The fact that Huaishan remembered his name and even mentioned it in front of him meant that this servant must have something extraordinary.
Cheng Chi raised his eyebrows.
Huaishan said: "He is only twelve years old this year, and he has five hundred taels of silver in his arms."
Five hundred taels of silver could buy a small house in the capital with forty or fifty acres of good farmland; it could buy two shops on the most prosperous street in Songjiang Prefecture; it could buy shares in the maritime trade in Ningbo... it could also turn brothers against each other and parents into enemies.
Many people have never earned five hundred taels of silver in their entire lives.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Let someone keep an eye on him and see what he is going to do."
Huaishan nodded respectfully and said, "Then what about the second young lady of the Zhou family..."
"Send someone to watch first," Cheng Chi said nonchalantly, "Since she has sent Fan Qi to the capital, we just need to keep an eye on Fan Qi, and sooner or later we will know what she wants to do!"
Huaishan replied "yes" and stepped back.
Cheng Chi stood quietly for a while, then slowly took out an account book.
Opening it, the first line of the book reads in regular script: "On the twelfth day of the winter month, forty-four gray squirrel skins were collected."
The handwriting is square and is the most standard official style.
Although it is very old, one can still see the decisiveness and resoluteness of the person who wrote these lines.
Cheng Chi's finger gently ran across the line of words, then he picked up the account book and threw it into the brazier.
Flames flew everywhere, splashing on the corner of Cheng Chi's clothes and burning a hole.
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On the other side, Zhou Shaojin returned to Wanxiangju. Shi Xiang had already taken out all her earnings over the years, including silver ingots and a few gold beans.
Zhou Shaojin looked at the silver ingots and gold beans piled on the tray carved with red lacquer crabapple flowers and felt as if he were in another world.
The silver ingot with the meaning of "step by step promotion" was given to Cheng Yi one year when he went to pay New Year's greetings to his grandmother. His grandmother gave him six silver ingots with the meaning of "step by step promotion". She thought it was very interesting. After the New Year, Cheng Yi gave one to her and told her apologetically: "If it wasn't given by the elders, I would have given them all to you."
The silver ingots with the words "everything goes well" were given to her by her elder sister. It seemed that her elder sister was a guest at someone's house and was given some by someone else. But she couldn't remember when it happened.
Those golden beans were given by Cheng Sheng's cousin from the eldest house. The eldest house has always been wealthy, and Cheng Sheng is the treasure of Old Madam Guo. Every New Year, Old Madam Guo would give Cheng Sheng a bag of golden beans. Madam Guo was very envious of them, so Cheng Sheng gave her a few.
Shi Xiang said, "Second Miss, these add up to almost two hundred taels of silver. Have you exchanged them all?"
Zhou Shao was silent.
These were either given by elders or by sisters...
She couldn't bear to give it up just thinking about it, as if she was betraying the blessings of her elders and the kindness of her sisters for the sake of a little money.
"Don't exchange it for now." Zhou Shaojin ordered, "Wait until I'm short of silver."
Shi Xiang did not doubt it, and agreed with a smile, and put the reward money back into the box.
Zhou Shaojin was walking around the room, thinking that it would be better to get married, because after getting married, she would have her own money and could do whatever she wanted, and she wouldn't be so strapped for cash like she is now.
I don’t know how others get by
She had dinner in Jiashu Hall. After dinner, Old Lady Guan and Old Lady Mian discussed giving a full-moon gift to the second son of Cheng Shi from the second wife.
In addition to children's clothes, shoes and socks, there were also gold and silver longevity locks, bracelets, and anklets. All these things cost at least fifty or sixty taels of silver.
Zhou Shaojin was shocked.
This is just the full-month ceremony. Wouldn’t the hundred-day ceremony be even more important
Old Madam Guan naturally didn't know what Zhou Shaojin was thinking, so she told her and Zhou Chujin, "You are unmarried girls, so just take some needlework and send it over."
Zhou Shaojin also felt that being a girl was not bad. When there were guests coming to visit, they were just there to make a scene and it didn't count.
But she still had no idea what to do with the money.
After the grandson of the eldest house and the grandson of the second house had their full-month ceremony, it was time for the winter clothing ceremony.
Ancestor worship, sending New Year gifts, collecting rent, taking inventory, making new clothes for the New Year... Whether it is the outer courtyard or the inner courtyard, everyone starts to get busy, and everyone starts to look forward to the New Year with joy.
Classes had resumed at Jing'an Zhai. Zhou Shaojin's life was as peaceful and orderly as before—he went to Jing'an Zhai for classes every morning, copied scriptures at Hanbi Shanfang in the afternoon, did needlework at night, occasionally quarreled with Cheng Jia, and visited Jiying every now and then.
Jiying finally finished copying "Instructions for Women" five hundred times before Laba Festival.
Zhou Shaojin was a little unconvinced, and whispered with wide eyes, "When I came here a few days ago, I saw that you only had five or six books on your desk. How come you have copied all of them suddenly?"
Ji Ying glared at her and whispered, "Can't you just pretend you don't know?"
Zhou Shaojin suddenly realized and his eyes widened even more.
Jiying burst into laughter.
Zhou Shaojin asked: "Who helped you?"
Ji Ying said proudly: "I gave Qin Ziping a hundred taels of silver, and Qin Ziping helped me copy it."
Is there such a good thing
Zhou Shaojin looked at her suspiciously.
Ji Ying called out "Hey" and said, "What's that look in your eyes? Did I do something wrong? My father said that if something can be solved with money, try to solve it with money. It's not worth it to break your bones."
