Chapter 98 Peng Ximing's ideas are a good match
Ye Li did this because of Yu Cai's attitude.
Yu Cai only said that she would never take the initiative to inquire about the Peng family's situation, but she did not say that she disliked or resisted Peng Ximing.
This means there's hope.
Since this person was recommended by Ye Li, Ye Li would definitely help to find out about the Peng family's background.
After listening to Ye Li's words, Jiang Ji immediately gave him a thumbs up: "You always have the most ideas."
"I'll talk to him about this this afternoon. It's almost Chinese New Year, so preserved eggs will definitely sell very well."
In this way, one can learn about the Peng family's situation without leaving a trace, without making a sound, and without lifting a finger.
wonderful!
Ye Li said modestly, "The main reason is that there are ready-made examples."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "When you talk to him, also make a promise to him... no, this isn't just making a promise, it's handing him a cake."
This is someone chasing after Peng Ximing to feed him cakes.
“Selling preserved eggs in other towns may result in slower returns, but if we offer some discounts, earning an ounce or two a month is not a problem.”
“If you sell for a year, you can earn at least twelve taels of silver. By then, the Peng family’s financial situation will improve, and his family will definitely arrange a marriage for him.”
"Ask him what kind of partner he likes, and subtly ask him if he wants to be a kept man."
Jiang Ji agreed: "Okay."
This is indeed very necessary.
After finishing their business, the waiter brought over the noodles the two had ordered.
Ye Li then brought up matters concerning her family.
The daily output of taro paste suddenly increased to 350 catties, and the daily profit increased by 500 coins.
But this number should be the limit.
Of course, this limit does not mean that sales have reached their limit. You should know that the permanent population of Beiyang County is three to four hundred thousand, and if you include the surrounding towns and villages, the total population is close to one million.
Although 90% of the people here can't afford taro paste, the remaining 10% is enough to consume 350 jin of taro paste.
The limit he mentioned refers to the limited stock of taro; at 350 catties per day, it could only be sold for 57 days.
But in reality, it can't be sold for that many days.
His family and Yu Cai's side both have daily expenses.
We can't just sell them in the store; they need to eat them themselves too. The Lunar New Year is coming soon, so we need to prepare more taro paste desserts.
Also, Laba Festival is just around the corner. This time, in addition to rice, noodles, and meat, we also need to prepare some porridge ingredients for the festival gifts.
Jiang Ji was present when the festival gifts were distributed this time.
As they talked, the meal was finished. Ye Li escorted Jiang Ji to the entrance of the county school, gave him a few more instructions, and then slowly drove back to the village, whipping his whip.
Jiang Ji entered the county school, and he first went to the kitchen to get a bowl of hot water.
However, Peng Ximing no longer comes to the kitchen to fetch water.
Although I'm busy living a semi-retired life, I still have time to drink some water.
Moreover, Peng Ximing couldn't leave too early, so lately he'd been entering the classroom right when the bell rang for class.
He slowly finished his water, returned to the lecture hall, and picked up the anthology of contemporary articles he had bought last time to read.
I was so engrossed in watching that I didn't realize the bell for class had already rung.
He looked up toward the door and, sure enough, Peng Ximing stepped into the lecture hall before Lin Xuezheng.
Peng Ximing sat in the last row. He had run back and was covered in sweat in the dead of winter. At this moment, he was not only out of breath and his cheeks were flushed, but his chest was also bulging.
It contained flatbread.
His business was booming today, so he didn't have time to eat and could only bring the pancakes back with him.
At that moment, Lin Xuezheng's voice rang out.
Jiang Ji then looked away, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts. He pulled out the Analects commentary he had used that morning and began to listen attentively.
Lin Xuezheng would speak for half an hour.
As the bell rang to signal the end of the break, Lin Xuezheng slowly walked out of the lecture hall with his hands behind his back.
There are two classes in the afternoon, with a 15-minute break in between.
Taking advantage of the moment, Peng Ximing quickly took out the cake from his pocket and hurriedly ran to the kitchen, intending to eat it with hot water.
Jiang Ji followed.
There were only a few people in the dining hall. In the dead of winter, students rarely sweated, and not many people came to replenish their water during breaks.
After Peng Ximing finished fetching hot water, he turned around and saw Jiang Ji enter the kitchen. He was a little surprised: "Brother Jiang, you're here too."
