xymnovel Chapter 31 Leaf Babies
Chapter 31 Leaf Babies
After seeing off the Wan family father and son, Shen Ce began working with tea leaves in the small kitchen.
Before leaving work yesterday, many roughnecks from the Ten Commands Office clamored for some new drinks. Cheng Zhijie said he had some, so they all came over. There was no way around it; they were all former superiors.
A custom-made large iron pot was placed at an angle on the stove, with a low fire burning underneath. The tea leaves in the pot were constantly being stirred with a large brush, and soon the aroma was released.
The aroma attracted Xiaoman, the little glutton, who sniffed the air and ran over without saying a word. She quietly tiptoed and looked into the pot. The green leaves seemed to come alive, sometimes appearing and sometimes hiding in the broom.
Xiaoman pouted and pointed at the tea leaves, saying, "Hey, these are baby leaves. Big brother, why are you frying them? They smell really good."
Shen Ce continued working, chuckling, "The high-ranking officials and nobles love this. Let's fry the leaves of the small trees, sell them to them, and make lots of money for Xiaoman."
"If they don't eat meat but instead feed them tree leaves, will they buy it?"
"Definitely. The rarer something is, the more people will buy it."
Shen Xiaoman frowned and thought for a moment, then quickly ran out. A moment later, she grabbed a handful of tea leaves and threw them into the pot. Then she stared at Shen Ce with wide eyes, expecting her brother's praise.
Instead of praise, Xiaoman was met with a broomstick. Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she walked towards the door, sobbing, "Brother lied to me and hit me! I'm going to tell Mother!"
Pei Huan covered her mouth and chuckled as she watched this scene. After promising to buy her a string of candied hawthorns the next day, she happily went off to play by herself.
Shen Ceqi meticulously removed the leaves from the tea leaves, leaving the small stems and dust untouched. He figured Tang Dynasty people were tough and wouldn't die from drinking it.
"Master, are you thinking of starting a business?" Pei Huan asked, seeing that Shen Ce had stopped what he was doing. She quickly poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him.
Shen Ce took the drink and downed it in one gulp, thinking to himself, "You're all law-abiding citizens, not slaves. I'm going to pay you."
If I don't make money, what will my whole family eat and drink? I'm even thinking of enjoying the privileges of a feudal dynasty, but how can I manage without money...?
"You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household. We need to have some ways to make money. As for starting a business, we don't have any plans for that yet. We'll just deliver to a few familiar households. If other people want some, we'll talk about the money then."
Pei Huan hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "I saw the thing the carpenter made just now... yes, it's called an abacus, it doesn't seem difficult to make?"
"So you don't think this is a good deal?"
Pei Huan turned and went to the study to fetch an abacus. She examined it carefully in her hands, raised her eyebrows, and said, "The carpenter in the house can make it in an hour after seeing the drawings. It's really not a good business."
Shen Ce sighed and said, "If I put this abacus up for sale in the West Market tomorrow, do you believe that abacuses made of rosewood, sandalwood, or even ivory will suddenly appear the day after tomorrow morning?"
"So... I'm going to give it away for free."
"Hmm? When did you become so rich, Master?"
Shen Ce intended to train her to be the steward of the inner quarters, so it was best to explain some things to her clearly. He took the abacus from her and patiently explained:
"Tools are not important; they can be made from ordinary wood. What is important is knowledge. This has nothing to do with ordinary people; they don't need it. But it is useful for wealthy families or rich merchants who own property."
Shen Ce paused for a moment, then continued, "You know that wealthy merchants are often backed by powerful and influential families. With such large and complex businesses, it's inevitable that they need to audit their finances."
"So, Master, you want to give away the abacus for free, but charge for the knowledge?"
"That's right. I'm already an official now, and it would be shameful for me to go out and do business. I think Wan Lushi's son is quite good. He's smart and good at math. Let him learn how to run around. Anyway, Wan Lushi won't feel ashamed."
"You used to be a person of status in the Prince Qi's mansion. Tell me, is this business easy to do?"
Pei Huan previously worked in the Prince Qi's mansion serving the princess, and over time she gained considerable experience.
He picked up the abacus and pondered for a moment before saying, "In wealthy and powerful families, the male head of the household is in charge of external affairs, while the female head of the household is in charge of internal affairs. The head of the household, the mistress, is in charge of finances. These mistresses usually come from prominent families and, in addition to their family education, they are also exposed to subjects like mathematics from a young age."
"Although the steward is responsible for the daily audits, we cannot rely solely on the servants' opinions. The mistress of the house will personally conduct the audits in the spring and autumn."
"So, does the master also intend to pass this technique on to his wife?"
Shen Ce couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praised repeatedly: "As expected of someone from a royal family, I do have this plan, but it's not me who will teach you, it's you."
"A servant girl?"
"What, are you expecting me, a grown man, to shut myself in behind closed doors and do some serious calculations for the wives of high-ranking officials?"
Pei Huan, who was also open-minded about both meat and vegetables, burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Master's method is ingenious, but is my status sufficient?"
Shen Ce laughed loudly, "If you can serve the Princess Consort, what's wrong with teaching the two ladies?"
Pei Huan, standing to the side, looked at the radiant Shen Ce and knew that he harbored a free spirit. This little scheme was probably not his true intention, so she tentatively asked in a low voice, "May I ask what your plans are for the money and provisions you have earned, my lord?"
Making money? Shen Ce didn't have much of a desire for it. If he wanted to, he could indeed amass a fortune; he was confident of that.
However, without an official position or title, no matter how much wealth you have, you are just working for others. He understands this very well and will not put the cart before the horse.
After making money, one should naturally make more money, and then use that money to advance one's official rank. In short, money should not be kept in one's hands, otherwise it is not even worth as much as cloth.
Shen Ce did not answer, but asked again, "We impart knowledge, not like merchants who covet gold and silver. How much tuition fee do you think is appropriate for me?"
"Five strings of cash is necessary, but if we include the scrolls that Master gave to Recorder Wan, I think adding ten strings wouldn't be a bad idea."
Wealthy families in the Tang Dynasty all owned their own businesses, such as their own estates, small workshops, large tracts of land, or large shops, which provided them with a long-term source of income.
Shen Ce mentally assessed the situation and decided it was about right: "Then you can teach me."
No sooner said than done, the contract was signed, and he's now my man. Tomorrow morning, I'll call Wan's son over. He'll take my money and have to work for me. Twenty strings of cash a year. If his mother finds out that number, she'll faint from anger. How much is a cow worth? How can a servant be more valuable than a cow?
If it were a yearly stipend of five strings of cash, Shen Ce would never have woken people up to work at dawn.
He was given twenty strings of cash a year. If he didn't see Wan Jia's son at home at 5:45 a.m., Shen Ce would take out his riding whip.
Fortunately, Wan Bingwen was perceptive. Before dawn, he had already taken his bedding to the Shen family's door, insisting that he wanted to live in the front yard and help his master earn back his annual allowance within a month!