Cotton Seeds Generate Gold
The next morning, in the new house, children over ten years old all had their own single rooms.
Several people who returned from the mountaintop got up early and joined Ling Zhan for morning exercises.
They ran around the village and came back just as Shen Yan finished washing up.
Ling Zhan walked to a pile of bulging bags under the eaves and untied the first one.
"Tiger, sort the mountain goods."
"Okay!"
Tiger responded and together with Bean Sprout, deftly untied the bundle.
Matsutake mushrooms and earth fungus wrapped in oiled paper, bundles of seven-leaf star orchids and purple ginseng, large chunks of rock honey... drew gasps of surprise from the children.
Su Wan smiled as she accepted the herbs: "Sister Ling looks so healthy; the soil and water on the mountaintop are truly nourishing."
Xuan Chenzi stroked his beard and leaned closer, a glint of light flashing in his old eyes: "Amitabha! This heroine's entire demeanor... there must be a spiritual vein on the mountain peak! This humble Taoist..."
"Master!" Bean Sprout excitedly interrupted, "I found so much Smilax glabra! The earth's energy flows like water..."
"Oh?" Xuan Chenzi's attention was immediately diverted. "Tell me in detail! Where was the sensation detected? How strong was it?"
The west wing of the new house was converted into a temporary storeroom.
As soon as the door opened, snowflakes rushed towards us like waves!
The piles of cotton bolls had already burst open, revealing the snow-white, slender, and supple cotton fibers inside, as soft as silk.
Ordinary cotton wadding is already considered top-quality, but the few boxes of "divine cotton" in the corner wooden box are even more pure and bright, like moonlight, and warm to the touch.
"Look at the quality!"
Shen Yan grabbed a handful of ordinary cotton, his face beaming. "Look at the length of this cotton! Those local cottons down the mountain aren't even worthy of carrying its shoes!"
Ling Zhan twirled the "divine cotton" between his fingertips.
The data stream moved silently past my eyes.
“Cotton is carded, spun, and woven. Ordinary cotton seeds are distributed to the land-exchanging households according to the agreement. Divine cotton,” she looked at Su Wan, “is kept for seed and spun into fine cotton.”
Su Wan nodded, her fingertips tracing the divine cotton, her eyes sparkling with wonder: "If this cotton were woven into brocade, it would be more valuable than gold. Ordinary spinning machines would probably waste it; we would need to hire skilled craftsmen from the prefectural city."
"Please!" Shen Yan waved his hand. "Money is no problem! My clothing shop is counting on this to make a name for itself!"
Ling Zhan looked up: "A clothing store?"
Shen Yan instantly perked up, her eyebrows dancing with excitement: "That's right! The official residence at the entrance of Zhennan Market is all renovated! Three spacious shops! Um... I'll reserve one for you. I plan to open 'Yunshangji,' specializing in high-end silk garments! Su Wan will be in charge of the embroidery, Daniu will learn accounting and manage the materials, our Shenmianjin will lead the way, and we'll hire two good tailors..."
He spoke eloquently, as if he could already see the bustling crowds at his doorstep.
Ling Zhan listened quietly, and only spoke after he finished speaking: "I'm opening a shop. East Market, riverside warehouse."
"Huh?" Chen Yan hesitated, "You want to open separate shops? Just sell seeds?"
"Just seeds," Ling Zhan said succinctly, "new cotton seeds, high-quality winter wheat seeds, and seeds for wild vegetables and medicinal herbs. Affordable and readily available."
Shen Yan frowned: "Seeds? How much money can you make from that? It's too much trouble! Why not..."
“Yes, we need it.” Ling Zhan interrupted, her tone steady yet unquestionable. “With stable grain production, the people’s hearts are at ease. With abundant cotton seeds, we have plenty of clothing.” She picked up a plump chestnut seed she had brought back from the mountaintop, rubbing it between her fingertips. “Mountaintop millet seeds are cold-resistant and high-yielding. We should distribute them.”
Looking at her serene profile, the jade hairpin in her hair warm and smooth, reflecting the unwavering determination in her eyes, Shen Yan felt a surge of inexplicable passion rise within him—
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute the notion that seed profits are meager and complicated, and to emphasize that high-end clothing is extremely profitable... Only with money can one do what one wants. But when he met Ling Zhan's eyes, which seemed to see through the very essence of the chaotic world, all his words stuck in his throat.
