Chapter 129 Continuing to Take Orders
After the matter of storing supplies for the winter and purchasing food and fodder was settled, Jiang Yuan received a long letter from Chang Yao.
This letter refreshed Jiang Yuan's preconceived notions about Chang Yao's personality, because when Chang Yao wrote this letter, he changed his usual concise, cold, and indifferent speaking style, and instead showed a rare amount of excitement and enthusiasm.
Jiang Yuan quickly read the entire letter, then handed the soldier who delivered it over to Atai for accommodation before taking the letter to find Xie Wanniang.
"Brother Chang wrote a letter saying that he has already started promoting your booklet on first aid and trauma among the military doctors."
"He asked you what reward you wanted, as he planned to report this matter to the imperial court and request commendation for you."
Xie Wanniang knew immediately that the things written in that booklet must have begun to show results. She shook her head, "No way, I don't want that family to know I'm still alive."
Jiang Yuan nodded to indicate that he understood. "Then I'll tell him not to write your name on it."
He paused for a moment and then asked Xie Wanniang, "Can I briefly explain to him why you refused?"
After all, it's really illogical for Xie Wanniang to refuse such a great opportunity.
Xie Wanniang nodded, "Okay, remember to tell him to burn it immediately after reading."
Jiang Yuan nodded. "Okay."
Xie Wanniang felt a little regretful. If she hadn't been carrying a huge burden, she would never have given up such a good opportunity.
Putting everything else aside, giving her a small material reward would be nice!
All her savings are enough to buy a small estate; she doesn't even know where she'll live next year in Yi County.
"By the way, Yuan, I'd like to go to town tomorrow to find Qin Niangzi to take on a couple of suitable jobs."
Winter is coming soon, and she has had her fill of running around in the mountains. Now, she needs to pick up her embroidery needle again and save up start-up capital for moving to Yi County next year.
Jiang Yuan nodded again, "I'll go with you."
Xie Wanniang meant it that way. She smiled at Jiang Yuan and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you."
Jiang Yuan took his leave and went home to cook for the soldier Chang Yao had sent to deliver the message.
He doesn't cook complicated dishes, and the food he makes doesn't taste as good as Xie Wanniang's, but compared to the communal meals in the military camp, his food is already a rare delicacy.
Eggplant and shredded pork noodles, served with fragrant stewed pork belly and cabbage, plus two bowls of dried radish and pickled cucumber given to him by Xie Wanniang.
The soldier who delivered the letter ate with a satisfied expression. After washing up with the hot water boiled by Atai, the tall and strong young man, who had been tired all day, went back to his room to rest. Jiang Yuan lit an oil lamp and began to write a letter to Chang Yao.
As for Xie Wanniang, she prepared the dough, got up early to steam white flour buns and steamed buns filled with fresh meat and pumpkin, and also cooked sorghum porridge to send to Jiang Yuan's house.
There were plenty of steamed buns, dumplings, and porridge, enough not only for Xie Wanniang and Jiang Yuan to have for breakfast, but also enough left over for the soldier to take on the road.
Considering that the weather had turned cold, Jiang Yuan only packed some steamed buns and dried meat for the soldier.
The soldier, carrying the reply he had written, rode away from the village, while Jiang Yuan accompanied Xie Wan Niang to town to find Qin Niangzi.
He drove the oxcart, with Xie Wanniang sitting on his other side. She chatted occasionally with the aunties and grandmas she met along the way, while leisurely swinging her legs as the ox slowly moved. Anyone could tell she was in a very good mood.
The two drove the oxcart out of the village and arrived at Qin's Cloth Shop in the town.
Upon seeing her, Madam Qin's eyes lit up. "You little rascal, you finally remembered to come here!"
She grabbed Xie Wanniang's arm, "Young Master Jiang, please make yourself at home. Wanniang and I have something to discuss."
"Okay." Jiang Yuan replied and sat down at the stone table in the backyard of Qin's Cloth Shop.
An auntie in the shop quickly brought him tea and two kinds of snacks. Jiang Yuan thanked her, picked up the teacup, and slowly drank the slightly hot tea while warming his hands.
Xie Wanniang was taken directly to the room where Madam Qin usually kept accounts. "I have a few old acquaintances here who want large embroidery pieces..."
She talked on and on for more than 15 minutes before finally finishing explaining all the tasks she had to do.
She asked Xie Wanniang, "Which one do you want to be?"
Before Xie Wanniang could speak, she tentatively suggested, "Why don't you take a couple more?"
Xie Wanniang nodded, "Okay."
That just so happens that she came here with the intention of working like a slave and making a good living.
When Qin Niangzi saw that she had agreed, she immediately recommended the jobs she thought were good to her.
She pointed to three of the lists she had written down in her notebook, one by one. "I think these three are all good. What do you think?"
Xie Wanniang nodded, "I'll take this one first, it only lasts a month and a half. You can save the other two for me."
The order with a delivery deadline of one and a half months required a pine and crane longevity pattern that she had embroidered three times before, and she was confident that she could deliver it within twenty days.
The remaining two have different delivery deadlines: one is the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the other is the 19th day of the first lunar month after the new year.
The designs for these three orders are not very complex, and she is confident that she can earn the payment for all three orders before the 20th of the twelfth lunar month.
As is customary, Xie Wanniang signed the contract with Qin Niangzi and stood up. "Then I'll go buy some things first, and come back to get the embroidery thread and fabric from you later."
Jiang Yuan was still waiting for her, and she didn't want him to be out in the cold wind in the yard for too long in the late autumn and early winter weather.
Qin Niangzi saw her to the door, saying, "Alright, I'll prepare the things in advance."
After calling Jiang Yuan, Xie Wanniang left Qin Ji Cloth Shop.
The two still drove the oxcart, but this time Jiang Yuan didn't sit on the cart. He held the reins and walked slowly, step by step.
Sitting on the oxcart, Xie Wanniang smiled and shared the good news with him, "I have booked three jobs with Qin Niangzi. If I finish all three jobs, I can earn another 120 taels."
The jobs that Qin Niangzi recommended to Xie Wanniang were the highest-paying and most demanding among all the jobs she had on hand. Otherwise, Xie Wanniang wouldn't have been able to receive so much money at once.
"With this money, at the very least, I won't have to worry about rent when I go to Yi County next year."
Jiang Yuan paused, "No need to rent, you can use my money and just buy a small house you like."
Xie Wanniang was taken aback, "Huh?"
Jiang Yuan explained, "Uncle Hao is well-off, so I don't need to worry about him. Since you urgently need money, you can use mine first."
This is the girl he likes, and he's all alone. Sooner or later, all his money will belong to her.
Xie Wanniang felt a little embarrassed. Although she liked Jiang Yuan, she didn't think that she could treat his money as her own when their relationship was still undetermined.
She explained, "Actually, a little over a hundred taels would be enough for me to buy a house. I want to rent first because I need to keep some money to cover daily expenses and prepare for unforeseen circumstances."
No one can predict what might happen when you go to an unfamiliar place, and Xie Wanniang couldn't possibly spend all her savings on a house.
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