Ch 153: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Many villagers came to Shen Yunxuan looking for work, but most didn’t take it seriously. Twisting flower rolls—was that even real work? Could something like that really make money? They figured she was just a fourteen-year-old girl who, after selling well for a couple of days, thought the business would last forever.

Running a business wasn’t that easy. If it were, with so many people in the village, why hadn’t anyone else done it? Could a young girl really succeed where others hadn’t? While they respected her literacy and knowledge, they didn’t believe she had any real business skills.

Most people came with good intentions, willing to help while making a little extra money. If the business folded in a few days and she let them go, they wouldn’t complain. That’s why those who came were mostly idle women, many of them elderly.

Shen Yunxuan first hired Zhang Lishan’s mother and Shen Xing’s parents. These three had good character, kept themselves clean, and were willing to delegate their household chores so they could work long-term. They fit exactly what she needed.

She avoided hiring those who were overwhelmed with household work, had infants to care for, were prone to gossip and jealousy, or lacked basic hygiene. In the end, she also selected the families of Xiao Lin, Xiao Yue, and Xiao Feng—three of her most promising students, each with unique talents, and their families were also decent.

In total, she hired six people: two men, two women, and two young girls. This shocked both those who were hired and those who came to watch—how big was this business if she needed six workers? Many shops in the county were run by just a husband and wife, sometimes with their children helping, but they rarely hired so many people.

Someone asked how much she was paying. Shen Yunxuan answered modestly, “Not much. It’s a small business, just hoping for some help from the villagers, a little token of appreciation.”

This fit everyone’s expectations, so those who weren’t selected left cheerfully. The work required waking up before dawn and was tiring, so not being chosen wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

After they left, Shen Yunxuan took Qin Shi and the others to the village head’s house to sign work contracts. No one expected things to be so formal.

Shen Yunxuan smiled and explained, “Since this is a business, having a contract protects both you and me. The contract states that for the first month, I will pay each of you 100 wen.

After one month, if it’s not a good fit, we part ways amicably. If it works well, we sign a long-term contract, and the pay increases to 200 wen per month.

You’ll need to come to my house at the first crow of the rooster to prepare food. After sunrise, you will have breakfast here, then the uncles and aunts will go with my parents to town to sell the goods. The two older sisters will help my grandmother with house chores, accompany me to the mountains to gather ingredients, catch fish, or do other miscellaneous tasks. Do you agree?”

The six workers were stunned, and even the village head hurriedly said, “Two hundred wen? That’s two and a half taels of silver per person per year! For six people, that’s over fourteen taels! How can that be possible? That’s too much!”

Shen Yunxuan held up the contract and explained, “My requirements are strict. You cannot miss work for any reason without prior notice. The food-making process is confidential—whether to other villagers or your families, you must not disclose anything.

If you want to leave the job, you must notify me one month in advance; otherwise, that month’s wages will be deducted. If you want to start your own business, you cannot compete with me maliciously, take over my stall location, or steal my customers.

There are other details in the contract. Take some time to consider.”

The six listened attentively, feeling a little nervous at the strict rules. But after thinking it over, none of the conditions seemed unreasonable. As long as they were careful and kept things confidential, it was doable.

And—two and a half taels of silver a year! There was no other work that paid so well, plus breakfast was included. It was a fantastic deal. Moreover, since their children studied under Shen Yunxuan and idolized her, working for her meant their kids would have more opportunities to learn and be around her, absorbing even more knowledge.

The six exchanged glances and decisively pressed their fingerprints onto the contract. They reassured her, “Business isn’t easy, and you’re offering high wages. If you ever run into trouble…”

Realizing their words sounded unlucky, they hesitated. But Shen Yunxuan only smiled. “I appreciate your concern. Thank you all, but I know what I’m doing. Let’s settle this, then. Be here at the rooster’s crow tomorrow morning.”

“Alright!”

The workers hurried home to make arrangements. No one took their copy of the contract, worried it might be seen and violate confidentiality. Instead, they left it with the village head, whom they trusted after decades of governance.

