Chapter 120 Bao Beiyuan and Jiang Liuding's Village School Opens...
Ultimately, Bao Beiyuan agreed to Ye Li and Jiang Ji's suggestion.
They saved the money to buy shops and settle down.
I often go for walks on the wild jujube slope.
Hmm... Jiang Shun hasn't been home for half a month.
I'll have Jiang Shun go home tomorrow, so he can take the opportunity to meet with Jiang Liu.
He already felt bad for making the girl wait for two years, so since both sides had agreed, they should meet in person first.
Ye Li was very satisfied with this decision.
That's how it should be.
So the next morning, after delivering the drink to Banxianju, Bao Beiyuan drove the rented mule cart to Yezaopo.
Several baskets were placed on the mule cart, but they were all covered with burlap, so even if villagers saw them, they would not know what was inside.
After Ye Li finished making tofu at the workshop, he invited Jiang Liu to his house to help him make glutinous rice balls.
Let's also take a look at the new summer shirt he designed for Jiang Ya.
So, when the mule cart stopped in front of Ye Li's house, Ye Li, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Ya were making glutinous rice balls under the shed next to the well.
Uncle Ye and Ye Liang are washing the chives.
The mule cart stopped, and Jiang Shunxian called out, "Brother Li! We're back."
Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Ya exclaimed "Oh dear!" and reacted faster than anyone else. He waved his little hands, which were covered in glutinous rice flour, got up from the small stool, and ran towards the courtyard gate.
Brother Shun and Brother Bao are here!
Jiang Liu's cheeks turned red and her forehead broke out in sweat from the shout.
Just then, Ye Li looked at her and, seeing her expression, comforted her, saying, "Don't be nervous, it's not like we haven't met before."
Jiang Liu nodded, took a deep breath, and tried to bring her rapidly beating heart back to a normal rhythm.
Yes, it's not like we've never met before.
Bao Beiyuan had seen her in a disheveled state, sweating profusely as she pushed the stone mill.
She had also witnessed Bao Beiyuan's heartbreaking moments, when he cried his eyes out.
The handkerchief that Bao Beiyuan used to wipe his tears and snot was washed by her.
Although this marriage was a step up for her.
But as a woman seeking a husband and the pillar of her family, she couldn't afford to panic or lose her composure, even in the face of this situation.
Stay calm!
Be calm and composed!
With that thought, she took another deep breath, and the pounding in her heart subsided considerably.
She said to Ye Li, "I understand."
Ye Li smiled and said, "Then I'll get up and greet you."
At this moment, Jiang Shun entered the courtyard carrying a basket in each hand.
Ye Liang and Ye Adie also arrived at the courtyard gate.
As for Jiang Ya, he had already run to the mule cart.
Bao Beiyuan handed him a basket, which he stretched out his little arms to hug, and used his little belly to brace it so it wouldn't fall off: "Brother Bao, what's in here? It's so heavy."
“It’s sugar and salt,” Bao Beiyuan explained.
The first time he came to the Jiang family, he bought two catties of sugarcane and a large windmill.
So Jiang Ya wasn't surprised to hear that the basket was filled with sugar.
As for salt, it is also an essential and valuable item, and it is not unusual for it to be given as a gift when visiting relatives.
Jiang Ya didn't ask any more questions, and with her pregnant belly sticking out, she carried the basket into the yard.
Bao Beiyuan unloaded the last two baskets from the mule cart and went into the yard.
His gaze swept across the room and immediately spotted Jiang Liu following behind Ye Li.
Jiang Liu's cheeks were flushed, but her bright eyes were fixed on him without flinching; instead, she wore a faint smile.
He couldn't help but laugh too.
Ye Li took in this scene and was very satisfied.
He greeted him, "Have a seat, it's so hot, are you thirsty? Brother, go and fetch the watermelon from the well."
Ye Liang smiled and agreed.
However, Jiang Shun didn't have time to eat watermelon; he hadn't been home for so long and really missed it.
He took an oil paper package from one of the baskets, greeted Ye Li, and then ran off.
