Chapter 103
Yingxiang certainly has a tolerance for family matters; they are all born of parents. If Wenshi were truly ruthless and heartless towards his family, she would feel afraid to some extent.
The two are husband and wife, and should be the closest people in the world.
But she was different from other women in the world. She did not have the idea of obeying her husband after marriage and her son after her husband's death. She wanted to stand on her own two feet, at least economically, so that she could be self-sufficient and live a good life without relying on others.
In this way, even if something happens in the future, this will be her way out.
Wen Shi settled his family members, but she wouldn't get too involved. They were his parents and siblings, and how they were taken care of was up to him. Fortunately, her husband was a sensible man who considered everything very thoroughly.
Human nature is complex, and it's hard to say what the future holds for him. But if he can be settled in one go now, it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.
In the teahouse
That day, Yingxiang looked up and was somewhat shocked.
Grandma Yang was leading her two grandsons and carrying a basket on her back. The basket was full of wild vegetables. When Grandma Yang saw her, she was stunned for a moment, and then she led her two children over.
"Aunt Yang."
Yingxiang stood up and called out to someone.
"Is this your teahouse? I heard you can watch operas here, and it's quite different from the operas we used to see in the village."
Grandma Yang also lives nearby and had heard about it before, but she didn't have any spare money to spend. Today she came to buy fried meat for her two grandsons. She had heard that the food here was delicious and the children had been raving about it. Her grandsons kept asking for some, so she had no choice but to bring them out to buy it.
"yes."
"That's great. You must make a lot of money in a month. Give me two packs of fried meat."
Old Mrs. Yang took out a copper coin from her bosom. She didn't think about taking advantage of the situation. Yang Xun had told her long ago that Wen Shi had already become an official.
Wen Shi and Yang Xun had a good relationship, which she knew. Yingxiang did not refuse payment, but she instructed Yang Pozi to prepare an extra pack for Yang Laotai, since the two families knew each other and were considered acquaintances.
"By the way, I heard from my second brother that your family bought land and built a house outside."
"Yes, my family is coming soon, and we can't fit them all in our original place. There are only three rooms, and my family is large, so we have no choice."
"There are many people in the family, so it's lively."
Old Mrs. Yang sighed as she thought of something. Her mother handed her three packets of meat, which she instinctively refused.
"Madam Wen, this is not good, I only bought two packs."
"The last packet is for you and my uncle, please have a taste."
"Thank you, Madam Wen."
Grandma Yang would never eat it; she planned to go back and share it with her sons.
"Actually, this house is too small for us to live in. We could rent a larger house with a yard."
After buying the items, Grandma Yang didn't rush to leave. She first opened a package and handed it to her two grandsons, telling them to sit down and eat.
“We don’t have that much money. Rent in the capital isn’t cheap. We also have a child to raise, and he’s in school. We have to pay a lot in tuition and other expenses. We need to buy land and build a house. It’s spacious and not too far from here.”
Having no money meant one could only live in a dimly lit, cramped courtyard in the capital, and Old Lady Yang was well aware of this; that was pretty much her situation right now.
"You two are making money, why worry about not having a good life in the future? I think your business is not bad either."
The weather outside was sunny with a cool autumn breeze. The shop doors were open, and there were quite a few customers.
"Business is possible, but the monthly rent of several dozen taels of silver is a must. With so many people working for you, they can't possibly work for you for free. The little you earn is just enough to make ends meet."
Yingxiang smiled and said that she was not unhappy at all. There was no need to argue with the old lady, especially since people of her age naturally have different ways of thinking.
It seems that Wen Shi spoke to Yang Xun, and Yang Xun was somewhat tempted. He also told his family about it. However, with a mother like that, he probably wouldn't be able to make it work. Otherwise, why would Old Lady Yang be here trying to persuade him?
"Are you still short-staffed?"
Yingxiang stared straight at her.
Grandma Yang suddenly gave an awkward smile, and then said, "You should know my family. There are quite a few people in it, and we all need to eat and drink. We're not exactly well-off. My second son's wife is quite clever. I think it would be good if she could come out and earn money like you."