Afterward, Shen Yunxuan spoke privately with the village head. Since she was now officially Granny Wu’s granddaughter-in-law, they were considered relatives.

“Uncle-in-law, my food business is doing well. In a little while, I’d like to open a shop in the county and focus on growing the business. I’d like to trouble you to help my parents change their household registration to that of county merchants.”

The village head was taken aback. “Open a shop in the county? Will that really work?”

Shen Yunxuan nodded confidently. The village head thought for a moment—this wasn’t difficult to arrange. While it would be tricky to change her own registration, Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua could do so without issue. He just needed to treat a few people to drinks, and the matter would be settled.

Since this required calling in favors, Shen Yunxuan gave him some silver, which he didn’t refuse. He also told her to come to him for help whenever she needed anything in the future.

Shen Yunxuan readily agreed, then returned home to tidy up the kitchen.

With six workers from five different families, all of whom had children studying under her, she now had strong support in the village. These five families would naturally protect her interests. One of them was even related to the village head, making him her indirect supporter as well.

Now, she was truly untouchable in the village.

Even if news of Wu Feng’s death came now, the villagers wouldn’t ostracize her or spread rumors about her being a bringer of bad luck.

There was still no news from the military district, even though the time for bad news had long passed in her previous life. Shen Yunxuan pondered—had he really been saved this time? Had she unknowingly flapped the wings of a butterfly, changing fate?

If Wu Feng returned alive, their engagement would need to be reconsidered. She could then divorce and return home, transferring her household registration back to her parents. From then on, she could be Granny Wu’s maternal family and still care for her as before.

Since they planned to move to the county soon, they didn’t expand their house but built an additional shed outside the kitchen and cleared out a storage room.

Their business started booming. Every morning, everyone worked fervently to prepare food. After breakfast, the two men followed Shen Fu to the docks, the back doors of wealthy households, and some distant eateries to sell their goods. The two women accompanied Wang Xinghua to sell at restaurants, tea houses, and small shops across town.

At first, they were nervous, afraid to shout or interact with dock workers, restaurant owners, and other vendors. They felt uneasy. Seeing how effortlessly Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua handled business, they were deeply impressed. It made them wonder—had they always been this capable? Why did Old Man Shen always say their third branch was useless?

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua taught them as they worked, just as Shen Yunxuan had once taught them. Within five or six days, they could independently carry baskets and sell on their own. The six of them split into different directions, selling out much faster, nearly doubling their daily sales!

The six workers only knew they were selling a ton of flower rolls and buns—business was incredible, and they were making a lot of money. However, they didn’t know the exact costs. They assumed that with all the oil, salt, and even meat stuffing, the profits couldn’t be that high.

In reality, costs only accounted for 30% of the earnings. Now, Shen Yunxuan was making a pure profit of one and a half taels of silver per day!

The villagers weren’t particularly perceptive about the business impact, but some restaurants and eateries in town had already started copying her food. Although their versions weren’t as tasty, they still took a share of the market.

In the mornings, Shen Yunxuan taught classes, and in the afternoons, she took two of the young women to the mountains to collect chestnuts and pine nuts. Their offerings expanded to include candied chestnuts and salted pine nuts.

On top of that, Old Madam Lin’s friends continued to order candied fruit preserves and yogurt from her. Even accounting for rainy days, on average, Shen Yunxuan was now making two taels of silver per day!

It was like striking gold overnight.

Shen Fu, Wang Xinghua, and Granny Wu were overjoyed but also confused. “Is making money really this easy? Just from selling some pastries?”

To them, expensive foods were things like fancy cakes and sweets. How could something as simple as steamed buns and flower rolls be so profitable?

Shen Yunxuan explained, “I didn’t believe it before either. But once, I read in a book that many small businesses people look down on actually make a lot of money. The profits can be shocking. There was even a place where making pastries turned someone into the wealthiest person in the county. I was so surprised that I decided to give it a try.

Worst case scenario, if the bread didn’t sell, we could eat it ourselves or sell it at cost. But I didn’t expect so many people to buy it.”

