Mr. Jing and His Little Husband

Early the next morning, Jing Yi deliberately woke up early, thinking about meeting his important client in town today.

This time, he tidied himself up nicely. Although his clothes were still short and his pants were still patched, at least the color was a bright dark blue, and he neatly tied up his hair.

After having breakfast and preparing everything, he was ready to set off. Before leaving, he walked around the kitchen to see if there was anything missing that they needed to buy later.

This was a habit Jing Yi developed from his solitary modern living. He regularly purchased daily necessities, and when he had spare time, he would even do a big shopping haul. It must be said that stockpiling goods gives a sense of satisfaction.

“Mom, Dad, I’m leaving. I’ll try to come back for lunch. If it gets too late, don’t wait for me, just go ahead and eat.” Jing Yi greeted his parents and waved as he walked toward the courtyard gate.

“Don’t rush on the road. There’s water in this bamboo tube. Drink it on the way. Your mouth was dry when you came back yesterday.” Liu Caiyun chased after him and handed a bamboo tube filled with water to her eldest son, along with fifty wen.

She knew her eldest son had gone to the kitchen before leaving, and he would definitely be buying something for the family. She didn’t want him to spend his own money on it. “Take this money to buy things. I still have money here, so don’t worry. I’ll stew the rabbit for lunch, and if you can’t make it back in time, I’ll save a bowl for you.”

“Okay, I’m sure it will be delicious.” Jing Yi smiled and replied.

The journey was uneventful, and Jing Yi arrived in Fuyang Town once again. He had a bit more confidence this time. He went straight to the back entrance of Jixiange and coincidentally saw the same shop assistant cleaning at the door.

“Young man, what a coincidence. Could you please call shopkeeper Huang, for me?” Jing Yi bowed slightly to the shop assistant, who immediately returned the gesture. The shop assistant’s attitude was noticeably different from yesterday, perhaps due to instructions from shopkeeper Huang.

“You’re too polite. Wait here, and I’ll call shopkeeper Huang, for you.”

After a moment, shopkeeper Huang, came out. Let’s skip the pleasantries for now. Jing Yi was straightforward and got to the point, “Shopkeeper Huang, I’m here to trouble you again today. Yesterday, while hunting, I caught a valuable item that took a lot of effort. I originally planned to sell it in the county town, but luckily, I met a kind person who told me about you. I thought since you’re from the capital, you must have a higher level of understanding than the people in the county town. So I came here first to show it to you.” He expressed himself beautifully, mentioning the hardships of his hunt and implying that the goods were easy to sell, while also giving practical flattery.

Sure enough, a pleased and proud expression appeared on Shopkeeper Huang’s friendly face. It seemed that Jing Yi’s flattery hit the mark.

Indeed, Anchang County was certainly more developed than Fuyang Town, and people’s material lives were more abundant. However, compared to Qingzhou Prefecture, it still fell short. After all, there were possibly over a hundred Anchang Counties in the Dayuan Dynasty, but Qingzhou Prefecture could be considered the fourth largest prefecture in Dayuan, indicating its level of prosperity.

“Young Master Jing exaggerates. I have only traveled with my master to various places and gained some experience with the market.” In an instant, Shopkeeper Huang resumed his friendly and modest demeanor. “I wonder what you’ve brought today?”

Without further ado, Jing Yi took out the dark purple-black ferret from his basket and carefully showed it to Shopkeeper Huang.

Seeing Shopkeeper Huang’s interest, Jing Yi began subtly promoting the mink, saying, “Since I brought this little ferret back yesterday, I’ve been taking care of it at home. It eats when it’s fed and drinks when it’s given water. It’s very easy to raise.”

He glanced at Shopkeeper Huang’s expression, which didn’t reveal much, and continued his efforts. “My younger brother really likes it. He went to see it more than five times yesterday afternoon and even personally fed it pine cones. The little creature doesn’t bite people randomly; it’s quite well-behaved.”

However, Jing Yi wasn’t lying. After bringing the mink home yesterday, he discovered that it wasn’t aggressive at all. It became obedient as long as it was given food.

“This little ferret is indeed beautiful, although the color isn’t so unique. However, it is a carnivorous animal and can be quite fierce,” Shopkeeper Huang remarked.

When Jing Yi initially took out the ferret, Shopkeeper Huang secretly felt delighted. He had been worrying about a task assigned by his master recently. They wanted to find some small pets for the elderly lady in the mansion to keep as companions. The elderly lady was devout in Buddhism, and if she decided to keep them, she would definitely treat them well. It’s not every day that someone hands you an opportunity like this. However, he didn’t show any emotions on the surface.

“Shopkeeper Huang, although the color is not unique, this ferret indeed has good appearance. And to be honest, its temperament is well-behaved. I’ve kept it at my house for a day, and it hardly makes any noise as long as it’s well-fed. It also tends to be affectionate,” Jing Yi said.

Jing Yi was happy inside because he knew that when a buyer starts critiquing your goods, discussing the pros and cons, and negotiating the price, it means the transaction is heading towards success. Buyers who blindly praise your goods won’t end up buying them.

“Alright, young man, you seem sincere, and I’ve heard that this kind of ferret is indeed difficult to catch. Give me a price,” Shopkeeper Huang said. He noticed that Jing Yi had a way with words and didn’t seem like a simple farmer. He no longer intended to haggle and wanted to establish a good relationship.

Jing Yi smiled bitterly and replied, “To be honest, this is the first time I’ve caught such a rare creature. If my family didn’t urgently need silver, I would have kept it for my younger brother. I trust you, so please give a fair price.”

