Chapter 42
To Song Dingxiang, these young scholars were akin to a contemporary idol group in modern society, a group of young scholars who were good at literature and art standing in the lotus pond, appearing as if they were a painting. Resembled nothing less than a masterpiece come to life.
Owing to the presence of such distinguished scholars, the lotus pond garnered considerable attention. This, in turn, drew a steady stream of ambitious students, yet to achieve scholarly recognition, who flocked to the site in hopes of immersing themselves in an intellectually stimulating environment.
The pavilion was also given a sign by Song Zhixuan's teacher, the head of the academy, personally inscribed with the words: Moonlight reflecting on the clear lotus (月映清荷).
This turned the place into a must-visit attraction for travelers, and the village chief even paid for a signboard with the same inscription to hang on the pavilion.
Probably due to the scenic spot effect, even before the lotus had matured, many people came to reserve lotus roots, all to bask in the glory of these scholars.
Song Dingxiang picked a few lotus flowers that were about to bloom, a few lotus seed pods, and some lotus leaves, placing them in an old-fashioned pottery jar to be delivered by her younger uncle to the household of Wang, the town's official. Although this gift was light, it held great significance.
First, because Wang's mother-in-law was devout, with a household altar for worshiping Buddha. Second, the lotus seed pods symbolized having many children and grandchildren.
Wang Yuanwai had one wife and four concubines, but unfortunately only had one son from the concubine and many daughters, so the gift of lotus seed pods also symbolized hope for more sons.
Wang Yuanwai accepted the lotus flowers and listened to Song Zhixuan talk about the art and calligraphy event at the lotus pond, developing a greater admiration for Song Dingxiang.
Since collaborating with the Song family on the soap business, using their recipe to improve his business and earning a substantial amount of money within a year, he had a positive view of the Song family.
Hearing that the Song family had dug the lotus pond and even speculated that it was Song Dingxiang's idea, he was impressed by her intelligence.
Now with the lotus flowers blooming in the pond and the art and calligraphy event being held, the delivery of lotus flowers by the Song family's young scholar and the town's headmaster son-in-law personally had brought him much glory. After all, he was just a bureaucrat who bought his position, and many scholars looked down on him for his money-oriented approach.
Despite doing good deeds with his money every year, he was only known as a philanthropist. However, in this town, he still had some prestige.
But now with his association with the imperial merchants and scholars personally delivering lotus flowers, how could he not be happy?
What made him even happier was that a few days after receiving the lotus flowers, his wife started vomiting in the morning, prompting them to call a physician. It was discovered that she was two months pregnant!
Not only his wife but also one of his concubines had good news of pregnancy. The delighted old lady prayed fervently every day, hoping for more grandchildren.
After all, the eldest grandson was born out of wedlock, and the legitimacy of the next ones would depend on the pregnancy of his wife. But the fact that his wife was pregnant again already brought them immense joy.
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TNote:
In ancient China, the status of a child was largely determined by their mother's position within the household. This hierarchical system created distinct differences in the lives and opportunities of children born to a main wife and those born to a concubine.
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The Wang family, naturally, would send many gifts to the Song family, causing many to envy and be jealous. However, considering Wang's prestige in town, even those who wanted to cause trouble could only endure it.
They did not have the courage to compete with the Wang family, especially considering that Song Zhixuan, the scholar, was also the son-in-law of the headmaster of the town academy, adding an extra layer of security.
After harvesting wheat, they immediately planted corn, soybeans, and other cold and drought-resistant crops. After finishing the work in the fields, the peaches in the mountains also started to bear fruit.
Song Dingxiang made peach syrup, peach jelly, and peach jam again, separately packaged for Song Zhiyuan to take to Sixth Granduncle Song Xingzhi's house.
When Song Zhiyuan mentioned the canned peaches, Sixth Granduncle Song Xingzhi considered it and said, "Canning peaches is a bit too much pressure for me. My family is small, and your aunt's health is not the best. I don't have enough money for buying porcelain jars. If your family's peaches are not enough, you can use some of ours, and that's the best I can do to help."