Shen Fu thought for a moment. “It’s because you make it delicious. The docks now order a hundred rolls a day, sometimes more. The workers toil hard, and spending two coins doesn’t buy them much good food, but our oil-and-salt flower rolls are perfect for them.

As for the wealthy households, their chefs probably don’t make food as tasty as ours, so the masters buy from us instead.”

Wang Xinghua nodded in agreement. “Candied chestnuts sell out so quickly every day. There are other shops selling them in town, but customers prefer ours. That proves Yunxuan’s skills are what really matter.”

Granny Wu added, “And another thing—we use good ingredients and plenty of them, yet our prices are the same as others. Our costs are actually higher than theirs, but people can tell we use quality ingredients. So buying from us feels like a great deal.”

Shen Yunxuan laughed. “Exactly. They think they’re getting a bargain and high-quality food, so more people come to buy. Even though our costs are slightly higher, in the end, our total revenue is far greater than theirs.

In the future, we’ll keep doing this—making high-quality, refined products so customers feel satisfied. Around holidays and festivals, we can offer special deals, where if they buy a certain amount, they get extra for free. That way, they’ll feel even happier about their purchases.”

She was talking about promotions, but as a village girl, she wasn’t supposed to know too much about business tactics. So she stopped there. Fortunately, the others had already grasped the logic.

Lower margins but higher sales volume—so long as they sold enough, they would earn big. Their admiration for Shen Yunxuan grew even deeper.

From then on, Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua became more flexible when selling. If a customer was discussing bulk orders, they offered free delivery and small complimentary snacks. If the free sample was tasty, the next order would be even larger.

If they had a few leftover flower rolls at the end of the day and they were getting cold, they focused on selling more candied chestnuts and salted pine nuts—offering a free piece of flower roll with each purchase. This way, customers felt like they were getting a great deal while also getting to try the flower rolls.

It made them happy, and Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua could sell out faster, giving them more time to help Shen Yunxuan collect ingredients or hunt in the mountains to prepare for the next day’s food.

The group was busy working, but since they left for the county every morning at dawn, the villagers hadn’t seen much and had no idea how much food they were selling or how much money they were making. As a result, they didn’t have much of a reaction to Shen Yunxuan’s business.

The Shen family, however, was eagerly waiting for her to fail. They expected that, after some time, she wouldn’t be able to pay her workers, and those six people would turn against her.

But after a whole month of hiring people, nothing had gone wrong. On top of that, they heard that she had signed long-term contracts with them, and Qin Shi had even leased out her family’s land!

At this point, even a fool could tell they were making money. People started inquiring about her business and even approached her, hoping to get hired. However, she politely turned them down. For now, six workers were enough—any future hiring would wait until they opened a shop.

Fortunately, the six workers enjoyed their jobs and quickly adapted. Shen Yunxuan found them to be reliable, so this arrangement was set for the time being.

One day, two government officers suddenly arrived in the village. Those working in the fields stopped, watching with both nervousness and curiosity.

“What’s going on? Are they here for the village head?”

“No, look, the village head is right behind them.”

“Then… are they here to arrest someone? Did someone in the village commit a crime?”

“Maybe a criminal is hiding in our village?”

“Just seeing government officers makes my legs shake. I’m going home!”

The villagers instinctively feared government officials. Soon, someone noticed that they were heading west—toward the foot of the mountain. Wasn’t that where Shen Yunxuan’s family lived? Could something have happened to them?

Zhou Shi, who was working and feeling sore all over, had been holding a grudge ever since Shen Yunxuan encouraged the third branch to separate from the Shen family, taking a lot of money with them. Now she had to work hard, feeling exhausted and aging rapidly. Naturally, she resented Shen Yunxuan and was gleeful at the sight. “That little girl thinks she can run a business? What does she know? Looks like she’s gotten herself into trouble!”

The village head’s wife scolded her, “Stop talking nonsense! We don’t even know if they’re looking for Yunxuan. Why are you babbling? You’re supposed to be the mother of a scholar—don’t embarrass your son!”

Zhou Shi was indignant, but the phrase “embarrassing her son” shut her up. Shen Zhong had been calling her that frequently, and she had lost her confidence, afraid of causing trouble for him.

