The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 116 Striving Forward
The young people of the Zhao family bought a piece of land as a group, but it's currently idle; the blueprints haven't even been drawn yet.

They even had internal disputes about what it should be used for.

Some people thought they should take Wen Gu's advice and build a row of shops there for rent. They could also keep a place for themselves to rest and have fun, and at the same time, they could annoy the Shen brothers.

But others are ambitious and want to build a career to prove their superior abilities.

After arguing and bickering for several days, there was still no progress.

They had money and supplies, and a group of them pooled their resources to buy land, spending a considerable amount that exceeded their expectations.

As for when the shops will be built... that depends on how much it will cost and how big the funding gap is. A rough calculation suggests it might be a bit difficult.

Some elders in the family didn't approve of him and would occasionally make sarcastic remarks to his face, relying on their seniority.

"Because they're young, they act impulsively."

"It's obvious they've been completely fooled by Wen Gu! They don't even know which faction Wen Gu belongs to!"

"I still have too much money!"

"If you have nothing to do, just stay home and practice martial arts, calligraphy, and painting. You'll eventually get your chance. Look at Zhao Han..."

The pressure piled up, layer upon layer.

After the young members of the Zhao family impulsively bought the land, they became confused and hesitant. Some regretted it, while others wanted to simply give up and return to a state of complacency.

Lying down is so nice; when you lie down, all your worries disappear!

However, at that moment, a servant who ran over from Jingxingfang told them that someone wanted to rent a shop!
People who were originally feeling lost, tired, and lying down at home, ready to be ridiculed, suddenly sprang up like a carp leaping out of the water.

"What?! This is possible?"

They quickly gathered together, needing to figure out what was going on.

"So... you're saying the caravan wants to book the place because they think it has good prospects? It doesn't seem very reliable. Are they just messing with us?"

"But that's the famous Sheng family, the major grain merchants!"

Although they usually have nothing to do, they still pay attention to what's happening in the city. The Sheng family came twice last year, so they are not unfamiliar with them.

"That's an empty lot! How can you already see the foreground?!"

"The rent there isn't cheap! We don't even know what it will look like when it's built, yet we've already booked two shops?"

The group held an emergency meeting, but still didn't know what to do.

This is like—I haven't even exerted any effort, haven't even found the right direction, haven't even stretched out my hand, and the money just flies in by itself…

Suddenly I felt timid.

Some people worried: "Could it be that the Sheng family's caravan is trying to bribe us to find out secrets?"

"Uh... if it's a bribe, the amount is a bit small. This is more like a gesture of goodwill?"

An honest man asked in bewilderment, "But what's so special about us?"

The people around him looked at him and then punched him one by one.

Even though I have no power or reputation, is it necessary to speak so bluntly?
However, it also relieved me of my worries.

The shrewd person said, "Jingxingfang is a place for revisiting the past. Since he has no objections, why should we? He was the one who proposed this!"

Clever people employ the art of shifting blame.

The others nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

That's right!

Even if there are problems, there are people above who will take the blame!

They usually don't acknowledge the importance of reviewing past material, but they're quite willing to do so now.

"Let's go!"

They set off immediately, finding the carriage too slow, and rode their horses directly there.

In their upbringing, horseback riding was a compulsory course. Whether they were proficient or not was one thing, whether they could do it or not was another.

People who normally dislike riding horses couldn't care less about anything else at this moment.

A group of about ten young people rode horses from the core area of ​​Xinzhou City toward Jingxingfang.

Upon arrival, they won't need to exert themselves. They can simply use the standard documents provided by Jingqing Guild, make minor modifications, fill in the amount and deadline, and then confirm the details with both parties when the caravan arrives this autumn or winter.

Three copies were made, one of which was kept at the Jingqing Public Office.

Holding the signed and stamped documents and the newly received deposit, Zhao Mu looked dazed.

"It's... rented out already?"

Zhao Kun, who was standing next to him, took the money and looked at it. He wasn't greedy for the money; he just felt satisfied and accomplished!

So does everyone else.

"As long as the accounts are clear and there's no bribery involved, then this can be considered our legitimate income?"

"Definitely! As long as the shop is finished by the end of the year!"

They were satisfied.

The manager who successfully acquired two shops and completed the task was also very satisfied.

I was even more satisfied with reviewing the contract after receiving it.

Those mediocre second-generation entrepreneurs should just build their shops as soon as possible and wait to collect rent; they shouldn't be foolishly starting businesses!
Even if those people do nothing, they still have advantages far exceeding those of ordinary people.

Why was the Sheng family caravan willing to reserve shop space?
Zhao Mu and his group belong to the Zhao Clan, the top echelon in Xinzhou!
The Sheng family has already taken their stance; their refusal to buy a house in Xinzhou demonstrates their attitude. However, renting a place isn't necessarily reliable, and the landlord's identity needs careful consideration. They haven't found a suitable place yet. Fortunately, they have old friends and acquaintances of the Sheng family everywhere, so they can borrow from them or rent short-term places.

