Chapter 19

 

When it came to managing money, Ye Jiao really didn’t know anything.

In the past, the Little Ginseng relied on eating soil… Well, it was a combination of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, to live. Even if she wanted some treasures of heaven and earth, she mostly had to bargain for things and they didn’t involve gold and silver.

The Ye Jiao in her memory didn’t manage money in the Ye family. If she did, she wouldn’t have been bullied to the extent that she was.

Now that Qi Yun stuffed 10 taels of silver towards her, Ye Jiao had to take the small wooden box. As if it was scalding, she put it aside and reached out to tug on Qi Yun’s sleeve: “What should I do with it?”

Qi Yun was extremely patient. He took her hand to cover the stove together and said: “Although our family says that you don’t need to worry about ordinary things, some stuff requires extra money. For example, if you want to buy a piece of clothing, or a hairpin, you have to use your own money.”

Ye Jiao blinked: “You have to pay for it yourself?”

“Well, before when my mother asked you to buy clothes, the money was given by my mother. It was a favor for you. If you want to do it yourself, you have to pay for it yourself.” Qi Yun was extremely honest when he spoke.

The fact of the matter was that ordinary people rarely gave money to the people in the house. With all the hustle and bustle going into making profits, of course the men wanted to hold the money they earned in their own hands. This was so they could use it comfortably and manage the women at home without losing authority.

The more wealthy a family, the less money a woman had in her hands. Only if a woman had a strong maternal family could she have financial power. Otherwise, most of them just asked for the account books. It looked like they’re holding the money, but in reality it’s a lot of work to manage. If she really wanted to make money, she had to ask a man.

Even Liu Shi just took care of the money; Father Qi decided everything else.

Of course Qi Yun knew this, yet he still gave Ye Jiao all the money he earned – he didn’t even keep a penny.

He wanted to do business so that his wife could live well in the future. Whether he was dead or alive, Ye Jiao would be able to rely on that money. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to get by. Now that he made money, he naturally wanted her to take it.

However, Ye Jiao held the box and mumbled: “It’s not easy for you to make money. I don’t want to order clothes or buy hairpins.”

With that phrase, Qi Yun felt both sweet and sour in his heart.

He naturally knew that Ye Jiao was innocent and kind. She said what she thought in her heart. Qi Yun didn’t expect that Jiao Niang, who he knew in the past had a carefree nature of eating and sleeping, was listening to him and kept his words in her heart.

With a wife like this, what could a husband ask for?

Qi Yun didn’t show his thoughts, and his tone was relaxed: “Jiao Niang is right, but I have a lot of work to do now, like taking care of the shop. Wouldn’t it be a problem if I’m worrying about how to spend this money every day?”

If anyone else heard this, one would fear that their jaws would drop. 

This was silver, beautiful white silver! Others want it, but from Qi Yun’s reasoning it was actually such a burden?

Where’s the reason?

Ye Jiao ate up his words. She felt that Qi Yun was right; not only did the money need to be collected, but it also had to be calculated every day. It certainly was a hassle.

Moreover, Xiang Gong’s body was still not well. While he’s working hard for the shop, of course she has to help him.

The resistance on her face immediately disappeared. Ye Jiao closed the box and firmly said to Qi Yun: “Xiang Gong, don’t worry. I can take care of you.”

Qi Yun curved the corners of his mouth and reached out to rub Ye Jiao’s forehead: “Jiao Niang really helped me a lot; thank you.”

Ye Jiao sweetly smiled: “You’re welcome.”

After putting away the box, Qi Yun gave Ye Jiao a detailed account of the things she might use money for in the future.

In addition to buying things for themselves, Xiao Su followed Ye Jiao while Tie Zi followed Qi Yun. Their monthly salaries had to be given by Qi Yun and Ye Jiao. If they (Qi Yun and Ye Jiao) wanted to use an ox cart, the driver needed to be paid. Anytime they went in and out of the house, they would need copper plates.

From lunch to dinner, they kept discussing the matter.

At the end of the day, it was impossible to do anything without money.

Ye Jiao was dumbfounded, but she still tried to remember everything.

This time, she didn’t complain of being tired. The Little Ginseng felt that this matter was troublesome, and it would be even more troublesome if it was left to her husband. No matter how difficult it was, she had to remember it and share her husband’s worries.

However, Qi Yun could see that Ye Jiao had a hard time remembering. Since it was already nighttime, he didn’t want to keep her awake. He wrapped it up and prepared to tell her the rest, later, if something happened.

The man reiterated to her: “Don’t be afraid to spend money, especially for yourself. Don’t be afraid to spend the silver; if it’s not enough, I will earn it back.”

Qi Yun was trying to convince his wife not to hold on to the money and to spend it. The money can be earned again after being spent. If left in the palm of one’s hand, it would lose its value.

Silver can’t reproduce itself; might as well spend it.

