Chapter 383: Chapter 383: On a Whim
November arrived, and each day grew colder than the last. People had long since put on their padded winter clothes, but they still couldn’t keep out the biting chill. Just walking outside during the day was enough to make one hunch their shoulders and tuck in their hands.
After the vegetable harvest ended, Ji Huan had a frank discussion with Hu Liang. Afterward, Hu Liang went to work at the herbal workshop, starting as a general hand to slowly learn the management side of things.
With him gone, someone naturally had to take over the various odd jobs around the property. The replacements were easy enough to find: Ji Liansong and Shi Yong.
The task of weaving rattan baskets was still entrusted to Fifth Grandpa, but the volume was huge this year, and he couldn’t keep up on his own. To avoid delays, he organized a basket-weaving team.
Most of the village elders knew how to weave, but their techniques were crude. The finished products were fine for personal use but weren’t of high enough quality to be sold.
Fifth Grandpa wasn’t the least bit secretive, personally teaching them the methods for weaving the various types of storage baskets they needed.
After a period of adjustment, the basket-weaving team’s efficiency could now nearly match that of the main production crew.
Ji Huan joked with Fifth Grandpa, asking if he wasn’t worried that teaching his apprentices would put the master out of business.
Fifth Grandpa said he’d saved up quite a bit of money this year. A man with one foot in the grave didn’t have many expenses anyway. He’d received no shortage of kindness from his fellow villagers over the years, so he’d rather do something for them in return.
The weaving team was mostly composed of elderly widowers and widows who struggled to make a living and had no one else to depend on. It was a good thing for them to have some income.
Finally, he pointed to his own head. "As long as this is still working, the master won’t starve."
As they left Fifth Grandpa’s house, Ji Huan spoke with Guan Shan while they walked.
"I can’t be like him, um... so purely selfless. I hire workers because I want to make money. I made the method for dehydrating vegetables public because I couldn’t have kept it a secret for long anyway. Rather than suffer a loss, I figured it was better to take the initiative, play the part of a good person, and lay the groundwork for next year’s purchasing..."
’Everyone has their own principles and bottom lines.’
The principle Ji Huan set for herself was: ’Do no evil. As for good, be selective about what you do and don’t do.’
’If she had the energy to spare, she didn’t mind lending a hand here and there. But if it endangered her or harmed her own interests, she would always choose to protect herself first.’
’The only exception she’d made was for the Hu Family. But that was only because they had reached out to her first and treated her with such genuine kindness that she felt her attempts to reciprocate didn’t even begin to repay them.’
’Then there was the "burden" of Dabao. She’d tried to send him away but couldn’t, so she had no choice but to raise him herself. He was just a small child; she couldn’t just stand by and watch him starve or end up on the streets.’
’As for Guan Shan, he had just plopped himself down on her doorstep and refused to leave. What could she do? Especially since he had saved Dabao’s life.’
’And Dahuang, and Jifeng, and...’
Ji Huan was stunned!
’She was, it turned out, a person with no principles at all!’
Ji Huan choked on her own spit. Guan Shan glanced down at her and gently patted her on the back.
"’When prosperous, benefit the world; when in poverty, perfect oneself.’ There’s nothing wrong with that."
Ji Huan made a sound of surprise. "Oh? I would have thought your creed would be more like, ’A soldier’s only purpose is to die for his country on the battlefield, what need is there for a horse-hide shroud?’..."
To fight to the death for their country and its people—that seemed to be the sacred duty of soldiers like him.
Not all of them were like that, of course, but Guan Shan had always given her the impression that he was utterly fearless in the face of death.
Guan Shan looked up, his gaze fixed on the distance. After a long moment, he said, "People change."
’The blow from his past must have been so great,’ Ji Huan thought, ’that he’d even given up his ambitions.’
’His physical wounds had healed, but the wounds in his heart still needed time to mend.’
’Even if he stayed like this forever, there was nothing wrong with that. A person doesn’t have to live such a draining life, trying to shoulder every burden. Could anyone even manage that? It’s not like he’s the Thousand-armed Guanyin.’
’But...’
"I was thinking, we could create more jobs for the people of Dafeng Village in the future. The village chief said he’d support my work and do what he can to make things convenient in terms of a site and so on. He’s doing it for his own record, yes, but also so the villagers can have better lives. Besides, if our business grows, we’ll definitely need the workers."
’The villagers weren’t all good people, but they weren’t all bad, either.’
’They say the devil finds work for idle hands. Once everyone has a job and is busy, things will naturally get much better.’
’And once they have an income and their lives improve, all those eyes won’t be fixed solely on her anymore.’
’As they say, it’s better for all to be rich than for one to be rich alone.’
’When everyone is eating vegetable leaves, and the scent of meat suddenly wafts from your house, you’ll attract more than just envy; you’re bound to incite the resentment of petty people.’
