Chapter 42
It was some snacks. The egg rolls, as Ye Jia had predicted, had already crumbled to dust. But the one or two that remained revealed the snack's original form. Zhou Jingchen picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. It wasn't as crispy as when it was fresh out of the pan, but it still had the full aroma of egg. It wasn't too sweet, just the right flavor. The fried golden threads, even after being left out for over ten days, were still perfectly crisp. He unknowingly tasted a handful, and the smile on his face never faltered.
Along with the food came two letters: one in elegant, flower-shaped small calligraphy, needless to say, his mother's handwriting. The other, naturally, was from Jia Niang. Zhou Jingchen glanced at the words on the cover, "From my husband."
The handwriting was not beautiful, but it was neat and powerful. Under the light, Zhou Jingchen stared at the four words, and his cold and sparse brows softened unconsciously.
He didn't rush to open Ye Jia's letter, but read his mother's first. He'd actually guessed what it would contain before he even opened it. It was indeed a collection of events that had transpired while he was away. Yu mentioned Ye Jia's plans to sell the shop and his business ventures, and also mentioned Fourth Sister Ye and Ajiu's move to the Zhou family. The letter repeatedly lamented the fact that Fourth Sister Ye was already pregnant less than two months after Ajiu's marriage.
Zhou Jingchen felt somewhat helpless. The deaths of his father, brother, and nephew had been a heavy blow to his mother. He understood her insistence on having children and a family line, but he couldn't comply. Having a child at this time wasn't a wise move. To put it bluntly, having a child would be a burden to both him and Jia Niang.
While inheriting the family lineage was indeed important, Zhou Jingchen had never been one to follow the rules. Subduing the sharp edge in his eyes, his slender fingers slowly folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. He then picked up another letter.
Su Bai's fingertips stroked the cover twice. Compared with her mother's letter, this letter was much thinner.
Zhou Jingchen's mouth curled up slightly, and he hooked the cover with his finger and took it out.
Inside was a thin sheet of paper, which, when unfolded, revealed a confusing and at the same time hilarious passage: "Sweeping someone with nice words costs 300 wen per session, analyzing and solving problems costs 500 wen per session, asking for food and comforting someone costs 600 wen per session, and new clothes and shoes cost one tael of silver each. Young, handsome men with good figures can pay half the price. This is a small business, fair to all, and a long-term operation."
To sign his name, Ye Jia drew a small portrait - a thumb-sized stick figure holding out a bowl to beg for money.
The picture was clearly drawn with a few hastily strokes, but it was so righteous and vivid that it made people laugh.
The lights flickered in the tent, and there was silence. Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but cover his face with a slap. His face was small to begin with, and his slender fingers could cover it completely.
A moment later, he sat on the edge of the bed, his shoulders shaking with laughter. His rare loss of composure startled the fellow soldiers who had come in to retrieve something, wondering if something had happened. Zhou Jingchen was usually very cool and composed, and this was the first time he'd seen him like this. He didn't dare ask. The man leaned over to see what he was holding in his hand, but before he could see it, Zhou Jingchen quickly folded it up and stuffed it into his arms.
"What are you looking at?" The smile on his face remained and there was still a smile in his voice.
"Ahem, no, I'm just curious. What's up? Any letters from home?" The soldier in the same tent was also a cavalryman, surnamed Liu, Liu Yuan. His riding and archery skills were top-notch, though still somewhat inferior to Zhou Jingchen's. He served as Zhou Jingchen's deputy on this mission. He was also the descendant of exiled convicts from Yanjing, but not a victim of Prince Jing's rebellion. His father's family was confiscated and exiled because he was implicated in a corruption case.
"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen never mentioned Ye Jia's affairs to outsiders. He nodded vaguely, "My wife sent some food. If you don't mind, take it out and share it with the brothers."
They were all edibles, and they would spoil if left out too long in the heat. Zhou Jingchen wasn't stingy, keeping a small bag of fried golden shreds for himself and asking Liu Yuan to share the rest. During the march, the soldiers ate only portable dry rations, and the occasional wine and meat were simply cooked and grilled. It wasn't very flavorful. Although Ye Jia's snack had lost some of its flavor with age, it was still widely praised.