However, her words had already planted doubt in people’s minds. The villagers were usually law-abiding, so why would government officers be here? The only person who had been doing anything unusual was Shen Yunxuan—teaching children, hiring people, and doing business. Many had already felt uneasy about her actions, thinking she was building a house on unstable ground that could collapse at any moment.

The officers were most likely here for her!

Some bolder villagers ran ahead and, from a distance, saw that the village head had indeed brought the officers to Shen Yunxuan’s house. After exchanging a few words, she followed them.

As she passed by the fields, the villagers were surprised that their guess had been right. Some grew anxious—Shen Yunxuan was a good girl, so why was she being taken away?

They didn’t dare speak in front of the officers, but once she was gone, they rushed to Granny Wu’s house, surrounding her with questions.

It took Granny Wu a while to understand what they were asking. When she realized they thought Shen Yunxuan had been arrested, she was furious. “What are you all thinking? We’re just selling flower rolls! What crime is that? The county magistrate asked to see Yunxuan!”

“What? What did you say?”

“The county magistrate is looking for Yunxuan?”

The villagers exchanged shocked glances before suddenly bursting into laughter. Liu raised her voice, “Granny Wu, have you lost your mind? Are you trying to flatter Yunxuan that much?”

Shen Dong sneered, “Exactly! If the county magistrate really has official business with Yunxuan, I’ll call her ‘Granny’ three times!”

Granny Wu glared at him. “Pah! Even if you wanted to call her that, Yunxuan wouldn’t want to hear it. What do you think you are? You don’t deserve to call her Granny!”

Shen Dong’s face darkened, and just as he was about to retort, Granny Wu cut him off impatiently. “Enough! Go away, all of you! I need to knead dough and prepare vegetables for tomorrow’s food. Whether Yunxuan is in trouble or not, we’ll find out when she gets back.”

Hearing that, the villagers began to disperse. They had come partly for gossip but also out of genuine concern. If something really happened to Yunxuan, it would be a pity—she was a good girl.

Unexpectedly, Old Lady Shen spoke up with a sympathetic look. “Granny Wu, you have it hard.”

Granny Wu frowned. “Hard? What do you mean?”

The others also turned their gazes toward them. Granny Wu looked well-fed and healthy, wearing silver hairpins and earrings—where was the hardship? If anyone looked miserable, it was Old Lady Shen, with her sour face.

But Old Lady Shen sighed in pity. “Don’t worry. No one will look down on you. Your family has already lost so many people, and now you finally got Yunxuan as a granddaughter-in-law, but then this happened. None of this is your fault. Try not to dwell on it. After all, the village head is your relative—he’ll take care of you.”

Granny Wu was so enraged that she burst out laughing. “Did a donkey kick you in the head? Are you saying I bring bad luck and now I’ve cursed Yunxuan too? Who do you think you’re being sarcastic toward? Are you jealous that my life is good? That I’m the village head’s cousin? That Shen Fu and Xinghua are filial to me? That I have money and can enjoy life without lifting a finger?

Look at yourself! Do you even need to pity me? You should be worrying about your own grandson—he’s nothing more than a dog at the Li household! The young master just has to glance at him, and Shen Jiaoyao starts slapping himself in public until his face is covered in handprints before they tell him to stop!

The last time he came back, why did he leave without even showing his face? Wasn’t he beaten with the paddle? The Li family beat his backside until it was covered in welts, and he was too ashamed to face anyone. You’ve got a mess in your own family, yet you’re still running your mouth about me? Be a decent person, will you? If you keep harboring evil intentions, be careful—karma might just come for your grandson!”

The greatest pain in Granny Wu’s life was losing all her loved ones, and now Old Lady Shen dared to say such things to her. Enraged, she lashed out, grabbed a broom, and chased them all out of her house, slamming the door behind them.

The villagers had grown accustomed to picking up their children and seeing the usually kind Granny Wu. Now, seeing her this furious, they felt that Old Lady Shen was just stirring up trouble for no reason. They scolded her, while some were even more surprised:

“Wait, was Shen Jiayao really beaten with the paddle? He even slapped himself? But wasn’t he supposed to be a scholar’s attendant? Why does this sound like he’s nothing more than a lowly servant?”

