Chapter 128
A bowl of chilled, fragrant rice wine quickly dissipated a lot of the body heat.
The child can't drink it yet, but he can smell it. When eating, Yingxiang poured him a lot of it, and he drank it all without leaving a drop.
"After the examination at the Hanlin Academy, the rankings have been released. Brother Hu went to the Ministry of Rites, but Brother Yang is being transferred to a small county in the south as a seventh-rank county magistrate."
The county magistrate was the second-in-command of a county, with the county magistrate above him. But the south wasn't a harsh, cold place; it was relatively wealthy.
"You're out so quickly?"
"The Ministry of Personnel acted very quickly. After the exams were over, the rankings were released, and they listed the vacant positions in advance. In the end, it all comes down to individual ability. Some people who didn't rank high were reserved for positions in the capital."
Having come this far, I understand perfectly well that there is no absolute fairness, only relative fairness. The junior scholars are all graduates of the second class of the imperial examination. This time, they are all to be assigned to the seventh rank, but some will be able to stay in the capital while others will have to leave.
If you are not satisfied, a transfer is impossible. The emperor has already stamped the imperial seal, so you can only resign. Even if some people are dissatisfied, they will not give up their official positions. Go first, and then figure out a solution later.
The Ministry of Rites was responsible for the imperial examinations for sacrificial rites, which was a good place to go. The official rank was low, but with time, there was always the chance of being promoted.
The year is already halfway over. Once the appointment documents are issued, they will have to go to their posts without delay. Before leaving, Yang Xun wanted to have a meal with Wen Shi again, this time outside.
Wen Shi did not refuse. This time, it was hard to say when they would meet again; it could be ten or eight years later.
If he's always away, then this might be the last time we ever see each other.
A few days later, in the tavern, Yang Xun drank several cups in a row, and the disappointment and regret on his face were clearly visible.
The only good thing is his family. He plans to write home after he arrives and ask them to come and bring him here. Officials in the county government can stay for free, so there isn't much financial pressure. But he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to return to the capital in his lifetime.
His destination wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either.
Most officials are promoted every five years. Without connections and money, they can only wait for an opportunity, and some remain in the same place for more than ten years.
Despite his seemingly stable position, as the years go by, he doesn't know if he'll even be able to leave the Hanlin Academy when his term ends.
He left his name with the emperor and received some rewards several times, but his official career did not advance smoothly. In the eyes of many people, if the emperor really liked and valued him, he would not have let him work in the Hanlin Academy indefinitely.
With just a single decree from the emperor, one's future could be changed instantly. In the capital, the best place to go was still the Six Ministries, as these powerful departments were the best option.
"Brother Yang."
"drink."
As he drank glass after glass of wine, Wen Shi also felt somewhat worried about the future. Five years was not a long time, and if he couldn't successfully move to a new place, he would have to wait for another five years.
Remembering his master's words, Wen Shi tightened his grip on the wine glass. After arriving in the capital, he had always followed his master's advice, refusing to curry favor with the powerful and having no dealings with the Huang family.
Wen returned home drunk and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
He thought that what he needed to do next was to do his job well and wait for an opportunity. As the saying goes, one should remain unchanged in the face of all changes.
Before we knew it, it was mid-August.
That morning, Wen Shi sat in his chair, his hands never stopping. He was very focused. He overheard his classmates chatting nearby, talking about the exams that were being held in various places that day.
The exam was fair, and Wen Chuanzong wasn't a child, so there was no need for him to worry too much. In fact, after his parents passed away, this family would most likely fall apart anyway.
The family ties remain, but they certainly won't be the same as they are now.
Wen Shi understood this very well. What he could do right now was to encourage the next generation to strive for success, so that life would get better and better.
He couldn't be too strict with his nephew; after all, he wasn't his own child.
Within the city of the prefecture
Wen Chuanzong sat in the dilapidated examination hall, feeling extremely bad. The weather was fine, but looking at the exam papers, he couldn't feel happy at all.
Of course, I couldn't just hand in a blank paper, so in the end I had no choice but to bite the bullet and write it.
He would have to wait another month for the results. If he passed, the government would naturally send him back to report the good news. If he didn't pass, he would still have to go back.
It only took him a little over half a month to travel from the capital to the prefectural city. Although the journey was tiring, he didn't feel tired at all because he repeatedly read Wen Shi's notes.
Now, the exam questions have nothing to do with his previous notes, and he can't help but feel a little disappointed.
Ultimately, fate did not favor him and did not give him a chance to become an official.
After the start of autumn, the weather gradually turned cooler. Yingxiang went to the outskirts again. Seeing that the door had been installed and the farm was beginning to take shape, she took a look and began to make the next arrangements.
"Let's build the house first, so we can have a fire to keep warm in the winter and it won't be too cold. I'll buy livestock at the market later and have them delivered."
These livestock are easy to raise, but also difficult to raise; it takes some effort.
The farm has only 20 mu of land, eight mu of which is used for raising livestock, and one mu of which is used to build houses for people, so it is actually only seven mu.
It's not small. According to Yingxiang's previous plan, the cattle and sheep pens should be larger, while the rest can be smaller. The pond is to be dug to be half an acre in size.
It is illegal to raise cattle to adulthood and sell them for money, or to slaughter them for meat, unless they are old cattle that die of disease. For other livestock, it doesn't matter; you can raise them to adulthood and sell them for money.
There were plenty of poultry vendors at the market, and they had everything she wanted. The lambs weren't expensive, so she bought thirty. The piglets were also reasonably priced, so she bought fifty. Once they were grown, she wouldn't have to worry about selling them.
