Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 59 Opportunity
Two buckets of hot water cost one coin; although the wooden buckets for measuring the water were a bit small, it was still very cheap.

Could you boil this much water with just one coin from your household? Obviously not.

Two or three small buckets of water are enough for the morning.

Even if you come to fetch water every morning and evening, it only costs three coins.

Zhang said, "The price I mentioned is only for the first three days after opening. The price will double thereafter."

In other words, even if you come to fetch water during both solar terms (one solar term lasts 15 days, and the other two last 30 days) three days later, it will cost one coin per bucket.

Just as Sister-in-law Dong was about to ask another question, Sister-in-law Chen said, "How do we buy it now?"

Madam Zheng said, "One string of cash will be used as a deposit. Each time you take water, keep a record of the amount. You will be paid in silver every two sections. If you no longer need to buy water, the deposit will be returned."

The amount of money was neither too much nor too little, enough for most families to afford, but...

Sister-in-law Dong asked, "Why do we have to pay so much?"

Madam Zheng smiled slightly and said, "With this deposit, you can buy water for two buckets for one coin whenever you want. After you return the deposit, you can buy water again for two coins per bucket. In winter, we use more water, and in spring, we are busy with farming and have no time to light the stove. In half a year, we can save up about one coin. In summer, it's the same for drinking boiled water at home. You can buy it anytime."

At this point, Madam Zheng paused slightly: "When it gets hot, we also have cold drinks at home. In short, the longer we use them, the less the money we tie up becomes."

"We don't make much money from two buckets of water for one coin. It's just that no one in Daming Prefecture has ever run a water shop before, so not many people know about it. This price is to attract some customers."

Madam Zheng was still afraid that she hadn't explained herself clearly enough: "There were no water shops before. Back then, the market was closed, and once the gates were shut, no one could get out. Now, people can move freely within the city, which is why there are these kinds of businesses. Our boss has taken advantage of this."

The conversation turned to the owner, and sure enough, the people who had gathered around started asking all sorts of questions.

Whose business is this?

"Who is the boss?"

"Are they from Daming Prefecture?"

Zheng didn't speak, but turned to look at Yang behind her.

Madam Yang walked out with a smile and said, "We are from the Yang family of Yong'an Ward in Daming Prefecture. You should all have heard of our head steward."

Immediately, someone from the Yang family in Yong'anfang recalled the strange case involving the Yang family: the woman who married Yang Liulang had come back to life and had sent many members of the Yang family to the patrol office.

"Is that the woman... who married Yang Liulang?"

Madam Yang nodded: "Your wife is a kind person, everyone in Yong'anfang knows that. You can ask around in Yong'anfang and you will know whether my water shop is trustworthy or not."

"Besides, this is a business within the clan. Our Yang clan has caravans, fields, houses and shops in Daming Prefecture, so everyone can rest assured to pay the deposit."

After Yang finished speaking, she went back and left Zheng to manage the business.

The women asked a series of questions, but when it came to Xie Yuyan, Zheng didn't say much. It was true that she could reassure everyone by using the reputation of the Yang family and Xie Yuyan, but since they ran a water shop, the conversation had to stay there and they couldn't let it all veer towards Xie Yuyan.

"Think it over again, and buy it if you think it's a good deal."

After saying this, Zheng turned around and went back to the shop.

Stepping back into the water shop, Zheng's heart skipped a beat. She feared that many questions would be asked, but few would actually be spent, since a fixed amount of money was required.

……

In a carriage not far away, Xie Yuyan sat with a woman.

The woman kept staring at the water stall.

The woman began, "Your preparation of those clay stoves has attracted quite a few people, letting them know that a water shop has opened here, but..."

That's all; nobody actually buys them.

“If you sell it by the barrel, people will spend some money, but if you sell it in bulk, it will cost too much.”

"Don't worry, Aunt," Xie Yuyan said calmly, as if she had expected this. "It takes time for people to think about it."

"Now that the water shop has just opened, what I need is not to sell buckets of hot water, but to have people go through the streets and alleys to help me promote it, so that the hot water from Shuntongpu can be found in every street and alley."

The woman frowned, pondering repeatedly, "How should I do this?"

Xie Yuyan said, "When someone discovers that using hot water not only doesn't cost money, but can also make money, then it will naturally become a trend."

