Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 11913

Yang Ruoqing only told Wang Cuilian and Sun about Luo Da'e's illness; she didn't mention it to anyone else.

The others didn't really have any connection with Luo Da'e, so there was no need to mention them.

Madam Zuo and Zuo Jinling stayed at the Luo family's house as guests, and Xiao Duo and the children were also kept by Madam Sun, living in the third house next door.

Apart from them, He'er and her son, and San Yatou and her son, all stayed at the fourth house.

Mianmian and her son, as well as Xiaojie and her son, all lived at their respective parents' homes.

Jiang Guiling brought all her family members to watch the play and acrobatics. Even Xiao Moshi had Yang Yongqing go to the county town to bring Da Moshi and her children to the village...

By the second day of the opera, Yang Ruoqing was already helping Xiao Qiao pack her things.

The main problem is that Nini has a lot of stuff: clothes, hats, shoes, socks, diapers, toys—six whole big boxes.

In addition, Yang Ruoqing also prepared three extra boxes of new clothes, shoes, socks, hats, handkerchiefs, and other items for Nini.

"Mom, isn't there too much stuff? There are so many clothes, shoes and socks that Nini can't wear yet." Xiao Qiao looked at the clothes that were obviously meant for a toddler who was a little over one year old, or even close to two years old, and there were even summer dresses. She was a little amused and exasperated.

Yang Ruoqing said, "Just because you can't wear them now doesn't mean you won't be able to wear them later. You've never been a mother before, so you don't know how fast babies grow during this period. It's so gratifying, just like crops in a field. They grow a lot in a while!"

“Mother…” Xiao Qiao looked at the clothes that the big girls were wearing, especially the spring and summer clothes. How could she not guess what Yang Ruoqing was feeling?

"Mother, after the New Year, when Dazhi heads north and passes through Changhuai Prefecture, shall we disembark and come home for a few days?"

"I'm very pleased that you have this intention," Yang Ruo said with a smile. "However, I still don't want you to disembark halfway. This is Zhi'er's way north to the capital to seek employment; everything should proceed naturally, without any further disruptions."

"Whenever the Dragon Boat Festival comes around, if I have some free time, I can go to the capital to visit you. That will be just as good."

"Mmm..." Xiao Qiao responded softly, feeling a pang of sadness at the impending parting.

Seeing Yang Ruoqing's reluctance to part with Nini, Xiao Qiao felt like a sinner and wished she could leave Nini with Yang Ruoqing.

But Nini is my daughter. If I leave her with her grandmother, I, as her mother, will miss her. Besides, it's best for children to be raised by their parents, if possible.

Xiao Qiao thought so, and she knew Yang Ruoqing thought so too, unless there were special circumstances and she had no other choice.

"Mother, it's settled then. Whenever you have some free time, you must go to the capital for a visit."

“Of course, going to the capital isn’t difficult at all, we have a carriage anyway.” Yang Ruoqing said with a smile, then took out a key and a land deed from her person and stuffed them into Xiao Qiao’s hand.

"Your father and I have found you a place to stay on your trip to the capital."

"This is the property deed, and this is the key. The location is quite good, right on the same street as the Hanlin Academy where Zhi'er is working. It's only a short walk for him to get there."

Xiao Qiao stared in shock at the land deed and key in her hand!

Just then, Dazhi carried Nini into the house. Nini must have been thirsty and wanted to come back inside for a drink of water.

Xiao Qiao walked quickly towards Da Zhi and held out what she was holding: "Look, this is what Mother prepared for us in the capital."

Dazhi's pupils widened slightly when he saw the address written on the land deed.

He stayed in the capital for one or two months on his trip to take the imperial examination, and visited many famous places.

"Mother, this won't do! This place is incredibly valuable!" Dazhi's voice was filled with anxiety. He put Nini in Xiao Qiao's arms, took the land deed and key, and strode towards Yang Ruoqing.

“Mother, I will find a place myself. We will rent a nice and inexpensive courtyard house in a nearby alley first. After I receive my salary from the government, I will improve our living conditions. How can you and Father help us buy a house before we have even arrived!”

This really makes the son look so incompetent; when he was in school, he always asked his parents for everything.

I never expected that even after passing the imperial examination, my parents would still have to spend money on me!

