Chapter 48: Copper Coins and Silver
Li Xiaoyin, clutching that one tael of silver, waited until the next afternoon. When Gu Yan didn’t show up, she and Li Yin Zhu locked the courtyard gate and went out from the other end of Academy Street to continue their shopping.
“What kind of business should we look for?” Li Yin Zhu, still overwhelmed by the sights, asked casually.
“Something that makes money,” Li Xiao Nan said, examining the shops on both sides of the street one by one.
“Don’t we already have a preserved egg shop?”
“It doesn’t make much money,” Li Xiao Nan replied.
“Huh? Then how much copper coins do you want to earn?” Li Yin Zhu stopped watching the excitement, surprised, and looked at Li Xiao Nan.
“Copper coins are too little. I want silver, piles and piles of silver,” Li Xiao Nan raised her hand above her head and then swept it down, indicating a large pile.
Li Yin Zhu glanced sideways at Li Xiao Nan, rolled her eyes, and continued to watch the spectacle.
“A Nan, look at that restaurant. Everyone going in is wearing silk, and the shopkeeper is also wearing silk. This restaurant must be making money,” Li Yin Zhu pointed to a brightly decorated restaurant across the street.
“The capital is too much, and the barrier to entry is too high,” Li Xiao Nan shook her head.
“That apothecary must be quite profitable,” Li Yin Zhu pointed to a shop ahead.
“You need to know the trade for an apothecary. Do you recognize medicinal herbs?” Li Xiao Nan didn’t look at the shop.
“That’s true, those who can recognize medicinal herbs are teachers. What about that one?” Li Yin Zhu pointed to a cattle horn lamp shop, her eyes glazing over.
“The craft is difficult to learn, and there are too few cattle horns and sheep horns,” Li Xiao Nan looked carefully and sighed.
“What about that one?”
“It takes too long to make one thing, it’s too slow.”
“That one?”
“Too few people use that thing.”
…
Li Yin Zhu pointed to more than half the street, and Li Xiao Nan shook her head at each one.
“You want little capital, no barrier to entry, high profits, and fast profits,” Li Yin Zhu counted on her fingers to summarize for Li Xiao Nan. “According to Eldest Sister, you’re dreaming with your eyes open.”
“There must be such a business, we just haven’t found it yet,” Li Xiao Nan replied casually, staring at a small stall selling fermented rice balls and then pinching the silver nuggets in her sachet.
Sigh, forget it. Based on her experience, a hundred-yuan bill, once broken, disappears in the blink of an eye. These silver nuggets would surely be the same.
This single tael of silver was her capital for doing big business and getting rich, so she couldn’t eat it all.
Li Xiao Nan and Li Yin Zhu shopped until the hour of the monkey and quickly turned back home.
Around the end of the hour of the monkey, Li Jin Zhu and Li Yu Zhu returned home. Li Yin Zhu had already prepared dinner, and Li Xue Dong washed his brush and went to the kitchen to eat.
Li Jin Zhu took out three small eggs from her pocket and gave one to each of Li Yin Zhu and the other two. “These are freshly made preserved eggs, try them.”
“Only three?” Li Xiao Nan took one and asked casually.
“Eldest Sister said one was enough. Sister-in-law Yin insisted on giving us three,” Li Yu Zhu lightly patted Li Xiao Nan’s head.
“My Second Sister and I have already tried them. This thing is just for a taste of novelty, you can’t eat it as a meal,” Li Jin Zhu sat down to eat.
“If it’s just for a taste of novelty and can’t be eaten as a meal or dish, then who will we sell all these preserved eggs to?” Li Xiao Nan asked casually while cracking open a preserved egg.
Li Jin Zhu glared at Li Xiao Nan, Li Yin Zhu giggled, and Li Yu Zhu also laughed.
Li Xue Dong looked at his Eldest Sister and said seriously, “A Nan is right.”
“Wealthy families eat mutton every meal. Can we afford that? Hurry up and eat!” Li Jin Zhu glared at Li Xue Dong again.
“The Hong Family is a wealthy family. Second Brother Hong said he eats chicken, fish, meat, and eggs every day as he pleases,” Li Xue Dong said, looking at Li Yin Zhu.
Hearing Li Xue Dong say this, Li Yin Zhu looked at the preserved egg she had just peeled. After hesitating, she separated the egg white and yolk. She handed the yolk to Li Xiao Nan and the egg white to Li Xue Dong. “You two eat it. I’ll be able to eat it every day in the future.”
“I’ll be able to eat it every day too, and Brother will too,” Li Xiao Nan pushed Li Yin Zhu’s hand towards Li Yin Zhu’s mouth.
