Chapter 046
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
Xue Tingxiang’s one day of rest passed in nearly a blink of an eye.
For the past two days, Zhao’er had been resting obediently on the kang bed because Xue Tingxiang refused to allow her to do anything. Instead, he went out in her stead to collect and sell vegetables with Xue Qinghuai.
Zhao’er did try protesting, but it was to no avail. It was the first time she realised that her little man could be so domineering.
It was only after Xue Tingxiang returned to the Academy that Zhao’er finally got to hop out of bed and breathe a sigh of relief.
After lunch, Xue Qinghuai went to fetch Jiang Wu.
Zhao’er placed all the neatly stacked money on the table along with two account books. One was her original, slightly messy recording book, and the other was the accounting book that Xue Tingxiang had helped her copy and organise.
“I had Ting’er help us check the calculations for us. In the past 10 days, we made a total of 64 taels and 320 coins.”
Upon hearing that they made over 60 taels, Sun’shi, who had insisted on joining the meeting, pinched Xue Qinghuai hard in her excitement.
“We managed to sell our vegetables to places such as the Immortal Guest House and other similar restaurants, as well as to stewards from several rich households who live in the south side of town. These people don’t mind spending a bit more for quality goods, and occasionally, they even gave us reward money, which Brother Jiang Wu brought back. This amount totalled up to nearly 2 taels. However, please don’t imagine that we can make this much money all the time. As mentioned, we were lucky due to our good timing. As more vegetables flood the market, their value will decrease, so we need to prepare for this as well.”
Xue Qinghuai scratched his head and chuckled, “This one income is enough to sustain us for at least half a year. Even if we don’t earn as much later, it’s fine. After all, there is no guarantee when it comes to doing business. So, uncle understands what you are saying, Zhao’er.”
Zhao’er nodded, “This amount is the gross profit. After deducting our expenses, we still have a total of 50 taels and 843 coins [1]. Since Uncle gets 20%, that’s 10 taels 162 coins; Brother Jiang Wu gets 15 taels 252 coins. Here’s your share, Uncle. Brother Jiang Wu, this is yours. ”
Xue Qinghuai and Jiang Wu stepped forward to receive their share of the money. Both of them understood that, as the one who invested the most, Zhao’er, would of course receive the most out of the total. Neither of them challenged this amount either.
The three of them continued to talk.
“Actually, I had trouble keeping track of all the numbers. It was Ting’er who helped me count the money and check the calculations. After that, he checked the amounts against my record book before we finalised this amount. Ting’er said that since we are in business together, it is best to settle the accounts clearly to avoid any future quarrels over money…”
In fact, she was roughly quoting Xue Tingxiang as she showed Jiang Wu and Xue Qinghuai the second account book, then had them sign and press their seals onto the book to indicate that they had received the appropriate amount of money. Since neither could read nor write, they used their thumbprints in place of their signature.
After this was done, she added, “From now on, we will settle the accounts every 10 days. In the next 10 days, we must maintain our current business and venture into villages we haven’t been to yet to make agreements with the farmers there. Also, I think we are still short of people. Fourth Uncle and Brother Jiang Wu, please keep an eye out for good people we can hire. They should be reliable and of good character.
When it came to matters of business, Zhao’er was particularly assertive and meticulous, to the point that no one dared to underestimate her.
Xue Qinghuai and Jiang Wu listened and offered suggestions. The three of them discussed business for another good hour before going their separate ways.
Zhao’er also left the Xue house for the day, with plans to visit the Gao family.
When she brought up the matter of hiring more people, Zhao’er also mentioned Gao Sheng. Xue Qinghuai and Jiang Wu both knew Gao Sheng. The boy had been a bit mischievous when young, but he was competent and hardworking, so both of them agreed that he would be a good addition.
Of course, the three of them agreeing that it was a good idea wasn’t enough. Gao Sheng had to agree as well. Zhao’er considered herself fairly familiar with Gao Sheng and decided to approach him in person.
The Gao family home was located at the end of Yuqing Village. As a general rule, families with miscellaneous surnames live at the edges of the village. Over time, they happened to gather together and occupy this part of the village. Although it was a little inconvenient getting in and out of the village, the actual place was quite pleasant with a mountain backdrop, singing wild birds and flowers nodding in the wind.
When Zhao’er arrived at the Gao family home, she found that all was not quite peaceful here. Even at a distance, she could hear people quarrelling in the courtyard. Presently, a young man stormed out of the gate and nearly bumped into her.
It was Gao Sheng.
Gao Sheng was seventeen years old, a year older than Zhao’er, with a tall and robust stature. The men in the area were generally quite tall, and Gao Sheng looked like he could grow even taller in the future. He had slightly dark skin and was wearing a short, coarse brown outfit. He looked angry, as though he had been wronged in some way.
“What happened?”
Gao Sheng stopped in his tracks. “Elder Sis Zhao’er, what are you doing here? Do you need something?”
Let’s talk about this familiar form of address: Elder Sis Zhao’er.