This house, with its two courtyards and excellent location, would cost at least five or six thousand taels of silver!
“You silly child, this is a gift from your father and me for your high school years! You have to accept it!” Yang Ruoqing said.

“Mother, this gift is too precious. We young people are not in a hurry to enjoy ourselves. We can rent a house first. The rent from my fields and shops in Yangzhou every year is enough to support the three of us in the capital!”

"After I've worked for a few years, I'll slowly save up money and then buy my own house!"

Hearing Dazhi's spirited words, Yang Ruoqing felt quite relieved.

At least it proves that their son is a good kid with backbone, ambition, a desire to support himself, and a sense of responsibility!

He's not the kind of lazy, dependent adult who just sits around doing nothing, nor is he a stay-at-home son.

"Zhi'er, your father and I are very pleased that you have such ambition. It also shows that you have truly grown up!" Yang Ruoqing put the land deed and key back into Dazhi's hands.

"Even if you and Xiao Qiao can endure hardship, I will not allow my granddaughter to live in someone else's house and wander with you!"

Renting someone else's house, to put it bluntly, is full of uncertainty.

Dealing with the so-called landlord is especially annoying.

"As for your idea of ​​buying a house after you've saved up some money in the future, haha, how about Mom does the math with you?"

"Please speak, Mother." As Dazhi spoke, he helped Yang Ruoqing sit down on the stool next to him.

Even though this mother now looks just like his older sister, so young that you can't tell she's his mother at all, in Dazhi's heart, even if his mother continues to regress and become a little girl, she is still his mother, the elder he respects the most!
“Let’s take your uncle as an example,” Yang Ruoqing began calmly. “Back then, when he went to the capital, he was also working at the Hanlin Academy. It was a low-paying department. His monthly salary was initially three taels of silver. After a year, including some bonuses and subsidies during festivals, he could only earn a maximum of 40 taels of silver!”

"At that time, the price of a one-courtyard house in a good location in the capital was around 800 taels of silver."

"Just think about it, how many years would it take your uncle to save up enough to buy his own house?"

20 years without eating or drinking!
This was the housing price in Beijing more than a decade ago. Now, housing prices in Beijing have only risen and never fallen!

Dazhi and Xiaoqiao's expressions both changed.

"My God, even officials can't afford houses? What kind of world is this?" Xiao Qiao murmured.

Yang Ruoqing glanced at her and said, "As I said before, your uncle works in a low-ranking government office, and he himself is an honest and upright person."

“Unless you have real power, are good at research, and have a large industrial base in your hometown, otherwise, for students like us who come from other provinces and enter the capital through the imperial examinations to pursue an official career, without the support of family businesses, even if we get a job in the capital, we can only say that we have a stable income regardless of the circumstances. It’s too difficult to actually buy a house and settle down!” Dazhi frowned slightly because what Yang Ruoqing said was indeed true.

In the years before, he had devoted himself to studying the classics and never thought about the mundane things like daily life.

Now that I'm embarking on my official career, it's time to get involved in this kind of thing; one can't stay away from worldly affairs forever.

“What Mother said is indeed true. Someone like me, who is just starting out in officialdom, is probably earning less than my eldest uncle did back then,” he said.

This trip to the capital wasn't just for the three of them; it also included Nini's two wet nurses, his housekeeper and his wife, two servants who carried luggage, and a page who had run errands for him when he was studying.

With the money he had at the Hanlin Academy, he couldn't possibly support all these people; he had to use the shops and farmland he had rented out in his hometown of Yangzhou.

The problem is that most of those shops and farmland were acquired by his parents when he first went to Yangzhou.

"Mother, your son is incompetent..."

Dazhi couldn't think straight anymore; he felt that this livelihood problem was like a mountain blocking his way.

He had always relied on his parents to easily cross mountains and valleys, but now that he was beginning to face these problems, he realized that they were truly the most difficult problems a person could ever encounter.

Even if you pass the imperial examination, it doesn't mean you'll immediately achieve great success.

Unless, of course, one is skilled at research and will use power to acquire wealth for oneself in the future.

But he knew he couldn't do that kind of thing, and he didn't study for those reasons...

"Silly child, how can you say you're incompetent? You've already brought honor to your parents by standing out from so many outstanding students in Daqi through your own efforts!" Yang Ruoqing gently stroked Dazhi's face.

