Chapter 73: Livelihood

◎ The young scholar has arrived early ◇

The dining table was still the one from their old house, now looking somewhat out of place in the clean and bright new living room. The elderly matriarch changed the subject, asking, "When will our new furniture be ready?"

Yu Lian considered for a moment. "Not so soon. I'll ask Dashu's wife tomorrow and have her inquire with her brother."

After their new house was built, they had entrusted the task of making new furniture to Ma Dafen, as they lacked the manpower at home. He even took care of sourcing the raw materials.

Even though his progress didn't match that of Hua Dameng's group, and they received the bonus, he wasn't too upset, as he had picked up more carpentry jobs. Doing this set of furniture would earn him just as much as being a foreman.

He felt embarrassed to charge for the materials, saying that they were all sourced from the mountain and he wanted to give them a discount.

But Yu Lian believed that such labor-intensive work deserved fair compensation. Reluctantly, Ma Dafen offered Yu Lian a discount, charging a reasonable price.

Two sets of tables were made for the living room – a large round table for meals, and another for entertaining guests and drinking tea. There were also new beds for each room. Yu Lian asked for the simplest design, no fancy carvings, as those would take more time and cost significantly more.

In her previous life, minimalist wooden furniture was popular and often expensive in better brands. But in this ancient era, such simplicity was the most affordable. Yu Lian found the pure wooden furniture, devoid of any intricate designs, comfortable and functional enough.

After the meal, she returned to her room, opened a cabinet, and took out a small chest filled with money. She counted the coins in her pocket along with those in the chest. She had arrived with over five hundred taels of silver, but now there were barely a hundred left.

Yu Lian let out a sigh, realizing that she needed to prioritize earning more money.

Planting fruit trees was no simple task. Ignoring potential pests and diseases, it was uncertain if the trees could grow healthy, let alone bear fruit within a reasonable time frame.

Thus, if she managed to create the fruit preserves jars, securing a steady supply of fruits would be another challenge. Initially, she would have to purchase a large quantity of various fruits, which would incur significant costs. Adding the expenses for making the jars and hiring artisans, Yu Lian calculated that her current silver stash was insufficient.

Staring at the chest for a moment, she pulled out a few taels of silver and some copper coins to keep on her person, locking the rest away.

Moving to the desk, she prepared an inkstone, spread paper, and began drafting a traditional-style business plan.

Yu Lian had a habit of planning everything meticulously, always thinking several steps ahead. Especially for such a significant undertaking as managing the family's livelihood, a well-laid plan was crucial to avoid complications.

First, she wrote down her intention to produce fruit preserves as the family's primary source of income. Then, she listed the major hurdles she needed to overcome:

For instance, acquiring airtight jars capable of preserving the fruit.

And sourcing the necessary fruit materials.

This included establishing workshops and hiring laborers, as well as purchasing fruit tree saplings and addressing the subsequent planting process. She needed to estimate when they would bear fruit and become useful.

After jotting down all the issues that needed resolution on paper, she felt a sense of clarity. It was easy for her to discern the most pressing matter from the list: obtaining airtight jars. Without them, this business couldn't proceed, and all other considerations would be meaningless.

There were already people outside selling fruit syrup, at affordable prices of two or three copper coins per bowl. The only drawback was that these syrups were simply sugar mixed with water, prone to souring quickly and having a short shelf life. They couldn't be kept overnight, or even for half a day, without losing their taste.

Throughout history, profitable businesses thrived by doing what others couldn't. It didn't require a significant advantage, just a slight edge. And that's what she aimed to achieve!

Her goal was to overcome this weakness by significantly extending the preservation period. Not only would she sell to local residents, but also to those in the county town, the provincial capital, and even further afield. Her target customers included ordinary folks, wealthy households, and traveling merchants and wanderers. Canned goods could be carried for sustenance during journeys, quenching thirst or accompanying dry rations, eliminating the need to wait for an inn or enter a city to find food.

During the summer and autumn, when fruits were abundant and inexpensive, she could produce more. Then, during winter when fruits were scarce and costly, and few people preferred cold fruit, she could sell her canned products, earning profits. In summer, she'd focus on volume sales with slim margins, while in winter, she'd cater to a more refined clientele with premium offerings. This way, she'd have income throughout the year – surely, this was a viable business?

Eventually, once the operation matured, she could explore canned ready-to-eat side dishes, such as pickled cucumbers or braised meat. Virtually anything could be canned!

Of course, this was Yu Lian's optimistic vision, and its feasibility remained to be seen. After listing all tasks and potential directions on paper, forming a comprehensive business plan, she checked off the final item on her list.

Let's start with a small goal—let's create the jar first!

The next morning, someone was already standing at the entrance of the Hua family's residence.

When Aunt Mei opened the door, she was startled and patted her chest, saying, "You people love standing at others' gates. Last time, it was that boy Sanshu who startled me when we were building the house. Now it's you again."

She opened the door and let the young man in, smiling as she said, "There's no need for you to come so early. The children haven't woken up yet, especially the twins. They always love to linger in bed, so you'll have quite a wait."

The young man frowned. As the saying goes, the day's success lies in the morning. The morning was the best time for studying. If one didn't read books in the morning, why would they delay it until the afternoon?

He asked Aunt Mei which courtyard and room the twins occupied, and if he could enter.

Aunt Mei pointed him in the right direction and nodded.

The twins were boys, and since they had moved into their new room, the brothers shared a separate space. There was nothing to be discreet about.

The young man thus walked in and knocked on the twins' door.

After knocking several times without an answer, he pursed his lips and pushed the door open.

Moments later, a shrill scream echoed from the twins' room, causing chaos in the household.

