Chapter 808: A House With a Yard
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lin Yishi and his family had been living in Su Teng Village for three days. He had walked around daily and explored his surroundings since they moved here.
However, he grew increasingly shocked by the day. He realized how unique Su Teng Village was, not to mention how good it was to start a business. Even if a shop owner sold simple things, they would quickly sell out.
After all, many people lived in Su Teng Village, especially since each factory had hundreds of workers. Moreover, there were no government officials to drive the vendors away. If one wanted to set up a stall to sell things, they could willingly do so.
Even so, the vendors would not occupy the road and get in people’s way. Instead, they had to set up their stalls in specific areas. Therefore, everything seemed orderly, even though many people set up stalls on the streets.
Lin Yishi said, “Mother, the atmosphere here is so harmonious. No one argued with each other just to seize a good spot to open their stalls. Everyone set up their stalls in an orderly fashion while the customers patiently waited in line.
“There’s Lady Lin’s Steamed Buns and Old Madam Yangs multigrain pancake shop right outside the dorms. I saw so many people queueing up for their food.’
Lin Yishi was shocked to see so many people there. He continued, “l saw a mala hotpot restaurant with plenty of customers, too. I heard it’s delicious, but a meal there costs ten or even dozens of copper.”
Lin Yishi and his family had led careful lives. Ten copper coins were a lot to them, so they could not afford to eat at the mala hotpot restaurant.
Nonetheless, Lin Yishi realized that all the shops here went well.
He had also considered buying cured meats for his mother, wife, and son to taste. However, he wanted to make money by selling scones first. He would keep whatever money he had now for a rainy day. After all, he was unfamiliar with Su Teng Village.
Old Madam Lin had also walked around the village. She conversed with the villagers and learned many things about the village.
Old Madam Lin said, “Yishi, I heard that we can rent these shops, but we’ll only have to start paying in the second year. Let’s rent a smaller one since it’s only two and a half silver a month.”
The rent was similar to that in their home village, which was within the family’s budget. Of course, they knew Cai Shi would start work in the paper mill soon and earn a hundred and eighty copper a month. She would also receive bonuses of up to a few silver.
Old Madam Lin figured she could afford the rent if the scones sold well. Nonetheless, the rent for the first year was free. If they no longer wanted the shop, they could stop using it to avoid paying rent.
Of course, they could not move to another shop to get another year’s worth of free rent after choosing to stop their business.
“It’s not easy to set up a stall when it’s windy or too hot. It’ll be different if we rent a shop because we can leave our things inside instead of packing them up whenever we close.’
Old Madam Lin wanted to help her son but could not work in the paper mill because she was old. Hence, she looked forward to selling scones with her son.
Cai Shi raised her brows, saying, “Yishi, your mother has a point. I heard that I’ll work for five days a week and have two rest days. I can help at the shop during my rest days.
“Besides, I think you can earn a lot if you sell hundreds of scones a day. You might even sell more than a hundred. Since you saw so many people lining up at the multigrain pancake shop, then you should do well, too.”
Cai Shi did the math and realized they could continue renting the shop even after the first year, especially if the scones business were good. Moreover, Lin Yishi had a severe injury in his leg, and his wife did not want him to overwork himself.
Lin Xiaoxi said, “l want to help, too!”
Although he was still a child, he was thoughtful and caring.
Cai Shi caressed her son’s hair and sighed. “You’re still young. You’ll start attending Blue Mountain Academy tomorrow. Your father, grandma, and I can handle the grown-up stuff, okay?”
When the family finally got back to their feet and improved their living conditions. Cai Shi planned to buy her son better food and even toys. After all. she saw the nearby toy factory and thought of Lin Xiaoxi.
“l heard the toys from the factory are educational,” Cai Shi said.
Old Madam Lin added, “Oh, I heard Princess Ruobing built and established Blue Mountain Academy, so it has to be good. Mr. Kong is the principal, and the teachers there are famous scholars.
“It’s a blessing that Xiaoxi has an opportunity to study there for free. He can learn a lot, even if he doesn’t want to take the Imperial Exams.”
Lin Yishi and his wife thought so, too. Thus, they were grateful to Prince Ruozhu and Princess Binglan.
They knew Su Binglan was a fantastic person who did not have the bearing of a princess. Instead, she sincerely wanted to help them. If it were not for her, Lin Yishi and his family would not be in Su Teng Village.
Nioreover, she had cured Old Madam Lin. With the latter around, she could help care for the house and Lin Xiaoxi, while Cai Shi felt at ease when working away from home,
Old Madam Lin continued, “We still have some leftover money, so let’s work harder and buy ourselves a house. We can even buy land before building our own. That way, we can have a yard to raise livestock.”
Although it was good to live in the dormitory, she wanted a house with a yard. Plus, she would feel more comfortable living in a house the family would own.
Cai Shi’s heart skipped a beat because she had a similar thought. “You’re right,
Mother-in-law. Although the dorm is spacious, we can’t raise livestock.”
Old Madam Lin nodded, saying, “Raising chickens and ducks doesn’t take much time or effort. They’ll then lay eggs that we can use to cook. It’s better than spending money to buy eggs. We can save that money for something else.”
The older woman had grown accustomed to living a frugal life. However, she wanted to provide better food and care for her grandson.
Old Madam Lin said, “I’ve asked around, and the villagers said that the Su family’s Fourth Young Master collects duck feathers and buys eggs. If we have extra eggs, we can sell them to him.”
Everyone felt motivated at that moment. Lin Yishi said, “Mother, we can earn a lot as long as we work hard.” Cai Shi agreed, “I think so, too..”