"You should do your job well, use your knowledge and talent in the right way, and don't worry about making a living," Yang Ruoqing then turned to look at her daughter-in-law, Xiao Qiao, who was standing to the side.

"You too, focus on being a good wife and mother, don't take on needlework or other side jobs to supplement your income, those have no future."

Xiao Qiao nodded gently, "I've been practicing the perfumery skills that Mother taught me last time."

Yang Ruoqing smiled with satisfaction: "That's exactly what I wanted to say. I also have a shop in the capital. I used to sell spices there in my younger years. Later, I returned to my hometown, and the shop has been empty ever since."

"I've already had the cleaning done before you go. Once you're there, you'll set up the spice shop. I'll leave the original female manager to you; she can assist you. Our family's spice business was quite successful in the capital years ago. If you can manage it well, you'll earn just as much as, if not less than, Zhi'er's every year, hehehe."

Can you do this?

Then wouldn't I be able to follow in my mother's footsteps and help my father fight the war by doing business? I could also use the money I earn from the spice shop to help Dazhi in his official career.
Xiao Qiao's eyes lit up immediately: "Yes, daughter-in-law will definitely not let mother down!"

Dazhi looked at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, somewhat bewildered. "No, Mother, Xiao Qiao, what are you talking about? Could it be that Xiao Qiao has learned how to blend perfumes from you these past few days?"

Dazhi was also very surprised by all of this, and even a little delighted.

Because he knew that his mother's perfumery skills were an ancient craft, and that the perfumes she blended were unique in the entire Qi Dynasty.

From scented soap to face wash, hair wash, bath soap, laundry soap, indoor fumigation, purifying soap for the study, odor remover, insect repellent...

The spices my mother used were very unique and rarely seen on the market.

In her early years, my mother made a lot of money with this craft. Later, as things got busier and busier at home, she couldn't take care of many things anymore. Her perfumery skills were only used to make a small amount of daily necessities for the family each year, and she stopped selling them to the public.

"Xiao Qiao, this is my most treasured technique. You must learn it well. It has a bright future, and you can pass it on to Nini in the future!" Da Zhi excitedly instructed Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao nodded seriously: "Yes, I will definitely study it carefully. Moreover, Mother also gave me a manuscript on perfumery that she wrote. I took it back to Yangzhou and studied it carefully every day."

"That's good. I've recorded everything in the manuscript. If there's anything you don't understand, you can write to me and I'll ask you."

"Ah."

After explaining everything, Yang Ruoqing was truly relieved. Finally, she went to Nini, hugged her, and kissed her sweet and soft granddaughter.

The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is so strong; I'm always reluctant to part with them and always worried about them.

But there's no other way; we can't selfishly let the child become a left-behind child. Only by staying with her parents can the child grow up healthier.

……

On the morning of the third day, while the people of Changping Village were still asleep, Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang had already seen Dazhi and Xiao Qiao off.

"Father, Mother, please take care of yourselves!"

"And to my great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and great-grandmother... take care!"

"Good child, don't kowtow. We're family, so let's not stand on ceremony!"

Luo the blacksmith and Yang Huazhong quickly stopped Dazhi and Xiao Qiao from kowtowing to say goodbye. Their clothes were clean, but kneeling and kowtowing would make them dirty.

Moreover, doing that made the family members even more reluctant to part with them.

Look, Wang Cuilian and Madam Sun are both wiping away tears.

"Zhi'er, Xiao Qiao, the two of you taking good care of Nini is what puts our minds at ease the most."

Yang Ruoqing held Xiao Qiao's hand one last time and gave her instructions.

Xiao Qiao nodded: "Don't worry, Mother!"

Yang Ruoqing then looked at the two wet nurses beside her: "When you two get to Yangzhou, help the young mistress take good care of the young lady. You will be rewarded when you return!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Father, Mother, you don't need to see us off. Jinling and I will take care of my brother and sister-in-law." Luo Wuyou and Zuo Jinling led the horse over. It was agreed last night that Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang would not need to go. The task of taking their brother, sister-in-law, and niece to the dock in Wanghai County to their own boat would be handled by the two of them.

Although Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang really wanted to see them off, and Yang Ruoqing had always been present whenever they traveled far away in the past.

This time, Luo Fengtang managed to persuade her to stay.

(End of this chapter)