Chapter 3: Return Home
Thinking of these things will only make her sad.
In this life, Yu Tang wants nothing to do with Li Family, much less the Pei family.
She took this opportunity to console her eldest aunt, “Even the Pei family’s store was burned, our family’s stores will certainly be unsalvageable as well. The good thing is that we still own the land, so if there’s is a chance, we can always try again. As for the goods in the store, we certainly will have to pay double the compensation for the orders. However, if we can find the buyers to discuss, perhaps they will be willing to give us some time and we can make a new batch of goods for them or give them a discount. After all, nobody expected and wanted this fire to happen at Changxing Street.”
“That’s what I said. But I’m afraid we can’t postpone the delivery.” Eldest Aunt Wang smiled bitterly and said, “You are only a small child, so no one will tell you these things. Over the years, the people of southern Fujian made their fortune by sea trade. As such, people in Hangzhou also want to give it a try. Those who have the necessary capital and ability, will each have a boat loaded with various goods like silk, tea leaves, porcelain and so on, and form a large merchant fleet of ships to do business. Those families with lesser funds will pay a fee to get aboard one of those boats to travel and sell their tea leaves, silk and other goods. The family that ordered lacquerware from us, it was also to sell them abroad as well. The merchant boat has already set a departure date. If they do not get the required goods by that time, they will be in a difficult position as well. They will have no choice but to request compensation from us.”
In her previous life, Yu Tang certainly did not know about this. But now she knows.
The Li family is considered a new, noble family in Lin’an City.
However, with the Pei family above them, the Li’s family’s wealth and prestige seemed lackluster in comparison. It was said that every year, on the first day of the New Year, the previous three generations of the Li family would visit the Pei family to pay respect to them. It was not until the Li family’s elder, the grandfather of Li Duan and Li Jun, who won the scholarship, and later their father who also won the scholarship in the same year as the second master of the Pei family, only then did they have the pride to stand straighter in the city. Year after year, on the first day of the New Year, the Li family can comfortably sit in the hall of the Pei family to drink tea and pay their respects.
However, because of this, the Li family, although they have become rich and highly respected, could not use their power to expand their business – the mountains and waters of Lin’an City, the streets and stores, were mostly in the hands of the Pei family. Those leftovers property and businesses, which were originally little, who will want to sell their ancestral properties and land? Even if they were to sell, they were also accustomed to sell to the Pei family.
How can the Li family dare to compete with the Pei family?
However, to rise up in the official courts, you have to be generous with your subordinates and reward them according to their merits. All these need silver. If the Li family wanted more silver, they had no choice but to try to expand their business.
So the Li family also started sea trade.
Of course, sailing out to open seas is a risky venture. If there’s a storm, it’s likely that many lives will be lost. Within the city of Hangzhou, many families went bankrupt because of this. The Li family’s luck was pretty good, nine times out of ten, their merchant fleet of ships would return safely. After she married Li Jun, the Li family became even more prosperous. Li Jun’s mother praised her for bringing luck, and her eldest brother-in law, Li Duan became more infatuated with her as a result.
Ironically, when Li Jun died falling from a horse, Li Jun’s mother immediately changed her tune and cursed her for being a “fox spirit” and said she was a beauty that brought disaster……
Speaking of the past made her feel sour inside.
Yutang quickly buried these feelings and continued to speak “Then is it possible to buy from others and get their approval to sell them under our name?”
When Eldest Aunt Wang’s heard this, her eyes lit up as she looked at Yu Tang and said, “You’re thinking the same as me.”
As if she had found a confidant, she began to share her troubles. “Your eldest uncle objected. He said that the Yu family had been in business for a hundred years. Don’t mention only Lin’an, no one in the whole of Hangzhou can beat our Yu family’s workmanship. Using inferior goods made by others and selling under the Yu family’s name? He couldn’t do such a thing!”
