Lin family’s business.

 

“Wow, that was intense!” Jing Yi finally relaxed after they were out of sight of the tofu stall, patting his chest, still feeling a bit shaken. “It was close; I almost couldn’t handle it, and even Xiao An might have been dragged into it.”

 

“Hahaha…”

 

Seeing Jing Yi, usually so composed, in such a flustered state, Xia Xia couldn’t help bursting into laughter, bending over and clutching his stomach.

 

“Hmph, you, not helping me and laughing at me.”

 

Although Jing Yi scolded, he couldn’t help but laugh along, and he even freed a hand to support Xia Xia.

 

Eventually, they didn’t care about the gazes of others anymore. They laughed heartily by the side of the road before returning home.

 

The lunch at the Lin family’s place was even more sumptuous than last time. Jing’s mother teasingly said to Lin’s father, “Every time we visit Brother Yuan’s family, we end up leaving with full bellies.”

 

As everyone ate and chatted, the restless kids quickly finished their meals and went out to play in the yard.

 

“It’s great that you came. Yuanyuan and I were just discussing buying a donkey cart for our household. Since you’re familiar with the town, you can recommend a reliable seller when the time comes,” Lin’s father chatted with Jing’s father and even raised a toast.

 

The idea of buying a donkey cart stemmed from the Lin family’s business. After the Chinese New Year, Lin’s father planned to expand his business by collecting more mountain goods.

 

Only after doing this business did he realize it was both less risky and more profitable than hunting. The mountain folks had stockpiled quite a bit of goods, and he had barely scratched the surface by exploring the nearby mountains. If he ventured further, the profits could easily double.

 

The key was that Lin’s father was uniquely positioned for this business. The mountain folks were quite insular, but Lin’s father had formed relationships with them over the years, partly due to his frequent hunting trips. He had even helped them with various things, such as fetching water or providing temporary shelter. Whenever they needed something, he was there to assist without asking for much in return.

 

This had earned him the trust and goodwill of the mountain people. As a result, they were willing to sell their high-quality goods to him.

 

Mountain goods typically included fur-bearing animals and shelled items. The former referred to wild animals like pheasants, rabbits, roe deer, foxes, and the like. The latter included mountain treasures like hazelnuts, chestnuts, mushrooms, and medicinal herbs.

 

Of course, if Lin’s father came across rare and valuable items like tiger skins, bear paws, deer tendons, bird nests, or ginseng, he would negotiate a profit-sharing arrangement with the sellers.

 

Business was booming, and even people from distant mountains, who had no means of communication, had sent messages to Lin’s father asking if they could sell their goods to him.

 

In the mountains, there were also shrewd individuals who would either sell to the highest bidder without any guarantees or choose the more trustworthy option, such as Lin’s father. Naturally, they preferred the latter.

 

The goods Lin’s father collected before the Chinese New Year were sold in two ways. Premium goods were directly sold to large merchants who frequented the town market, offering fair prices. Lin’s father was selective when choosing buyers to ensure a good deal.

 

As for other miscellaneous items, Lin’s father and mother sold them right in front of Jing’s family’s small restaurant. They would set up shop for just half a day each day, selling off everything by noon. As the volume of mountain goods increased, they might have to stay there all day.

 

So, Lin’s father and Lin’s mother discussed it and decided to buy a donkey cart. It would reduce the time it took to transport goods from the village to town and allow them to go together when collecting goods in the mountains.

 

“That’s great! I heard the donkey market opens on the tenth day of the lunar month. Brother Lin, Brother-in-law, let’s see which day works best for you,” Jing’s father said, taking charge of the arrangement.

 

“Uncle, Auntie, how about the fifteenth day of the lunar month? I heard they have lanterns on that day. I can come over in the morning to pick you up, and after buying the donkey, you can rest at our place for a while. Then, in the evening, we can go enjoy the lanterns. It’ll be lively and fun!” Jing Yi immediately perked up at the idea. It was like having a pillow when you were sleepy; he was worried about how to invite Xia Xia out to see the lanterns.

 

But which elder present couldn’t see through his intentions? Except for Jing’s father, the other three had already grown accustomed to this. Only Jing’s father was still marveling at how good this kid was at pursuing his future wife.

 

“Alright, let’s go with what Xiao Yi said. It has been a while since our family went to town together,” Lin’s father agreed, and that basically settled the matter.

 

“But there’s no need for you to pick us up. You can focus on your business; it doesn’t open until the fifteenth. We’ll go on our own,” Lin’s father nodded, agreeing with his wife, and then he told Jing Yi.

 

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

 

As long as he could have a date with Xia Xia, the minor details didn’t matter. He’d leave those to uncle Lin.

 

“Uncle Lin, based on what you’ve said, if the business expands, have you considered renting a shop specifically for selling the goods?”

 

Jing Yi finally turned to the business aspect, his mind still working swiftly.

 

Lin’s father had indeed considered it. However, there were a few reasons why he hesitated. Firstly, renting a shop would require a significant initial investment, and he was concerned about the risk. Secondly, he would have to regularly go out to collect mountain goods, and he didn’t feel comfortable leaving the shop in the hands of his wife and children. Finally, he had heard that once you ran a shop, you might be categorized as a merchant, and that made him hesitate.

 

In this business, he didn’t treat Jing Yi as a junior. He was well aware that all the ideas came from Jing’s family, and every step of opening the store had been carefully monitored by Jing Yi, resulting in the prosperous business they had now.

