Chapter 11

A Grand Investment

Although she was a personal maid to the principal wife of the Wei noble household, Ning-ning had rarely ever left the Wei Manor.

What was the world outside the manor like? How did trade operate? What kinds of goods were available in the marketplace? These were things she had never sought to understand or learn about.

For the past ten or so years, she had only been familiar with pharmacies and medical clinics located near the district where nobles and high-ranking officials resided. This was because, during the time when Mistress Lijin still had strength and governed the Wei Manor, she had to manage various affairs and serve as the mistress’s hands, feet, eyes, and ears.

The only reason she became acquainted with such establishments was due to the hardships of the past three years, where she had to personally care for her mistress and the three young masters without rest.

If one were to consider who had the most interaction with the world outside the manor, it would likely be Auntie Huang and Steward Wei Chang, as they were responsible for managing the household provisions, making purchases, and acquiring everything the mistresses and young masters and the young misses required.

Come to think of it, life within a noble household in this era was much like a cage. Lijin reflected on the stories she had read and had thought that a woman's life in this time period would involve responsibilities beyond merely managing the household.

For example, socializing, representing their husband's family with dignity, ensuring the upbringing of their children, and acting as a bridge for forming alliances between noble families through marriage ties...

However, when she brought up this topic, Ning-ning displayed slight dissatisfaction toward the master of the household. The maid merely remarked that Master Wei had taken First Furen Lijin outside the manor so few times they could be counted on one hand. And normally, her mistress, Lijin, would decline any outings, as managing the household assets and overseeing internal affairs had already drained much of her energy.

Even knowing this, Wei Yongjian never ceased bringing in concubines, continuously burdening his principal wife without end. Eventually, power in Lijin’s hands was wrested away due to the jealousy of the two Second Furens.

Upon learning this, Lijin could only feel pity for herself, having endured relentless work since the age of seventeen. As for Meiying and Ningjian, they had now taken on burdens that would undoubtedly leave those two venomous snakes scrambling. Living comfortably was not to their liking—if they wished to invite trouble upon themselves, so be it.

The information about the city of Nihe, which had been relayed through her trusted maid over the past three days, had greatly broadened Lijin’s understanding.

Nihe was an outer city of the Shuilong Kingdom, though not so remote as to be on the kingdom’s border. As it was located on a vast floodplain with a major river of murky currents flowing through its center, the city was named Nihe (泥河)—which literally meant "Muddy River."

Besides rice cultivation as the primary livelihood, the city's most valuable resource was its naturally refined clay, so fine that it required no additional filtering. Pottery from this city was ranked among the finest, being the sole producer of ceramics in the northern region, with quality comparable to another renowned pottery city in the south.

As such, the majority of the city's inhabitants were rice farmers, comprising five-tenths of the population. Another three-tenths were pottery craftsmen. The remaining two-tenths were divided among merchants who imported goods from other cities and those in the food trade, catering to the daily sustenance of the people.

However... the business that Lijin was most interested in was the book trade, an industry that had yet to flourish in Nihe. Becoming a scholar required a substantial investment, and while Emperor Shuilong Jin Guang had decreed upon his ascension that the imperial examination system for government positions would no longer be restricted to established noble families, how could ordinary commoners afford to acquire rare and costly books to further their education and intellectual pursuits?

Paper was an expensive commodity. Even though Ning-ning had inquired about the lowest quality paper rolls, they still cost as much as two taels of silver.

Brushes, inkstones, and ink sticks were even more costly than paper. The artisans who crafted brushes, inkstones, and ink sticks for scholars to use in their studies and literary works were few in number. The higher the quality, the greater the price.

For the most affordable set of brush, inkstone, and ink stick, the total price was already twenty taels of silver. This was merely a beginner's writing set intended for noble family heirs. If one wished to acquire a slightly higher-grade set, ensuring better durability and longer usability, the starting price would be as high as fifty taels of silver.

Lijin now understood why Second Furens and concubines harbored such envy toward her son, Jiusi, for having the opportunity to learn reading and writing. He was only one of the three sons of Wei Yongjian who had been granted such an exceptional privilege.

"Was Si'er’s writing set a cheap beginner’s one?"

"No, My Mistress… At that time, Master Wei was extremely pleased with Young Master Jiusi’s intelligence, so he rewarded him with a writing set worth as much as fifteen taels of gold."

Fifteen taels of gold meant one hundred and fifty taels of silver.

Lijin’s eyes widened slightly. Her son had writing equipment more luxurious than his siblings by one-third. No wonder… misfortune had come upon her and her child.

