Chapter Thirty-Nine: Jiang Sijie

Chapter 39 Jiang Sijie

Both options appealed to Lin Qiuran. The smaller one was perfectly adequate for their immediate needs, allowing them to start their business and still retain some savings. Whether they later hired staff or invested in a proper shop, they wouldn't be short of funds.

However, the larger property boasted more space, with a bigger main hall and two floors. Lin Qiuran found the allure of a larger home irresistible. Their current residence was cramped, with three rooms—two for living and one serving as a kitchen for cooking and dining.

Any new purchases had to be stored indoors, making the house feel cluttered. A larger shop would be far better; if the business expanded, the second floor would prove invaluable.

Moreover, as Sun Shi had pointed out, while the larger property seemed more expensive upfront, it effectively amounted to an extra ten taels in value. If they bought the smaller one now and later wished for the larger one, it certainly wouldn't come with a 30% discount, meaning they'd have to pay significantly more.

Lin Qiuran believed that the money issue was easily resolved.

It was only early October; they could continue selling at the market for a few more days to accumulate funds. Additionally, Aunt Yu's share, due at the end of the month, would bring in one or two taels.

That would cover their daily household expenses.

If they waited for the profits from the pastry and spice ventures, the family would be financially comfortable. Even after purchasing the shop, they wouldn't be living hand-to-mouth.

Furthermore, they had enough dried cowpeas and potatoes to last several months. That cost had already been covered, so any current sales were pure profit.

The family could continue earning, but a good shop like this might not come along again, or it could cost over a hundred taels next time.

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Mom, tomorrow I'll take you both to see it. If there are no problems, we'll buy the larger one."

Xiao Dashi had no strong opinions. Lin Qiuran usually made the family's decisions, and since Sun Shi also favored the larger property, they might as well go for it.

Sun Shi even brought out her savings. Whenever they sold vegetables, Lin Qiuran took the larger share, leaving a smaller portion for Sun Shi.

Initially, this was for their meals, but since Lin Qiuran now brought food, they no longer needed to buy meals outside. With reduced expenses, Sun Shi naturally accumulated savings.

At first, Sun Shi had refused, but Lin Qiuran felt that occasional purchases like needles, thread, or snacks required money. If Sun Shi had to ask for it every time, even for just a few dozen coins, she might feel embarrassed, and it would be inconvenient.

Moreover, both of them worked just as hard. Paying family members a wage felt too formal, but without any incentive, they might eventually lose their motivation.

So, Lin Qiuran let Sun Shi keep the money.

With a few dozen coins less spent daily and one or two hundred coins more earned, Sun Shi, being frugal, spent only a little on daily necessities and had saved 1,830 coins.

Sun Shi said, "Take this, just in case you're short."

Lin Qiuran nodded, accepting 1,500 coins and leaving the rest for Sun Shi.

The next afternoon, after selling vegetables, Lin Qiuran took the two to view the shops.

They visited the first one first. Sun Shi was captivated, repeatedly praising it, touching everything, even inspecting the well. Finally, looking at the tables and chairs inside, she asked, "Look how clean it is, Qiuran. Are these tables and chairs included?"

Lin Qiuran nodded, "Yes, if it weren't for the 30% discount, these would have been factored into the price."

The shop Zhao Guangcai had shown her was in a less desirable location, mostly costing forty to fifty taels. This one had a better location but shouldn't be twenty to thirty taels more expensive. The furnishings were good, but their cost was also included.

That's how merchants operate, but a 30% discount was still quite good.

Sun Shi was already very satisfied with this one, but Lin Qiuran took them to see the two-story storefront on the next street.

This area featured two-story shops, with a teahouse on the left and a jewelry store on the right.

Sun Shi had only seen two-story buildings from the street but had never been inside. She felt that even without entering, this one was grander and more impressive than the one on the previous street.

But they still had to see the inside. She and Xiao Dashi had never been to such a place; their legs trembled as they climbed the stairs, fearing they might fall.

Lin Qiuran reached out to support them. Sun Shi, seeing her pregnant, managed a smile and said, "Your father and I are fine. You mind your step and hold the rail."

Thus, they made it upstairs.

The second floor had better lighting. Looking down from the window, they could see the entire street and clearly view the opposite side. Sun Shi was somewhat afraid of heights, clinging to the windowsill. It was indeed spacious, and she liked it.

The main hall seemed a bit larger, and with the second floor, it felt much bigger. At the back were two rooms—one for living and one for a kitchen. The yard had no vegetable patch; it was paved with stone slabs, and there were two small rooms that could be used for storage.

