Yang Haiyan smiled. "Don't be nervous. Take it. Also, I'm short of someone in my pastry shop. Would you like to work there? The monthly salary isn't high, just two hundred wen. Plus, there's a monthly allowance of twenty kilograms of grain, twenty kilograms of vegetables, two kilograms of meat, and ten eggs."
It was about a hundred wen, half the amount of money a private guard would earn. But once the harvest came in, that money would be saved.
Kun Zhang felt that she was a little overwhelmed today. She was regretful that she could not go to the county town to do business, but she was overwhelmed by the reward of ten taels of silver.
Then the lady gave her a job.
When Kun Zhang walked out of the main courtyard, she was still a little drowsy.
Nanny Lian said, "Captain Kun's wife seems to be an honest person."
Yang Haiyan smiled and said, "Mammy, everyone is honest."
Nanny Lian also laughed. She didn't want to guess what the mistress was thinking. The mistress didn't give her the impression of a teenage girl.
Yang Haiyan thought that with Kun Zhang in the pastry shop, Aunt Fan wouldn't have to run back and forth. She used to get up early every morning, go to the pastry shop to make pastries, then take Aunt Yu shopping for groceries. Then, she'd run back and forth between Qianfu's house and the pastry shop, keeping her busy. But from now on, she wouldn't have to do that anymore and could just focus on the kitchen.
With Manager Ping's business, there are an extra twenty kilograms of snacks every day. It is obviously too much for Aunt Hong to handle it alone, but adding Aunt Zhang is just right.
Of course, only Aunt Fan and Aunt Hong knew how to make the dim sum. Kun Zhang only did the basics, such as kneading the dough. She kneaded the dough and gave it to Aunt Hong to mix with goat milk and butter. The two of them worked in different rooms, one doing the front process and the other the back process.
This way the recipe won't be leaked.
When Kun Zhang returned to the servants' courtyard, she was already sober. She couldn't hide her joy, and the smile on her face. But at that moment, everyone else in the servants' courtyard was at home having lunch, so no one noticed her.
Kun Shi and Kun Daying, who had just returned from private school, had already served the food.
Yesterday's old hen was being stewed in a soup for lunch. The aroma of the soup was so fragrant that everyone who smelled it would crave it. Actually, meat wasn't that appealing to Kun Shi anymore.
After all, he'd lived here for four months and had been able to eat meat every day.
Seeing the delight on Kun Zhang's face, Kun Shi asked curiously, "Why are you so happy? Are the dim sum sales especially good today?"
Kun Zhang said mysteriously, "The madam rewarded me with ten taels of silver today and asked me to work in her pastry shop, paying me two hundred coins a month, plus a food allowance."
Kun Shi was stunned. "Why did Madam give you ten taels of silver?" Honestly, he wasn't surprised, but rather shocked. "Two hundred wen a month isn't as much as selling snacks in the county town, but it saves you the hassle of running back and forth, which is good. But why aren't you selling snacks in the county town anymore? Is Madam no longer giving you the snacks?"
Kun Zhang explained the matter of Shopkeeper Ping: "This is a reward given to me by the madam."
Kun Shi finally understood: "Madam has always been generous. As long as you are loyal to her."
Kun Zhang said, "I know."
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the three-day test.
Qin Siya was particularly nervous today. She stood in the study room after breakfast. She usually studied in the east wing, an unused room that had been converted into a study room for her to learn to read. It was also Qin Shoucheng's study room.
Hearing a sound at the study door, she looked outside and saw that not only her sister-in-law had come, but her brother had also come. Her heart beat faster and faster and she became nervous.
Qin Siya asked with some embarrassment, "Why is Big Brother here?"
Qin Fang glanced at her and said, "Let me test you."
Qin Siya wanted to cry. Although it was just a character test, and her eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law were both thirty characters, her mind went blank when she saw her eldest brother.
She looked at Qin Fang and asked cautiously, "Can my eldest sister-in-law take the test instead?"
Qin Fang said, "No. Life is full of things, and you can't choose whatever you want. You have to learn to face them."
Yang Haiyan comforted her, "Don't be nervous, Siya.
Show your real skills to your elder brother. Don't worry, your sister-in-law is watching you."
Qin Siya clenched his fists: "Yeah."
Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan sat down. Qin Fang flipped open the book on the table. It was Qin Siya's"Hundred Family Names." Since it had only been bought a few days ago, the book was brand new.
Without further ado, Qin Fang asked, "Did Aunt Lian teach you your own name?"
Qin Siya nodded: "I have taught you."
Qin Fang spread out a piece of paper and handed her a pen: "Can you write your own name?"
Nanny Lian and Yang Haiyan were teaching Qin Siya how to read. Naturally, they didn't just want her to know how to read, they also wanted her to be able to write. So, Qin Siya took the pen and scribbled the three characters "Qin Siya" on the paper. Although the characters resembled the crawling of earthworms, Qin Fang didn't mind. In his opinion, his sister's ability to recognize and write was already a good achievement. As for whether her handwriting was good, she could take her time.
