Liu Yulian really wanted to lie down on the table. It was too difficult to make money.
"I just sell something, and so many people are learning it." Liu Yulian said.
"It's new, so many people are trying to learn it," Liu's mother consoled him. "It's okay. Don't you want to make hand cream? It's not easy to learn, and others can't easily learn it either."
“…” Liu Yulian didn’t think this was any comfort.
In fact, she had known that those people would imitate it a long time ago. Things that are useful and easy to imitate will of course be imitated by many people. The most important thing is that they can make money.
This is how people are in this era, and Liu Yulian can't stop it.
"We harvested a lot of grain from the fields, so we won't starve to death." Liu's mother said again.
"..." Liu Yulian tilted her head. Indeed, there was plenty of food, so she wouldn't starve to death. At most, she would just eat plain rice, but she still had to find a way to make some money.
No, she should ask the emperor for some money.
The crying child gets the milk. If she doesn't cry for a while, and she doesn't have that much money, she may have to go ask for money when she is short of money, but it may be interrupted for a while.
Liu Yulian simply went to see her father and asked him to help her write a memorial to the emperor to see if he would give her some money. If the emperor decided to have someone research those things himself, that would be fine, and Liu Yulian could write down everything she knew.
It’s just that some things are not useful just by writing them down, and some things just rely on feelings.
Liu Yulian had lived in the afterlife for so many years that she had forgotten some knowledge, but sometimes she still had some feelings. Perhaps her feelings were right, and she would soon be able to figure something out.
The court sold culture medium and used it to farm the land. With so much food harvested, the court could always make some money. If the people were well fed, fewer people would starve to death. The court's population increased, and there was no need to be so afraid of future wars.
Cement can be used to build city walls, dams, roads, and houses... Cement has so many uses, and Liu Yulian believes that the emperor would be happy to study this.
"Father, keep writing. We need money." Liu Yulian reminded her father, "I've written about the research methods for cement and rubber. Although I don't know what rubber looks like, I've also written about some of its characteristics."
"So vague?" Father Liu felt that there was not much content as soon as he took a look.
"Why is it so vague? There's still some information." Liu Yulian's eyes widened. "Rubber is found in the south, possibly in other coastal countries. When you cut it open, a transparent or colored liquid might come out. A single tree can yield a lot of rubber, and that rubber is unlike that of ordinary trees. Cement is made of sand, limestone, and metal oxides. We'll slowly study it, calcining it, and mixing the right proportions. At least we have a direction, okay?"
Liu Yulian didn't think her writing was vague. She thought it was better than knowing nothing and making something up out of thin air.
"Father, do you think your daughter has a photographic memory and can remember everything?" Liu Yulian asked, "Some books are incomplete, and it's good enough to be able to read a little bit. What else do you want?"
"Write it, write it right away." What else could Father Liu say? This was his own daughter.
My daughter complained that she was short of money, but it might not be that she really was short of money. It could be that the things she was researching were not that easy to come up with.
Father Liu supported his daughter in doing this. She shouldn't mess around all the time. What could she possibly come up with? If she couldn't come up with anything, wouldn't she just be suffering and wasting so much money?
The things his daughter had given him could bring great benefits to the court. Father Liu believed that the emperor should be willing to spend a little more money so that the researched things could still be used by the court.
"Your Majesty can send someone to help us do it, but don't send someone who is just there to supervise but knows nothing." Liu Yulian was most afraid of people who knew nothing but stood there and gave orders.
If you don't know anything and try to command those who know, things will only get worse.
Liu Yulian still wants technical talents, people who are truly willing to do research.
"Okay, write it all down." Father Liu said, "You are the only one who has too many things to do."
"My daughter, you're not worried about anything. If you didn't want to finish something quickly, you wouldn't be so anxious," Liu Yulian said. "If cement were available and we could build houses with it, many people wouldn't have to live in thatched huts. And in winter, heavy snow wouldn't crush thatched huts and cause casualties."
Although not every household could afford cement after it was developed, when disasters really occurred, the imperial court could do more.