Aunt Mei's lips twitched as she looked at the seemingly meek young man with a stern expression on his face. In his hand was a ruler, seemingly prepared beforehand, as he declared, "Hurry up and get ready for your morning ablutions and studies!"

The twins held their stinging palms, their tantrums deflated. With teary eyes, they looked up, bewildered. "What are you doing? It's not even dawn yet, and you're hitting us?"

"You're so mean! I'm going to tell Sister-in-law, Father, Mother, and Grandma!"

The young man was undaunted. "Your sister-in-law entrusted your education to me, which means she has given me the responsibility to discipline you. Teachers have always held a position of authority, and it is my duty to ensure your proper upbringing, so as not to betray her trust."

"Natural talent in reading is secondary; more importantly, we must develop good study habits. From this day forward, I will cultivate the right learning attitude in you, making the most of every moment and teaching you all the books I know!"

The twins stood there, staring at their slightly older brother. "Are you serious?"

The young man replied, "Very much so."

Their faces fell, and they tried to negotiate. "Can we start tomorrow? Let us enjoy our last day today?"

The young man responded, "No, tomorrow comes after tomorrow, and how many tomorrows are there?"

"Well, that's still too early. It's practically murder! And you hit them right away. You're really wicked!"

Despite their attempts at cajoling or threatening, the young teacher remained unswayed. He simply observed them as they dressed and groomed themselves, following them to the courtyard for their morning ablutions. After they were cleaned up, he urged them to eat something before their lessons began.

Throughout this process, the young scholar behaved like a strict old professor, his eyes never leaving the twins' backs. Should they attempt any mischief, his ruler was ready to enforce discipline.

While enjoying the spectacle, Aunt Mei prepared breakfast. By the time the rest of the family began to stir, the twins had already finished theirs.

Seeing that Little Teacher had arrived early and her two older brothers had already eaten, Little Guo'er felt deeply ashamed. On the very first day of studying, she had overslept.

Hua Tianqu frowned slightly. "It's alright." Since Little Guo'er was a girl, it wasn't proper for him to enter her room and rouse her. Otherwise, he would have treated them all the same.

Aunt Mei invited the young teacher to join them for breakfast. Yu Lian had mentioned earlier that the teacher's home situation was inconvenient, so she arranged for him to have all three meals at their house.

The young teacher's ears turned red with embarrassment. "I've already eaten at home."

He had prepared some porridge for his mother, but after serving her, he boiled the remaining dregs in a pot with water, barely qualifying it as a thin rice soup.

Aunt Mei could tell that the young man was too modest to accept. She promptly served him a bowl of porridge, topped with a sprinkle of pickles. Simple though it was, the aroma of rice filled the air.

The twins finished the last sip of their porridge and nudged the irritating young scholar. "Well, eat up then! You were the one hurrying us! I think we'll go back and take a nap first. When you're done, you can call us!"

The young man pressed his lips together and swiftly finished the bowl of porridge. Upon finishing, he stood up and asked, "Where is the study?"

At this moment, Yu Lian also emerged and upon hearing this, she added, "It's in the backyard, where we've set aside a secluded courtyard. Beyond the yard lies a mountain."

She inquired of Hua Tianqu, "Have you brought any books with you?"

The youth replied, "I've brought my handwritten copy of the Three-Character Classic and Thousand Character Classic. That's all." Books are too expensive to purchase nowadays, and writing materials like brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones are costly as well. Copying too many would be quite a financial burden, so I could only afford to transcribe a portion of them.

Yu Lian remarked, "If there's a missing piece, we'll purchase it during our next visit to the town's bookshop."

The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are already at hand, but additional books and other items would need to be purchased separately.

A tinge of envy stirred within the young man. He admired how these three children had a sister-in-law who cared for them and arranged things on their behalf, especially since the twins didn't seem to appreciate it, their faces downturned as they bargained, insisting that they too wished to visit the town's bookshop.

In this world, there are those who are lavished with favor yet fail to appreciate it, while others, with nothing to their name, must struggle with all their might just to grasp onto something, anything. And what he strives so desperately for is but a common occurrence to those favored individuals.

Yet, on second thought, as the son of a marquis, he was born with an esteemed fate, whereas she was merely the son of a peasant widow, born with a humble existence. What was there to compare?

Yu Lian gently tapped one of the twins on the forehead, "Don't bargain for everything. Wait until you make some progress and have a promising future before talking about such matters."

The twins, holding their foreheads with pained expressions, returned to the house to fetch the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone that their sister had prepared for them earlier. They then followed Little Scholar to the study to read.

Little Guo'er was so anxious that she could only manage half a bowl of porridge before declaring she was done, eager to join in the reading. Yu Lian encouraged her to finish her meal properly.

"Reading is not something to be rushed. It requires careful attention and patience. If you can't even settle down to finish your breakfast, how can you concentrate on studying?"

Upon hearing this, Little Guo'er felt a bit ashamed. She sat up straight and obediently finished her porridge before leaving the table to inform her sister, grandmother, and parents about her intention to study in the backyard.

The elders nodded in approval, and she scampered off.

After the meal, Yu Lian mentioned that she wanted to take a stroll around the town to look for materials and artisans who could create the jar she had in mind.

Hua Zhan offered, "I'll escort you."

Yu Lian shook her head. "Father, please attend to your own affairs. I'll ask Hua Sanduo to come along. He has a wide network and can gather information. He can accompany me on this trip."

Hua Sanduo was at home holding his child. The money he earned from working for Yu Lian last time had significantly improved his impoverished family's situation. When Yu Lian approached him, he immediately put down his child without hesitation, ready to accompany her.

"I can handle the carriage myself, there's no need to bother that simpleton Sanshu."

His wife reminded him from behind, "Make sure you do your job properly, don't try to cut corners."