One-eyed knelt down with a thud, startling Brother Gong and the other three children. Brother Gong couldn't help but ask, "One-eyed, what are you doing?" , Although the food cooked by the fourth sister-in-law is indeed unforgettable after eating, it is not the case.

"I, I, I want to be a servant for the owner." One-eyed stumbled as he spoke, so nervous that his face was flushed red, and even his ears were red. After he finished speaking, he banged his head three times. With a sound of his head, he moved swiftly, and Xu Qinyu didn't stop him even if he wanted to.

After the one-eyed kowtow, he said, "I, I am willing to do anything, I just want to be a servant for the boss."

He heard Brother Gong say that his fourth sister-in-law was kind, because they helped to follow, so Gong brother and fourth sister-in-law invited them to dinner and thanked them. Indeed a very good person.

Moreover, Brother Gong said that Xu Ji has a good business and is very busy on weekdays. He can do anything. If the boss is willing to accept him as a slave, his life will belong to the boss.

As long as the owner is willing to let him be a slave, he will have the opportunity to support all three younger brothers to grow up.

Although the three children were not related to him by blood, they grew up together, and he had long regarded them as younger brothers. In such a world, it was too difficult for them to survive.

Even if his life is as cheap as a dog, he wants to live and live with them.

Xu Qinyu actually felt a little sad when she first saw a few children. She herself was an abandoned orphan, and there were some disabled children like them in the welfare home, who lived worse than her, and some bad children in the welfare home also They will bully them, and even those who come to orphanages to adopt children will naturally ignore the disabled children.

She herself has some ideas. Xu Ji has been busy all day with her business. She posted the notice outside for a helper, but she didn't come.

Probably because she looked down on her as a little cook before, thinking that she was fooling them, so now even if Xu Ji and her reputation spread, the cooks who had gone to Guihua Lane to find him before were too embarrassed to come again.

She is really short of manpower and apprentices, so just now she was thinking that the children are quite pitiful. She also has a place to take them in, and she can let them live in Xu Ji's small grocery room. It's better to help them, let them help her with chores in Xu Ji first, if she likes cooking and food, is willing to endure hardship, or has some talent as a cook, she is willing to accept them as apprentices, naturally it depends on whether they are willing to do it or not. cook.

Brother Gong couldn't help but glance at the fourth sister-in-law. In fact, he also hoped that the fourth sister-in-law would accept the one-eyed.

As for the remaining three children, Brother Gong didn't have any expectations. There were too many people. If the fourth sister-in-law bought them, the other three children would be raised in vain.

As long as the fourth sister-in-law can accept the one-eyed, the one-eyed can support the other three children.

Xu Qinyu looked at One Eye and said, "Well, my restaurant is busy on weekdays, and I just need some staff. You four stay, and I don't want you to be slaves. In the small utility room, you can help me guard the restaurant at night, and then you can help me wash and cut vegetables and side dishes on weekdays. I will teach you some cooking skills slowly. After thinking about it clearly, I am also willing to accept you as apprentices, if you don't like being a cook, I will give you some wages every month."

They are mainly covered by food and shelter, which is considered to support them. The children are too young to be able to do much work. They have to take care of their bodies first, and they will not be paid for the time being.

One-eyed was stunned, and even Brother Gong and the other three children were stunned.

One-eyed understood Xu Qinyu's words, and he couldn't believe it. When he stared at the little lady in front of him with wide eyes, seeing her smiling appearance was not a delusion in his mind, he immediately reacted and knelt on the ground bang bang bang He kowtowed, and the tears fell to the ground drop by drop, and he wiped his eyes with his dirty and torn sleeves, but the tears could not be stopped at all.

"Stop knocking." Xu Qinyu was a little helpless.

The other three children were still stunned. The eldest of the three children was the lame one, who was about eight years old. Then the one with the red birthmark was only seven years old. The other six-fingered child was only six years old. The body is not very good, and it looks much smaller than normal children of this age, so the reaction is slow and a little dazed.

Still, Brother Gong couldn't hold back, and grinned and kicked the three children's buttocks, "I'm still stunned, thank my fourth sister-in-law soon!"

