Chapter 255 Hiring a Teacher
Seeing his face clearly, Sui Yu slowly breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and said, "I'm still worried about whether my honey will be effective. I will definitely have to go back to Chang'an."
At the mention of this, Zuo Duhou's face lit up with a smile. He didn't rush in, but took out a bronze mirror from his bosom and stood outside the door to look at himself. He excitedly reported to Sui Yu like a patient: "The pimples on my face are much better. Although they haven't disappeared yet, they don't hurt anymore, and the color has lightened. Before, the pimples were red, and when squeezed, pus and blood oozed out. After scabs formed, they would turn black. Look, now these pimples have turned black, and the pimples are smaller. I estimate they will disappear in another month."
"That's great, congratulations." Sui Yu was also happy. "By the way, I forgot to tell you before. Eat a lighter diet during this period, and go to bed and get up early. These pimples will disappear faster."
"I can't have a bland diet. I love meat. I feel weak without it. The imperial physician has said this before, but I can't control my appetite." Zuo Duhou shook his head. "Early to bed and early to rise is even more impossible. I have to go on night patrol, so how can I go to bed early?"
Sui Yu suddenly realized, "No wonder I got acne."
"Yes, my colleagues have the same problem as me. The older ones don't get acne, but they get toothaches from inflammation. Their cheeks are swollen like steamed buns." Zuo Duhou put away the bronze mirror and walked into the house. He said, "Did you go deep into the mountains again on this trip to Taiyuan County? Do you have any honey left? I'll buy as much as I can."
Song Xian winked at Sui Yu. What did she say?
Sui Yu suppressed his joy and hesitantly said in a pretentious tone, "Yes, there are some. I wanted to transport them outside the Great Wall to sell. The herdsmen outside the Great Wall eat more mutton..."
"Okay, why do you worry about them? Just make money if you can. Forty coins per jar, how much do you have? I'll have someone send the money over tomorrow." Zuo Duhou interrupted her.
"So, I'll get you a thousand cans? I'll have to keep three or four hundred to take back."
"Will you come again next year?" Zuo Duhou asked. Seeing her shake her head, he made a decision: "Sell me all 1,300 jars, or tell me where in the mountains you bought the honey and who showed you the way."
Sui Yu was surprised, but seeing the man's serious expression, she compromised. "Okay, you arrange for someone to pick up the goods in ten days. By the way, what do you think of the pottery jars I used before? If you don't like them, you can send me a batch of them, and I'll charge you 700 coins less."
Zuo Duhou had exactly this in mind. He was doing business with wealthy families, and ordinary pottery jars were not worthy of being presented.
"I'll have someone send over a batch of pottery jars in two days," he said.
Song Xian suddenly coughed twice. Sui Yu glanced at her and said, "Marquis Zuo Du, I have a question for you. Do you know any teachers willing to travel far? Shopkeeper Song and I want to hire a teacher to teach our children how to read and behave, but we can't find anyone like him, so I'm asking you."
"What a coincidence." Zuo Duhou clapped his hands. "After the Grand Marshal passed away, the Huo family released a group of people. I'll go back and send someone to find out if there are any willing to go to Dunhuang."
Song Xian was delighted and she quickly bowed and thanked him.
Zuo Duhou waved his hand and said to Sui Yu, "From now on, you can only sell the honey to me."
Sui Yu agreed, "Since this is a long-term business, I will be honest and keep the price at thirty-five coins. You don't need to raise the price."
Zuo Duhou looked at her seriously twice, and felt even more satisfied. She was not someone who was greedy for petty profits, and doing business with her would save a lot of trouble.
"Pay attention to the size of the pottery jar. It's best to be similar to the previous one, and be able to hold about four pounds of honey." Sui Yu instructed.
Zuo Duhou nodded and asked, "Anything else?"
Sui Yu thought for a moment and said, “It’s best to rinse your mouth after drinking honey water to avoid tooth decay, and then it’s gone.”