Song Zhiyuan returned and told Song Dingxiang, who laughed and said, "Although Sixth Granduncle Song Xingzhi has some savings, he can't afford to spend so much. It's already good that he is willing to sell us the peaches at a discount. If the canned goods are successful in winter, I'm sure he will contribute financially as he's just cautious."
Song Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said, "It's true. Our family can afford to do this because of the money you've earned. Your Sixth Granduncle Song Xingzhi can't do the same – their family is not well off, and your Sixth Grandaunt's health is not great. They have a few young children who need money for everything. They don't have as many hands to help like our family."
In ancient times, the population equated to wealth. A family with many men could already be considered a good family in the village.
The Song family was a large clan. Although they had separate households, they shared the same surname, so no one would willingly provoke them, and no one would seek trouble with the Song family.
There were many peach trees in the mountains. Besides supplying goods to peddlers daily, the remaining produce was used to make canned jams and jellies.
The canned goods and jams were intended for winter storage, but the peach jelly could be sold during the hot weather. Every morning, Song Zhiyuan would take a bull cart to the town, selling several buckets of newly chilled fresh fruit jelly from the lotus pond.
People would quickly buy them, and usually, they would be sold out by noon.
Of course, every day a portion of the fruit jelly would be sent to the Wang family. This was also because Song Dingxiang, knowing that Madam Wang was pregnant, had her brother, Song Hutou send it to Madam Wang to help alleviate the heat.
Peaches are rich in pectin and vitamins, and consuming some daily is beneficial for pregnant women.
In addition, Song Dingxiang also picked a good amount of peach resin in the orchard. In the northern regions, few people would eat peach resin as the resin secreted by peach trees is often forgotten and considered useless.
However, Song Dingxiang knew that peach resin was a great nourishing supplement for women
The autumn and winter seasons in the north are very dry, and long-term consumption of peach resin can moisturize the skin. Stewing it together with pears can also have a significant lung-nourishing effect.
Fang shi, now no longer doubtful of Song Dingxiang's words, still had lingering doubts when she saw the dirty peach resin, "Can this thing be eaten? If it accidentally stains clothes, it's not easy to wash off. Will it really be okay to eat?"
"Of course, it can be eaten. When the pears ripen, we can stew them together – it's very nourishing," Song Dingxiang flipped the peach resin drying on the window screen, afraid that if it didn't dry completely, it might spoil when stored. She had rarely visited the garden before, and at that time, she had some worries and hesitations, fearing that others would find out about her unusual situation.
It was only later that she discovered that the Song family were genuinely kind and tolerant, which allowed her to embellish her "background" in front of Fang shi and Li shi.
Because of that incident, anything she wanted to do seemed reasonable to both Li shi and Fang shi. It was acceptable because even Li shi, who had a lot of influence in the family, didn't have any objections.
Others didn't have any thoughts either and found it abnormal that Song Dingxiang knew so much.
Uncle and his family were eager for Song Dingxiang to think of more money-making ideas so that they could save more money for their grandson's future education.
After the calligraphy and painting session, the pregnant Bai shi stayed at the Song family to give birth. She felt awkward sleeping with her in-laws, so Li shi allowed her to sleep in Song Zhixuan's room and had Song Zijin keep her company, providing assistance if needed during the night.
Because she was a knowledgeable and intelligent woman, she knew what to ask and what not to ask, and spoke softly, so she fit in well in the Song family. Since she was pregnant, she didn't need to do heavy work normally.
Embroidery strained the eyes, so she also learned to knit gloves to pass the time.
During the season for harvesting lotus roots in autumn, Song Dingxiang also saved many finished gloves and packed them in boxes to be taken to the north by the merchant who had originally brought the wool.
But just after the gloves were sent off, another merchant brought a lot of wool and fur, filling over ten carts!
