144 Let’s Be Husband and Wife
There were many procedures for making high-quality preserved fruits, but the farmers only knew that they needed to dry them.
Little Ah Yu flipped the fruit over under the sun. Qin Huai stood at the side and chanted from time to time, “Regardless of gender-
Men are born the same, but habits make them differ. If one does not receive good education from childhood, their good nature will be destroyed.” Little Ah Yu followed.
Recently, Little Ah Yu’s memory had become better and better, but Old Master Hu was not willing to teach her too much.
Girls could not take the imperial examinations. If they studied too much, it would be a headache. With the same progress as the other children in the village, Little Ah Yu would have more time to do other things.
However, Little Ah Yu did not think so. She hoped that she could learn more so that she could grow faster.
Hence, Little Ah Yu found Qin Huai. “Big Brother Ah You, have you studied more books?”
Qin Huai did not go to Old Master Hu’s place to study. He usually studied alone.
Initially, they did not bring many books over. During this period of time, Chi Jia had gotten his subordinates to buy more books. Qin Huai naturally did not neglect his studies.
“You might not like the books I’m reading.” Qin Huai thought that since Little Ah Yu had just begun to come into contact with them, she probably wouldn’t like those history books.
Qin Huai did not like it when he first started studying either. He liked those travel books more.
However, the subjects taught by Old Master Hu were based on books. The children in the village did not have any books. They usually wrote a few words on the coarse paper given by Old Master Hu.
After learning it, they went home empty-handed.
Qin Huai simply paid for a few books for the children in the village.
At this time, books were considered the most extravagant thing. The worst printed books cost hundreds of copper coins each.
If it was the kind of book that others had copied, it would cost more than a hundred copper coins.
The people in the village felt a little apologetic, so Qin Huai told them that actually, they could earn money by copying books for the bookstore.
Selling a hand-copied book could earn them between 15 and 50 copper coins. It depended on the difficulty of the handwriting and type of books.
This also greatly agitated the villagers.
They felt that even if the child could not learn anything in the future, at least copying books was a job.
Since everyone had books, Little Ah Yu naturally had them too. Now, she came to Qin Huai’s place every day and asked him to give her special education.
After memorizing the Three Character Classic, Little Ah Yu also flipped over all the fruits. Looking at the fruits, Little Ah Yu’s eyes narrowed with laughter.
“After selling these preserved fruits, our family will be even richer!” Little Ah Yu said.
Qin Huai was a little speechless. “Why are you thinking about money every day? Didn’t your family earn money?”
When they worked together to make candied haws, Qin Huai would be able to get 40% of the profit. This was because he had sent Chi Jia to the county city to buy good sugar. After deducting the cost of this sugar, he would only earn 10%.
He could be considered a very conscientious business partner.
However, the Wang family’s greatest income was not the candied haws, but the money Murong Run had given them twice.
Now, no one knew how much money the Wang Family had.
Little Ah Yu counted with her little fingers. “It’s not enough. Grandma said that every brother in the family has to be sent to study in the future. They all say that studying costs a lot of money!
Also, my brothers have to go from home to town every day to sell candied haws. They have to walk a long way. Grandpa said that our family wants to buy a donkey cart so that it’s easier to travel.
But Grandma said it was better to buy a house in town. They said it was expensive.
Also, I heard Mother say that the house has to be rebuilt. Otherwise, it won’t be big enough for everyone to live in.”
Little Ah Yu had already counted with her little fingers and felt a headache coming on.
She held her head like an adult and frowned, looking bitter. “Our family is too poor. We need a lot of money!”
When everyone discussed these topics, they did not do it behind Little Ah Yu’s back. There were some things that Little Ah Yu did not understand, but she had Meatball beside her to help explain.
Although Meatball did not know much about this world, it roughly knew that studying was more expensive than buying a house.
Therefore, Little Ah Yu was also worried.
Little Ah Yu also said, “Our family can only make so many candied hawthorns a day. If we make too much, no one will buy it. If we make more, there’s an Uncle called Tang Third who will lose business.”
Qin Huai asked, “Tang Third?”
Little Ah Yu told him about Tang Third. However, in Little Ah Yu’s eyes, Tang Third was not someone who was looking for trouble. He was just asking why they were selling candied haws.
Later on, he even competed with them in which family’s candied haws tasted better.
“That Uncle’s candied haws cost one copper coin a stick. Our family’s candied haws cost three copper coins a stick, so if we sell one stick, that Uncle will have to sell three sticks. He will have to work three times harder than us!” This was Little Ah Yu’s logic, so she especially sympathized with Tang Third.
Qin Huai roughly understood and felt that what Little Ah Yu said made sense.
“If you sell too much, it will indeed affect him. He might be angry. That won’t be good for you either,” Qin Huai said. “Then we won’t sell candied haws in the future. We’ll think of something that others don’t have. That way, we won’t argue with others.”
Qin Huai himself did not come into contact with business. Actually, he did not care about his family’s matters.
Back then, no one had thought of letting the eight-year-old Qin Huai take charge.
Little Ah Yu was very worried when they mentioned this. “But I don’t know what I can sell. It seems that everyone sells everything.”
With Little Ah Yu’s rich experience in the county city and town, she felt that there were already people selling everything in this world.
When Qin Huai heard Little Ah Yu’s words, he felt that it made sense. Indeed, there seemed to be nothing in this world that could not be bought.
The two little fellows stopped memorizing books and looking at the preserved fruits. They sat at the stone table and rested their chins on their hands, thinking about what else to do to earn money.
After thinking about it, Qin Huai said, “Why don’t I give you money to buy a house? My family seems to be quite rich.”
Chi Jia, who had heard this from the side: ???
Young Master, are you really not afraid that Madam will hit you?
Little Ah Yu shook her head. “No! Grandma said that you’re my outside Big Brother, not the Big Brother of the family, so we can’t take advantage of you. Just like how Mother can use Father’s things, but she can’t use other people’s things because Father and Mother are husband and wife. Their things belong to each other, and other people’s don’t.”
Qin Huai said, “Then when you grow up, we’ll be husband and wife too.”
Thinking of his life that might disappear at any time, Qin Huai added, “I don’t know if I can grow up either. Why don’t we be husband and wife now? I’ll register the assets under your name. Even if I die, you can use the money to buy a house.”
Chi Jia coughed heavily at the side.
Little Ah Yu said, “Mr. Chi, are you sick? Do you want to go to Brother Little Tong’s house to take some medicine?”
Before Qin Huai could stand up, Chi Jia hurriedly shook his head. “No, no. I just choked on my saliva.”
Chi Jia finally understood why the Young Master did not like to talk previously and always jumped out with just a word or two.
It turned out that it was not because he was autistic, but because once he spoke, he would expose the fact that he was very childish.
He was only seven years old, but he was already thinking of finding a wife for himself. If Madam knew about this, her eyes would probably fall out.
It was too funny!
However, when he saw Qin Huai’s expressionless expression, Chi Jia suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Oh no, he was too smug and forgot that the Young Master actually had a bad temper.
In the eyes of many people, he was a little demon who would order people to kill!