“Your eldest cousin said, there are also a few hundred years old lacquer goods makers in Jiangxi, which lacquerwares were of around the same quality as ours. If your eldest uncle was worried about the quality, he could also go over and watch how they make them. However, your eldest uncle thinks that the goods in Jiangxi are cheaper than ours, so if others knew about this, then the buyers may decide to buy straight from there instead, even if it takes a longer time to travel there. Then our efforts to purchase lacquerware from Jiangxi would have been for nothing and instead brought profits for the lacquerware stores in Jiangxi.”
Yu Tang knew that her uncle was a bit stubborn when it comes to business, otherwise he would not have disagreements with her elder cousin in her last life. However, she did not expect him to be so stubborn.
She said: “Then why not let eldest uncle go to Hangzhou? I heard that those in the sea trade mostly sell tea leaves, porcelain and silk. Lacquer-ware, tin-ware are harder to find. Perhaps some people know that the Jiangxi’s lacquerware craftsmanship is not worse than our family, the price is also cheaper, but it is quite a big risk to travel there given the uncertainties on the road. Anyway, once the goods are sold, it would be difficult for the buyers to return them. Even if you let them earn, what is the harm?”
Eldest aunt Wang nodded her head thinking hard about the pros and cons.
Her son had also mentioned this, but her husband was too stubborn to listen. But if the second uncle(Yutang’s father) had said it, it would be different.
Eldest aunt Wang couldn’t wait for Yutang’s father, Yu Wen to return.
Yu Tang had already had a decade worth of experience due to her previous life, so she was calmer and more collected than the average 15-year-old girl. Besides, all the things that are about to happen, already happened before, so there’s no need to be anxious. Thinking of this, her mood became better.
Following her Eldest’s Aunt’s request, she obediently stayed at home for the day, and learnt from old aunty Wang how to make snowflake pastries.
Unlike her previous life, when she took two days to learn it, in this life, with her prior experience, she picked up the skill faster, and she even made two more batches of snowflake pastries for old Aunty Chen to give to her neighbors – she remembered that in her previous life, when her family was in trouble, her neighbors helped her as well, so she wanted to express her thanks.
It was four days later when her father, Yu Wen, came home.
Yu Tang had just washed her mother’s hair and was sitting in the courtyard helping her comb.
Old Aunty Chen was fanning Madam Chen(Yutang’s mother) and praising Yutang: “Look at Eldest Miss, how obedient and filial! In future, you can just wait to enjoy being cared for by Eldest Miss and her future husband!”
Madam Chen laughed happily.
Yutang’s clear and pale face showed some regret.
Yu Tang’s marriage did not go well previously because their family thought of looking for a good family for her to marry into.
In her previous life, Yutang didn’t really think much about marriage, so everything was decided by her parents. But after her tramatic marriage experience, she realized that it would be her great fortune and blessing if she could recruit a son-in-law instead and stay by her parents’ side.
Seeing her mother feeling guilty about keeping her at her side instead of marrying her out, she playfully nestled against her mother’s shoulder and teasingly said, “I want to find a pretty one, not like the sister next door, who married a short, ugly one!”
This was the first time that Yutang expressed her idea regarding marriage in front of her mother.
Madam Chen couldn’t help but be overjoyed and asked her carefully, “Then… you are willing to recruit a son-in-law?”
“Of course!” Yu Tang say affirmatively, “If we find a son-in-law to join our the family, I can stay with Mother and Father for the rest of my life. I will be the one to decide our family affairs as well. Why wouldn’t I want it?”
Seeing that she was sincere, Madam Chen immediately cheered up as she pulled Yutang closer to her, and promised, “Don’t worry, Mother and Father will definitely help to look for a suitable son-in-law. Definitely won’t let our A-tang suffer, and won’t let our A-tang be bullied.”
Yu Tang nodded strongly.
Old Aunty Chen couldn’t help but join in as well, as she teased. “Madam, remember to pick a beautiful one. Our eldest Miss likes pretty ones.”
Anyway, they do not expect the son-in law to have any talents or ambition, so of course, they should choose one that is pleasing to the eye.
Yu Tang nodded again, “Mother has to remember this! And also must be tall and listen to me.”
Madam Chen couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her greediness.
Yu Wen, dressed formally, walked in amidst the laughter: “What are you two talking about? What made you both so happy! Let me hear it too!”