He ran fast, so Ye Li could only say to Bao Beiyuan, "Xiao Yuan, then you should eat a few more pieces later."
Ye Adie laughed and said, "It's not good to eat a bellyful of cold watermelon. The fish in the pot is almost done stewing. Then cook some glutinous rice balls and stir-fry some chives and eggs, and we can eat."
"Save room for dinner."
That makes sense.
Ye Li then said, "Xiao Liu, take these rolled glutinous rice balls to the back of the house to cook. Xiao Yuan, go and help her start the fire."
Jiang Liu's face flushed slightly upon hearing this.
But she readily agreed, went back to the kitchen, brought out a ceramic basin, and swept the glutinous rice balls from the cutting board into the basin.
Upon seeing this, Bao Beiyuan also said, "Then I will carry the bucket over."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you two."
Ye Li smiled and sat down at the counter again: "Ya-ge'er, come on, let's wrap up the rest of these glutinous rice balls. Your sister Liu can take them with you after the meal."
Jiang Ya quickly agreed and ran off to wash her little hands.
On the other side, Jiang Liu carried the ceramic basin to the shed behind the new house.
Bao Beiyuan followed, carrying a bucket of water.
Jiang Liu first scrubbed the iron pot, then poured the clean water from the bucket into it.
After that, she had no work.
The glutinous rice balls can only be added when the water boils.
Bao Beiyuan lit the fire.
Looking up, he saw her standing by the stove, her body turned to the side with her back to him. He said, "Sit down. This isn't the first time we've met."
"……good."
Jiang Liu moved a small stool over from the side.
This time, she didn't turn her back to Bao Beiyuan; instead, she sat diagonally opposite him.
She looked up at Bao Beiyuan.
Bao Beiyuan was also looking at her.
Their eyes met, but neither of them looked away in alarm.
It's definitely not the first time we've met.
However, as men and women of marriageable age, they had always avoided suspicion and had never openly stared at each other.
Now that things were finally settled, the two stared at each other intently, scrutinizing each other several times, as if it were the first time they had met.
Bao Beiyuan, who is handsome, had taken the time to groom himself today, and looked quite refreshed.
After Jiang Liu finished ordering the tofu, she went home and changed into a lake-green long dress, which made her look less capable and more gentle.
After looking them over, a sense of shyness crept into both of their hearts.
Both of them lowered their eyes, their faces feeling a little hot.
Bao Beiyuan rubbed his hands, somewhat ashamed, and said, "I... I've been pampered by my parents since I was little. After my father passed away, my brothers Sheng, Ji, and Li all took good care of me, so I've never had to take on any responsibility."
"Although I'm of marriageable age, compared to you, I'm like an eggplant in autumn, easily withered by a frost."
"But you are as resilient as wild grass, unyielding to fire and undeterred by the scorching sun."
"I am not as good as you."
Jiang Liu: "..."
She chuckled softly, "As a farmer, I dislike weeds the most."
These words startled Bao Beiyuan, who then blushed with embarrassment and quickly explained, "I was praising you, I didn't mean to belittle you!"
"I know."
Jiang Liu stopped laughing and said seriously, "You're right, I am indeed a weed, resilient, but I really do compete with crops for nutrients."
“You say you’re not good at taking responsibility, but you’re also hardworking, kind, gentle, and generous. These qualities are enough to make you a good husband.”
"When judging a person, look at both sides; don't just focus on their shortcomings."
"Besides, with such good days right now, there's nothing to worry about."
Bao Beiyuan: "..."
He stared blankly at Jiang Liu.
He felt ashamed; he was indeed inferior to Jiang Liu.
But the emotion was even stronger.
He pursed his lips and said earnestly, "Yes, there is. I will be a husband and a father, and I will definitely take on these responsibilities. I will never let you and the child suffer any injustice."
"And Uncle Dahe and Aunt Erxiang will also treat them like their own parents."
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cloth bag, about the size of his palm.
He got up, took a few steps to Jiang Liu, and handed her the small cloth bag: "This is the bracelet I bought yesterday, take it."