"Okay, then you guys take a rest, I'm leaving." Zuo Duhou didn't plan to stay any longer, he had to go back to arrange things.
Sui Yu saw him off and watched him ride away on his horse, and she smiled.
"We can make a lot of money this time." Song Xian was happy for her.
Sui Yu pulled her inside to talk so that passers-by wouldn't hear them. He could earn 27 coins from a jar of honey. After deducting the 700 coins for the jars, 1,300 jars could earn 34,400 coins, which was enough to buy more than 20 rolls of silk.
There was no need to rest now. Sui Yu gave Gan Da and Gan Er money and asked them to take people to the city to buy a bathtub. Xiaoxi and Sancao were responsible for leading people to sew linen tents, and Qingshan was responsible for leading two people to cut trees and build the wooden frame.
After buying the bathtub, wash it with boiling water. When the sun sets, cover the bathtub with linen and put it in the yard to dry.
"It's getting dark, and the mosquitoes are coming out." Song Xian swatted a mosquito to death and said, "Draining honey at night? I'm afraid it will attract all the mosquitoes in Chang'an City."
"Mosquitoes suck blood, not honey." After setting up the last wooden frame, Sui Yu had people put all the dried bathtubs under the frame and then covered it with a linen tent.
Gan Da and Gan Er were the first to bring out a jar of honey. The two brothers lifted the honey jar together and poured the honey onto the linen. Then, a dripping sound was heard in the bathtub.
"The night watchman should keep an eye out and come over to check every hour." Sui Yu instructed.
Everything was arranged, she went into the house to sleep, and Song Xian followed her, fanning herself with a bamboo fan.
Two days later, Zuo Duhou's men delivered five hundred small jars, two hundred of which were celadon jars. They were of different sizes, but not much different. Half of them showed signs of use.
"Did your master collect this?" Sui Yu asked.
The servant nodded. "It has been washed. Madam, please be careful not to bump or scratch it. The porcelain jar is valuable and time is running out. We can't find more."
Sui Yu tapped it lightly with his fingers, and the sound was crisp, unlike the muffled sound of a clay pot.
"Okay, I got it." She withdrew her hand. "When the next batch of pottery jars arrive, you can take these away and bring the money as well."
The servant agreed and drove the carriage away, leaving deep ruts on the wet road.
Song Xian came over to look at the porcelain jar. The glaze was smooth, and even on a rainy day, the jar did not look dull at all.
"This is a porcelain jar. Only the government can buy it, right? Can we get a wholesale supply by contacting Zuo Duhou?"
"Don't be too greedy. We can't offer the benefits in exchange." Sui Yu said.
"That's right." Song Xian held up her chin. "Let's talk about it later."
Sui Yu picked up the porcelain jar and smelled it. There was no strange smell, so she moved it over to fill it with honey.
"Master, I've bought the camel hides and oilcloth." Zhang Shun rode back in the rain on his camel and said, "I only bought three camel hides, enough to sew into a large tent, and fifty oilcloths. The oilcloths are thirty coins each, and the camel hides are one hundred and sixty coins each."
"What is the price of camel skin from Dunhuang?" Song Xian asked.
"Eighty cents." Zhang Shun remembered it clearly. He was the one who bought the camel skin before.
"Oh, then the merchants in Chang'an sell it for one hundred and sixty coins, which is not too expensive." Song Xian nodded. "I'll come back next year and bring a batch of camel hides to sell."
"Zhang Shun, you arrange for someone to sew the tents," Sui Yu said. "As for the others, work if you have work to do, and rest if you don't. We'll be heading back to Dunhuang in seven days."
It rained for five days. On the day it stopped, Zuo Duhou came. He not only brought pottery jars and money, but also brought an old man in linen clothes.