Seeing Ye Jiao nod, Qi Yun felt relieved. He then smiled in his heart. He didn’t expect that one day he would be teaching others how to spend his money.

Very happy to teach…

The two of them lay on the bed side by side after cleaning up. In the darkness, Qi Yun heard Ye Jiao’s soft voice: “Last time, I saw Father wearing a fur coat. It’s fluffy and looks warm. If I buy it for Xiang Gong, how much silver would it cost?”

Qi Yun choked a little. He grabbed Ye Jiao’s hand and softly replied: “Let’s go see it together when we find time.”

“Okay.”

After Ye Jiao fell asleep, Qi Yun carefully turned to the side. His lips touched Ye Jiao’s forehead, and he closed his eyes.

When Qi Yun woke up, the sky was already bright. The charcoal fire in the room was relit and the room was warm.

The man sat up and turned to see Ye Jiao. She was already neatly dressed and writing at the desk.

Qi Yun thought she got up early and worked hard. He didn’t bother her and went to wash and dress himself.

When he finished cleaning up, he saw that Ye Jiao was still at the table, unmoving.

He curiously walked over and saw that Ye Jiao wasn’t practicing calligraphy, but writing down everything Qi Yun said yesterday in round characters.

It’s only that Ye Jiao didn’t spend much time practicing calligraphy and writing was a bit slow. She hadn’t finished even half of what she wanted to write all morning.

Seeing Qi Yun approach, Ye Jiao raised her head to look at him. Her first sentence was: “Is Xiang Gong hungry?”

Qi Yun glanced at what she wrote, and there was a slight smile on his face: “It’s fine to remember these slowly; don’t be in a rush.”

Ye Jiao put down her pen and spoke while pulling Qi Yun to breakfast: “I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget it. By the way, just now Mother asked someone to come over. They said that Third Brother was going back to the academy today. Let’s send him off after our meal.”

Qi Yun agreed. After the two of them ate, then went to the front yard.

The holiday in Qiming Academy was supposed to be three days. Due to the past heavy rain, many students didn’t go home, so this time it was extended to five days. 

After five days, Qi Ming had to head back on time.

Liu Shi was naturally reluctant for him to leave, but she didn’t want to delay Qi Ming’s studies. She could only endure the discomfort and send him off. She packed him a big bag and put it on the ox cart, saying: “There are winter robes inside. The clothes and quilts are also made by someone who works with cotton; remember to use them. There are also some red bean cakes inside. You should share with your classmates and your teacher.”

Qi Ming responded without the slightest impatience with Liu Shi’s ramblings.

Often, the sooner children left home, the more they understood their parents’ hearts. Qi Ming took Liu Shi’s hand to comfort her: “Mother, I’ll be back in a month. It’ll be quick. I can maybe take a few more days off during the New Year. By then, your son will be able to be recommended for the county examination.”

Although Liu Shi was still reluctant in her heart, there was a smile on her face, which reassured Qi Ming.

Qi Zhao gave Qi Ming a pack of jerky, and Qi Yun gave him a box of books that he had annotated. All of those items were loaded on an ox cart for Qi Ming to take away.

When he was far away, Liu Shi turned back and shed tears. It took a while to coax her, and her sons and daughters-in-law returned after she calmed down.

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Steward Song had been waiting for a while. Qi Yun went to talk with him in the small room, and Ye Jiao was going to continue writing.

At this time, Xiao Su said, “Second Young Mistress, Steward Dong’s daughter said she wanted to see you, and she is in the lobby right now.”

Ye Jiao immediately looked at the pot of flowers placed in the yard, thought about it, and said to Xiao Su: “Please let her come in then.”

“Yes.”

When Dong Shi entered the door, she saw Ye Jiao squatting beside the flowerpots.

After a pause, Dong Shi walked over with a smile on her face.

Dong Shi was in her early twenties this year, but she had a round face and looked much younger than her actual age.

She was the daughter of Dong Da, and she was also married to the shopkeeper of the pharmacy. She was considered to be completely Qi family’s people. Everything she said and did reflected the Dong family; otherwise, Qi Yun wouldn’t have let her come and talk to Ye Jiao.

Before coming, Dong Shi had inquired about Ye Jiao’s personality and knew that she was a friendly person. While Dong Shi herself was lively and outgoing, she didn’t have much experience. She was happy to know that Ye Jiao was easy to get along with.

But she was her boss after all, so Dong Shi spoke with some caution: ” Dong Shi comes to see the Second Young Mistress.”

Ye Jiao looked up at her and took her hands off the herbal petals. She clapped her hands, stood up, and smiled at her: “Call me Jiao Niang. You are Steward Dong’s daughter?”

“Yes, my nickname is Chunlan.” Dong Shi looked at Ye Jiao and said with a smile, “Jiao Niang likes these flowers?”

Ye Jiao nodded. Listening to her talk about the medicinal herbs, her eyes became eager: “They are all very good, but there are a few I don’t know how to grow.”

