Chapter 92
After the meal, the two bid farewell to the Yang family.
On the way home, Yingxiang sighed almost imperceptibly. Wen Shi held his son and glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye.
Every family has its own troubles.
The sky was dark and the streets were deserted. When Yingxiang said this, Wenshi didn't say anything. His narrow eyes couldn't help but look at the dark sky. In the end, this was just the beginning.
Yang Xun is a man of honor and loyalty. It is only right and proper that he should support his family for now. It is hoped that his career will be smooth sailing in the future, and with more money, there will be far fewer problems.
Two days later, the play "Liu San Niang" was rehearsed one last time, and Ying Xiang decided to let these people perform on stage. The stage was also set up.
She prepared a large notice to post at the entrance of the teahouse. To attract attention, Yingxiang specially chose red paper to write it, with black characters on a red background, making it eye-catching and festive.
Every passerby who could read would stop and take a look.
At the same time, she was also thinking about the next play. At first, she couldn't charge for watching the play, but she had to pay for tea. There was some profit, but not much.
Yingxiang's plan is to promote her teahouse next spring, so that most people in the capital will know that her teahouse not only serves tea but also shows performances.
Of course, tea alone wasn't enough. On the first day of the performance, Yingxiang specially found a reasonably priced pastry shop and ordered a lot of pastries to display on the counter. They would sell them together and make a profit from the price difference.
Before you've even made a name for yourself, it's impossible to get people to spend money right away. At this point, the only way to increase revenue is through these snacks.
Thinking of her favorite crispy pork, Yingxiang also added this snack to her shortlisted menu. She wanted to open a unique ancient-style teahouse.
The teahouse had been open for more than half a month, and the local people knew about it to some extent. On the day of the performance, Yingxiang wore a red dress and looked at the guests coming in one after another. She couldn't be happier.
"Shopkeeper, bring me a pot of tea."
"Waiter, bring tea."
"Give me one of those pastries."
"Okay."
Aside from the performers, the rest had clear roles: Xiao Er was in charge of serving guests, Ying Xiang was currently sitting at the counter collecting money, which she was quite familiar with, and Granny Yang was assisting in the front hall.
For Yingxiang, rehearsing this play wasn't too expensive. To ensure a good effect, she tried her best to make the set perfect, with everything that needed to be there. Even for the best performance, she prepared costumes for the performers that were as close as possible to the clothes worn by the girls in the village, with extra patches added.
Most of the guests sat at the lower end of the table with great curiosity, looking at the platform not far away.
The promotion for Yingxiang was very attractive and quite effective. The notices didn't mention that it cost money, so many people thought it was a free show. Since the tea wasn't expensive, they would immediately order hot tea.
At this time of year, most people are idle at home, and one woman even brought her three children to see a play.
The shop, which wasn't small, was already quite crowded.
Yingxiang glanced at Granny Yang, who smiled knowingly and immediately clapped her hands.
"Please be quiet, everyone. The show is about to begin."
As soon as Granny Yang said this, the noisy teahouse immediately fell silent, and everyone looked at the stage with curiosity.
"Third Sister's mother, Third Sister, open the door quickly!"
A woman dressed as a matchmaker shouted loudly. She suddenly went on stage and pretended to knock on the wooden door. Everyone stared at the stage with wide eyes.
This doesn't seem like a theatrical performance, and the costumes are a bit too realistic, but it's still quite novel.
"Here you are, here you are, Matchmaker Li, what brings you here?"
Third Sister's mother was an old woman, the same old servant from before. After rehearsing for so long and going through so many dress rehearsals on stage, they weren't that nervous, even though there were quite a few people sitting there.
Just as Yingxiang said before, pretend there's no one there and act as you normally would.
Even though Granny Yang and Yingxiang had seen it hundreds of times, they were still staring at these people.
"Great news! Great news! Someone has taken a liking to our Third Sister and is willing to offer six taels of silver as a bride price to marry her."