“Husband!” Madam Chen’s eyes lit up with joy.
Yu Wen’s gaze also fell straight on Madam Chen.
“I was only gone for a few days but you seem to have become thinner.” He asked Chen shi concerningly and with some heartache, “Is it because our A-tang is making trouble at home again? Or is it that the weather is too hot nowadays and you are unable to eat? Why don’t I ask someone to buy some ice from the street and have old Aunty Chen cook some green bean soup for you?”
“No, no need!” Madam Chen said with a smile as she examined Yu Wen, fearing that he have suffered while he was out. “Didn’t Physician Liu from Ji Min Hall say that my body can’t eat cold things? Yet you still encourage me to eat ice?”
Yu Wen laughed sheepishly and said, “We can always bend the rules a little, can’t we?”
This is the her father’s character.
Her father is a good person – sincere, optimistic, generous, kind, humorous… But he’s also a bit unreliable, doing things without much thought and passively going along the flow in life. When her father was a child, he just focused on studying hard, and afterwards, just helped out with his brother on some secondary matters. With some difficulty, he managed to achieve a little merit and obtained some recognition, but yet because advancing to further studies was too difficult, he gave up halfway.
If there’s no difficulties in life, it’s still ok. However, once there are problems, her father may not manage it well.
Yu Tang sighed internally as she went up to greet her father.
Her Father, Yuwen, didn’t notice she was standing there until now.
Feeling a little guilty for noticing her so late, he coughed and said “A-tang, while father was away from home, were you naughty? Did you listen to your mother?”
However Yutang didn’t mind. She liked that her father cared for her mother and treated her well.
In order to reduce any suspicion, Yutang tried to stay in character of her past 15-year old self. So she said angrily, “Where is my poria powder? You promised me! I need it to make poria cream!”
After Yu Wen heard about the condition of their family’s store, he was so busy, frantically trying to solve it – how can he remember to buy Poria powder?
For a moment, he was speechless.
Yu Tong sighed again in her heart.
In order to keep up the pretense and not let her mother worry, father would dress impeccably well every time he went out of the house. That’s why no one knew the anxieties held in his heart.
Over the years, proceeds from the store were all used in buying her mother’s medication. So when her father knew about Changxing Street fire and worrying about it alone, it was only natural that he forgot to buy her a gift.
In her previous life, she had a big fight with her father over this matter. Only after her father had accompanied her to the mountains to have a good meal, did she brush this matter aside. So in this life, she only want to make up for her errors and be a filial daughter, making sure her parents live a peaceful and happy life.
“Father’s words are just empty words.” Yu Tang said with a frown. She pushed her father towards the study, saying “I want that Qingtian jade that Father hid away.”
Yu Wen grimaced and felt heartbroken at the thought. While being pushed by his daughter, he bargained with her, “How about I give you the lotus leaf water inkstone? Or the box of wolf-hair brushes that you agreed to last time?”
“Humph!” Yu Tang said discontentedly, “I won’t fall for it! I want that Qingtian jade, and I want to carve a seal and hang it on my waist, just like Father.”
Yu Wen said cajolingly, “Only men hang seals on their waists, you are a girl, hang three things* instead. I will commission a set of three things in gold okay?”
The family is almost out of money to buy medicine for mother, yet her father is still ready to give her a set of gold three things?
Yu Tang thought exasperatingly.
However, her Mother, Madam Chen laughed so hard she couldn’t stand up.
Both of them made their way to the study, with Yutang pulling her father and her father dragging his feet unwillingly.
TL: Done! Do leave a comment/review~ \o/
Some notes:
three things* – from the name you can’t really tell what is it referring to, haha. But in ancient china, it referred to the essential items they had to have before going out of the house. For us it’s like keys, phone, etc. For them is various tools like toothpick(for their teeth), tweezers and the tool for cleaning ears. XD
**I included a small picture reference of the places where Li’an, Jiangxi and Hangzhou are located in today’s maps. Just for you to get an idea of what Yutang and Madam Wang were discussing about.