Dong Shi had been dealing with medicinal herbs since she was a child, and it was no exaggeration to say that she was obsessed with medicine. After listening to Ye Jiao’s words, she had a heart to teach her well. She immediately walked up to Ye Jiao to talk about the habits and cultivation of these flowers, one by one.

From listening, Ye Jiao knew that she was a connoisseur and was very happy. The two quickly got together and strolled around a bunch of flowers. Their words transitioned from being unfamiliar to being familiar. [1]

When Qi Yun sent Steward Song out, he saw two women sitting at the table, happily talking over a pot of flowers.

Seeing them come out, Ye Jiao got up with a smile and said to Steward Song: “Be careful on the way back, Steward Song.” Steward Song returned a bow. Ye Jiao nodded at him with a smile and turned to Qi Yun, her eyes filled with excitement and jumping with joy. “Xiang Gong, I have something to discuss with you!”

Qi Yun first watched Steward Song leave, and then nodded slightly to Dong Shi who was bowing to him. He looked at Ye Jiao with soft eyebrows: “What’s the matter?”

Ye Jiao raised her head and brightly smiled: “We just calculated. These flowers still have to be planted in the ground.” As she spoke, she pointed.

Qi Yun looked in the direction Ye Jiao pointed. Dong Shi stepped aside, and Qi Second Son saw a lot of medicinal herbs.

It had been a few days since these flowers were delivered, but Ye Jiao had been watching without moving them.

Qi Yun asked, “Where do you want to plant them?”

Hearing this, Dong Shi looked left and right, and there was some regret in her eyes.

The specific medicinal value of these medicinal flowers was not completely known to Dong Shi, but some of them were calming, while others were beautiful. Most of them were fragile and difficult to support. They would have to be planted in one’s yard to thrive.

However, Dong Shi saw that the area that could be planted in the yard was already filled with flowers and plants, and even the most beautiful medicinal flowers were not as pretty as those for ornamental use.

Mr. Dong guessed that the ones she sent might have to be planted. Seeing that winter was coming, no one would take care of them, and most of the medicinal herbs would die.

What a pity.

At this time, Ye Jiao asked: “Is it okay to plant them in our yard?”

In Ye Jiao’s opinion, these ornamental flowers were beautiful, but they were basically useless.

The medicinal flowers were different. Some of them could help Xiang Gong replenish his body, and some could cure illnesses. Naturally, they must be cultivated well.

Ye Jiao didn’t hide it and directly said: “Xiang Gong, you need to take care of yourself now. The herbal flowers are stronger than these ornamental flowers.”

Qi Yun didn’t mind her reason at all. Seeing that Ye Jiao liked it, he nodded his head. His expression was gentle when he lowered his head: “I’ll let someone clean up today. You don’t have to watch them all the time. It’s cold outside, so go in early and rest.”

Ye Jiao had a smile on her face: “Then are you going out?”

“I have to discuss something with Father. Don’t worry, I’ll be back around noon.”

“Then I’ll wait for you to eat.”

“Alright.”

Qi Yun closed his neckline, turned around and walked out of the courtyard. Before walking too far, he said: “Xiao Su, come here.”

Xiao Su immediately threw her broom down and ran over, standing upright without trying to escape.

Qi Yun’s voice was light: “The flowers planted in the yard can be moved to the outside garden to make room for Jiao Niang.”

Xiao Su was stunned for a moment. She remembered that the Second Young Master usually liked this garden full of red flowers. Fearing that she could be wrong, she boldly raised her head, looked at Qi Yun, and asked: “All moved?”

Qi Yun lightly said: “Yes.”

“Some can’t be moved…”

“Then push them out.”

Xiao Su didn’t ask anymore and nodded again. At this time, they heard a series of footsteps.

In the winter, the clothes one wore were thicker, and the soles of the shoes one wore were also thicker. The sound of steps on the stone road was clear and crisp.

Qi Yun turned to look and saw that Ye Jiao was running. There was a small smile on the slightly pale face of the man, and he reached out to support her: “Slow down. Why are you in such a hurry?”

Ye Jiao was panting, and the cold weather turned the air from her mouth into white mist.

Without answering Qi Yun’s words, Ye Jiao first looked left and right, and found that there was no outsider except Xiao Su. She raised her head to look at him, grabbed his collar and made him bend over while she stood on tiptoe and touched her lips softly to his cheek.

***

The author has something to say: 

Ye Jiao: Getting married is good, but there are so many things that I almost forgot just now

Dong Shi: What did you forget?

Ye Jiao: The necessary steps when husband and wife separate

Dong Shi:  …Huh?

=w=

In the past few days, the temperature’s been getting lower. It is said that the dividing line between north and south is actually based on how hot they are.

***

Footnotes:

[1] This is the literal translation but a phrase that’s easier to understand is: “They were getting more comfortable with each other.”

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