As soon as they entered the ground floor lobby, Chu Jiangtun stopped and looked around, "So this is an unopened shop!~"
And judging by its appearance, it was likely a restaurant...
"Young Master, this small county town has very few people to begin with. They'll lose money no matter what they open!" Old Ma complained.
Hearing this, Chu Jiangtun glared at him, "Then according to you, the common people in small places shouldn't be allowed to do business? Should they just wait to starve?"
What kind of ridiculous logic is this?
Small places have their advantages. If the entire county town's customers all recognize the taste of this shop, why would they fear a lack of repeat customers...
Accumulating small amounts and selling at low profits is the best strategy. Why does everyone insist on going to the capital?
He really couldn't understand these people's thinking.
"You're here!~" Yun Daman waved from the top of the stairs, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Then let's have a bite together. Come upstairs and eat..."
As he spoke, Yun Daman walked over and took the food box.
Yun Erman and Yun Sanman stared curiously at Chu Jiangtun. They felt that this little胖子 resembled someone in a certain way.
Especially his eyes, which widened when he was happy, his eyebrows curved, and his expression and demeanor when talking to people were almost identical to someone else...
"Second and Third Brother, this young gentleman is the one I met at the small restaurant earlier. He paid for all the food!~" Yun Daman introduced with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Yun Sanman cupped his fists and bowed to Chu Jiangtun, asking, "May I ask the young gentleman's surname and given name? Are you from Heyang County?"
"No, no, no!" Chu Jiangtun waved his hand, his eyes smiling, "My surname is Chu, my given name is Jiangtun. I'm from the capital. I'm visiting Heyang County this time to find my relatives..."
"Find relatives?" Yun Sanman took out the food from the food box and placed it on the table, surprised, "Do you have any relatives in Heyang County? What is his surname and given name?"
Before Chu Jiangtun could answer, Yun Daman tugged at Sanman and gave him a look, "Why are you asking so many details? It has nothing to do with us. Come, come, let's eat..."
Just then, Zhuang Lao Er brought two scallions from the flat house in the backyard and scooped some homemade soybean paste. The group ate heartily.
Chu Jiangtun was very generous. The meal he had packed this time was extremely lavish, including braised pork knuckle, sweet and sour pork, stir-fried pork slices, braised carp, and pickled cabbage stewed with frozen tofu...
Paired with a jar of fine sorghum wine, even the two carpenters' mouths watered, and they couldn't help but drink half a bowl.
"I'm here to find my father!~" Chu Jiangtun suddenly said.
As the words fell, he slowly lowered his gaze, a hint of melancholy and bitterness flashing in his eyes. "My mother was vain back then and disliked my father for being too poor. She resolutely abandoned my father and partnered with a performer. But before she could even marry that person, she found out she was pregnant with me..."
Hearing this, Yun Sanman raised an eyebrow, "Then, could you be the son of the performer and have no relation to your original father?"
"No!~" Chu Jiangtun suddenly looked up, his eyes slightly red. "My mother said that the performer never touched her, nor could she have gotten pregnant with me. My mother wouldn't lie about such a thing..."
Sanman and Daman exchanged a glance and asked again, "Then where is your mother now?"
Based on the timeline, his mother should be quite old now, around the same age as Old Yun and Madam Gu.
Chu Jiangtun sighed and murmured, "My mother fell ill with a heart condition shortly after I was born. She couldn't hold on for half a year and passed away. The performer knew I wasn't his biological son, so he despised me..."
"That year, the opera troupe went to the capital to perform. In the middle of winter, my fake father threw me into the snow. I almost froze to death!"
Everyone listened with sighs and laments.
How could there be such beasts worse than pigs and dogs in this world? What did an infant in swaddling clothes understand? If he had frozen to death, it would have been intentional homicide...
"What happened then? How did you survive?" Yun Erman asked urgently.
Chu Jiangtun picked up his wine bowl and took a sip, continuing, "Later, I was picked up by the wife of a wealthy family. Her surname was Chu, so she named me Chu Jiangtun. The madam and master had no children throughout their lives, so they raised me as their own son..."
As he said this, Chu Jiangtun shed a silent tear and choked up, "They were all good people! They had a large estate and took great care of me. Whatever good food or toys there were, they always gave them to me first. They taught me to read and write, taught me how to manage shops, and loved me without reservation!~"
"It's just that fate was too unfair. When I turned twenty and came of age, they both died in a car accident, leaving me to live on alone. I can never forget their kindness and dare not forget it. During this time, I've been thinking, since my biological father is still alive, why can't I go find him? He is my only relative..."
Yun Sanman nodded, "Your idea is right, but I'm still very curious. You were just an infant back then, how could you know that your mother died of illness and that the performer abandoned you?"
How could a small child who hadn't yet formed memories know about these old matters?
Chu Jiangtun said, "My adoptive parents helped me investigate. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how detestable the performer was, and how vain my mother was..."
Yun Daman nodded, "It seems your adoptive parents were indeed good people!~"
In this era, people like them, who were both kind and considerate, were rare.
Yan Dajun took a bite of food, then picked up the wine jar and refilled Chu Jiangtun's wine bowl, "Young Master Chu, it's clear you are a polite person. After your adoptive parents passed away, you were able to support such a large family on your own. This shows that Young Master Chu has a sharp mind and is capable of great things..."
Hearing this, Chu Jiangtun smiled slightly, "Thank you for the compliment. I don't have much ability; it's my adoptive parents who laid a good foundation. If the performer hadn't abandoned me back then, I would have starved to death by now!~"
"Then how did you know your biological father was in Heyang County? Is that information reliable?" Zhuang Lao Er suddenly asked.
Chu Jiangtun heard this and his gaze drifted out the window, looking at the white snow on the opposite eaves. "My adoptive parents also helped me look for my father back then. They sent people to the village where my father used to live and learned that he had joined the army. After the war, he never returned home. They heard that he had already married and had children..."
"Then how did you find out later?" Yun Daman asked.