“Little Miss, what item are we making right now? The sky’s so dark, why can’t we light a lamp?”
Shiliu placed some powder into the paper before placing it inside the little strip that Little Mister and the both of them had already made over there, rolling up the paper according to how w.a.n.g Juan had taught her. For this entire morning, nearly 1,000 had already been made and they were still continuing to make them so this caused Shiliu to be confused.
“It’ll be used for New Year’s time; it’s to replace the exploding bamboo.1They don’t need to be thrown into the fire. Just light them up for a bit and they’ll make a “pi-pa” sound. Shiliu, these things that you went to go buy, you must not tell anyone else, ~oh. Once this stuff meets with a bit of fire, it’ll instantly burn up. Lighting a lamp will get us all burned to death.”
w.a.n.g Juan made another string of wick and placed it gently to the side as she explained it to Shiliu. She knew a bit more about gunpowder than Zhang Xiaobao did. If she was willing to, she could even make an improvised bomb2 of great power.
Shiliu only knew a bit here and hadn’t been able to completely comprehend it as she’d never had any contact with it before so she nodded and pledged: “Little Miss, you [honorific] rest a.s.sured. I definitely won’t tell anyone else. Not even to my family members will I say anything. This stuff has an even bigger sound than exploding bamboo?”
“Big—even bigger than an exploding bamboo that’s had salt added and been thrown into the fire. If this stuff is made bigger, it can blow up and kill people.” Zhang Xiaobao also finished making a strip and placed it together with w.a.n.g Juan’s. His face and head as well as clothes were all stained with gunpowder but he didn’t dare reach out a hand to brush it off and even more, didn’t dare use his hand to scratch his head.
“Xiaobao, do all of the peasant families need to be given cuc.u.mbers? Will they talk?” w.a.n.g Juan also felt like this work was too dull. If it weren’t for her and Zhang Xiaobao and it had been any other child, they wouldn’t be repet.i.tively doing a single thing for an entire morning.
“Give—of course, they have to be given. They already knew early on what was being grown there. It’s the Great New Year’s3 so they all want to eat something fresh. If they really were to blab, would they be able to wait till now? I’m looking at them as all not that bad—popular support can be used. Wait until next year. We’ll work hard together to make their lives even better.”
Right now, Zhang Xiaobao was extremely envious of the people in this day and age. Those who planted the land really were too honest. If you gave them a little reward, then they would remember it; if there was just a little hope in living, then they would stake their lives on doing so. Each and every family and household of the two manors all actually didn’t lock their doors—he really didn’t know how the people of the two manors had been selected before they’d arrived.
w.a.n.g Juan, seeing that the wick had been more or less done, also stopped to rest. Thinking of the two families having so many people and yet didn’t have any disagreements, she also felt like happiness wasn’t anything more than this. Thinking on it for a bit, she then asked:
“Xiaobao, that curved plow has already been confirmed to not exist yet. You’re expecting to use this thing to increase productivity? Think of some more ideas. Are there any better ways?”
“Yes.” Zhang Xiaobao sank into thought for a while before he finally spat out a word. Then, he said: “We can have them save the seeds for some of those individual plants with good yields. After a few generations like this, high-yield variants will be able to appear and not be that unstable.
There’s also another way. Wait until after New Year’s and have Erniu bring two people to go on a trip to Shandong, which is over there in the Henan Circuit.4 Buy some stones back here and place them in the fields. We can also use them to drink water and bathe with. They can even be fed to animals like oxen or horses. Just don’t know if Erniu will be able to find them.”
“What stone? They can be placed in the lands and can be eaten, too?” w.a.n.g Juan really didn’t know what stone had this many capabilities.
“Wheatrice stone.5 I remember there are three places—the other areas I can’t remember anymore—Shandong, Liaoning,6 and Mongolia.7 This stuff is just like saline solution. Don’t just look at how small of a proportion it has but the effect it produces is quite large.”