Although the three children are dumb, they are not fools. They have been little beggars for all these years, and they know everything. When they saw Brother One-eyed kneeling down and begging the boss to accept him as a slave, they didn't expect it to be successful, and they didn't even think that the boss would accept him. One-eyed slave. Because they are all disabled, if they hide in the corner and get in the way of others, they may be disliked and beaten. How can normal people be willing to accept them as slaves.

Knowing that the owner in front of them was willing to take them in, the three children couldn't believe it at all. At this moment, they were lightly kicked, but they finally came to their senses, cried out loudly, then knelt on the ground and began to kowtow to Xu Qinyu.

"Hey, get up, don't knock."

Xu Qinyu hurriedly pulled the children up. Seeing that the foreheads of the children were red, she couldn't help but say, "In the future, except for apprenticeships, you are not allowed to kowtow at will."

Several children burst into tears, not knowing whether they heard Xu Qinyu's words.

Several children were crying, and Brother Gong was grinning. He was also very excited. The fourth sister-in-law was indeed the best person in the world.

Xu Qinyu thought for a while, and asked Brother Gong to go to the kitchen to boil some hot water, and let these children wash their bodies first.

Fortunately, in the summer, it is convenient to wash and wash, but the well water is cold and cold, so it cannot be used directly for them. I am afraid that a few children will be weak, and if they use the well water again, they will easily get sick. Fortunately, the restaurant still has pancreas, and it is estimated that they have to wash it several times.

Xu Qinyu asked Brother Gong to help boil the water, and she went to find the sister-in-law of the Xia family.

Sister Xia opened a cloth shop and sold ready-to-wear clothes, so she had to get some clothes for a few children first.

It was already dark, but there were still many pedestrians on the road. Xu Qinyu went over to Laixixiang and knocked on the door.

When Wu opened the door and saw Xu Qinyu inviting someone in, Xu Qinyu explained his intention, and Wu was stunned.

She also recognizes those little beggars. No one in Yuanbao Town does not know them. There are several disabled children, some are congenital, some are blind and lame later, the little beggars are pitiful, but they have never been No one thought about taking them in, even if they bought them as slaves, but Mrs. Xu took them in and was willing to teach them how to cook and take them as apprentices.

Wu Shi was still a little shocked.

After being shocked, Mrs Wu said, "Little lady wait, I happen to have some coarse clothes here. I'll go and find some for you."

There is a lot of cloth on the shop, and some cloth and ready-to-wear are stored at home.

Xu Qinyu measured the heights of several children and ordered eight sets in one go, just enough for them to change and wash.

Xu Qinyu bought two more mattresses. The weather was hot, and there was no need to cover the quilt at night.

However, there was no bed in the smaller utility room, so she could only sweep it up and spread it on the ground for a few children to spend a few nights, and then she asked Gao Carpenter to make a wider bed, enough for a few children to sleep.

When she went back to the restaurant, several children had been washed inside and out, and they were all staying in the utility room. Xu Qinyu asked Brother Gong to send the clothes in.

After a few people got dressed and came out, they all stood under the eaves a little embarrassed. The children weren't really ugly, they were pretty, but they were too thin, with yellow faces and thin muscles.

She went into the utility room again, where everything had been cleaned and swept, and she could sleep with a mattress on it.

Xu Qinyu explained that a few children had a good night's sleep, and she and Brother Gong returned to Osmanthus Lane.

On the way, Brother Gong told Xu Qinyu that several children had no names.

The child with the broken right eye is called One Eye, the child with the red birthmark is called Ugly, the one with the lame is called Lame, and the one with six fingers is called Six Fingers.

Xu Qinyu thought about it for a while, this is definitely not possible, still have to name a few children.

However, went back in the evening to discuss the name with family.

...

Back at Osmanthus Lane, Mrs Wen was still waiting in the kitchen. Every time Yu Niang came home late, she would be a little worried, and she would feel at ease when she saw someone returning.

When Xu Qinyu came back, she told Mrs. Wen that she had taken in a few little beggars, and wanted them to do chores in the back kitchen, so that she could take them as apprentices in the future.

When Wen Shi heard the words, she couldn't help but look at her daughter-in-law more. She didn't disapprove, but ordinary people really don't have such heart. It is really a blessing for the Pei family to have a woman like Yu Niang come to Pei's family as a daughter-in-law, but it's a pity that the Pei family In defeat, she can't give Yu Niang anything.

She said, "That's good. It's just a few poor children. It just so happens that there are too few people in your kitchen to help, so it's good to start teaching from a few children."

