CHAPTER 203: CHAPTER 201 BUSY

Xie Liangchen finished talking, and after a long time, Mrs. Gao’s face remained pale.

The always silent Old Mrs. Chen looked at Mrs. Gao and said, "Sit down, you’re not young anymore, yet you still can’t handle matters. Chen Family Village has survived great disasters, what’s this in comparison? If you’re like this, how can you go to the weaving room and tell them?"

Mrs. Gao was ashamed by Old Mrs. Chen’s words: "It’s me...it’s my fault, the daughter-in-law is wrong."

Old Mrs. Chen said, "Since you dare to do business, you must foresee the times when you’ll lose Silver. Miss Chen is right, these are all small matters. Our Chen Family Village can afford it."

Mrs. Gao responded, "The daughter-in-law just thought these days have not been easy, got anxious for a moment."

Old Mrs. Chen knew Mrs. Gao was distressed for the women in the weaving room, waking up early every day, working so hard their hands blistered, yet refused to rest.

Old Mrs. Chen said, "Think carefully, our Chen Family Village also gained many benefits, wasn’t it the woolen fabrics that helped us through last winter?"

Mrs. Gao nodded, "It’s the daughter’s fault for being useless, encountering matters, not half as good as Miss Chen, without Miss Chen, I might have been scared silly... And those woolen fabrics are not only from our Chen Family Village, but also surrounding villages."

Xie Liangchen said, "Aunt, don’t worry, once I consider everything thoroughly, I will go through the villages one by one, telling everyone the whole situation." She would give her advice, and the final decision depends on what each village thinks.

Mrs. Gao became worried about Xie Liangchen again: "I and your uncle will accompany you."

"No need," Xie Liangchen said, "Uncle should stay to continue busying with spring farming, Aunt should tell our villages’ people to store the finished woolen fabrics and wool well. These things are susceptible to insect infestations, I’ll go to the Familiar Medicine Institute to get some powder and make a few sachets to put in the wool."

Mrs. Gao still wasn’t at ease, Old Mrs. Chen beside her said: "Just do as Liangchen said, she can handle outside matters herself." Though she was reluctant to let Miss Chen go all over the place, in the future, Liangchen would likely have to bear more.

Mrs. Gao didn’t expect Old Mrs. Chen, who usually saved every penny, to be so calm in times like these, showing no signs of anxiety or distress.

Seeing everyone, Mrs. Gao calmed down too.

Xie Liangchen said, "Aunt, head to the weaving room first, I’m going back to the courtyard to calculate accounts."

Everyone went about their chores.

Xie Liangchen sat in the east room, opened the accounts, and had just begun to use the abacus when she heard Chen Zigeng’s voice: "Sister, the teacher’s here."

Xie Liangchen quickly put down the abacus she was holding and got up to welcome Mr. Dongli into the house.

Chen Zigeng fetched a chair from the main house for Mr. Dongli to sit.

Xie Liangchen glanced at the small stool, previously General Song sat on this stool, she hadn’t thought of having her fourth uncle make an extra chair to place here.

Xie Liangchen kicked the inconspicuous small stool into the corner with her foot, lest Mr. Dongli accidentally trip over it.

Chen Zigeng sat with his sister on the wooden platform in front of the table.

Mr. Dongli looked at the accounts on the table: "I heard from Zigeng, the Tian Family Trading Team had an issue with the woolen goods they took?"

Xie Liangchen said, "Right now we don’t know what the situation is exactly, I’m calculating the accounts and tomorrow I’ll have fourth uncle take people to Daming Prefecture."

Besides teaching Chen Zigeng to read, Mr. Dongli hardly engaged with matters of Chen Family Village. During the plague, he only cautioned Mr. Xu and Xie Liangchen to be careful. Today, hearing Chen Zigeng mention the woolen goods, he sensed something was off, hence he made a trip.

Mr. Dongli asked, "What do you think is the matter?"