Chapter 3: Return Home
Thinking of these things will only make her sad.
In this life, Yu Tang wants nothing to do with Li Family, much less the Pei family.
She took this opportunity to console her eldest aunt, “Even the Pei family’s store was burned, our family’s stores will certainly be unsalvageable as well. The good thing is that we still own the land, so if there’s is a chance, we can always try again. As for the goods in the store, we certainly will have to pay double the compensation for the orders. However, if we can find the buyers to discuss, perhaps they will be willing to give us some time and we can make a new batch of goods for them or give them a discount. After all, nobody expected and wanted this fire to happen at Changxing Street.”
“That’s what I said. But I’m afraid we can’t postpone the delivery.” Eldest Aunt Wang smiled bitterly and said, “You are only a small child, so no one will tell you these things. Over the years, the people of southern Fujian made their fortune by sea trade. As such, people in Hangzhou also want to give it a try. Those who have the necessary capital and ability, will each have a boat loaded with various goods like silk, tea leaves, porcelain and so on, and form a large merchant fleet of ships to do business. Those families with lesser funds will pay a fee to get aboard one of those boats to travel and sell their tea leaves, silk and other goods. The family that ordered lacquerware from us, it was also to sell them abroad as well. The merchant boat has already set a departure date. If they do not get the required goods by that time, they will be in a difficult position as well. They will have no choice but to request compensation from us.”
In her previous life, Yu Tang certainly did not know about this. But now she knows.
The Li family is considered a new, noble family in Lin’an City.
However, with the Pei family above them, the Li’s family’s wealth and prestige seemed lackluster in comparison. It was said that every year, on the first day of the New Year, the previous three generations of the Li family would visit the Pei family to pay respect to them. It was not until the Li family’s elder, the grandfather of Li Duan and Li Jun, who won the scholarship, and later their father who also won the scholarship in the same year as the second master of the Pei family, only then did they have the pride to stand straighter in the city. Year after year, on the first day of the New Year, the Li family can comfortably sit in the hall of the Pei family to drink tea and pay their respects.
However, because of this, the Li family, although they have become rich and highly respected, could not use their power to expand their business – the mountains and waters of Lin’an City, the streets and stores, were mostly in the hands of the Pei family. Those leftovers property and businesses, which were originally little, who will want to sell their ancestral properties and land? Even if they were to sell, they were also accustomed to sell to the Pei family.
How can the Li family dare to compete with the Pei family?
However, to rise up in the official courts, you have to be generous with your subordinates and reward them according to their merits. All these need silver. If the Li family wanted more silver, they had no choice but to try to expand their business.
So the Li family also started sea trade.
Of course, sailing out to open seas is a risky venture. If there’s a storm, it’s likely that many lives will be lost. Within the city of Hangzhou, many families went bankrupt because of this. The Li family’s luck was pretty good, nine times out of ten, their merchant fleet of ships would return safely. After she married Li Jun, the Li family became even more prosperous. Li Jun’s mother praised her for bringing luck, and her eldest brother-in law, Li Duan became more infatuated with her as a result.
Ironically, when Li Jun died falling from a horse, Li Jun’s mother immediately changed her tune and cursed her for being a “fox spirit” and said she was a beauty that brought disaster……
Speaking of the past made her feel sour inside.
Yutang quickly buried these feelings and continued to speak “Then is it possible to buy from others and get their approval to sell them under our name?”
When Eldest Aunt Wang’s heard this, her eyes lit up as she looked at Yu Tang and said, “You’re thinking the same as me.”
As if she had found a confidant, she began to share her troubles. “Your eldest uncle objected. He said that the Yu family had been in business for a hundred years. Don’t mention only Lin’an, no one in the whole of Hangzhou can beat our Yu family’s workmanship. Using inferior goods made by others and selling under the Yu family’s name? He couldn’t do such a thing!”