The woman was the wife of the eldest son of the Yang family, whose maiden name was Ye. A few years ago, the eldest son's family and the second son's family had a disagreement over the porcelain kiln. Although the eldest son's family still lived in the clan, they rarely interacted with the clan members, and even if someone went to visit, the eldest son would most likely refuse to see them.

It was only after the Yang family's recent troubles that Xie Yuyan finally met Yang Mingde and Madam Ye. However, to convince them to act entirely under her control, Madam Ye needed to witness firsthand how she managed the water shop. Hearing Xie Yuyan's words, Madam Ye took a deep breath, barely managing to calm herself. It's understandable why she was like this; although her husband outwardly disbelieved Xie Yuyan's claim of having a way to reopen the kiln, the fire within him had been rekindled.

As her husband, Madam Ye knew best that in the years since the kiln was sealed, the master seemed to have lost all his energy and spirit. He couldn't muster any interest in anything and spent his days wiping the porcelain that had been fired before. He was getting thinner and thinner, as if he could collapse at any moment.

Ye had pleaded with the two old masters for this, and all she got in return was a few ginseng roots.

The master isn't physically ill; he's just emotionally distressed. Everyone knows that. The second master's behavior is an insult to them.

They couldn't change the Yang family's decision. When the kiln was sealed, the patriarch knelt down and begged, but no one in the family would say a word in his defense.

Ye thought that life would continue like this, but she never expected that the second wife would bring home a wife for the third wife. It was this third wife who sent the second old master and Yang Mingshan and his wife to prison.

Moreover, Xie replaced He in managing the clan's internal affairs.

That's why when Madam Xie came to visit, she persuaded her husband to go and meet her.

As for whether the Xie family has the ability to reopen the kiln...

They didn't believe it because of Xie's age, but thinking about what she had done, they were filled with anticipation. No one was more eager for the waterworks to be completed than she was.

If the Xie family is truly capable, then there is hope for the porcelain kiln, and the master's condition will improve.

As Ye was thinking, she saw a figure running quickly towards her.

……

"When did she leave?"

"I can't see it!"

Hearing the shouts outside, Zheng looked up.

Holding a blue cloth bundle and leading a six- or seven-year-old girl, Sister Dong stepped into the water shop. She first looked at the steaming pots, then subconsciously swallowed before saying, "I paid a deposit of five hundred coins. As long as it's not refunded, it will be charged at one coin for two buckets of water?"

Zheng nodded: "However, we can only buy a maximum of sixty buckets of water per day."

After Zheng finished speaking, Dong Sansao's expression froze: "Only sixty buckets?"

Madam Zheng smiled and said, "This is the owner's rule."

"Sixty buckets, can you use them all?"

"Yeah, who can use those?"

"It's unusable."

Upon hearing this, Chen San Niang's eyes suddenly lit up, and she realized something. By paying a deposit, she could buy two buckets of hot water for one coin, but after bringing the hot water home, how many families would use it? If she resold it, she could at least save money, and at most, she could use the hot water for free or even make money.

Sister-in-law Dong must have foreseen this, which is why she hurriedly went home to get the deposit.

This was quite alarming. Although Chen San Niang tried her best to control herself, her face still flushed red instantly.

Sister-in-law Dong glanced at Sister-in-law Chen and hurriedly asked, "Are you sure you're only selling it for three days at this price?"

Zheng nodded: "That's true, but it's limited to hot water, warm water, and cooled boiled water."

After thinking for a moment, Sister-in-law Dong gritted her teeth and said, "I'll pay the deposit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang's wife said, "Madam, come here, I'll write you a document."

Sister-in-law Dong had long since lost all hesitation and strode forward with her daughter.

Chen San Niang also squeezed out of the crowd and hurriedly ran home. The words she had heard kept repeating in her mind, as well as... Dong San Sao's strange expression.

Many people don't realize that a sum of money can buy an opportunity.

An opportunity to make money.

Three days later, the price was no longer available, and they were able to go from street to street selling hot water, especially to nearby households...

If you can sell sixty buckets of water every day, you can earn several dozen coins. In winter, when it's hard to find a job, this is a good option.

If she felt it wasn't enough, she could have her parents pay an additional deposit.

(End of this chapter)