Chapter 70: Plans

"Daughter, tell me the truth, how long have you been thinking about this?"

Zhou Huaishan stared at Zhou Qing with a look of resentment, like a newlywed bride deceived out of her wealth and dignity.

Zhou Qing smiled, "Since the day you sold those 35 cages for 700 taels of silver."

Once you have money, you need to invest! 

For her father, the best investment was in education.

"I knew it! You little spendthrift! Always eyeing your father's money!"

Zhou Qing burst into laughter as she walked out of Zhou Huaishan's room.

Shen Li had just finished unloading the fish from the cart and smiled as he saw Zhou Qing. 

How could this little girl be so clever!

Once the academy reopens, as long as the teacher they hire is outstanding enough, it won’t just attract little kids. 

In this world, there are too many talented scholars without money.

The village chief understood this as well. For the sake of Qingyang Village, he would undoubtedly try his best to hire a teacher with both scholarly excellence and modest financial means. 

After all, if that teacher entered officialdom, they would owe a debt of gratitude to Huaishan Academy. 

When Huaishan Academy produces talented people, it’s not just Zhou Huaishan who will benefit — Qingyang Village would become famous far and wide!

The large fish Shen Li caught were selected by Zhao. She sent two to their neighbor Granny Liu, two to Aunt Zhang next door, and had Ping carry four over to the clan leader.

Zhou Qing chose about a dozen still-living fish, kept them in a large basin, and planned to take them with Shen Li to the city tomorrow to give to the shopkeeper of Yunhai Bookstore while they were visiting Qingquan Temple.

Around dinnertime, Auntie Zhang sent over half a pot of stewed goose.

Zhao also made spicy fish and stuck some corn cakes on the side of the iron pot.

The golden corn cakes soaked in the spicy fish broth gave off an irresistible aroma.

As for the small fish Shen Li caught, Zhao cleaned them thoroughly and fried them into crispy fish snacks. 

Fragrant, spicy, and crunchy — they were so good you could pop one into your mouth and devour it in one bite.

"Third Uncle, you could drive your cart and sell these crispy fish snacks in the nearby villages. They’ll definitely sell well."

Ever since he stopped selling calligraphy, Zhou Huailin had been thinking of other ways to make money.

Hearing Zhou Qing’s suggestion, Zhou Huailin shook his head.

"I don’t have any connections or background. Selling food can be risky — if something goes wrong, we can’t bear the consequences."

In this world, there are far too many envious people.

If someone sees you doing well, they’ll go out of their way to sabotage you.

The tricks they use are as malicious as they are cunning.

If someone were to poison the crispy fish snacks, causing people to die after eating them…

Zhou Huailin didn’t want to risk it at all.

Zhou Huaishan nodded in agreement, "Your third uncle is right. Without power or influence, it’s best to avoid food-related businesses."

Back when he was a marquis, he often visited a small tofu stall at the entrance of Elm Lane in the capital. 

It was run by an honest elderly couple, who sold breakfast to make ends meet. 

But a rich young lord took a liking to their daughter and insisted on taking her as a concubine. 

When the elderly couple refused, the young lord had someone poison their tofu with arsenic. 

People died from eating it, and the old couple were thrown in jail. 

He had personally overheard that young lord boasting about it at a drinking party. 

There are too many people who treat human lives and the fates of others like a game.

People struggling at the bottom of society never know which will come first — a natural disaster or a man-made one.

Zhou Qing couldn’t help but admire the minds of her father and her third uncle — they were far more insightful than her own.

Living in ancient times really can’t be approached with a modern mindset.

Each era, and each class within society, has its own unique survival mode. You can’t just do whatever you think is right.

The next day, before dawn, Zhou Qing and Shen Li set out.

The autumn morning air was already cold.

Zhou Qing wrapped herself tightly in the light cotton jacket Zhao had prepared in advance, sitting snugly in the mule cart.

They planned to drop the fish off at the Calligraphy Shop first, then head to Qingquan Temple for some vegetarian noodles, and finally visit Yunhai Bookstore on their way back.