The matchmaker even had a special mole on her face. Not only that, she also wore makeup. For some people who had never been to the countryside, the matchmaker's attire was exactly the same as what they had heard about.
Is this true?
"Third Sister, Third Sister, come out quickly."
The performer of "Third Sister's Mother" was visibly excited, as if it were her own daughter getting married. The shop had fallen completely silent, and even some passersby, seeing the stage set up inside with performers on it, curiously walked into the shop.
The pastries were displayed on the counter. Wen Leqian sat on a small stool under the counter, eating pastries while holding a children's book in her hand, glancing at her mother from time to time.
Yingxiang had to collect the debts, but she was also keeping an eye on these people's performances. It was their first time, so it was impossible for her not to be worried.
The actress who plays San Niang is a slender girl. When she appears on screen, she is holding an embroidery pouch and pretending to thread a needle.
"Mother, hello Aunt Li."
Seeing everyone engrossed in the activity, Yingxiang couldn't be happier; it seemed perfectly reasonable.
Her efforts paid off; some guests were even staring intently at the stage, which was fantastic and would definitely attract a group of repeat customers.
She and Granny Yang did all the makeup for these people, one by one, every morning.
“Third Sister has grown up and it’s time for her to find a husband. Someone has taken a liking to you and specially asked me to act as matchmaker. This person is a craftsman, a carpenter. He earns money, is considerate, and has a good temperament. His elderly mother is also known for her kindness. If you marry him, you can just wait to enjoy a life of happiness.”
On stage, everyone was giving their best performance, completely free of their previous restraint.
As Yingxiang had instructed, Granny Yang would occasionally lead the applause, and everyone would join in. The teahouse was bustling with activity, which gave these people a lot of confidence.
Of course, a play can't be filmed in one day; it has to be done over four days.
An hour later, just as everyone was engrossed in watching and wondering how San Niang would meet the carpenter, the performers on stage gradually left, and the performance stopped.
That's all for today. If you'd like to see more, come back tomorrow morning.
"ah?"
Many people looked at Granny Yang with confusion, wondering why she was doing this. Shouldn't the performance have ended today?
"Tomorrow it will be the same time, everyone just need to be on time, and we can still watch it."
Granny Yang repeated it again.
Some people were puzzled and grumbled under their breath, saying nothing nice, just feeling unhappy. Others wanted to get up and go home.
"Shopkeeper, how many days will it take to finish watching this play? I've never seen a play like this before. It shouldn't be performed all at once. I remember the actors always finish their performances before leaving. Can you let me watch it to my heart's content? If you do, I won't come again."
Some guests also shouted loudly.
"If you want to watch it all at once and enjoy it to the fullest, of course you can."
Yingxiang suddenly stood up and said this.
Everyone immediately looked at Yingxiang and saw that she was a slender woman with a sallow complexion.
"If you are willing to pay thirty copper coins, they can continue performing, and I guarantee they can finish the performance today."
What does this mean?
"You want more money?"
"The notice at the entrance didn't say anything about charging a fee."
"yes?"
"But they didn't say it was free to watch, and besides, they've already let us watch for a while."
"No way, I won't watch it if it costs money. I don't have that much money."
"Me too."
"Hey, what do you think? Do you think Third Sister and this carpenter will be able to get married smoothly?"
Don't be fooled by some people's stubbornness; they really want to see the ending.
"We're a small business, and we need money for everything. You can come and see for free tomorrow morning, or if you're willing to pay, you can sit here and see everything today."
Thirty copper coins wasn't actually that expensive. Even ordinary people living in the capital had savings and income, so many people started to hesitate.
"By the way, it's thirty copper coins for adults, and for children, each person can bring one for free, and any extras will cost ten copper coins each."
Living in ancient times, Yingxiang wasn't worried about piracy, and it was impossible for it to happen now. Even if there were imitations, most people would have to see them from her and spread the word. Perhaps other places would follow suit, but by then, she would have already come up with something new, so there was no need to worry at all.
