Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Jia Cong didn't quite understand the obscure Kunqu opera, but as he chatted with Qin Keqing, he learned that the perfume workshop was now quite profitable, and the one hundred taels of silver that Wang Xifeng had given him earlier was really too little.

Not wanting to attract attention, the two people sitting in the private room did not request any plays. They listened to two performances of "The Peony Pavilion" and "The West Chamber" before heading back to the Rong Mansion.

On the way back, Qin Keqing was clearly charming and moved. As they approached the street corner, she boldly gave Jia Cong a light kiss on the cheek, her eyes sparkling.

"Third Uncle... after some time, I'll... I'll talk to you again..." She finished speaking, her cheeks flushed red, and she couldn't utter another word.

Seeing that Qin Keqing had developed a taste for it, Jia Cong gently put his arm around her waist, his words carrying a hint of flirtation.

"I remember, I've been looking forward to it every day, just waiting for your nod, and then I'll find a time to come see you."

Upon reaching the corner of Rongning Street, Qin Keqing reluctantly got off the carriage, turning back to look at it every few steps.

"Go back quickly, don't let anyone notice anything amiss. I'll be waiting for your news." With that, he quickly entered the side gate with Ruizhu's help. This will not be discussed further here.

Li Rong watched with envy. Her third master was truly a real man. Even Madam Rong of the Ning Mansion was completely under his thumb, yet he was still entangled with Miss Lin and Miss Bao.

However, since Li Rong had received a reward from Jia Cong, he naturally wouldn't go around gossiping. Besides, the other party was now skilled in martial arts, so killing a servant was as easy as stepping on an ant.

Jia Cong knew perfectly well that no matter how much favored Qin Keqing was in front of Grandmother Jia, she could never move into the Grand View Garden. On the surface, she was still Jia Rong's lawfully wedded wife.

After returning to his residence, Jia Cong rested for two days. The school was about to start, and Sun Tai had already sent word that he would come to teach again after the Dragon Head Raising Festival on the second day of the second lunar month.

On this day, Grandmother Jia bestowed a bowl of white fungus soup upon Jia Cong, but Jia Cong did not like it, so she gave it to Chu Lan and Jinping, letting the two of them share it.

Seeing the two maids eating so happily, he couldn't help but purse his lips.

"Is it really that sweet?"

Jinping wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, then smiled and scooped up a spoonful.

"Third Master lives a life of luxury and would naturally look down on such food. We servants are not like our masters; we never get to eat this kind of food on a regular basis."

Jia Cong's heart stirred. In his opinion, silver ear fungus was not considered precious, but in ancient times it was one of the "Eight Delicacies".

Moreover, the method of cultivating white fungus is not too difficult. It's not like building tanks or cannons. It's just bran, sawdust, and greenhouse sterilization cultivation technology. Although it can't drive the price down to rock bottom like in later generations, it is still a source of income!

Thinking of this, he couldn't sit still any longer. He took Li Rong and went straight to Wang Xifeng's courtyard. Jia Lian had gone off to fool around somewhere again. Only Wang Xifeng and Li Wan were chatting idly.

"I've met both of my sisters-in-law..."

"Oh? Brother Cong is here. Ping'er, quickly, make some tea!" Wang Xifeng still had that shrewd smile.

After they were seated, Jia Cong chatted and laughed with Li Wan and Feng Jie for a while. Li Wan was a sensible person and guessed that Jia Cong had come to see Feng Jie. She made an excuse that she had to go see Jia Lan, covered her teacup, and got up.

After seeing her off once, Sister Feng went inside and sat down with a smile.

"Brother Cong, you never come here unless you have something important to say. What good thing has come up for you today that you're thinking of me, your sister-in-law?"

Jia Cong thought to himself that Sister Feng indeed had excellent judgment, but if he wanted to earn money to buy a good horse, he could only rely on her first, so he could only put on a smiling face.

"There's nothing in this world that my sister-in-law can't see through; even our ancestors couldn't..."

Wang Xifeng laughed ostentatiously, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, but still giggling incessantly.

"You monkey, you're just trying to fool me! Tell me quickly, what is it?!"

Jia Cong composed himself and then became serious.

"Today, our ancestor bestowed upon me a bowl of white fungus soup. I've been thinking about it. Although white fungus is precious, both the capital and the prefecture have to buy it from Jiangnan. The price is high and the harvest depends on the weather. But I've come up with a way to grow white fungus in the prefecture. It's even more abundant and cleaner than the ones outside, and the harvest can be several times higher."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng's smile faded slightly, and she leaned forward a little, her eyes gleaming like a cat's.

"Is there really such a method? Brother Cong, are you joking with your sister-in-law? Farmers in Jiangnan have spent half their lives cultivating crops, and they only dare to use logs for this purpose. Who would have heard of someone in the mansion being able to grow such things?"

"Does sister-in-law think I'm joking?" Jia Cong leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"My method doesn't require cutting down large trees. Just take the scraps of broad-leaved trees, chop them up, sift them into fine chaff, mix them with mill bran, add some gypsum powder and granulated sugar syrup, put them in a steamed coarse cloth bag, find a side room in a warm corridor greenhouse, control the temperature and humidity, and keep it clean. In less than a month, they will grow layers of tender white leaves. It is more economical and easier to grow than the southern wood species, and it is the most reliable."

Fearing that Sister Feng wouldn't believe him, he added, "If we set aside a few greenhouses in the mansion specifically for growing this, why would the princes and nobles in the capital need to buy it from Jiangnan? Our Rong Mansion has something unique to us, and we can set the price ourselves. This income would probably be more stable than that of a perfume workshop."

Wang Xifeng was incredibly astute; upon hearing this, she immediately understood the implications. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she slapped the kang table, bursting into laughter.

"Good brother! You have such shrewd skills! The perfume workshop is already thriving, and now you've come up with this method for making silver ear fungus. You really know how to make money!"

After a moment's thought, she made up her mind: "This is easy! There are plenty of greenhouses and flower rooms in the mansion. Coarse cloth bags, sawdust, and bran are all readily available. The old gardeners in the garden and the old women in the workshops can make them with a little instruction. We don't need to ask anyone outside! Besides, this stuff is a delicacy. Which noble family in the capital doesn't love it? We can grow it in the mansion first, and once the harvest is stable, we can send some to the matriarch and the ladies to enjoy. Then we can gradually supply it to the mansions in the capital. It's a unique business, so wouldn't it be like sitting back and collecting money?"

Recalling their previous collaboration at the perfume workshop, Wang Xifeng smiled even more broadly, pulling Jia Cong into the conversation.

"Your method is the key. I will then manage the manpower, facilities, and financial allocation in the manor, just like the perfume workshop. We will work together, and you won't suffer any losses. In any case, we can use the manor's products without any additional investment. We just need to set strict rules, adhere to the methods of cleanliness and temperature control, and avoid any mishaps."

Jia Cong had originally intended to rely on Feng Jie's housekeeping skills, so upon hearing this, he quickly agreed.

"It's all up to you, sister-in-law! I'll just write down the training rules in detail and teach them to the people below. Keep an eye on them every day to make sure there are no mistakes."

"That's good!" Wang Xifeng immediately called Ping'er over and said, "Remember, in a little while, go find a few sunny, warm rooms, clean them up, and have the mill sift some fine sawdust and sun-dried bran. Pick two quick and meticulous old gardeners from the garden to wait for Third Master to teach them the methods. Do this secretly first, and after the trial planting is successful, then report back to the Old Madam and the ladies."