’But if the whole village is eating meat, you could have chicken, duck, beef, and lamb for every meal without ever repeating, and you wouldn’t be at any risk.’
As Guan Shan listened to her analyze each point, and especially to how she kept saying "we," the cold, hard lines of his profile gradually softened.
Besides the daily affairs in the village, Ji Huan also had to go to Yeyang from time to time to supervise the work on her shop.
The workers Ping’an had recommended were not the type to be lazy or cut corners. Even when the owner wasn’t around, they worked diligently.
Especially the Wooden Old Man. After getting his ledger, Ji Huan had gone to lumberyards in both the county seat and the town to check prices. He hadn’t inflated anything; in fact, his prices were even lower than the market rate.
Ji Huan made a mental note of it, deciding to give the Wooden Old Man an extra bonus in a red envelope once the work was finished.
Then there was the apprentice, Zhou. He was a frail, skinny boy, but he worked with a life-or-death intensity.
One time, Ji Huan had just walked into the shop when she saw him dragging a heavy log toward the inner courtyard.
The log was as thick as his waist. He had one end hoisted on his shoulder while the other half dragged on the ground. Despite the freezing weather, his head was covered in sweat.
The scene struck Ji Huan as strangely familiar. Before she could dwell on it, she asked Guan Shan to help Zhou carry the log inside.
Zhou looked a little flustered, insisting he could manage it on his own.
Ji Huan told him not to overexert himself and that she wouldn’t dock his pay for doing less. He nodded in agreement, but as soon as her back was turned, he went right back to it.
The Wooden Old Man explained that the boy was used to hardship. "Just let him be," he said. "Working like that puts his mind at ease."
With no other choice, Ji Huan started bringing snacks to share with everyone each time she visited, always making sure to give Zhou an extra packet.
He would bow and thank her every time he accepted the treats, but he never opened them on the spot.
When Ji Huan asked if he didn’t like them, he shook his head and said he wanted to take them home to share with his younger brother and sister.
Ji Huan sighed to herself. ’This is what they mean when they say the children of the poor have to grow up fast.’
’When she thought about that naughty boy she’d run into on the street, she couldn’t help but think that some comparisons were just infuriating.’
The naughty boy, Di Rong, let out a huge sneeze.
Santai was beside himself with nervousness. "What is it, Young Master? Did you catch a chill? We should go back right away! What’s so fun about being outside on a freezing day like this..."
Di Rong impatiently lashed out at him with his whip. Sitting tall on his horse, he pulled his cloak tighter. "If you want to go back, then go! They won’t let me ride in the city, so I can’t even ride outside of it now?!"
He turned his head and asked Ma Chao, "Have you found out for sure? Is she really opening a shop on East Street?"
When Ma Chao nodded, Di Rong snorted. "Then buy that shop. Whichever one she’s renting, I’ll buy it!"
"I’m afraid that won’t work, Young Master. She isn’t renting the shop."
Ma Chao had anticipated this, so he had already gone directly to the original owner. But he learned that Ji Huan had beaten him to it and bought the shop outright. All the paperwork was finalized, leaving no loopholes to exploit.
Di Rong was incredulous. "With how poor and shabby she looks? How could she possibly afford it?"
But she had.
Di Rong abruptly pulled his horse to a stop and viciously lashed his whip against the trunk of a nearby tree.
"Damn it!"
Ma Chao tried to placate him. "There’s no need to be angry, Young Master. The shop is under renovation right now. When it opens, I’ll just take a few men and smash the place up."
’That didn’t sound like a bad idea.’
’The moment she opens, he’d send people to trash the place. He’d keep at it until she was forced to shut down for good.’
’Even if that woman could afford one shop, she couldn’t afford a second. Let’s see how she likes being stuck with a storefront she can’t even open. She’ll lose a fortune!’
With that thought, Di Rong’s mood improved considerably. He once again found the desolate mountains and forests utterly boring.
"Didn’t you say last time you were going to look for a relative in... what was it? Ju-something Town, in some ’plank’ village? Did you find them?"
Ma Chao’s eyes flickered. "Replying to the Young Master, I haven’t had time to go yet."
"Then let’s go today! I’m bored anyway, so I’ll go with you. I’ve lived this long and I’ve never even seen what a village looks like."
Di Rong was nothing if not impulsive.
Ma Chao lowered his head, his eyes darting back and forth for a moment. Then he looked up, a smile spreading across his face.
"That would be wonderful! I’ll show you around the village, Young Master. We’ll have a grand time."
Santai followed behind, muttering under his breath the entire way. When he finally looked up, he saw that the Young Master and Ma Chao had suddenly spurred their horses on, galloping off into the distance.
"Young Master! Young Master! Where are you off to now!"