“I’ll pay, shopkeeper. Call the performers out and let them continue their act.”
A woman in a blue dress quickly left her seat, took her young son by the hand, and went straight to the counter to count out thirty copper coins for Yingxiang.
"Okay, please have a seat."
"If anyone wants to see something, please line up and pay. The rest of you may leave."
Granny Yang said with a smile that she highly regarded Yingxiang. The shopkeeper was too clever and could predict things like a god.
Some people hesitated, some took out their money directly, and of course, some left. The next performance would definitely have to be held behind closed doors.
This disappointed those who had initially thought they could just stand at the door and continue watching for free, but some couldn't resist and went inside to pay.
Before long, the three small money boxes that Yingxiang had prepared were all full. She estimated that about one-third of the guests had been retained, which was better than she had expected.
"mother."
The child below called her name, and Yingxiang poured him a glass of water. He drank it and then fell silent.
Her son is very well-behaved, but there's no one to help look after him right now. He's still young, and even if she could hire someone to take care of him at home, Yingxiang wouldn't feel at ease. She's just afraid of something going wrong.
She only has this one son in her life, so she definitely has to take good care of him, as the family business will all be his in the future.
Before long, the actors continued their performance, and the guests watched intently, occasionally laughing out loud. Yingxiang looked at these people and at the stage not far away, feeling somewhat dazed.
She suddenly remembered how excited and curious she was when she first went to the cinema.
The little girl who once dreamed of remaining unmarried and childless and living a happy life unexpectedly left her original world and stayed in this unfamiliar dynasty. As she grew up, she gradually adapted to the changing environment.
Fortunately, nothing has happened that would force her to cross the line so far. Yingxiang sometimes thinks that God is still looking out for her.
Before long, Yingxiang started stringing copper coins together. These would later be exchanged for silver at the money exchange. One thousand coins equaled one tael of silver. She usually counted one hundred coins and strung them together.
After the play ended, it was almost evening before they knew it. The plot was not smooth and there were some ups and downs. The two, who were supposed to get married smoothly, had their agreed-upon dowry suddenly increased by a meddlesome elder who kept stirring up trouble between San Niang's mother and San Niang.
Thanks to the young couple's efforts, the matter was resolved, and San Niang got married. She boarded the bridal sedan chair and married the carpenter. Their married life was harmonious and happy.
"Sigh, if you ask me, this kind of relative is really no good. They can't stand to see other people's families doing well."
"Yes, that's outrageous. We had already agreed on everything, and then they suddenly added more money."
"But this young carpenter looks honest, but he's also quite clever. He knows what's most important, and he made a set of furniture for Third Sister's family, which solved everything."
"In the end, it was San Niang's mother who was a bit confused. How wonderful it would be for a peasant girl to marry a craftsman, so she would never have to worry about food and drink in the future. She was persuaded by her relatives and made a scene without thinking about her daughter at all. If this marriage really falls through, San Niang will never find such a good husband."
After watching, some people chatted about it, while others rushed home to cook. The reviews were mostly positive, which gave Yingxiang a lot of confidence.
Her efforts these past few days have paid off; the play was quite a success.
That afternoon, she had already tallied up her earnings for the day. Including tea and pastries, but mainly from watching the opera, she had earned a total of five taels of silver, much more than she had earned from selling tea in the past few days.
"Shopkeeper, such a good show is too cheap at thirty coins."
After seeing the guests off, Granny Yang walked up to Yingxiang.
"This is just the beginning. I'm also going to write and put together a play for Chinese New Year this year, and I'll definitely raise the price."
No one would look at anything too expensive. Yingxiang knew that the thirty copper coins she wanted were insignificant to most people. They were well-off, had money, and were willing to spend it.
"Shopkeeper, the New Year is almost here, is there enough time?"
Grandma Yang was a little worried, after all, the rehearsals had been very difficult, and they had been busy in the backyard from morning till night.