“Mmm! I can eat it now! Second Brother Hong lets me eat with him every day. Today at lunch, I had roasted lamb leg. How about…” Li Xue Dong brought the half-eaten preserved egg in his hand to Li Xiao Nan. “A Nan, you eat it.”
“Eat your own, hurry up and eat,” Li Jin Zhu patted Li Yin Zhu.
After the five siblings finished eating, Li Yin Zhu washed the pots, Li Xue Dong continued to write and study, and Li Jin Zhu sat next to Li Xue Dong, spinning thread by the light. Li Yu Zhu quietly pulled Li Xiao Nan, they moved to the shade under a tree, and slipped a preserved egg into Li Xiao Nan’s hand.
“Eat it quickly, Eldest Sister doesn’t know,” Li Yu Zhu whispered in Li Xiao Nan’s ear and smiled.
Li Xiao Nan nodded repeatedly. Seeing Li Yu Zhu go into the main hall to weave, she took the preserved egg into the kitchen, peeled it, and put half of it into Li Yin Zhu’s mouth. “Shh! Second Sister gave it to me, Eldest Sister doesn’t know.”
Li Yin Zhu was washing the pot when Li Xiao Nan put a piece of preserved egg in her mouth. She instinctively stretched her neck to look outside, slowly chewed and swallowed, and then whispered to Li Xiao Nan with a smile, “Our family’s preserved eggs are really delicious!”
Just as Li Xiao Nan was about to speak, Li Wen Liang’s voice came from outside the courtyard gate, “Is Xue Dong home?”
“Yes, Eldest Uncle, please come in,” Li Jin Zhu quickly responded and went to greet him.
“I’m going to listen!” Li Xiao Nan instructed Li Yin Zhu, then rushed out and followed into the main hall.
Li Wen Liang first handed the mulberry paper package he was holding to Li Xiao Nan. “Your Sister Ai Ye likes pine nut candy the most and says all you little girls love it, so I bought a pack. Here, have some.”
“Thank you, Eldest Uncle!” Li Xiao Nan thanked him, took the mulberry paper package, placed it on the table, picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Standing close to Li Jin Zhu, she listened attentively.
Li Yu Zhu brewed a bowl of tea and placed it next to Li Wen Liang.
“This is the Hong Family’s betrothal gift list. Read it to your sister,” Li Wen Liang took out a long, thin memorial from his sleeve and handed it to Li Xiao Nan.
Li Xiao Nan took it, unfolded it, and read in a soft voice: “Ninety-nine taels of silver, two pairs of gold hairpins, two pairs of gold hair ornaments, two pairs of gold pendants, two pairs of gold bracelets…”
Li Xiao Nan finished reading in one breath, closed the memorial, and looked at the stunned Li Jin Zhu.
This betrothal gift was too precious.
“This betrothal gift is indeed a bit heavy,” Li Wen Liang said with a smile. “When Old Master Hong gave me this list, I was also surprised. Old Master Hong said these betrothal gifts are for Yin Zhu’s dowry, and that we don’t need to prepare another dowry on our side; we just need to accompany these betrothal gifts.”
Li Wen Liang paused, then continued with a smile, “I took it back to tell my father first. Father’s opinion is that we accept the Hong Family’s kind gesture, but we can’t truly have no dowry at all. Father’s intention is that he will prepare a dowry for Yin Zhu, similar to this betrothal gift, which won’t be much silver.”
“If this betrothal gift were converted to silver, how much would it be?” Li Xiao Nan asked Li Wen Liang.
“The four types of gold ornaments, I don’t know their weight, so it’s hard to say. Excluding the gold ornaments, plus ninety-nine taels of silver cash, it’s about four to five hundred taels,” Li Wen Liang replied with a smile.
“That’s too much!” Li Jin Zhu gasped in fright. “Can we refuse this betrothal gift? We can’t afford it…”
“We need to think for Yin Zhu,” Li Wen Liang gently interrupted Li Jin Zhu. “The Hong Family is prosperous, and this betrothal gift is not small, but for the Hong Family, it’s really nothing. I inquired, and it’s said that Second Mother Hong’s dowry was worth over ten thousand taels of silver. When Second Brother Hong’s aunt got married, the Hong Family gave a full three to four thousand taels, including her trousseau and land.
“Yin Zhu’s betrothal gift, plus what we prepare ourselves, will be around a thousand taels. Compared to other wives in the Hong Family, it’s almost the least. If she doesn’t even have this much dowry, I’m afraid Yin Zhu’s life after marrying into the Hong Family won’t be easy.”
“Let us siblings discuss it, and we’ll give the Hong Family an answer tomorrow. Is that alright?” Li Jin Zhu said after a moment of silence, looking at Li Wen Liang.
“This definitely needs to be discussed properly. This matter cannot be rushed. I’ll come back again tomorrow evening then,” Li Wen Liang stood up and smiled.