"I originally wanted to buy a pair of gold, but I need to save money to buy a shop, so I'll have to make do with this for now."
His actions were somewhat unexpected by Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu was initially shy about the word "child," but to her surprise, he immediately pulled out a pair of silver bracelets.
Jiang Liu forgot her shyness and accepted the cloth bag with a smile.
She was at the age where she loved jewelry, especially since this piece of jewelry was bought by her future husband.
Overjoyed, she carefully opened the cloth bag, revealing a sparkling bracelet inside.
The bracelet is an open, plain band with no decorations.
Bao Beiyuan said, "This kind is inconspicuous, so you can wear it anytime."
"After we buy the shop, I'll buy you something even more exquisite."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey. She happily said, "Silver ones are also excellent. I don't have a silver bracelet yet."
"As for the shop, I've saved up some money, over a hundred taels. If you see a suitable one, don't borrow from Brother Li, just use mine."
Her wages in the workshop were not high, thirty coins a day.
Adding the thirty coins for making taro paste, the total monthly cost is only one thousand eight hundred coins.
The main reason I was able to save so much money was by turning eggs.
Now her house is filled with jars of preserved eggs, and she doesn't have to split the profits with Ye Li. She can earn at least a thousand coins for a thousand preserved eggs—just like Boss Yue, though she sells them to out-of-town merchants for a slightly lower price.
Her cousin often brought her eggs, and Jiang Dahe went to the county town to buy eggs almost every day. In this way, she could make 10,000 preserved eggs a month, which would amount to 10 taels of silver per month.
She could have done so much more if the venue hadn't limited her.
She doesn't spend much money on a daily basis, and she saves all the money she earns, which now amounts to more than one hundred taels.
She added, "You and Xiaoshun don't need to work so hard. Take care of yourselves. I can earn money too."
Bao Beiyuan felt a warm glow in his heart upon hearing her words, but he still had to refuse: "How can I use yours? People will laugh at me if word gets out. I can save up my own money."
"Let's keep it a secret and not let it get out, okay? We're all family, no need to be formal. You can take it and use it."
Jiang Liudao.
Upon hearing this, Bao Beiyuan scratched his head: "Let's talk about it later. There's no sign of a shop yet."
"Alright, I'll let Brother Li know. If you're looking for him, then have him look for me."
Jiang Liu smiled.
Bao Beiyuan: "..."
Silly girl, you're not even married yet, and you're already giving him your dowry.
If his father were alive, he would surely love such a daughter-in-law.
...
He cherishes the person in front of him; he will never let such a sincere girl down in this lifetime.
After we finished discussing the important matters, the water in the pot boiled.
Jiang Liu simply put on the bracelet, then got up and started making glutinous rice balls.
Meanwhile, Father Ye had also prepared lunch.
At this moment, Jiang Dahe, unable to contain himself any longer, rushed over.
Bao Beiyuan bought a lot of things today:
Ten catties of sugar and ten catties of salt cost five hundred coins just for these two items.
There was also a jar of rice wine and two catties of tea.
The rice wine is good, but a jar costs over 300 coins.
But tea was even more expensive, costing as much as three taels of silver per pound.
Although this tea cannot compare to the seven-ounce-per-pound tea that Yu Cai usually drinks, for an ordinary family, this price is definitely top-quality.
There were also two pig hind legs—one of which was for Ye Li.
For Jiang Dahe, there was little difference between tea that cost three taels of silver per kilogram and tea that cost tens of coins per kilogram.
Instead of wasting money on this, we might as well buy pork instead.
But this was a token of his future son-in-law's goodwill.
And there's the silver bracelet in Jiang Liu's hand.
All of this shows that Bao Beiyuan was satisfied with the marriage.
Therefore, he was unusually quiet and sat down at the table with a ruddy complexion. When he drank the fish soup, he slurped so loudly it was as loud as slurping noodles.
Jiang Dahe is a lucky man; he's already drinking half a cup as a tribute.
He was happy!
As for buying the shop, his opinion was the same as Jiang Liu's.