She couldn't do without the old hen, and the eggs could be sold separately. In the end, she bought 150 chickens. At this time of year, chicks are not so easy to raise, so she bought the older ones.
This whole ordeal cost nearly three hundred taels of silver, half of which was spent on buying calves. We bought two calves, one male and one female. We could bargain for other calves when we bought more, but not for these.
The pond isn't finished yet, and there's no need for fish fry or ducks. Some parts aren't quite perfect yet, but she's not in a hurry. She can buy them next spring.
After she bought the livestock, she arranged for people to take care of them. As the weather got colder, she also had to go to the market to stock up on some ready-made feed.
Granny Yang had already found her several servants who were skilled in animal husbandry and breeding. After paying them and receiving their contracts, Yingxiang felt comfortable using these people and brought them all with her.
The farm was almost ready, so she took the opportunity to promote Jiang Xian to be the manager.
With these people taking care of the livestock, they can also learn from them in their spare time.
We still need to give Granny Yang eight hundred taels at the end of this year, but the teahouse's annual income can fully cover it. Yingxiang isn't worried; there will even be some extra surplus, which she can keep in hand.
She would give 30% of the wine shop's monthly income to Granny Yang, and the two worked together quite happily.
The land here was purchased at a low cost, and the land is permanent. Feudal society is different from modern society. If she hasn't made much money from raising livestock in the past few years, she can always try something else later.
Buy all the livestock at once, raise them well, and then either take them to the market to sell or deliver them directly to the restaurant to discuss cooperation.
Although she was very busy every day, running around to three different places, things gradually stabilized.
There's no need to wait until spring. It shouldn't be long before the farm starts to generate income. The weather isn't so cold yet, and the hens will still lay eggs. Next year, as the livestock grow up, they can start to be sold.
At night, Yingxiang lay in bed enjoying herself. A person's energy is limited. She wouldn't open a new shop in the next two or three years, nor did she have the energy. She wasn't a superhero; she just needed to manage the three businesses she had on hand well.
She plans to buy two shops in the city to settle down, which will save on rent. She never puts pressure on Wen Shi, and Wen Shi doesn't put pressure on her either. To some extent, they work quietly together, planning and then getting started.
That day, after finishing his shift, Wen put on his cloak to pick up his child. At the school gate, there were many parents waiting, including Wen's second brother.
When it gets cold, everyone wears more layers, and if you catch a cold, you'll suffer.
"Second brother, you guys go back first. Leqian and I will go this way. I need to buy something."
"Okay, my parents said that my eldest brother probably didn't pass this time, and there's still no news from him."
Wen Shi nodded without saying anything. It wasn't that much to him. Wen Chuanzong had been slacking off for so long, and the provincial examination was already very difficult.
"I understand, Second Brother, take it easy."
After watching Wen Erge drive away, Wen Shi led the child to the bookstore.
"Choose a few calligraphy brushes and ink sticks that you like, and after a few days, you will begin to learn to write."
After Wen Shi finished speaking, he helped pick out several calligraphy practice books and Xuan paper, all for Wen Leqian. He was still young, so there was no need to buy the best.
Even now, Wen Shi wouldn't buy the best paper. After becoming an official, he didn't copy books much, but he still had to practice his handwriting.
After arriving home, he spread out the paper and began to cut it very carefully. In a short while, a stack of cut Xuan paper was placed into Wen Leqian's book box.
"No waste allowed."
No, it won't.
Wen Xiaowu looked at the book box and was in a good mood. Ever since he got the book box, he has carried it with him every day.
Nowadays, few of his classmates go to school empty-handed.
Before we knew it, more and more leaves fell from the trees, and the once lush and leafy trees became bare. The autumn wind was bleak, and people took off their cloaks and put on their winter clothes.
Early in the morning, Yingxiang went to the farm. She walked there as a form of exercise. When she arrived, Jiang Xian opened the warehouse door without saying a word.
There are quite a few eggs inside right now; these can be sold.
Afterwards, Yingxiang went to the sheepfold and pigsty. Her favorite animals were the calves. She looked at them and saw that they had all grown quite a bit, and each time she came, they were bigger than the last time.
The place isn't large, but it's definitely not small, especially the cattle pen, which is divided into inner and outer sheds.
Without advanced technology, even with careful raising, the survival rate of these livestock cannot be 100%.
Yingxiang comes frequently and is very diligent. Every time she comes, she observes carefully, and no one dares to fool her. The pond has taken shape, and the fish fry can be bought, but let's wait until spring.
"Shopkeeper, if you want to grow grain, you need to buy the seeds."
Yingxiang's plan for the twelve acres of land is to use half for planting fruit trees and the rest for other crops, but also to plant one or two acres of grain, as these people always need to eat and drink, and it would be best if they could be self-sufficient.
Her farm is not exempt from taxation, and registering it under Wen Shi's name is useless unless it's entirely planted with grain, which would be fine, but even then, the government would frequently inspect it.
Now that we're going to start selling, we should prepare the accounts. It's not a big deal if we don't weigh it, but it's incredibly heavy once it's on the scale. Yingxiang doesn't want to take the risk, and there's no need to save this money. It won't do her any good, and it might even affect the timing of her visit. We can't let a small thing cause a big loss.
"I'll buy it at the shop later and have it delivered."
"good."
"The area is all cordoned off, and I've arranged for people to patrol tonight, so don't worry, boss."
"That would be best."
Although it is a peaceful and prosperous time, safety is still a concern in case someone wanders off. Among these livestock, the most valuable are the calves, which Yingxiang carefully observes every time she comes.
I only hope that it can grow up safely, and it would be even better if it could breed and give birth to offspring in the future.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