Gao Sheng had been quite the miscreant in his youth. He joined a group of village boys climbing trees for birds’ nests or swimming in the river to catch fish. There was nothing this daring group of boys dared not do. These daring and naive teens formed their own little clique and were despised by the people in general.
They fell in and out of friendship with each other easily, good friends one day and sworn enemies next. Xue Tingxiang never really played with this group of wild children. That was mostly due to his weak health and short stature. Whenever they found him, they would tend to bully him.
Back then, Zhao’er had just entered the Xue family. The sudden appearance of a girl child in the Xue family’s second branch house led to some speculations. Some thought that the couple found a child bride in order to bolster their weak son’s health.
Adults started gossipping and children who overheard them started making up rhymes and spreading information that they only partially understood. Each time they saw Zhao’er heading towards the fields to call the second branch couple back for lunch, they would clap and sing about how she was Xue Gouzi’s ‘big wife’.
At first, Zhao’er just endured. However, one day, Gou’er happened to come out for a stroll with Zhao’er, and the group of bratty children surrounded them and began to clap their hands and chant,
“Xue Gouzi is small and slender,
Found himself a wife called Zhao’er,
A giant wife, a little man,
The family’s all a shamble,
All mother could do is weep and cry!”
Little Gou’er was so angry that tears started pouring out of his eyes. Zhao’er shouted at them to leave, but they refused and kept chanting. Finally, Zhao’er could not bear it anymore and grabbed one of the dancing rascals and started beating him up. The one who was caught and beaten was Gao Sheng.
From then on, whoever even dared to whisper such things would have to face Zhao’er’s fist.
When children fought, the adults generally did not interfere. After all, it was normal for children to quarrel. If adults involved themselves in the children’s quarrel, it would no longer be a trivial matter. Therefore, even if a parent knew that their child was beaten up by Zhao’er, they did not say much. At most, they would say a few harsh words in front of the second-branch couple.
As for Xue Qingsong, although he appeared guileless and simple-minded, he was very protective of his own people. Even if he didn’t agree with something others told him, he would not react. Once the person was done speaking, he would ignore them. Later, he even rewarded Zhao’er with a delicious treat. Besides, it was not like their side was completely blameless. If the parents of the rascals tried to pursue the matter, someone would eventually question just how the children knew about the child bride business. Therefore, it was better for all sides to leave the matter alone.
In short, nearly all of these little rascally boys, who were all about the same age as Zhao’er, some even as young as Xue Tingxiang, had been beaten up by Zhao’er at some point or other.
After getting beaten up, they still had to call her ‘Elder Sister’. Even Gao Sheng, who was older than her, continued to call her Elder Sister out of habit.
There was no choice; the impression she had left on them was just too deep.
“I have something to discuss with you. So, what’s up?” asked Zhao’er as she flashed a look towards the courtyard.
Gao Sheng’s eldest sister-in-law was still speaking angrily about something, and Gao Sheng’s mother did not look too pleased either. She was wiping tears off her face as she said something back.
Gao Sheng lowered his head and pursed his lips, “Let’s not talk about it.”
At that, Zhao’er had some idea of what happened.
Gao Sheng’s father passed away early, leaving behind his youngest son, Gao Sheng, and two older sons. The Gao family could not be considered wealthy, barely making ends meet with their few acres of land. Therefore, the family did not divide, and Mother Gao brought the youngest son with her to live with her two eldest.
In the beginning, things were still fine. However, after Gao Sheng’s brothers got married and had children, the youngest uncle became an eyesore to the sisters-in-law. No matter how hard Gao Sheng worked in the fields, they always found something to criticise. Still, the family managed to get by together.
Today’s quarrel between Gao Sheng’s eldest sister-in-law and his mother was about Gao Sheng’s marriage talks. Mother Gao had found a potential bride for Gao Sheng, but when she tried to initiate talks about wedding expenses and betrothal gifts, the two sisters-in-law argued against the match, citing poverty and lack of money.
Gao Sheng’s brothers remained silent, and because of that, Mother Gao became desperate. After a lot of effort, she finally managed to bring it up again today, but Gao Sheng’s eldest sister-in-law immediately shut her down. Mother Gao was so frustrated and angry that she burst into tears. Gao Sheng could not bear their argument anymore and left in a huff.
“I’m going to find work in the county tomorrow.”
Zhao’er sighed. She knew Gao Sheng had been considering it for a while, but Mother Gao had disagreed, uneasy about her youngest venturing out alone.
“Well, I’m here to see you about this, too. I am now working with Brother Jiang Wu and my fourth uncle on a business. We just started, and we need more hands. If you think it’s all right, I can share half my profits with you. So long as you work diligently, you can marry a wife by the end of the year. By then, you can even support Mother Gao if you want to.”
Zhao’er had already thought about it. Jiang Wu aside, her fourth uncle also had to tend to the fields on busy days. Therefore, they urgently needed an extra pair of hands, preferably someone who could handle the work alone.
