Chapter 115

Wen Xiaowu knew his home address; he had been there once, so Wen Shi wasn't worried.

In ten days, the Hanlin Academy will also be closed for the New Year.

A cold wind was blowing. Once they arrived at Ping'an Village, the driver followed Wen Shi's directions and headed directly into the village.

Upon arrival, the two began unloading their belongings. Meanwhile, looking at the enormous mansion that had sprung up from the ground, Yingxiang was in high spirits. Following Wenshi's instructions, she built a tall, thick, and sturdy wall around the perimeter.

The large black wooden gate directly in front looks very solemn. In addition to the main gate, there are two side gates on the side. No matter where you look at it, this mansion is very grand.

Upon learning of the two men's arrival, the old man's second son also rushed over. Of course, he came to settle the wages as well, and he brought the money with him.

The two of them spent more than thirty taels of silver on all the various things they bought in the city, mainly for the decorations.

The gate wasn't closed; it opened with a push. Wen Shi first carried his things inside, paid the driver, and after he left, he went to the hall to settle accounts with the old man's second son.

The old man's second son even brought an abacus and an account book, as he can write and recognize characters.

The two sat on the newly placed chairs and began to go over the accounts. During this time, Yingxiang closed the door and walked around the entire courtyard, looking at every room.

The walls have been painted, the furniture has been placed inside, and everything you need is there. The house is made of blue bricks and white tiles, and it's very neat. Of course, it exceeded the budget, but Yingxiang thinks it's worth it.

The main room looked quite empty at the moment. After the tour, the two of them hadn't finished settling their accounts, so she began to place the decorative items one by one.

We didn't buy many. As we discussed with Wen Shi beforehand, we prioritized the main hall and secondary the main house. The other houses didn't need these.

Wen Shi looked focused, and after calculating the bill, he immediately paid the money. Upon seeing the money, the old man's second son breathed a sigh of relief.

After exchanging a few auspicious words, he took the money and left. Everyone was waiting to receive their money. The two small doors on the left and right were locked immediately. From the outside, the house looked perfectly fine.

The couple worked until noon, putting things back in their place without cleaning. They only arranged the hall and main room, put the bedding on the beds, and got seven or eight rooms ready, enough for people to live in.

As for the issue of assigning rooms, Old Man Wen is the most suitable. The rooms are only different in location, but the furniture is exactly the same.

"That's about enough, my husband."

Wen Shi walked around again and nodded.

"I'll go to the next room to buy some things to leave here."

There wasn't much stuff before, the furniture wasn't that valuable, and besides, the house was newly built and no one lived in it. Everyone in the village was watching, and since no one had received their wages yet, no one would be eyeing it. But now it's hard to say.

Even with all the furnishings and bedding provided, this place isn't 100% safe.

Wen Shi went to a few neighboring houses, bought some grain and firewood, and put them directly into the kitchen.

After Yingxiang went out with him, she watched him lock the gate and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The problem was finally solved. Locking the gate would definitely make it safer. In total, it cost more than three hundred taels of silver.

The neighbors all seemed to be doing well; this house was one of the best in the village.

"Is everything done?"

"Yes, thank you for your help, sir."

Wen Shi looked at the white-haired old man who was walking towards him and thanked him.

"It's only natural. It's fate that we met. Besides, there's no use in me keeping this land all this time. I can't grow much grain here."

The land is privately owned now, so you can do whatever you want with it. You can even fence it off and keep dogs inside, and no one will say anything.

It was fine to buy it and build a house. The villagers were mostly curious about the sudden addition of a household to the village and didn't pay much attention to it.

The plaque is finished. The carpenter's skills are excellent, and the price wasn't cheap, but Wen Shi is very satisfied with the finished product.

Let's go.

One last look. It's getting late; it's time to head back.

Wen Shi is certain that his family has set off, but he doesn't know where they're going. He trusts Xiao Wu; he's all grown up now, and his father isn't senile, so he'll definitely listen to him.

The long journey wasn't a problem; the most important thing was safety. Once they got home, the two of them would continue their normal life.

That afternoon, in the teahouse, Yingxiang asked Granny Yang to sit down and told her about the new shop.

"Shopkeeper, you want to get me involved?"

