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墨書 Inktalez
They bought fabric and embroidery thread, and then a group of them returned to the place where the Village Chief Uncle was waiting. Seeing them come back, the Village Chief smiled and stood up, saying, "You all returned quite quickly. We can still make it back to the village in time for lunch."
Li Yishu immediately exclaimed, "Village Chief Uncle, weren't we supposed to eat in the city? It's our treat."
The Village Chief quickly waved his hand, "No way! How can I let you spend your money unnecessarily?"
"It's not unnecessary," Wen Zixia interjected, grabbing the Village Chief's arm. "We were too lazy to eat at home anyway. We planned to eat in the city before heading back. It won’t cost much more with you joining us. Besides, Zhou Le and I have some matters to discuss with you."
"What matters?" the Village Chief asked.
Wen Zixia replied, "Let's talk while we eat!"
The group pushed and pulled the Village Chief into a moderately sized restaurant. He had initially thought they would just grab a bite at a roadside stall, but he was surprised to find himself in an expensive establishment. Naturally, he shook his head in refusal. However, Li Yishu and Wen Ziyu held onto his arms while Wen Zixue pushed him from behind, and together they managed to usher the Village Chief inside. Once they were in the restaurant, he had no choice but to go along with it, though he reminded Wen Zixia and Li Zhoule not to order anything too expensive—just a couple of simple dishes would suffice.
Li Zhoule smiled and directly ordered three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a bowl of soup. The three of them cheered; they could finally eat meat again. The Village Chief couldn't help but swallow his saliva; as the chief, he wasn't any wealthier than the other villagers and hadn't had meat in months.
Li Zhoule also ordered a pot of wine—not much, just enough for the Village Chief to have a couple of cups to whet his appetite.
"That's too extravagant," the Village Chief said as he swallowed hard. Wine was much more expensive than meat, and he hadn't had any for over a year.
Wen Zixia said, "You brought us to the city; it's only right that we treat you to a good meal."
The Village Chief felt gratified; he thought that the children from the Wen Family and Li Family were indeed well-educated and sensible.
With good food and wine before them, the Village Chief and the three young ones ate happily. Though they weren’t devouring their meals ravenously, they certainly ate at a good pace. After feeling about seven-tenths full, the Village Chief finally set down his chopsticks, picked up his wine cup, and enjoyed a sip before asking, "Zixia, you wanted to discuss something with me—what is it?"
"Well, Village Chief," Wen Zixia began, "Zhou Le and I would like to invite a teacher back to the village to teach the children how to read..." She explained their plan along with Li Zhoule's ideas.
The Village Chief slammed his thigh in excitement: "This is great news! But it seems Zhou Le will have to spend some money again."
Li Zhoule smiled gently, pressing her lips together. "The uncles and aunts in the village helped me and Li Yishu so much before. Now that I have a bit of spare money, I naturally want to give back to everyone."
The village chief said, "You're too kind, child. That money is your dowry."
Li Zhoule laughed. "It's for Li Yishu. When he grows up and is capable, he can help me earn more dowry money."
Hearing this, the village chief chuckled and reached out his calloused hand to pat Li Yishu's head. "You are all good children. You don't need to worry about the materials for the school; I'll arrange for others to prepare them. As for the workers' wages, it doesn't need to be too much—just a token of appreciation will do. The school is for the benefit of the whole village; every family has children."
Wen Zixia said, "Don't worry, village chief; we have it all figured out."
The village chief sighed. "What you are doing benefits everyone in the village. The children will learn to read and write, and even if they don't take the imperial examination in the future, they can still find good jobs in the county."
Wen Zixia sighed, "But in this day and age, even being literate doesn't guarantee a good job."
Just like himself.
The village chief could only sigh in response.
After filling their stomachs, the village chief drove the ox cart with Li Zhoule and the others to the grain store. Li Zhoule bought two hundred pounds of brown rice, but the village chief stopped them, saying that one hundred pounds was enough. Wen Zixia pulled the village chief aside.
"Village chief, after a good meal, we’ll have more strength to work."
What could the village chief do? He could only remember the kindness of the Wen Family and Li Family and would distribute it carefully to each villager upon returning to the village.
………………
After receiving three lighters, Sun Shopkeeper didn’t linger in the shop for even a moment. He had someone prepare a carriage and headed straight for the Provincial Capital. The Jiang Family Mansion was located in the Provincial Capital. Last time, Jiang Haozhi had come to the county for an audit and happened to run into Wen Zixia and others. The Provincial Capital was over a hundred miles from the county town. Sun Shopkeeper urged his carriage to go faster and reached the Provincial Capital in just three hours. By then, it was just getting dark. Sun Shopkeeper didn’t care that visiting at this hour might be considered impolite; he directly asked the doorman to summon Jiang Young Master.
