Chapter 386: A Bunch of Single Dogs [Seeking Double Monthly Tickets]

Jiang Sheng had received money for warding off evil spirits before, but this was definitely the first time he had received such money from someone younger than him... Besides, he was well past the age of receiving money.

Unfortunately, this man was his lord.

She was younger than him, but held a higher position.

Jiang Sheng had no choice but to bow and express his gratitude, accepting this very "meager" money for warding off evil. Although it was just a red string, it was intricately woven and, judging by its length, was meant to be worn on the wrist.

Jiang Sheng didn't stand on ceremony and put it on directly.

"Have you settled in well these past few days in Fugu?"

"Yes, I'm used to it. Thank you for your concern, my lord."

Shen Tang asked, "What about your family members?"

Unlike Shen Tang and his group of singletons who only have one person to feed, Jiang Sheng not only has a wife, but also a son and a daughter. It's impossible for him to just pack a few clothes and his belongings and run off with them. Shen Tang told him to stay in Luxia County to settle down before bringing his family to Fugu City, so that they could arrange accommodations for the whole family in advance.

Therefore, Jiang Sheng only arrived two or three days ago.

A slight smile appeared on his brow.

"Yes, my wife admires you greatly, my lord."

"Yearning for it?"

"Yes, I highly recommend it."

In fact, before Jiang Sheng could even get familiar with the city, he was conscripted by Qi Shan and a few others. Although it was just a small county, the year-end summary, the New Year sports meet, and the advance arrangements for spring plowing piled up, and the workload was not small.

This needs to be done before you stop writing.

Aside from a short rest on the first day, during which I packed my bags with my wife and daughters, decorated our new home, and visited the neighbors, I spent the other two days at the government office, working until very late before returning home.

When he got home, he saw his wife altering the children's clothes by the light of an oil lamp, and chatting with him about what she had seen and heard during the day.

His words were full of praise for the new master, and he even asked him to inquire where he could exchange "strips." He said that the newly opened Fugu Department Store in the north of the city had some limited-supply goods that had to be exchanged for corresponding "strips," otherwise they wouldn't sell them.

Jiang Sheng didn't have time to inquire, because after finishing his busy work, it was time for some sports meet.

Jiang Sheng understood the general process, and most of it could proceed according to last year's plan. With Qi Shan and the others around, how could it be his turn? But he never expected that he would not only be needed, but also be an indispensable part.

Did the literati in the Wenxin school have such a low status in He Yin's court?

But when he learned what Gong Shuwu, Xianyu Jian, and the other brave warriors were going to do, he immediately fell silent.

Compared to martial artists, the working environment for scholars was quite friendly. He hadn't expected the fireworks to be so stunning; they flashed by under the sky, yet left an unforgettable impression on people's hearts.

The long street lantern market was bustling with tourists.

The daze gave him a false impression—

I feel like a man from Wuling who has stumbled upon a paradise on earth.

Shen Tang chuckled, puffing out his chest with a touch of pride. What could be more fulfilling than gaining the approval of the common people under his rule?

The fact that ordinary people approve of it, and even the newcomers approve of it, fully demonstrates that they have indeed felt "happiness" in Fugu City.

After traveling together for a short while, Shen Tang couldn't resist drifting off to another place and was soon separated by the crowd.

Through the people, Shen Tang waved to him.

"Go play by yourself, I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he disappeared into the crowd.

Jiang Sheng: "..."

This is Fugu City, so he wasn't worried about his lord's safety. He followed the market vendors and bought some toys that kids like, a few packets of Fugu specialty pastries that the vendors were enthusiastically promoting, and a silver hairpin with a fairly exquisite design.

Following an unfamiliar road, I found my way home.

The lights in the courtyard were already on.

His wife happened to come out from the side room.

She lowered her voice at him and said, "It was so hard to get the kids to sleep. If they wake up and see all these bags of stuff, who knows how long those little rascals will keep running wild."

The couple returned to the master bedroom.

The courtyard that Shen Tang arranged for her wasn't large, but it was small yet complete, with everything one would expect, including things she had never seen before.

The west side was the child's sleeping room, and the other side was a clean and bright east kitchen. The couple's bedroom was behind the main hall, with an attached small study. The bedroom had an unfamiliar earthen bed, and it took Jiang Sheng's wife some time to figure out how to use it.