It's just that haven't found a cook yet, and the hard work is still Yu Niang. It will be at least a year before Brother Cheng can take charge, not to mention these children who are younger than Brother Cheng.

Xu Qinyu actually planned to help the cook continue to recruit, and several children continued to teach.

She can cook a lot of dishes, red and white dishes, eight major cuisines, a dozen other cuisines, Manchu and Han banquets, all kinds of private dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks. There is only a limit to what a brother can learn. In fact, she wants to take more apprentices. Yes, food in this era is still in its infancy, and she hopes to show a prosperous world in the future.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law talked for a while, then went back to the house to sleep.

Going to the restaurant the next day, a few children were already awake. One-eyed led the three of them to fill up the water tank in the kitchen. The other three children were also very obedient, obedient, and very discerning. Do whatever work you want, and also help Brother Cheng to wash vegetables and choose vegetables.

Brother Cheng led them and taught them how to wash and choose vegetables. The children were quite clever and learned quickly.

Now Brother Cheng is still in charge of shopping for vegetables. With these children following him, it is much more convenient for him to go shopping for vegetables. A small string follows behind him to help him carry the vegetables. He was bumped into by other people on the road and looked at him curiously. them.

Some also recognized that these children were not the disabled children in Yuanbao Town?

...

The children were not very old, so Xu Qinyu didn't let them run the hall at the front, but instead helped in the kitchen and backyard.

After two days like this, the Ping'an Restaurant was still closed, and everyone became curious. After some inquiries, it spread the news that Xu Ji Restaurant and Ping'an Restaurant went to the yamen a few days ago.

Knowing that Ping An Restaurant actually wanted to bribe Xu Ji's waitress woman to give Xu Ji's diners laxatives, the guests who often went to Xu Ji to eat morning and evening meals were very angry.

They are all scolding Ping An restaurant for being vicious. How can there be such a thing? Even if you are jealous of the business of your peers, you can’t use such a dirty method. You still own a restaurant, but you use laxatives, obviously you don’t pay attention to diners , just use them as a tool for profit.

Needless to say, if this kind of thing spreads, even if Ping An Restaurant continues to open for business, there may be no customers coming to the door.

Sure enough, within a few days, a notice was posted outside the door of Ping An Restaurant for lease and sale.

This shop was originally rented by Mrs. Li and Zhang Quan. Now that something like this happened, Zhang Quan knew in his heart that the Ping An restaurant would not be able to continue, so he did not continue to rent the shop, and sold all the things in it, intending to wait for Mrs. Li. If it was better, he would take Li back to his hometown to open a food stall in the town, and he could support his family.

Zhang Quan himself is also from the southwest side, but his hometown is in a small village on the side of the iron mine. The village is relatively poor. He followed a cook as a teacher when he was ten years old, and he was released by the master for ten years. At the beginning, he also worked as a snack stall, and slowly accumulated some money before he came to Yuanbao Town, and then continued to work as a food stall, and saved enough money to rent such a shop to open a restaurant in the first two years.

In just two years, his restaurant was gone, and it would be a lie to say that it was not uncomfortable.

He also blamed his mother-in-law, but everything had already happened, so he could only think about the future.

He plans to go back to the town of his hometown to continue to do food business. The town of his hometown is not big, and it is a little far away from Yuanbao Town. It is next to the iron mine. The population of the town is relatively messy, and business is difficult, but that's the only way to go. up.

Li lay on the bed at home and cried day and night, saying that she didn't know that the next laxative would be so serious, and that she would apologize to Xu Ji's boss.

Zhang Quan told her that she should apologize, but even if she apologized, Ping An Restaurant would be ruined, its reputation would be completely ruined, and diners would no longer want to come to eat.

Mrs. Li was completely stunned, and she didn't even want to say a word these days.

When she was able to move, Zhang Quan took her to Xu Ji to apologize.

Mrs. Li was still limping when she walked, and she sincerely apologized to Xu Qinyu, but in the end she couldn't help crying to Xu Qinyu, "Mr. The diners said I didn’t do it on purpose.” In order to make money, she left all the children in her hometown and took them with her in-laws, thinking that after working for two years, she would be able to save money to buy a house, and bring all the children and in-laws to Yuanbao Town. But because of her fault, everything was gone.