Fortunately, Jiang Young Master was home. Although puzzled, he still had Sun Shopkeeper brought into his study.
“Sun Beizhi, why did you suddenly come here?” Young Master’s expression was not very good.
Sun Shopkeeper noticed Young Master’s displeasure. They were aware of the internal affairs of the Jiang Family; it was clear that Madam Jiang had been making things difficult for Young Master again.
Although Jiang Haozhi was the Young Master of the Jiang Family and managed their business, he was not born of Madam Jiang but was a son of a concubine. Jiang Laoye and Madam Jiang had a marriage of convenience without affection; Jiang Laoye favored his cousin, and he held a strong dislike for Madam Jiang, who occupied the position of his cousin's wife. Within three months of their marriage, he took his cousin as a Second Wife, who subsequently gave birth to Ginger Family Eldest Sister and Jiang Young Master. Unfortunately, his cousin passed away when Jiang Young Master was only ten years old. After that, Madam Jiang became assertive, using her status as the legitimate wife to make life difficult for both Ginger Family Eldest Sister and Jiang Family Young Master. Although Jiang Laoye favored these two children, society placed great importance on legitimacy, and other family members leaned towards Madam Jiang and her son, the Second Young Master. Thus, after turning ten, Jiang Young Master endured a long period of hardship until Ginger Family Eldest Sister entered the palace as the Emperor's favored consort, which elevated his standing in the Jiang Family. With a sister of noble status, the clan no longer dared to look down on this illegitimate Young Master. Seizing this opportunity, Jiang Laoye divided the family business equally between his two sons. The pawnshop business was entirely entrusted to the eldest son, with Sun Shopkeeper being under Jiang Young Master's command. Last year, when Jiang Laoye passed away, Madam Jiang began to exploit her position as Jiang Young Master's stepmother to create various troubles for him, causing him great distress. At times, he even contemplated drugging Madam Jiang to send her to join his father. Unfortunately, Madam Jiang was cautious and suspicious; the spies sent by Jiang Young Master could not get close to her. However, Madam Jiang could only make life difficult for Jiang Young Master within limits; she could not seize the Jiang Family's assets for her own son as long as Eldest Sister remained in the palace.
Sun Shopkeeper said little and directly placed a box containing lighters in front of Jiang Haozhi. Curious, he opened the lid and remarked, “These three glass items look nice, but they aren’t worth you coming all this way.”
“These three items are not glass,” Sun Shopkeeper licked his dry lips. “They are lighters.”
“Lighters?” Jiang Haozhi raised an eyebrow.
Sun Shopkeeper explained, “They are devices that can produce flames; their function is similar to that of flint but more aesthetically pleasing and waterproof.”
Apologizing for his rudeness, Sun Shopkeeper picked up one lighter to demonstrate for Jiang Haozhi.
Intrigued, Jiang Haozhi picked up a lighter and repeatedly ignited and extinguished it, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Sun Shopkeeper hurriedly reminded him, “Young Master, these lighters cannot be used indefinitely. Once the liquid inside runs out, they won’t ignite anymore.”
Jiang Haozhi glanced at the liquid inside the device and reluctantly set it down.
“Where did you get such good items?”
Sun Shopkeeper replied, “Do you remember the Wen Family Brothers and Li Siblings who blocked Glass Bottle before?”
Jiang Haozhi certainly remembered; that Glass Bottle had earned him an imperial reward from which he gained higher standing in the Jiang clan and managed to exchange several sets of porcelain from Madam Jiang and the Second Young Master.
“I remember well. Are these three items pawned by them?” Jiang Haozhi was astonished. Could those two families be more than just country folk? Perhaps they were descendants of some hidden noble lineage? Otherwise, how could they possess such valuable items?
"That's right, but it's not a pawn; it's a sale to us. Three lighters for three hundred taels of silver," said the Sun Shopkeeper.
"Three hundred taels? That's so cheap?" Jiang Haozhi thought that such beautiful items would cost at least a thousand taels.
The Sun Shopkeeper replied, "Lighters are consumables. Once the liquid is used up, they can't ignite anymore. That's why the Li Family offered this price."