Zhou Shaojin wiped his sweat.
Jiying's father always has brilliant ideas... but sometimes you have to admit that what he says makes sense.
Zhou Shaojin asked her, "What are your plans for Laba Festival? Do you want to come to my place to drink porridge? My sister said that she would tell me how to make Laba porridge this year."
"Okay, okay!" Ji Ying agreed happily, but changed her mind the next moment, "Forget it, if I go there I'll have to kowtow to this and that."
Zhou Shaojin hopes that his sister will also like Jiying.
She said hurriedly, "Just go to our room and celebrate Laba Festival by ourselves."
Jiying was a little moved.
Zhou Shaojin said hurriedly: "Then it's settled. You can bring some back for Miss Nanping, Uncle Chi and the others to try."
"Your uncle Chi doesn't need it." Jiying said, "He was invited to Ganquan Temple to drink porridge during the Laba Festival."
Zhou Shaojin thought he could take this opportunity to earn some impression points in front of Cheng Chi, but his plan failed.
She was a little disappointed and said, "I haven't heard that the Laba porridge in Ganquan Temple is delicious. Why did he go to Ganquan Temple to drink porridge?"
"Are you stupid?" Ji Ying laughed, "Who would invite him to drink porridge? It's the end of the year and Ganquan Temple is urging him to donate incense money!"
Zhou Shaojin said, "Don't we start donating money for incense oil when we eat new cakes after the beginning of spring?"
"You mean the temples in the north?" Ji Ying said, "We northerners are straightforward, unlike you southerners who go through all kinds of twists and turns and try to get people to pay for things."
Zhou Shaojin said coquettishly: "It's not me who asked Ganquan Temple to invite Uncle Chi to drink porridge. Besides, he doesn't have to go!"
"Not going?" Ji Ying curled her lips and said disdainfully, "If you don't go, just wait for those big monks to squat at home and preach to you every day!"
That's true.
Those monks who are in charge of reception are very powerful.
Like her, when she first went to the Jokhang Temple to worship Buddha, it was just to accompany her mother-in-law, but later it developed to the point where she would regularly donate 500 taels of silver to the Jokhang Temple every year.
Ji Ying said, "Forget it, let's not talk about him. I don't have a good word to say about him. I have something to tell you. I will move to Lixuezhai in two days. If you come to look for me next time, go directly to Lixuezhai."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned and asked, "Why?"
Ji Ying rolled her eyes and said, "There aren't enough servants in Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard, so your uncle Chi decided to have everyone live in Lixuezhai and close this place."
Zhou Shaojin was shocked and asked, "Is business bad this year?"
She stumped Jiying with her question.
Ji Ying thought for a long time and said, "I can't tell... Could it be that Cheng Zichuan's business has collapsed this year? My father said that the moon waxes and wanes, and people are subject to misfortunes at any time. Cheng Zichuan has been lucky for ten years, could it be that he has started to have bad luck this year?"
"Can you just say such things casually?" Zhou Shaojin said "Pooh" to her, clasped his hands together, bowed towards the west, and muttered a few words, "Children's words are innocent, children's words are innocent, please don't blame me, Bodhisattva."
The cocoon was full of anger and said, "I am Tong Yan, then what are you?"
Zhou Shaojin was shocked to realize her age... She choked for a long while.
Ji Ying said to her, "Tell me, if I ask my father to use the silver to redeem me, will Cheng Zichuan agree?"
Zhou Shaojin really wasn't sure.
She always felt that Uncle Chi looked kind, but he was actually a little proud. If his business was going well, and Jiying's father offered money to redeem Jiying, he would probably agree. But if his business ran into trouble, he would not agree to Jiying's father's request, even if it was to prevent his business rivals from taking advantage of his misfortune.
But there is always a chance of something happening.
She also hopes that Jiying can return to her parents as soon as possible and become a beloved young lady.
It’s a pity that if Jiying really leaves, they may never meet again.
"Why don't you try to talk to Uncle Chi about it!" Zhou Shaojin said, "Whether he agrees or not, you have to give it a try."
Jiying nodded thoughtfully.
Shi Xiang ran to Zhou Shaojin breathlessly and said, "Second Miss, Ma Ci sent someone back from Jingzhou Prefecture with a letter. The eldest lady wants you to return quickly!"
Zhou Shaojin couldn't sit still any longer, so he stood up immediately, said hurriedly to Jiying, "I'll go back first", and left Xiaoshan Congguiyuan in a hurry.
Everyone has some urgent matters to deal with.
Jiying didn't take it to heart.
Cheng Chi received the news: "… The second daughter of the Zhou family came to visit Jiying again. She was halfway through her conversation when she was called away by the eldest daughter of the Zhou family."
Cheng Chi said "hmm" and told Huaishan: "It must be moved before the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month."
Huaishan retreated in response.
Zhou Shaojin felt like his heart was about to jump out.
As she hurried back, she asked Shi Xiang, "When did sister receive the letter? What did it say?"
"I just received the letter." Shi Xiang followed Zhou Shaojin and said, "He didn't say anything, and I couldn't tell whether he was happy or not."
So is it good news or bad news
At least there was a letter from Ma Ci, but no one from Fan Qi even sent a piece of paper to her.
The New Year is almost here. If he doesn't come back, how can she explain to Mrs. Fan Liu
Zhou Shaojin hurried back to Wanxiangju.
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Sisters, today's extra update.
O(∩_∩)o haha
PS: Please give me a pink vote!
※(To be continued)