Chapter 220 221 Attending the Banquet
Both of them had spoken, and Zhou Jia couldn't hold on any longer, otherwise it would be a bit embarrassing to be in the same yamen in the future! Besides, the money for building the county school is indeed not enough. Let the merchants who come back donate some money, and the money can help support a few more eager to learn and motivated children in the countryside. Zhou Jia nodded and comforted the county: "Okay! I just listen to you two, let's go there!"
Seeing that Zhou Jia agreed, Yu County Wei quickly went to reply to the steward of the Xu family. Zhou Jia sorted out the files and handed them to Mr. Qian before returning to the back office.
Zhou Jia returned to the back office and saw Li Yu sleeping on the rocking chair covered with a wool blanket. He did not disturb her and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
Li Yu found that after three months of pregnancy, he felt hungry faster and faster, and his appetite became larger and larger. Every time he saw Xiaoyu's belly growing like a puff of air, Li Yu felt a little scared.
Yu Niang brought a bowl of chicken noodle soup to the courtyard. Seeing Li Yu falling asleep on the recliner again, she shouted softly: "Madam, the noodles are ready."
Li Yu opened his eyes, and the aroma of chopped green onion in the chicken noodle soup came to his nostrils. He felt that his mouth was about to water. He picked up a chopstick and ate the noodles. He smiled and said to Yu Niang: "Why am I getting more and more greedy?" .”
"You are pregnant with the young master, and you are eating for two people. Of course you will be hungry very quickly."
Zhou Jia got dressed and walked to the yard. She saw Li Yu holding a porcelain bowl bigger than her head and sweating profusely from eating. He walked over and squatted next to her, looked at her with a smile and said, "Fish Son, is it delicious?"
Li Yu looked at the big bowl in front of him and laughed dryly: "It's not me who wants to eat, it's your son who wants to eat! Would you like a bowl?"
Zhou Jia nodded and smiled: "Okay! I'll have a bowl with you."
Yuniang was busy cooking noodles, and Zhou Jia told Li Yu about going to the banquet to raise donations. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia, "Xiao Xi, has the money left by Shen Wu to build the county government been used up?"
"Those money can build the framework of the county school. Qingchuan had a county school more than ten years ago, but the original equipment in the county school has long been destroyed! When we start building the county school, we need to buy books, tables and stools when the school starts. . We also need to go to Qingzhou to recruit scholars to teach in Qingchuan. The residence of the gentleman must be equipped! There are also dormitories for students, and we also need to hire cooks, cooks, and handymen. The money originally planned is simply not enough."
Li Yu knew as soon as he heard that miscellaneous things required a lot of money. The county government's income was only what the shops along the street and the vendors paid, a pitiful little tax, and no other income.
"Yes! Listening to your calculations, we still need to prepare money. Since we want the rich people who have returned to donate money, let's take the lead! What do you think if we donate two hundred taels?"
"I'm just a small county magistrate, so a donation of two hundred taels is enough!"
"Have you gone to those villages and done the statistics? Are there many people returning to their hometowns? How is the situation of the farmland?"
"So far, 80 to 90% of the people who fled for famine have returned. When this autumn harvest comes and the villagers get the news that Qingchuan will be exempted from taxes, there should be more people returning to their hometowns. The condition of the cultivated land is still good, at least not like what we just did. By then, there will be vast areas of desolation there!”
Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said softly: "Xiao Xi, I believe Qingchuan County will get better and better under your governance."
"Yu'er, you have contributed a lot to this!" Yu Niang came out of the kitchen with the noodles in hand. Seeing the two people smiling at each other with affection, she coughed dryly and put the noodles on the small table. He packed up the noodle bowl that Li Yu had eaten and left.
After Zhou Jia had some noodles, he went to the banquet with Yu Xianwei and Tu Dianshi who were waiting in the outer courtyard.
Li Yu sent Zhou Jia away and went to the lower garden in the backyard. After walking around and stretching his muscles for a while, he saw Li Qing carrying a bamboo basket on his back and several clumps of orchids entering the hanging flower gate.
As soon as Li Qing saw Li Yu, he raised the orchid grass in his hand and said, "Sister, look, these are all dug from the mountains. Do they look good?"
"It's beautiful!" Li Qing put down the basket on his back, and Li Yu saw several budding gardenias, two jasmines, several honeysuckles, and the orchids he was holding in his hands. There was a clump of lavender flowers in bloom. Flowers exude fragrance.
Li Qing picked up the flower hoe leaning against the corner and began to dig a hole to plant flowers. Li Yu squatted down to help him stabilize the flower tree and asked, "Why are you coming back alone, sir? Didn't I go home with you?" "
"My husband was drying those herbs in the yard. He also dug some herbs back and planned to plant them in this small garden."
"Oh." Before the siblings finished planting the flowers, Mr. Wen and Xu Dong carried a basket of herbs into the small garden. Mr. Wen smiled and said to Li Yu: "Xiaoyu, there are so many herbs in Qinglong Village. , and there are many uncommon herbs there, it’s really a treasure trove.”
Li Yu nodded and said: "The location is hidden and the soil is soft and suitable for the growth of herbs."
Mr. Wen said cheerfully: "I dug two things, which are good-looking and easy to plant, and brought them back to the garden." Li Yu saw that Mr. Wen had dug up Hedyotis diffusa and Polygonatum japonica.
"Sir, Ah Qing and Master Xu, are you hungry? I'll ask Granny Liu to cook for you."
Mr. Wen smiled and said, "You don't need to tell me. They started preparing as soon as we came back. Where did Xiao Xi go?" Li Yu told Mr. Wen that Zhou Jia went to the banquet.
Zhou Jia, Yu Xianwei, Tu Dianshi and Mr. Qian arrived at Xu Jinlong's house. Xu Jinlong bowed to Zhou Jia and said, "Mr. Zhou, thank you for visiting me!"
"Boss Xu is so polite!" Zhou Jia responded with a smile. After Xu Jinlong and Yu Xianwei greeted them, they welcomed them into the courtyard. Zhou Jia saw that the previously abandoned house had been renovated and the yard was filled with various flowers and plants.
Xu Jinlong welcomed several people into the main hall of the main room. There was a rosewood Eight Immortals table in the main hall, a picture of lotus and carp hanging on the wall, two rosewood Taishi chairs on the left and right, and a row of rosewood chairs below.
There were already seven or eight rich businessmen in gorgeous clothes sitting in the hall. When they saw Zhou Jia and others coming, they all stood up and politely came forward to greet them. After everyone exchanged greetings, they sat down.
The maid began to serve the dishes, and all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and seas were brought to the table one after another. The maid began to pour the wine, put the wine glass and was polite again.
After drinking for three rounds, everyone spoke and acted more casually. A wealthy businessman named Wu said with a smile: "Brother Xu, I heard that you brought back two singers from Qingzhou. Please come out and sing a song for everyone to cheer up! "
Another person joked: "Yes! Brother Xu, you are not a hidden treasure in the golden house, and you are reluctant to give us a feast for your ears!"
"Well, I'll call Cai Die and Cai Feng to sing two songs for everyone to cheer up."
Xu Jinlong summoned two singers, both of them had big breasts and fat buttocks, and were extremely charming. The wealthy businessman surnamed Wu immediately looked at them.