Chapter 107: Extra – Journey to the Capital

 

In the six years of Emperor Yongkang’s rule, the people lived in peace and prosperity.

 

The Emperor spent a year consolidating control over the court, mastering discourse, and reconciling with the officials. Finally, in the second year of Yongkang, he began ambitious plans, vigorously promoting infrastructure projects in the private sector, and cleaning up the remnants from the previous reign.

 

After several years of construction and improvement, some changes in the court were still awaiting significant transformation.

 

However, the common people had experienced a lot.

 

The most significant change was the increased convenience in travel. Now, throughout the Da Yuan Dynasty, except for the extremely cold and harsh areas in the far north and the scorching lands in the far south, all regions were paved with new cement.

 

In places with rapid progress and good development, even the small paths between villages had traces of cement. People in the villages now loved to go to the town when they had nothing else to do.

 

The improved transportation also promoted economic circulation and development between provinces, cities, and even villages. The annual increase in tax revenue for the Ministry of Revenue was the best proof.

 

In early March, Jing Yi and his party embarked on the long-awaited journey to the capital.

 

They took the water route, and now the dock in Fuyang Town had been deepened and expanded, providing direct shipping to the capital with a stop in Qingzhou Prefecture but without changing ships.

 

“Big brother! How much longer until we reach the capital?” A tall and handsome young man suddenly appeared at Jing Yi’s cabin window, asking excitedly.

 

Jing Yi was startled and scolded, “You brat, how old are you now? Can’t you behave a bit more maturely! Don’t scare Guoguo!”

 

He himself wasn’t scared, quickly looking at the little Guoguo in his arms. Seeing that he wasn’t frightened and was actually looking at Dongshan with wide eyes, soon breaking into a bright smile, calling out, “Little uncle~”

 

“Ah~! Guoguo sweetheart, Uncle Dongshan will hug you~” Dongshan was enticed by the little one and quickly reached out to hold him.

 

“No! Want Father!” Guoguo heartlessly turned around, locking his small arms tightly around Jing Yi’s neck.

 

“Humph!” Jing Yi proudly glanced at Dongshan, then turned back to affectionately kiss Guoguo’s little cheek, happily coaxing him, “Guoguo is amazing! You’re truly Father’s sweetheart. Later, Father will cook sweet milk porridge for you to drink, okay?”

 

“Yeah! Hehehe.”

 

Guoguo, the second child in Jing Yi’s family, is a little ger named Jing Ruixi.

 

Originally, gers and boys in the family should not have names with the same Chinese character, but Jing Yi didn’t mind. His children’s names should reflect that they are a family.

 

After calming Guoguo, Jing Yi looked at Dongshan and asked, “It’s still about four or five days, why? Anxious?”

 

Dongshan scratched his head, smiling, “Yeah, a bit nervous. I’m afraid I won’t be able to sell them.”

 

Jing Yi encouraged him, “Be confident. Our goods are good; what is there to be afraid of?”

 

The year the Liu family fell, the two families went on vacation to Shawan Town with little An An. Jing Yi remembered the days when Dongshan and Xiao Shu acted like they were going to school as if going to a funeral, and he observed Dongjiang, who occasionally stared at Xiao Shu in a daze.

 

At that time, Jing Yi rarely reflected on himself, wondering if he had been too indulgent to these three brothers, causing them to have nothing to do all day and even lose interest in studying or finding love!

 

Fourteen or fifteen-year-old young men should have their own things to do. Jing Yi, at the age of sixteen, had already shouldered the livelihood of his entire family.

 

Since they weren’t interested in the imperial examination, why not go into business?

 

In these five years, the status of merchants in the Da Yuan Dynasty had improved a lot, and he believed it would get even better in the future.

 

So, he explained the business of cultivating pearls to the three of them.

 

Since then, the three children have had their own goals. Jing Yi, apart from guiding them when they encountered difficulties and being their angel investor, basically left them to figure things out on their own. If they succeeded, it would truly shake the jewelry industry.

 

Now, five years had passed, and the three of them had indeed cultivated several batches of high-quality freshwater pearls. Jing Yi suggested that they bring them to the capital to try their luck.

 

After all, there were many influential people here, and dealing in large quantities could fetch high prices.

 

After comforting Dongshan, Jing Yi checked the sky and arrived at the ship’s restaurant with Xiao Shu and Guoguo at the agreed time with Chuxia. The four elders didn’t come this time. Although they longed for the capital, both Jing and Lin Father felt uneasy on the ship and missed the comfort of home during the long journey.

 

The younger generation of both families had come, including An An and Guoguo, who insisted on coming despite the elders’ advice, and Jing Feng’s family of three, who came to join in the fun after hearing the news.

 

For safety, they also brought about twenty servants and subordinates.

 

Before setting off, Jing Yi considered the number of people and decided to charter a boat due to the large group. The boat was a medium-sized vessel with three decks, around thirty rooms, and fully equipped.

