Zhang Jing laughed and said, "You're quite the talker, young man. Alright, I'll come to you if I ever need your help in the future."
After saying that, he left with his servants.
When the nearby vendors saw that he had been saved by Young Master Zhang and had even caught his eye, they all said, "You really have a lucky streak, kid. I've never seen anyone escape unscathed from Fourth Master's clutches."
"Yes, not only were you saved by Young Master Zhang, but you also caught his eye. You might just make it big in the future."
Lin Fengshou chuckled, scratching his head. He hadn't expected to turn misfortune into a blessing. He tidied up the mess that the people had made of his stall. In the end, only a vase, two small earthenware jars, and a few pairs of bowls and plates remained intact. Lin Fengshou carefully collected the pieces that were chipped but still usable, thinking he could sell them cheaply.
After setting up his stall for three days, Lin Fengshou hadn't made much money and had even lost money. He was extremely distressed.
When Lin Fengshou returned home in the evening, he mentioned the incident to his mother, who then gave him a flick on the forehead. This was the first time Song Anxin had hit a child since she came here.
Lin Fengshou covered his head and said, "Oh dear, Mother, why are you also hitting people's heads like Auntie?"
Song Anxin said with a hint of exasperation, "I think it would be better to knock some sense into your head! If it weren't for that young master Zhang saving you, do you know how dangerous you would have been? Those thugs were obviously local bullies. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local tyrant. If you had died, even our family might not have been able to get justice for you."
Lin Fengshou was reminded by his mother and belatedly realized how dangerous his situation had been. If it weren't for Young Master Zhang saving him... he would now only feel a chill down his neck.
Song Anxin looked at him and continued, "Fengshou, you must remember that when you're out and about, money is just an external thing. Your personal safety is the most important thing. You can earn money again, but if you lose your life, you lose everything. Your mother will be very worried if you keep this up."
Lin Fengshou lowered his head and said, "I know, Mother. I was wrong. I will never fight them head-on again. I will give them all the money."
Song Anxin shook her head inwardly. This second son loved making money and valued it more than his own life. What's the point of making money if you can't even spend it?
Seeing his expression, Song Anxin decided not to keep up the stern look. She softened her voice and said, "It's good that you're not hurt anywhere. You've actually turned misfortune into blessing this time. Be extra careful when you set up your stall over there, and always prioritize your own safety."
We happen to have some unused gift boxes at home. Next time you go to Heyang County, pack some salted duck eggs and take them with you. If you run into that young master Zhang, give them to him as a thank-you gift. When you go to the kiln to buy goods, also pick out a couple of good porcelain pieces to give him. He gave you a way out, so we can't accept his favor for nothing.”
Lin Fengshou agreed. He knew his mother was worried about him and wanted what was best for him. He looked up and said, "Mother, I understand. I'll thank him properly next time I see him. Also, Mother, could I get an advance on some of my duck egg dividends? There are a lot of high-ranking officials and nobles at the Elegant Tea House. I'd like to try getting some good porcelain there."
Song Anxin said, "Of course, you can calculate how much you need in your mind." She solemnly said to her second son again, "Fengshou, you must remember that business is about making and losing money, that's normal. You must not be too concerned about gains and losses!"
Lin Fengshou solemnly agreed and went to figure out what goods he should buy.
During this time, Song Anxin taught the villagers in Linjia Village how to make persimmon cakes. The method of ripening persimmons is not difficult. With a little attention and thought, one can ripen them by oneself. Moreover, there are many people in the village who have intermarried with people in neighboring villages. They inevitably exchange information and think about helping their own families or the families of their married daughters.
As a result, some villagers in nearby villages learned how to ripen persimmons and sell them in the county, leading to market saturation and making it difficult to sell persimmons at a good price.
Song Anxin's family often receives persimmons from the villagers. When the persimmons ripen, the villagers will send some to her family, resulting in her family having more wild persimmons than they can eat. Song Anxin has been enjoying them to her heart's content lately. Of course, she will also ask Shi Tou and Xiao He to send some persimmons to An Bang, Feng He, and Feng Yao at the academy when they deliver goods.
The women who brought persimmons to her house would also chat with her.
“Fengnian’s mother, we’ve picked so many persimmons at home, but now that they’re ripe, it’s hard to sell them. They’ll spoil if we leave them too long. Before, the little ones in the family would search the whole mountain for ripe persimmons to eat, but now they can’t even eat them properly. Sigh, let alone them, my husband and I have been eating them every day and our faces have turned yellow.”
Song Anxin really wanted to look in the mirror to see if her face had turned yellow, but the bronze mirrors of this era were all yellowish and blurry, so even if she looked in the mirror, her face would probably still be yellow.
Several women echoed this sentiment.
"Yes, people in several nearby villages are selling these wild persimmons, and they're selling them for a lower price than we are. I still have a lot of unripe persimmons at home. Sigh, I don't know what to do with them now."
"..."
Listening to the women, Song Anxin suddenly thought of dried persimmons and said, "I once read in a book that there is another way to prepare persimmons, which is to make them into dried persimmons. They not only taste good but can also be stored for a long time, so you can eat them during the New Year."
A woman said, "Oh my, Aunt Lin, you really are well-read! How do you know everything? If what you say is true, these persimmon cakes must sell for a lot of money. Please teach me."
"If I teach you, you'll have to tell your family, lest the persimmon cakes don't sell again, you traitorous fellow!" a woman said irritably.
The woman immediately retorted, "How dare you talk to me like that? Didn't you also tell your daughter, who married into Zhao Family Village, that the people from Zhao Family Village are no good and that they're selling at such low prices! That's why we can't sell our goods."
"Well, you two! No wonder other villages learned this method of sealing persimmons so quickly; it turns out it's because you two traitors..."
"......"
In an instant, the women in Song Anxin's courtyard started arguing.
Song Anxin: "......."
No, could you please go outside and have a good argument? The women in the village all have loud voices, and their noise is making my head buzz.
However, Song Anxin didn't blame them for revealing their method of curing persimmons. At the time, she had only had a sudden urge to let the village children eat good persimmons. Besides, Linjia Village was poor, and other villages weren't much better off. People were thinking of helping their own families or their married daughters. Human hearts aren't made of stone, so it was understandable.
However, her dried persimmons are something that can't be found on the market, unlike fresh persimmons. This way, she can earn a considerable income. She can't take care of her family right now because Song Anxin has other plans in mind.
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