Qin Fang praised it with two words: "Not bad."
Hearing her brother's praise, Qin Siya relaxed a little.
Next, Qin Fang began to test the characters in the
"Hundred Family Surnames". Qin Siya didn't remember every character of the thirty characters she learned in the first three days. She was reviewing for today's test. When she forgot something, she asked Qin Shoucheng. It was her first time taking the test, and she was under a lot of pressure. She didn't dare to relax for a moment.
Because of this pressure, the test results today were quite good. Although she didn't remember all thirty characters, she still remembered twenty-three characters. Qin Siya was a little dissatisfied with herself. Why did she only remember twenty-three characters?
Yang Haiyan took out two coins and said, "Siya, this is your reward. Even though you didn't memorize 30 characters, since you've just learned to read, memorizing 23 is already pretty good. Try to remember more next time you take the test."
Qin Siya took the two cents and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law." She touched the money happily. This was the first time she touched a copper coin, and she was reluctant to hide it.
Yang Haiyan looked at her, smiled and shook her head: "I'll give you a day off today. You don't have to study or learn needlework. If you recognize 23 characters, you can get a snack worth 11 yuan. I'll ask Aunt Fan to bring it to you later."
Qin Siya asked hurriedly, "Are these the little cakes and cookies we had before?" Aunt Fan had given them to us the day after we arrived, but they hadn't been available since then, so Qin Siya missed them terribly. However, she was obedient and didn't mention them to Yang Haiyan.
Yang Haiyan: "Yes. My sister-in-law promised you that for every two words you learn, she will reward you with a piece of cake." The reason why she didn't give it to the two children afterwards was because she wanted to treat it as a reward. If she gave it to the children every day, it would not be a rare thing.
Only when they can't eat it will they cherish it.
Yang Haiyan didn't like these small cakes and cookies very much, so she didn't have any at home. If she wanted to give them to Qin Siya, she would have to go to the store to get them. Thinking of this, Yang Haiyan said to Qin Fang, "Husband, there's a market in town today. Shall we go shopping?"
Qin Fang said, "Okay." He would be going to the military camp in two days, and he would have less time to spend with her, so he might as well take the opportunity to accompany her for a walk.
So the couple went out without taking any servants with them. But before leaving, Yang Haiyan went back to the house to get the pearls she had bought earlier.
Because the market was full of traveling merchants, the town was twice as crowded as usual. However, most people were just there to look and join in the fun.
Qin Fang said, "In previous years, when there was a market, those of us in the barracks who were not on duty would come and join in the fun."
Yang Haiyan was curious: "Have you been here before? Have you bought anything?"
Qin Fang shook his head. "I didn't have the money to buy it a few years ago, and even after I started getting my monthly allowance, I couldn't bear to buy it."
At this point, he thought of something: he had never given her anything. So, he scanned the stalls at the market, looking for something he could afford and suitable for her.
Qin Fang counted the money in his hand. After becoming a captain, his monthly allowance had gone from a hundred coins to one tael of silver. Now he had more than five taels saved. What could he buy for his wife? A bracelet? Jewelry? A hairpin?
Clothes? He thought about it from beginning to end, then looked at the stalls one by one.
When he saw one of them, he suddenly had an idea.
With an idea in mind, Qin Fang stopped looking at these things.
You don't have to buy things when shopping, so the two of them went to Yongji.
When the shopkeeper saw that it was Qin Fang and his wife, he came to greet them warmly: "Mr. Qin, Mrs. Qin, what brings you here today?"
Yongji sells women's products: soap, rouge, powder, and jewelry. Because it's in town, the prices are relatively moderate. Occasionally, there are a few expensive items, which are considered the store's treasures. No matter how expensive, the town can't afford them, and even if they can, they're reluctant to buy them.
Yang Haiyan smiled and said, "Shopkeeper, you are too polite. I came here today to ask you, are all the jewelry in your shop finished products? Do you
process them?"
The shopkeeper said, "It depends on what kind of jewelry it is."
Yang Haiyan took out the pearls and said, "When I bought these pearls, they didn't have holes. Can you make holes here?"
The shopkeeper took a look and said, "Sorry, Mrs.Qin, we can't make it here. This needs to be taken to the county town for processing."
When Yang Haiyan heard this, she hadn't held out much hope. It looked like she'd have to buy a hole puncher on the platform and punch the holes herself. Even if punching didn't work, she still had to buy pearl string here, as the string on the platform was different from the traditional string.
After buying the thread, the couple left.
After leaving Yongji, Qin Fang asked, "Going to the county town?"
Yang Haiyan shook her head: "No rush, there's a county fair in early April, and it'll be in time to go then."
The two of them walked around and then returned to the family quarters. A few women followed them.
They weren't following them, but just happened to be behind them. When they saw them in front, the women muttered, "Master Qin is so kind. He even accompanied his wife to the market."
"That's right. By the way, Master Qin has been married for over half a year, and Mrs. Qin's belly is still not showing... Is it possible that she can't lay eggs?"