At night, Liu Yuan returned to the tent, and Zhou Jingchen wrote back to his wife under the lamp.
Liu Yuan's mouth was filled with the faint aroma of egg, milk, and sesame. He smacked his lips twice and gazed at the man's back with envy and a hint of bitterness. They were all exiled. Zhou Jingchen was two years younger than him, yet he already had a wife...
The remaining stragglers were easy to eliminate; as long as they were captured, they could be wiped out. After ten days of encirclement and suppression, Zhou Jingchen and his fellow bandit-suppression officers finally prepared to retreat. By the time they retreated, Zhou Jingchen's reputation had completely shattered compared to when he arrived. Now, the entire team followed Zhou Jingchen's lead, and even Deng Quchang, whose command had been taken away from him, had no complaints and instead admired him greatly.
"When we get back, Brother Zhou, I'll definitely ask the captain for your merit." Deng Quchang imagined the military merits he would receive when he got back, and patted Zhou Jingchen's shoulder. "A handsome man like you will definitely soar to the sky. When you become successful in the future, don't forget me, your big brother."
Zhou Jingchen smiled and agreed readily.
At the same time, Ye Jia finally made more than 200 pieces of scented soap and sent them to the rouge shop.
They agreed on three scents, each priced at fifty yuan. Delivery was scheduled for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and Wu Shaodong was forthcoming, handing Ye Jia the cash that same day. A total of one hundred and eighty taels of silver filled a small box, not a penny less.
Ye Jia had worked herself to death, and this was the most money she'd ever earned. Holding the cash box, her heart pounded in her chest. If Ye Jia hadn't kept her composure, most people would have jumped for joy. Oh, why else would they say things like rouge and powder were so profitable? Earning so much at once, she was even more cautious on her way home, fearing she'd be robbed.
When Ye Jia got home, he immediately took out the money box from his family. He'd been busy preparing pork heads and cold noodles, and his breakfast stall hadn't stopped working, so the box already had nearly a hundred taels of silver. Add to that the one hundred and eighty taels he'd bought from the fragrant pancakes, and you had two hundred and eighty taels of silver.
A few days ago, Aunt Cheng came over for dinner, and Ye Jia brazenly brought up the idea of doing business with the girls from Liyuan Lane. Considering their relationship, Cheng Linfang didn't refuse outright, but Ye Jia took his time and gave her three samples of scented soap. He patiently waited for a response. If this deal went through, and they developed a stable sales channel, it would be a significant source of income in the future.
Ye Jia was so happy with the family's current pace of income that he immediately took out some silver to pay Ye Wumei and Old Man Sun. The previously agreed monthly salary was raised, and Ye Jia gave the two of them two taels of silver: "The extra is a reward, a reward for everyone's hard work during this period!"
Just like starting a company in the future, if the company is profitable, she doesn't mind giving bonuses to employees who work hard.
Ye Wumei jumped up with joy when she received the silver, clutching the hem of her dress and pacing around the yard. She was still young, only fourteen, and had never kept any money. Ye Jia gave her two taels of silver, so how could she not jump for joy?
"Sister, sister! Let's continue working next month and we will definitely earn more!" Ye Wumei's little face was flushed, and she looked much prettier after eating well.
Ye Jia had initially disliked her, feeling she was being pushed too far, but after two months living there, she found she was quite her style. She was knowledgeable, hardworking, and knew what was good for her. She even thought she was more likeable than the effeminate Fourth Sister. "Of course, next month, if you earn more, I'll give you more! After we're done today, let's go cook together and have a nice dinner tonight!"
"Okay!" Ye Wumei's eyes sparkled with excitement, and then she went out happily to pick the leeks.
After the end of July, leeks gradually disappeared from the market. This type of vegetable was immediately out of stock, and if the breakfast stall wanted to stay open, it would have to switch to other cakes. Whenever Ye Jia had some free time, he would go to town to look for a shop. After a month of careful consideration, he decided to buy the shop and pursue a stable business.