Although there is still some money, it is impossible to stay in Yuanbao Town and continue to do food business.

Xu Qinyu sighed, "Even if I tell the diners, they won't believe it."

Diners will certainly not forgive those who cook food and want to tamper with it.

Zhang Quan finally left with Li Shi, and the two left after a short while.

As the two left, something happened in Osmanthus Alley.

Mrs. Luo's son divorced the Lin family, but the Lin family sued the Luo family.

It was already night when Xu Qinyu heard about it, and it was Auntie Bai who told Gui. It turned out that Auntie Bai heard the commotion outside in the yard during the day, so she went out to have a look, and found that it was people from the yamen who were pressing Mrs. Luo to go to the yamen. The old woman yelled like killing a pig, attracting many people, everyone followed to watch the fun, and Aunt Bai also followed.

When went to the yamen, found out that the Luo family had divorced Lin, saying that she had no children.

And the childlessness is just because Lin can't give birth to a son, even if he has two daughters, he can still divorce according to the childlessness in the seven outs.

Lin was like a lunatic in the yamen, always saying that the Luo family wanted to sell the big girl and the second girl to Xiangmanlou in Raozhou City, and begged the county magistrate to let the two daughters follow her.

It turned out that Mrs. Luo was indeed scared of being beaten by Mrs. Lin, and Mrs. Lin didn't beat her every day. As long as Mrs. Luo didn't insult Lin's mother and daughter, Mrs. Lin would not do it, but Mrs. Luo hated Lin more and more. Shi, she knew that Lin stayed in the Luo family for the sake of her two daughters.

Thinking about how Lin's treated her in the past two or three months, she didn't want to make Lin's wish.

She finally couldn't bear it, and took out her private house of ten taels of silver and gave it to her son, asking her to divorce his wife and marry another.

The Luo family is Luo Dagen and Luo Laohan who manage the money themselves, and the money they earn by themselves is in their hands. On weekdays, the old lady Luo would ask her son and the old man for silver money to buy food and vegetables, and she would take it out from the palm of her hand and save it. In the early years, when she was able to do activities, she also helped people to wash clothes. In addition, the one or two hundred cents that Lin earned every month was also given to her. .

Mrs. Luo hated Lin, and she also wanted to understand that her son and the old man did not believe that Lin beat her, so as long as her son divorced Lin, the two stinky girls belonged to the Luo family. It can piss off Lin Shi. After leaving the Lin family, she sold the two girls to Xiangmanlou, and she could get more than 20 taels of silver, but these 20 taels of silver were on the bright side and could not reach her hands, so before. She hesitated whether to take out her private house of ten taels for her son to divorce his wife and marry again.

At first, she was reluctant to give up her 10 taels of silver, but after seeing Lin Shi's heart dripping with hatred, she couldn't help taking out her private money and giving it to her son.

Luo Dagen got 10 taels of silver, and he also saved some money on his own. He had extra money when he married a new wife, and he also wanted a son, but Mrs. Lin couldn't give birth to him, so he took the 10 taels of silver from Mrs. Luo and gave him to Lin. Shi is on leave.

When he was with the Hugh Lin family, the Lin family asked him to have two daughters.

Of course Luo Dagen was unwilling to give it, saying that the big girl Erniu was the seed of the Luo family.

What Luo Dagen thought in private was, how could it be possible to raise the two girls quickly, how could it be given to the Lin family, even if they didn't sell it to Xiangmanlou, in a few years, if she told the big girl about her family, she would still be able to get a big one. Pen dowry money.

Mrs. Lin knew that when she left, Mrs. Luo would definitely continue to instigate Luo Dagen to sell the eldest girl to Xiangmanlou first, and then wait a few years to sell the second girl as well.

She couldn't bear it, so she went to the yamen to sue the Luo family.

At first, the people of Yuanbao Town didn't understand when they heard that she sued her husband's family. How could the divorced wife sued her husband's family for wanting their daughter with her.

Lin expressed her demands in court, and also said that Mrs. Luo and Luo Dagen wanted to sell her two daughters to Xiangmanlou. As soon as this statement came out, the people of Yuanbao Town did not believe it, and said that there is no way to be a grandmother. People who sell their daughters with their fathers to such places, even if they sell their children and daughters during the famine years, choose wealthy people to sell them as slaves. A place like Xiangmanlou is a fire pit for women, and everyone does not believe it.

