Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Yixue Zui received the Oscar Golden Star Award, surprising everyone, while the win for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as Best Foreign Film was expected. News of this reached Hong Kong, where the entire city erupted in cheers. The big names in the entertainment industry prepared a grand celebration to honor the heroes returning from Triumph. However, everyone from the crew returned except for the screenwriter Yue Junzhe, who stayed in the United States. Officially, she was pursuing a master's degree there, but only Golden Giant and Fang Menghua understood that Yue Junzhe disliked living under the threat of gangs. Although she had collaborated with two gangs relatively smoothly, she truly despised them and hated being held at gunpoint. This time, she fully experienced the arrogance of Hong Kong's underworld. While writing the script for God of Gamblers, she had already decided to leave Hong Kong and would not return until after the 1997 handover.
Andy Lau felt dejected; Yue Junzhe remained in the United States, and the distance between them was now greater than when he had traveled from Hong Kong to Bay Island. Could they hold on this time?
……
“Sun Shopkeeper!” Li Yishu waved and called out loudly to Sun Beizhi from their ox cart. They were fortunate to have encountered Sun Beizhi right after arriving in town. Nowadays, Sun Shopkeeper was a busy person; the Li siblings had visited the county several times to deliver lighters but had only seen him once out of four attempts. It was said that Sun Shopkeeper was now responsible for more than just Wei An Pawnshop; he managed several businesses across various towns near Jingyang County.
Hearing his name, Sun Shopkeeper turned to look and, upon recognizing the Li siblings and Wen Family Brothers, approached with a smile.
“Master Wen, Miss Li, are you here to shop in town?”
Wen Zixia smiled slightly. “We’ve come to see you specifically.”
Sun Shopkeeper’s eyes lit up at her words. “Has Xinyi’s batch of lighters arrived?”
Li Zhoule shook his head gently and replied, “It’s not lighters; it’s a new item that should appeal to women.”
“A new item?” Sun Shopkeeper's eyes sparkled even more as he chuckled. “That’s wonderful! Let’s hurry back to Wei An Pawnshop; I can’t wait to see what it is.”
Wen Ziyu shifted inside the cart to make room for Sun Shopkeeper. “Sun Shopkeeper, please come aboard.”
Seeing that the cart was relatively clean, Sun Shopkeeper instructed his assistant before climbing onto the cart himself. Wen Zixia cracked the whip and urged the ox cart toward Wei An Pawnshop. The ox cart had been purchased not long ago; neither family had experience buying an ox, so they eventually entrusted Village Chief Uncle with the task, offering two pounds of pork as payment for helping them buy an ox along with the cart. The ox was just coming of age—strong and robust—and ran quickly; it wasn’t long before they arrived at Wei An Pawnshop's entrance. Sun Shopkeeper handed over the ox to a clerk for care and led Li Zhoule and the others into the inner courtyard.
“Master Wen, I wonder what you’ve brought this time?” Sun Shopkeeper eagerly asked before tea was even served.
Li Zhoule placed the cloth bag he was carrying onto the table, and Wen Zixia spoke up, "Shopkeeper Sun, this time we have brought a type of product called Soap Opera and Soap."
"Product? Is it similar to lye?" Shopkeeper Sun paused for a moment, asking with a hint of disappointment.
"The general effect is similar, but Soap Opera and Soap are much more effective at cleaning," Wen Zixia noticed Shopkeeper Sun's disappointment and smiled, "Isn't a lighter just as good as a flint? Are you not impressed by lighters either?"
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Sun slapped his thigh. Of course! Even if the items served the same function, whatever the Li Family presented would always be top-notch! When had they ever let him down?
With high hopes, Shopkeeper Sun opened the cloth bag and saw a dozen items inside that resembled mutton fat jade. Half of them were different colors and emitted various fragrances.
"The unscented ones are Soap Opera; they work excellently for washing clothes and hands, completely removing grease and stains. The effectiveness of Soap is no less than that of Soap Opera; when used for bathing, it not only cleanses the body thoroughly but also leaves a light fragrance on the skin afterward, which should be quite popular among women," Wen Zixia introduced to Shopkeeper Sun. "There are three types of Soap: Peach Blossom, Pear Blossom, and Rose."