"This is Mr. Chen Shannong, his hometown is Longxi County. He used to copy documents for the Huo family, but now he is old and frail and no one wants to hire him anymore. He originally planned to return to his hometown to retire. I saw that Dunhuang and Longxi were not far away, so I advised him to travel in Hexi for a few years, and he agreed." Zuo Duhou spoke rudely. In front of the old man, he talked a lot and exposed the old man's past to prevent him from taking advantage of his age when he went to his new master's house.
Song Xian and Sui Yu exchanged a glance, then she said, "How about Mr. Chen come to my house? I'll pay you a thousand coins a year for your living expenses, and I'll take care of everything, including food, clothing, housing, and transportation. I have a son and a daughter, and you can teach them to read and write. If you want to travel, I'll arrange for servants to escort you."
Mr. Chen said nothing. He glanced at the people present with drooping eyelids and asked, "Only two children?"
"Yes, but my sister has a three-year-old child. Oh, and she also has a fourteen-year-old brother who can already read a few words. I'm afraid they can't learn together with my child." Song Xian replied.
"Who did you learn calligraphy from?" asked Mr. Chen.
"I taught them. I know quite a few words," Sui Yu said. She didn't understand why he was hesitating, but seeing that Song Xian couldn't invite him, she was eager to try and bring him home, so she said, "Are you planning to raise more children? Or do you just like the hustle and bustle? I opened a guesthouse in Dunhuang to accommodate merchants traveling from east to west. Except for summer, merchants stay here three seasons a year. If you like to travel, you can actually talk to the merchants more. They all have their own experiences and knowledge of the customs and landscapes of various places inside and outside the Great Wall."
His sagging eyelids lifted up, and Old Chen became more energetic. Seeing this, Song Xian sighed secretly. Sui Yu asked her to speak first. She didn't get the person back because it was not fate, and she couldn't force it.
"Her guesthouse covers a large area. If you want to teach more children, after you spread the news, the children in the city will have no problem finding a place to stay. My children can also go to the guesthouse to study." Song Xian chimed in.
"Don't teach too many. I'm old and lack energy. Twenty children is enough." Old Chen looked at Sui Yu and said, "I'll go over. Your brother will help me discipline the children."
"Of course." Sui Yu agreed. "The tuition is one thousand coins, and I'll take care of all the food and clothing. If you want to travel, I'll arrange for servants to escort you."
Old Chen nodded, turned around and said, "Please trouble Zuo Duhou to escort me here."
Zuo Duhou put away the bronze mirror, nodded casually, and said, "I've sent the person and the money, and I'm leaving now."
Sui Yu saw him out and said casually, "It's been cooler these past few days, and the pox has subsided a little."
Zuo Duhou smiled and said, "I haven't been on duty these past few days. I've been following your advice, going to bed early and getting up early, and eating a light diet. The acne on my face has gone down a lot."
Sui Yu congratulated him and said, "I'll come back next year, and you might have become a handsome man. By the way, if I come here again to transport honey, how will I find you then?"
"Go to Anpingfang in the West Market and find Cui Tong. Tell him about the honey and he will come looking for me." Zuo Duhou mounted his horse and said, "I wish you a safe journey."
The horse's hooves were flying, and mud spots were falling. Sui Yu took two steps back to avoid them. Before he could say "thank you", the chestnut horse had already run away, and the carriage pulling the honey followed.
Three days later, the servants of Zuodu Hou's family took away the remaining 900 jars of honey. Sui Yu accepted the balance and then bought 28 pieces of silk in Chang'an City at the price of 1,200 coins per piece.
On the seventh day of the seventh month, a caravan of 170 camels left Chang'an carrying cloth and money boxes.
"Uncle, look at the caravan coming our way. Aren't there several women among them?" the merchant walking in front asked. "Is this the caravan led by the little cub's mother?"
"You'll know if you just ask."
"Let's pull over and make way for the people on the other side." Sui Yu turned his head and said to Zhang Shun.