“Your eldest cousin said, there are also a few hundred years old lacquer goods makers in Jiangxi, which lacquerwares were of around the same quality as ours. If your eldest uncle was worried about the quality, he could also go over and watch how they make them. However, your eldest uncle thinks that the goods in Jiangxi are cheaper than ours, so if others knew about this, then the buyers may decide to buy straight from there instead, even if it takes a longer time to travel there. Then our efforts to purchase lacquerware from Jiangxi would have been for nothing and instead brought profits for the lacquerware stores in Jiangxi.”
Yu Tang knew that her uncle was a bit stubborn when it comes to business, otherwise he would not have disagreements with her elder cousin in her last life. However, she did not expect him to be so stubborn.
She said: “Then why not let eldest uncle go to Hangzhou? I heard that those in the sea trade mostly sell tea leaves, porcelain and silk. Lacquer-ware, tin-ware are harder to find. Perhaps some people know that the Jiangxi’s lacquerware craftsmanship is not worse than our family, the price is also cheaper, but it is quite a big risk to travel there given the uncertainties on the road. Anyway, once the goods are sold, it would be difficult for the buyers to return them. Even if you let them earn, what is the harm?”
Eldest aunt Wang nodded her head thinking hard about the pros and cons.
Her son had also mentioned this, but her husband was too stubborn to listen. But if the second uncle(Yutang’s father) had said it, it would be different.
Eldest aunt Wang couldn’t wait for Yutang’s father, Yu Wen to return.
Yu Tang had already had a decade worth of experience due to her previous life, so she was calmer and more collected than the average 15-year-old girl. Besides, all the things that are about to happen, already happened before, so there’s no need to be anxious. Thinking of this, her mood became better.
Following her Eldest’s Aunt’s request, she obediently stayed at home for the day, and learnt from old aunty Wang how to make snowflake pastries.
Unlike her previous life, when she took two days to learn it, in this life, with her prior experience, she picked up the skill faster, and she even made two more batches of snowflake pastries for old Aunty Chen to give to her neighbors – she remembered that in her previous life, when her family was in trouble, her neighbors helped her as well, so she wanted to express her thanks.
It was four days later when her father, Yu Wen, came home.
Yu Tang had just washed her mother’s hair and was sitting in the courtyard helping her comb.
Old Aunty Chen was fanning Madam Chen(Yutang’s mother) and praising Yutang: “Look at Eldest Miss, how obedient and filial! In future, you can just wait to enjoy being cared for by Eldest Miss and her future husband!”
Madam Chen laughed happily.
Yutang’s clear and pale face showed some regret.
Yu Tang’s marriage did not go well previously because their family thought of looking for a good family for her to marry into.
In her previous life, Yutang didn’t really think much about marriage, so everything was decided by her parents. But after her tramatic marriage experience, she realized that it would be her great fortune and blessing if she could recruit a son-in-law instead and stay by her parents’ side.
Seeing her mother feeling guilty about keeping her at her side instead of marrying her out, she playfully nestled against her mother’s shoulder and teasingly said, “I want to find a pretty one, not like the sister next door, who married a short, ugly one!”
This was the first time that Yutang expressed her idea regarding marriage in front of her mother.
Madam Chen couldn’t help but be overjoyed and asked her carefully, “Then… you are willing to recruit a son-in-law?”
“Of course!” Yu Tang say affirmatively, “If we find a son-in-law to join our the family, I can stay with Mother and Father for the rest of my life. I will be the one to decide our family affairs as well. Why wouldn’t I want it?”
Seeing that she was sincere, Madam Chen immediately cheered up as she pulled Yutang closer to her, and promised, “Don’t worry, Mother and Father will definitely help to look for a suitable son-in-law. Definitely won’t let our A-tang suffer, and won’t let our A-tang be bullied.”
Yu Tang nodded strongly.
Old Aunty Chen couldn’t help but join in as well, as she teased. “Madam, remember to pick a beautiful one. Our eldest Miss likes pretty ones.”
Anyway, they do not expect the son-in law to have any talents or ambition, so of course, they should choose one that is pleasing to the eye.
Yu Tang nodded again, “Mother has to remember this! And also must be tall and listen to me.”
Madam Chen couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her greediness.
Yu Wen, dressed formally, walked in amidst the laughter: “What are you two talking about? What made you both so happy! Let me hear it too!”
