Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Everyone has their own way of making money
The temple had been cooking porridge all day, and the young monk serving it had sore arms. When Baozhu and the others arrived, there was no one waiting in line, but only the bottom of the porridge remained in the bucket. The young novice monk scraped the bucket clean, scooped a mouthful for each of them, and poured it into their bowls, just enough to fill the bottom. After the three of them had scooped it, the bucket was completely empty.
The porridge had already gone cold, but the three of them felt lucky to have been able to catch the last bite.
This was especially true for Baozhu. On this day, she received a sachet from the nun and also caught up with the porridge provided by Xiangguo Temple. She thought to herself that she didn't ask for a fortune in the next year, but only hoped that everything would go smoothly.
Just like people who buy paintings and hang them at home, people eat porridge for good luck. That small mouthful is not enough to fill you up, and you will be hungry again by the time you get home.
We also made Laba porridge at home. After being outside in the wind all day, we went home in the evening and drank a bowl each. We felt warm all over.
Monks and nuns knocked on the door several times during the day, and exorcists and night-time bees came non-stop at night. At first, the Zhen family gave them some copper coins, but later they simply turned off the lights, closed the door, and pretended to sleep.
After drinking the porridge, they went back to their rooms. Baozhu was afraid of the cold, so after the snow fell, she asked Baorong and her sister to sleep together every day. Baorong made a lot of money today, so she brought her own cash box and asked Baozhu to help her keep accounts.
He first counted out two strings of silver from the cash box, preparing to take them to the public office for New Year's expenses. He asked his sister to share the rest with him and exchange it for a whole ingot of silver.
When Baozhu heard her say this, she knew that the silver was useful. Baorong did not hide it and said seriously,
"I heard there's a lady named Yu in Beijing who paints fish and insects exquisitely. I'd like to visit her after the New Year."
Baorong excelled at painting still lifes like flowers and plants, but wasn't quite as adept at depicting fish, insects, and other animals. This Lady Yu was quite famous in Bianjing, and her paintings were collected by many wealthy ladies. Baorong had seen a painting by Lady Gu in the embroidery workshop; the crickets looked as if they were about to jump out. If she could only imitate a bit of her charm, she would be satisfied.
I have been trying to make some money these days so that I can save enough to buy some gifts for my apprenticeship.
Madam Gu had met Madam Yu once before, and she only offered to give her a helping hand, but it remained to be seen whether the apprenticeship could be successful.
After chatting for a while, they both yawned and fell asleep with tears in their eyes.
Ah Xiu also earned three or four strings of cash today. She counted out two strings to give to Xu, and put the rest in her money box. She has saved up nine strings of cash in the past few months.
The Zhen family was kind enough to save her once, and they treated her very well. After finishing the usual housework, she could do some private work on her own and no one would say anything. She was grateful in her heart, but she was too dumb to express it. She just waited to save up 20 strings of cash to return to the Zhen family so as to make up for the silver she had previously spent to redeem her.
Baorong and Axiu still had business to do, so they decided to save up some paintings and lace and then go to the street to sell them together before the New Year.
Copper coins were heavy and inconvenient to store, so Baozhu called her eldest brother for help. The family had accumulated a lot of them, and it would be unavoidable to stand out if one went to the bank to exchange them. Her eldest brother was tall and strong, and could scare away bad guys.
Petty thefts were rampant in the twelfth lunar month, with several houses in the alleys being robbed. The Zhen family's walls were high and the residents numerous, so no thieves came. When Xu heard a neighbor's house had been robbed, she waited for the thief to arrive and fall into her trap. Then, there would be no need to report the incident to the police; Master Pei would be able to catch the thief immediately.
Yes, Xu is already very familiar with Lord Pei. She used to be a little considerate of him, but now she calls him Little Lord Pei whenever she sees him.
There was a box of copper coins, which contained not only his own but also Baorong's and A'niang's. A'niang exchanged less, and Zhen's father's monthly salary was paid out in silver weighed by the shopkeeper, so there was no need to exchange it for silver.
Although no one paid Xu wages, most of the people who came to Bian Jing to buy houses were wealthy people, and they often paid in loose change. She only needed to exchange this loose change for whole ingots.
The biggest earners are Baozhu and Big Brother. Their small businesses only earn copper coins, so they need to carry cash boxes to exchange them.
Money shops are reluctant to exchange money during the New Year. During the New Year, many people borrow money from them, and they charge interest on their loans. These days, those who come to exchange money are met with a cold reception from the shopkeepers, who also say they'll have to deduct a significant amount of copper coins from their bills for even one ounce of silver.
Baozhu thought about it and realized that if she exchanged too much, she would be short of one string of coins in total. She would inevitably suffer a loss in the exchange. Arguing with the shopkeeper was pointless, so she simply went to a few more stores she often visited and paid some money to ask them to exchange the coins for her.
A box of money was exchanged for a box of silver, and Baozhu counted it happily over and over again.
The carpenter's shop owner's words were true; the day before the Lunar New Year, his shop assistant delivered the newly made cart. Baozhu went to the street to find a shop and had someone make colorful flags. She also asked an embroidery lady, known to Baorong, to embroider banners. At Baozhu's request, the cart was also covered with a roof, so it wouldn't be a problem to protect it from wind and rain.
In addition to the cart, two tables and several benches were also delivered. The newly painted tables and benches still had some smell, so they were placed in the yard to dissipate the smell.
Every stall stands out. If yours is dusty and unremarkable, no one will bother to look closely at what you're selling. It's like Baorong selling paintings and bringing colorfully dyed fabrics. He's not afraid of being flashy, he's just afraid of not standing out. Otherwise, with so many vendors around, why would anyone buy your food?