Pig heads sell well and aren't affected much by the season. Even in winter, people prefer warm food, so meat still sells well. Ye Jia thought, if things don't work out, teriyaki could be a good option. Then, someone spoke outside. It was Yu, and the person outside had a loud voice, so loud that even inside the house, they could hear everything.
It turned out that the clothes they had ordered at the cloth shop were finished. This was really a good time. Ye Jia had just received his wages, and everyone was very happy. Someone immediately delivered the clothes.
After a while, Yu happily ushered everyone into the house. The amount of cloth they had bought last time was actually quite large. Ye Jia had first asked the tailor to make a set of outerwear for each person, and then, seeing that there was some leftover cloth, he made another set for each person.
The clothes were piled on the table, and Yu immediately started to prepare them. Ye Wumei felt a little embarrassed and waited for others to distribute them.
"What are you waiting for?" Ye Jia called Old Man Sun and his grandson over, "Get your own clothes."
Old Man Sun glanced at Ye Jia for a few times, then went up to take out his own clothes. His clothes were easier to identify; they were all women's clothes, with only his three grandchildren and three other men. Old Man Sun held the new clothes in his hands, stroking the collar with his rough fingers. His eyes remained red for a long time.
He was an old man who was very dull and not as talkative as a young girl. He just secretly vowed in his heart to repay the Zhou family well.
Yu had Ye Jia's clothes brought in. The town's tailors weren't as skilled as hers, not in terms of tight stitching, but in terms of the clothes' styles. To look good, the sewing had to be meticulous. Yu had brought them in to have them altered. When her son returned, it would be nice for her daughter-in-law to wear something nice, which would also benefit the couple's relationship.
"I'll alter it and you can wear it later, Jia Niang." Yu Shi thought about how she had lost one of Ye Jia's little dresses and happened to have saved some fabric. She decided to sew two more beautiful little dresses for her daughter-in-law.
Yu's craftsmanship in making clothes was beautiful, and Ye Jia naturally agreed if she was willing to make changes: "Don't worry, take your time."
Ye Simei was jealous and envious. However, she and Ajiu came in late, and because of her health, she had to be taken care of by the Zhou family. She had never been given any money for food and shelter, so naturally she had nothing to say. But Ajiu saw her envious look and went to find Ye Jia without saying a word. She hid some money and gave it to Ye Jia, asking Ye Jia to help make two sets of clothes for Ye Simei: "Yuanniang has been suffering since she followed me, and I am not capable enough."
Seeing him like this, Ye Jia smiled and nodded: "You are still young, and you have a long life ahead of you. It's great that you have this kind of heart."
Finding a tailor was just a matter of running errands, and the tailor had taken on such a large order from the Zhou family last time and earned a lot of money. This time, Ye Jia was very polite to her, and after giving her some money, she promised to take measurements and make clothes for Ye Simei.
That evening, after dinner, Ye Jia sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air. As he walked around with a palm-leaf fan, he was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the plants he had planted in the backyard were alive. Ye Jia finally recognized many seeds he hadn't recognized before.
Among the five or six packets of seeds, one was cucumber, one was watermelon, one was cantaloupe, and one was Kunlun purple melon. Also known as "loose su," it's actually eggplant. He had to admit, he was incredibly lucky. Except for one packet that didn't grow and he had no idea what it was, the rest were everything Ye Jia wanted to eat. Having never seen eggplant on the market before, Ye Jia had assumed Dayan didn't have that vegetable.
After planting them, she discovered that both Old Man Sun and Ye Wumei recognized them, realizing that eggplant wasn't uncommon in the area. She'd assumed it wasn't available because it wasn't on the market. But that didn't stop Ye Jia from being happy, because the packet of chili seeds had worked.
The one-acre land in the backyard had been planted by Old Man Sun at some point in time.
