Chapter 5: Jia Rong's Family Heirloom

"Little Qin, where did this young girl come from?"

Shouer, this is the jade bracelet that your grandmother gave to your mother back in the day; it might be worth a few dozen coins

"The blood has been bought back, return!"

Jia Rong was shocked by Qin Shou's words, looking at him in disbelief. In the blink of an eye, she began to worry, mistakenly thinking that Qin Shou had gone mad over money. This was simply impossible; how could one grow vegetables in the depths of winter

The black cow scratched its head in confusion. It bought so many soybeans, firstly to feed its precious calves for the winter, and secondly to reserve some for planting next year, as its family does not make tofu.

Without capital, Qin Shou persuaded Jia Rong to support his plan. Without Jia Rong's support and assistance, Qin Shou would not be able to accomplish such a significant task independently, as his connections in the village are not as formidable as those of Jia Rong.

"Shou'er, do you know the situation at home?" Jia Rong looked at the busy Qin Shou, who was tending to the fire and cooking porridge, with a worried expression, reminding him with great concern.

"Father, where does your confidence come from?" Qian Yuxin voiced her final question before the old master Qian departed. As the saying goes, one who often walks by the riverbank is bound to get their shoes wet.

Old Master Qian set down the ledger in his hands, gently stroking his thick, short beard, his affectionate gaze fixed on his proud daughter. Having a daughter who is both talented and beautiful is Old Master Qian's greatest pride in life. An open-minded man, he held in disdain the outdated notion that a woman's lack of talent is a virtue.

"Daughter, what do you think of your ideal husband?" The old man Qian, with his eyes suddenly shining brightly, stroked his beard and asked Qian Yuxin for her opinion

Alright, Shouer, how much does it cost

Qin Shou casually responded to Jia Rong while skillfully mixing the scallions and chopped pork in his hands, preparing a pot of scallion and lean pork congee for their midday meal.

Jia Rong did not know what to say, as long as Qin Shou was happy, it was enough, and with the books, it was just a bit of hard work. Jia Rong sighed and moved the firewood, sitting down on it to rest from the exhausting day of washing clothes. Watching Qin Shou busily cooking, he no longer felt the same foolishness as before, which brought him some comfort.

Unaccustomed to the decimal system where one pound equals ten taels, Qin Shou, who is somewhat knowledgeable, expressed his well-thought-out ideas. The most important point, which emphasized low investment and high returns, caught Jia Rong's attention. Jia Rong looked at Qin Shou with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, remaining silent for a long time.

Mother, do not hesitate any longer. I assure you that growing bean sprouts is a guaranteed profit! Right now, I just need some money to buy a few clay jars!" Seeing that Jia Rong was half-convinced, Qin Shou immediately became anxious and patted his chest to guarantee a profit.

Qin Shou was once again left speechless, realizing that the black cow was not something that could be bought with money; it was something that was taken advantage of during chaos. How ruthless! Qin Shou never expected that the black cow would actually start to turn bad!

Qin Shou glared at Hei Niu with annoyance, hurriedly carrying the bought Sophie home. As for Cheng Yaoling's harsh words, Qin Shou had long since dismissed them. A sparring match in three days to test martial prowess? What a joke! Who has the time to engage in a contest of strength with historical generals after a full meal?

Old Master Qian closed the thick ledger, lightly chuckling as he comforted his silent daughter, who was bowing her head. He tucked the ledger under his arm and prepared to rise and return to his private quarters to change his clothes before going out to attend to business

Daughter, trust your father's arrangements. Your father has been in business his entire life; has he ever made a losing deal? Your ideal husband, given time, will surely soar to great heights, and by then, you may find it difficult to keep him by your side! Hehe...

Family heirloom

Mother, the child does not want you to continue living a hard life. Just this once, if we succeed, our family will become the wealthiest in the entire village! In the future, you won't have to wash clothes for others anymore; it pains me to see you do that!

... and * illustrated * books ...

In the Qian family courtyard, Qian Yuxin, feeling quite dejected, noticed from a distance that Old Master Qian was lingering at home, sipping tea and calculating accounts, which extinguished her thoughts of returning to her room. She turned around and entered the hall.