However, when they reached the Calligraphy Shop, Uncle Zhong informed them that Qingquan Temple was closed for three days in preparation for next month’s Buddha Festival, during which the whole temple would undergo a thorough cleaning.

"Buddha Festival?" Zhou Qing, hearing of this festival for the first time, was curious. "Can we participate?"

Shen Li, smiling, handed her a cup of hot tea.

"This is the most important festival for Qingquan Temple. Every year, during the Buddha Festival, the temple goes all out. The whole place will be adorned with flowers, and there will be crowds of people. As long as you have a heart devoted to Buddha, anyone can attend."

"Adorned with flowers?" Zhou Qing frowned, "It’s not exactly flower season right now — there’s only chrysanthemums."

Shen Li explained with a smile, "The monks at Qingquan Temple have been cultivating flowers in greenhouses for months, just for this day."

"And what if the weather turns bad? Wouldn’t that be a shame?"

Shen Li sighed, "Indeed, bad weather would spoil the occasion."

Zhou Qing sipped her tea, her mind whirring.

Heh heh.

It seems, perhaps, possibly, that there might be a little business opportunity knocking at her door.

In her previous life, due to work stress, she had specifically sought out a craftsman to teach her how to make silk flowers by hand.

Although her skills weren’t as good as her teacher’s, they were still lifelike.

Feeling quite pleased with herself, a smile spread across her face.

Seeing Zhou Qing grinning to herself, Shen Li couldn't help but ask with a laugh, "What are you thinking about that’s making you so happy?"

Zhou Qing suddenly stood up, "How about accompanying me to the market later?"

Uncle Zhong, who was standing nearby, quickly turned his head to look at Shen Li.

Well, well! Making progress fast, are we? They’re already going to the market together.

Shen Li tilted his chin up with pride and gave Uncle Zhong a smug glance.

Uncle Zhong thought: Why are you getting all smug with me? My grandson is already old enough to buy soy sauce!

Shen Li ignored him completely and said to Zhou Qing, "Let’s get some breakfast first. After we’re done eating, the shops should be opening, and we can go to the market after we drop off the fish at Xu Feng’s."

Zhou Qing happily agreed.

The tea shop next to the Calligraphy Shop also sold breakfast — soy milk, fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, wonton soup, noodles, and millet porridge.

Zhou Qing ordered a bowl of hot wonton soup, while Shen Li got a bowl of noodles.

Shen Li ate quickly, finishing his noodles in no time, while Zhou Qing had only eaten four or five wontons.

"You keep eating. I’m going to ask Uncle Zhong how business has been these past few days."

"Mm-hmm."

Zhou Qing nodded while chewing a wonton.

Shen Li smiled at her for a moment before getting up to leave.

At the Calligraphy Shop, Uncle Zhong handed over a stack of messages from the capital that had arrived recently for Shen Li to review.

"There’s nothing too urgent — just reminders from the capital for you to focus on training the Shadow Guards. It seems His Majesty intends for you to return to the capital after the new year. The situation in the capital may not be going too well."

Shen Li read through each message, his face darkening.

The last time he had gone to see Zhou Qing, he had unexpectedly captured Zhou Wang from the Duke Zhen State’s manor. 

Interrogating Zhou Wang had yielded quite a bit of useful information.

It turned out that Duke Zhen had been quietly expanding his forces at the southwestern border, while in the capital, the faction supporting the Crown Prince, led by the Empress and Empress Dowager, was ruthlessly suppressing the other princes.

This had angered the Emperor on several occasions, but with military power still not strong enough to counter Duke Zhen, the Emperor had no choice but to tolerate it.

If the Emperor could endure until next year, his patience must be extraordinary.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Li burned the silver notes used to transmit the messages.

When he returns to the capital, it will mark the beginning of a bloody storm in the capital.

He was not afraid.

But Zhou Qing...

How would he settle things with Zhou Qing when the time comes?

Uncle Zhong, noticing the look on Shen Li's face, couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, "My lord, by that time, Miss Zhou might not even know your intentions yet."

You’re worrying a bit too much.