“Wait, do you guys remember when we talked about him changing his name? Isn’t he called Shen Zhong now? Zhong, as in loyalty? He really is acting like a servant!”

“It must be true! Otherwise, why aren’t the Shen family refuting it?”

This comment jolted the Shen family awake. They immediately started shouting that Granny Wu was lying. Old Lady Shen even began crying, wiping her tears pitifully. “That’s nonsense! Our Jiayao is doing well! The young master values him highly—he even took Daya into the household. If he weren’t favored, why would they take her too? It’s a great opportunity!”

That might be true, but Granny Wu wasn’t someone who would make things up. Zhang Lishan, who had rushed over upon hearing about Shen Yunxuan being taken by the officials, had caught the tail end of Granny Wu’s scolding. Seizing the moment, he asked sharply, “Do you dare swear that your grandson never slapped himself or got beaten with the paddle?”

‘Use the right methods to deal with the right people.’ That was what Shen Yunxuan had taught him. Sure enough, faced with the demand to swear an oath, Old Lady Shen hesitated and stayed silent.

That silence spoke volumes.

The villagers gasped in shock. Shen Jiayao—a scholar, the one whom the whole village had placed their hopes on—was now nothing more than a dog in the Li household?

What was the Shen family thinking? Sending in one person wasn’t enough, so they sent in a second? Were Shen Zhong and Shen Yunlian both suffering under the Lis? And for what? Just so they could brag about serving in a wealthy household?

Shen Dong pointed at Zhang Lishan and roared, “You fatherless little bastard! Since when do kids interrupt when adults are talking? Do you want me to discipline you on behalf of your dead father?”

Zhang Lishan straightened his back and looked at him with disdain. “So what if I don’t have a father? If all fatherless people are bastards, how many of the elders in this village are bastards too? Your own parents don’t have parents anymore—so what, does that make them ill-bred as well?

“And what right do you have to discipline me? Just because you’re older than me? Then by that logic, all the grandfathers and grandmothers here should be able to discipline you. Is this the kind of upbringing the Shen family teaches? No wonder Shen Zhong has achieved nothing!”

Shen Dong’s face turned red with rage. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to give Zhang Lishan a beating, but Zhang Lishan wasn’t stupid—he immediately took off running.

His master had taught him well: ‘As long as you stay alive, there will always be firewood to burn.’ There was no need to foolishly crash into trouble.

The other villagers, however, were disgusted by Shen Dong. There were many children in the village who had lost either a father or a mother, and they were all pitiful. How dare Shen Dong insult them? His own son had been sent to act like a dog in a rich man’s house, yet here he was, trying to discipline someone else’s child? What a joke!

The Shen family fled back home in shame, still shaken by the villagers’ scorn. For years, they had been given special treatment because they had a scholar in the family. When had things changed? When did people start disliking them? Why were so many people speaking up for Shen Yunxuan? Hadn’t she only just been separated from the family?

No matter how much they thought about it, they couldn’t understand. But for once, Old Man Shen actually smiled. “Do you all remember what Jiayao said? He said that Er Ya wouldn’t last long and that she would soon be in trouble. Isn’t this proof that she’s finally run into trouble?”

Old Lady Shen, worried that she had caused too much trouble with her words, quickly started crying again. “That old hag from the Wu family went too far! I was only trying to show concern, and she repaid me by saying that Jiayao is acting like a dog for the Li family! Now the entire village is mocking him.

“What do we do, dear? We can’t let people believe this! If this reputation sticks, how will Jiayao ever become an official?”

She sobbed loudly, but Old Man Shen, feeling annoyed, didn’t bother scolding her. Instead, he snapped, “You should’ve sworn an oath back there! The more forceful you are, the more they’ll believe you!

“Come on, all of you, follow me! We’re going to settle this with that old hag! She has the nerve to curse our family, saying that Erya is a bad omen? What’s next? Is she going to curse Shen Fu to death too? No way! We need to bring Shen Fu back! Let’s go!”

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