Alas... my daughter, in fact, marriage is much like the principles of business: it is better to have none than to settle for inferior quality; take what others discard, and give away what others desire!

Jia Rong did not know who the little girl in Qin Shou's arms was, but her foreign golden hair was indeed rare. Struggling to lift the large wooden basin that had been washed, she went from house to house distributing the cleaned dirty clothes

"The items retrieved from the West Market, Village Chief, I hope everyone will be understanding in the future!" Qin Shou politely responded to the esteemed Village Chief. Regardless, since Sophie is moving into Changle Township, it is necessary to inform the Village Chief in advance.

In Changle Township, as Qin Shou returned to the village carrying the fainted Sophie, the black cow was greeted by Jia Rong, who had just finished washing clothes in the west of the village, amidst the playful chase of children.

Qian Yuxin expressed her feelings of grievance. Having always obeyed her parents' arrangements since childhood, Qian Yuxin had never dared to go against their wishes. Now, as she faced the significant matter of her lifelong commitment, she began to feel somewhat wronged.

Qin Shoushi could no longer tolerate the village chief who always relied on his age to preach and talk big whenever they met. Without waiting for him to finish speaking, he hurriedly ran back home, leaving the village chief, who was left dumbfounded and at a loss for words, in a state of both laughter and tears.

Tofu? Shou Ge'er, I bought it for the cows to eat

Well... daughter, are you satisfied with your fiancé

Jia Rong hurriedly returned to the village after dividing the washed clothes among the families. In her haste, she did not see Qin Shou and ran to the kitchen, only to find that Qin Shou had made a mess in the kitchen while cooking porridge.

Mother, let's talk about it later! Qin Shou noticed Jia Rong's red hands from washing clothes in cold water, and felt a pang of sadness in his heart, hating himself for being so useless

Shou'er, who is she

Soybeans

Mother, I am serious. It’s not about turning beans into soldiers, um... it’s about sprouting beans. We can grow some nutritious bean sprouts to sell

Sigh

The secrets of heaven must not be revealed

Qin Shou was taken aback and lost in thought as he turned to look at Jia Rong, who was sitting on the ground resting. Upon Jia Rong's affirmative nod, Qin Shou finally remembered that Hei Niu was not joking and had indeed given him a basket of yellow soybeans.

Mother, I am serious. As long as we make some special clay pots, one pound of yellow beans can produce over ten pounds of bean sprouts! Moreover, with vegetables being scarce now, we can definitely sell them for three or four wen per pound

... ... ''

Black cow! Is your family going to make tofu

It may be due to his long-term engagement in intellectual labor that the deep wrinkles on his forehead are quite incongruous with his age of not yet forty

Father, I do not understand why you insist on marrying me off to a country man

Old Master Qian imparted his lifelong motto of sixteen characters to Qian Yuxin, using business principles as a metaphor for marriage. His bold thinking directly shattered the fragile psychological defenses that Qian Yuxin had built up.

Qin Shouyang, feeling pleased with himself, was preparing an impassioned speech for the debut of his bean sprouts. Little did he know that Jia Rong hurriedly approached, placing a hand on Qin Shou's forehead to check if he had a fever, leaving Qin Shou both amused and exasperated as he pushed away the overly concerned Jia Rong.

Qian Yuxin spoke without a second thought, commenting on Qin Shou's character. In the end, she cast a puzzled and questioning glance at the composed and strategic Old Master Qian.

Well, well, Xiao Qin, you are no longer a child. Your uncle is my brother. Don't say I didn't remind you, don't always rely on your hardworking mother to support you... Hey, hey... You rascal, I haven't finished speaking!

Qin Shou was taken aback and turned his head, discovering that Jia Rong, who had returned, was holding a long-preserved jade bracelet made of exquisite silk and embroidered with intricate designs. Under the refracted afternoon sunlight, the jade bracelet sparkled with a translucent brilliance, and in that moment, Qin Shou could not help but feel a pang in his heart, never expecting that Jia Rong would truly be so generous

Alright

He is approximately thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with broad, thick eyebrows beneath which a pair of shrewd and profound eyes gleam with a stern gaze. He pays great attention when observing others; when he smiles, he reveals a set of neatly aligned, slightly white teeth.

