"You don't know this, but bean sprout jerky made elsewhere is nowhere near as flavorful," the boss shook his head. "It's because the soybeans here in Anyang County make the tastiest bean sprout jerky."
Zheng Ruqian suddenly understood and left the restaurant wiping his mouth after the meal.
Jiang Si asked him, "Young master, are you going to ship two carts of dried bean sprouts back to the manor?"
Zheng Ruqian nodded, then shook his head.
He wanted to buy the bean sprout jerky, and although Anyang County was only four days away from Anshui Prefecture, Zheng Ruqian no longer had enough people he could trust. Entrusting it all to Pang Dashan didn't feel right either, so he decided to try growing and drying the bean sprouts himself.
He would buy some soybean seeds to take back and have the village women work their magic with sunlight and heat.
That day, master and servant transported two carts of dried bean sprouts back.
Two catties of fresh bean sprouts dried to just one liang, so the bean sprout jerky was quite expensive. Ordinary vegetables were considered a good deal at two coins per catty, but the bean sprout jerky sold for fifty coins per catty. The five hundred catties in the two carts cost a whopping twenty-five taels of silver.
This was Jiang Si's first time watching the young master do business, and his heart pounded anxiously, terrified that the bean sprout jerky wouldn't sell and that twenty-five taels of silver would be wasted.
At the same time, five siblings in Xieyang County were just as nervous.
"Fourth brother, you're alright?" Jiang Sheng rushed forward and grabbed Wen Zhiyun's sleeve, inspecting him. "Second brother didn't lose any arms or legs, did he?"
Wen Zhiyun stood up straight and solemnly declared, "Nothing happened on my watch."
Nearby, Xu Mo and Chang Yan were pleasantly surprised that the usually timid little fourth brother could have such resolute moments, and they were happy for him.
"That's good, that's good," Jiang Sheng patted her chest. "Looks like I'll have to accompany second brother next time. I just can't stop worrying when I'm not with him, he always encounters danger."
Wen Zhiyun's eyes twitched.
Beside them, Jiang Yi, Jiang Er, and Jiang San all knelt down on one knee. "We failed in protecting the young master."
Servants should call themselves "slaves," but Xu Mo allowed them to use "subordinate", treating them more like soldiers in training.
"You do bear responsibility," Fang Heng's face darkened as he recalled his father's teachings on military discipline. "Each of you will receive ten rod strokes later."
As servants, their masters' safety came first. Zheng Ruqian was unharmed this time, but it wouldn't be just ten strokes if something had happened.
Jiang Yi, Jiang Er, and Jiang San lowered their heads, acquiescing to the punishment.
Xu Mo coughed to break the tense atmosphere. "Second brother said the prefect of Anshui is being replaced. He also said the Wang family wants that position?"
"To be precise, the Sun family wants that position," Wen Zhiyun softly corrected.
The Sun family was Lady Wang's maiden family.
Xu Mo was pondering this when Jiang San couldn't resist speaking up. "Subordinate has something to report."
"Report," Fang Heng uttered.
Jiang San vividly recounted everything that had happened at the entrance of Gaoyuan Residence.
Details overlooked by silly second brother and muddleheaded fourth brother were now presented before everyone.
Chang Yan almost immediately concluded, "There is disharmony within the Wang family."
That was why Lady Wang had to rely on her maiden family rather than the Wangs.
He and Xu Mo exchanged a tacit look. The long absent rapport had resurfaced.
Perhaps no one in the Wang family cared for Fang Heng, but the Wangs' internal discord gave them an opportunity. Even if they couldn't overturn the Wangs, they absolutely could not let the prefect's seat fall into the Sun family's hands.
As for the truly crucial information about the Jiang family, it had been ignored by all six siblings.
Chang Yan stood up and looked approvingly at Jiang San. "Third brother, you're a capable subordinate, very perceptive."
Fang Heng promptly nodded. "Rewarded with half a day of free time."
Military discipline involves both rewards and punishments. Merits and faults cannot offset each other, but can coexist.
After the young masters and ladies left to attend to their own matters, Jiang Yi and Jiang Er looked on Jiang San enviously.
They were all children from destitute families. They used to go hungry, dreaming of eating their fill and wearing warm clothes. But after signing their contracts and eating well and dressing warmly, the arduous training made them yearn for free time.
This wasn't greed on their part, but human nature.
Although Fang Heng lacked attentiveness, he was an intelligent person. The half day of freedom was indeed the best reward, and also motivated Jiang Yi and Jiang Er to be more observant and clever in seeking opportunities to accomplish things.
"Jiang San, what are you planning to do with your half day?" Jiang Yi asked.
Jiang San stared blankly for a moment. "The new year is coming."
That's right, the new year was coming.
Jiang Sheng stood at the clothing shop entrance. Last year they didn't have much money and huddled in the dilapidated temple watching the brief fireworks, imagining getting rich someday.
In the blink of an eye, a year had passed and their family situation had completely transformed.
At the very least, Jiang Sheng no longer had to go to the clothing shop and only afford the cheapest gray padded jacket that hung baggily on her like a child wearing an adult's clothes.
This year she could proudly buy the padded coats and embroidered shoes cherished by girls her age, even without smooth big pearls.
Nine-year-old Jiang Sheng now had the makings of a young lady. Wearing a new padded coat made her look even more elegant and charming.
In contrast, Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun didn't seem to have grown at all these past two years, and were on the verge of being overtaken by Jiang Sheng. As a result, neither boy liked standing next to Jiang Sheng anymore.
"Fourth brother, fifth brother, let's go buy new year goods," Jiang Sheng waved at them. "We'll wait for second brother to come back and celebrate the new year together."
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan stood in place, unwilling to go over.
The shrewd Chang Yan glanced at the fourth brother. "Little sister is calling you."
Wen Zhiyun bit his lip, his brows slightly creased in melancholy. "You go, little fifth."
Chang Yan looked up at the sky.
Wen Zhiyun looked down at the ground.
In any case, they couldn't be called over.
Jiang Sheng was also temperamental now. She huffed and turned her head, muttering, "If you don't want to come then don't. I'll buy the ugliest clothes and shoes for you this year."
She said this, but still picked out nice outfits for each of her five brothers.
Big brother got a light blue cotton robe to match his cool and refined personality.
Second brother received a broad-sleeved brocade robe with a flashy pattern.
Third brother trained in martial arts every day and ruined his clothes, so she bought him a durable narrow-sleeved jerkin.
Fourth brother was as cute as a little white bunny, so a moon-white padded jacket suited him best.
Fifth brother was so handsome he needed a dark blue color to tone it down, or else people might mistake him for a girl.
Shoes were much simpler. She bought everyone sturdy black cotton boots in their respective sizes.
After the clothes, she selected festive treats, mainly fried dumplings and fried vegetables, plus two catties of rock sugar to melt into a sweet drink. This was already the best new year in Jiang Sheng's eyes.
Now they just had to wait for second brother to come back.
But no matter how long they waited, Zheng Ruqian and Jiang Si didn't appear.
Just when Jiang Sheng began suspecting something bad had happened to Zheng Ruqian, Jiang Si returned driving a donkey cart and brought dire news.
The exorbitantly purchased bean sprout jerky that future Master Zheng had bought was completely unsellable!
