Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Jiang Sijie sends a solo...
Lin Qiuran thought both were good. The smaller one was enough for now and could be used for business. Buying this one would also leave some money for the family. Whether it was to hire someone later or use it as capital to open a shop, there would be no shortage of money.
But the more expensive one was even bigger. The main hall alone was larger, and it had two floors. Lin Qiuran simply couldn't resist the allure of a larger house. The Xiao family's current house was small, with three rooms: two for living and one for the kitchen, used for cooking and dining.
Everything you buy at home needs to be stored indoors; too much stuff makes the house look cluttered. A large shop is good; if your business grows, you can still use the second floor.
And as Sun said, while the larger one might seem like a higher price, it's still worth an extra ten taels of silver. If you buy the smaller one, you won't get a 30% discount if you want the larger one later; you'll have to spend more.
Lin Qiuran thought that the problem of lack of money was easy to solve.
It's only the beginning of October now, so I can save some money by doing business for a few more days. Besides, Aunt Yu will give me a share of money at the end of the month, so I'll have one or two taels of silver.
Enough for daily expenses of the family.
If we wait for the share of snacks and spices, the family will not be short of money. Even if we buy the shop, we will not just live on a few taels of silver.
Besides, the dried cowpeas and potatoes will last for several months. The money was paid a long time ago, so it will be profitable if they are sold now.
The family can still make money, but the next time I buy a good shop, it will cost more than one hundred taels.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Mom, I'll take you to check it out tomorrow. If there's nothing wrong with it, we'll buy the bigger one."
Xiao Dashi had no objection. Originally, Lin Qiuran was the one who had the final say in the family. Now that Sun also wanted to buy a bigger one, then he could just buy it.
Sun also took out the money she had saved. Every time she came back from selling vegetables, Lin Qiuran took the majority of the money and she kept the rest.
It was originally for the two of them to eat, but now Lin Qiuran is in charge of delivering meals, so they don’t have to buy food outside. With less expenses, they naturally save money.
At first, Sun said no, but Lin Qiuran felt that it cost money to buy needlework and food occasionally, so she kept asking her for dozens of coins each time. She was afraid that Sun would feel embarrassed, and it would be troublesome too.
Besides, they do a lot of work, and the family says that paying them wages is too extravagant, but they get nothing, and after a while they will feel unmotivated to work.
So let Sun keep it.
She lost a few dozen coins every day and gained a hundred or two hundred coins. Sun was a frugal person and spent some money on daily purchases. Now she had saved 1,830 coins.
Sun said, "Take it, in case you don't have enough money."
Lin Qiuran nodded, took the 1,500 coins, and let Sun keep the rest.
On the afternoon of the second day, after the family sold the vegetables, Lin Qiuran took the two of them to see the shop.
The first place she looked at, Sun couldn't take her eyes off, and kept saying "good", looking here and touching there, even looking at the well, and finally looking at the tables and chairs inside, "Look how clean it is, Qiuran, are these tables and chairs for us?"
Lin Qiuran nodded, "Well, if it's not 30% cheaper, this money will also be included in the shop."
The shop Zhao Guangcai had shown her had a worse location and cost 40 or 50 taels of silver. This place had a better location, but it couldn't be more expensive, even at 20 or 30 taels. The things inside were good, but they were also worth the money.
As a businessman, it’s pretty good to be able to save 30%.
Sun was already very satisfied with this, and Lin Qiuran took the two of them to the next street to see the two-story shop.
These are all two-story shops, with a teahouse on the left and jewelry on the right.
Sun had only seen two-story houses on the street, but had never been inside. She felt that there was no need to go inside to see it. This one was better and more luxurious than the one on the next street.
But they still had to go inside to take a look. She and Xiao Dashi had never been to such a place. Their legs were shaking as they stepped on the stairs, for fear of falling.
Lin Qiuran reached out to help, but Sun Shi saw that she was pregnant and forced a smile, saying, "Your father and I are fine. Just hold on and walk."
In this way, I also walked up.
The second floor had better lighting. Looking down from the window, you could see the entire street and even the opposite side clearly. Sun was a little afraid of heights, so she held on to the windowsill tightly. This one was indeed big, and she liked it.
The main hall seemed a bit larger, and with the second floor added in, it felt much larger. At the back were two rooms, one for living and one for the kitchen. The yard, which had no vegetable patch and was paved with stone slabs, also had two small rooms that could be used as storerooms.
Xiao Dashi saw things differently. He looked at the walls and the tiles, otherwise if something broke, he'd have to pay to repair it himself. After looking at it, he nodded, and so did Sun. They both said, "This is pretty good."