"Young Madam Song," the plump merchant grinned, "General Zhong Laoshuai said that obtaining this wool and fur was not easy. With the current situation at the border, he hopes Young Madam Song won't find it troublesome."
Song Dingxiang:...
This was no longer a matter of finding it troublesome or not. It was now a matter of whether she could even finish the task!
"General Zhong also expressed his desire for us to maintain the current arrangements, emphasizing the importance of preventing our soldiers stationed at the border from suffering frostbite once more. He conveyed his sincere gratitude for your generous support, Young Madam Song."
"Incidentally, General Zhong informed me that your husband, Zhou Yinuo, is currently engaged in a clandestine operation and may be unable to correspond with you for a period of time. He hopes you will understand the circumstances."
Song Dingxiang was speechless. Not only was the general making her work, he was also sending her husband on a dangerous mission.
What was this?
Were they trying to take advantage of them both?
But she could only force a smile and accept the situation, looking at the mountain of wool in the yard and feeling overwhelmed.
"My goodness, when will this be finished? Last time, it took us several months to deal with that one cart of wool. Now, with so much more, it might take us several years!" Fang shi sighed as she touched the large bundles of wool, feeling dizzy.
"Mom, why don't we open a workshop? I think in the future, we might have more than just these few carts of wool. Think about how many soldiers are at the border. The few hundred pairs of gloves we sent only cover a few people. With this much wool, we won't be able to finish it ourselves. It's better to open a workshop and have skilled young women help out." Song Dingxiang's spirits lifted at the thought of opening a workshop.
"You go talk to your grandparents, anyway, I won't be knitting gloves." Since Song Dingxiang became enlightened, Fang shi turned herself into a hands-off manager, no longer worrying about household matters, almost refusing to even look at the account books.
Song Dingxiang then gathered the whole family into the main room to discuss the idea of opening a workshop, holding a family meeting.
After Song Dingxiang finished speaking, Li shi first asked, "Have the scarves we knitted sold well?"
Most of the fine wool from the previous batch was used to make gloves, while the rest was dyed along with coarse wool to make various-colored scarves. Although they sent the scarves to the stores in town, it was still unknown if they would sell.
Song Zhiyuan explained, "Yesterday I delivered the last batch of jelly, and Hu Tou told me he had sent a few scarves to Wang Daren's house, and they sold out quickly. But I was in a hurry and didn't check the account books, so I'll go back to town later to ask."
After thinking for a moment, Li shi looked at Song Dingxiang and asked, "What do you think, Dingxiang?"
Song Dingxiang replied, "Regardless of whether the scarves sell or not, we have to do this task. Publicly, it's a mission assigned by the old general, and we have to complete it no matter what. Personally... even if we have to put in our own money, this is still a little help for the soldiers on the border."
"Grandparents, think about it. There are not just our relatives there, but also the relatives of people from our village or other villages. Some of them are only teenagers of fourteen or fifteen, and the older ones are only in their forties. In times of invasion by outsiders, we are helpless and can only rely on them. Now, if we can help them stay warm and prevent their hands from freezing, it's a small contribution we can make for our border relatives. This money is worth spending."
Li shi and Song Xingyi both nodded, indicating they had no objections.
Fang shi said anxiously, "How much money will this cost? My family's money was used to buy porcelain jars, and we have hardly any left. We have to wait for the jars to sell before we can get some money in return... "
Song Dingxiang laughed, "Mom, have you forgotten? The Wang family gave me a lot of silver ingots, totaling at least two hundred taels. Opening a workshop should be more than enough."
Fang shi looked at Song Dingxiang worryingly and said, "You, always can't bear to have some silver saved at home. Oh well, since it's your money anyway, you handle it yourself. It's getting cold now, let's go check if the canned goods are spoiled. If they are still good, we can at least exchange some silver by selling the old canned goods."
Song Dingxiang smiled, "I believe General Zhong will not treat our family unfairly. But the border is tight now, and he has no choice. If we can win a battle, do you think General Zhong will forget about our family? As long as he gives us a little benefit, it will be enough for us to enjoy."