 

Although it was expensive, it was convenient and reassuring – a luxury worth paying for.

 

“Dadad!” Guoguo spotted Chu Xia and An An from a distance and started shouting with his tender voice.

 

At over two years old, Guoguo spoke quite clearly, except for the “gege” (big brother) sound, which he pronounced as “dadad!”

 

Jing Yi suspected that this little guy’s speech was intentional, perhaps payback for his older brother teasing him about having a big tongue when he was just over a year old.

 

“Father! Uncle! Guoguo! Come over, we’re having grilled fish today!” An An stood at the entrance of the restaurant, jumping around and calling them.

 

An An was already over five years old, taller than most children of the same age. He was lively, playful, and had his own opinions. Jing Yi couldn’t easily deceive him now.

 

As the three entered the restaurant, they saw everyone already seated.

 

Jing Yi’s eyes quickly found Chuxia, who was pouring soup by the table. He grinned and walked over. They hadn’t seen each other for an hour, but he missed him.

 

However, before they could exchange a word, he was leaned on by someone else.

 

“Xiao Shu, come, have a bowl of soup. It warms your stomach, and you’ll rest well tonight.” Dongjiang was already attentively serving Xiao Shu a bowl, placing it in front of him.

 

“Uh, thank you, I can do it myself.” Xiao Shu smiled awkwardly, sweetly accepting it.

 

…

 

Jingyi glanced at the first bowl of soup placed next to Guoguo, who was now being served a second bowl by Chuxia. He dared not express his dissatisfaction and even took the initiative to help, claiming he didn’t want Chuxia to get burned.

 

But brothers would always find ways to tease.

 

“Xiao Jiang, go find a seat at the next table with your two brothers and discuss the pearl business. Why squeeze here? Also, come help me serve the soup at our table.” What was the point of sitting here together and showing affection after claiming someone else’s cabbage?

 

“Come over, Brother Xiao Jiang, we’ve missed you, brother!” An An shouted with a strange tone.

 

“Come quickly, big brother! The food at our table is delicious too!” Dongshan also joined the teasing.

 

“…Okay, big brother.” Dongjiang helplessly stood up, glanced at the slyly smiling Xiao Shu, shook his head indulgently, and headed towards his brothers.

 

Seeing the situation, after Dongjiang sat down, Chuxia gently tapped Jing Yi, a touch so light that it wouldn’t even crush a mosquito.

 

“Ouch!” Jing Yi exclaimed, trying to please Chuxia by offering him dishes.

 

Both families were well aware of Dongjiang and Xiao Shu’s relationship, and they were happy to see it develop. However, these two seemed to enjoy playing the chase-and-run game, creating a flirtatious atmosphere without clarifying their relationship.

 

Jing Yi, as the elder brother, was anxious, afraid that his “cabbage” would suffer.

 

Chuxia, on the other hand, understood the situation. The initiative was entirely in Xiao Shu’s hands. The little white rabbit from childhood had grown into a clever and cute little fox who still loved to play and be mischievous.

 

After everyone ate to about seventy or eighty percent full, Chuxia, Xiao Shu, and Jing Feng’s husband, Xiaochen, took the three children to the deck to enjoy the breeze and aid digestion. This left a few men to discuss the follow-up sales of pearls.

 

The focus of the discussion was on the three brothers who were experts in this field. Jing Yi guided the discussion, while Jing Feng listened and learned.

 

Although the three brothers had been exposed to the knowledge from an early age, there was a vast difference between observation and practical experience.

 

Wanting to pursue a high-end route and entering the unfamiliar jewelry industry, they discussed and discussed but couldn’t reach a conclusion.

 

“Stop, let’s take it step by step. Who can tell me how much stock we currently have?” Jing Yi took charge.

 

Xiao An and Dongshan looked at each other, shrinking their heads and lowering their bodies, afraid of being named. It was the reliable Dongjiang who summarized, “We haven’t collected pearls below three carats; they are still growing. For four to five carats, there are over four thousand, weighing about fifteen catties. For six carats, we have six hundred and ten pearls; seven carats have a hundred and two pearls, and eight carats only have thirty-nine pearls.”

 

Jing Yi nodded approvingly, “Well done. You’ve differentiated them by size. Is there a distinction in luster and roundness?”

 

Dongjiang, with a serious and slightly nervous expression, replied, “No. I previously investigated jewelry stores in Qingzhou Prefecture, and they sell based on size only. The problem is that they sell at extremely high prices, and we’re a bit…”

 

The other two brothers quickly added, “Yes, big brother. They only differentiate by size.”

 

“That’s too expensive. Can we attract customers by selling at this price?”

 

It seemed too unrealistic. A string of six-carat pearls, made into a bracelet with a dozen beads, was priced at eight hundred taels. There was also a string of prayer beads made from a hundred and eight five-carat pearls, priced at four thousand five hundred taels.

 

It was genuinely frightening.

 

Could they really sell them at such high prices?