Market Research
Xu Xi glanced at the sheet of paper.
It was an enrollment notice, stating that classes would begin two days later. It also said that students could apply to board at the academy or live at home. Boarding cost ten taels of silver, and bedding was provided by the academy. The academy observed a ten-day schedule, with one day off every tenth day. Boarding students could only return home on those days off.
Xu Xi thanked the older woman and left with Xu Xue and Xu Yongyi. Only then did she show Xu Yongyi the enrollment notice.
Xu Yongyi read it and ushered the two of them onto the mule cart before asking, "Miss Xi, what are you thinking of doing?"
Xu Xi shook her head. "Let's talk it over when we get home."
She did want to board. Not only could she avoid the Marquis Manor's entanglements, but she could also build good relationships with her classmates.
These classmates had all been carefully selected by the academy for their impeccable character, intelligence, and social skills. Whatever they did in the future, they were sure to make something of themselves. If she could become bosom friends with them, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset.
But given the Xu Family's circumstances, sending three children to school had already emptied their coffers. How could they possibly find another twenty taels of silver for her and Xu Xue to board? If she boarded alone, her conscience would trouble her. She was no longer even a child of the Xu Family, and she was already ashamed to use the money Xu Yongzeng and his wife had left behind. How could she use it for herself alone and leave Xu Xue out?
So this really was a bit of a problem.
If the Marquis Manor had already acknowledged her and given her money, she wouldn't have put on airs about accepting it. But hadn't they yet to acknowledge her? This matter had already diverged completely from the original plot, and something unexpected might happen later. Yet the academy required payment the day after tomorrow. Whether the money came from the Marquis Manor or she earned it herself, distant water could not quench a present thirst.
So whether she boarded would depend on what the Marquis Manor arranged next. What she hoped for most now was for Xu Yongyi and his family to move to the county seat, and for her to find them a way to earn money.
Having sorted out her thoughts, she said to Xu Yongyi, "Uncle, I won't board at the academy. I'll live at home. But not in Little Banyan Village-in the house in the county seat."
She glanced out the cart window. "Let's not rush home yet. Ask Uncle Qian to find somewhere to stop, and we can look around the county seat and see if we can find a way to make money."
Xu Yongyi thought she was talking like a child.
He had spent years going about the county seat, thinking every day of ways to make money, and still hadn't come up with one. Could a little girl like Xu Xi, who had seen so little of the world, find one just by taking a walk around?
But he didn't have the heart to throw cold water on Xu Xi's idea. In any case, the two girls had been admitted to the Women's Academy, which was wonderful news. They could stroll around and buy a few things to celebrate.
The three of them got out of the cart and began strolling along the street.
Although Xu Xi had the original owner's memories and was no stranger to ancient marketplaces, this was her first time seeing one with her own eyes, and everything struck her as novel.
Still, whether because the county seat wasn't lively enough or because commerce in ancient times wasn't prosperous enough, there weren't many people on the street.
"Uncle, are there usually this few people on the street?" she asked.
"Not at all," Xu Yongyi said with a smile. "There's a market on every fifth and tenth day. There are so many people then that you have to squeeze your way through."
"Oh." Xu Xi nodded.
She visited the shops along the street one by one. Whenever she came across snacks, she stopped to buy some and invited Xu Xue and Xu Yongyi to share them. Xu Yongyi wouldn't eat, and she didn't press him, but she and Xu Xue made sure to have a taste.
She wouldn't let Xu Yongyi pay, either. She spent the pocket money Madam Xie usually gave her.
The house in town brought in one tael of silver in rent each month, and Madam Xie would give her five hundred wen. But the original owner never left the village and had nowhere to spend it. Madam Xie took care of things like new clothes, and whatever Xu Xue had, the original owner was sure to have too, so she saved all the money. Over two years, it had come to twelve taels of silver.
Xu Xi had originally offered to cover the entire two hundred wen application fee, but Xu Yongyi and Madam Xie refused. She had no choice but to pay her own share.
Xu Xue rarely came to the county seat. Now, after exploring the streets with Xu Xi and tasting so many snacks, she was beside herself with excitement and kept exclaiming how much fun it was.
Xu Yongyi quietly glared at her. "Your older cousin only has that little bit of money, and you've spent quite a lot on this outing. Stop eating, or you won't have room for dinner when we get back."
Xu Xue stuck out her tongue. The next time Xu Xi offered her something to eat, she waved it away and said she didn't want any more.
Xu Xi couldn't eat any more either.
The snacks weren't expensive: a baked flatbread cost one wen, half a jin of mung bean cakes cost eight, and a bowl of meat wontons cost five. Xu Xi wanted to sample the flavors, so she bought some of everything. In some cases, she took only one bite and wrapped the rest in oil paper to put in her bundle. Even so, by the end of their outing, the three of them had spent fifty or sixty wen altogether.
Xu Yongyi earned only that much from a whole day of carrying his shoulder pole through streets and alleys, hawking his wares around the countryside. In the villagers' eyes, what they had done today was downright spendthrift.
What was more, the application fees for her and Xu Xue to take the Women's Academy entrance exam had cost four hundred wen. For the coming half year, their tuition would amount to four taels of silver between them. Once they advanced to Class C, the tuition would be even higher.
Right now, money was only going out, not coming in. Even though she considered it a necessary expense, it still pained her to spend it.
Though she stopped eating snacks, Xu Xi didn't stop walking. She still went into every shop to look around and learn how far the various trades had developed in this era.
At last, Xu Xi stopped in front of a jewelry shop. "Come on, let's go in and have a look."
Xu Xue hurriedly tugged at Xu Xi's sleeve, winked at her, and whispered, "We don't have the money to buy jewelry."
A troubled look appeared on Xu Yongyi's face as well.
He wasn't stingy about spending money on Xu Xi, but supporting three children in school was no small expense for the family now. Besides tuition, there were brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Even with the twelve taels of silver a year in rent from the property in the county seat, they were still stretched thin. How could they have money to spare for jewelry?
By rights, since Xu Xi and Xu Xue were about to attend the Women's Academy, the family ought to have a few silk outfits made for them and buy them some presentable jewelry, so their female classmates wouldn't look down on them. But the family truly couldn't afford it. The little money Xu Xi had would still have to cover her tuition and other expenses after she entered the academy. She certainly couldn't spend it all.
Xu Xi waved a hand. "I'm only going in to look." With that, she paid no heed to the father and daughter's reactions and stepped straight into the shop.
Xu Xue and Xu Yongyi had no choice but to follow her inside.
A shop assistant had already come forward to greet her. "Miss, what would you like to see?"
Xu Xi looked around the shop and, seeing the gleaming glass set into the counters, marveled at it for a moment before turning her attention to the jewelry inside.
The jewelry displayed here on the first floor naturally wasn't worth much. It was all relatively lightweight silver jewelry, and the designs were quite ordinary.
After a brief look, Xu Xi said to the assistant, "My mother's birthday is coming up, and I'd like to have a piece of jewelry made for her in a more distinctive design. Do you have a catalog of designs? Bring it over and let me choose."