Jiang Ji walked over to him, sat down at the table with him, and said, "Brother Peng, I have something to tell you."
"Huh? What's up?"
Peng Ximing asked as he unwrapped the oil paper covering the cake.
"You eat first, we can talk while you eat," Jiang Ji said, pointing to the oil paper package.
"good."
Peng Ximing agreed.
He was starving, and without any hesitation, he grabbed a large pancake and took a big bite.
The flatbread had cooled down, but it became even chewier. It also contained salt, so it was salty.
The more he chewed, the more fragrant it became. He picked up the bowl and took a sip of hot water.
The hot water was a bit too hot to drink, but once it entered my mouth, the temperature instantly became just right when it met the cold pancake.
After chewing a few times, he swallowed the biscuit with a satisfied look on his face.
tasty!
Jiang Ji was deeply moved by what he saw.
He used to be like Peng Ximing, often unable to even get a hot meal.
Moreover, he was eating a tough vegetable bun at the time.
Fortunately, I met Ye Li...
Thinking of Ye Li, he didn't delay any longer and said, "Brother Peng, I have a classmate at Chen's School named Shi Yi, his family..."
He briefly explained how Old Man Shi bought preserved eggs and took them to town to sell, and then said, "If you're interested, you can also have your family come and buy some preserved eggs to sell in town."
"With the Chinese New Year just around the corner, sales will definitely be better than usual."
After saying this, Peng Ximing was stunned.
At first, when Jiang Ji told him that the Shi family could earn one or two taels of silver a month, he was filled with envy.
Before he could even think about his own family, Jiang Ji invited the Peng family to go to Yezaopo to buy preserved eggs!
A giant meat pie fell from the sky...
The meat pie smells just as good as the ones at Banxianju (a restaurant chain) that are hiring staff!
When he came to his senses, his eyes reddened in an instant: "Brother Jiang, how...how can I thank you?"
"I have no ability and no future prospects, so I can't help you much. But... if you ever need my help in the future, you must ask me, Brother Jiang!"
Good people.
A great philanthropist.
But his status and abilities were too lowly for him to repay even the slightest bit!
Seeing him choke up, Jiang Ji said seriously, "Brother Peng, I only wanted to lend a helping hand because I saw that your situation was the same as mine before. I don't care whether you can repay me or not."
"Moreover, you already have achieved fame and success, which is better than many people in this world. Why belittle yourself? You are still young and have a bright future ahead of you."
These few words left Peng Ximing both puzzled and heartbroken.
What's puzzling is that Jiang Ji was in the same situation as him before?
Jiang Ji's consolation was bittersweet.
Is he better than many people in the world?
Indeed, he was, after all, a scholar.
But there is great potential?
He took a deep breath, shook his head with a bitter smile, and said, "You don't know my family's situation. My family is poor, very poor. My uncle and my two maternal uncles, four families in total, supported my education. Over the years, my family has accumulated a lot of debt."
"After finally passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar, my father broke his leg. Not only did he lose a laborer, but we also spent a lot of money to treat his leg."
"Because of this, my second brother broke off the engagement."
"My younger sister also refuses to get married; she wants to stay at home and work for another two years."
Jiang Ji: "..."
Now it was his turn to be stunned. Was this really the situation with the Peng family?
Peng Ximing continued with red eyes, "I opened a small private school at home to earn money and take care of my father. I thought that would be my life, but my father was not willing to give up and insisted that I try to go to the county school."
"But even after I came, I spent far less time reading each day than my classmates."
"I originally planned to stay at the county school for two years and then pack up and leave."
“Brother Jiang, I have no future, but if there is anything you need from me, you must ask, and I will never refuse.”
"If I try to refuse, then let me fall too..."
"etc!"
Jiang Ji stopped him before he could finish making the solemn oath.
Ye Li and I were trying to set him up with Yu Cai, but if he broke his leg too, then our efforts to match them up would definitely be in vain.
Seeing that Peng Ximing had stopped talking, Jiang Ji said solemnly, "Brother Peng, I know you are excited, but there is no need to make such a vow. I believe you."
"The suffering of the past will soon be over. From now on, by relying on the egg-changing and semi-retired lifestyle, your family can earn twenty taels of silver a year. In a few years, your family's situation will definitely improve."