“This I do know about. So it was this kind of stone. In the past when I showered, they had this specific sort and the places that make mineral water also had it. Don’t go to Mongolia as it’s too dangerous—the Gokturks8 are occupying it, ~ne. Let’s go to Shandong. What’s it called? Henan Circuit? There a more specific location, ~ne?”
w.a.n.g Juan was familiar with it once she heard this name. The places it could be used were indeed very much so she rather agreed to it.
“Don’t know. Who knows the specific location? Originally didn’t think of this stuff and occasionally learned about it so that I had a bit of an impression here. Whenever I was outside, I drank only natural soda water, the taste of which when it’s drunk isn’t even that good—it’s not even as tasty as the water from that river in back of the orphanage before it was polluted, ~ne.”
Zhang Xiaobao exasperatedly curled his lips as he thought of that river back then and felt a little uneasy in his heart. The water had been polluted; later, the factory had also closed down.9
“Fine, if you don’t know, then you don’t know. Shiliu, let’s stop for a bit. Let’s eat. Today, make some more cuc.u.mbers and dip it in sauce to eat. Also, don’t forget the meat broth.”
w.a.n.g Juan wasn’t ready to continue thinking on these matters either as she gave an order before going outside with Zhang Xiaobao. Shiliu put down the work in her hands and exited the room last to lock the door. After arranging for Little Mister the both of them to wash up, she then went to the kitchens to make the arrangements.
“Cuc.u.mbers, cuc.u.mbers in the winter! Our dynasty’s auspicious favor! Everyone quickly come over to invite it home to eat! It’s the New Year! Eat some fresh cuc.u.mbers!”
In Sanshui County, located by the yamen [govt. office] entrance, the constables were still taking turns shouting. In the beginning, there was n.o.body buying it as the people who came over to watch the commotion weren’t affluent so when they heard that it was 30 wen [cash] to buy 1catty of cuc.u.mbers, they had all been fearfully shocked. It really was too expensive. During the summer, 1 wen [cash] money could buy 3 cattiesand one chicken could get quite a few in trade so who would be willing to use 30 wen [cash] to buy several cuc.u.mbers?
Magistrate Cheng and these people were in no hurry though as they hadn’t expected for these commoners to buy it. As long as they came by to surround them, it was fine. By then, there’d naturally be a few servants from the other families who would learn of the news.
Sure enough, after yelling for an hour, there were two people who walked over here. From the attire on their bodies, one could tell that they were servants of wealthy families.
The two people squeezed up front and looked at the cuc.u.mbers, nodding their heads before shaking their heads. One of the people said: “It’s all right. It’s not missing the flowers or thorns. Just feel like it’s not that green. 30 wen [cash] for 1 catty is a bit expensive, ~ah.”
As they spoke, this person raised their head to glance at the constable selling the cuc.u.mbers, their eyes containing a different sort of content. The constable understood it with just one look. This was to let him lower the price for them so that they could keep that portion of the money. The constable had this kind of insight as well.
Without even needing to turn his head to ask the Lord Magistrate, this constable straightforwardly said: “30 wen [cash], you can only invite 5catties at one time. Auspicious favors—how can they be haggled over?”
The constable essentially disregarded that demeanor of this person like they were a superior person of the first order. The other people next to him was also like so. Furthermore, there was a constable to the side who chimed in and said: “This type of thing isn’t something that can be invited by ordinary families. Auspicious favor, ~ah! Can ordinary folks withstand it?”
These words were to deliberately belittle the ident.i.ties of these two people. Sure enough, once the two people heard these words, their expressions changed. This was just like they’d been insulted.
That person who hadn’t spoken yet spoke up at this time: “Don’t presume that you guys are of the yamen [govt. office], do you guys know what people we are?”
“What people? People who aren’t even able to invite auspicious favors—what people can that even be? Of this county’s auspicious favor, Milord has already sent up a report. Not to mention you but whoever comes here, it’s all at this price. Only 5 catties can be invited at one time. You want more? Line up.”
Normally, the constable would be a bit worried but today, he basically didn’t even need to think. Who’d dare to look for trouble at this time? Not talking about anything else but the people above would also know all the same. Kaiyuan year 2, the current Holy Highness10 was waiting for the good news, ~ne.