The other neighbors in Guihua Lane knew what the Luo family was, and immediately said to the people around them: "You don't live on South Street, so you must not know who the Luo family is. Mrs. Luo used to have a daughter who was sold to her. Local, the money she got is for her son to marry her, the granddaughter is not as good as the daughter, she dares to sell her daughter, what is the granddaughter dare not, and you don't know how bad this old lady is, she will beat her daughter-in-law and granddaughter at every turn ."

"My God, this heart is too dark. I'm not afraid of retribution. Who is beating and scolding my daughter-in-law like this? Even if you discipline him, you can't do it."

"It's no wonder that this woman was forced to go to court to ask for her daughter. That's what happened."

"Hey, the mother and daughter are really pitiful, it's useless to make trouble with the yamen, and the county magistrate can't handle it, after all, it's a housework, if the Luo family refuses to let them go, the two daughters, this woman really can't be brought Walk."

In fact, the big guy is right, the yamen can't control it, and there has never been such a case before, but the county magistrate has a good heart, and he has already heard about the Luo family in Guihua Lane from his daughter Yang Zhizhi.

Yang Zhizhi also heard gossip when he went to play with Xu Qinyu before.

This kind of thing made people angry, Yang Zhizhi told his family, and the county magistrate also took it into his heart.

But Lin's appeal is to want her two daughters to leave with her. The county magistrate can't judge. The law of the Dasheng Dynasty since ancient times is that whether a woman divorces her wife or reconciles, her children will follow the man, unless it is the man. If you are willing to let your children follow the woman, you can leave with the woman.

All the county magistrates can do is to attack the Luo family so that they are willing to give their daughter to the Lin family, and by the way, let the Lin family know how to get two children from the Luo family.

Lin Shi was still crying, she was already talking nonsense. She had been suspended for two days. She stayed at the gate of Luo's house for two days. She didn't dare to go anywhere. She was afraid that if she left, Mrs. Luo would sell her two daughters. Go to Xiangmanlou.

She didn't expect that she resisted Mrs. Luo, but she still couldn't break free from another shackle that bound her.

Seeing Lin Shi was still crying, the county magistrate said to Mrs. Luo, "Even if this is the granddaughter of your Luo family, do you really want to do such a black-hearted thing for money?"

After he finished speaking, he said to Luo Dagen, "After all, it's your daughter. For the sake of money, how could you bear to let them go into that kind of fire pit? In your eyes, is it really only money that is the most important?"

The word "silver and money" was said very seriously by the county magistrate, and he even glanced at Lin.

Mrs. Luo snorted twice, getting up early and late every day, who is not running around for those two taels of money, what matters when money is not important?

money?

Lin Shi finally listened, she was stunned for a while, and suddenly shouted: "I, I am willing to give money, Dagen, I am willing to give you money, give me the two girls, please, Dagen."

Mrs. Luo sneered, "Where did you get the money? You don't have any money at all, let alone how much money do you plan to give to take away the big girl and the second girl?"

Lin clenched her fists, her eyes were red, "I don't have any money right now, but I will make money, and I will work hard to make money. I can write an IOU, and when I make money, I will give you a part of it every month. I am willing to give you money." Twenty taels of silver, Dagen, please let the big girl and the second girl follow me, or, or as much money as you want, I am willing." She can help people wash clothes, and go down the river to fish for shrimps and snails Selling it to Xu Ji, she knew that Xu Ji would accept this, and she was willing to die of exhaustion for the sake of her two daughters.

Mrs. Luo snorted, "It's so easy for you to say, you dare to say even twenty taels of silver, and you do some scattered work for people's laundry, and it only costs two hundred Wen a month, and you take the twenty taels of silver. To make money? Dagen, don't believe what she says."

She didn't want Lin's wish to come true at all. She asked her son to divorce Lin, and kept the big girl and the second girl at home just to make things difficult for Lin and to anger Lin. Lin will not get what he wants.

Finally someone couldn't stand it anymore and scolded angrily: "Oh, you old woman, you have a really vicious heart, people even said that they would give you money, twenty taels of silver, and if you sell it to a place like Xiangmanlou, it's only a few taels more. If you sell your granddaughters to that kind of place, you might as well ask their mothers to pay for them and take them away."