"The second son's wife?"
That was Yang Xun's wife. It was fine for her to do business, but it wouldn't look good if she were to work outside. She would definitely be an official's wife in the future, but instead she was serving tea and water outside. It wasn't very respectable.
Even though Yingxiang started her own business, she always paid attention to these things. Nowadays, she only handles the cash collection at the counter. She's not too comfortable with that aspect, and she's let go of everything else.
More than half of the year has passed. Next year, she plans to start a different business and rent a shop. As for what exactly she will do, she hasn't decided yet, but she will have capital in hand by then.
However, she could understand if Old Mrs. Yang recommended the other two daughters-in-law. Perhaps sensing her doubt, Old Mrs. Yang suddenly coughed and added a sentence. She was wearing a dark red dress that was neither new nor old.
"Back then, to support Yang Xun's education, the eldest and third sons' wives stayed home day and night weaving baskets. Now, they are all feeling unwell and can no longer work."
"His second son's wife has always enjoyed a comfortable life with him and is in good health."
Following along to enjoy happiness, Yingxiang thought to herself, "That's definitely impossible. Not all men are like Wen Shi. Yang Xun looks polite, but who knows what he's like in private?"
Will he be considerate of his wife? Most likely not. I remember visiting his house that day, and seeing that skinny little girl who was afraid to eat meat. That was his own daughter, and he barely cared about her, let alone his wife.
Old Mrs. Yang's words do not stand up to scrutiny.
Currently, besides Granny Yang, there is a waiter in the shop, an old servant in the kitchen who fries meat, and the rest are the actors. In name, they are not Yingxiang's people yet, and their indentures have not yet been handed over to her. Of course, outsiders do not know these things and all think that she has hired them.
Granny Yang routinely manages her subordinates, making them prepare the stage and arrange things in advance, so they are never idle.
Yingxiang doesn't need to hire anyone, so how can she politely and gracefully refuse?
She quickly thought for a moment and then said, "I do need one more person in my kitchen, but it's a small business, Auntie. I can only offer you three taels of silver a month at most."
The wages were very low, and Yingxiang thought that Old Lady Yang would give up, but to her surprise, she immediately agreed.
"Three ounces is still a lot. It's better to have something than nothing. I'll have my second son's wife come and work for you tomorrow. We can't let her eat for free every day."
"Speaking of which, you are really capable. She should learn from you. She is very diligent, so you can rest assured and let her do her job well."
Grandma Yang was overjoyed, while Yingxiang gave a dry laugh, not knowing what to say.
However, working in the kitchen is always a little better than greeting customers in the front of the house.
In the evening, she returned home and couldn't help but complain to Wen Shi about Old Lady Yang.
"Just think of it this way: Brother Yang's wife is very capable. With her help, you can relax a bit. Don't overthink it. Maybe in a few days, she won't be able to keep going and will go back on her own."
Wen Shi wasn't very confident, so he planned to talk to Yang Xun about it. After all, it wasn't a respectable matter, and as long as Yang Xun could figure it out, it wouldn't be a problem.
“My lady, his family situation is complicated. You came with me before and you must have seen it. Now his parents are in charge, one manages the affairs and the other manages the money.”
After hearing this, he sighed. It was both an aid and a shackle. But in this world, you can't have all the benefits without having to pay anything in return.
This old lady must have been mean to the other two families before, but now she can't continue to be mean, for fear of losing their support, so she can only side with the second family and let them do the work.
Half of Yang Xun's salary went to rent every year, and he also had to support his nephews' education, his family's food and drink, and he himself had two children.
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh.
Yingxiang nodded, hoping so; scholars also have a sense of honor.
"The day after tomorrow afternoon, I'll wait for you at the city gate. Take Leqian with you, and we'll go to Ping'an Village for a visit. Let's go early and come back early."
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed, and he wanted to go and check on the progress.
Yingxiang didn't refuse; it was fine to come along, as long as they arrived half an hour early.
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