Magistrate Cheng hadn’t gone inside and had continued standing outside. It wasn’t that it wasn’t cold outside. Since it was an auspicious favor, then it would only do for him to set an example. At this time, he also opened his mouth to speak.
“How can such auspicious favors be bargained and haggled over? Truly such profanity! Today, no matter how much money you offer, inviting it won’t be at all possible.”
Seeing that the county magistrate didn’t even bother to ask what both of their ident.i.ties were, the two people were rather completely deflated. They originally had thought to get some benefits but who knew that it’d become like this? The two of them weren’t people who expressly went out to purchase supplies and had simply run across this. When the people in supply procurement for the mansion came over and bought it back, then once the Master of the mansion ate it, there definitely would be a reward.
It wouldn’t do to just miss such an opportunity in vain. The att.i.tude of the person who had spoken first changed as a smile appeared on their face: “Auspicious favor—it indeed is an auspicious favor. Before, we two were kidding with everyone for a laugh, ~ne. How could we bargain? 30 wen [cash] for 5 catties—invite, we certainly must invite it. Load us up with 5 catties first.”
Seeing him speak like this, the constable also didn’t know whether to sell it or not and turned their head to look toward the Lord Magistrate.
Magistrate Cheng Lingxiang also considered it for a bit. Just before, the words had already been spoken out loud so it wasn’t good to just sell it right away. But if it wasn’t sold, they’d genuinely offend people and furthermore, these two people were the first to come buying. So thinking on it slightly, he said:
“Unh, since you two sincerely wish to invite it, then stand to the side and wait for someone to finish their inviting. Let’s see whether or not under the snow, you two people are sincere and then, we’ll talk again.”
Once those two people heard this, they finally relaxed in relief. They also understand that those words that had been spoken just before had been too absolute11 so naturally, it wasn’t possible to instantly change their minds. To have the two of them stand in the heavy snow to wait was the best way to deal with the matter of the auspicious favor and them.
They no longer dared to say anything more. The second one to buy was the second one to buy. It was always better than giving the opportunity to another. So they docilely stood by the sidelines, allowing the heavy snow to continuously drift down on their bodies.
Here were people who wanted to buy it so the surrounding commoners also didn’t wish to leave either as they wanted to see just how many people there were who’d buy such an expensive thing. Or rather, it could be said to invite.
Things really did stack up. Before, there had been two people who wanted to buy it and following afterward, there was another person who came over to inquire after the price. They were probably a maidservant as their body was actually clad in silk clothing all over. Once they squeezed inside, they saw that there were actually cuc.u.mbers being sold; then hearing the price, they didn’t even say a second word and threw out 1 silver tael.
“Good. The auspicious favor’s good. I’ll first invite 20 catties. Just this much money.”
The surrounding section exclaimed in amazement. This truly was too much money to be had. They’d actually used 1 silver tael to buy 20catties.
The constable also hesitated again, unsure whether it should or shouldn’t be sold. It was Magistrate Cheng Lingxiang who had a solution: “Here, Miss, only 5 catties of these auspicious favors can be invited at one time. Miss can first buy 5 catties and wait till other people line up to buy it before Miss buys more.”
During the time it took to speak, the constable had already weighed out 5catties and also weighed 5 catties for those two people. He waited for those two people to leave before he then weighed 5 catties for the maiden. After asking if there was anyone who was inviting it and the surrounding people didn’t reply, it was easier to do this now as he gave 5catties twice in succession to this maiden and that was considered as having lined up.
Taking the cuc.u.mbers, the maiden gave a slight smile: “Many thanks. To still be able to get cuc.u.mbers in winter, Milord Magistrate indeed has good abilities. Wait until I return to inform Master Yu.”12
The surrounding people didn’t have any more people saying anything about whatever high price at this time. There really were people buying it and even people who overpaid in price.
Magistrate Cheng Lingxiang gave a look at the constable and the constable once again began to shout: “Auspicious favors! Winter’s auspicious favor! Our dynasty’s auspicious favor!”