"Okay...okay!"
He scratched his head in frustration, a hint of despair in his voice, "You sell your clods of dirt, I'll sell my silks and satins! We'll each do our own thing! Let's see who makes the biggest fortune first!"
"Um."
Ling Zhan nodded without hesitation, his expression seemingly filled with anticipation.
“Each of you should do your job. Su Wan,” she turned to Su Wan, who had been listening quietly, “You will be in charge of the ‘Yunshangji’ embroidery. Da Niu will assist you. The accounts over there will also be managed by the two of you. You can discuss the terms of wages and profit sharing with the head of the household.”
Su Wan was slightly taken aback, then smiled gently: "Yes, Sister Ling."
She understood that this was to allow her to establish herself in "Yunshangji" and pave the way for her to take charge of the embroidery workshop in the future.
Shen Yan was also stunned. He hadn't expected Ling Zhan to not only agree but also release the people so readily and arrange things so efficiently. Looking at Ling Zhan's calm face, the awkwardness in his heart completely disappeared, and he grinned: "Hey! My wife is still the best... cough, Boss Ling is so generous!"
Xuan Chenzi approached at some point, squinted at Shen Yan, then at Ling Zhan, stroked his beard and chuckled.
"Wonderful! Wonderful indeed! Yin and Yang each have their own roles, each displaying its strengths! This is... the Great Dao!"
"Get lost!" Shen Yan laughed and cursed.
Little Stone looked up, his big eyes blinking: "Mom, can I exchange seeds for sugar at the seed shop?"
Ling Zhan lowered his eyes, his fingertips brushing against the top of his soft hair: "If you come to do the work, then you can."
The overall situation is settled.
Shen Yan ate breakfast absentmindedly, rubbing his hands together, planning his silk empire.
Ling Zhan was tidying up under the eaves by herself, her gaze sweeping over the village and landing on the wider fields. In her palm was a single millet seed, heavy with grain. Originally, she had brought the seeds back from the mountaintop to give to her family, but she decided to keep only half and sell the rest at a seed shop, which she named "Mountain-Backed Seed Shop."
The inept Shura female warrior named her shop in this way.
The cotton harvest was bountiful, and the village head was overjoyed. Those who had initially hesitated to exchange their barren land for grain seeds were now filled with regret.
Knowing that Shen Yan's family would harvest cotton, the villagers became even more proactive.
On the barren land by the river at the eastern end of Kaoshan Village, large brick courtyards resembling warehouses were quickly erected.
The plaque above the door reads "Kaoshan Xueyun Cotton Workshop".
Under the autumn sun, the cotton fields were covered in snow, and the air was filled with the sounds of people.
Cotton farmers lined up in a long queue in front of the workshop, pushing wheelbarrows and carrying baskets.
The newly tied cotton bolls were snow-white and fluffy, piling up on the huge grading platform in the yard.
"First-class down! Over two inches long, the color of fresh snow! Sifted!"
Bean Sprout brushed her fingertips across the cotton wool, closed her eyes and concentrated, "Hmm...this basket has a strong earthy feel, the wool is even more resilient!"
A glint of light shone in his eyes as he precisely pointed out several baskets of premium cotton.
"Alright! Special grade warehouse!" Tiger's voice boomed as he directed the strong laborers to carry the cotton baskets marked "Special Grade" into the cool brick warehouse.
The village headman, fiddling with his abacus, shouted into the ledger, "Zhang Laoshuan! 82 jin of first-grade cotton! Record 3 cents! Li Erniu! 30 jin of special-grade cotton! Record 5 cents! Press your fingerprints!" The cotton farmers beamed with joy, their red fingerprints, smeared with ink, filling the ledger.
Shen Yan, dressed in a brand-new indigo silk shirt, patrolled the area with his hands behind his back, occasionally picking up a tuft of cotton and twisting it.
"Su Wan! This batch of premium cotton must be spun and collected separately! Not a single impurity seed is allowed to be mixed in!"
"Yes, Young Master Shen."