Now that he has finally found a place he likes, and the landlord's identity is reliable, coupled with comprehensive considerations for long-term development, Sheng Ren made his decision.

The Sheng family caravan wanted to rent shops here, but it wasn't Chaohuifang that received the news first. Before that, Wen Gu had already sent someone to the Zhao residence.

The fact that caravans could rent shops there was already tacitly approved.

The council hall of Young Master Zhao.

The Sheng family caravan was also mentioned at this time.

"We still need to be wary of the Sheng family's caravan."

The Sheng family's merchant caravan's policy of "not interfering in politics" means that they do not actively meddle in political affairs.

For example, a caravan wouldn't actively send out a secret letter. But if that secret letter is mixed in with the goods, and the employer pays enough, they're willing to help transport the goods to the designated place without knowing it.

Similarly, they will cooperate if someone investigates. They will not hide who the sender and receiver are, or where the addresses are.

"I'm afraid Sheng Ren chose that place because it would be easier to gather information there," a scholar said.

Young Master Zhao smiled calmly: "Although there are drawbacks, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

It's rare for Chaohuifang to do something good.

As a result, the young people of the Zhao family soon received praise from the Zhao family.

They all suddenly became excited.

Whether they make money or not is secondary. With their current status and the fact that they are surnamed "Zhao," as long as they don't cause any major trouble, they don't have to worry about starving to death.

The important thing is to prove that you are capable!
"Build shops! Build them!"

"immediately!"

"Get the design drawings done quickly!"

"Stock up on building materials!" Building materials are in short supply right now. Although a lot of timber was transported using the snow tracks during the winter, most of the timber has already been pre-ordered by so many wealthy households in the city.

They can't just cut in line now; forcibly taking their turn would definitely cost them a lot of favors.

But it was worth it!

The young people of the Zhao family, who used to be so idle they would fight all day, suddenly became busy like spinning tops, as if they had been repeatedly spurred on.

They said the houses would be handed over by the end of the year. If that row of shops isn't built by this fall and winter, the homeowners probably won't have a good impression of them!

A good impression is roughly equivalent to a bright future.

They all share the same surname, Zhao, but their futures are vastly different. Who would want to be left behind by their brothers?

Within a few days, the Jingxingfang construction site, which was already at full capacity, had new work coming in again.

Well-informed idlers quickly spread this important information throughout the neighborhood.

Winter was over, and with temperatures rising, the outside world was becoming increasingly dangerous. Desperate to earn food and firewood, the common people rushed over.

As for wages, whether they are paid monthly or bi-weekly, under the current circumstances, they could drag a poor family to death.

Therefore, the construction site was basically paid daily, or every two or three days. Any longer would be inappropriate and would damage the Zhao family's reputation.

The amount of money was too large, and issuing physical goods would be inconvenient to manage. Therefore, the newly opened construction site decisively exchanged the grain coupons from Jingxingfang.

The workers were quite happy to accept it.

The idlers have been quite pleased with themselves these past few days. They have the opportunity to do some good for their neighbors, and they'll have someone to help them if they encounter trouble in the future.

In this world, ordinary people like them can't survive long by going it alone.

For example, when they found out about the new construction site opened by the Zhao family, they quickly notified their neighbors.

Today, the workers who are successfully employed should remember their kindness.

Construction site break time.

People from the same neighborhood gathered together to chat; there were laborers and idlers alike.

A thin laborer touched the food coupons in his sleeve pocket again, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that they were still there. This was his wages for two days.

Seeing this, a bystander lowered his voice and said quickly, "Stop touching your sleeve pocket all the time, as if you're afraid people won't know you've hidden ration coupons there?!"

He only gave this warning because they were familiar neighbors. Otherwise, a street thug like him wouldn't hold back!
The laborer glanced around nervously and whispered, "Yes, yes, I understand!"

There's no way I can't be nervous; this is something that could save my family's lives.

He fell ill in the autumn and winter and missed the recruitment for the city's defensive fortifications. The family relied entirely on his wife's sewing work. However, even wealthy families were struggling to make ends meet these days, and work wasn't always available.

After recovering from his illness, he wanted to work on the Wanfuyuan construction site, but he was too weak at the time and was not selected. Life was hard, and he couldn't afford to eat more than a bite of food.

Just a few days ago, I heard from my neighbor that another construction site was hiring, so I gritted my teeth and ate more to build up my strength. Luckily, I was selected and got a job at the construction site.

But he still felt uneasy, and asked in a low voice, "Should we exchange all the grain coupons we got for grain?"

