Chapter 74 The Difference Between the Two Sisters
The following day, it rained heavily and the wind was strong.
The rain continued incessantly, splashing and pattering on the surface of the pond.
Chen Yi woke up early, ate breakfast, and then stayed in his study without even going to the pavilion.
While listening to the rain and wind outside the window, I practiced calligraphy.
It has a unique charm.
Xiaodie ground the ink beside him, watching the characters he wrote, silently reading them in her heart.
"The east wind blew again last night in the small building... If the east wind hadn't favored Zhou Yu... then what would have happened to his red lips and plain face...?"
There are no more poems or lyrics that start with the character "面" (miàn).
Then comes another unrelated line of poetry, "Three mountains half-hidden beyond the blue sky," followed by the line, "Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life."
The poems are scattered, but the calligraphy is written very carefully.
Although Xiaodie was not very proficient in calligraphy and lacked appreciation skills, she had a good eye and could see the subtle beauty in the characters.
With this kind of artistic conception, one's mastery of calligraphy will naturally be quite high.
"Young Master, it's raining heavily and the wind is strong today. Aren't you worried about the Second Miss?"
With Xiao Jinghong gone, Chunhe Garden returned to its former leisurely and orderly state.
Xiaodie readily agreed and changed the way she addressed him back to.
Chen Yi casually replied, "Madam, you don't need to worry about it. She will handle everything."
During this period of time, he had come to understand Xiao Jinghong's temperament to some extent.
It is traditional, for example, to uphold etiquette and the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty, to respect teachers and value the Way, and to respect the elderly and care for the young.
However, they also possess the style of conduct honed through military experience.
Using "swift and decisive" might be a bit of a stretch, but it's not far off; the actions can be considered quite resolute.
Given her cultivation level, a little wind and rain should not pose a problem for her.
Xiaodie was a little puzzled. "Young master, the storybooks say that couples always miss each other when they are apart, and the talented men in the stories can even write poems."
Chen Yi paused slightly, then finished writing the last stroke, "There's always a gap between fiction and reality."
However, he did write a poem.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi put the page of pine paper aside and continued, "I sometimes think of Madam."
For example, when he saw that intelligence report after finishing his cultivation last night, he wondered how strong Xiao Jinghong must be to make those hidden guards wary of him.
Compared to her, the other people in the Marquis's mansion, including the old master, seemed to be disregarded by the hidden guards.
Clearly, such concern does not align with Xiaodie's current fantasy.
But upon hearing Chen Yi say that he occasionally thought about it, Xiao Die seemed relieved and smiled, saying:
"Xiaodie understands. The young master misses the second young lady."
Chen Yi smiled, not bothering to explain the difference between missing someone and remembering them, but simply instructed her:
"Go wake Wu Ge up. We'll have lunch at my older sister's place later."
"Why."
Spring drowsiness, autumn fatigue, and summer naps are common; it's good for children to sleep more in the summer.
Rainy days are especially suitable for sleeping.
If it weren't for Chen Yi's abundant energy after practicing martial arts, he would have liked to sleep in too.
Lunch time.
Chen Yi held an umbrella in one hand and carried Xiao Wuge in the other as they headed towards Jiaxing Garden.
Xiaodie, holding a small umbrella, went to the kitchen to get some food and stayed in Chunhe Garden.
I just arrived at Jiaxingyuan.
Chen Yi then saw outside the wooden building, Xiao Wan'er wearing a thick, bright red cloak, urging him with a slightly anxious expression:
"Hua Tang, be careful on the way. Even if you are in a hurry, you must pay attention to your own safety."
Opposite her, Shen Huatang was not holding an umbrella, but instead dressed in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, looking somewhat like a female knight-errant from afar.
Are you going on a long trip?
A guess formed in Chen Yi's mind, so he carried Xiao Wuge over.
Shen Huatang glanced at the two of them and bowed first, saying, "Miss, I've remembered. Please take care of yourself."
"With Juan'er and Cui'er here, you don't need to worry about me. Just be careful."
After saying this, Xiao Wan'er gave a few more instructions and then asked Shen Huatang to take several armored soldiers with her.
After everyone left.
Chen Yi noticed the worry on her face, thought for a moment, and asked, "Is there a problem with that batch of medicinal herbs?"
Xiao Wan'er was taken aback, not expecting him to guess, and hesitantly nodded, saying:
"That group encountered heavy rain as soon as they arrived in Shuzhou, so they could no longer travel by water and had to switch to land transport. However, there were occasional bandit attacks, so I asked Huatang to lead people to meet them."
