newbobooks Chapter 267: Is it cold? Buy the coal near Chang'an
Chapter 267: Is it cold? Buy the coal near Chang'an
As the sky grew darker, Yu Yu's family sat around the old but spotlessly clean table in the tavern. There were several plates of steaming food on the table, emitting an enticing aroma.
The glass lamp was glowing, reflecting the faces of Yu Yu's family.
Yuyu was holding a bowl of steaming hot soup, her little face flushed from the heat. She took a sip of the soup, smacked her lips, then looked at Xiaoyu with sparkling eyes and said, "Mom, when are we going to dig coal? If we had a coal stove, this house would definitely be much warmer."
Xiaoyu picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it into Yuyu's bowl. She smiled and said, "Don't worry. We need to find out where there is a suitable place to dig coal. Once we have found out, we can find a time to go."
Li Hao, with a large piece of steamed bun stuffed in his mouth, echoed vaguely: "That's right, little sister, this matter can't be rushed. Besides, we have to prepare our tools. We can't just go digging with empty hands."
As he spoke, he swallowed hard, took a sip of water from the side, wiped his mouth, and continued, "But once we have a coal stove, this winter will be much better. We won't have to wrap ourselves in so many layers of quilts at night and worry about getting cold."
After hearing this, Yuyu nodded repeatedly, shaking her little head like a rattle, and said excitedly, "Yeah, then we can sleep comfortably at night, and stay warm in the tavern during the day. I'm sure diners will like us more."
Xiaoyu looked at Yuyu's cute and expectant expression and couldn't help laughing. "Look at you, girl, you have a nice dream. But having a coal stove is definitely a lot more convenient. We can live a more comfortable life."
She stood up and began to clear the table, saying as she did so, "It's terribly cold out here, and there's nothing to do to entertain yourself, unlike back on Blue Star. Better get some rest and get enough rest, because tomorrow we have to get back to work on the tavern."
Li Hao also stood up, stretched, and responded in a muffled voice: "Mom is right. It's freezing cold out here, and it's warm inside the quilt. My eyelids are starting to droop, and now I'm just looking forward to getting in and having a good sleep."
As he spoke, he walked towards his bed, taking off his coat as he walked. His movements were somewhat urgent, and it was obvious that he was urged by the cold night and just wanted to hide in the warm quilt quickly.
Yuyu obediently handed her bowl and chopsticks to Xiaoyu, then skipped to the bed, taking off her shoes while muttering, "It would be great if there were something fun to do. It's so boring to just sleep tonight. But the quilt is really warm. Maybe it won't be so cold tomorrow after I get some sleep."
After saying that, she slipped into the bed and wrapped herself tightly, leaving only her little head sticking out, blinking her eyes as she looked at Xiaoyu and Li Hao.
Xiaoyu packed up everything, came over to help Yuyu tuck in the quilt, and said gently, "Go to sleep quickly and have a sweet dream."
After saying that, he walked to the bed, lay down, and turned off the glass lamp beside the bed.
For a moment, the house became quiet, with only the cold wind outside still howling. Inside the house, the family gradually fell asleep in their warm bed, spending an ordinary and peaceful night in this cold winter of the Tang Dynasty.
The next day, it was still dawn. Yu Yu subconsciously wrapped herself tightly in the quilt in her sleep, but was still awakened by the slight chill.
She opened her eyes drowsily, only to find that the quilt was no longer as warm as before. Her little face turned slightly red from the cold, and she couldn't help shivering.
"Mom..." Yu Yu's baby voice with a hint of grievance sounded in the room. The voice was still a little unclear. While shouting, she stretched out her little hand from the quilt and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
When Xiaoyu heard Yuyu's cry, she hurried over from the next room. She was wearing a thick cotton coat and her hair was casually tied behind her head.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw Yuyu's pitiful appearance. She quickened her pace out of heartache, walked to the bed and sat down, reached out and touched Yuyu's face, and said softly: "Yuyu, are you cold? Mom will go light the stove and it will be warm in a while."
Xiaoyu turned around and started fiddling with the wood stove. She expertly picked up the tinder, squatted down, and carefully started the fire, muttering, "It's getting colder and colder. I guess we need to hurry up and start digging coal. We can't let our family freeze all day."
Yuyu huddled in the quilt, eagerly watching Xiaoyu busying around. Her little nose sniffed and she said in a muffled voice, "Mom, how about we go dig coal today? I don't want to be so cold anymore."
Xiaoyu was adding firewood to the stove when she heard Yuyu's words. She straightened up, brushed off the ashes on her body, and said with a smile, "There's no need to rush. Wait until Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaidao arrive and tell them to go. They're strong and familiar with the surrounding area. They'll definitely be able to handle this properly."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a hearty laugh from outside, followed by Cheng Chumo's loud voice shouting, "Hey, Yuyu, we're here!"
People arrived as the voices came, Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaidao strode into the tavern. They both carried a chill from outside, their faces flushed from the cold, but they were full of energy.
Cheng Chumo rubbed his hands and breathed out white air, saying, "It's really cold today. We've been thinking about coming to see you since early morning. How are you? Are you cold?"
Qin Huaidao nodded slightly, and glanced around the room. Seeing the wood stove that hadn't yet fully lit up, he asked, "It looks like the stove isn't even hot yet. Are you short of firewood? How about I go get some for you?"
Xiaoyu quickly waved her hand and replied with a smile, "No, no, I was just waiting for you to come. I just happened to have a favor to ask you two, it's about digging coal. We thought if we could dig some coal back, it would be much more convenient to keep warm in the winter. I wonder if you two could help?"
Cheng Chumo laughed heartily upon hearing this, and waved his hand, saying, "What are you talking about? Leave it to us. It's just coal mining, no big deal!"
Qin Huaidao also responded, with a reliable look in his eyes, ready to do it immediately.
Li Hao looked earnest as he stepped forward and took Cheng Chumo's arm. He then looked at Qin Huaidao and said earnestly, "Yes, Brother Cheng, Brother Qin, please help us buy all the coal near Chang'an. You have extensive connections and are reliable. I wouldn't trust anyone else with this. Although it might cost a lot, we won't have to worry about heating ourselves in the winter, and we can sell it. In the long run, there are many benefits."
Cheng Chumo looked embarrassed and scratched his head before responding, "Brother Li Hao, it's not that I don't want to help, but the coal near Chang'an is widely distributed. Buying it all would be a big deal, and we'd have to deal with all parties involved. It's a really tricky matter. But since you trust us, we'll definitely do our best. Let's first find out the details and see what the situation is."
Qin Huaidao nodded in agreement and said calmly, "Brother Li Hao, don't worry. We will start investigating right away and contact some familiar mine owners and sellers to find out the coal reserves, prices, and so on. We will try to buy as much as we can and will not let you down."
Yuyu kept cheering them on, waving her hands in the air and calling out in a crisp voice, "Brother Cheng, Brother Qin, you can do it. Once you buy all the coal, we can spend the winter in warmth and make a lot of money."
Xiaoyu smiled and bowed to the two of them, saying gratefully, "Thank you for your concern. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, we are grateful for your help."
His eyes were full of hope that this matter could be accomplished smoothly.