We're all family now, why be so formal?
If you find something suitable, buy it.
Bao Beiyuan was deeply moved by their concern.
This is definitely what family looks like.
With this solid foundation, Bao Beiyuan returned a week later when the county school was on holiday.
This time, he used the pretext of giving Ye Li a share of the profits, and Jiang Ji happened to be home, so he naturally invited her to stay for dinner.
This time, Jiang Dahe, Liang Erxiang, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Yu were all there. Liang Erxiang and Jiang Liu even made him two pairs of shoes.
He had to deliver goods to Banxianju every day and also go out to sell his wares on the street, which wore out his shoes a lot throughout the year.
Moreover, he is still growing, so he needs to change his shoes every year.
For him, giving shoes as a gift is more practical than giving anything else.
Holding the two pairs of shoes, he was deeply moved.
As expected of family, they understand his thoughts.
However, ever since his mother passed away, all his clothes and shoes have been custom-made by a embroiderer he knew well.
From now on, he will be able to wear the clothes his family makes for him.
very nice.
The day after this meeting, Jiang Liu approached Ye Li.
She wanted to learn to read.
She and Bao Beiyuan, one was a village girl, and the other was a young master.
Bao Beiyuan's previous discussion on wild grass demonstrated that the two men had significant differences in their perspectives on the same thing.
She couldn't change what had happened before, but she wanted to try her best to learn some words so she could keep up with Bao Beiyuan's conversation in the future.
She will no longer farm.
She was not prepared to discuss crops or farming with Bao Beiyuan.
Of course, she couldn't talk about the Four Books and Five Classics either.
But at the very least, she should be able to read the ledgers, right?
If they really get married, then she'll be the owner of the beverage shop.
It's no longer good to pretend to be blind.
Jiang Liu was ambitious, and Ye Li naturally supported her.
Coincidentally, the village school is also about to be built, and at that time, anyone who wants to learn to read, regardless of age or gender, can go and study.
In the first half of the year, he added some dragon-bone waterwheels to the village and dug more than 20 wells.
But all of this didn't cost much.
Nowadays, the workshop's monthly profit is about eighteen taels of silver, due to increased production and the fact that the village school teacher has not yet arrived.
So the money to build the village school was saved up in just two months.
This time, the entire village pitched in to build the village school, which saved a lot of money on labor.
As for the selection of the Master, that was naturally entrusted to Jiang Ji.
Jiang Fuzheng consulted the opinions of the entire village beforehand. If many people wanted to take the imperial examination, then they should spend more money to hire a high-level tutor.
If everyone just wants to learn simple characters and understand principles, then they should hire a teacher of average ability.
Nowadays, the whole village is immersed in the madness of making preserved eggs—they can earn more than ten or even twenty taels a month. How can anyone stay calm?
We must go crazy! We have to go crazy!
Is your house too small to store preserved eggs?
No problem.
Setting up a temporary shelter in the backyard is perfectly fine.
Or, like Ye Li, one could tear down one of the walls and expand their yard outwards.
It can be done in two or three days.
In short, villagers are now reluctant to even renovate their own houses, focusing solely on making money.
Many villagers found it difficult to decide whether to pursue the imperial examinations.
In this situation, there's no need to spend extra money to hire a highly skilled tutor; finding someone decent will suffice.
When the first autumn rain fell, the village school was finally completed.
The village school is located on an open space on the north side of the village, and its area is about the same as that of an ordinary farmhouse.
There are five brick and tile houses inside.
Two rooms were used as lecture halls, one as the teacher's office, one as a bedroom, and one as a kitchen.
There are also wells and vegetable gardens.
It has everything you could need.
The ground is also paved with mud bricks, which is quite flat and won't get muddy on rainy days.
Jiang Fuzheng offered a salary of three liang per month, plus a thousand jin of corn per year.
For an adult male, with some fruits and vegetables, that would be more than enough.
New house, meals and accommodation included, and close to the county town.
Peng Ximing was quite tempted by this offer after hearing about it.
This is the village school of his dreams!