Chen Yi said "oh" and followed her into the wooden building.
Xiao Wuge comforted her from the side, saying, "Elder sister, brother-in-law once said, 'Those who follow the right path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little help.'"
"Our family has been through so many hardships, there shouldn't be any more troubles in the future."
Chen Yi put him down, wiped the light rain off him, and secretly glared at him.
The words he said unintentionally were all taken and used by this kid.
Xiao Wan'er felt much relieved after hearing this, and her eyes glanced at Chen Yi intentionally or unintentionally, "Eldest sister also hopes it is so."
Those who are virtuous will receive much help...
In recent years, the Xiao family has made so much sacrifice to defend the southern border of the Wei Dynasty, and has indeed earned some reputation.
She just hoped that nothing would go wrong with the batch of medicinal herbs, otherwise the next six months would be tough for all the branches of the Xiao family.
As time goes on, people become restless, and trouble is bound to arise.
Chen Yi saw through her thoughts and said with a smile, "Eat first. You need to fill your stomach to have the energy to do things."
Xiao Wan'er murmured twice, then hummed in agreement and instructed the maid beside her to bring the food.
However, I felt a bit better, especially since Xiao Jinghong wasn't around.
During lunch, Xiao Wan'er was able to exchange a few words with Chen Yi.
Most of them are about Jishi Pharmacy, some about how to run the pharmacy, and some about how to manage the pharmacy's manager, doctors, and accountants.
Although these were commonplace things, Chen Yi listened very carefully, and they corroborated his past experiences as a cow or horseman, so he didn't find anything special about them.
If we had to name someone special, it would probably be Xiao Wan'er, the "head housekeeper" who manages all of the Xiao family's businesses and finances.
Compared to Xiao Jinghong's decisiveness honed through military experience, Xiao Wan'er was equally adept at handling matters.
However, due to her personality, Xiao Wan'er seemed unwilling to go to extremes and always wanted to be considerate of all aspects.
She even thought of taking care of the apprentices at the very bottom of the pharmacy.
It is undeniably meticulous.
But how should we put it when we act this way?
Chen Yi probably disagrees.
Human energy is limited, and it's impossible to be perfect in managing money, relationships, and family matters.
People who try to please everyone often end up pleasing no one and will always have some dissatisfied people.
However, Chen Yi only thought about it in his mind and did not offer any advice or suggestions.
It is already quite an achievement for Xiao Wan'er to manage the vast Xiao family now.
Even if there are some biases or minor flaws in the actions, it is unlikely to provoke public outrage.
"Big sister, I have a question."
"But it's okay."
Xiao Wan'er looked at him with a hint of trepidation in her heart, hoping he wouldn't say anything unrelated to the medicine shop.
After all, Xiao Wuge is still here...
Chen Yi, however, said seriously, "Are all matters within the five pharmacies in Shu Prefecture decided by their respective managers?"
Xiao Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief and, after thinking for a moment, replied, "That's true."
“Each pharmacy is located in a different place and serves different patients, so I follow the usual practice and let them handle things themselves.”
"Only if we encounter truly difficult situations will I or several elders in the household step in to resolve them."
Chen Yi nodded knowingly, then lowered his head to eat and asked no more questions.
The relatively loose management inevitably allowed loopholes to be exploited, as was the case with the former manager of Jishi Pharmacy.
However, such rules do allow each pharmacy owner to have a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making.
If one truly has the ability, one can run the pharmacy beyond expectations.
However, it is clear that most of the managers in the five pharmacies of the Xiao family are now conservative and not very quick-witted.
It must be related to rewards and punishments.
Finally, Chen Yi recalled the account books of Jishi Pharmacy that he had seen yesterday, and made a rough estimate of the income of Xiao Family Pharmacy.
"The monthly net profit is no more than two thousand taels, and even with land rent and tax, it should not exceed four thousand taels per month."
It seems like a lot, but when you factor in the monthly allowances for each branch of the Xiao family and the expenses for decorating the storefront, it's estimated that less than a thousand taels of silver will be left each month.
No wonder the old master wanted to sell his birthday gifts to help Xiao Jinghong build a trade market.
Given Xiao Wan'er's anxiety about that batch of medicinal herbs, it seems the household is likely facing a severe shortage of funds.
These thoughts only flashed through Chen Yi's mind before he stopped thinking about them.
It's never a bad thing to have some understanding.
(End of this chapter)
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