Chapter 54 Selling Cotton

Chapter 54 Selling Cotton

When Zhu Jingcheng arrived at Du Village, Qiu Huanian was in the backyard tending to the vegetable garden, preparing pickled and salted vegetables for winter.

The garden was not large, but it grew a variety of vegetables. Under Qiu Huanian's careful care, it provided the family with daily vegetables throughout the summer and autumn. After harvesting and processing, they could still be eaten throughout the winter.

Vegetables decay more slowly in autumn, and Qiu Huanian had already stored half a basket of sword beans and eggplants. Today, after picking another batch, he could start pickling the salted vegetables. Pickling salted vegetables is simple: just cut the vegetables into pieces, steam them, let them cool, then mix them with chopped chili, ginger, and salt. Add some liquor for sterilization, then put them into a clean, high-temperature sterilized jar that is free of water and oil. Seal it and place it in a cool spot for about ten days, and it will be ready to eat.

As long as it is stored properly and not contaminated by dirt, a jar of salted vegetables can last until April or May of the following year. As long as the weather isn't too hot, there won't be any issues.

Qiu Huanian picked all the sword beans from the bean trellis and collected the remaining eggplants from the already withering eggplant plants. In the end, he gathered a large basket of vegetables, sufficient to fill a medium jar.

He rose from the stool, dusted his hands, and was heading back to the main house when he heard some commotion outside. Chun Sheng ran over and said that a large group of people had arrived at the gate.

Qiu Huanian went out and saw Zhu Jingcheng, feeling somewhat surprised. He had sent a letter to the prefecture city some time ago, saying that the cotton in the fields was almost ready for harvest and asking Zhu Jingcheng to send someone to purchase it. He hadn't expected Zhu Jingcheng to come in person.

"Since we parted in the prefecture city, I've been thinking about the cotton you planted, Mr. Qiu. Now that I know the cotton has had a bountiful harvest, I couldn't wait and decided to come uninvited," Zhu Jingcheng explained with a serious expression.

Qiu Huanian smiled, "No need for formalities, Young Master Zhu. Just consider it a visit to a friend's home."

"Then I'll consider it a friendly visit and trouble you all," Zhu Jingcheng replied with a hearty laugh.

Du Yunse had gone to fetch water from the small river behind the village and soon returned home. After exchanging greetings with Zhu Jingcheng, Zhu Jingcheng subtly observed this "Little Triple First" scholar who, despite his fame in the prefecture city, still lived a simple rural life. His admiration grew, and he felt even more assured of his decision.

Zhu Jingcheng had brought four servants and two carriages this time. Qiu Huanian pointed out two back rooms for them, and the servants went to park the carriages and tidy up the rooms. Zhu Jingcheng was invited into the main house for a conversation.

Zhu Jingcheng said that after hearing about the cotton harvest, he rushed straight to Zhang County, unable to wait. However, upon arrival, he wasn't in a hurry to see the cotton but instead started talking about other matters.

"I originally planned to bring Jingwei with me on this trip, but he caught a cold just before the trip. My mother was worried about his health and insisted on keeping him from coming."

Qiu Huanian imagined Zhu Jingwei's face in this scenario and found it increasingly amusing.

"Please convey my regards to Young Master Jingwei and your mother when you return, Young Master Zhu."

"Of course. Jingwei has made great progress over the past six months. He has been managing the red fermented tofu business quite well and no longer indulges in harmful pastimes. My mother is very pleased. She has always regretted that your stay in the prefecture city was too short, and she didn't have the chance to meet you in person."

"I brought Jiang Er with me this time. He can tell you about the situation at the red fermented tofu business."

Jiang Er was a capable old servant of the Zhu family, sent by Madam Zhu to assist Zhu Jingwei in managing the red fermented tofu business. Qiu Huanian had met him once before in the prefecture city.

Jiang Er hadn't changed much after several months. He waited outside and only entered after hearing Zhu Jingcheng's words, handing Qiu Huanian a thick stack of account books.

"These are the copies of the red fermented tofu business's accounts for the past quarter. The accountant has already gone over them before we left. Please review, Young Master, and let me know if anything's off. I'll reprimand him when I return."

Qiu Huanian had agreed with Zhu Jingwei that the profits from the red fermented tofu business would be divided quarterly. From the Dragon Boat Festival until now, it was about time. Zhu Jingwei had originally planned to ride along with his brother and come in person, so he had the accounts calculated in advance. Unfortunately, he caught a cold just before leaving and was promptly taken back by his mother.

