tomorrow there will be another ten taels of silver. I'll give you three taels to buy a silk jacket and a satin blouse for the winter."

Biyun raised her head and looked at her husband with a smile in her eyes: "I just made two sets last year. Save your money and buy two more good insects."

Lin Shisan stared at his beautiful wife and said, "The worms have to be bought. The beautiful wife at home also has to be dressed up. We have to spend money when necessary. Don't worry, the old man has saved a lot over the years. Our family will not be poor."

About two quarters of an hour later, a loud voice calling Xiao Qi was heard from the door:

"Mr. Lin, the Zuixiaolou has stewed sick beef, lettuce wrapped in rice, pickled bamboo shoots and chicken, fried yellow crucian carp, and mixed shredded vegetables. The meal costs six coins of silver or five hundred and sixty coins. We don't accept banknotes. The leg money is ten coins!"

Soon, Lin Youniu came into the dining room carrying a food box. Biyun quickly took the food box, arranged the dishes, and took out a pot of old yellow wine from the wine box in the dining room and put it into the tin pot used for heating wine.

Lin Youniu and Lin Shisan sat down. Biyun then sat down holding Hu'er.

Lin Youniu picked up the chopsticks and said, "Eat."

The braised sick beef is tender and juicy; the lettuce rice has a fresh scent; the sour bamboo shoot chicken has a unique flavor; the fried yellow crucian carp has many bones but is fresh and fragrant; the mixed shredded pork is crispy and refreshing.

Add a pot of warm rice wine and it is not just delicious, it is simply delicious.

The family lived in harmony and enjoyed the meal. It was like living in heaven.

Lin Shisan looked at his old but vigorous father, then at his beautiful wife and chubby son.

He thought to himself: Only a fool would try his best to get into the Northern Pacification Office. What's the point of having a job that requires you to hang your head on your trousers? The most important thing is for the family to live comfortably.

Some things should not be mentioned, and some things should not be thought about.

Lin Shisan never imagined that a job that would require a lot of effort would soon come knocking on his door.

(End of this chapter)