Lin Qiuran said, "Then go find Manager Xu later and we'll book this place."
They went out to look around and didn't bring that much money, so the three of them went back home. This time, they didn't need to borrow money from anyone. Lin Qiuran packed the money and went to the Xu family to find someone. Manager Xu happened to be at the mansion. Lin Qiuran returned the keys to the other shop. Manager Xu gave all the keys to Lin Qiuran and followed the three of them to the government office to hand over the property deeds.
The total was seventy-seven taels of silver, with a tax of one tael and a half, based on the transaction price. Some brokers would hold back on the amount, negotiating a lower price with the government. Since it was going to the government anyway, it didn't matter if both parties agreed.
If Lin Qiuran had bought it at the original price, he would have paid more taxes to the government. This time, he didn't go through the Yaji process, saving a bit of money. The two sums added together totaled 78 taels and 5 cents.
With Wang Zhubu here, it is very easy to handle these things.
Manager Xu said, "If Madam Lin has any problems in the future, just come and find me."
Once the job is done, he can report to the Second Young Master.
After getting the shop, Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "Thank you for taking the trouble to make the trip."
Manager Xu smiled and said, "That's as it should be. Madam Lin, are you going out or coming home?"
Lin Qiuran said, "It's getting late, let's go home first."
I have a shop, but I still have to set up a stall to do business tomorrow, so it’s better to go back early.
Manager Xu said, "Then let's send you back first."
Manager Xu went out in a carriage. Seeing that Sun and Xiao Dashi were old, and Lin Qiuran was pregnant, he just sent them back, which wouldn't delay them for long.
Lin Qiuran had been running for a long time and was tired. She nodded and said, "Thank you."
This time, the journey home was very quick. This was Xiao Dashi's first time riding in a carriage. After the carriage left, he kept looking at it. Only after it was completely far away did he look away.
"Yes, it's fast. Faster than an oxcart." Xiao Dashi asked Lin Qiuran, "How much does a cart like this cost?"
He knew that buying a cow cost twenty or thirty taels of silver, which was beyond the reach of ordinary farmers. Now that the Xiao family could afford one, they didn't farm anymore, so it was useless. To save energy and travel faster in the county town, they bought donkeys and mules.
Xiao Dashi thought the carriage was pretty good.
Lin Qiuran said, "I'm not sure, but it must be several dozen or even a hundred taels of silver."
There were many houses and shops on the street, but only the rich could afford carriages. There was a carriage at the county post station, but only one, and it didn't belong to the county magistrate, so it was considered a government vehicle.
Xiao Dashi nodded, and Sun pulled him aside, "Let's go home and clean up the vegetables."
Lin Qiuran was in the county town, and most places could be reached on foot. The Xiao family did not have much demand for horse-drawn carriages, and they were too expensive. If the family had a thousand taels of savings, they would probably buy one.
How rich people were back then.
Lin Qiuran looked around the house. Sun and Xiao Dashi were already busy. They were going to sell braised lamb tomorrow, and there wasn't much noodles left, so they had to go buy some. Lin Qiuran gave Xiao Dashi some money, rested for a while, and then left.
The wooden barrel he brought back had not been cleaned yet, so Sun went to boil water and clean it.
Lin Qiuran smiled. The Xiao family had some assets, but they were definitely not wealthy. Now that they had bought the house, they could do whatever they wanted.
Lin Qiuran returned to the house. She looked at the title deed, which listed the street and household, and that she was the owner, as well as the official seal.
She put this together with all the house deeds, land deeds and household registrations in the house, and then looked in the money box, which contained some copper coins and some small change.
The money was needed for business, to provide for the family's food and drink, and to open the shop. It was only the beginning of the month, and Aunt Yu's family would probably give her a share at the end of the month. Spices and snacks would also have to wait.
Lin Qiuran had just given Xiao Dashi two taels of silver. He had to buy meat tomorrow, so he put the remaining one tael of silver and the copper coins together to save for the family. All the meals were cooked at home, so to be honest, it didn't cost much.
Fortunately, the chickens at home had started laying. They had twelve in total, eleven hens, and now they were laying three or four eggs a day. Sun said they didn't lay eggs in the cold, so Lin Qiuran was content with having so many.
Just enough for the family to eat.
The vegetables they eat are mustard greens, potatoes, and radishes. The most common fruits nowadays are apples and pears. They are not expensive and the Xiao family can afford them.
Every day, buying vegetables and firewood costs money, especially mutton, which is expensive. Just for the mutton, I have to set aside one tael of silver. Xiao Dashi gave me two taels. Turnips and carrots are paid daily, so we can discuss whether we can pay them once a month.