The wind outside was biting cold.

The room was warm and cozy.

Sitting on the earthen bed, Jiang Sheng, having taken off all but his undershirt, still felt a bit hot. At this temperature, the couple could comfortably get through the cold night under a thin quilt.

Even the next day, the earthen kang (heated brick bed) still retained warmth. Every household in Fugu City had the same thing; all it needed was dry grass, straw, fallen leaves, or even animal manure to burn for warmth.

For ordinary people, it is a useful tool for getting through the winter.

His wife asked him, "Where's that 'one'?"

Jiang Sheng's heart skipped a beat when she reminded him.

He remained silent for a long while.

His wife then realized he had forgotten because he was busy.

They didn't give me a friendly look.

That stuff is available in limited quantities and for limited times.

Having missed this opportunity, who knows when it will be available again? Seeing his wife's sullen face, Jiang Sheng knew he was in the wrong and gently coaxed her for a while. He asked, "What exactly is it?"

Why does his wife think of him so much and never forget him?

As he spoke, he pulled out a silver hairpin from his pocket, still warm from his body, and offered it as a bribe with a smile, his face practically saying, "I'll let it slide for the sake of this New Year's gift." His wife touched the shape of the hairpin, guessed what it was, and her annoyance subsided by about 70-80%.

"Alas, it's a batch of silk embroidery thread."

"There's no wire at home?"

I'm off tomorrow, I'll look for it when I have time.

However, he noticed that Fugu City wasn't particularly lacking; surely they could find decent quality embroidery thread?

“That’s no ordinary embroidery thread.”

The wife, who had been lying on her side, sat up again.

Jiang Sheng listened attentively to what she was about to say.

How extraordinary is it?

"The embroidery thread sold at Fugu Department Store also comes with a 'velvet flower' pattern, teaching you how to make it... Flowers made with that thread are prettier than any kind of hairpin. If you make a good one, the store will even pay for it..."

She was naturally skilled at needlework.

That day, she saw a young woman with a red camellia in her hair. At first, she thought it was a real flower, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was fake. The young woman said she bought it from a general store. She then inquired her way to Fugu Department Store and finally found out the truth after much effort.

Although her husband had found a reliable new partner, the expenses for the family, including food, clothing, and social obligations, couldn't be covered by Jiang Sheng's initial salary. Life in Lu Xia had been tight for years, and their savings were dwindling.

As children grow older, expenses increase.

They had no land or shops in Fugu, and the family relied on their remaining savings and Jiang Sheng's salary to cover their expenses.

She also needs to plan ahead.

Jiang Sheng said, "I'll go and inquire about it tomorrow."

Having been showered with money by various wealthy patrons in his early years, Jiang Sheng had little concept of gold and silver treasures; once money was spent, it would come back again.

However, he had been tricked by Qi Shan before, lost a lot of his family property on the way to escape, and was then trapped in Luxia County for many years. The former governor of Lu County did not value him and did not pay him much salary. His family was in a state of poverty where they were almost living off their savings.

Even a hero can be brought down by a single penny. Alas.

Jiang Sheng fell into a deep sleep, preoccupied with his own thoughts.

The next day, upon inquiring, he nearly broke his own desk—his new lord's most notable characteristic was his poverty; the silver he distributed to everyone was half the normal amount.

Jiang Sheng: "..."

How can we possibly live like this?

Gu Chi asked in confusion, "What's wrong with that?"

With such a small salary, there's still a surplus at the end of the year.

Jiang Sheng, enduring a headache, took a deep breath and said somewhat dejectedly, "After all, everyone's situation is different..."

A group of single people without families, how could they know the burden of supporting a family? Supporting one person is no problem, but supporting several people is very difficult. Gu Chi naturally understood his thoughts.

They realized the seriousness of the problem.

To save on government spending, the lord kept the salaries of other officials in the government office as usual, but the salaries of Gu Chi and several others were relatively low.

Thus, no one objected. After all, the "literary/military fortune" they were allocated was enough to compensate for everything. Each household also regularly received food supplies from the government canteen, including rice, grains, meat, vegetables, salt, and wine... In reality, the salary and benefits were extremely high.

But they are all single.

Jiang Sheng has a wife, children, and a large family expense.