Fang shi responded, "Then you can only hope others won't forget you!"
Li shi then smiled and said, "Since the decision is made, let it be. However, with so much wool now, it may be too much for your grandmother and your aunt to spin all by themselves. It's a good idea to open a workshop and have your sixth grandaunt help with a few daughters to spin together, to lighten her workload." The reason she said this was to remind Song Dingxiang.
Sixth Grandaunt is in a much better mood now that she has a job, which proves that this job must not be lost. With the current workload, it was necessary to find more people to spin the yarn. If Sixth Grandaunt became overworked due to her poor health, it would be troublesome.
Song Dingxiang smiled, "Grandma, I already know that. I will draft a set of rules, and you and Grandpa will have to look them over. By the way, the most knowledgeable person in our family is Aunt Bai. Aunt Bai, what do you think of my plan?"
Bai shi pursed her lips and smiled gently, saying, "I never expected Dingxiang, a woman, to have such a sense of righteousness. I think this matter is great. Even if General Zhong doesn't give our family anything in the future, I feel extremely content just thinking about the hardworking soldiers wearing the gloves we made. Dingxiang shouldn't have to bear all the cost. If we establish a workshop, I also want to contribute some silver to show support. However, my family's resources are limited, so I will start with ten taels."
In truth, she had her own selfish motives. After all, she was a daughter-in-law of the Song family, and the Song family members were all very good.
What Dingxiang said was also in line with righteousness. Her voluntary contribution of this silver was also to ensure a better life in the Song family in the future.
Another reason was because of Song Zhixuan. Song Zhixuan was a scholar, and if this matter was done well and General Zhong truly rewarded them, Song Zhixuan as the only educated person in the family would not be at a disadvantage.
Li shi smiled and said, "You are truly generous. Since you have contributed, I will also give ten taels."
Fang shi listened and said, "I will also contribute ten taels. We can't let Dingxiang empty her own savings."
Zhang shi was taken aback and quickly said, "I also have ten taels, and I am willing to contribute." In reality, she felt distressed, but she knew that by contributing this silver, any future profitable business in the family wouldn't mistreat her.
Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "In that case, I will draft the rules. How about setting up the workshop in those unused rooms we already have? It's a waste to just store random items in those fine rooms. It's better to utilize them, house people in them, and keep the rooms from deteriorating."
Song Xingyi then spoke up, "I was actually thinking the same. However, it's next to the place where we raise pigs. We should build a fence these days to separate the pigsty. Dingxiang, take a look at what else needs to be prepared, and let's get everything ready in town in a few days."
Having experience in running a workshop, Song Dingxiang quickly drafted the rules, even including the relationships of each household in the Song family. It was not possible to exclude other branches of the Song family from this matter, but she needed to have a plan in mind on how to select people and whom to choose.
Two days later, Song Xingyi took Song Zhiyuan to the town. When Song Hutou saw them, he happily approached them, "Grandpa, Dad! You finally came. If you didn't come, I would have to go home."
"What? Is there something urgent?" Song Xingyi patted Hutou's head, looking at his well-behaved grandson and feeling happy. "Is it just you? Where's Tudan'er?"
"Tudan is in the back packing kimchi. We have some regular customers now, we have to send them ten kilograms of kimchi every ten days. I had Tudan take care of that. Oh, grandpa, don't interrupt me, I was about to say something. Oh, right, all our scarves are sold out!"
"What? All sold out?" Song Xingyi was surprised.
Their scarves were dyed and made of wool, so they were not cheap. A meter and a half long thick knitted scarf sold for fifty wen, a thin knitted one for eighty wen, and a wider shawl for one hundred and fifty wen.
This was considered a high price in town. Initially, Wang Yuanwai's family helped sell some, but they had over a hundred scarves, thinking it would take at least ten days to sell them all.
Who knew it would be sold out in just a few days?