Qiu Huanian didn't go through the details immediately but glanced at the first page where the accountant had summarized the accounts. The net profit for the quarter was three hundred and twelve taels, with Qiu Huanian's share being thirty-two taels after rounding.

"This profit exceeds my expectations," Qiu Huanian said honestly. He had originally estimated that a net profit of one to two hundred taels per quarter would be good.

It seems that big business really should be left to professionals.

Jiang Er smiled and said, "Young Master Jingwei has been fully focused on the red fermented tofu business these past few months. He came up with many ideas and sought help from many people. With our support, we were able to achieve this amount."

Money truly can breed more money. For an ordinary person, even if they managed to start a red fermented tofu business, without the Zhu family's connections, information, and long-established reputation, it would be difficult to grow the business to this scale.

Jiang Er handed a bag of silver to Qiu Huanian with both hands. The heft of the silver in his hands sparked real joy.

They chatted about prefecture city gossip and family news before turning to the cotton.

Upon hearing that Qiu Huanian's cotton yield per mu was nearly 300 jin, and the other two households following his method also achieved around 250 jin per mu, even Zhu Jingcheng, with his vast experience and composure, was momentarily stunned.

The Zhu family managed a large-scale fabric business, and Zhu Jingcheng would travel south every year to purchase cotton. He understood better than most what a yield of 300 jin per mu signified.

Not to mention in a cold region like Zhang County, even in the most suitable cotton-growing regions along the Yellow River, such yields had never been seen before!

If he hadn't already been aware of Qiu Huanian's abilities and character, Zhu Jingcheng's first reaction would have been suspicion.

"Would Mr. Qiu be willing to sell the method of cotton cultivation? Our Zhu family is willing to offer a substantial sum, and any conditions can be discussed!"

Qiu Huanian smiled and shook his head, speaking before Zhu Jingcheng could offer more, "I have already compiled the method of cotton cultivation into an agricultural book, which I plan to teach to the common people for free. When the time comes, Mr. Zhu need only buy a copy of the book, no need to spend in advance."

Zhu Jingcheng was momentarily stunned.

He had never anticipated Qiu Huanian to say such a thing.

Even if Qiu Huanian only sold the method to a select few, with the help of those who purchased it, he could still receive imperial honors and gain both fame and fortune, given his achievement of producing 300 jin per mu of 'miracle cotton.'

But Qiu Huanian insisted on imparting the method to everyone for free, willingly relinquishing a significant profit.

Zhu Jingcheng did not attempt to persuade him; he could discern Qiu Huanian's determination and magnanimity.

"This trip to Zhang County has truly been rewarding," Zhu Jingcheng sincerely remarked.

"When will Mr. Qiu's agricultural book be completed?"

"The initial draft is already finished, but since I've only cultivated cotton for one year on five mu of land, the experimental sample is too limited. I intend to plant more cotton next year, verify and amend the book before publishing it."

Zhu Jingcheng nodded thoughtfully, "Will you two be relocating to Xiangping Prefecture next year?"

"Yun Se has accepted an invitation from Dean Min of Qingfeng Academy and will enroll there in early spring. Our entire family will relocate there." This was no secret.

Zhu Jingcheng extended an invitation, "Our family owns several estates around Xiangping Prefecture. Mr. Qiu could select one to cultivate cotton, which would be both convenient and cost-effective, wouldn't it?"

Qiu Huanian felt a stir in his heart. His original plan was to buy a few mu of land near Xiangping Prefecture to grow cotton, but on one hand, land near the prefecture would certainly be more expensive than in Du Village, and on the other, they couldn't manage too much land.

Using the Zhu family's estates would not only save a significant amount of money but also provide ready-made tenant farmers to tend the fields, eliminating the need to hire additional help.

"It's still early; we can discuss it next spring," Qiu Huanian neither refused nor directly agreed.

Zhu Jingcheng noticed Qiu Huanian's interest, which was enough. As long as there was willingness, the details of cooperation could be discussed later.

Zhu Jingcheng stayed in Du Village for only two days, as there were many business matters to attend to, and soon he bid farewell.

He purchased Qiu Huanian's cotton at 150 wen per jin, and also bought the cotton from the clan leader's family and Hu Qiuyan's family.

Previously, Qiu Huanian had bought cotton in the county town at 180 wen per jin, but retail prices and bulk purchase prices were certainly different. The merchants who transported cotton from the production areas to Zhang County had to make a profit after all their effort.