It was almost mid-August, and Ye Jia noticed the peppers were in bloom. That tiny half-packet of seeds had grown into two acres of pepper plants. Old Man Sun had divided the more than one acre of land fairly evenly, planting a little of everything. Because Ye Jia cared so much about peppers, he had allocated two acres for peppers. Ye Jia was worried about having nothing to eat after the leeks were out of season, so Old Man Sun started planting radishes. Plants that needed to climb, like cucumbers and vines, were planted at the edge of the yard, with a trellis built to allow them to climb.
"If the price continues to rise until the end of August, these radishes should be ready for harvest."
Old Man Sun watered the crops every evening. He had a gourd and a small bucket, and he watered each patch of land. "The sun is good, so these things grow fast. But radishes don't grow as fast as the radish. There are only two harvests a year. The boss is lucky, as the seeds we got this time are all seasonal vegetables. Otherwise, they would have died in this scorching sun."
Isn't it? Ye Jia was also thankful for her good luck. She had actually won the bet on the seeds.
"Don't worry, there should be radishes on the market by then. Just like the leeks, we can buy and cook them." She smiled as she walked around the plot. Looking at the thriving vines and vegetable plants, she felt an inexplicable sense of peace. This was probably the mindset of the legendary old farmer.
After instructing Old Man Sun to take good care of him, Ye Jia staggered back to the house.
The days get hotter day by day, reaching their peak in late July and early August, commonly known as the "dog days."
In the old days, there were no fans or air conditioning, and people had to wear long sleeves and long pants every day. The heat was unbearable when layered with layers of clothing. These days, Ye Jia has tried to minimize the time he spends setting up his stall during the afternoon, preferring to get up early rather than stare at the scorching sun. He sells out his goods early and closes his stall early. Ye Wumei even wanted to sell some cold noodles during the heat, but Ye Jia stopped her.
No matter how greedy she was, she couldn't ask a little girl to go shopping in the hot sun. What if she died of heatstroke?
Even when it wasn't the peak heat of midday, cooking over a stove was still incredibly hot. Burning over the fire, he sweated profusely every day. Ye Jia hadn't used to experience the bitter summer heat, but now he'd lost nearly ten pounds.
Seeing her waist getting thinner and thinner, Yu Shi was very worried and started learning how to make soup. Yu Shi didn't know much about other things, but she knew a lot about nourishing soups. Ye Jia often gave her pocket money, telling her to buy whatever she wanted. Yu Shi was too lazy to eat the snacks at the snack shop in town, so she saved it to buy medicinal herbs. She recreated the medicinal food she used to eat to nourish her body and skin, selected some less expensive herbs, and often went to the herbal medicine shop. After she got some, she would make soup for Ye Jia.
Although the taste wasn't great, Yu Shi had spent money on the herbs. Ye Jia was used to being frugal, so she would drink the good stuff with a pinch of her nose. After drinking it for a month or two, her skin became radiant. Her already fair skin became even more radiant, and her figure became even more slender.
Ye Jia didn't know if it was an illusion or what, but he felt like he had grown one finger joint taller.
"Alas, Yun'an isn't home..." Yu Shi sighed inwardly as she watched him like this every day. Her daughter-in-law had been raised so beautifully by her, yet her blind and foolish son was still away. How sad!
Ye Jia pretended not to hear, continued with his business as usual, and got busy with the soap again.
Buying materials sporadically was too stressful and unstable. The second time Ye Jia bought materials, she simply negotiated a long-term purchase agreement with the shop selling dried soap beans and flowers. Ye Jia had already secured this business with Linglong Rouge Shop, signing a five-year contract, so it wouldn't be easy to break it. So, her material procurement should also become more stable.
There aren’t many bath beans on the market, but there’s more than one.
The finished bath beans were essentially the same; even if there were slight differences, the price difference would make up for it. After much deliberation, Ye Jia decided to buy the items separately. There was no other way. Without patent protection, they could only resort to some trickery to mitigate the risk. After all, if all the raw materials were sourced from the same source, wouldn't everyone know the ingredients?
Yu Shi naturally had no objections. She always put Ye Jia first in everything she did. The reason she followed Ye Jia around was to prepare for a rainy day. If Ye Jia Teng couldn't help, she could fill in immediately. "I'll buy the dried flowers and spices. I can tell the difference in quality at a glance."