Shopkeeper Sun picked up a pink piece of Soap and took a sniff, feeling the peach blossom fragrance penetrate his senses. "Indeed, it's quite good. However, if I may speak frankly, these Soap Opera and Soap are consumables that wear out even faster than lighters, and once they're used up, they're gone—unlike lighters that leave behind a shell as a keepsake. The raw materials for Soap Opera and Soap aren't particularly expensive either; they might not fetch as high a price as lighters."
Wen Zixia replied, "We understand. These pieces are merely samples, gifts for you and Young Master Jiang."
Shopkeeper Sun raised an eyebrow. "What advice do you have for me, Young Master Wen?"
Wen Zixia smiled lightly and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "The production of Soap Opera and Soap doesn't require special masters like lighters do; anyone can make them as long as they have the formula."
"This is the formula?" Shopkeeper Sun's eyes sparkled as he stared at the paper in Wen Zixia's hand, its intensity nearly igniting the paper.
"Yes," Wen Zixia replied calmly. "With just us few people, we can't produce Soap Opera and Soap on a large scale, but the Jiang Family has that capability."
"Indeed, the Jiang Family is the strongest in all of Da Zhou," Shopkeeper Sun withdrew his gaze, his expression suddenly serious. "Are you looking to sell the formula to the Jiang Family? Two thousand taels of silver—how about it?"
Wen Zixia shook her head. "The formula is not for sale. We will invest our technology into this business and take a thirty percent share."
Sun Shopkeeper replied, "No way, thirty percent is too much. At most, one percent."
"Twenty percent," Wen Zixia said firmly. "We will produce and sell the products ourselves. Although the quantity may be small, they will be worth more."
"Fine, twenty percent it is." Sun Shopkeeper had no choice but to agree. How could he let such a profitable business slip away?
The two parties immediately signed the contract. After sending off the five members of the Wen Family and Li Family, Sun Shopkeeper hurried to the Provincial Capital to report his success. Naturally, Jiang Family Young Master rewarded him handsomely and immediately arranged for workers to set up a workshop to produce Soap Opera and Soap. The production cycle for both items was short, and they were quickly ready. Jiang Haozhi personally delivered the first batch of products to the palace. The women in the harem became much friendlier towards Consort Jiang after receiving the Soap he sent. The Emperor was also pleased with the Soap Opera; years of grime on his hands were washed away, leaving them feeling refreshed and noticeably cleaner. Once these items were available for sale, they caused a frenzy, with Soap Opera selling the most. Ordinary families loved buying Soap Opera; although it was slightly more expensive than regular soap, its washing effect was remarkable. Seeing clothes that hadn't been cleaned in years come out spotless after using just a third of a bar of Soap Opera made any housewife feel it was worth it. Clean clothes could be worn as if they were new, saving money on new garments.
Not long after, Soap Opera was sent to the Border as one of the military supplies. Elder Brother Li held a piece of Soap Opera in his hand, calculating the days until their return to the capital—after their previous battle, Northern Liang Kingdom had been frightened and had submitted a peace treaty to Great Zhou. Once peace was established, they could return to the capital with Marshal to report back and then request leave to go home.
……
The Wen Family and Li Family returned happily to their village with a bunch of delicious food and daily necessities. Before they reached their village, they saw several groups of people coming out from it. These were relatives of villagers who had learned about the situation at Aoyama Village's ancestral hall from their sisters, brothers-in-law, or cousins. They had no other choice but to seek some Celestial Seeds from their relatives to take home for planting. They didn't want much—just one plant would suffice—but there weren't many Sweet Potato seedlings in the village either; each family would only get a few plants, and with so many relatives asking for them, what would be left? Seeing those people looking dejected made all five feel uneasy. They had experienced hunger themselves and understood these people's struggles, but there were only so many seeds available; if not everyone in the village could be satisfied, how could they meet others' needs?
As they entered the village, they noticed that all those relatives were heading toward the village chief's house, each carrying a basket—there was no need to say what their intentions were. But what could the village chief do?
Wen Zixia sighed deeply while Li Zhoule lowered his eyes, feeling troubled. Li Yishu clenched his fists tightly, and Wen Ziyu tugged at his sleeve. The two brats exchanged glances and made a decision.
Back at home, Li Zhoule went into the kitchen to cook while Wen Zixia followed her to help out. Wen Ziyu entertained Wen Zixue while he and Li Yishu took paper and pen into the storage room.
"Will Deity respond to our request?" Wen Ziyu asked worriedly; they had already troubled the deity many times before—wasn't it too much to expect continued goodwill?
