541 Too unreliable
There was some technique involved to set up the heated brick bed.
Otherwise, it would either be neither hot nor hot, or it would scald others.
As they had to visit many villages, they did not have enough manpower.
Xiao Hanzheng also selected some people from the villages who had good character and joined the brick bed team.
Those who were greedy and liked to do things sneakily were not allowed to join.
Once such behavior was discovered, they would be fired.
In the future, if there were similar jobs, they would not be recruited again.
After all, they had to go to someone else’s house.
If they had someone like this in their team, not only would it cause harm in that person’s home, but it would also be bad for the reputation of the county government’s brick bed making team.
The foreman kept a close eye on them, and the selected people cherished this kind of work that was not particularly hard but provided wages when the weather was cold, so there had not been any cases of theft yet.
It also gave the brick bed team a good reputation.
After installing the brick beds for the villagers in Heyang County, other counties invited the brick bed team over too.
Xiao Hanzheng naturally did not mind them earning more, but once they were out of Heyang County, the county government would not be paying their wages, but by whoever wanted to buy it.
Because they were going on a long journey, the salary was higher than in Heyang County, and some even covered their meals.
Those in the brick-bed team had also made a fortune before the new year.
It would be a rare prosperous year.
Many poor villages faced a similar situation.
“Father, you’re back.”
“I’m back. Look, I bought you guys some malt candy.”
The children who were eating malt candy for the first time cheered, “It’s so delicious. Father, you can buy us more next time you come back.”
The men who used to wish that they could break a penny into a few coins waved their hands. “I’m buying, I’m buying, I’m buying.”
“Mother, you suffered a lot living with me all these years. I’ve used my wages to buy some fabric for you to make a full set of clothes.”
“Father, mother, I bought this to show my filial piety.”
Their lives were getting better and better, and everyone was especially grateful and respectful to Xiao Hanzheng and his wife, who had led these changes.
Of course, this was a story for later.
A month later, Xi Rui and the other two each brought a few carriages back home.
Coincidentally, it was a rest day for the officials.
As soon as Xi Rui and Liang Youxiao got home, the old lady and the duke’s wife hugged their precious babies and cried.
Especially in Xi Rui’s family, the old lady and the duke’s wife kept asking about his well-being.
She always felt that he had become darker and thinner, and her heart ached even more.
The old lady pulled on Xi Rui’s hand, her eyes red. “You won’t be going. You won’t be going to the northern border after the new year.”
“Yes, yes, you are not going,” The duke’s wife also said.
Her most beloved son was not around these days, and she felt very uncomfortable.
These words made the old master and Xi Xinheng, who had just walked in, very speechless.
A loving mother often spoiled her son, and Xi Rui had become the greatest dandy among the younger generation in the capital because of the two of them.
Old Master Xi walked over to look at his grandson, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, and said with a smile, “Not bad, you look even more energetic.”
Old Lady Xi glanced at him. “Didn’t you see that Rui’er’s face and body have slimmed down? ”
The old master was speechless.
He was a little tanned, but he didn’t notice that his grandson had slimmed down. Instead, he felt that his grandson had gained some weight.
Xi Rui sat beside the old lady and smiled. “Grandmother, I didn’t lose weight. I’ve even grown taller and fatter.”
“It’s not bad at the northern border,” he added. “I still want to go there after the new year.”
Old Master Xi had thought that his grandson had run back because he couldn’t take it anymore, so he asked jokingly, “What have you been doing in the northern border? Tell me.”
Xi Rui told her what he had done at the northern border.
The old master and Xi Xinheng were consoled.
It was the right decision to leave their grandson/son at the northern border.
Even those from other households in the Xi family found that Xi Rui’s energy level and appearance were really different.
Old Master Xi walked over and patted his grandson on the shoulder. “Very good.
“Go to the northern border and train for two more years. When you come back, you’ll be able to take responsibility.”
Xi Rui rolled his eyes. “I’ve always been responsible.”
Old Master Xi raised an eyebrow. “Then why aren’t you married when you’re of age? You deliberately let your father help you delay it.
“I think this is not working. Let the government directly help you get married.”
His grandson had reached the age of marriage this year, but he did not want to get married.
And because of his previous reputation as a dandy, there were not many families of equal social status willing to marry their daughters over, which gave him a bit of a headache.
Hearing this, Xi Rui’s expression changed. “Grandfather, please let me go.
“I still have to go to the northern border for two more years.
“Wouldn’t I be hurting her if I married? ”
The old master glared at him. “How are you hurting her? I’m doing this for your own good. After you get married, you can bring your wife to live at the northern border.
“Since you’re back for quite some time, let your grandmother and mother help you look for a wife.”
Xi Rui was speechless. If he had known that he would be urged to get married, he would not have come back.
He felt that he hadn’t had enough fun yet and didn’t want to start a family at all.
Seeing his grandfather’s serious expression, he rolled his eyes and said, “Aiya, in that case, I’ll give the down jacket, down vest, and down pants I originally planned to give to my grandfather to my future wife’s grandfather.”
Old Master Xi was speechless. As expected, he was still a bastard.
“What down jacket? Can you let me see it first?” he asked curiously.
Thus, under the gaze of the entire family, Xi Rui opened the bag he had brought to his grandmother’s courtyard.
He took out a green down jacket and handed it to the old master. “Grandfather, try it on and you’ll know how good this shirt is.
“It’s light and warm. It’s very comfortable to wear.”
On the way back, he and Liang Youxiao had been wearing down jackets.
After putting on the down jacket, he didn’t want to wear any other outer robe.
The old master took the down jacket. “Sure, I’ll try it on.”
He carried his clothes into the inner room, took off his outer robe, and put on a down jacket with a sweater.
It was a little cold at first, but it soon warmed up.
It was indeed like what his grandson had said. It was very light, and it was much more comfortable than his previous outer robe.
He came out of the inner room wearing a down jacket. “I’m going to take a walk in the yard to feel it.”
Then, he went out.
A moment later, he returned.
He didn’t take off his down jacket, but smiled at Xi Rui. “You little brat, I see that you’re not focused on what you should be doing now. You’re really not suitable for marriage.
“When you come back next year, let your grandmother and mother go and help you find one.
“So, I’ll be the one wearing this down jacket this year.”
He went out for a stroll and found that the down jacket was indeed very warm. The key was that it was very light, much more relaxed than a fur coat.
Therefore, it was better to put aside his grandson’s marriage first.
The Xi family people present were speechless.
Could the old master’s lower limit be any lower?
Xi Rui had actually used a piece of clothing to muddle through such a major marriage.
This grandfather-grandson pair were too unreliable.
Xi Rui knew the old master’s personality and chuckled. “I know that my grandfather is the most righteous.”
The old master rolled his eyes at him with a bit of disdain. “When you return to northern Xinjiang, you should study more with Xiao Hanzheng.”
Xi Rui was speechless.
His biological grandfather was like this.