This is also considered Yu's strong point. Ye Jia nodded and said, "Let Uncle Sun order the pig pancreas."
There are two butcher shops in Dongxiang Town, which explains the town's better off. There are more butcher shops than in Libei Town. Each shop can slaughter two or three pigs a day, and at most, get five pancreases. Last time, I had to buy pancreases over three consecutive days to get enough. If that's not enough, four days will do. The pancreas isn't urgent; the urgent thing is things like soap beans and soap nuts, which need to be ground into powder in advance.
Ye Jia and Yu compared the finished products of several bath bean shops and finally chose the one with the best quality.
This shop was more like a general store, selling everything. Bath beans were expensive, so people in town bought them in small quantities. Ye Jia ordered thirty pounds in one go, and without the waiter having to say anything, the shopkeeper came out to greet him.
Ye Jia didn't beat around the bush and asked him directly how much discount the store could give her if he bought more and signed a long-term fixed contract.
In reality, bath beans, while seemingly insignificant, weren't often found in ordinary households. Most impoverished folks used soapberries and soap nuts. Bath beans hadn't been popular since Linglong Rouge Shop started selling scented soaps. Rich families used scented soaps more, leaving them with precious items. Hearing Ye Jia say he was buying them long-term, and in large quantities, he naturally perked up.
"It depends on how much the customer wants." The shop owner is naturally a shrewd businessman. "The more they want, the cheaper it will be."
"That's natural." Everyone understood the truth, so Ye Jia didn't hide it and said that he would get at least ten kilograms a month. "But this amount is only temporary. Once things get on the right track, twenty or thirty kilograms will be possible."
Why would you turn away business that comes to you? If you hear that there is still room for expansion due to subsequent demand, you’d be a fool not to make money!
Fearing that this stable client would flee, the shopkeeper immediately ordered his attendant to bring pen, ink, paper, and inkstone to sign the contract with Ye Jia. Ye Jia had expected some negotiation, but the shopkeeper was forthright and gave him a discount. He agreed to a long-term contract for three and a half qian of bath beans. The contract was for five years, and he wouldn't break the contract unless the quality of the bath beans was guaranteed.
If Ye Jia increases his demand in the future, he will still purchase at this price.
Ye Jia looked at the prices and sighed. It was true that the cosmetics industry was a highly profitable industry, regardless of era. Little did she know that the popularity of scented soaps had led the store to believe the bath beans were unsaleable, leading to this misunderstanding. If she had known, she would have undoubtedly sighed: knowledge changes destiny, and formulas are money.
After signing the contract so easily, he went to another shop to buy soapberries. Soapberries were much easier to buy. They were cheap and readily available on the market. There was no need to sign a long-term supply contract; they could even be bought from small vendors in Tile Market. Seeing the abundance of them on the market, Ye Jia calmed down and turned to find Yu Shi, who was already buying spices at another herbal medicine shop.
She often sold medicinal herbs and was familiar with the shop owner. Buying spices was also easy; when Ye Jia went to find her, she had already finalized the contract. She was currently looking at the new pear blossom paste in the shop.
The pear blossom ointment was meant for the face, supposedly effective for frostbite and sunburn. Some people in town bought it to use as a balm, but when Yu opened it and sniffed it, she realized it resembled the body balm aristocratic woman might have used. It could be applied even without wounds; it rejuvenated the skin and lightened blemishes.
"Shopkeeper, how much is this per bottle?" The first thing Yu thought of when she saw this stuff was to use it at home, to wipe her daughter-in-law's face and hands. Her daughter-in-law worked constantly, and no matter how beautiful she was, her hands would get rough after working too much. She could buy a few bottles to wipe her body, and it would be smooth and tender.
It was an ointment, and ointments made from medicinal herbs were certainly not cheap: "That bottle costs two hundred coins."
As soon as the price was mentioned, Yu's words about buying ten or eight bottles died in her throat. Ye Jia didn't think too much about it. Seeing that she really liked it, and since he had some money on him, he let her take it: "Take as many bottles as you want. Our family can still afford it."