“Husband!” Madam Chen’s eyes lit up with joy.
Yu Wen’s gaze also fell straight on Madam Chen.
“I was only gone for a few days but you seem to have become thinner.” He asked Chen shi concerningly and with some heartache, “Is it because our A-tang is making trouble at home again? Or is it that the weather is too hot nowadays and you are unable to eat? Why don’t I ask someone to buy some ice from the street and have old Aunty Chen cook some green bean soup for you?”
“No, no need!” Madam Chen said with a smile as she examined Yu Wen, fearing that he have suffered while he was out. “Didn’t Physician Liu from Ji Min Hall say that my body can’t eat cold things? Yet you still encourage me to eat ice?”
Yu Wen laughed sheepishly and said, “We can always bend the rules a little, can’t we?”
This is the her father’s character.
Her father is a good person – sincere, optimistic, generous, kind, humorous… But he’s also a bit unreliable, doing things without much thought and passively going along the flow in life. When her father was a child, he just focused on studying hard, and afterwards, just helped out with his brother on some secondary matters. With some difficulty, he managed to achieve a little merit and obtained some recognition, but yet because advancing to further studies was too difficult, he gave up halfway.
If there’s no difficulties in life, it’s still ok. However, once there are problems, her father may not manage it well.
Yu Tang sighed internally as she went up to greet her father.
Her Father, Yuwen, didn’t notice she was standing there until now.
Feeling a little guilty for noticing her so late, he coughed and said “A-tang, while father was away from home, were you naughty? Did you listen to your mother?”
However Yutang didn’t mind. She liked that her father cared for her mother and treated her well.
In order to reduce any suspicion, Yutang tried to stay in character of her past 15-year old self. So she said angrily, “Where is my poria powder? You promised me! I need it to make poria cream!”
After Yu Wen heard about the condition of their family’s store, he was so busy, frantically trying to solve it – how can he remember to buy Poria powder?
For a moment, he was speechless.
Yu Tong sighed again in her heart.
In order to keep up the pretense and not let her mother worry, father would dress impeccably well every time he went out of the house. That’s why no one knew the anxieties held in his heart.
Over the years, proceeds from the store were all used in buying her mother’s medication. So when her father knew about Changxing Street fire and worrying about it alone, it was only natural that he forgot to buy her a gift.
In her previous life, she had a big fight with her father over this matter. Only after her father had accompanied her to the mountains to have a good meal, did she brush this matter aside. So in this life, she only want to make up for her errors and be a filial daughter, making sure her parents live a peaceful and happy life.
“Father’s words are just empty words.” Yu Tang said with a frown. She pushed her father towards the study, saying “I want that Qingtian jade that Father hid away.”
Yu Wen grimaced and felt heartbroken at the thought. While being pushed by his daughter, he bargained with her, “How about I give you the lotus leaf water inkstone? Or the box of wolf-hair brushes that you agreed to last time?”
“Humph!” Yu Tang said discontentedly, “I won’t fall for it! I want that Qingtian jade, and I want to carve a seal and hang it on my waist, just like Father.”
Yu Wen said cajolingly, “Only men hang seals on their waists, you are a girl, hang three things* instead. I will commission a set of three things in gold okay?”
The family is almost out of money to buy medicine for mother, yet her father is still ready to give her a set of gold three things?
Yu Tang thought exasperatingly.
However, her Mother, Madam Chen laughed so hard she couldn’t stand up.
Both of them made their way to the study, with Yutang pulling her father and her father dragging his feet unwillingly.
TL: Done! Do leave a comment/review~ \o/
Some notes:
three things* – from the name you can’t really tell what is it referring to, haha. But in ancient china, it referred to the essential items they had to have before going out of the house. For us it’s like keys, phone, etc. For them is various tools like toothpick(for their teeth), tweezers and the tool for cleaning ears. XD
**I included a small picture reference of the places where Li’an, Jiangxi and Hangzhou are located in today’s maps. Just for you to get an idea of what Yutang and Madam Wang were discussing about.