The price Zhu Jingcheng offered was the highest he had ever paid for top-quality cotton in the production areas.

The clan leader's family sold 200 jin of cotton, keeping 40 to 50 jin for their own use. Hu Qiuyan's family, being smaller, sold 230 jin, while Qiu Huanian sold exactly 800 jin, keeping the remainder and a small batch still in the field for making winter coats and bedding.

In the end, the clan leader's family earned 30 taels of silver, Hu Qiuyan's family earned 35 taels, and Qiu Huanian earned a full 120 taels. A year of hard work and bold experimentation had finally yielded a rich reward.

Zhu Jingcheng hired seven or eight carts from the county's cart agency, loading bag after bag of fine cotton onto the carts, covering them with oilcloth and securing them. The whole process was quite noisy.

There are no walls without cracks, and soon the villagers learned that the three families had sold all their cotton. Although the exact amounts were unclear, seeing so many bags, who could not guess they had made a fortune?

Those villagers who had doubted Qiu Huanian's ability to grow cotton in the spring and had taken a wait-and-see approach now regretted it. If only they had followed Qiu Huanian's lead, they too could have been wealthy by now!

Zhu Jingcheng settled the payment to the clan leader's family and Hu Qiuyan's family in one go, but he temporarily did not give the money to Qiu Huanian.

"The two of you entrusted me in the letter to find good medicinal herbs. Our Zhu family might not excel in other aspects, but we do have some influence on the business routes of Xiangping Prefecture. I made a special trip to visit a family friend who trades in medicinal herbs and selected some herbs with excellent age and efficacy. Young Master Qiu, what do you think of these?"

Zhu Jingcheng took the medicine box handed over by the servant and opened it. Inside was a small box of sliced deer antler and a small box of cordyceps. Although the quality was not as good as the imperial-grade medicine sent by Sixteen, it was still quite rare.

Qiu Huanian needed to take medicine every day, and most of the herbs sent by Sixteen had already been used. It was hard to buy good medicinal herbs in a small place like Zhang County. Qiu Huanian, thinking ahead, had asked Zhu Jingcheng to help find some when he sent the letter.

Zhu Jingcheng took this matter to heart and handled it promptly, bringing the medicinal herbs directly when he came this time.

"How much do these medicinal herbs come to?"

Zhu Jingcheng, knowing the principles of these two individuals, didn’t try to cheat them. "It comes to a total of sixty taels of silver."

Qiu Huanian nodded. He had studied up on medicinal herbs, and the value of these herbs was indeed around sixty taels. However, there was a saying, "priceless but hard to find." Some good things could not be bought even with silver unless one had the right connections.

Zhu Jingcheng, as the eldest grandson of the Zhu family, went out of his way to procure them, and the additional value even exceeded sixty taels of silver.

Such a gesture of goodwill was more acceptable and touching than simply throwing money at the problem.

"Thank you, Young Master Zhu, for going through the trouble. These medicinal herbs are exactly what I need, so I will keep them. After deducting the cost of the medicine from the cotton money, just give me sixty taels."

Zhu Jingcheng smiled and said there was no need to be so formal, then had a servant hand over a sixty-tael silver note to Qiu Huanian.

"Take care of your health and keep up with your studies. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to write to me. I will do my best to help with whatever I can. We will meet again in the capital next year!"

"See you in the capital!"

...

With the cotton sold in one go, another major task of the year was taken care of. Qiu Huanian stopped his work and pulled Du Yunse into the main room to count the silver.

The thirty-two taels from the red fermented tofu business, the sixty taels from the cotton, plus the small amounts saved each month, now totaled one hundred and seven taels of silver at home. The savings had finally crossed the one hundred tael mark.

Apart from the sixty-tael silver note given by Zhu Jingcheng, the rest was in silver coins. More than forty small silver ingots were piled on the table, shining brightly and making for an impressive sight.

Qiu Huanian picked up a handful of silver with both hands, let it cascade with a clinking sound, and repeated this several times, laughing with his eyes curved as he listened to the crisp sound of the silver ingots colliding.

In his previous life, although he had plenty of money, he mostly used online payments and rarely used paper money, so he never had the chance to touch so much hard cash in person.

Although paper money was convenient and lightweight, the satisfaction brought by hard cash was unique.

"Put aside fifty taels from this one hundred taels to buy a small courtyard in the capital next year, keep thirty taels as emergency savings, and use the remaining twenty taels for daily expenses to have a good New Year."