Zhang Shun rode a camel out of the group. He drove the camel back and shouted loudly: "Keep right and make way for the caravan on the opposite side."
"They gave way, and we sped up to get through."
The distance between the two caravans closed. The leading merchant thanked Zhang Shun. His eyes swept over the maids. When he saw Sui Yu's face, he paused and asked, "Are you the shopkeeper Yu of Changgui Inn?"
Sui Yu's eyes lit up, "Yes, it's me."
"Your son looks just like you," the merchant laughed. He took a box from the bag on his hunchback and said, "This is what the boy asked me to bring you."
"Thank you very much." Sui Yu took it with a smile, "Thank you for your help."
"It's nothing. We have children too, so we understand." The merchant withdrew his hand and tentatively asked, "You're returning early, so you're selling your goods quickly? What's the best-selling product in Changan right now?"
"We were lucky. When we entered Chang'an, the Grand Marshal had passed away. At that time, the city's goods were in short supply and sold out in a few days." Sui Yu explained frankly, "By the way, what's the situation outside the Great Wall? Is there a war going on?"
"War? Who told you that? We left in early May and haven't heard of any fighting outside the Great Wall." The merchant shook his head. "It seems there's some chaos in Cheshi, but we didn't take that route, so we didn't encounter any danger."
Sui Yu calculated that she met a postman delivering official documents in the grassland in early April. From early April to early May, a month was enough for the postman to rush back to the border. Could it be that because the Grand Marshal had died, the decision of whether to fight or make peace was still undecided?
"Look what your son gave you." Song Xian leaned over.
Sui Yu came back to her senses and opened the heavy box, which was full of wood chips. She picked up a piece of wood, looked at it, and fell silent.
"What's this painting about? It's all black." Song Xian couldn't understand.
"It's a cat." Sui Yu pointed at the almost unrecognizable words on the bottom of the wood. "This must have been written by Liang Ge'er holding Xiao Zi's hand, or Xiao Zi copied it based on his uncle's handwriting."
Song Xian laughed.
Change the piece of wood, this one has words written by Sui Liang on it: Sister, the broad beans are blooming.
The broad beans were planted in early March, bloomed at the end of April, and at the end of June, the cubs found that some of the pods had swelled up.
"The broad beans are ready to eat." Sui Liang peeled open the pods. The beans were tender. He chewed one and it tasted slightly sweet.
The boy was standing in the broad bean field with his bag on his shoulder, pulling bean pods. He was wearing a straw hat with a wide brim. From the front, his face was completely invisible. When he was covered by the broad bean vines, his body also disappeared.
The big black dog failed to catch the rabbit, so it came back with its tail hanging down and walked to the little master. It twisted its butt and squatted down, sticking out its big tongue and breathing hard.
"You're sitting on my feet." The cub patted it, "Dahei, you're pressing on my feet."
Big Black turned its head and licked him. The cub tried to hide, but the brim of its hat tilted and covered its eyes. He reached out to support it, but the big black dog suddenly moved its butt away. He lost his strength and fell to the ground. He fell down with his straw hat still stuck on the bean vines.
Sui Liang heard the sound and turned around to see the big black dog's head buried under the bean vines. He thought the cub was playing with the dog, so he didn't pay attention.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound of bean sprouts behind him. Sui Liang turned around and saw that the cub was still there. The big black dog came to find him.
"Dahei, don't you want to play with your little master anymore?" Sui Liang peeled a broad bean and threw it to it, saying, "Eat it, it's sweet."
The big black dog wagged its tail and looked at the person crawling under the bean vines.
"What are you looking at? Are there field mice in the field?" A flock of birds flew by. Sui Liang took off his straw hat and looked up, saying, "Go play with your young master. Keep an eye on him and don't be lazy."
The next moment, his ankle was suddenly pinched, and before he could react, his legs were suddenly entangled. Sui Liang screamed in fright, and the kid laughed with joy.
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