Xiao Yunying asked how the children were found.
The village chief gave a brief explanation.
It turned out that the boat carrying the children stopped in the next city for a day and a half to buy some things before being overtaken by the soldiers.
Xiao Yunying asked, "Can you find out who bought these children?"
The village chief shook his head: "I didn't ask about that."
"I see..."
She was also hoping to find out who bought the children, so that she could maybe bring back the children who had been trafficked before.
Since it was almost lunchtime, the two families expressed their gratitude and then left.
After seeing her family off, Xiao Yunying returned to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
In the afternoon, Xiao Yunying took Zheng Yunwan for a walk around the vegetable greenhouse and their own land, and introduced her to the other farmhands.
With nothing to do after returning home, she took out her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and drew several clothing patterns in the waiting room.
Zheng Yunwan watched with great interest, her gaze gradually shifting from the paper to Xiao Yunying's face.
The gaze was so intense that Xiao Yunying had to stop writing and ask, "What are you looking at?"
Zheng Yunwan blushed: "I... I was watching Sister Yunying draw, it's so beautiful."
Xiao Yunying smiled leisurely, lowered her head and continued drawing, saying, "I saw you writing last time and you were still a bit rusty. Do you want to practice your handwriting?"
When Zheng Yunwan signed the indenture, her handwriting was almost identical to Luo Xin's.
However, given her physical condition, it's already quite an achievement that she can recognize even a few characters.
Zheng Yunwan was somewhat surprised: "Can I?"
"Why can't we do that?"
"But... they all told me that it's useless for girls to be literate and educated, saying that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent..."
"here we go again."
Xiao Yunying put down her pen and said, "This is not what they want you to know. It means that if a woman lacks talent, then we should look at her character."
The previous sentence is "A man's virtue is his talent." This sentence means that a man who is capable should prioritize virtue and use talent as a secondary consideration.
Both sentences are meant to emphasize the importance of moral character, not to discourage people from belittling talent and knowledge.
Zheng Yunwan suddenly realized: "So that's what it means."
Xiao Yunying spread out the finished drawings to dry: "Personally, I think it's still very necessary to read and write. It can increase knowledge, broaden horizons, and help people understand many principles. However, it still depends on your personal wishes."
Zheng Yunwan hesitated and said, "But, I'm already so old..."
"What's the big deal? You're never too old to learn. As long as you want to learn, it's never too late."
Don't be stingy with those few sheets of paper. If you can read more, you can help me remember things in the future. If it helps me, I won't feel like I'm losing out.
Sister Yunying wanted her to learn to read...
Zheng Yunwan mustered her courage and said, "Then I'll learn."
She wasn't very bright, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to write well or learn properly, thus wasting the money she spent on paper and ink sticks.
However, since Sister Yunying wants me to learn, I will definitely learn it!
Xiao Yunying went to her room, took out a set of writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and a stack of the Thousand Character Classic she had copied when practicing traditional Chinese characters, and handed them to Zheng Yunwan.
"I don't have any calligraphy practice books suitable for women at home. If you don't mind, you can practice with the characters I wrote before. If you don't recognize any characters, you can ask me."
Zheng Yunwan looked through her old handwriting and said, "Sister Yunying's handwriting is really beautiful."
Xiao Yunying put away the dried clothing patterns: "It's just something I wrote casually. Once you've practiced enough, your handwriting will definitely be better than mine."
Zheng Yunwan knew these were just words to coax her, but hearing them from Xiao Yunying's mouth made her want to hear them.
When Xiao Yunying was getting ready for bed that night, she realized that she hadn't told her family that Luo Sheng was coming back.
She rubbed her forehead: "This brain of mine really doesn't remember anything."
I'll have to tell my parents tomorrow.
The next day, Xiao Yunying didn't have time to go out before noon.
First, Aunt Yang brought Fang Rou over with the accounts from selling washboards, insisting on giving her a share of the profits.
The Yang family were carpenters, and they had several spacious empty rooms specifically used to store timber and furniture.
They hurriedly made a lot of washboards, which filled several rooms. There wasn't an exact number, but they estimated there were more than two thousand.
Aunt Yang handed the accounting paper to Xiao Yunying: "Yunying, although your Uncle Yang knows a few words, it's limited to his own name and general contract content. He really doesn't know anything about accounting."
When there were only a few people, they could keep track, but as more people joined, things got chaotic. They only wrote a receipt after everyone else had paid for everything. The calculated amount might be slightly different, but Auntie won't let you suffer any losses. Don't worry, you'll get more than you should have.
Xiao Yunying picked up a few sheets of paper from the table and looked at the first few, which were filled with rows of circles.
The circles became increasingly illegible, and eventually there were no circles at all, only the date and how many coins were sold.
The last contract was probably bought up by merchants from the south, who sold them all for 170 coins, each at a discount of 30 coins.
She mentally estimated that the washboards would sell for about four hundred taels of silver.
Xiao Yunying put down the accounting paper: "These washboards sold quite well, congratulations, Auntie."
Aunt Yang took out a silver note from her bosom and pushed it over: "It's all thanks to you. This is the profit sharing we agreed on. You should take it."
Xiao Yunying unfolded the silver notes; they were two hundred-tael notes.
She thought to herself, "The Yang family is really willing to spend money."
I can say I didn't misjudge him.
She didn't refuse outright; she took one and pushed the other back.
“Aunt Yang, I’ll take this share of the profits, but I don’t need so much. One hundred taels will be enough.”
"That won't do. We agreed to split it 50/50."
Xiao Yunying folded the silver notes and put them aside: "How can it be split in half? Uncle Yang and the others bought the tung oil and the timber. They cut the timber themselves. You did the work, you sold it, you provided the capital, and you did all the hard work. I only talked the talk. How could I possibly ask for half of the profits?"
Moreover, this so-called dividend probably doesn't even deduct the principal.
"Yunying, don't refuse your aunt, this washboard is yours to begin with..."
Just then, a voice came from the gate asking a question, drowning out Aunt Yang's words.
"Yun Ying, are you home?"
Xiao Yunying hurriedly put the banknotes and accounting papers together and stuffed them into Aunt Yang's arms.
She put the hundred taels she had left behind into her bosom: "Auntie, don't refuse me, quickly put it away, my family is coming."
Aunt Yang understood the principle of not flaunting one's wealth, so she didn't say much, carefully put away the banknotes, and then turned to look at the door.
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