Xiao Dashi viewed it differently, inspecting the walls and roof tiles, ensuring nothing needed costly repairs. After his inspection, he nodded. Sun Shi also nodded, and both declared, "This is good."

Lin Qiuran said, "Then let's go find Steward Xu and finalize this one."

They had come merely to look and hadn't brought much money, so the three headed back home first. This time, they didn't need to borrow. Lin Qiuran gathered the money and went to the Xu residence to find Steward Xu, who happened to be home. Lin Qiuran returned the keys to the other shop, and Steward Xu gave her all the keys to this one, accompanying them to the government office to transfer the house deed.

The total was seventy-seven taels, with a tax of one and a half taels, based on the transaction price. Some brokers would underreport the price to reduce the tax. Since it was paid to the government, it was fine as long as both parties agreed.

If Lin Qiuran had bought it at the original price, the tax would have been higher. This time, without a broker, they saved some money. The two amounts combined totaled seventy-eight taels and five mace of silver.

Scribe Wang was present, which made everything quick and easy.

Steward Xu said, "If you have any issues in the future, Mrs. Lin, feel free to come find me."

With this matter settled, he could report back to the second young master.

With the shop secured, Lin Qiuran nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, Steward Xu."

Steward Xu smiled, "Just doing my job. Will you be heading out or going home now, Mrs. Lin?"

Lin Qiuran said, "It's getting late; we'll head home first."

Although they had the shop, they still needed to set up the stall for business tomorrow, so it was best to return early.

Steward Xu said, "Then let me give you a ride home."

Steward Xu had arrived by carriage. Considering Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi’s age and Lin Qiuran’s pregnancy, seeing them home wouldn't take long.

Lin Qiuran, tired from half a day of running around, nodded, "Thank you for your kindness."

This time, the journey home was quick. It was Xiao Dashi’s first time riding in a carriage. After it left, he kept staring after it. Only when it was completely out of sight did he finally turn away.

"It's fast, much faster than an ox cart," Xiao Dashi asked Lin Qiuran, "How much does a carriage like that cost?"

He knew an ox cost twenty to thirty taels, something most farmers couldn't afford. Now, the Xiao family could afford it, but since they weren't farming anymore, it would be useless. In the county town, for faster travel, people usually bought donkeys or mules.

Xiao Dashi thought the carriage was nice.

Lin Qiuran said, "I'm not sure, but it must be dozens, maybe even over a hundred taels."

There were many houses and shops on the streets, but only the wealthy could afford carriages. The county post station had a carriage, but only one, and it wasn't the magistrate’s—it was considered a government vehicle.

Xiao Dashi nodded. Sun Shi tugged his sleeve, "Let's go, time to prep the vegetables at home."

Lin Qiuran was in the county town, and most places were within walking distance. The Xiao family didn't have much need for a carriage, and it was too expensive. They'd probably only buy one if they had a thousand taels in savings.

How wealthy would they be then?

Lin Qiuran looked around the house. Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi were already busy. Tomorrow they were selling braised lamb, and they were almost out of flour at home. They needed to buy more. Lin Qiuran gave Xiao Dashi some money, and after resting a bit, he went out.

The buckets from the market hadn't been washed yet. Sun Shi started heating water to scrub them clean.

Lin Qiuran smiled wryly. The Xiao family had some assets, but they were far from wealthy. Even after buying a house, they still had to go about their daily lives.

Lin Qiuran returned to her room and looked at the house deed. It listed the street and house number, identified her as the owner, and bore the official government seal.

She placed it together with all the other house deeds, land deeds, and household registry documents, then checked the money box. There were some copper coins and a few pieces of broken silver.

This money had to be used for business, covering household expenses and opening the shop. It was only the beginning of the month, and Aunt Yu's family probably wouldn't distribute profits until the end of the month. They also had to wait for income from spices and pastries.

Lin Qiuran had just given Xiao Dashi two taels of silver. They needed to buy meat tomorrow, so she set aside one tael of silver and some copper coins for household expenses. Since they cooked all their meals at home, they didn’t require much spending.

Fortunately, the chickens at home had started laying eggs. They had twelve chickens in total, eleven of which were hens, and now they could get three or four eggs a day. Sun Shi said the hens laid fewer eggs in cold weather, so Lin Qiuran was quite satisfied with this output.

It was enough for the family to eat.

Their usual vegetables were mustard greens, potatoes, and radishes. For fruits, they often had apples and pears, which were affordable, so the Xiao family could afford them.