As a devoted fan of Deity, Li Yishu firmly believed in Deity's kindness and mercy: "No way! Deity is so good; if we ask him for help, he will definitely assist us."
Wen Ziyu felt relieved. "Then let's quickly write the letter."
...
Hanno received Li Yishu's request letter and smiled upon seeing the request for another hundred pounds of Celestial Seeds. A hundred pounds? That wouldn't be enough! After giving some to the villagers' relatives and others, a hundred pounds of Sweet Potatoes would hardly be sufficient! Since that was the case, why not make it bigger? Hanno headed out to the countryside, but not to where Second Cousin lived. The quantity requested was too large; it was better not to alert those relatives, lest they inquire about why she needed so many Sweet Potatoes. She couldn't just make up a story about an impending apocalypse, could she?
Hanno went to the other side of the city to buy Sweet Potatoes, where no one would recognize her. She bought fifty bags of Sweet Potatoes, each weighing a hundred pounds, filling up the rented vehicle and nearly half of her rented room, making it difficult for Hanno to enter.
"Bought a bit too much," Hanno grinned. However, she had heard from Second Cousin that one acre of land required fifty pounds of Sweet Potatoes for planting. This five thousand pounds of Sweet Potatoes was merely enough for planting on a hundred acres. Aoyama Village alone must have more than a hundred acres, right? She wondered how many villages and people these Sweet Potatoes could help.
Picking up a sack of Sweet Potatoes, Hanno tossed it into a Porcelain Jar and watched as the jar shook slightly before swallowing the bag whole. She continued with the second bag. Her strength seemed to be increasing; although she had built some muscle while training with Wei Feng, it was still within the normal range for women. But now, her strength surpassed that of adult men. After all, it was rare for an adult man to lift a bag weighing over a hundred pounds so easily with one hand.
Soon, all fifty bags of Sweet Potatoes had vanished. Hanno clapped her hands and decided to write another note tomorrow to send over. With so many Sweet Potatoes delivered today, it would be hard for the Li Siblings to deny the existence of the note.
Taking out her keys, she hadn't even opened the door when she could hear a loud DJ voice coming from inside the house. Hanno curiously opened the door and found Han Dad fiddling with a clever red radio. "Dad, how did you get a radio?" she asked.
Han Dad replied proudly, "I didn't buy it; I got it for free."
Hanno was surprised. "Free? Such a good deal? You weren't scammed, were you?"
Han Dad huffed in displeasure. "I've got it in my hands; how could I be scammed?"
Mom Han came out from the kitchen. "This radio is worth four hundred yuan."
Han Dad's eyes widened. "And I got it for free!"
“Mom Han, you spent four hundred dollars!”
“Four hundred dollars is for that box of health supplements and other things. One dollar for a pack of Noodles, three dollars for a bottle of Vinegar, seven dollars for a bottle of Laoganma—aren't they cheap?” Dad Han retorted angrily.
“Adding up the Noodles, Vinegar, Rice Wine, Laoganma, and Pickled Mustard Greens, it’s at most fifty dollars. I don’t think that so-called health supplement is worth over three hundred dollars,” Mom Han scoffed.
“How can it not be worth it? This stuff sells for more at the pharmacy. We got a seventy percent discount because we participated in the event. The original price was over five hundred dollars. Plus, this free radio—I really made out like a bandit!” Dad Han exclaimed.
“A radio? Radios aren’t worth anything these days,” Mom Han rolled her eyes.
Dad Han held the radio high: “Just take a good look at this. The quality is excellent, and it's multifunctional. It can not only receive signals but also play music from a USB drive and has a flashlight feature. This radio is worth two hundred dollars to my salespeople!”
Mom Han turned her gaze away: “You’re just listening to their hype.”
“I’ve been through this many times; I wasn’t fooled, I wasn’t fooled!” Dad Han insisted.
Hanno didn’t dare to jump into his parents' argument and become collateral damage. He hugged his head and dashed into the kitchen: “I’ll cook today.”
As the bickering between Dad Han and Mom Han continued, Hanno rummaged through the cabinets and drawers in their kitchen. Wow, they really had stocked up on a lot of things, especially Noodles—Dad Han had bought over ten packs! How long would that last? There were all kinds of seasonings as well. Hanno couldn’t help but think that even if the apocalypse really came, their family could last for quite a while.
Comment 0 Comment Count