Su Wan responded crisply. She had already changed out of her simple clothes and was now wearing an elegant blue satin jacket and skirt, her hair neatly styled.
Beside her, the young girl held a thin steelyard balance, her face serious, quickly weighing the graded cotton lint, announcing the numbers rapidly: "Grade A, third-grade lint, 312.7 jin! Grade C, first-grade lint, 185.4 jin..."
Fingertips flew across the specially made ledger.
A brand-new pedal spinning wheel has been moved into the side compartment, ready for fine spinning.
Su Wan looked at her, her eyes full of smiles.
In Linshan Town, east of the river warehouse and near the port, merchant ships come and go in an endless stream.
This was originally a basically abandoned old warehouse, which I obtained during the last seed change.
The repairs cost fifty taels of silver, and the county magistrate requested to invest in the project, so he took charge of it.
The original wooden plaque bearing the inscription "Shan Hai Su" is simple and dignified. The shop name, originally given by Ling Zhanqi, was changed by the county magistrate and his advisor, Master Zhou.
The entrance was not as bustling as the cotton mill, but there was still a constant flow of people.
Inside the shop, long, rough wooden tables are lined up in a row.
Bags of wheat, cotton, and vegetable seeds were displayed openly.
Daya, dressed neatly in shorts with mud splattered on her cuffs, was carefully explaining to an old farmer: "Uncle Wang, this 'cold-region short-fiber' cotton seed is frost-resistant and can withstand poor soil, which is perfect for your hillside land. Before sowing, soak it in warm water for three hours, mix it with wood ash, and use it to prevent insects and protect the seedlings." She pinched open a cotton seed with her fingertips, revealing a plump embryo.
The old farmer nodded repeatedly: "A disciple taught by Madam Ling can't be wrong!"
Behind the counter, Ling Zhan was pouring newly harvested millet seeds from the mountaintop into a ceramic urn. She still wore the same warm, white jade hairpin in her hair; after months of living in the mountains, nourished by the spiritual energy, her skin glowed with a healthy, honeyed radiance, and the fierce aura in her eyes had softened into a calm and dignified presence, making her appear composed and trustworthy.
During the movement, the coarse cloth sleeves slipped down, revealing a section of forearm with smooth lines and hidden strength.
"Mother! This uncle wants to exchange three catties of winter wheat seeds!"
Little Stone clung to the edge of the counter, pointing his little finger at the ledger, "Use...use his family's newly harvested soybeans to exchange!" He already knew quite a few words.
Ling Zhan nodded.
Daya immediately took out a scale to weigh the wheat seeds, and Xiaoshitou stood on tiptoe and wrote crookedly under the "exchange of beans for wheat" column in the ledger: "Wang Youtian, 15 catties of beans, 3 catties of wheat."
In the corner, Magistrate Chen Qinian, dressed in plain clothes, picked up a millet seed from the mountaintop and examined it closely. He whispered to his clerk, Zhou, who was accompanying him, "The grain is large and plump, and heavy in the hand. If this grain is successfully grown, it will save countless lives."
Master Zhou nodded: "Madam Ling is devoted to the fundamentals; this shop has done a great service."
Dusk was falling.
The cotton mill was brightly lit. The foot-operated spinning wheel creaked open. Su Wan bent down to adjust the mechanism, her blue satin sleeves rolled up to reveal her slender yet steady wrists. Da Niu checked the day's inventory ledger by the light of an oil lamp, the abacus beads jingling crisply.
"Three jin and two liang of premium grade wool yarn! One hundred and seventy jin of first-grade wool cotton are being put into storage!" she announced crisply.
Chen Yan stroked the newly delivered "Yunshangji" signboard draft with satisfaction: "Good! Miss Su, use this as the name for the shop in town! Hang it up at the beginning of the year!"
Su Wan looked up, "Young Master Shen, rest assured. We have found three skilled embroiderers, all from the city. They will be able to produce the divine cotton brocade pattern by the beginning of spring."
Shen Yan grinned, his eyes brimming with ambition: "I'm going to make 'Yunshangji' clothes worn by all the nobles in Qingzhou City!"
“Um, could you make me a few outfits first, for—for display?” he added.
Su Wan chuckled softly, "Of course."