Du Yunse looked at Qiu Huanian's hands, which looked even paler and more delicate against the silver, and pulled them over to pinch his fingertips, which were as tender as spring onions.

Qiu Huanian felt ticklish and laughed as he withdrew his hand, then lightly tapped the back of Du Yunse's hand in playful scolding.

"Originally, there were sixty taels of silver, but it was all spent on two small boxes of medicine."

Qiu Huanian roughly estimated that if the expensive main ingredients were included, the cost of the medicine he took each month now amounted to over twenty taels, averaging nearly one tael per day. This was not just taking medicine; it was throwing money away!

Fortunately, the medicine sent by Sixteen was free, and the medicine bought by Zhu Jingcheng was also cost-effective. Otherwise, Qiu Huanian could not afford it now.

Although the price of these medicines was frightening, their efficacy was also visibly real.

Originally, according to Old Physician Gu's advice, Qiu Huanian should have taken cheaper prescriptions to control his condition and prevent it from worsening, waiting until Du Yunse became successful in a few years before switching to expensive medicines for gradual nourishment.

Now, Qiu Huanian had started taking expensive prescriptions early, and his physical foundation had been gradually replenished. Although he was still weaker than a normal person, he was much better than Old Physician Gu had initially expected. As long as he did not experience extreme emotional fluctuations or catch a severe cold, and did not overexert himself daily, it hardly affected his normal life.

"Your health is the most important. You can cut corners elsewhere, but never on the medicine that keeps you healthy," Du Yunse said sternly.

"I was just joking, I’ll make sure to take my medicine on time," Qiu Huanian quickly assured.

A few days ago, he had been a bit lax about taking his medicine, missing it by just an hour or so, and Du Yunse’s face looked stormier than a summer thunderstorm. It scared Qiu Huanian, who had never seen him like that before, into making promises for a long time.

"The herbal brew is almost ready. I’ll go get it for you. After you drink it, we can talk," Du Yunse said, getting up to go to the kitchen.

Since that day, every time Qiu Huanian took his medicine, Du Yunse would watch him personally, only leaving after he had finished drinking it.

Feeling both guilty and deeply moved, Qiu Huanian never dared to "forget" his medicine again.

Looking at the dark, bitter medicine Du Yunse brought over, Qiu Huanian took a few deep breaths, took the bowl, and brought it to his lips. He glanced up at Du Yunse, who remained unmoved. Qiu Huanian could only lower his eyes and down the medicine in one go.

Du Yunse took a handkerchief and wiped the corner of Qiu Huanian's mouth, then took the bowl away. Qiu Huanian watched his back and sighed.

What was going on? His otherworldly, almost mythical "dragon boy" boyfriend was becoming more and more like a father figure!

Du Yunse returned after cleaning the medicine bowl and saw Qiu Huanian still sitting there with a bitter expression, lost in thought. He softened his voice and asked, "What’s wrong, Brother Hua?"

"It’s too bitter. I need something sweet."

"Shall I get you the box of preserved fruits?" As long as it was possible, Qiu Huanian never skimped on daily comforts. The house was already stocked with various preserved fruits and sweets to ease the bitterness of the medicine.

The box of preserved fruits was right there on the shelf, within Qiu Huanian’s reach.

Qiu Huanian shook his head, suddenly giving a sly smile and pointing to the corner of his mouth with his chin. "Today, I want something even sweeter."

Du Yunse paused, momentarily stunned, instinctively glancing at the empty courtyard before, as if tempted, he couldn’t help but lean down and place a kiss on the corner of Qiu Huanian’s mouth.

The touch of their lips was brief, but for Du Yunse, such a bold move in broad daylight at home was already pushing it.

Qiu Huanian stuck out his pink tongue, slowly licking the spot where he had just been kissed, and said meaningfully, "So sweet."

Du Yunse’s eyes darkened, his body tensing instantly. Qiu Huanian’s gaze swept over his lower body, and he couldn’t help but laugh, deliberately not saying anything and just blinking at him.

Although they hadn’t taken the final step yet, they had kissed, touched, and skirted the edges of intimacy. Now, living under the same roof and sharing a bed at night, Qiu Huanian was well aware of Du Yunse’s reactions.

Taking advantage of the fact that he was still on medication and Du Yunse wouldn’t do anything to him, Qiu Huanian kept teasing Du Yunse, each time pushing the boundaries a bit more.

