With ten taels of silver in her pocket, Ah Mian's desire to buy a stone mill was rekindled.
After class at the academy, she went to the stonemason's stall in the city to check on the current market prices.
The one made of bluestone costs fifteen taels of silver, but I still can't afford it.
But only eight taels of silver are needed for sandstone.
Should we buy it now? After all, it's a huge expense. After much hesitation, A-Mian decided not to put down a deposit on the spot and instead went back to discuss it with everyone.
After all, such a large stone mill takes up quite a bit of space. Her initial idea was to temporarily place it in the backyard, and then have A-Dou work hard to turn the stone mill every day. She would rent a stall in the food street to sell tofu rice, aiming to break even in a year, buy a shop in three years (at which point the stone mill could be moved behind the shop), and become wealthy in five years, transforming herself into Jin Amian who would never have to worry about money again.
Upon returning home, A-Mian first noticed a piece of meat and a bag of rice in the front yard, and asked in surprise, "Where did these come from?"
Meng Chijian was washing the fish bladder in a large basin. He was used to making things, and although it was his first time trying to make one, he thought of a handy seashell from A Mian's jar and used it to gently scrape off the remaining impurities on the fish bladder.
"It was sent by the Meng family; they want to ask our family to do something for them." He hasn't agreed yet and feels he needs to discuss it with A-Mian.
Ah Mian thought he was going to make some strange food, so she helped him wash it, asking, "What is it?"
This is quite a generous gift.
"It seems my second sister-in-law is pregnant again. We'll have to tighten our belts for a while. I'm thinking of having Tiger come to my shop as an apprentice for two years. I won't pay him wages, just provide him with a meal."
Ah Mian knew nothing about such mundane family matters and didn't think there was anything wrong with it, so she said, "Sure."
Meng Chijian said, "My second brother's family never lets themselves suffer losses. After all, we are brothers, and we should help each other when we are in trouble. However, firstly, it is said that 'a half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home.' We always have good food, and we can't let him eat some thin porridge while he just watches us eat well. That would create enmity even if there was no enmity. Secondly, we are still young. I originally thought that after we have children in a few years and grow a few years older, we would teach our own children."
There's a saying that teaching a disciple can lead to the master's starvation, but when it comes to teaching your own child, there are fewer concerns.
A-Mian disagreed, saying, "Blacksmithing is tiring; we shouldn't make our children do it."
Meng Chijian: "..."
Amian said, "If we earn more money, we can buy a shop for it and collect rent every month."
“How can you do that? That will spoil the child.” Meng Chijian squeezed A-Mian’s palm a few times in the wooden basin. “If a person doesn’t have the ability to make a living, even if they leave behind mountains of gold and silver, they will squander them all. When they go from luxury to frugality, life will be unbearable. … Stop washing and go do your homework for today.”
Ah Mian felt indignant. It was true, who in this world wanted to work? It was all out of necessity! What's wrong with not having to worry about food and clothing, and just doing what you love?
The two parted on bad terms regarding parenting, and Ah Mian copied down the sentences her husband had said that day on hemp paper.
As dusk fell, Meng Chijian saw that the little boy had already written several large characters with great concentration. He used bamboo strips to prop open the washed fish bladders one by one and hung them in a shaded place to dry.
Depending on the weather, it will take about three to seven days to dry completely, at which point it will need to be softened and trimmed.
I don't know if it will work. These fish maws are from large fish, cod, etc., which are much more expensive than ordinary fish offal. They cost one tael of silver per pound.
The two were busy with their own things when Meng Jing returned with her mother. They went to the back mountain to pick wild vegetables. These past few days, Meng Jing's mother had been keeping a close eye on her, following her everywhere she went.
As dusk fell, the family finished their daytime tasks and busied themselves preparing dinner.
After dinner, they chatted for a while. Ah Mian brought out two bamboo chairs and continued her daytime conversation with Meng Chijian while looking at the stars. They also talked about buying a stone mill.
In the end, they decided to take Tiger (who was already seven years old) as their apprentice, and they would cover his lunch, which he would eat with Meng Chijian at the shop. The main consideration was that if Amian bought a stone mill and went to the food street to open a stall, she might be too busy with the work at home, the blacksmith shop, and the stall.
If he's not around, it would be good to have Tiger guard the shop and watch over the blacksmith shop.
They can also teach Tiger some of the easier tasks in blacksmithing, such as greeting customers and organizing (familiarizing him with) the various tools of a blacksmith.
It's impossible to ask this little kid to do heavy work.
When they have a day off this month, the two of them will go together to order a large sandstone mill.
As they chatted, they grew sleepy. A-Mian snuggled against his shoulder and smelled the faint scent of soap and charcoal smoke, like firewood burning in winter. Suddenly, she said unreasonably, "Meng Chijian is Lu A-Mian's husband."
Meng Chijian picked her up with one hand, hummed in agreement, and went back into the house.
The two had planned everything perfectly, but their plans were disrupted the next day by a series of urgent knocks on the door.
“Is this Lu Amian’s house? This is the Meng family she married into! ... It’s really hard to find,” a young man dressed in plain clothes stood at the door, holding a piece of white paper. “Lu Amian, your father is gone! He passed away four days ago. Your uncle from the clan sent me here. I’m your cousin, my name is Lu Xingjia. You should go home for the funeral.”
The family's peace was disrupted by the sudden news. Meng Jing looked at A Mian with concern, while A Mian, holding the blue porcelain bowl, was also momentarily stunned.
"ah?"
"Hurry up and pack your things. You're going with your husband's family. Make sure you have enough money for the funeral!" It's customary in the countryside to keep the body in state for seven days before burial.
As Lu Xingjia spoke, he observed them and noticed that their breakfast consisted of mixed grain steamed buns, stir-fried spinach, and steamed eggs with minced meat (a small piece of meat from Meng Er's family had been cut in the morning). He nodded to himself in approval.
Amian asked, "How did he die?"
Lu Xingjia exaggeratedly rubbed his stomach: "I've been busy all morning delivering the news of the death, and I haven't even had a sip of water."
"Wait a minute," Ah Mian hurriedly went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of water: "Here you go."
"..." Lu Xingjia felt as if she couldn't understand him, and a youthful impetuosity rose in his heart. "No need, since I've already delivered the message, I'll be leaving now."
He was betting that Lu Amian was anxious; she must want to know how her father died, right? Besides, she was her father's only daughter, and women couldn't make decisions about funerals. The funeral arrangements had to be coordinated and handled by close relatives within the clan, which meant relying on their family.
Once labeled as "unfilial," even the husband's family's reputation will be greatly damaged.
As long as he turns around and leaves, Lu Amian and her husband's family will have to come and try to stop him within three steps.
one two three……
...thirteen, fourteen, fifteen...
Lu Xingjia glared and walked for a while without seeing anyone stop him!
Just as they said, Lu Amian, that young lady, was indeed restless, disobedient, and ignorant—
How could they do something so completely unconventional?!
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