Lin Qiuran came in July, and it is already early October. She is very satisfied that she has saved enough money to buy a house and a shop in three months. Although the nearly thirty taels of silver is a windfall, no one else can get the money, so it is what she deserves.
Lin Qiuran looked at the more than one or two taels of silver and put them away carefully.
She definitely can't afford to hire someone now, and she doesn't know if she will be able to handle it once she opens a shop. She can't get any work preparing banquets now, and even if she does, she doesn't really want to go.
Lin Qiuran glanced down at her belly. It was now over five months pregnant, halfway through the ten months of pregnancy. Her belly was so big that it made it harder to do many things, like bending over, and it was hard to get up after sitting for a long time.
Lin Qiuran wasn't one to be sentimental. She was thankful for the fact that she hadn't had any problems with her pregnancy, and she hadn't done any less work. But being pregnant was different from not being pregnant. Her belly felt heavy, and she tired easily. When her belly got bigger, around the seventh or eighth month, she wouldn't be able to manage the family business anymore.
Hiring someone wasn't an option, and Aunt Yu had her own business to run, so she had to hire someone. If it was just some easy work like cutting vegetables, washing dishes, or washing dishes, hiring someone would be fine.
Should I look for it by looking at the notices posted on the street or asking around?
Lin Qiuran thought asking acquaintances for help was a good idea, and it could often be of great help, but it also had its drawbacks. Normally, they would call her "sister" or "auntie," but if she did a good job, it was fine. But if she didn't, she would be directly hurt.
Some consider themselves elders and refuse to accept the consequences.
Originally, Lin Qiuran was more inclined towards Madam Xu and Madam Chen who lived next door. Their husbands worked outside to earn money, and they took care of the housework, cooked, and raised their husbands and children.
The two men were older than Lin Qiuran and looked to be in their twenties or thirties.
Lin Qiuran didn't think this was a bad thing, nor did she think women had to find work to do. Being a woman in this era wasn't easy; men were stronger, but they just had to shoulder different household chores.
Days like this are also good.
If the family was not short of money, Lin Qiuran didn't know whether they were willing to work. He was afraid that if they lived together, they would see each other every day, and it would be even more difficult to get along in the future if there were conflicts over business.
Lin Qiuran didn't know how long she would have to live here. At least she had to give birth to the child. After thinking about it, she gave up the idea for the time being.
The disadvantages of hiring someone are obvious: you don't know their background or their personality. Bosses are good at talking, but they're afraid that even if they're told, they won't change.
Lin Qiuran had encountered this kind of thing before, when her family was too busy and she hired help. But the help was not serious about the work, and the chopping and stewing of vegetables were always not up to par, so her parents had to do it again.
The trip back and forth took up quite a bit of time, and it also required more effort on my part. If the helpers didn't do some things right, the customers wouldn't blame them, but would simply think Lin Qiuran's family wasn't doing a good job. In the end, even if I apologized and charged less, I'd still lose some repeat customers.
It's been a lot of work, and I haven't felt any better. I've spent money, and I'm pretty tired.
Lin Qiuran didn't want this to happen, but there was no other way. People have to get along with each other slowly to know each other's personalities. He couldn't just give up the business because of these things, or let Sun and Xiao Dashi do it.
Isn't this bullying the elderly?
Lin Qiuran hid the house deed and put the money away.
Outside the house, Xiao Dashi had already returned. Sun and he were working, one washing radishes and the other peeling them, and then they were talking together, chattering away.
"What are you cooking for dinner?"
Xiao Dashi: "I want to drink some rice wine. Qiu Ran brews a kind of wine with a strong flavor. I will drink two cups, not more."
Sun glared at Xiao Dashi and said, "You're happy today, otherwise you can't drink it. That's what Qiuran uses for cooking."
Lin Qiuran came out of the house and said, "Mom, there are so many. Just don't get drunk."
Lin Qiuran brewed it with wheat and sorghum, but it needed to be distilled, so the wine had a strong sweetness and a light flavor. Distillation was inconvenient here, so he made two jars.
Some dishes require cooking with strong liquor, and there are also flame dishes. She can show off her skills next time.
Xiao Dashi chuckled and poured the water he'd used to wash the potatoes onto the ground. It was a good time to plant vegetables; there weren't many bugs. He could just feed the chickens the old leaves.
Sun said, "Then I'll fry some eggs and go buy some braised food."
Although buying the shop was worth celebrating, Sun also knew that the family didn't have much money at the moment.
Xiao Dashi whispered to Sun: "Buy some for Qiuran. I'll just eat some pickles and preserved vegetables."
Sun glared at him again and said, "Look, Qiuran is that kind of person. Okay, okay, it's not that bad."
