Tuan Chong is five and a half years old and started his fortune from farming.

Chapter 21 Getting to know the contractor

At noon, there were only porters working on the pier.

When the last load of goods was moved, the foreman clapped his hands, indicating that the porters could take a rest.

"Whoo~"

"I'm exhausted."

"Today's goods are so heavy, they are weighing down my waist."

"Don't mention it, I feel like my shoulders are worn out."

"How are you, new here? Are you still getting used to it?"

"It's okay, I can hold on."

Jiang Changfa wiped the sweat from his head and rubbed his shoulders while responding to the words of his newly acquainted big brother.

Both of his shoulders were padded with something. The skin would not be scratched, but would only be bruised.

When the porter comes out to make money, he has already been mentally prepared.

"Lunch is not included, but the hot water pipe is enough. Don't say I have no conscience."

The foreman had a loud, rough voice, and the porters burst into laughter.

Indeed, they had scolded the foreman in their hearts, but compared to other foremans on the wharf, this foreman would do some small favors and his character was quite good.

Jiang Changfa, who was new, also laughed when he heard this.

The water bag I got from home has long since run out of water. Now the foreman is providing hot water, which really works.

"Xiao Jiang, have you brought dry food? I don't have as many sweet potatoes as I do."

"Thank you, Brother Zhang. I brought dry food and good things. I'll bring some hot water and we can eat together."

"Hey, it's done. Go get water quickly and I'll show you the bamboo basket."

"it is good."

This Brother Zhang is from Jiang Changfa's Yue family in Daxi Village.

Yesterday he was looking for a job, and it was this elder brother who acted as a guarantee for him, so he got the job smoothly.

Due to emotion and reason, when you open the pot of braised vegetables later, you must let the other person taste it first.

He did what he said, and after filling the water bag, he sat on the empty box next to Brother Zhang.

Then he took out the pancakes that his mother baked for him from the bamboo basket. They were very sparse and ordinary pancakes. The other porters were not interested in looking at them and concentrated on eating the food they had brought.

The same goes for Zhang Dacheng. His mother-in-law can also bake pancakes.

Suddenly, a scent spread domineeringly.

For most porters who don’t have much fat in their stomachs and haven’t eaten meat for a long time, it’s too exciting!
  Jiang Changfa felt that the braised flavor was not as fragrant as yesterday when it was freshly cooked. In addition, it was cold, so he was a little unsure whether the taste was the same as yesterday.

"Xiao Jiang, what kind of meat is in the jar you took? It's so fragrant."

Zhang Dacheng's saliva kept secreting in his mouth. It had been two or three months since the Chinese New Year, and he had forgotten the taste of braised pork.

He stared straight at the jar in Jiang Changfa's hand. The meat, the smell of meat!

Oh no, it’s more delicious than braised pork!
  "Brother Zhang, this is the stewed meat that my mother came up with. It's cold and I don't know how it tastes. If you don't mind it, why don't you try it?"

Jiang Changfa considered it, then took out his chopsticks, picked up a piece and handed it to the other party's bowl.

"Hey, I'm not welcome then."

How could Zhang Dacheng dislike it? He carefully took it into his mouth, and then said excitedly:

“Delicious, so delicious!”

Seeing another earthen jar, he looked at Xiao Jiang eagerly.

"It's delicious. Brother Zhang, you helped me find a job. I don't have anything good to give you. Let's eat together."

Jiang Changfa kept his mother's advice in mind, and Brother Zhang in front of him really helped him, so he poured a lot of braised food for him.

Others smelled the fragrance and couldn't hold it any longer. They all came closer with red eyes~
  "Xiao Jiang, let's share the table and eat, come on, come on~"

The foreman also smelled the fragrance, but he couldn't bear it.

After driving away the other onlookers, he hurriedly carried his food box, squeezed in, sat down with a smile on his face, and looked longingly at the honest-looking man.

Jiang Changfa smiled honestly and asked tentatively:

"Foreman, would you like some braised food too?"

"I want what I want~"

The contractor nodded as if he was pounding garlic, so he could eat it in one bite, otherwise his body shape would not be incompatible with the others. Jiang Changfa knows very well that if he is reluctant to let go of his children, he will not be able to trap the wolf; if he is reluctant to part with the braised food, he will be unable to trap his business.

So I poured most of the braised food into the bowl that the other person held out, leaving only a little bit for myself.

The contractor sniffed the stew with satisfaction. Although he couldn't tell what kind of meat it was made of, he was sure that it must be meat.

The other party is not stingy, and he will not be stingy either.

So he also took out the dishes sent by his mother-in-law from the food box and presented the lion's head——

"My mother-in-law made braised lion's head for me. You should also try your sister-in-law's cooking."

"Hey, thank you, Brother Bao."

Jiang Changfa followed the donkey down the slope, changed his words calmly, and naturally closed the distance between the two.

"Yeah, this is the flavor, it's delicious!"

After the contractor tasted the stewed meat, he couldn't bear it anymore and started gobbling it up.

Now the porters around were also curious. What is braised food? Is it really so delicious?
  Even the picky contractor has put down his airs and tried to get close?

For a moment, the earthen jar in Jiang Changfa's hand was stared at by many people.

Zhang Dacheng pushed Xiao Jiang and signaled him to eat quickly, otherwise he wanted to be robbed?
  Jiang Changfa smiled bitterly. He didn't have much braised meat left. With the kindness of the contractor, he ate the braised lion's head and fried crispy lotus root given by him.

"Hiccup~"

The foreman was satisfied with his meal, and then asked tentatively:

"Xiao Jiang, I didn't expect your mother to have such skills and braised food. Did your mother say that she would sell it? If so, what's the price?"

This brings us to the point. Jiang Changfa’s purpose of bringing braised food to the pier is to promote his own braised food!

He didn’t know whether the ordinary porter would be willing to part with it, but the contractor would definitely be willing to buy it!

So he pretended to be:

"It's extremely troublesome to deal with this thing. We only produce one pot a day. Currently, my mother sells it in the village, including soup and meat, for five copper coins a bowl."

"Only five copper coins? So cheap?"

The contractor's eyes widened in surprise, and then he said impatiently:

"Xiao Jiang, I will give you ten copper coins. Can you bring me two bowls tomorrow?"

The other porters had different reactions when they heard this.

Five copper coins for a bowl is quite luxurious for them.

One day's work, hard work, and only twenty copper coins.

This bowl takes away a quarter of the wages, which is expensive.

The porter, who was also close to him, heard this, exchanged glances, whispered, collected five coins, came to Jiang Changfa and said:

"We also order a bowl. Can you bring it tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, if you are worried, you can pay me again tomorrow."

Jiang Changfa nodded affirmatively, and then got out of hand.

Most of the porters on the pier chose to collect money in twos and threes to order the braised food.

There is quite an illusion that you won’t give up until you have some braised food.

When Jiang Changfa was a child, his mother sent him to study with his master for half a year. He was good at arithmetic and could read some words.

But he didn't prepare paper and ink now, so he couldn't remember so many people for a while.

The foreman, who was short-handed and soft-spoken, turned around and went back to his small resting cubicle, brought over some inferior pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and asked:

"Brother Jiang can write."

"meeting."

"Then I will lend you this piece of ink, paper and inkstone for use first~"

"Okay, thank you, Brother Bao."

Jiang Changfa didn't refuse. After thanking him, he started recording.

When you encounter a word you can't write, just circle it.

If you encounter something that is repeated, just put a cross in it, as long as he recognizes it.

After working for a while, his backpack bulged loudly.
  (End of this chapter)