Chapter 5, there will be meat, and there will be wine

The name Lai Yipin sounds very familiar. After a moment of thought, Li Si finally remembered that the owner of the mine was Lord Zhong, and the supervisor sent by Lord Zhong to oversee them, the mountain leaseholders, was none other than Lai Yipin. It is said that this supervisor Lai is the brother-in-law of Lord Zhong and holds some position in the county office.

"Fourth brother, why do I feel that you have changed a bit?"

In a couple of days, you will be completely well, and I will teach you to recognize characters again

Li Si did not press further, chatting casually with Guan Fengsheng while still searching for the figure of Sister Guan. It was not until the little girl appeared from the hillside outside, and upon seeing him, her captivating little face broke into a sweet smile, that Li Si felt a slight sense of relief

Li Si spoke淡淡, a stark contrast to his previous calm demeanor, leaving the two young men momentarily stunned

It was Guan Yunniang. Li Si turned around and met her gaze. The young girl stared at him in a daze, her eyes still reflecting the same confusion that had left Li Si perplexed earlier.

The rolling tax notice refers to a tax notification document. In the early Qing Dynasty, two-part forms and easy-to-understand forms were used, but later it was changed to the rolling tax notice, which is also referred to as a string ticket in the community. It lists the amount of land and labor taxes to be collected from five or ten households, along with the payment deadline, and is used by the head of the first household to urge collection

Sigh, this is all we owe to the Li family...

Previously, I could only recognize characters, but now... it's uncertain.

The person who arrived was Tian Qing's father, Tian Dayou. Like Uncle Guan, he was also a close friend of Li Si's father, and the Guan family was his sister. Although he did not take care of Li Si as closely as Uncle Guan did, he was always willing to lend a hand whenever needed, without hesitation. He was also a blacksmith, but with no iron to forge at the moment, he was working as a foreman at the mine.

Is the fourth brother all right

Pork will be available, fine wine... will also be available. Li Si, the favor you owe, I will repay on your behalf, and the blessings thereafter, I shall enjoy for myself

As he wandered to the edge of the mountain, before entering the mine, a group of raggedly dressed youths called out to him from a distance

Li Si's predecessor also had a poor impression of this guy. Although I have now become a more introspective version of myself, there is no need to put on a warm front to a cold back. I respond in a rather indifferent manner.

Li Si frowned; this fiancée, who was promised to him from a young age, seemed to be disdainful of him for relying on the Guan family for support

In the evening, Li Si arrived at Guan Fengsheng's home. Just as he was about to push open the dilapidated wooden door, he overheard Guan Fengsheng and his wife, Guan Tianshi, talking inside. He could only catch these two sentences, and he could not hear anything clearly after that.

Besides recognizing characters, does Fourth Brother have any other skills

Tian Qing, his father Tian Dayou, was the foreman at the mine, responsible for surveying the ore veins and selecting the ores. He himself was a furnace worker, assisting Guan Fengsheng in overseeing the iron smelting furnace. Although they were from the same village, this young man learned some skills from his father and Guan Fengsheng, always considering himself a craftsman. In his youth, it was not much of an issue, but over the past two years, his attitude towards "Li Si" has gradually worsened

Before long, another middle-aged man appeared, holding a bottle of wine and cheerfully patting Li Si on the shoulder

There are seven categories of copper and iron ore mines that require tunnel excavation. Among them, the foreman is equivalent to the engineer of the tunnel construction, responsible for locating the ore veins, determining the excavation direction, and ensuring the safety of the tunnels. This role is crucial, as the saying goes, "Without a foreman, there can be no tunnel"

Although they all had faces covered in grime and their clothes were tattered, Li Si still recognized each one of them. He had previously worked as a miner, yet he did not abandon the habits of a scholar. In his spare time, he taught the miners to read, and everyone had a good relationship with him

I said, how could Brother Li's son possibly be so weak! Doctor Cai said he would need to lie down for at least seven or eight days, and this is only the third day; Fourth Brother is just a muddled person!

"Yes, the big green ones can generally sell for a bit more than the maidservants."

The dead girl should have returned earlier, instead of wandering in the mountains! If a stranger encounters her and mistakes her for a little foreign girl, only then will she realize the need to behave properly!

The young men teased him, and Tian Qing could not hold his own against Li Si. At that moment, he merely let out a muffled grunt, shook his head, and chose not to pay him any further attention

A young boy scoffed, noticing that the other was dressed somewhat neatly and cleanly. Although he too was resting, he deliberately kept his distance from those boys working in the mine.

A simmering anger rose within him, yet it dissipated like smoke. Li Si forced a bitter smile; he was indeed living off the Guan family. Frequently mooching meals was just a minor issue. The rice fields and the * illustrations * were entrusted to them for management, and he had not cared for a single day, merely reaping the profits. The job at the mine was also arranged by Uncle Guan, who was more attentive than a father to his son.