Shopkeeper Huang, upon hearing this, didn’t play coy either. If he wanted to establish a good relationship, he had to offer a fair price. Besides, Jing Yi’s character truly matched his taste. He was smooth-talking without being too worldly, articulate but not obsequious.

“Alright, for a ferret of this size, this quality would fetch around thirteen to eighteen taels in the capital. Your ferret has a smooth coat and good appearance, but it’s not a top-grade specimen. Considering Fuyang Town is not comparable to the capital, I’ll offer you fifteen taels. Let’s consider it a hope that Jing Yi will take care of our business at Jixiange in the future.”

“No problem, fifteen taels it is. Shopkeeper Huang, you’re being too kind. It’s you who’s taking care of my business,” Jing Yi replied.

That was a correct statement. Shopkeeper Huang was indeed a person who knew how to act. Nowadays, with the power and influence of Jixiange, he didn’t have to give Jing Yi face like this.

The price offered was indeed fair. The price in the capital wasn’t the same as in the town. Moreover, Jing Yi himself had gone to the capital and was unfamiliar with the place, so he might not have been able to sell it at a higher price. Originally, Jing Yi estimated that selling it for around ten taels would be decent.

With the deal done, Jing Yi bid farewell to Shopkeeper Huang, carrying fifteen taels, which was equivalent to three ingots of five taels each.

After completing the major task, he went to make purchases. First, he went to the government’s salt shop to buy a jin of salt, which cost thirty-five wen. Salt had always been expensive in ancient times, regardless of the dynasty. It was a major source of income for the imperial court. Compared to the historical knowledge Jing Yi possessed, thirty-five wen for coarse salt was already quite cheap.

As for fine salt and refined salt, their prices were something he didn’t dare to look at currently.

After buying the salt, he could take the rest of the items to the market to sell.

Returning to the previous market, Jing Yi first went to a butcher’s stall. He intended to buy some large cuts of meat to take home and render some lard. Lately, he had been eating plain oil and didn’t often have meat, so his taste buds were craving something richer. By rendering some lard and using it for cooking, the food would become flavorful and nutritious.

At the pork stall, Jing Yi asked about the prices. Regular pork was fourteen wen per jin, fatty pork was sixteen wen per jin, and there was also lard specifically sold, which was even more expensive at twenty wen per jin.

Jing Yi asked for one jin of meat and one jin of fatty pork. He also noticed the big bones that the owner had placed under the stall, with almost all the meat shaved off. He inquired about the price, and it was one wen for two bones. He decided to buy four big bones to take home for making soup, spending a total of twenty-two wen.

With fifty wen given by his mother not completely used up, Jing Yi thought of buying some practical items. He saw a neat and tidy old woman on the market selling coarse cloth shoes. He thought that both he and his two younger brothers were still growing, and their shoes from last year probably didn’t fit well anymore. His parents’ shoes were even more worn out.

Jing Yi believed that the feet were the most hardworking part of the body and should be treated well. He approached the old woman and asked, “Auntie, how much are the shoes?”

“Young man, are you buying them for your family? These adult shoes are eight wen per pair, and children’s shoes are six wen per pair. Take a look, Auntie doesn’t boast, but the craftsmanship is truly impeccable. The coarse cloth used is also of good quality, woven by Auntie herself,” the old woman replied.

Indeed, the old woman didn’t boast. Although the prices were one or two wen higher than elsewhere, the craftsmanship was excellent, with meticulous workmanship and tight stitching. The coarse cloth on the shoe uppers also looked sturdy.

Jing Yi spent forty wen to buy three pairs of adult shoes, two pairs of children’s shoes, and five pairs of insoles for better comfort.

Making a pair of shoes required a lot of effort, straining the eyes and hands. Liu Caiyun would sit at the front door of the main hall at home, making winter shoes with needle and thread. Jing Yi felt sorry for his mother and didn’t want to burden her with summer shoes.

After buying the items, he packed them up in his basket as usual and happily headed home.

Arriving home, the rabbit stew was just ready. Jing Yi’s father saw him return and quickly asked him to wash his hands and face to cool down. Then he helped Jing Yi’s mother set the table and serve the food. Once the rabbit meat was on the table, he promptly called his sons to come and eat.

Jing Yi’s mother cooked the rabbit with soybeans. It was simple, with only ginger, green onion, salt, and soybean sauce added. She also added some leftover white wine from the New Year to remove the gamey taste, mainly simmering it for a long time.

With every bite, the juices overflowed, the meat was tender with a slight chew, and it had a savory and flavorful taste. They finished the whole pot of rabbit meat and soybeans, and even the sauce was wiped clean by Jing Yi’s father and Jing’an using cornmeal buns.

Delicious food brought joy, and after cleaning up the table and washing the dishes, Jing Yi led his parents to their room in a mysterious manner.

He explained everything in detail, not wanting his parents to worry. Finally, he handed over fifteen taels of silver to his mother and said, “Mother, hold onto this money and save it to buy land in the future.”

Speaking of land, Jing Yi’s parents’ eyes immediately turned red. Land was the livelihood of farmers, the fundamental means of making a living.

The Jing family originally had ten mu of fertile land. Although productivity was low in ancient times, ten mu of fertile land provided just enough food for a family of five for a year.

Because of Jing Yi’s original body’s circumstances, they had sold five mu of land. By this year’s autumn harvest, the grain from those five mu of land would no longer be enough for the following year’s consumption.

This matter had been causing Jing Yi’s father to be restless and unable to sleep for the past month or so.