Chapter 11: County Town Business

But what was she supposed to do with such a pittance of silver? Truly, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal without rice.

Seeing Chen Ningya frown, Wen Youshan immediately said nervously, "Wife, don't worry. I can still earn some money by hunting and doing odd jobs. It’s just that with the spring plowing and the children falling ill recently, I haven't been going deep into the mountains, just setting a few traps. The game I caught was kept for us to eat, so naturally, the income dropped. I’ll head into the mountains tomorrow to take a look."

Chen Ningya’s brow relaxed, and she chuckled softly, "You didn't hunt in previous years either. Even if the money from hunting could feed the family, it couldn't change our circumstances. If conditions allow, I still want to send the children to school."

Wen Yuanliang, who had just reached the door of their room, froze in his tracks, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief. He then heard Chen Ningya continue, "Of all pursuits, only education is noble. We could live a life of poverty and contentment, but the children are still young, and their lives hold infinite possibilities. I don't want them to suffer as we do just because we are poor. Look at the eldest; he’s already eight. If he doesn't start his enlightenment now, it will be too late. I could teach him myself, but it would never compare to a proper teacher."

Chen Ningya rambled on for quite a while, and Wen Yuanliang stood at the door for a long time before turning to leave.

In the past, Wen Youshan had never thought so much. Fushan Village was tucked away in a mountain gully and was very poor. All the children in the village grew up this way; as long as they were fed and clothed, everyone was satisfied. As for other ideas, he truly hadn't had any—or rather, he hadn't dared to think of them. Now, hearing Chen Ningya put it this way, Wen Youshan felt a bit dazed.

Chen Ningya was also afraid that saying too much would put too much pressure on Wen Youshan. She patted his shoulder soothingly and said, "These things can't be rushed. When you have time in the future, ask around about schooling. If possible, send the eldest first. The second is only four, so there’s no rush. We’ll take it slow. Don't forget, we still haven't received the compensation from the Deng family."

At the mention of the Deng family, a hint of ruthlessness appeared in Chen Ningya's eyes. Back then, Magistrate Shen had ruled that the Deng family must pay her twenty taels of silver. Even if the Deng family had to smash their pots and sell their iron to pay it, she wasn't worried.

Wen Youshan patted his head, "I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. I went to ask about it half a month ago. The people at the county office said the Deng family couldn't come up with twenty taels and needed to sell their property. I'll go ask again tomorrow. It’s been a month now; the Deng family should have gathered the money."

Wen Youshan now hated the Deng father and son to the core. He cared much more about these twenty taels than Chen Ningya did; after all, it was money Chen Ningya had traded her life for.

The next day, before dawn, Wen Youshan got up and left. If he didn't hurry, he wouldn't be able to make the round trip in one day.

Chen Ningya knew he was going to the county seat and specifically took twenty wen from the cabinet for him, "The county seat is not close. If possible, catch a ride in town to save some time. When you get to the county, don't go hungry just to save a wen or two. If there are any copper coins left, buy some snacks for the children. They’ve had a hard time lately."

Not to mention the two sick little ones, the eldest had been much more obedient and sensible lately, helping with many chores around the house. As for the two youngest, they didn't cry or make a fuss, which was a huge help in itself.

Hearing this, Wen Youshan nodded in agreement. When he left, he also took the rabbit skins and wild bird eggs he had saved up. Since it was a rare trip to the county seat, it would be a pity not to sell something.

At the foot of the mountain, Wen Youshan specifically went to the Sun and Huang households to say he was going to the county seat, and both families handed over their saved eggs for him to take.

These eggs sold for three wen for two in town, but two wen for one in the county seat—the difference was not insignificant.

After making his rounds, Wen Youshan didn't leave the village until his basket was full. Once in town, he followed Chen Ningya's instructions and found a donkey cart heading to the county, paying three wen. A bullock cart would have saved him one wen, but it wasn't as fast as a donkey cart, so he chose the more expensive one to save time.

He arrived at the county seat from town exactly at noon. There were fewer street vendors, but Wen Youshan didn't just stand around selling blindly. Instead, he first asked around for a clothing store. In the past, he had always sold furs to fabric shops in town, knowing they would eventually sell them to clothing stores. Unfortunately, there were no clothing stores in town, so his furs never fetched a good price. Today, Wen Youshan wanted to try his luck. If possible, he hoped to earn a little more. His requirements weren't high; he just wanted to cover the cost of his travel.

After finding out which clothing store in the county was the most honest, Wen Youshan walked and peddled his goods. By the time he found Duan’s Clothing Store, he had already sold quite a few eggs from his basket.

The shop assistant saw a customer and immediately stepped forward enthusiastically, "What would you like to buy, sir? We have all kinds of clothes here."

Seeing that Wen Youshan wasn't dressed well, the assistant considerately led him to look at the linen garments. Ordinary families wore linen; those with a bit of money wore fine linen, and the poor wore coarse linen. The shop was stocked mostly with linen.

Wen Youshan took a look and asked nervously, "Young man, I’m not here to buy clothes. I wanted to ask if you buy furs?"

The assistant was a bit disappointed at the first half of the sentence, but upon hearing the second half, his face brightened, "Yes, we do! But we judge furs based on their quality and the tanning craft. If the furs are well-prepared, the price is naturally higher. Having said that, I don't know what kind of furs you're selling?"

"Rabbit skins." Wen Youshan didn't hesitate. As he spoke, he put down his basket, removed the cover, and spread the skins out one by one.

Rabbit skins weren't rare, but they were in high demand. The assistant took one look and immediately said, "Sir, please wait a moment. I’ll go call the manager."

Before long, a middle-aged man with a thin mustache and wearing a long gown came out from the backyard with the assistant. As soon as he entered, he noticed Wen Youshan, who was standing in the shop with his back straight and looking slightly nervous. He asked gently, "You’re the one selling furs?"

Wen Youshan nodded and handed over his furs, "These are rabbit skins I tanned myself."

The manager saw his movements were a bit stiff and smiled knowingly. He took the skins outside and examined them carefully under the bright sun. After looking them all over, he said to Wen Youshan, "Young man, these skins of yours are actually quite decent. Although they are ordinary rabbit skins, they are intact and processed quite cleanly. If you had a large quantity, I could give you more, but since you only have seven or eight, how about this: I’ll give you sixty wen per skin."

Wen Youshan’s eyes lit up, and he looked up abruptly, but he was smart enough to keep quiet.

Seeing this, the manager explained, "We usually buy in bulk. For skins of this quality, we pay sixty-something wen each, but we require at least twenty skins. Since you only have seven or eight, the quantity isn't enough, so this is the best price I can offer."