Gu Chi said, "It was my oversight."

They only thought about Jiang Sheng's family who needed to be settled, but they overlooked the fact that the family also needed expenses. Although the River Governor was not rich, he was not so poor that he forced his scribes to leave because of salary issues. If word got out, people would laugh their heads off.

This problem is easy to solve.

Jiang Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you for your trouble."

Gu Chi said, "We're all colleagues, what's the big deal?"

Humans eat grains and other foods, and talking about money is also for survival.

Fortunately, Jiang Sheng was the kind of person who could speak up. If he were the kind of stubborn person who was so poor that he couldn't even afford to eat, yet was too thin-skinned to say anything and chose to stubbornly endure it, that would be a real headache.

That same day, the government secretly delivered dozens of "notes" to Jiang Sheng's family, enough for them to eat for a month.

As for the silk embroidery thread that Madam Jiang had been longing for, it was also returned, along with a detailed tutorial on "velvet flowers".

She is very skillful and can make it look quite good after only a few tries.

She wasn't the only one; many skilled women in Fugu City also did this in their spare time. Since silk embroidery thread was expensive, they used other materials instead. They enjoyed experimenting and even made improvements and innovations to basic designs... Fugu General Store would offer different purchase prices based on the quality and materials of the finished products. Skilled craftsmen could easily earn a hundred or two hundred coins a day.

"This advertising slogan sounds like a scam, like a diamond painting scam..." Shen Tang couldn't help but complain.

Even if the velvet flower was her suggestion.

Previously, Yu Zi's hair was bald and unadorned, Bai Su was dressed in a simple and plain style, and Lin Feng was slightly better. She had some jewelry savings, but most of them carried memories of her time in her family home. The styles were too exquisite and luxurious, which did not suit her, so she rarely used them.

Looking at the other women in the city, they all had bare faces, and even having a wooden hairpin to style their hair was considered a sign of refinement.

Shen Tang gritted her teeth, secretly regretting that she had missed a business opportunity!

What's the easiest way to make money in this world?

It's naturally a woman.

They not only need to buy their own things, but also things for other family members. Every aspect of their lives, from food and clothing to daily necessities, costs money. But how can we get them to spend money willingly?

Shen Tang had many ideas for making chives.

But the chives she harvested were not in Fugu City.

In places like Shangnan.

That place has many aristocratic families and noblewomen, which means they have great purchasing power. Shen Tang immediately sought out Xu Jie and got straight to the point: "Wen Zhu, we have a monopolistic business here!"

Xu Jie: "..."

Shen Tang tentatively asked, "Do you know what a velvet flower is?"

Xu Jie asked, "What kind of flower is that?"

Shen Tang chuckled mischievously: "These fluffy flowers can be worn on the head one by one, and they won't wither. They can be reused multiple times. Isn't that better than those noble ladies who carefully cultivate flowers, only to have them wither after a day or two on their heads? Women can wear them, and men can wear them too."

It's a long-standing tradition for men to wear flowers.

However, these single guys under her command were too lazy to bother with grooming. Aside from seeing Xu Jie wear a peach blossom branch during the peach blossom season, she hadn't seen anyone else wear one. Shen Tang felt that this was a lucrative business opportunity to exploit.

One day, I might be able to force these people under my command to wear flowers.

Regardless of gender, a beautiful woman wearing flowers is always pleasing to the eye.

In addition, their reputation in Fugu City can serve as a walking advertisement for velvet flowers, setting a fashion trend!

Xu Jie: "..."

We bailed him out late at night just to talk about this?

Shen Tang was completely unaware that she was disturbing his peaceful sleep.

He complained, "Who told you to leave tomorrow?"

She needs to hurry.

Xu Jie: "..."

He knew that Shen Jun was a shrewd and genius businessman with a sharp business mind; none of the deals he made ever lost money.

Xu Jie did not refuse the so-called velvet flower trinkets, but instead ordered his trusted attendant to bring over a batch of silk thread from nearby areas.

Xu Jie initially didn't expect this thing to make money.

After all, no matter how well made, flowers made with silk thread can never compare to the vibrancy and freshness of natural flowers; a small profit is sufficient.

In order to increase his visibility, he followed Shen Tang's instructions and selected the best items to send to the wives of his lord, Wu Xian.

(End of this chapter)