Xie Liangchen answered, "There might be other merchants who can do better with this business, after all, our woolen goods aren’t crafted exquisitely. But if that were the case, Mr. Tian would have already heard the news.

Apart from this, someone is secretly targeting Chen Family Village, using very clever means, making it hard for Mr. Tian to figure it out."

Mr. Dongli nodded as he stroked his beard, no wonder Xu Tingzhen liked Miss Chen so much, if Chen Zigeng grows up to achieve things, it would be related to his sister.

Xie Liangchen said, "I’m preparing for the latter scenario, sell the woolen goods first, then slowly investigate those people thoroughly."

Mr. Dongli asked, "Why not investigate those people first before selling the woolen goods? Perhaps without them, the woolen goods wouldn’t lose money."

"Too much delay would be burdensome," Xie Liangchen said, "I’ll have fourth uncle go to Daming Prefecture to receive the goods, if the goods can’t be sold, we’ll need to rent a yard to store them. With so many things outside, it’s bound to affect everyone’s morale.

Once I sell the woolen goods, I won’t be held back, and those people will instead have to ponder my next moves, being influenced by me."

Mr. Dongli’s expression unchanged: "Have you thought about what to do next?"

Xie Liangchen nodded, "Our weaving machines are too old, and everyone’s skills aren’t good. After selling the woolen goods, I plan to use the Silver Coin to buy spinning wheels.

The woolen goods we produce are too coarse, easily replaced by others, if we want to keep the weaving rooms running, we must produce better products."

This time, closing the weaving rooms will make everyone sad, but they will surely look forward to the reopening.

Mr. Dongli smiled slightly, didn’t ask about the woolen goods further, instead said, "I heard from Chen Lizheng and Zigeng that you want to hire a teacher for a clan school? Now that the woolen goods lost money, is there enough Silver Coin for the teacher’s gift?"

Xie Liangchen was pleased at hearing this, "Yes, the Silver Coin saved in the village is enough to hire a teacher."

Mr. Dongli said, "Although my skills aren’t quite suited for the clan school, I do know a few good teachers. Once you tidy up the house and prepare the books, take my letter of recommendation to invite them."

Having said this, Mr. Dongli stood up, and Chen Zigeng hurried to assist him.

Mr. Dongli said, "No need to see me out, stay and help your sister calculate the accounts!"

Chen Zigeng still sent Mr. Dongli back to the courtyard and only then returned, breathlessly, to help.

"Sister," Chen Zigeng laughed, "Teacher certainly thinks my sister is very smart, no one can match her."

Xie Liangchen reached out to pat her brother’s head, she wasn’t smart, just experienced more than others in her past life.

The siblings calculated late into the night, only then did they return to the main house to rest.

Xie Liangchen felt she just closed her eyes when a cock’s crow sounded in her ear, followed by her grandmother’s voice: "Miss Chen, wake up."

Xie Liangchen drowsily opened her eyes, thought about those plotting against her in the corner, and with a firm resolve, got up, washed, ate, and then taking her calculated accounts, rode out of the village.

...

Daming Prefecture.

The veil-adorned woman walked past an inn, the Tian Family Trading Team from Zhenzhou had been lingering here for six or seven days, having sold only two mule carts of woolen goods.

The woman slightly curled her lips, these woolen goods were made by several villages in Zhenzhou, taking an entire winter to produce.

Chen Family Village assumed these goods would earn a lot of Silver Coin, but surely didn’t expect such a scene.

Tightly holding the handkerchief in her hand, this was just the beginning, Xie Liangchen had charmed her cousin, causing father and brother to be imprisoned, soon facing execution, mother was also sentenced to scourging and exile, uncertain if she would survive.

Grandfather, under the guise of her betrothal, managed to aid her escape; she wrote a letter to Princess Jiahui Mansion, hoping the Commandery Princess would support her, thus being more assured to avenge on Chen Family Village.

Bringing her people, the woman entered the rented small courtyard, removed the veil, revealing Miss Lin’s face.