In the past, Yu Shi never felt happy when others bought things for her, but now she likes to hear Ye Jia say, "I can still afford this money."
After thinking about it, I decided to use one bottle for my face, one for my hands, and one for my body. When she gets older, I'll just use one bottle. My daughter-in-law will need at least three bottles. After thinking about it, I said, "Let's get five bottles first."
Five bottles cost one tael of silver, and Ye Jia gave it without blinking.
Yu Shi put five bottles of ointment in her backpack. When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned home, Yu Shi told them about the ointment's moisturizing and rejuvenating effects: "Jia Niang, take these four bottles back to the house and use them to wipe your face and hands. It's definitely good."
Ye Jia had been listening casually, but her heart skipped a beat when she heard this: "How did you know this ointment could be used on your face and hands?"
"What's the big deal? I can tell what's in this ointment just by smelling it." Yu was one of the two beauties of Yanjing, and she'd always cherished beauty. She'd had her people search for hair care, skin care, breast enhancement formulas, and more. She used a lot of body creams, and she even mixed them herself. Wouldn't she be able to tell what's in this little thing just by smelling it?
Ye Jia blinked, looked down at the pear blossom paste, and pondered.
Yu Shi hadn't realized the business opportunity yet, but Ye Jia, with his eye on money, immediately felt there was money to be made. But the premise was that what Yu Shi said was true and the ointment was indeed effective: "Okay, I'll try it on my hands and feet for a while and see how it goes."
When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned home, they had to start making the fragrant soap. The early months of the month were very tight, and they had to leave time for it to dry. Otherwise, it would be too late. When they arrived, Ye Wumei was already in the yard cleaning the pig's head. Ye Simei, with her belly bulging, held the leeks high and stood beside the bamboo basket, cleaning them. She would also lend a hand when everyone else was busy.
Ye Jia put everything back into the house and went to the kitchen to cook.
She had just finished cooking when a young man, sweating profusely, ran into the yard. He was carrying a large package and dressed in the garb of a soldier. Yu Shi immediately recognized him as the postman and greeted him with a beaming smile, "Does my Yun'an have a letter?"
"Yes," the postman took out two letters from a large bundle and handed them to Yu, "there are two letters."
Yu collected her things and hurried back to the house to get some tea for the postman. She asked him if he had eaten and why he had bothered to come in such a hot day. She also gave him some fried golden shreds made by Ye Jia. The postman happened to be drinking the mung bean soup from Jingshui Town, the kind with sugar. He drank it down in one gulp, feeling completely refreshed. He smiled brightly as he took the small bag of food and said, "Thank you very much. I'm going home now."
As soon as the person left, Yu took the letter and went to the kitchen to find Ye Jia.
Sure enough, one letter was for Yu, announcing safety. The other, for Ye Jia, was simply addressed to her, "From Madam." At the sight of those two words, Yu's smile stretched from the corners of her mouth to her ears. It seemed the stuff she'd stuffed had worked. After giving that foolish boy a little provocation, he'd finally gotten the message. Yu didn't dare open the letter, happily shoving it into Ye Jia's arms.
Ye Jia glanced at the four large characters on the cover, raised her eyebrows, and was about to open it when she turned around to see Yu still standing nearby, her eyes full of smiles, eagerly glancing at the letter in her hand.
Ye Jia handed it to her helplessly: "...How about I open it and take a look?"
Yu waved her hands hurriedly, put her hands in her pockets, turned around and ran away.
Ye Jia opened it. There were two pages. The first contained a single paragraph: "How much is my husband's appearance worth? Can I offer a fair discount?" On the second page was a drawing. It was clear he'd tried hard to imitate Ye Jia's stick figure, but the painter's penchant for nitpicking led to a rather careless sketch. He squatted beside Ye Jia's stick figure's bowl and dropped several gold ingots into it.
Then he signed his name with four words: To coax, to beg for food.
Ye Jia's face flushed red, she pursed her lips, a little surprised: "...I didn't expect this guy to learn so quickly!" However, plagiarism is shameful.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