Song Hutou grinned, "Yes, all sold out. Wang Daren picked the best ones to give as gifts, and bought over thirty scarves. Then a merchant came and bought ten of each kind. The remaining few were sold right away. I was thinking when we could come back to deliver more... What? No scarves this time?"
"We have some, we've saved up over the past few days, but we only have eighty scarves now..." Song Xingyi was truly surprised at how fast the scarves sold.
Out of the eighty scarves, thirty were big, forty were thick knitted, and forty were thin knitted. After subtracting the cost of dyeing, they made a profit of nine taels of silver!
Song Hutou, with his business experience, said, "Sell them first, it probably won't sell as fast as before. But the weather is getting colder, so we should prepare more scarves."
Song Xingyi took the account book and the money for the scarves, then went to the backyard to check on Tudan, and brought down eight large jars from the cart to hand over to Song Hutou.
Song Hutou's eyes lit up when he saw the jars, "Our canned goods are ready?" He had tried the peach preserved in syrup and found it tastier than fresh peaches.
Now he was wondering if these canned goods would be successful and profitable. Seeing the jars, he knew that the canned goods had indeed been prepared.
Song Zhiyuan smiled, "A few days ago, we opened the first jar we made, and the taste was just as good as when we started, not spoiled at all. So, today I brought a few jars over for you to start selling them. If any are spoiled, don't sell them, okay?"
"Dad, you can trust me. We value integrity in our business. How could I sell spoiled goods?" Song Hutou puffed out his chest proudly. He was the youngest shopkeeper in the town, and everyone called him 'Manager Song', making him feel almost weightless.
However, he also knew that without his sister preparing all these wonderful products, no matter how skilled he was, he wouldn't be able to make so much money. So, after floating for a while, he landed firmly on the ground and continued to be Song Hutou.
After leaving the shop, Song Xingyi took Song Zhiyuan to Wang Yuanwai's house. They were there to deliver the canned goods and jam.
Song Dingxiang had said that it is better to give too much in gifts. Plus, whenever they had something good, they always gave some to Wang Yuanwai's family. This way, Wang Yuanwai appreciated their generosity, and their relations would be strengthened in the future.
As expected, Wang Yuanwai personally came out to greet them and took Song Xingyi into the house, leaving him trembling.
"Canned goods?" he looked at the rough porcelain jars, then touched them, "Is this for eating?"
Seeing his father at a loss for words, Song Zhiyuan explained, "Yes, my daughter came up with this idea for a type of food. Knowing that Madam in your house likes peach jelly, we made this canned peach and brought it over immediately. Nowadays, fresh fruit is scarce, and this product can be stored and enjoyed for a while."
Wang Yuanwai pointed to a jar on the table and instructed his servant, "Go, open it, serve some for me to taste."
The previous peach jelly had impressed him a lot, and he had considered asking Song Dingxiang for the recipe. However, she arrived at his door a few days later, saying that although the jelly was easy to make, it was hard to store, and they could only sell it freshly made every day, earning hard-earned money.
After hearing this, Wang Yuanwai dropped the idea. The jelly seemed seasonal and easily perishable, which meant it was a low-cost business. With no restaurant or eatery at home, he didn't need recipes for food items.
When the maid went to fetch the canned goods, Wang Yuanwai kindly asked about the village's harvest and the health of his family members. He praised Song Dingxiang again and again, saying that the lotus flowers she had sent were really good, blooming for a long time.
Song Zhiyuan quickly replied, "Now that we are going to harvest the lotus roots, we will send some to you to eat. However, the production of lotus seeds is not abundant, so we plan to plant more next year. With more planting, it will be more convenient for you to have lotus seeds whenever you want."
Wang Yuanwai chuckled, "I just love eating the things from your house, so fresh and delicious. Since you mentioned sending lotus roots, I won't refuse. My wife really enjoys eating lotus roots."
Just then, the maid brought in three small celadon cups on a tray, each containing a piece of peach and half a cup of syrup.
Wang Yuanwai looked at the golden peaches, and scooped up a piece with a small spoon and tasted it, his eyes widening instantly!