 

So, he didn’t feel ashamed to ask for advice from the younger generation. He explained these concerns to Jing Yi and wanted to hear his opinion.

 

“Uncle, whether it’s profitable or not, you’ll have to calculate yourself. But I can tell you, shop rents in town usually range from twelve to sixteen taels per year. In my opinion, if your monthly profit exceeds ten taels, this business is viable.”

 

“As for the second issue, it’s easily resolved. We can have the contacts in our store look for nearby shops for you. You can help each other out. Don’t worry; it will work out. After a couple of months when the business is running smoothly, you can hire people to collect mountain goods or work in the store. That will solve the problem.”

 

“As for the issue of being classified as a merchant, in our Dayuan Dynasty, the rule is that if your annual profit exceeds one hundred taels for three consecutive years, you’ll be classified as a merchant. I haven’t thought of a perfect solution for this yet, but there’s time. You can always earn some money first and figure it out later.”

 

Jing Yi answered the questions carefully and discussed with Lin’s father. Jing’s father also chimed in with his knowledge of the town, which boosted Lin’s father’s confidence.

 

“All right! After chatting with you, I do feel more confident about it. Let’s go buy the donkey cart in a couple of days. We’ll look for a shop after the fifteenth day!”

 

“Uncle, when you’re looking for a shop, you can do it in the afternoon. By then, my family’s restaurant business is slower, so I can accompany you. It won’t be a problem,” Jing Yi enthusiastically suggested. At this point, he was more than willing to help.

 

Jing Yi’s proactive attitude brought smiles to the faces of the three elder family members. Lin’s father even cast a meaningful glance at Xia Xia, thinking that his son-in-law had outdone his son in pursuing a partner.

 

Only Jing’s father blinked his eyes a couple of times, reflecting on whether his performance on the second day of the Chinese New Year had been enthusiastic enough.

 

Happy times always passed quickly, and family gatherings were always short but pleasant. If it weren’t for Jing’s mother glancing at the sky outside and feeling that it might snow again, the two families might not have wanted to part yet.

 

In rural areas, it was common for unmarried young men to visit the homes of young women during the New Year. This could lead to nagging and pressure from others.

 

So, when Lin’s father suggested that they visit Jing’s family on the tenth day of the Chinese New Year, treating it as a casual visit among peers without mentioning the matchmaking, Jing’s father and mother strongly opposed the idea.

 

“It’s not urgent; we don’t have to rush things during this time. There’s no need for both families to be so anxious around the New Year. I understand your intentions, Yuanyuan, but how about you come over after the Chinese New Year? We can decide the timing then,” Jing’s mother firmly stated, not giving Lin’s father a chance to object.

 

Lin’s father knew that Jing’s family was considering Xia Xia’s feelings. Also, with Jing’s mother speaking this way, he couldn’t refuse. He could only nod with a smile, agreeing with her.

 

After they were sent off at the village entrance, the two families parted ways.

 

In the blink of an eye, it was already the eighth day of the Chinese New Year. On this day, Jing Yi had arranged to meet the lantern seller, Dan Tian, to pay the final installment and collect the red lanterns.

 

He had only confessed to his mother last night because he had been putting it off for so long. As expected, she had scolded him as he anticipated, and it was only his father’s words, “He’s grown up; let his husband handle him from now on. We won’t bother,” that had saved him from the argument.

 

The price was high, though. His mother had shifted her attention to his father, focusing on the matter of “I’m his mother, why can’t I discipline him? After marrying his husband, both these children belong to me. I should be in charge.” She had been debating this point tirelessly.

 

After breakfast, Jing’s father, dragging his tired body and ears, set off with Jing Yi. He referred to it as “going out for a change of scenery with his son.” Of course, the term “change of scenery” came from Jing Yi.

 

Dong Kuan Village

 

This village wasn’t located near the mountains but in a relatively flat area near the town. The villagers here had more land, making them relatively well-off.

 

Jing Yi had realized earlier, after bringing the lanterns home, that this was the village of Lin’s daughter’s in-laws’ family. It was said that the Zhu family in the village was considered a big household, and their shameless behavior was known to everyone. It wouldn’t be surprising if every household had heard about it.

 

As Jing Yi had never been to Dong Kuan Village before, he only had a rough idea of its location. So, he was asking for directions as they walked. It was almost noon by the time they reached the village and found Dan Tian’s house.

 

It was an ordinary rural courtyard, and it didn’t seem to be any more prosperous despite the fact that they had a skilled craft in the family. However, two fish-shaped lanterns hanging outside the courtyard were quite unique, indicating that they had put in a lot of effort to make them.

 

“Is anyone home? Is this the Dan family? Is Brother Dan here?”

 

Although the courtyard gate was open, Jing Yi still stood a few steps outside and called out politely.

 

“Here! Who is it?” A man of about the same age as Jing’s father came out and asked.

 

“Ah, it’s you. Come in quickly. Wife, prepare some tea. We have honored guests,” the man said with a big smile when he heard Jing Yi’s purpose for visiting. It seemed that this was the biggest business his son had conducted in recent times, and there was even a hundred wen of income involved.

 

While they were exchanging pleasantries, they saw Dan Tian and his wife come out from a low house to the east of the courtyard. Two children, a slightly older girl and a younger boy, followed them, holding hands. The older girl walked a few steps away but then went back to hold her brother’s hand again.

 

From the entrance hall, they could see that this small house should be the Dan family’s workshop for making lanterns.