"Okay." Father Liu didn't dare to say no, as he didn't know how to study these things.
Father Liu didn't understand, so he didn't ask any further questions, nor did he say his daughter shouldn't do these things. He supported his daughter in doing these things, and he occasionally wrote memorials to the emperor, mainly about some matters in the fields and the wool mill.
Father Liu had no real job, but he knew the emperor wasn't going to just sit around doing nothing. He had to show some respect to the emperor, lest he forget him.
The emperor is old, but that doesn't mean he's useless. Father Liu thinks Prince Su is a good person. If the emperor truly wants to cultivate Prince Su, and Prince Su is willing, then Prince Su will definitely not mistreat the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion.
Father Liu never thought that he would have to rely on his daughter at his age.
At the palace, the emperor received memorials from various quarters, reporting that rice, wheat, and other crops had increased their yields by at least one-third compared to previous years. This greatly pleased the emperor, as the culture medium had not been prepared in sufficient quantity, and some people were refusing to use it, fearing it would damage the seedlings.
Even though the government repeatedly emphasized the need to use culture medium and sent people to monitor it, some people still refused to buy it. Or, after being forced to buy it by the government, some families simply poured it away.
In some places, the government allowed people to buy culture medium on credit and pay more grain later. Even so, some people still refused to buy the culture medium.
Policies varied from place to place, and there were always some people who didn't trust or were unwilling to use the culture medium. They didn't believe that those scholars could develop something useful for food crops.
As a result, many people do not use culture medium and think that culture medium is expensive.
In one place, the county magistrate was a good one. He raised money to provide the people with culture medium for free. However, some people thought that the free medium was useless and either threw it away or sold it to the neighboring county at a lower price.
The emperor had anticipated the significant challenges that would arise in the first year of implementation, and so he specifically ordered local authorities to reclaim wasteland. The wasteland would then become the property of the court, and the culture medium would be used to grow crops.
This is why this year's grain output has increased by one-third compared with previous years. If no one were keeping an eye on it, the increase would probably be even less.
The first year was difficult, but by the second year, even without the court's advice, the common people would take the initiative to buy the culture medium. In every village, there were always a few families who actually used the culture medium. When the people who didn't have the culture medium saw other families harvesting so much grain, they would always have the idea in their hearts and always want to use the culture medium.
"There have been far fewer surprise attacks in the northwest this year." Prince Su stood in the imperial study. He had learned a lot about the situation this year. The situation was much better than in previous years. "It might be because they sold wool, milk and other items in exchange for food and cotton. Now that they have less to lose, they can spend the winter at home peacefully."
"Although there hasn't been a major war, we still need to pay more attention," the emperor said. "How's the harvest at the imperial farm?"
"The harvest is more than double that of previous years," Prince Su replied. "The increase in production in various places isn't that much. It's probably because many people haven't used the culture medium, which is why it's so difficult. Next year, the people shouldn't be in the same situation as this year."
The main reason was that those people hadn't used culture medium, and the court couldn't possibly arrest them. There were too many people, and the law didn't hold them accountable, so the court could only let them do what they wanted for the first year. Without the court's urging, those people knew what to do.
"I heard that Rongning is working on something new recently. She must be crying poor." The emperor sent people to the northwest. Those people did not reveal their identities. They just mixed in with other people, or did other things. Those people were the emperor's spies.
"Rongning is still young and doesn't know how to do business. It's inevitable that he is short of money." Prince Su thought that Liu Yulian had spent so much money to research invulnerable silk threads. Since she had started to research one thing, how could she let go of other things? Liu Yulian must be thinking about researching all the contents she had read in the book.
Prince Su knew that the Duke of Chengguo had given Liu Yulian a lot of money, but that money probably wouldn't be enough for her. Even if Liu Yulian had a shop, she would be so inconsistent that she wouldn't make much money.
Earning little and spending a lot means you are short of money.
"Even if she doesn't cry, her father should cry for her." The emperor knew Marquis Jingning quite well. It was impossible for Marquis Jingning to just watch his daughter worry about money. Marquis Jingning also thought that those things would eventually belong to the court or the royal family, so he would definitely cry poor.