"Yes, don't worry. I'll be able to finish writing the play when I get back tonight. After the play finishes its run in the next few days, we'll start rehearsing and promote it at the shop so that everyone can come to see the play. With some snacks and treats, we can make a profit."
"And those who watch it today will come back for free tomorrow if they have nothing else to do; they'll still eat and drink."
After Yingxiang finished speaking, she was in a very good mood, her eyes sparkling. No matter what year it is, money really makes people happy. After seeing it, she would definitely show it off to others when she got back. After all, she was the only one of her kind at the moment, and she thought there would be even more customers tomorrow.
Yingxiang felt a surge of joy at the thought. As it was getting dark, she closed the teahouse and prepared to go home.
She also took care of their food and drink. There was a stove in the backyard where they could cook for themselves. They ate three meals a day, and they didn't eat much or picky.
Yingxiang wasn't a stingy person; in fact, she promised to give her a reward if she finished the play well.
On her way home, she prepared to refine the play for the New Year. She had almost finished conceiving it, but hadn't written it out yet. For her next play, she planned to have someone act out the events in a wealthy businessman's backyard.
Yingxiang counted on her fingers and figured that if she worked hard before New Year's Eve, she could definitely put together the play. She would take the play longer and wouldn't need to promote it for free like she was doing now. She would just need to put up a red paper notice at the door with a brief plot summary. Those who wanted to see it would definitely come with their families. She would just need to put together the play and sit there happily collecting money on New Year's Eve.
Wen Shi must have been on holiday by then, and could have stayed home to take care of the children.
Tomorrow, she will go to the carpenter to make two new sets of tables and chairs so that more people can sit. When she got home, Wen Shi had already returned, and the food was already on the table. The house was warm and cozy.
"Let's eat."
Wen Shi glanced at Ying Xiang and saw that she was in a good mood, so he knew that the teahouse business was not bad.
"good."
"Dad, there are so many people today."
Before Yingxiang could speak, the little guy started talking to Wenshi, saying that Yingxiang had been counting the coins for a long time.
He had taken out all the money he had saved and given it to Yingxiang. Apart from the family's living expenses, there wasn't much left. But today he had some income, and there would definitely be more in the next few days.
After this play is over, the teahouse will definitely gain some recognition, and its business will certainly improve.
"Husband, I'll use the study tonight. You can put him to sleep."
Nowadays, Yingxiang is completely focused on her career; she loves making money so much that it's addictive.
"good."
When they heard the news, they didn't refuse. Only when husband and wife are of one mind can they live a good life.
"Don't worry, your salary for the next two years, apart from rent, won't have any major expenses."
Yingxiang has that confidence.
“You can manage this place, and you don’t necessarily have to buy the land. If possible, you can have them come and help you in the future. Just let them rent the house.”
Yingxiang nodded, "That's not bad either."
The second and fourth sons are capable, while the eldest and fifth sons are studying. At that time, Wen Xiaowu will definitely pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, so he will be able to support himself.
The next day, business was as Yingxiang had predicted. There were familiar faces, but also quite a few unfamiliar ones. There were so many customers that there wasn't enough room to sit down, and the staff preferred to stand rather than leave. Yingxiang was very satisfied with this.
Hanlin Academy
At noon, Wen Shi went out to eat with Yang Xun.
The two were discussing an article that the teacher had explained that morning when, without realizing it, Yang Xun suddenly yawned.
Are you sleepy?
"I have a child at home whose sleep schedule is completely reversed. He makes so much noise in the middle of the night that I can't sleep, so I get up and copy books."
Wen Shi did not pursue the matter further.
"I wonder when we will have the opportunity to see His Majesty?"
Having ambitions and ideals is useless; you need opportunities to realize them. But opportunities are not so easy to come by. Yang Xun didn't know when he would be able to rise to prominence. It was already the end of the year, but the emperor had only met with the Jinshi who remained in the Hanlin Academy once before, and there had been no news of them in recent days, as if he had forgotten about them.