"At that time, all three of you siblings will surely find good marriage partners."
Twenty taels of silver.
This number made Peng Ximing laugh out loud.
That's right. He worked the whole day and was paid the same as the other workers, forty-six coins a day.
He can earn an ounce or two just during the half-month of the Lunar New Year holiday.
And then there's that 'chang dan' (a type of yolk egg), that's a yolk egg, everyone in the county knows it.
The well-off families in their town must know about this food. When his brother delivers the preserved eggs to town, they'll sell like hotcakes without any introduction.
The path ahead, which had been completely dark, suddenly became brightly lit, so bright that he couldn't help but show a look of joy.
"Then I'll take your kind words and arrange the marriages for my second brother and younger sister first. It's my fault as the eldest brother for delaying them."
"And what about you? Don't you think about yourself?"
Jiang Ji asked casually.
Peng Ximing shook his head: "Let's talk about it later. With my qualifications, I can't be too picky."
As he spoke, he brought the cold flatbread to his mouth and took a big bite. It was delicious!
"So what kind of person do you like? I know a lot of people here, maybe I'll find someone suitable."
Jiang Ji still acted as if he were just asking casually.
Upon hearing this, Peng Ximing continued to shake his head and said, "Brother, I need to arrange the marriages of my second brother and younger sister first. This will cost a lot of money. My family will need to earn it for at least three years."
"By then I'll be a thirty-year-old man, and I won't have the face to marry a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, sigh."
The road ahead is not the same as the future.
It would take a year to earn twenty taels of silver.
Moreover, there are expenses involved; he has to pay tuition.
In that case, he can only consider himself three years later.
What choice will he have then?
Marry whoever comes along.
These overly realistic words left Jiang Ji speechless for a moment.
Jiang Ji had experienced poverty and understood that this was reality.
Even if he and Ye Liken lend a hand, the Peng family will still need several years to recover.
He frowned inwardly; the topic was too heavy. Should he continue asking...?
Just as he was hesitating, Peng Ximing smiled and said, "Brother, to tell you the truth, lately I've been fantasizing that a rich young man will fall from the sky and take a liking to me for no reason, so I won't have to work hard anymore."
Jiang Ji: "..."
A question mark slowly appeared above his head.
I thought I had misheard.
Seeing his surprise, Peng Ximing smiled and explained, "This was what I was thinking when I was tired and hungry. I was hoping to hit the jackpot every day."
"I'm not hungry now, and you've given me a hand, but after thinking it over carefully, hey, I think I'll just keep daydreaming."
Reality cannot be imagined.
Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.
"...If you really have this idea, then I'll help you keep an eye out for it?"
Jiang Ji understood his thoughts and almost burst out laughing.
“Sure.” Peng Ximing nodded generously and said with a smile, “Just keep an eye out, what if such a good thing really happens?”
"If such a good thing really exists, would you, a mere scholar, really accept this gigolo? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
"Let them laugh. Anyway, I've already eaten, so it's my stomach that's full."
As he spoke, Peng Ximing took another bite of the flatbread.
Those who have never been hungry know how delicious food is.
After his sudden "enlightenment," Jiang Ji asked, "So, what are your requirements for the other party?"
"How could I dare to make any demands on something so amazing that I could only dream of it?"
"You should tell us, just in case there really is such a person?" Jiang Ji continued to ask.
"Then shouldn't I treat him like a goddess and take good care of him every day?"
"Really?" Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Of course it’s true.” Peng Ximing nodded, took a bite of his pancake, and explained, “I wouldn’t even dare to dream of being a young man from one of the surrounding villages, let alone a young man from a wealthy family.”
"If a guy like that really takes a liking to me, then I'm incredibly lucky, and my ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke."
“If I don’t serve you well, even my ancestors will jump up and beat me.”
Jiang Ji: "...No need for that."
Peng Ximing laughed upon hearing this: "Anyway, I should thank them for helping me out."
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out and see which well-off young man is interested in you."
Jiang Ji was relieved and said so.
"Then I'll leave it to you, brother!"
Peng Ximing said with a smile.
How could any rich young man possibly be interested in him?
What does that rich guy want from him?
A handsome young man like Jiang Ji is more worthy of the affections of a rich young man.
However, it's daytime now.
Daydreaming, daydreaming, of course you can dream during the day.