Granny Yang asked with some surprise.

"Yes, we'll each contribute half the money, and we'll split the profits equally."

What kind of business do you want to do?

Granny Yang was somewhat hopeful; she also wanted money to make money, and it would be great to be the manager herself.

"Let's open a tavern. I've thought about it for a long time, and this is the most suitable."

"Shopkeeper, this will cost a lot of money. A tavern is not easy to open. There are hundreds of restaurants of all sizes in the capital. And are you sure people will buy your family's traditional wine? You'll also need to hire a cook and prepare snacks to go with the wine. The cost is too high."

Previously, she made money with almost no cost, but now she was a little scared. The slaves couldn't run away, and if Yingxiang couldn't pay her in the end, she wouldn't suffer a big loss if she took the person away. After all, they weren't so easy to sell.

But things are different now; she's being asked to pay real money, and she's secretly a little scared.

She supported Yingxiang opening a new shop, but she felt that the best business was one that no one else had done before, such as a teahouse where you could watch plays, even though many people were now following their example.

But in this area, they are unique, and their business is doing well.

"Think about it, I've already made up my mind, and I've almost finished preparing a few snacks to go with the drinks."

Yingxiang didn't insist. She simply felt that she could continue to cooperate with the person in front of her. Besides, doing business always involves risks. At the beginning, she wouldn't open a big shop. She would take it slowly. If it didn't work out, she might not lose much. If she didn't do it, she would have nothing.

"Then give me a few days."

"good."

In the afternoon, a group of people suddenly arrived at the Hanlin Academy, carrying several boxes, which many people saw.

The news quickly spread through the library.

"It seems the rewards for this year have arrived. I wonder if they'll be given out today after the shift ends."

The holiday was just a few days away, and it was around this time every year. When Wen Shi heard this, he subconsciously looked up. He held his calligraphy brush and didn't think much of it.

Inside the Grand Secretary's office, after seeing the person off, he opened the boxes one by one. This time, there were quite a few boxes, a total of five large black boxes.

Those without official positions are not eligible to receive rewards; this excludes the junior scholars.

He has more than thirty officials under him with ranks. Compared to last year, there is one more named Wen Shi this year. However, since his official rank is low, there is no need to worry that he will not get any of the good stuff from him.

He opened the five boxes one by one. They looked pretty much the same as last year: two boxes of silk and three boxes of reward money.

The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were gone, but there was an extra box of small silver ingots, which looked to be newly minted.

He kept the good stuff, such as the brightly colored and beautifully patterned silks, and also kept an extra box and a half of silver.

After their shift ended, the rest would be collected by others. They knew that the Emperor's grace was boundless, and this was an unnecessary reward, so they dared not complain. These were the portions allocated to the five of them who had the highest ranks, and they were entitled to the most.

The remaining half was allocated to those with lower official positions. Since there were many of them, the amount they received was naturally much less than what they actually received.

He did this every year, so he could say he had a clear conscience. The officialdom isn't so fair; that's why they say a higher-ranking official can crush you.

After finishing his shift, Wen Shi followed several colleagues over, and to his surprise, all three boxes had already been placed in the courtyard. In addition to a box of silk, there was also a box of one and a half boxes of silver. The Grand Secretary was already waiting for them.

"Gentlemen, these are all His Majesty's gifts, about the same as last year. I have already counted them. Just like last year, let's distribute them according to the number of people. These are for you."

"I have already weighed the money. One hundred taels for each person, and two bolts of the finest Jiangnan silk for each person. Let's begin. Take your things so you can go home after your shift."

According to seniority, Wen Shi was last, and that was indeed the case when it came to distributing the food. It seemed like they were supposed to take it first, but the good stuff was left behind in the house, which many people were used to.

Wen Shi wasn't exactly dismissive. The money was fine; he was given a hundred small silver ingots. But the fabric was two bolts of plain silk, neither of which were particularly good in color or pattern. This was a royal gift; you couldn't sell it for money, so you had to keep it for yourself.

Silk is different from ordinary cotton. It feels soft and smooth to the touch and looks of high quality. However, the color and pattern are indeed too ordinary. He and his wife each have a piece when they take it back. He doesn't know if she will want to wear it.