At this moment, the oil lamp in the "Shan Hai Su" shop was dim.
Ling Zhan was slicing the newly harvested Ziyun ginseng.
Daya carefully packed the dried medicinal herbs into coarse cloth bags and labeled them.
Little Stone lay on the table, copying the Thousand Character Classic stroke by stroke under the lamplight, his handwriting already showing signs of strength.
“Mother, the county magistrate said that he wants to try planting our mountain millet on the wasteland in the government office in the spring,” Daya said.
“Okay.” Ling Zhan didn’t even look up. “The seeds will be sold at cost.”
Little Stone suddenly looked up: "Mother! Can I go with you to the county government office to watch the planting in the spring? I...I want to see a big scene!"
Her little face was full of anticipation.
Ling Zhan paused slightly as he cut the ginseng: "If the coursework is correct, you may proceed."
"Hmm!" Little Stone immediately buried his head, and the words "Heaven and Earth, Black and Yellow" under his brush showed even more power.
Amidst all this busyness, the first winter snow quietly arrived.
Kaoshan Village has changed its appearance.
The day the cotton mill distributed its profits.
A long table was set up in the courtyard, and copper coins were piled up like a small mountain.
Village head Wang read from the roster, his voice loud but trembling:
"Old Zhang! One tael and seven mace of silver!"
"Li Erniu! Top-grade cotton, two taels and five mace of silver!" The cotton farmers rubbed their hands together, their frostbitten faces beaming with smiles.
Shen Yan leaned against the door with his arms crossed, watching the copper coins flow out like water, a smug look on his face.
"Tsk... I've finally seen the results of my four hundred taels of capital!"
The magistrate smiled. His small share of the profits was immediately deposited into the county school's repair accounts, and the county historian would naturally record this.
In the backyard of the seed shop "Shan Hai Su", the cellar is filled with newly harvested winter wheat and mountain products.
Ling Zhan and Da Ya packed the carefully selected cotton, wheat, and medicinal herbs into earthenware jars and sealed them tightly with mud.
Little Stone helped stick on the red paper labels, his little hands were red from the cold, and he was breathing on them to warm them.
"Mom, Bean Sprout Brother said the ground in the workshop is warm, and the cotton seeds have woken up early!" Daya said, her breath steaming in the air.
"Yes. Sow early in the spring." Ling Zhan sealed the last jar of millet seeds. "Take the silver home."
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year.
The newly renovated Shen Family Compound was brightly lit.
The cotton workshop shut down its machines, and the newly recruited embroiderers at "Yunshangji" stopped working. They received a monthly stipend and were provided with food and lodging. They could officially start working and collect their orders in town next spring.
"Shan Hai Su" was also locked up.
Su Wan led Da Niu and a group of young women and wives in a bustling activity in the kitchen, the sweet aroma of steamed rice cakes filling the air.
Tiger and Bean Sprout led the boys, who were only a few years old, to sweep snow and hang lanterns.
A group of children chased after the puppy that Shen Yan had just brought home, running all over the yard.
Carrying two jars of fine wine, Shen Yan stepped into the warm and inviting main room.
Ling Zhan was handing a newly carved peach wood sword to the eager little stone, the hilt of which was engraved with a small character "安" (peace/safety).
"Oh! Boss Ling has the leisure for this?" Shen Yan raised an eyebrow.
Ling Zhan raised his eyes: "To ward off evil spirits."
Shen Yan slammed the wine jar on the table and leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Hey, the magistrate has tipped off us that a major merchant in the prefectural city is eyeing our cotton seeds... There might be trouble in the spring."
Ling Zhan's fingertips brushed against the peach wood sword's edge, his gaze calm and unfathomable: "If they come, we'll welcome them."
After saying that, he placed a stack of silver notes on the table and told Douya to take charge of the family's accounts from now on.
It's so disgusting, it makes my teeth itch!
He and Su Wan were busy until they were exhausted, but they hadn't made any money yet despite spending the money.
It's obvious they've got the upper hand right from the start!
Then think of the warehouse full of cotton, the looms, and the well-trained embroiderers—there will be endless gorgeous clothes and beautiful ornaments to wear and change into in the future.
He finally calmed down!
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