Chapter 21: Happiness Comes Too Suddenly

The perfume and soap Jiang Yi brought for the customers to sample were received with great acclaim. They purchased cloth and clothing, and in return, were each gifted a bar of soap and a bottle of perfume. Due to the limited supply, each person was restricted to a specific quota.

"I honestly thought the soap and perfume you brought would go unnoticed, but the results have far exceeded my expectations," Qian Muyun remarked, clearly astonished. She reasoned that if the customers found the products effective, they would certainly return to purchase more.

"These were merely samples. I have a fresh batch currently in production, though it will take about twenty days before they are ready for use," Jiang Yi replied. He knew that once the reputation of his goods was established, sales would follow naturally.

"Let’s wait a few days to see their feedback on the soap. If they are truly fond of it, we shall enter into a partnership." Qian Muyun was unwilling to engage in a losing venture; this silk shop was her livelihood and her dowry from her maiden family, and she was responsible for its daily gains and losses.

"Then I shall wait for your good news another day. I won't disturb your business any longer; I must be going." Having achieved his goal, Jiang Yi bid her farewell.

He headed outside the Hanyang Prefectural Office to wait for Chang Yushan and the others. Moments later, Chang Youliang approached him.

"The Prefect and the Inspector have invited us to a banquet to commend us for killing the tiger and ridding the people of a menace," Chang Youliang said.

"I won't be joining your banquet. I intend to buy some pork and cabbage and head home to make dumplings with Xiao Rong." Dumplings were a favorite of Jiang Yi's; before he transmigrated, they did not exist in the Great Liang Dynasty.

Chang Youliang handed a linen bag to Jiang Yi. "There are three hundred and eighty taels of silver here. Each piece is ten taels; please count them." The Prefect had originally intended to pay in copper coins, but Chang Yushan, finding them too heavy, had requested silver instead. The Prefect, deeming it a trivial matter, had agreed.

"I am only owed three hundred and seventy-five taels. Why the extra five?"

"My father added it," Chang Youliang whispered in Jiang Yi's ear. "He said it was better to round it up for good luck, and as a thank you for yielding the honor of the 'Tiger-Slaying Hero' to me." He patted Jiang Yi on the shoulder, his eyes filled with guilt.

"You don't need to be so formal with me. I got the money, and you got the honor. I'm certainly not losing out." Jiang Yi didn't care much for the title; he found the money to be far more practical. Being too famous was, in his view, not a good thing; he preferred to make his fortune quietly.

"Did the Prefect or the Inspector mention anything about an official position for you?"

"They said that in a month at the earliest, or three at the latest, the Ministry of Personnel will send the official appointment document." Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Chang Youliang would receive a low-ranking official post.

Jiang Yi patted Chang Youliang’s shoulder. "That is excellent news. I wish you a smooth path in your official career. When you are a high official, be sure to look after me." As long as Chang Youliang made no mistakes during his tenure, his status would undoubtedly rise.

"Once I am an official, I will certainly look after you. No one will dare to bully you again," Chang Youliang promised.

"Go join the banquet held by the Inspector and the Prefect. I shall leave Hanyang City once I've finished my errands." Jiang Yi boarded his mule cart and waved goodbye. He felt a surge of joy: with over four hundred guan in savings, he had enough to buy land and build a house. Once the house was built, he could even afford a few servants. He hadn't planned on servants yet, as the current hut was too small. He anticipated some trouble in purchasing land, and without it, he could not build. Most of the land was controlled by wealthy families who were generally reluctant to sell.

After buying several pounds of pork and cabbage to make dumplings for dinner, Jiang Yi returned home and handed the linen bag to Shen Rong. "This is the reward for killing the tiger," he said, unable to suppress his excitement. "There are three hundred and eighty taels inside. We’ve made a small fortune!"

Shen Rong took the bag. "If you say it is so, then it is. Did the government not deduct any taxes?"

"The Prefect said it is tax-free. We now have over four hundred taels of silver; we must find a secure place to hide it." Jiang Yi wondered if he could exchange the silver for gold—at a rate of ten to one—to reduce the weight, though he knew gold was a symbol of power and nobility, accessible only to the imperial family and the aristocracy.

"I asked at the money shop before returning. They can exchange copper for silver, but they do not trade in gold."

"Being able to exchange copper for silver is already quite good. Most commoners deal almost exclusively in copper; gold and silver are hard to come by." Shen Rong understood her husband’s thoughts, but exchanging for gold was currently unrealistic.

"Tomorrow, I will head up the mountain to hide most of the silver. We must not let others know we have hundreds of taels in our possession." Leaving the silver at home was unsafe; if people knew, they might come asking for loans, and recovering the money would be difficult. "Go and fetch Aunt Li; we shall make dumplings together."

"Aunt Li went to Guangtong County this morning to bring her daughter-in-law home."

"Then I shall chop the filling, and you can knead the dough and roll the wrappers." Jiang Yi took the flour and rice off the cart and emptied them into a ceramic jar.

Shen Rong smiled happily. "You bought flour and rice." Flour and rice cost forty or fifty wen per dou, which was quite expensive; the staple food for most families was buckwheat flour and millet.

"Dumplings made with flour are delicious, and I’d like to have rice for a few days. We have money now; it is only right that we eat well."

Shen Rong scooped out a large ladle of flour and began to work. Jiang Yi minced the pork, cabbage, and scallions, mixing them with seasonings. The kitchen soon filled with the aroma of the dumpling filling.

After the dumplings were boiled and served in two large bowls, the scent was mouth-watering. It was the first time Jiang Yi had eaten dumplings since his arrival, and the first time for Shen Rong as well. After their meal, they washed up and sat on the bed to count the money.

"I’m not dreaming, am I? I’ve never seen so much silver in my life," Shen Rong said, trembling with excitement as she looked at the dozens of silver cakes laid out before her.

"I fear I won't sleep a wink tonight, guarding all this money. Many people know we have it, and they might have designs on it."

"Perhaps we should take turns sleeping tonight, and hide the money tomorrow." Jiang Yi did not trust the money shops; he feared the risk of assets being frozen or lost. The shops in Hanyang were private, and even if they were government-run, he wouldn't feel secure.

"Tomorrow I will go to Niutou Mountain to hide the money. Afterward, I will go to Hanyang City to buy a mule." That way, they wouldn't have to borrow carts from others. He had considered a horse, but realized they were harder to keep and required more feed.

Jiang Yi’s greatest concern wasn't theft, but the possibility that Cao Zhang and Cao Xueying would send assassins. Shen Rong would be implicated, and the killers sent by such people would surely be formidable. Countless eyes were already watching him, reporting his every move to the imperial court.

"Once we buy land and build a house, we will hire servants to guard the property. By the way, I bought you a calligraphy practice book. Starting today, I will teach you to read and write."

Shen Rong had asked him several times to find a moment to teach her a few characters. She took the book, beaming with joy. "My husband is finally going to teach me! I will study hard!"

In the village, literacy was something to be envied. Shen Rong felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and embraced Jiang Yi tightly.