She thought of Gao Sheng not only on the basis of their childhood bond but also due to his sociable nature and wide circle of friends. Moreover, his present character was not bad. He had a good head on his shoulders and was willing to work hard. While starting out a business, one of the most important aspects was good and dependable helpers. For this business venture, Zhao’er’s first choice was Gao Sheng.
“Sure, since Elder Sis Zhao’er said so, I’ll do it. If I don’t do my work well, you can hold my pay.”
“Don’t you want to know what you’ll be doing?” Zhao’er teased.
Gao Sheng scratched his head awkwardly, “Surely you’re not planning to sell me off?”
With the matter settled, Zhao’er set out with Gao Sheng the very next day.
Over the next few days, Gao Sheng familiarised himself with the ins and outs of the business. He was amazed by Zhao’er’s innovative way of doing business, but not too surprised. There had always been rumours going around about how Zhao’er had a good nose for making money. However, since she kept it discreet, he had not realised just how much she managed to accomplish without attracting too much attention.
Gao Sheng was no fool and saw great potential in the business. Thus, he worked even harder, offering plenty of valuable suggestions along the way.
As promised, Zhao’er shared a substantial portion of the profits with Gao Sheng. Gao Sheng really did not expect to receive so much. He felt guilty and uneasy at first, but since Zhao’er did not allow him to decline the pay, he resolved to work even harder. In fact, he even found two young helpers from his acquaintances and paid them from his own pocket.
As the number of helpers increased, the business slowly expanded its reach. In the past, they only served a few of the more prominent restaurants and wealthy households located in the Southside. Now, Zhao’er’s business started supplying produce to numerous small eateries and food stalls.
The timely delivery of their fresh, affordable and comprehensive selection of goods made them popular with their target market. Not to mention, their prices were even lower than those at the market. There was really no reason to refuse such a competitively priced and convenient service that delivered goods right to one’s door.
Zhao’er was even inspired to include a small amount of pork as part of their selection of goods, thus snatching some business from the butchers and meat stalls. However, that was a story for another day.
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While Zhao’er’s business was flourishing, things were quite calm on Xue Tingxiang’s side.
Every day was a routine of lectures, meals, self-study, sleep and repeat, over and over again, making life a little dull and boring.
Under Chen Jian and Xue Tingxiang’s supervision, Mao Badou and Li Datian were now working harder than before. The only blot in their school life was how the four of them were heavily ostracised by other students. Still, none of them were particularly concerned by other people’s opinions and spent the majority of their time enjoying their school life.
However, on this day, something happened.
As dusk fell, the four of them followed their usual routine of washing up after dinner at the dining hall and returned to their dorms to study.
Each person had a table and an oil lamp, which they used for their own studies.
Xue Tingxiang transcribed books as usual, with a diligent Chen Jian doing the same. Mao Badou would occasionally tease Xue Tingxiang or Li Datian once he got bored with studying. Mostly Li Datian, because he had learned that Xue Tingxiang had a loaded brush in hand and would not hesitate to splatter him with ink when provoked. Mao Badao had learned his lesson after being splattered a couple of times.
Soon, it was time to turn off the lights. When the bedtime bell sounded, they all blew out their lamps and lay down on their beds.
Unable to sleep, Mao Badou asked Xue Tingxiang for a book to read. Xue Tingxiang, unable to ignore Mao Badou’s persistence, reluctantly agreed.
Mao Badou took the book from Xue Tingxiang, lit the lamp under the covers, and began reading. He was happily flipping through the books when the sound of footsteps suddenly disturbed his enjoyment.
He immediately blew out his lamp and tucked the book into his pants, just as the door was pushed open. The room flooded with light as several people entered.
Leading the group was an elderly manservant. Although he was called a ‘manservant’, he was greatly feared by the students, because this fellow was responsible not only for the night patrols but dormitory management as well.
The manservant was in charge of all things large and small within the dormitory. He was seldom seen during the day but emerged at night, striking fear wherever he went, according to Mao Badou.
Accompanying the old manservant were a few students, likely from the dormitory next door. The leader’s surname was Zhou, and his name was Zhou Li.
At the sight of this Zhou Li person, Mao Badou’s pupils shrank. He had a very bad feeling in his heart.
“Old Liu, it’s him. When I came to borrow a jug from this dorm the other day, I saw Mao Badou reading a book. He was the only one in the room. When I entered, he immediately hid his book, which roused my suspicion. Surely reading books is not something to be ashamed of? Unless… then, I recalled how he was caught with inappropriate books last year, and I suspect that he may be up to his old tricks again.”
[Gumihou: Ah, a little intrigue to break the boredom. How nice of this Zhou guy]
[1] In the original, it was 50 taels 8 qian and 43 wen, but to make things easier and since everything was in the metric system (is it metric? Anyway, it’s in 10s, 100s and 1000s, none of this 29 knuts to 1 sickle nonsense), went with 50 taels 843 coins.
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