"It's still too low; we're getting a bargain," Jiang Haozhi said. He kept one lighter for himself while leaving the other two in the box, planning to give them to his elder sister, who would then present them to the Emperor. At that time, he would receive the Emperor's commendation. His status in the Jiang Family would rise, and he couldn't help but feel pleased at Madam Jiang and her son's frustration. Unfortunately, there were only a few; if there were more, selling them in the shop could yield a significant profit!
The Sun Shopkeeper noticed Jiang Haozhi's reluctance and disappointment and quickly added, "The Li Siblings know a master craftsman who makes lighters and have signed a contract with us to provide ten of these lighters each year for us to sell."
"Really?" Jiang Haozhi asked in surprise.
The Sun Shopkeeper nodded vigorously. Jiang Haozhi was overjoyed and couldn't help but laugh heartily, "With such precious treasures, my business will surely surpass that of my second brother! Father, you won't be disappointed. I am the most suitable heir for the Jiang Family, and I will elevate our status even further."
With his master happy, the Sun Shopkeeper felt elated as well; he could already envision himself reaching the pinnacle of life, even though he was already married.
In the palace, the Emperor was speaking with Consort Jiang about Jiang Haozhi.
"My beloved consort, your younger brother is quite impressive. He donated a thousand carts of grain to the border, greatly alleviating the shortage of military supplies. He also previously presented glass bottles. What else should I reward him with?"
Consort Jiang gently replied, "What Haozhi has done is what he ought to do; it doesn't warrant repeated rewards from Your Majesty."
The Emperor shook his head. "Merit deserves reward; otherwise, wouldn't I appear unfair in the eyes of others?"
"Then..." Consort Jiang said, "Both thunder and rain are gifts from the ruler; Your Majesty can just give him something small."
The Emperor responded, "A casual gift won't do. How about this: I'll give Jiang Haozhi an honorary title of Cloud Knight Commander, elevating his status above your second brother?"
The Emperor was well aware of the matters concerning the Jiang Family. The reason he was giving face to this illegitimate son, aside from Consort Jiang's influence, was because Jiang Haozhi was perceptive and fully supported him, unlike the second son of the Jiang Family who secretly conspired with his good brother against him.
"Consort Jiang" was overjoyed. "I thank Your Majesty on behalf of my brother for the bestowed rewards."
The "Cloud Knight Commander" held a nominal title, though it was a legitimate sixth-rank position. However, it was still a proper official title, which elevated him significantly above the second young master of the "Jiang Family," who was merely a businessman. With such a title, the previously undecided position of clan leader should now fall to her brother.
...
In the "Border," "Yue Yunfei" held his bowl, tears welling in his eyes as he exclaimed dramatically, "Finally, I can have a full meal!"
"Elder Brother Li" rolled his eyes at the fool beside him and focused seriously on his meal. Indeed, as "Yue Yunfei" had said, everyone had been eating porridge for some time—thin and watery, leaving them hungry shortly after. Besides fighting, many places had suffered disasters; it was already a blessing that the emperor could ensure they had porridge to eat, with no surplus grain available for a hearty meal. But how could they fight without enough strength from proper nourishment?
"Elder Brother Li" thought of the high-yield crops he knew: hybrid rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn... Unfortunately, after living in this world for many years, he had not seen any sign of potatoes, sweet potatoes, or corn. It made sense; these three were indeed foreign imports. Potatoes originated from South America, while sweet potatoes and corn also hailed from the Americas. The current shipbuilding technology only allowed vessels to navigate rivers; maritime travel was limited to coastal routes with no capability to reach other continents. It seemed that hybrid rice was the only method available to increase food production. But how could hybrid rice be cultivated? "Elder Brother Li" felt lost; he wasn't trained in agriculture!
"What are you thinking about?" "Yue Yunfei" poked "Elder Brother Li." Was he daydreaming instead of eating? Would someone else snatch his food away?
"Nothing much," "Elder Brother Li" shook his head and dismissed the thought of improving food supply from his mind. His specialty lay in fighting; he shouldn't expect much from something as specialized as agriculture.
"Hey, I heard that the 'Jiang Family' merchant group is delivering food to us from your 'Sanchuan Prefecture,'" "Yue Yunfei" said. "Do you want to write a letter back home to let your family know you're safe?"
Upon hearing this, "Elder Brother Li" felt tempted. He quickly shoveled down two more bites of rice before putting down his empty bowl. "Thanks for the reminder; I'll go find someone from the merchant group right now."
"Hey? Why are you running off so fast? I still wanted to chat about how the emperor sent 'Prince Qirui' to the 'Border' to reward the troops!" "Yue Yunfei" rolled his eyes at "Elder Brother Li's" departing figure.
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