During this period, the emperor had seen a memorial written by Jingning Hou. In it, the marquis did not ask for money, but he did describe his family's difficulties. This part was very short, and the emperor suspected that Jingning Hou was laying the groundwork.
"Growth production has increased so much, Rongning should be rewarded," the emperor said. "It's quite reasonable to reward a woman."
Give women the titles of county lady, princess lady, or princess. Women can give birth to children, and women care more about their children than men. So, you can reward women with children when the time comes.
Oh, Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan are engaged. After they get married, they can also be given a title that can be inherited by their son.
The most important thing was food. The emperor thought Liu Yulian should be rewarded. A woman could not become an emperor, nor was she likely to compete for the throne. He Xiyuan was also the cousin of Prince Su, and the emperor intended to make Prince Su the crown prince, so the reward should be given.
The emperor said that to make Prince Su understand. As a monarch, one cannot always be on guard against ministers. While they do have to guard against the monopoly of power by relatives and prevent those court officials from becoming too powerful, those who deserve to be rewarded should still be rewarded. People like Liu Yulian, who will not have real power in the future and will not hold an official position in the court, will not cause much trouble.
As long as the emperor is in control, then everything is fine. If the emperor is incompetent, then no matter how they guard against the court officials, it will be useless.
Previously, the emperor only conferred the title of County Lord on Liu Yulian because there were no concrete results yet. Now that there are real results, with such great contributions, it is impossible to just let someone become a County Lord. That would be unreasonable.
Not to mention that women of different surnames cannot become county lords or princesses, that depends on whether the emperor of the time is willing.
"Send her some silver," the emperor said with a smile, "it's a good thing that she likes to deal in these things."
The emperor thought that since he had finally caught someone who could do more research, he had to let Liu Yulian do more research and not let her down. If she stopped researching because of lack of money, wouldn't that be a loss for the court?
"Your Majesty is wise." Prince Su said.
"Do you think your cousin still has some private money?" The emperor asked suddenly. He heard that He Xiyuan gave the money his family gave him to Liu Yulian from time to time. Before they got married, He Xiyuan wanted to support his fiancée.
"Maybe a little." Prince Su had no idea whether He Xiyuan had any private money.
In the Northwest Army Camp, He Xiyuan had already changed into the down jacket Liu Yulian had sent him. He wore a wool sweater inside and a down jacket outside, which was quite warm. Looking down again, he saw that these shoes with fur inside were also very warm.
He Xiyuan usually trains, so sometimes he doesn't feel the cold. But when he stops training and sits down, he still feels cold.
"The clothes the county lady gave me are really nice." A soldier who was close to He Xiyuan looked at the clothes he was wearing. "It's even better to have a fiancée and a wife."
If he could ever have a fiancée as good as Lady Rongning, he would wake up laughing in his dreams.
There are many people who envy He Xiyuan, but they also know that He Xiyuan and his fiancée almost broke off their engagement, which is why He Xiyuan ran to the northwest to join the army.
If those people think about it carefully, they will not be so envious. After all, they also have to work hard to continue to have such a good fiancée.
This year, the soldiers were given a cotton coat. There wasn't enough cotton, so not many coats could be made. So, for the time being, each soldier was given a coat. The remaining cotton had to be purchased from outside.
That cotton coat is much warmer than any other clothes I've worn before. It's better to have one than nothing.
Some soldiers had families living nearby, and their families made cotton-padded clothes and knitted woolen clothes for them.
This winter is better than in previous years. There are fewer enemy raids and the soldiers are dressed warmer.
He Xiyuan and several soldiers sat next to a fire with a few sweet potatoes in it.
"The white flour steamed buns tonight are really good." One person said, "I haven't had such good white flour steamed buns in a long time."
They often eat steamed buns mixed with cornmeal, which are difficult to swallow and make the throat sore.
"With more food, we can eat better in the future," said He Xiyuan.
"That's right. We've cooked a lot more these past two days," another person said. "I heard from the wheat harvesters that the wheat is growing very tall, with many ears and is very heavy."
