CHAPTER 205: CHAPTER 203: BUSTLING AND LIVELY

Manager Bai’s attitude softened significantly, and he instead persuaded Chen Yongyi, "Whether it’s woolen fabrics or cloth, it’s always good to create some new designs."

Chen Yongyi responded by taking a sachet from his pocket and handing it to Manager Bai, "The weather is warming up, and woolen fabrics attract moths. This herbal sachet was concocted by our Familiar Medicine Institute in Chen Family Village. You can take it and give it a try."

Chen Yongyi said as he took out a prescription from the sachet, "If it works well, you can follow this recipe to buy more herbs. This medicine contains precious spices like sandalwood, but they are used sparingly with other herbs, so it saves quite a bit of Silver Coin."

Manager Bai didn’t expect the people from Chen Family Village to bring such things, and felt even more ashamed, "Originally, I wouldn’t accept woolen fabrics sent by strangers, but the steward of the Shi Family Trading Team vouched for the owner, saying there was no problem. They have shipped goods for this owner before.

That’s why I agreed, and it’s likely the same for the other families. However, don’t ask too many questions, or people might get suspicious and blame me."

Chen Yongyi quickly assured, "Don’t worry, Shopkeeper, we won’t mention it to anyone else."

Manager Bai asked, "What do you plan to do with those woolen fabrics?"

Tian Chengyou said, "The village needs to start spring plowing, and selling the woolen fabrics allows us to purchase farming tools. We’re prepared to sell at a loss. The city currently has finer woolen fabrics, and ours, though coarse, are made from good-quality sheep wool and can be sold to more distant counties."

Manager Bai nodded repeatedly, "Some families are not so well-off, and saving even one or two hundred coins is worth it even if the quality isn’t perfect, but you are bound to lose Silver."

Chen Yongyi smiled, "It’s alright, business always has ups and downs. Our Chen Family Village also deals in medicinal herbs, and our family girl said that taking losses helps one grow. Our Chen Family Village aims to do long-term business, not just focus on the immediate."

Manager Bai previously didn’t know much about Chen Family Village, but now, hearing this from Chen Yongyi, he felt that this village would have a bright future. He vaguely heard Chen Yongyi praising his daughter, and though he was curious, he didn’t ask out of politeness.

Manager Bai said, "I have a distant nephew who frequently travels between the county and the villages. He knows some people, and if you trust him, he can help guide you."

Tian Chengyou and Chen Yongyi were delighted.

Chen Yongyi said, "Then we’ll trouble you, Shopkeeper."

Manager Bai looked at the sky, "In about an hour, I’ll close the shop. Let me know where you’ll be staying, and I’ll find my nephew and come by."

After finalizing the arrangements, Tian Chengyou and Chen Yongyi left the shop.

The two of them reached a secluded place, and Tian Chengyou laughed, "Miss Xie’s idea is indeed the best."

Chen Yongyi said, "Miss Chen said that in trade, you can’t see who really has skills when everything goes smoothly; it’s when problems arise that you can tell.

Our Chen Family Village can’t be underestimated just like that.

Losing money is minor, but ruining our reputation is major."

Tian Chengyou added, "Liangchen, that child, is like an experienced merchant, able to stabilize anything. That’s why she’s the first person I think of."

Tian Chengyou continued, "About the Shi Family Trading Team mentioned by Manager Bai..."

"I’ll investigate," Chen Yongyi said. "Liangchen sent me to Daming Prefecture for this very reason—to follow the clue to the end. Liangchen said the current woolen fabric issue is minor. When it’s time to sell medicinal herbs after the autumn harvest, overlooking details could lead to serious losses."

Chen Yongyi returned to the inn to rest, while the two young men accompanying him went to talk with the Tian Family’s servants.

Sitting by the bed waiting for a while, Chen Yongyi heard a knock on the door.

He quickly opened the door, and standing before him was Chang Tong, General Song’s household general.

Chang Tong said in a low voice, "The person selling the woolen fabrics turned out to be the daughter of Lin Xu, the disgraced Qi Prefecture Magistrate."

Chen Yongyi shared the news about the Shi Family Trading Team.

Chang Tong said, "I’ll have people look into the background of the Shi Family Trading Team. I’ll meet you here again tomorrow night."

After Chang Tong left, Chen Yongyi realized that Liangchen was right; losing a little Silver didn’t matter—what was critical was gathering information.

Though they lost Silver, those working behind the scenes wouldn’t have it easy either. The price of woolen fabrics had been pressed very low, making it hard for them to profit, and in defense, they couldn’t risk raising prices easily.

Tomorrow, Chen Yongyi planned to spread word that Chen Family Village still had many woolen fabrics, and if the local supply was insufficient, they could transport more at any time.

Chen Yongyi found that the events of recent months had taught him a lot, akin to his experiences in the military—enabling him not just to sell wind boxes in Zhaozhou, but also to handle woolen fabrics here.

When he first returned from the military with a limp, he hadn’t hoped much for the future, thinking at best he could work hard for a year to earn a full meal.

But now, he saw a bright path ahead, stretching beyond sight.

...

Chen Family Village.

After Chen Yongyi left with the others, Xie Liangchen seemed to put the woolen fabric business out of her mind.

The weather grew warmer.

With everything prepared, spring plowing began as well.

Old Mrs. Chen stood on the field ridge, watching the village women drive a few big Yellow Oxen to plow the fields, occasionally gesturing grandly.

Look, all this land belongs to Chen Family Village—seeing it all makes one feel energized.

The villagers now had farming tools, making their work much more efficient. The half-grown boys of the village came to help at dawn, ate their meals on the field ridge, and ran back to the clan school in the village.

Returning from the fields to the village, one could hear the children reading aloud, and Old Mrs. Chen’s tears almost welled up.

Perhaps one day the village might indeed produce a top scholar.

After the Official Medicine Bureau began producing finished medicine, more herbs were needed. The women originally in the weaving house barely had time to grieve over the woolen fabrics before being summoned to the Familiar Medicine Institute for help.

Keeping busy leaves no time for sorrow, and Mrs. Gao even forgot to calculate how much Silver they might lose, comforting herself that, fortunately, the court had awarded two hundred taels of Silver for Chen Family Village’s contribution of finished medicine, balancing things out somewhat!

Mr. Xu even donated his hundred taels of Silver to Chen Family Village, which Village Chief Chen initially refused, but Mr. Xu agreed to reclaim this money at the end of the year, with an additional thirty taels as interest, thus reaching a consensus.

Chen Family Village was fast in farming, the village children all attended the clan school, Miss Xie was busy on the mountain lands, and the Familiar Medicine Institute never stopped working.

This aroused envy from surrounding villages.

Now, mentioning Zhenzhou City, everyone also talks about Chen Family Village.

When Song Qizheng returned to Zhenzhou, he saw fields being cultivated everywhere, feeling a moment of emotion, and realizing that his Dingzhou was falling far behind.

Throughout the North, Dingzhou should be more prosperous than Zhenzhou, but now Zhenzhou seemed to be surpassing it.

Beside Song Qizheng, Grandpa Song said, "Isn’t that the mountain land cultivated by Chen Family Village? There are people working in the fields. Let us go take a look!"