But that topic was too abstract, so he asked about the egg-changing thing.
This is more practical!
His home is in Daqiao Town, which is quite far from the county seat. Even by mule cart, it takes three hours to walk there.
Moreover, if he were to go home, he would have to ask Manager Yu for leave.
More importantly, he couldn't come up with the money to buy the preserved eggs right away.
Small eggs cost two coins each, and large eggs cost three coins each. If you buy a thousand eggs, assuming half are large and half are small, the cost would be two taels and five mace.
Therefore, he needs to think about it carefully.
Peng Ximing's worries were naturally no big deal to Jiang Ji.
Through the conversation just now, Jiang Ji was even more certain of Peng Ximing's character.
Peng Ximing's first reaction was to repay him, which shows that Peng Ximing knows how to be grateful.
Moreover, he was willing to treat the rich young man who had taken a liking to him with great respect. Wasn't this exactly what Manager Yu had been hoping for?
This couple has a good chance of getting along.
Since that's the case, Ye Li and I should definitely lend a hand.
In addition, it's also a way to verify things.
So he said, "How about this, after the county school's New Year holiday, I'll deliver the preserved eggs to your house by cart. As for the money for the preserved eggs, you don't need to rush to give it to me."
"Anyway, you're at the county school, so I'm not afraid you'll run away."
"...How could I possibly accept this?"
Peng Ximing was startled and quickly shook his head.
He couldn't possibly ask Jiang Ji to help him this much!
His relationship with Jiang Ji wasn't that deep!
He refused decisively, leaving Jiang Ji with no choice but to bring up his own family's past experiences in order to persuade him to change his mind.
“Brother Peng, when I see you, it’s like I’m seeing my past self. Just think of me as helping my former self.”
Peng Ximing had no idea about Jiang Ji's past before, only that Jiang Ji had married a husband who was particularly good at making money. After hearing Jiang Ji's story, he felt complicated.
He felt he had suffered enough.
Compared to Jiang Ji, he had both parents alive, and he was already twenty-one years old when his father had the accident.
Unlike Jiang Ji, who was only thirteen years old at the time and had two younger brothers.
I can't even imagine how Jiang Ji managed to get through it!
Moreover, despite experiencing such suffering, he remains so kind and benevolent.
He said earnestly, "Brother, you deserve the good life you have now."
"Then don't refuse. I'm just helping out," Jiang Ji said with a smile.
"good!"
Peng Ximing nodded.
He will forever remember this kindness!
Having finalized such a big matter, Peng Ximing walked much more briskly after leaving the kitchen, and he had more energy to work at Banxianju in the evening.
When Ye Li came over the next day, she learned about the conversation between the two from Jiang Ji and nodded in agreement.
Jiang Ji made the right arrangements.
Talk is cheap; I have to go to the Peng family's house in person to see for myself.
However, Peng Ximing and Yu Cai are indeed a good match.
Peng Ximing has experience in caring for people with mobility issues.
Moreover, this person is not ungrateful; they know how to be grateful!
However, now that he has brought this matter to light, it is unknown what Yu Cai's attitude towards Peng Ximing will be.
So, before the Laba Festival holiday, Ye Li spent his days wandering around Banxianju.
On one occasion, he even ran into Wu Fulang.
Although Wu Fulang's face showed the marks of time, he was still handsome and had a cool demeanor. Judging from his appearance alone, one would never imagine that he had a big argument with County Magistrate Yu.
Wu Fulang treated Ye Li very kindly, not only thanking him for often coming to keep Yu Cai company, but also inviting him to visit the Wu family when he had time.
Ye Li nodded repeatedly. Given his relationship with Yu Cai, he knew he had to make a trip to the Wu family this Chinese New Year.
As for Yu Cai herself, there was nothing unusual about her.
On a daily basis, they either keep accounts or painstakingly patrol between the three floors to listen to the diners' true thoughts.
Banxianju is now a booming business, with some people coming specifically for the taro cakes.
However, for the sake of overall profits, Banxianju does not sell taro cakes separately, so the business is packed from morning to afternoon.
There are fewer people around dusk.
Time flies by, and soon it was the day before Laba Festival.
Early in the morning, Ye Li, along with Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, Jiang Fuzheng and Jiang Mantang, went to the county town.
Today they are buying holiday gifts to welcome Jiang Ji.
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