The idler next to him, having been asked this question many times, smiled nonchalantly and said:

"Grain coupons can only be exchanged for cooked food in the canteen. If you want to hoard grain, you can exchange them for dry biscuits, which can be stored for several days. It's fine now that it's cold, but they won't last too long when it gets hot. Actually, this is good. If you really exchange them for rice or wheat, you'll need firewood when you get back. Can you go out and chop firewood yourself? Or can you afford firewood and coal?"

The workers remained worried, having experienced disasters before: "What if the grain merchants raise prices again, and the canteen follows suit..."

The idler was about to casually retort when he caught sight of a certain clerk surnamed He out of the corner of his eye. His tone turned serious, and he raised his voice, "You don't need to worry about that! Do you know who's in charge of the rice market in Xinzhou City right now? It's Manager Shen!"

He then made a very affected gesture of bowing towards the Jingqing Public Office: "That's Magistrate Wen's maternal uncle! I can't guarantee other places, but in our Jingxing Ward, grain prices will never be chaotic!"

He Da, who had just passed by, curled his lip: Exaggerated! Too exaggerated!
And "us"? Are you a resident here?

Could it be that his body lives outside, but his heart is here?

It is not impossible.

He generally didn't bother with these idlers as long as they didn't break the rules of the neighborhood.

But He Da himself was a street urchin, and he knew very well how restless these people were, so he had to keep a close eye on them and patrol several times a day.

The He family is about to rise to prominence; he'll fight anyone who ruins their future!
Not far away, after seeing He Da walk away, the idler continued chatting normally with the laborers in the neighborhood, telling them about the rules here.

After a short rest, the idler led the laborers to the grocery store next to the canteen.

“You can save up your food coupons; you can buy quite a few things here,” he said.

The workers bought mostly water jugs and food containers here.

At the canteen in Jingxingfang, food was purchased with ration coupons, and some items came with free hot water. Therefore, many laborers would save up their ration coupons to buy a large ceramic kettle to take home for their families.

During the pandemic, they also knew that they shouldn't drink untreated water.

But firewood is expensive!
Going out to chop firewood was dangerous, and all the firewood near Xinzhou City had been cut down. They couldn't afford to burn coal either, so they used to rely on drinking untreated water as a last resort.

Now that they get hot water with every purchase of cakes, and the boiled water is safe, they're naturally happy. They can also afford to buy a ceramic kettle by saving up their grain coupons, so the whole family can use it.

There are also food containers, making it easier for them to take food home.

The new laborers followed the idlers around and quickly made up their minds.

Once a person has a goal and hope, their mental state is boosted several levels!

The idler looked around and whispered to the laborers in his neighborhood:

"Most of the items in the shop are fired in the kiln next door in Qingyunfang. Sometimes, some defective or flawed items are fired and are not recycled, so they are sold at a low price."

The workers were invigorated.

Where? Where is it sold?

They are willing to buy defective products as long as they do not affect the main function!
The idler scoffed, "What a pipe dream! Everyone's short of everything right now. Those with good connections have already distributed their goods; there's no way they'll get them to the shops!"

He said mysteriously, "However, for the sake of being neighbors, if you need some, I'll try to get you some."

He has a sworn brother who knows Brother Yu from Qingyunfang, who said he could help him get some goods in a while.

He doesn't earn much, just pocket money, since they're all neighbors.

The workers naturally thanked them profusely. They wanted to save as much money as possible on wages, and of course, they would be even happier if they could find a way to buy substandard products.

The idle man was very pleased with everyone's gratitude and flattery, but since he hadn't received the goods yet, he couldn't be too ostentatious.

"Well, there's a boutique shop over there, but it's not something we can afford. It's for officials and nobles."

Not far from the general store, there was a boutique, but they only glanced at it from the outside and didn't dare go in. They couldn't afford to pay for the damage if they accidentally broke it.

Qingyunfang.

Yu Er is writing a work report.

Unlike He Da and Tao San, who spent all their time loitering around the government office, he lived in Qingyunfang and couldn't frequently show his face in front of Wen Gu, but he very wisely made his presence felt through his work achievements.

The defective goods coming out of the kiln allowed him to gather some information.

The Zhao family also had large kilns for firing ceramics outside the city, but the substandard products from those kilns were primarily supplied to the military workshops in the outer city, which was the Zhao family's source of confidence.

With autumn and winter over, the military camps outside have been reinforced with more troops, and there are currently no surplus goods to supply the people in the inner city.

In these times of scarcity, even substandard pots, pans, and other everyday necessities are precious private possessions for ordinary people and soldiers.

Yu Er used the substandard products from the Qingyunfang kiln to explore and build a communication network.

Ordinary people have very limited access to information, but just as they need to survive, they can also be very perceptive.

In times of great pandemic and chaos, those who have survived to this day cannot be anything but perceptive!
Yu Er doesn't care what others do, but if there's any movement that's detrimental to their neighborhood head... Hmph!
(End of this chapter)