When it comes to food, Sun has also come to terms with it.
I cooked porridge at home in the evening, with braised meat and scrambled eggs, which tasted pretty good.
The Xiao family didn't tell anyone about buying the shop. They waited until they left to tell Aunt Yu.
Lin Qiuran also took the time to inquire about Wufangzhai's business. They had a new dessert called fairy bean cake. It had a thin outer layer of skin and a rich bean filling inside.
There are three flavors: rose wine, which costs six cents of silver per catty; salted egg yolk and pork floss, which is the most expensive, which costs eight cents of silver; and osmanthus wine filling, which is even cheaper, which costs only five cents of silver per catty.
In terms of taste alone, Wufangzhai's is naturally better and more novel, and in terms of price, everything is cheap.
Three flavors, not even close to the Wu Xiang Ju recipe, and the price is a winner. Dim sum is something you should buy once in a while to try, when you can have something else for half the price, so why spend money on the expensive stuff?
Wuxiangju's business didn't last long. Some say the Jiang family was looking for someone to make the bean cakes a month before Mrs. Jiang passed away. They even approached pastry chefs from Yu'an and Linxian, simply because the old lady wanted to have a taste of the bean cakes she had eaten before.
He even invited the young lady who made the bean cake to Wuxiangju. The dream of ascending to the Yaochi Lake was all fake. It was clearly a way of gaining benefits out of filial piety.
Once this news came out, it was out of control.
It was said that the dim sum chefs were locked up in the Chiang family and were not allowed to eat if they could not make dim sum. Some were even beaten half to death.
There were all sorts of rumors, both true and false, that belittled the people, who didn't know which to believe. Some also said that the Jiang family, relying on their kinship with the Xuzhou Jiang family, was bullying the people of Yu'an County, and that the funeral of the old lady of the Jiang family was not in accordance with the rules and was too extravagant.
Among the four classes of people, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, the Yu'an Jiang family has no officials or gentry, they are just businessmen. Yet they don't take the common people into consideration and even make up a story to sell snacks. It is really despicable.
Others said that the Jiang family acted this way simply because they were relatives of the Jiang family of Xuzhou. In Yu'an, even the county magistrate did not dare to offend the Jiang family.
It would be of no benefit to the Jiang family if this matter were to be spread, especially since the Jiang family in Xuzhou had produced many officials. If this matter were to be made public, rumors of collusion between officials and businessmen would spread.
The Jiang family has many officials, so they must be careful about their reputation. The Xuzhou Jiang family wanted to deal with it as soon as possible, but a message came from the capital saying that the second young lady of the family was coming to Xuzhou for a short stay and was already on the way and would arrive in Xuzhou soon.
The Jiang family had produced many scholars, the highest-ranking official being the Second-Rank Minister of Works, now retired, whose son was a Third-Rank Hanlin Academician. The "Second Young Lady" mentioned in the letter was the daughter of Hanlin Academician Jiang Zhifang.
His name is Jiang Sijie.
The Jiang family in Xuzhou couldn't figure out whether the news had reached the capital or if he was just staying for a short time. They planned to hold off for the time being and suppress the news about Yu An. They also prepared a courtyard at home for the second young lady to live in.
As for why they didn't do anything, that wasn't a simple matter. Being an official wasn't just about studying for the imperial examinations; it involved managing personal relationships, which all required money. The Jiang family's business profits went to Xuzhou and the capital. Without money, they couldn't survive; eating and drinking didn't cost anything.
Even the yard, maids, and servants prepared for Jiang Sijie cost money.
Suppress the rumors. It's just a dim sum shop, so it doesn't matter if it makes less money. Let's not make a big deal about it for now. As for the Xu family's involvement, just swallow your anger for now. There will be plenty of opportunities to get back at them later.
On October 8th, it rained heavily. Jiang Sijie stayed in an inn. It was too rainy to continue the journey, and Xuzhou was still a few days' drive away.
This time when she went out, Jiang Sijie brought four maids, two servants, and four guards escorting her. If she hadn't asked her grandfather and father for help, she really wouldn't have been able to get out.
She looked at the falling raindrops and reached out to catch one. The raindrops were icy cold and chilling.
The maid brought a cloak and said, "Second Miss, be careful not to catch a cold and don't stay by the window for too long. The food will be ready soon, but this is a small county town and the food is not very good. I'm afraid it won't suit Second Miss's taste."
Jiang Sijie sighed softly. She didn't care about the food, she only cared about when the rain would stop so she could get on her way quickly.
After traveling through time for more than a month, she finally found the opportunity to come here. She hoped it was not too late so that she could tell Xiao Xun's parents that Xiao Xun was not dead yet.
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