"Cotton is good too." someone said.
He Xiyuan sat there listening to them. He felt good too. He missed Sister Lian. Sister Lian had a gentle and beautiful smile. Her whole body seemed to be glittering. He could only see her.
He heard from some soldiers that their families were very worried about them while they were in the army, fearing that they might lose their lives at any time.
He Xiyuan wasn't afraid of losing his life defending his country, nor was he afraid of Liu Yulian worrying about him. He was thinking that if he didn't achieve any great achievements while living in the barracks, he would go back and take the imperial examination. He would at least pass the exam and become a Jinshi. If he could get first place, that would be even better. He would then marry Sister Lian in a grand ceremony.
He can take Sister Lian with him to serve as an official, and he can also accompany Sister Lian to do those things.
He Xiyuan didn't really like war. War inevitably resulted in injuries and other losses. He would also be happy if there were fewer wars.
He Xiyuan looked up at the starry sky, wondering what Sister Lian was doing.
Early in the morning, Su Qiuya opened the shop door and started doing business.
After the others had bought breakfast and the place had cooled down a bit, Su Qiuya went out. She had to buy a bicycle for Liu Yanbo. She also had to look for woolen sweaters and the like. She didn't have time to knit her own sweaters, so she bought some ready-made ones.
After Su Qiuya went to the store, she realized that there are many types of woolen sweaters, with different wool content and different prices.
Suixin Shop started selling like this, and others followed suit, following Suixin Shop's prices. The only difference is that prices in places a little further away are a bit higher.
"Please take a closer look. These woolen coats are very warm, and the cotton coats are also good." The clerk asked Su Qiuya to take a look for herself.
Many families of scholars would buy woolen and cotton-padded clothes for their children, as they were afraid they would get cold. Some families did not buy ready-made clothes, but simply bought wool yarn and cotton to make their own.
"I need both a woolen sweater and a cotton sweater." Su Qiuya asked, "Can I get a discount if I buy two more?"
Su Qiuya also wanted to visit a few more shops, as there was more than one shop in the county town that sold woolen and cotton-padded clothes.
After comparing prices from three different stores, Su Qiuya finally bought the woolen and cotton-padded clothes. She had checked them out carefully to avoid buying clothes of poor quality.
When Aunt Qing saw Su Qiuya coming back with two large bags of things, she was surprised, "What did you buy?"
"The weather is cold, buy your husband a woolen sweater and a cotton coat." Su Qiuya said, "He's been sitting there reading, so he's bound to be cold. We're working, so we feel a little warmer. If your hands are frozen, it will be difficult to write."
Su Qiuya also saw gloves and cotton shoes outside and she bought them.
Su Qiuya spent a lot of money at once, but she didn't feel bad because it was all worth spending. She couldn't help but wonder if Liu Yulian's Suixin shop was very profitable. Liu Yulian planted cotton, sold fruit, and also had a wool shop. Even if other people were involved, it didn't mean that Liu Yulian couldn't make money.
A bicycle was sold for one tael of silver. Liu Yulian's Sui Xin shop originally sold bicycles.
Su Qiuya only saw that some of Liu Yulian's products made money, but she ignored the speed at which Liu Yulian made money. Liu Yulian didn't know how to run a business, so she just found reliable people to run the shop.
"It's time to buy some." Aunt Qing nodded. "I don't know how your second sister is doing."
"Second sister won't be cold." Su Qiuya said.
"People like that probably won't be cold, it's just other things." Aunt Qing was thinking about the letters and things they had sent out before, and she didn't know when those things would arrive in the capital.
In Shiyuan Village, Lin Xiaowan was cleaning her house when she found a hole in the corner of the wall. She decided to take a look inside to see if it was a hole made by a mouse.
Then, Lin Xiaowan touched several coins. No doubt, it was the money that her husband had secretly hidden.
“…” Liu Yanqing saw his wife cleaning the house and was afraid that she would sweep out his private money. He was about to offer to help when he saw a penny in his wife’s hand.
Wow, damn, that's my money.
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