"Do you need my assistance, husband?" The beauty with a crimson mole on his forehead propped his chin on one hand, his bright eyes conveying affection, his breath as fragrant as orchids.

Qiu Huanian knew Du Yunse wouldn’t agree, so he felt safe to "tempt fate," even feeling a faint sense of anticipation.

After that one incident in the city, due to Qiu Huanian’s health, they hadn’t truly been intimate again, their daily intimacy limited to gentle kisses and embraces.

Sure enough, after a few seconds of stiffness, Du Yunse forcibly changed the subject. "What else do we need to do around the house? Let’s plan our schedule."

Qiu Huanian, half relieved and half regretful, returned to the matter at hand. "The cotton’s been sold, so there’s nothing major left to do. We just need to prepare for winter."

"In a few days, after we harvest the remaining cotton from the fields, we’ll pull up the cotton stalks and bring them back to the yard to use as firewood in winter."

"We should pick up a few more rolls of fabric and stitch the leftover cotton into heavy quilts and padded mattresses. We’ll also get some leather and mix it with what we’ve got to make hats, gloves, and leather shoes for the four of us. We need to get these ready early to avoid being caught off guard by a sudden freeze."

"By the way, Yun Ting’s new husband is skilled at spinning thread. Since it’s nearly the farming off-season, I’ll invite him over to experiment with spinning a new kind of thread. If it works out, we can knit sweaters, which are light and warm, perfect for layering in winter."

The concept of knitted sweaters occurred to Qiu Huanian when he learned that Yun Ting’s new husband, Xia Xing, had a spinning wheel among his dowry. If they could blend cotton and wool into thread as fine as modern yarn, they could knit sweaters.

Qiu Huanian knew how to knit but not how to spin thread, and Xia Xing only knew how to spin the common hemp thread in the village, not even cotton thread. So whether this would pan out or not was still up in the air.

"The rest is just buying things. The sword beans and eggplants from the garden have been pickled into salted vegetables. Cun Lan's mother's pickled cabbage is delicious, and I plan to pickle a jar this year too. The cabbage in the vegetable garden isn't enough, so we'll need to buy another hundred or so pounds."

"Grain, meat, firewood, stoves... Anyway, this year our house is big with plenty of space. We can take our time shopping, fearing not that we buy too much but that we might not have enough."

Qiu Huanian counted the silver again and stored it all away safely.

In the northeastern countryside, winter temperatures can drop to more than twenty degrees below zero. Every year, people die from cold and starvation due to lack of clothing and food. This silver is the family's assurance of a comfortable winter.

After the farming slack season at home, Du Yunse once again prioritized his studies. The provincial exams are next August, giving him just about a year. If he passes, the family's status will naturally rise, leading to a better life. If not, he would have to wait three more years to try again, and Qiu Huanian's health cannot afford such delays.

Although Du Yunse, a prodigy known for his exceptional talent since childhood, he deeply understands that diligence and hard work are no less important than talent in the imperial examinations. Only by putting in his all can he ensure success.

When Zhu Jingcheng visited, he brought a selection of books from his bookstore, excluding the overly vulgar ones, and gave them to Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, catering to their interests. Among them were many books useful for the imperial examinations, which supplemented what Du Yunse was missing.

Du Yunse has always been diligent in his studies. After deciding to focus on his reading, he got up at the crow of the rooster the next day and studied hard in the study until the second watch at night, hardly stopping except to fetch water for the family, assign and explain homework to the children, and ensure Qiu Huanian took his medicine.

Every morning, when Qiu Huanian woke up, the bedding beside him was already put away, and the main room was empty. Qiu Huanian felt heartache seeing this but couldn't persuade him otherwise. He could only focus on making Du Yunse's meals more nutritious and balanced and ensuring the oil lamp was brighter for his nightly studies.

Qiu Huanian bought leather and fabric himself, spending most of his time these days researching with Jiu Jiu how to sew clothes and make leather cold-weather gear. He has almost no talent in needlework, but as a well-traveled modern man, he can certainly offer advice on styles.

Wei Liuhua, finding it dull to stay at home alone, often brought Youge and a basket of sewing supplies to Qiu Huanian's house to do needlework together. Under her guidance, Jiu Jiu's needlework skills have surpassed most people in the village.

When Wei Liuhua entered the house this day, she didn't rush to do needlework but first mentioned another matter, "Brother Hua, you arranged for my hometown village to plant sugar beets well in the spring. Now that batch of specially fertilized sugar beets has been harvested, and they're indeed much sweeter than the regular ones!"