Not only Guan Erjie, but also Guan Tianshi and Guan Yunniang have been fixated on this dish.

The villagers who work in the mines, including the miners who dig and transport ore, the workers who crush the ore, the charcoal makers, and the furnace workers who tend to the iron smelting furnaces, all rely on their physical labor to earn a living

Only by being literate can one avoid being sold and even assist others in counting money

Uncle Guan said you had just recovered, so why did you come out now

Lai Yipin has issued the serial tickets

Uncle Guan asked in surprise, while Li Si thought to himself that it was likely due to being provoked by him during the day, which made him unwilling to accompany his father to meet him

Among them, two boys aged around fifteen or sixteen had the closest relationship with him. The one who was somewhat impulsive was named Wu Shitou, while the other, who was a bit more reserved, was called Jia Gouzi

He just talked back to me, so I locked him in the room. Don't pay any attention to him. Come on, let's enjoy ourselves!

Three men were eating at the table, while Guan Tianshi and Guan Yunniang stood by to serve, never sitting down. Guan Erjie was busy in the kitchen, not showing her face. Li Si instinctively wanted to call out to them, but suddenly realized that in this era, even poor families adhered to etiquette; as long as there were guests, women were not allowed at the table. Looking at the plate of shredded pork with dried tofu that reminded him of the university cafeteria, a scene flashed through Li Si's mind of a young girl pursing her lips and swallowing her saliva.

Why hasn't Tian Qing come?

Li Si casually came up with such a reason, which made the two young boys nod seriously. The fourth brother is a scholar and truly knows more principles...

Such a youth as Tian Qing naturally does not warrant more concern from Li Si. He smiled and bid farewell to the two boys, while Jia Gouzi and Wu Shitou gazed at Li Si's departing figure, unable to tear their eyes away for quite some time

With a soft sigh, Guan Yunniang pushed the door open and entered directly

Wu Shitou touched his smooth bald head, feeling quite puzzled.

Do not worry, we have taken care of your daily tasks. This month, everyone will lend a hand, ensuring that you do not lose any wages

Wu Shitou muttered to himself in a silly manner

Jia Gouzi wanted to think more comprehensively, and a layer of worry appeared on his face

Mrs. Guan Tian seemed to be seething with anger, having nowhere to vent it. Upon seeing the lively and bouncing Second Sister Guan, she immediately began to scold her, only stopping when Uncle Guan furrowed his brows and fixed his gaze on her, at which point she indignantly closed her mouth. The term "little foreign girl" answered one of Li Si's questions; the aesthetic standards of the Qing people were quite poor, and a girl like Second Sister Guan, with deep-set eyes and a prominent nose, would naturally be considered extremely unattractive. Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that Mrs. Guan Tian had no expectations of her, and thus did not bind her feet.

However, Li Si never found the memory that Gu Erjie was an adopted daughter of the Gu family; instead, he discovered a fragment of Gu Tianshi lamenting how she gave birth to such a freak. It is truly strange

Guan Fengsheng came out to greet him, wearing a smile on his face, but Li Si could see that the corners of this man's mouth had just been pulled back, and the smile appeared somewhat stiff

In addition to teaching you how to recognize characters, I will also teach you more

Li Si was digging through relevant memories in his mind when a low female voice suddenly sounded behind him

How much more silver can one earn by recognizing characters? Do you still consider yourself a maid?

Today your aunt has stir-fried shredded pork with dried tofu, and when your Uncle Tian arrives later, we will all have a taste together

Tian Dayu spoke nonchalantly

How much has it increased compared to last year

It is indeed good; after enduring great hardships, a person naturally undergoes some changes

Reflecting on the kindness of Uncle Guan, Li Si no longer harbored any ill feelings towards Guan Yunniang. After all, he was a grown man; how could he hold grudges against a woman with bound feet? Whatever he owed the Guan family, he would repay tenfold or a hundredfold. However, in his rough destiny planning, Guan Yunniang would not be his wife, as he truly found it difficult to accept a woman with bound feet

Your head is really good

Fourth Brother, since you have arrived, why do you not go inside?

Jia Gouzi felt that the straight posture carried a certain momentum, seemingly overshadowing even the head of the mine, Lai Dongzhang, by a few degrees

Isn't ticket bundling just rolling orders [2]?

I have been lying down for two days, feeling restless, so I came to take a look

Li Si kept an eye on the two young men. Although he did not dare to think for the moment whether he could change the fate of Huaxia, it was certain that he could change the fate of the original owner of his body. The two companions before him, who trusted him quite a bit, should be the initial foundation.

Drinking the sour and inferior yellow wine brought by Tian Dayou, Li Si silently made a vow and solemnly bid farewell to the original owner of the body.