Buying vegetables and firewood daily cost money, especially mutton, which was expensive. Just buying mutton required setting aside one tael of silver. Xiao Dashi had been given two taels, and radishes and carrots were paid daily, but they could try negotiating to pay monthly.

Lin Qiuran had arrived in July, and now it was early October. In three months, they had managed to save enough for a house and a shop. She was very satisfied, even though nearly thirty taels had come from a windfall. Since others couldn't claim that money, she considered it rightfully hers.

Lin Qiuran looked at the remaining silver, slightly over one tael, and stored it carefully.

They certainly couldn't afford to hire servants now. Once the shop opened, she wasn't sure if they could manage the workload. She hadn't been getting any catering jobs lately, and even if she did, she wasn't keen on taking them.

Lin Qiuran looked down at her belly. She was over five months pregnant, already halfway through the ten-month pregnancy. Her growing belly made many tasks difficult, like bending over or standing up after sitting for too long.

Lin Qiuran wasn't one to complain. She was grateful she hadn't had any severe symptoms during the pregnancy and hadn't reduced her workload because of it. But being pregnant was different—her belly felt heavy, and she tired easily. Once her belly grew larger, around seven or eight months, she wouldn't be able to manage the family business.

Purchasing servants wasn't an option, and Aunt Yu's family had their own business to attend to, so hiring help was the only option. If they only needed help with simple tasks like prep work, chopping vegetables, washing dishes, or cleaning, hiring someone could work.

Should they put up a notice on the street or ask around the neighborhood?

Lin Qiuran thought hiring someone they knew could be helpful, but it also had drawbacks. They might call each other "sister" or "aunt" normally, but if hired, any mistakes could strain relationships.

Some might act entitled and refuse to take direction.

Lin Qiuran had initially considered asking Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Chen, who lived nearby. Their husbands worked outside to earn money, while they took care of the household, cooked, and raised children.

Both were older than Lin Qiuran, appearing to be in their twenties or thirties.

Lin Qiuran didn't think this was a bad arrangement, nor did she believe women must find work outside. In these times, life was hard for women. Men were stronger and took on different responsibilities.

That kind of life was fine too.

If their families weren't short on money, Lin Qiuran wasn't sure if they'd be willing to work. She worried that issues might arise from working together, making it awkward since they lived close by.

Lin Qiuran didn't know how long they'd stay here, at least until the baby was born. Thinking about the future, she temporarily set the idea aside.

The drawbacks of hiring strangers were obvious—not knowing their background or temperament. As the boss, she could give orders, but there was no guarantee they'd follow them.

Lin Qiuran had encountered this before when her family hired help because they were too busy. But the help was sloppy—the chopping and stewing were always not quite right, and her parents had to redo the work.

This wasted time and required extra effort. If the helper didn't do a good job, customers wouldn't blame them but would think Lin Qiuran's family was incompetent. In the end, they'd have to apologize, reduce charges, and lose repeat customers.

In the end, they'd still be stretched thin and not much lighter in workload. They'd spend money and still feel exhausted.

Lin Qiuran didn't want this, but there was no other way. People needed time to get to know each other's temperaments. They couldn't just stop the business or make Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi do all the work.

That would be taking advantage of the elderly.

Lin Qiuran hid the house deed and put the money away.

Outside, Xiao Dashi had returned. Sun Shi and he were working—one washing radishes, the other peeling them—while chatting away.

"What should we make for dinner?"

Xiao Dashi: "I'd like a few sips of rice wine. Qiuran brewed a kind with a strong kick. I'll just have two cups, not too much."

Sun Shi glared at Xiao Dashi. "Since we're happy today, you can have some. Otherwise, no. That's for Qiuran to use in cooking."

Lin Qiuran came out of the room. "Mother, there's plenty. As long as he doesn't get drunk."

Lin Qiuran had brewed it with wheat and sorghum, but it needed distillation, resulting in a strong alcohol taste with little sweetness. Distillation was inconvenient here, so they only got two jars.

Some dishes required high-proof liquor for cooking, like flambéed dishes. She could show off her skills next time.

Xiao Dashi grinned and poured the water from washing potatoes into the field. This season was good for planting—few pests, and old vegetable leaves could be fed to the chickens.

Sun Shi said, "Then I'll fry some eggs and buy some luwei from the street."

Although buying the shop was worth celebrating, Sun Shi knew the family didn't have much money left.

Xiao Dashi whispered to Sun Shi, "Buy some for Qiuran to eat. I can just have pickles."

Sun Shi glared at him again. "Do you think Qiuran is that kind of person? Enough, we can afford it."

