CHAPTER 263: CHAPTER 254: THIS IS A TREMENDOUSLY PROUD PERSON

Sun Siye secretly kept Yu Changhe’s kindness in mind.

He thought about giving Yu Changhe a jar from the first batch of wine brewed next year.

After Yu Changhe left, Sun Siye instructed Sun Sinai to set aside a small packet of salt, and store the rest properly to prevent dampness.

When Yu Changhe brought the salt, Sun Sinai was also very touched. Salt was expensive, costing three taels and two qian per jin, and the two packets he brought were worth the value of three mu of barren land.

Sun Siye called over his sons, "You all remember where we measured the land earlier, right? Starting today, all of you are to go and till the land. Ten mu of land should take about ten days to till thoroughly. After the land is tilled, don’t just stay idle at home. Go to the city and see where there is work carrying packages or serving tables...

As for the women, go to the embroidery workshop in the city to find work, embroider if you can, and if you’re clumsy with embroidery, stay home and make shoe soles and cotton clothes..."

Sun Siye arranged the men and women in the household clearly, while Sun Wuye had his two sons help Yu Changhe with the tilling, and his daughters-in-law took turns doing laundry, cooking, chopping firewood, and feeding the animals.

Yu Xiaolian stayed in Taohua Village for just one night before taking Sun Wuye’s grandsons back to Luocheng.

The twelve-year-old Sun Mancang was very resistant to attending the academy. He believed he was grown up and should work in the fields like adults to reduce the family’s burden and increase income, so he could afford to marry in a few years.

You have to admit, ancient people were really persistent about marrying.

There are many people who choose not to marry in modern society, but in ancient times, almost no one wanted to remain single. Not having a marriage partner at marriage age would be humiliating and lead to ridicule from village peers and even relatives.

Yu Xiaolian was able to persuade Sun Mandun and Sun Manfeng but couldn’t convince Sun Mancang.

Sun Mancang knew that studying was expensive, so he refused to go. One semester’s entry fee alone cost two taels of silver, not including the cost of books, ink, brushes, and food and clothing.

Studying for a year would cost at least twenty taels of silver, and Sun Mancang thought that even if he were sold, he wouldn’t be worth twenty taels.

Sun Mancang was resolute and wouldn’t budge, leaving Yu Xiaolian helpless, so she didn’t force him any further.

Yu Xiaolian didn’t send Sun Mancang back to Taohua Village but arranged for him to work in Xiangyang Lane, promising him fifty wen in wages per day.

The rough work in Xiangyang Lane wasn’t much: feeding horses, chopping wood, and yard sweeping. Besides this, Sun Mancang also took on the role of doorman.

Since Yu Xiaolian hosted the grand banquet of the education officer, business at Taotao Residence improved a bit compared to before, but it still hadn’t recovered to summer’s revenue levels.

What’s the situation like in Luocheng now?

It’s not deserted; the streets are bustling with people, each rushing about.

It’s not bustling either; the usual wonton and roasted sweet potato stalls have disappeared, and many shops are closed.

Yu Xiaolian noticed that most of the closed shops were food shops.

Coarse grains that used to cost seven or eight wen per jin are now selling for fifty wen. What does that mean?

It means what used to last ten days now only lasts one.

While Yu Xiaolian was still lamenting the plight of the common people, a new tax announcement arrived.

The government officer beat the gong, notifying street by street that commercial taxes had increased again.

It’s tough, really tough. Even Yu Xiaolian, who dealt in risk-free trades, felt overwhelmed, let alone other businesses.

After tax officials verified the accounts, Yu Xiaolian painfully paid another nine taels and two qian in commercial taxes.

Zhang Zhihe had just finished paying his commercial taxes as well. After paying, he discussed with his father and decided to close the shop. They went to the government to cancel their business permit. After cancellation, they would no longer be merchants and wouldn’t have to pay more taxes than others.

If it hadn’t been for Yu Xiaolian ordering a large batch of pewter wine bottles back then, they would have already been on the brink of closing. Now that the Yu Family no longer sold wine, they didn’t need pewter wine bottles, and with no business to conduct yet still having to pay hefty commercial taxes, the Zhang Family couldn’t handle it anymore.

The fine drinking utensils his family made were items only wealthy people would use, but once a household had a set, it was enough for a lifetime. They weren’t consumables, so after the market became saturated, the pewter business remained sluggish.

Currently, Zhang Zhihe decided to close the shop temporarily.

With the Zhang Family’s pewter shop closed, only Yu Xiaolian’s Taotao Residence remained open on their street.

One day, as soon as Yu Xiaolian returned from the academy, Granny Gao informed her, "Master came by this morning and said that Uncle’s marriage has been settled, scheduled for the eighteenth of the twelfth lunar month. Master asked for the girl to take some time to return home."