Jia Rong, under the disheartened gaze of Qin Shou, walked silently out of the smoky and chaotic kitchen, lost in thought. Disheartened, Qin Shou had no choice but to seek other solutions, as achieving prosperity depended entirely on the present moment

If there are eight coins, it would be best to have ten! Jia Rong agreed, and Qin Shou felt a surge of joy in his heart as he quickly reported the minimum amount needed for the clay vat.

"Shou'er, what nonsense are you talking about?" Jia Rong had not yet had the chance to ask Qin Shou how the soybeans came about, but was already left in a state of both laughter and tears by Qin Shou's impractical words. Who doesn't want to get rich? The question is, with what can one get rich?

Moved by Qin Shou's filial piety and persuasion, Jia Rong lightly brushed away the tears welling at the corners of her eyes. Having endured the hardships of war and turmoil for most of her life, she now felt that her suffering was not in vain, as Qin Shou had grown increasingly mature and understanding.

Old Master Qian's perfunctory words were utterly insincere, causing Qian Yuxin to let out a soft sigh. She gracefully stood up to respectfully escort Old Master Qian back to his room, while Qian Ling remained behind, lost in thought and too timid to speak.

Flattery and smooth talk

Ah? Planting, planting vegetables?

Fortunately... Shou'er, you startled me! Jia Rong picked up a handkerchief to wipe the sweat, gently brushing the gray forehead of Qin Shou, and sighed in relief as if praying to the gods.

"Oh? Shou Ge, who is this little girl?" At that moment, Hei Niu noticed the little girl that Qin Shou was holding and curiously asked Qin Shou, who was disdainfully raising his middle finger.

Shou Ge'er, thanks to you, look, the seller of these two baskets of soybeans has run away, and I got a bargain like a *picture* book! I will send you a basket when I return

As Qin Shou passed by the village chief's house, the village chief, in his sixties, appeared robust, with a short axe for chopping wood hanging at his waist, and greeted Qin Shou in a familiar manner

Qin Shou found the hidden black cow while holding Sophie, and couldn't help but exclaim. The black cow was actually carrying two baskets of yellow soybeans, weighing at least forty to fifty pounds. Aside from making tofu, Qin Shou really couldn't understand what the black cow was here for

Mother, do you want to get rich

Mother, Sophie is very pitiful. If the child does not buy her back, she will eventually freeze or starve to death. Mother, I cannot just stand by and watch her die, can I

Yuxin has seen Father!" Qian Yuxin entered the hall, and under the astonished gaze of Old Master Qian, Shanshan paid her respects to the busy Old Master Qian.

Qin Shou's sudden remark left Jia Rong, who was resting, momentarily stunned; the speed at which Qin Shou changed the topic truly caught Jia Rong off guard.

Qin Shou was left speechless, what extravagance! Feeding the cattle yellow soybeans, not fearing they might burst! Qin Shou understood the actions of the black cattle; in the dead of winter, there was nothing for the cattle to eat. The cold in ancient times was no less than in later generations; with the ground frozen, where would the grass come from? They would surely starve to death!

"Shou'er, what is the matter with the basket of yellow soybeans sent by Heiniu?"

Qian Yuxin understood the meaning of Old Master Qian, which is to avoid following the crowd. One should not blindly purchase items just because they are selling well for others. Often, after acquiring the goods, one ends up with the "sorrow of overnight stock," meaning that when one has accurately assessed the market trends, they should boldly invest in goods that others are hesitant to take. Conversely, when others seek goods from oneself, one should never sell them at a loss, nor should one engage in hoarding rare items and waiting for a better price.

Not bad, Mother, hey hey... what are you doing? Is the child doing well and not burning up?

After resting for a while, Jia Rong recalled that when he had just returned, Hei Niu had placed twenty to thirty jin of yellow beans in the house. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked Qin Shou the reason, as that basket of yellow beans was worth at least a dozen wen.