His money pouch was bulging, containing a hundred taels of silver. He was in a good mood carrying it with him.

After leaving the Hanlin Academy, Wen Shi went to the money exchange and exchanged seventy taels of silver for banknotes, one fifty taels note and two ten-tael notes. He carried the remaining thirty taels with him, planning to go to the cloth shop later to buy his wife a new piece of satin with a better color.

After much deliberation, Wen Shi finally chose a piece of red brocade, which cost twenty-six taels of silver. It was said to be from Jiangnan, and the pattern on it was auspicious cloud pattern, which had a very good meaning.

After finishing all that, he went to pick up his child.

"Dad, are we going to make our own clothes this year?"

Every year during the Lunar New Year, Yingxiang would buy clothes for his family. Looking at the fabric in Wenshi's hand, Wen Leqian asked.

"We won't do it this year; we just did it last year."

"These are all for Mother."

"yes."

They didn't try to hide it when they smelled it.

"That color is too dark, Mother definitely won't like it."

We'll talk about it later.

When the father and son arrived home, Yingxiang had not yet returned. Wen Shi went to cook, and he put the cloth on the bed. Wen Leqian lay down beside him, not daring to move, just staring at it.

When Yingxiang returned at dinner time, Wenshi told her about the reward.

"And Jiangnan silks?"

Yingxiang was pleasantly surprised; this was a good thing.

"The color isn't very good, but Dad bought Mom a red one."

Yingxiang smiled, glanced at Wenshi, and knew she couldn't do anything with the child present.

She finished eating and tidying up in a few bites, and couldn't wait to go inside. The color was indeed very dark, almost black, but it felt really comfortable to the touch.

The one I bought while listening to the music is also very beautiful.

However, silk symbolizes wealth and status, but frankly speaking, it's not durable like cotton clothes, which can be washed and worn out no matter how many times you wash them. When you become wealthy enough, you don't have to worry about money anymore.

They haven't reached that point yet.

Yingxiang carefully packed away the silk, deciding to leave it for now. She didn't plan to buy any new clothes for the New Year, as they didn't lack any.

The child is growing fast, so Yingxiang has started buying clothes that are a bit bigger for him, so they're easier for him to wear.

She didn't throw away the clothes she couldn't wear before; they were perfect for Madam Ma when she arrived.

At night, the couple snuggled together, and Yingxiang hugged and kissed Wenshi.

"Thank you, my husband."

The price was really not cheap, but Wen Shi had received the reward and bought it for her without saying a word. She was genuinely happy and would never complain.

Looking at the person in my arms with their bright, smiling eyes, I felt very happy too.

"If you like it, that's fine."

If he could, he would want to give her the best.

"Just leave the money there. You'll be on holiday soon, and so will I. Let's spend the New Year together this year."

"good."

With the Lunar New Year approaching, everyone is in high spirits, including the customers who come to the shop. Yingxiang sits at the counter every day, occasionally choosing storybooks, and sometimes she goes to the back to watch them rehearse.

These people can now completely trust them to perform.

You don't need to have superb acting skills. As long as the story is engaging, people will watch. The new play is about to start, and Yingxiang posted the notice on the door early in the morning. It was in red and black letters, which attracted people to watch.

This time it's an afternoon event, and quite a few people have come. Once the tables are removed and the benches are set up, there will be enough seats for many people.

Granny Yang was wearing a new dress. She wanted to do business with Yingxiang, but she was a little afraid of how much money she would have to spend. In the end, the two of them discussed it.

Yingxiang contributed 70% of the money, which meant she had a 30% stake. Of course, she would only receive 30% of the profits in the end, which was a way of finding a balance.

"Shopkeeper, let's cooperate next year..."

"We'll talk about that later; it's not even next year yet."

Grandma Yang nodded and stopped talking. Yingxiang was right, but she also knew in her heart that it was impossible to make money as easily as before.

Excluding those who came later, most of these people were already Yingxiang's people. She couldn't possibly give her that much money every year; she wasn't a great philanthropist.

Everyone goes out to do business in order to make money.

Yingxiang hasn't figured out a new way of cooperating yet, and there's no rush. Let's talk about it at the end of next year.

She hopes to get the tavern up and running as soon as possible after the New Year, so that having another shop means earning more money.