Could such a trivial sum of money truly incite endless hatred? Lijin felt exasperated by the mindset of the two Second Furens.

She considered borrowing the little one's writing tools. However, upon recalling the past, she realized that she had never seen Jiusi bring any of his belongings home, nor did he ever need to take any writing tools when going to study. When she asked Ning-ning, she learned that those precious items were stored in the Academy Hall and could not be carried around freely. As his mother, she could not help but feel slightly irritated.

It seemed that the first investment would be quite hefty...

She wished to write or take on book-copying work to build up funds while recuperating. But if she were to use a low-quality practice set, it would likely cause long-term problems.

At the very least… she needed to invest in the fifty-tael gold writing set. The key issue was whether she could secure book-copying work as she had hoped.

"The owner of the largest bookstore refuses to accept writing from unfamiliar people, madam. So there is only one other shop, which I have already spoken with…"

"What did they say? Will there be a test first? What are the details?" Lijin asked Ning-ning eagerly, urging her maid to relay the information quickly.

"Although he seemed indifferent and not particularly friendly, the owner of Yanyu Bookstore did not outright refuse, madam. He said to submit a sample page of calligraphy for evaluation. If it met the standard, she would be assigned a book to copy. Afterward, he would decide whether to offer long-term work. As for the payment… um… allow me to recall for a moment, madam."

"….." Lijin listened intently. Ning-ning had to remember a great deal over the past three days, and this situation had occurred frequently before.

She had her own way of retaining information—it simply took her a moment to retrieve it. Moreover, book-copying contracts were more complex than other forms of employment.

"Ah… I remember now, madam. One page consists of forty characters, with a minimum pay rate of one cash coin per character. A book typically contains fifty to sixty pages, which amounts to…" Ning-ning carefully counted on her fingers but could not match her mistress’s quick mental calculations.

"Two taels of silver per book. Hmm… not too bad," Lijin nodded in satisfaction. If she performed well, copying twenty-five small books would be enough to recoup the full cost of the writing tools. Another key concern—would the bookstore owner provide the materials for copying?

"He will provide only paper and ink sticks, madam. The owner said that a brush is a scholar’s weapon, and each person must have one suited to their own hand. Therefore, he cannot supply them…" It seemed that inkstones were also excluded. Most were crafted from expensive jade stone, making borrowing unsuitable.

This investment carried extremely high risks in Lijin’s view. The five-tael gold writing set came with two rolls of high-quality paper, but that was nearly all the money she had left in her possession.

If she failed… she feared that she might never have another chance to rise again. The matter of gaining freedom from the Wei family would have to be set aside as well. However, if she did not take action now, nothing would ever change. She and her child would have to continue enduring life in this viper’s nest.

In Lijin’s mind, failing to take the first step was a failure in itself. Thus, she made her decision quickly, entrusting a large sum of money to Ning-ning to handle the purchase of supplies the next day.

The golden shimmering frame visible only to her eyes was the power that gave her confidence in this gamble. Lijin was certain that the power she had received would not allow her or her family to fall into hardship... Ultimately, the uncertain outcome depended on her own efforts.

The Next Day...

After sending her children off to study and complete the daily routine, Ning-ning waited to receive the supplies that Aunt Huang had promised to deliver to the residence of First Furen Lijin. Several male servants carried a large quantity of provisions, authorized by Steward Wei Chang, and stored them in the kitchen of this residence. They then reminded her that these were emergency supplies—daily meals for the young masters, young misses, and the still-recovering mistress were still to be collected from the main kitchen of the Wei Manor.

Even Ning-ning could hardly believe what she was hearing. She had never expected Wei Chang and Aunt Huang to allow this dilapidated residence to receive such an abundance of grains, dried meat, and pickled vegetables.

"If you need anything else, just let me know in the kitchen. No need to hold back." Each of the servants received a few copper coins as a tip, Aunt Huang included. This was an act of goodwill that Ning-ning had carried out on her mistress’s orders for so long that it had become second nature, gradually fostering positive sentiment toward this residence among many of the manor’s servants.

"Thank you so much, Aunt Huang…" Ning-ning’s eyes welled with tears. Even Lijin, who was lying inside, listening carefully, wondered whether her maid had a hidden talent for acting.

But that was not the important matter she had been anxiously waiting for today.

Lijin lay on the bed, lifting her hands, which had regained some of their suppleness. Much of her strength had returned.

The golden frame of light still appeared whenever she willed it. The moment she thought about which characters to write, guiding lines shone clearly…

Today, she will finally begin writing as she had planned. She could hardly wait.