However, he is now one of the semi-retired landlords and doesn't have time to come and teach.
In the end, Jiang Ji found someone at the county school.
This fellow's name is Lü Xiang. He is also from a farming family, but his situation is much better than Peng Ximing's, and similar to Shi Yi's.
He studied at the county school for more than ten years and had reached the age of forty.
He felt deeply guilty that he was still being supported by his parents, wife, and children at his age.
He learned by chance that Jiang Ji was looking for a teacher for the village school, so he quickly signed up.
Three taels of silver a month, that's thirty-six taels a year, plus a thousand catties of grain—that's a very generous allowance!
Lu Xiang actively applied for the job, and Jiang Ji conducted a thorough interview, confirming that Lu Xiang had a certain level of competence. After further interviews with Jiang Fuzheng and Ye Li, the position was finally filled.
The Master took his place.
The students also need to take their places.
To encourage villagers to enroll in school, Jiang Fuzheng also offered a huge reward:
Those with outstanding performance may be appointed as the workshop's accountant.
As soon as this pie was announced, every household sent their children to private schools.
Although the workshop's income is not as good as that of the eggs at present, this is only for now.
Now that farm tools have been purchased, wells have been dug, and village schools have been built, the workshop's monthly surplus of ten taels of silver belongs to the employees.
It can be distributed either as a holiday gift or as a year-end bonus.
If wages, holiday gifts, and year-end bonuses are added together, an employee can earn about fifteen taels of silver from the workshop throughout the year.
Is this a small amount of silver?
Quite a few!
Moreover, even if you only work half a day, you can still earn money in winter.
Therefore, from six years old to married children, anyone who felt they could compete for the position of accountant entered the private school.
There were more than fifty people in total.
Jiang Fuzheng was quite pleased.
With so many literate people suddenly appearing in the village, Yezaopo is truly thriving!
However, Jiang Mai remained at the private school in the county town and did not transfer to the village school.
Jiang Ya didn't join in the fun either.
Liu Yi is about to give birth, and Father Ye has returned to the Ye family. Now only he and Ye Li are left at home. As a good younger brother, he can't let Ye Li do all the housework alone.
Furthermore, he also had to work in a workshop and learn needlework.
He's so busy every day that he doesn't have time to read.
Ye Li is quite busy too.
After Father Ye returned to the Ye family, Zhang Xian took his place.
After six months of observation, Zhang Xian's cousin-in-law was found to be cheerful, hardworking, and considerate.
He had already started helping Jiang Tong make preserved eggs, but now that there weren't enough people, Ye Li asked him to take over Ye Adi's job.
Ye Li's taro paste workshop also started operating.
For the first batch of taro, I ordered 50,000 jin.
They brought it back by waterway; Zheng's Grain Shop hauled it back in one boat.
Based on last year's experience, Banxianju sells 600 jin of taro paste every day with ease.
But this year, with Liu Yi and Uncle Ye missing, in order to produce 600 catties of taro paste per day, Ye Li not only took the lead himself, but he also let Zhang Xian take over Uncle Ye's work.
Zheng's Grain Shop brought back 100,000 catties of taro this time. The extra 50,000 catties of taro attracted the interest not only from restaurants, eateries, beverage shops, and snack shops, but also from some families who enjoy good food.
Taro paste is profitable and often unavailable, so now that taro is readily available, many people want to try making it.
Making taro paste is really simple: just boil the taro, then mash it into a paste, and you're done.
The taro paste is smooth and doesn't have the fibrous texture of sweet potato. Even with just a little sugar, it's still delicious.
Some beverage shops have actually introduced taro paste as a side dish.
The dim sum shop has also added new items.
Other restaurants and eateries have also gradually introduced dishes related to taro paste.
However, the business of semi-idle residences was not significantly affected.
Other people's taro paste, without the trick of using condensed milk, tastes somewhat inferior to that of Banxianju.
In addition, the egg tarts are a unique recipe exclusive to Banxianju.
Therefore, those who truly love taro paste and have the money should choose to spend it at Banxianju.
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