Before closing the stall at the dock, they had made a special agreement with their regular customers to set up shop at Zhouqiao after the Lunar New Year. If they wanted to eat, they could wait until after the Lunar New Year. Currently, the Zhen family only accepted orders for meals from students at the Imperial College and from Lord Pei for his subordinates at the Inspectorate.
Since tasting the food at the Zhen family food stall, these students often ordered meals. Sometimes they could order forty or fifty meals a day, and sometimes as few as twenty. Together with the twelve fixed meals from the Patrol Office, the daily revenue was at least one guan.
As for the Imperial College and the Inspection Office, Baozhu would deliver the work directly to them every time it was completed. She and her elder brother would run one each, and they didn't have to pay anyone to run errands.
Pei Xunshi did not order meals every day. He would usually decide where to send the meals one day in advance. The next day, the Zhen family would prepare the meals and send them to the place he said. Baozhu had sent the meals there twice. The meals he ordered were rarely sent to the government office. Most of the time, they were sent to some remote corners.
Since Liu Da and Wang Si Ge closed their stalls, they have been concentrating on being lobbyists in restaurants. Now, in addition to helping Baozhu sell pickled garlic, they also help sell salted duck eggs and kimchi.
Before the Lunar New Year, she bought many jars and pots, and pickled several of them. She kept enough to sell at her stall after the Lunar New Year, and told the two of them to sell as much as possible. She gave them a low price, but she didn't care how much they sold outside.
The two of them now earn several times more from selling these side dishes than they did from running errands before. They are grateful to Baozhu and often come together to give her gifts. They also know that Zhen's father works as a chef in Fanlou, so Baozhu asks them to help keep an eye out for anyone planning a banquet. These two of them actually have some skills and have helped Zhen's father get several good banquets.
Xu was very busy at the end of the year. Besides searching for real estate agents, she also had to entertain the pawnbrokers. Besides inviting the pawnbrokers' managers, she also invited several officials from the household registration office. She had already been the host several times, and the money she spent was quite a bit.
She has to spend this money, as she will still have to make a living under someone else's roof next year. If she is held back anywhere, her job will be in vain.
She acted quite properly, earning a lot for herself and paying a lot to the brokerage firm. The manager was willing to keep an eye on her and recommend her to be an official broker if the opportunity arose.
Although she was so busy at home and abroad, Xu did not forget to go to the clothing shop and order some cloth to make new clothes for each of her children.
The hawthorn cakes made in autumn were used up, and Baozhu made honey pomelo tea while there was still time before the New Year. The honey was specially selected locust flower honey, two whole bottles, which smelled fragrant and sweet, and was even more expensive. After the brewed pomelo tea cooled down, it was sealed with honey and left to stand for a few days until it was soaked. When you want to drink it, scoop a spoonful and rinse with warm water. It is both appetizing and relieves greasiness.
Once the stall is set up, I'll offer a free hot drink with every food I sell: Tremella and Pear Soup or Honey and Grapefruit Tea. With sugar prices high these days, offering hot drinks to attract customers is a generous gesture. Even if you don't eat, people are curious about what the stall sells, and as more people become curious, the stall's reputation spreads.
The docks were a mixed crowd, with all sorts of people coming and going. Normally, Big Brother would go to the boats to solicit customers, but when Baozhu set up shop alone, there would often be some random people laughing and joking around, but as soon as Big Brother returned, they would scatter. If the Zhen family had two stalls, Big Brother would still stay at the docks. The stall at Zhouqiao was better, and if anything really happened, he could go to the street officials to complain.
During the New Year holidays, all officials in the city, including those in the Imperial College, had holidays.
At the end of the year, my second brother got an excellent grade in the examination, but after all, he had only studied for one year. Those tribute students who got excellent grades every year were lining up to wait for the appointment as officials. We were not from a well-connected family, so how could they be recommended to become officials? Therefore, my second brother and my cousin from the Dong family were waiting for the results of the autumn examination next year.
The advantage of studying in the Imperial College is that you are surrounded by outstanding students. Although you are not classmates with some of them, you can still develop some friendships with them. If there are officials in your family, you can learn some skills by interacting with them more.
Time was tight, and the courtyard they lived in was incredibly small. My second brother didn't have a study, so he moved his desk and chairs into the empty back room. He wore only a thick cloak and didn't light the charcoal brazier, believing that cooling down cleared the mind. He read and composed poems day after day, and when his eyes grew blurry, he went to the courtyard to chop wood. After chopping wood, he returned to his studies.
My second brother studied hard and chopped firewood carefully. Every piece of firewood he chopped was of the same size and thickness. After chopping, he stacked them one by one under the eaves. There were still a few loads of firewood left from the firewood bought before winter, and no one touched them. They were all left for him to relieve the pressure.
Lord Pei next door was naturally on vacation as well. He came to see Xu right after finishing his shift. He was still wearing his official uniform, which made him look even more energetic.
After bowing to Xu, he spoke.
"The past two years in Bianjing weren't very peaceful. I didn't even have a place to stay. Now I've finally settled down, but my grandmother is still in her hometown in Hedong. I'm taking advantage of the holiday to go back and pick her up. There's been a lot of theft this year, and there's no one at home. I'd appreciate your help in looking after her."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: The lottery was opened too early yesterday (I haven’t operated for a long time and didn’t understand the rules), and I guess some babies didn’t have time to subscribe. I will give everyone a small red envelope in this chapter, which will be sent out at 9 o’clock in the evening.
[Rainbow fart][Rainbow fart][Rainbow fart]
One click to thank the little angels for their support and comments~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com