Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 125 Calligraphy
Zhang and Yu's mother both knew very well how these lifelike flowers made of cloth came about.

Thinking about the current situation of the second wife, Zhang felt a sense of satisfaction.

The person who had been scheming against others has finally reaped the consequences of his actions.

Xie Yuyan put He Shi's matter aside; she didn't care what happened there at all. He Shi was like a fish pulled from a pond, tossed onto the bank by her. Even if He Shi struggled with all her might, she couldn't jump back into the water.

As they were talking, Yang Qin returned carrying his book box.

He put his things inside the house, then went in, looked at his mother and then at his sister-in-law, his face full of smiles.

“Sister-in-law,” Yang Qin remembered something important and hurriedly took out the newspaper that Mr. Tong and others had made and placed it in Xie Yuyan’s hands, “The draft of the newspaper, Mr. Tong said to let Sister-in-law take a look.”

I've lost count of how many drafts this is. Firstly, the submitted drafts need careful consideration, and secondly, I'm waiting for Baode Temple's article on Buddhist charcoal.

Now it's complete.

Xie Yuyan looked closely and realized that this version of the tabloid was finally somewhat similar to the ones that would become popular on the streets decades later.

The previous versions were too literary, with many obscure and difficult words. Even people with some literacy might not be able to understand them, let alone ordinary people.

Such articles are not unacceptable, but they should be fewer. Focusing on news from various parts of Daliang and interpreting some of the court's official gazettes would be sufficient.

In some cases that concern ordinary people, the lawyers recount the ins and outs of the case, along with interesting judgments, making them simple and easy to understand.

Local rice and cloth prices have risen; are there any disasters reported in various regions?

The tabloid also contained job postings, which Xie Yuyan had collected in advance, including those for her coal mine.

The last page is reserved for those stories that resemble vernacular literature.

The story that wasn't finished this time will be continued in the next newly printed newspaper.

Tabloids widely solicit such articles, and once adopted, they pay the writer a fee based on word count and length.

“This one sheet of paper has so much written on it.” Zhang also came over to take a look. She hadn’t expected that the tabloid Xie Yuyan was talking about was like this.

Xie Yuyan said, "It's still too rough."

Zhang was surprised: "Isn't this good enough? The calligraphy is extremely beautiful, especially the words 'Daming Prefecture Gazette'."

Xie Yuyan had been reading the tabloids and hadn't looked closely, but now that he was examining it closely, he realized that the regular script was neat and dignified, with no flaws in any of the strokes. Anyone with a good understanding of literature would feel respect upon seeing it; this was not something an ordinary person could write.

This is not the handwriting of Tong Zixu.

This is... Wang Yan's courtesy name.

The palace stored too many memorials by Wang Yan. After Wang Yan's death, the factional struggles in the court intensified, and the Empress Dowager intended to cultivate her. She often discussed political affairs with her and showed her the memorials and documents in the imperial archives. At that time, the most extensive writings in the imperial archives over the past decade belonged to the prime minister Wang Yan.

It was thanks to reading those books that she learned how to deal with those officials and censors.

Why would Wang Yan write an inscription for her tabloid?

Did Tong Zixu and Wang Zheng ask him for help?
These few words alone are enough to entice scholars to buy them and take a look.

“I also think these words are good,” Yang Qin said. “They shouldn’t have been written by the gentleman.”

The gentleman repeatedly instructed him not to get the newspaper dirty and to keep the original manuscript carefully.

Yang Qin told Xie Yuyan, "Seeing how reluctant you were to part with it, I said, 'Why don't you make another copy to keep?'" Perhaps the teacher wanted to keep it as a memento.

"But the gentleman's face darkened, and he told me not to say anything else to my sister-in-law, only to accept it properly, and that he would explain the reason later. He still had the manuscript of the words 'Daming Prefecture Gazette', and he would personally deliver it to the bookstore for engraving."

Xie Yuyan nodded. In Tong Zixu's opinion, it was not appropriate to reveal Wang Yan's identity at this time.

She ordered movable type from the bookstore in advance, carved the typeface, and then used the movable type for typesetting. The newspaper will be printed soon, and now she just needs to wait patiently.

Before printing the tabloid, it seemed there was only one thing she needed to do. Xie Yuyan looked at Madam Yang: "Is the room next to the water shop ready?"

Madam Yang smiled and said, "Everything is ready, and the signboard is also made. It's just waiting to be hung up."

Xie Yuyan nodded: "Go and tell your uncle that the new shop will open tomorrow."

Perhaps Yang Mingde wanted to see the shop sign hung up with his own eyes.

Yang responded.

This shop is different from the water shop; there's no need for a grand sales pitch, because she had already paved the way beforehand.

Yang took the message to the eldest branch of the family.

Yang Mingde looked up from a pile of porcelain clay, his expression somewhat bewildered: "We're opening already? Why do we have to wait until before New Year's Day?"

Everyone is busy preparing for the New Year, so who cares about a small shop?

"Since it's already this late, can't we take our time and do it after New Year's Day?"

Yang Mingde sometimes didn't understand Xie Yuyan's intentions, but...

“You’re so stubborn,” Ye scolded. “Your idea is right. How have we ended up like this all these years? Ayan, on the other hand, has won over the second wife’s family and the Xie family.”

"The Xie family is clever; they still have to give A-Yan seven thousand strings of cash, don't they?"

"If you think you can outmaneuver Xie Chongjun, go find Ayan and give her some advice."

Yang Mingde blushed upon hearing this.

He is nowhere near as good as Xie Chongjun.

"I won't go to the porcelain kiln first thing tomorrow morning," Yang Mingde said. "I'll go take a look around the streets instead."

Her husband wanted to see the shop open with his own eyes, how could she not know that?
“Alright,” Mrs. Ye smiled, “I’ll do whatever you say.”

Yang Mingde muttered to himself, "This business... how come it's so easy for her? She makes money whenever she wants, and opens new shops whenever she wants."

This skill and these methods are something others would want to learn but wouldn't understand. In fact, even now he still doesn't understand how the Xie family was fooled.
As the two were talking, they heard footsteps outside.

"Father, Mother, I'm back."

Ye's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly went out to greet them.

Yang Jiang looked travel-worn, thinner and darker than when he left home, and his face showed signs of fatigue, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Feeling sorry for her son, Mrs. Ye hurried over to take a closer look.

Seeing that his son was safe and sound, Yang Mingde hurriedly asked, "How did it go? Was everything alright?"

Yang Jiang took the tea that Ye Shi offered, drank it all in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and said, "The land has been bought, and the survey documents have been obtained."

"We even took some people down to explore, and we actually dug out a porcelain stone mine."

"If our survey results are accurate, the entire mountain is filled with porcelain stone, and it would take decades to dig it all out."

With this porcelain stone mine, they can expand their porcelain kilns.

Yang Jiang said, "I'll freshen up and change my clothes before going to the third room. I still need to talk to the eldest daughter-in-law about these things." There were some things he didn't dare to reveal to his father.

Although there is plenty of porcelain stone, some of it is special and should not be able to produce that kind of fine white porcelain.

White porcelain is currently the best-selling item in northern Daliang.

Even if the porcelain is fired perfectly, it's useless if people don't like it.