What he fears most is failing the assessment three years later and being randomly assigned to some remote place to endure hardship.
"There's no use thinking too much right now; the opportunity might come someday."
Yang Xun nodded, and could only try to think the best of things.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two returned to the classroom and suddenly saw several people sitting together. These people usually got along well, and each of them was holding a invitation card. One of them, named Cao Hai, looked very happy.
Upon seeing Wen Shi and Yang Xun, he immediately took out the invitation and gave it to them.
"Brother Wen, Brother Yang, I have just bought a new house. Please come to my house for a feast the day after tomorrow."
Cao Hai was not tall, but he was very lively and good at socializing. Yang Xun was taken aback when he heard this, and then asked, "You bought a house? How much did it cost?"
Not only Yang Xun, but Wen Shi was also somewhat shocked. Cao Hai's family background was not much better than theirs. The only advantage he had was that he was an only child with few relatives and simple relationships.
Hu Yong'an, who was not far away, also perked up his ears when he heard this.
He was certainly not from the best family among them, but his family was in business and he also had relatives who were officials. Compared to other children of officials, he was very wealthy and didn't have to worry about money at all.
They all received the same salary, two hundred taels a year, no more. Without family support, this amount of money would be barely enough to make ends meet in the capital. At this point, many of them had families to support, which was unavoidable.
"It wasn't much. I spent a thousand taels to buy a fairly spacious courtyard with a total of six rooms."
As Cao Hai spoke, a slight smile appeared on his handsome face. Although his house was not large, it was not small either. His family consisted of his parents, his wife, and two sons.
Congratulations, Brother Cao.
"We will definitely go."
Cao Hai wouldn't invite people he didn't usually interact with; there was no need. Even if he did invite them, they might not go back and would definitely find an excuse to refuse.
After hearing the news and offering his congratulations, he sat down in his seat.
Hearing this from not far away, Hu Yong'an smiled to himself. A small courtyard? His backyard had more than ten small courtyards. Not to mention the front yard, six rooms were far from enough.
Of course, he wouldn't say that directly now. He's improved his interpersonal skills by spending more time with these people, and it wouldn't be good to talk too much. His family members are all in the capital now and ask him about it every day.
He had been telling the truth, but his parents, who were business people, immediately pointed out his mistakes sternly.
Even if he is talented and accomplished, he shouldn't be too proud. Life is long, and who knows what the future holds? He should be low-key and humble, and that's how he can go far.
He was scolded by his family, and afterwards, he became less talkative and stopped showing off.
Wen Shi had already sensed the change in him, and ultimately, this was a good thing.
"I really envy Brother Cao, who has already established a family business."
"If you buy a house to live in, you don't have to pay rent." Cao Hai glanced at Yang Xun and then said, "Brother Yang, why don't you come and take a look at my house? If you like it, you can buy one."
Yang Xun shook his head. If he had a thousand taels, he wouldn't have so many worries.
"Brother Yang, you don't know that money shops offer loans, do you?"
"That incurs interest."
Yang Xun was naturally aware of this, but as scholars, they cared about their reputation. He was afraid that if they couldn't repay the debt, their reputation would be ruined, which would be shameful.
"Brother Yang, don't you know? The interest rate is negotiable. Some of the money I have was borrowed from a money exchange, and the final agreement was only one percent interest, which is not much."
"Besides, renting a house costs money."
The two people's voices were neither loud nor soft, and Wen Shi heard them clearly, but didn't say anything.
So that's how it is. But he's unlikely to take out a loan. He doesn't have that much pressure right now. In the end, he's gambling on the future. He's the only child in Cao Hai's family, and he has his parents and wife to help him. He's not an impulsive person. He must have thought this through carefully before acting like this.
If the interest rate is only one percent, he probably didn't borrow much. The annual interest would likely be less than one hundred taels, making it easy to repay. After that, repaying the principal wouldn't be difficult either.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
