Chapter 505 - 191: Settling Down and Enrolling (Part 2)
Chapter 505: Chapter 191: Settling Down and Enrolling (Part 2)
After settling into their new home, they enrolled Yao’an in a reputable private school. The family also bought maids and older female servants to handle the daily cleaning, and once she had some free time, Xu Suying took over the entire fragrance-making operation.
Xu Suying was remarkably efficient when she put her mind to something. Before, she had wanted to just take it easy, and that’s exactly what she did.
But after moving to the Prefecture, she could no longer afford to take it easy.
The cost of living here was high, and money was needed for everything. Just the daily expense of firewood and charcoal was considerable. If she didn’t step up and they only relied on the meager income Chen Song earned, the whole family would sooner or later have nothing to eat.
Speaking of the fragrance business, due to a severe shortage of hands, Chen Wanqing had bought another fifty people.
These fifty were added to the forty hired previously, and ten more who had been brought from Qingshui County. They had originally bought twenty people in Qingshui County, but Cao Xu had been reassigned as the driver, the cook had to manage the kitchens, the siblings CuiYa and CuiYe served as attendants and messengers, and several others were tasked with sweeping the courtyards, tending to the flowers, cleaning the pond, and various other odd jobs. Thus, only ten from that initial group remained.
In total, they assembled a team of a hundred people. Coupled with the fact that Chen Wanqing purchased large quantities of powdered ingredients from various counties, which reduced the time wasted on developing them herself, they were able to work day and night to rush production. At last, they could barely meet the demand from the markets in the Capital City and Xinghuai Prefecture.
But the Wei Dynasty consisted of more than just these two places; its territory was vast. There were scholars in other regions, too, and they also had the special imperial examination to take...
So, Xu Suying came up with the idea of outsourcing.
She was worried that someone might take the opportunity to sabotage their efforts, so she only approached people she knew—specifically, the female manager of the Kangning Fragrance Workshop.
The Kangning Fragrance Workshop had its own servants skilled in fragrance making. Xu Suying subcontracted the work to them, paying them for their help. And just like that, she gained a large pool of assistants.
Once the fragrance-making business was on the right track, Zhao Jing and De’an finally returned home.
They had been away for a full twenty days!
When De’an returned and saw his parents, he learned that his father had become a Sixth-rank Official and that the family now owned a mansion in the Prefecture. Needless to say, he was stunned.
Then there was Zhao Jing.
"Jing tried to leave more than once, but that Mr. Yin is a real piece of work. He refused to let anyone open the gate for him, forcing Jing to remain at the prefectural academy. Just you watch, he won’t go back this time until he’s had his fill of being home."
Chen Wanqing looked at Zhao Jing, who replied with an air of nonchalant ease, "The prefectural academy is too dull and the atmosphere is stifling. I think it’s best I stay home for a while to unwind and lift my spirits."
Chen Wanqing was speechless. ’Whatever you say. You always have a good reason for everything, don’t you?’
By the time the two of them returned, it was already quite late.
Dinner was ready, and the maids brought the dishes to the table one by one.
Most of the dishes were rich meats and fish, all meant to help the two who had "suffered" at the academy get some hearty food in them. There was even a magnificent centerpiece dish: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
When the lid was lifted, an intoxicating aroma wafted out. A look inside revealed sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, dried scallops, duck, ham, winter bamboo shoots, and pigeon eggs, all piled high as if they were free.
De’an was practically drooling, but he managed to hold back his craving and ask his mother, "Are we trying to spend all our money at once? Eating this well right after moving to the Prefecture... Mom, did you strike it rich?"
Then he looked at Chen Song. "Or does this mean you started taking bribes the moment you took office, Dad? Please don’t do that! Yours is a lucrative post, one the Lord Prefect likely had to snatch from the jaws of a tiger to give to you. Who knows how many people are watching you from the shadows. I’m not hoping for you to get rich or promoted; I just need you to not break the law and ruin my future prospects."
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting! My hands are clean. I don’t take what I shouldn’t, and no one is going to find any dirt on me."
De’an was relieved and looked at his mother again.
His mother was dotingly handing a bowl of soup to her son-in-law, reminding Zhao Jing, "The soup is hot. Drink it slowly."
Only then did she deign to spare her son a glance. "I don’t mind telling you, your mother really has struck it rich. I’m helping your sister now, and she gives me a twenty-percent cut of the profits. Business is so good, we’re making money faster than you can sweep up fallen leaves."
As if afraid he didn’t believe her, she nodded and added firmly, "Master one good skill, and you can live off it anywhere. Listen to me, it’s the absolute truth. Look at your sister. She only knows this one craft, and she’ll never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of her life."
She shot her son a sidelong glance and shook her head, as if in disapproval.
De’an wanted to demand, ’What did I do to offend her now?’
’I haven’t even been home long enough for an incense stick to burn, and she’s already disgusted with me. Am I really her biological son?’
But when he remembered he was almost certain to fail the upcoming autumn Provincial Examination, De’an’s confidence evaporated. He said nothing more and simply buried his head in his rice bowl.
Time seemed to pass both slowly and quickly that year. In the blink of an eye, it was the seventh month.
In the seventh month, there was a make-up examination, and those who passed would be permitted to take the Provincial Examination. This was known as the supplemental selection.