When it came to food, Sun Shi had become more relaxed.

That evening, the family had porridge with marinated meat and fried eggs—a satisfying meal.

The Xiao family hadn't told anyone about buying the shop. They planned to inform Aunt Yu only when they moved out.

Lin Qiuran also took time to inquire about Wufangzhai’s business. They had introduced a new pastry called xiandou gao. It had a thin outer skin filled with generous bean paste.

It came in three flavors: rose fermented rice, priced at six qian per jin; salted egg yolk with rousong, the most expensive at eight qian; and osmanthus fermented rice, the cheapest at five qian per jin.

In terms of taste, Wufangzhai’s was undoubtedly better and more novel. In terms of price, each was cheaper.

With three flavors, not exactly copying FiveSpice House, they won with price. Pastries were an occasional treat—why spend more when you could get something just as good for half the price?

FiveSpice House’s business didn't last long. Some said that a month before the Jiang family matriarch died, the Jiang family had been scouring the area for someone to make this bean cake. They contacted pastry chefs from Yu’an and neighboring counties, all because the old lady wanted a taste of the bean cake she'd had before.

They even invited the young lady who made this bean cake to FiveSpice House. All that talk about dreaming of ascending to the Jade Pool was false. It was clearly about using filial piety for gain.

Once this news got out, it spread uncontrollably.

Rumors said the pastry chef was locked up by the Jiang family, not allowed to eat until the cake was made, and some were even severely beaten.

With all sorts of true and false news disparaging them, people didn't know what to believe. Some said the Jiang family, relying on their kinship with the Jiang family of Xuzhou, acted arrogantly in Yu’an County. The funeral rites for the Jiang family matriarch were overly extravagant and were beyond what was proper.

Among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, the Yu’an Jiang family had no officials or gentry—they were just businesspeople. Yet they disdained the common folk and even made up stories to sell pastries. It was truly despicable.

Others said the Jiang family behaved this way only because of their kinship with the Xuzhou Jiang family. In Yu’an, even the county magistrate didn't dare offend them.

Such rumors weren't good for the Jiang family, especially since the Xuzhou Jiang family had produced many officials. If this escalated, it could lead to talk of collusion between officials and merchants.

The Jiang family had many officials who valued their reputations. The Xuzhou Jiang family wanted to put this to rest quickly, but a letter arrived from the capital saying the Second Miss of the family was coming to Xuzhou for a short stay. She was already on the road and would arrive in Xuzhou soon.

The Jiang family had produced many scholars. The highest-ranking official among them was a former Minister of Works, now retired, whose son was a Hanlin Academician of the third rank. The Second Miss mentioned in the letter was the daughter of Jiang Zhifang, the Hanlin Academician.

She was called Jiang Sijie.

The Jiang family of Xuzhou couldn't tell whether the news had reached the capital or if she was merely visiting for a short stay. For the time being, they decided on keeping a low profile and suppressing the rumors about Yu'an. They meticulously prepared a courtyard for the Second Young Lady to reside in.

The reason for their inaction was simple: being an official wasn't just about studying and passing the imperial exams—it also required managing social connections, all of which demanded money. Half of the Jiang family's business earnings went to Xuzhou and the capital. Without money, nothing could be accomplished—after all, even basic necessities like food and drink cost money.

Even the courtyard, maids, and servants prepared for Jiang Sijie required substantial funds.

By suppressing the rumors, they could afford to earn less from a single pastry shop for now, as long as the situation didn't escalate. As for the Xu family's opposition, they would bite their tongue for the time being, knowing there would be plenty of opportunities to settle the score later.

On the eighth day of the tenth lunar month, heavy rain forced Jiang Sijie to stay at an inn. The downpour made travel impossible, and it would still take several days by carriage to reach Xuzhou.

For this journey, Jiang Sijie brought four maids, two menservants, and four guards for protection. If she hadn't pleaded with her grandfather and father, she would never have been allowed to leave.

Watching the raindrops fall, she reached out and caught one. The droplet was cold, carrying a biting chill.

A maid brought over a cloak. "Second Young Lady, be careful not to catch a cold. Don't stand by the window for too long. The meal will be ready soon, but this is just a small town—the food may not be to your liking."

Jiang Sijie sighed softly. She wasn't concerned about the food; she only cared about when the rain would stop so she could continue her journey quickly.

Having traveled for over a month since her transmigration, she finally had the chance to come here. She hoped she wouldn't arrive too late—she needed to tell Xiao Xun's parents that Xiao Xun was still alive.