Chun Nuan thought that it was necessary to call the children for work.
She had just worked hard for a long time to pick some, yet Chun Ning and Luo Xiaogang quickly filled a basket.
"Let's go home."
Today was full of surprises but safe, she tried out her ideas and proved they could continue.
Luo Xiaogang also made a small fortune. For the first time, he held money and didn't know what to do.
"I want to hide it so my parents won't see."
"Once I earn money, I want to buy meat, hmm, no, I want to buy new clothes. I've never worn new clothes; they are always hand-me-downs from my elder brothers..."
He walked all the way home, filled with excitement, talking all the way, but he was suddenly at a loss.
"Chun Nuan sister, why don't you help me keep it, and I'll find you when I need money."
Luo Xiaogang thought for a while: "I don't know where to hide the money, and I can't tell them I'm helping you. The best way is not to take the money home."
This little guy, he's very clever!
"Aren't you afraid I won't give you back your money?"
"No, your family is full of good people, and good people don't cheat others."
Chun Nuan chuckled. This kid was still too trusting.
"Chun Ning, let Xiaogang's money stay with you, and you keep an account for him," Chun Nuan said. "Also, you should account for how much we made from selling flower cakes, to see if we're actually making money."
"Sister..."
Chun Ning wanted to say there are dozens of coins in his money pouch, isn't that earnings?
"Doing business requires calculating the cost, the ingredients for frying flower cakes, the 20 coins paid at the dock, these are costs," Chun Nuan taught him. "You and Luo Xiaogang went to pick flowers, sell cakes, and paid Luo Xiaogang, that's called labor cost."
"How do you calculate that?"
"Tomorrow we'll buy oil and flour."
"All other ingredients are gifts from Mr. Zhao."
"You can go ask for the prices of those ingredients, how much per pound, and then figure out how much we need to fry the cakes once and calculate the cost to see if doing this business makes money or loses money."
Such a complex feeling.
It's really more tiring than studying!
However, now he is the eldest son of the Xiao family, and this home relies on him to support it, what his sister taught him must be listened to.
Chun Ning nodded to show he understood.
The siblings handed today's earnings at the dock to their grandmother.
"In the past, it was your elder aunt who managed the household." The elderly lady hadn't managed the family for many years, and besides, there's really nothing to manage in the current home: "Elder household, you still take up this burden."
"Mother, it's not that the daughter-in-law is unwilling to take it up, it's that she doesn't have the ability," Mrs. Xu quickly stood up to report. "Mother, since leaving the Capital, we have relied on Nuannuan to handle everything along the way. Now the way to earn money was also thought of by Nuannuan. In my opinion, let Nuannuan manage this family."
"Nuannuan after all is a girl..."
"Mother, the daughter-in-law will assist her." Mrs. Xu looked at her two younger sisters-in-law and her daughter-in-law Mrs. Zhu: "Our Xiao Mansion's back house has always been clean. The family suffered this great disaster yet came together and walked to today. Now the burden of supporting the family rests on Nuannuan, there's nothing we can do but ensure not to drag Nuannuan down, everything and everyone at home listens to Nuannuan's arrangements."
"Mother, elder sister-in-law, I will follow your lead." Mrs. Xu was pained for her daughter, but she knew Nuannuan truly had this ability: "I may not be skilled, but I definitely won't drag Nuannuan down."
"Same here, I'll do whatever I'm asked, don't worry, I'll learn all the house chores."
Mrs. Huang, a daughter of a minor official family, had raised four children, the eldest Chunyan was twelve, and the youngest Chun Qiang was only two years old. Her greatest fear was this family breaking apart, leaving a woman to raise four children?
Used to command servants, now had to learn to wash clothes, cook meals, chop firewood, and all sorts of things.
"Grandmother, mother, aunts, I'll follow your directions too." Pregnant Mrs. Zhu also expressed her stance.
"Good, good, since that's what you all think." The elderly lady turned to Chun Nuan and said: "Nuannuan, the family is now entrusted to you."
"Grandmother..."
"Good child, it's hard on you."
"Alright."
At this point, Chun Nuan couldn't refuse.
"By the way, Nuannuan." Mrs. Xu remembered something: "Didn't you say we could do some needlework and make some handkerchiefs? Where do we find such work?"
"I'll find out later."
Chun Nuan thought of something.
"Grandmother, barring any accidents, we should be living here permanently."
This was natural, an accident would be if the Emperor gave Xiao family a special pardon someday.
The possibility was practically zero, the old man had been executed, the home's three sons hadn't studied medicine, even if pardoned other families, for the Royal Family, they'd long been useless people. They'd forgotten an Imperial Physician.
"So, granddaughter plans to rent some land to farm, planting some grains and vegetables would be good."
"We don't know how to farm." Mrs. Xu was a bit anxious, with fingers never stained by spring water, not knowing sowing seasons, having no idea of various grains, how do they farm?
"Don't worry, we can ask neighbors, or just watch what they plant and follow suit. I know growing vegetables, after a month or two, we can harvest greens, and save on buying, reducing expenses."
Creating income and reducing expenditure is the first task at present.
"Nuannuan, if you think it's good then proceed." The elderly lady fully supported, just feeling regretful that she could only provide spiritual support, unable to help with manpower or finances.
"That's good, once Chun Ning earns money here, we'll rent some land to farm."
Chun Ning went to the street to inquire and recorded the prices of those ingredients, then learned about sister wanting to lease land to farm, and still spoke of relying on him to earn money from selling flower cakes, the task felt heavier.
"Sister, the ingredients Mr. Zhao provided are quite expensive."
"Then jot down the prices, when possible, send him back a gift of equivalent value as a reciprocation."
"Okay." Chun Ning learned a lot from his sister.
He also vowed to return the favor from Mr. Zhao as soon as possible, after all, he had a marriage agreement with the Xiao family, not should involve the sister too much.
In the Zhao family, Mrs. Zhao, Mrs. Zhou stood before the steward and Aunt Niu.
"Madam, the small kitchen's ingredients just arranged for two days, Aunt Niu ordered to add more today and said..."
"Said what?" Mrs. Zhou glanced at the angry Aunt Niu, this old auntie's temper grew worse, couldn't things be said calmly, why argue with the steward?
"Aunt Niu mentioned that the small kitchen's ingredients were taken by the third young master, so they need replenishing." The steward was very dissatisfied: "Madam, don't you think this excuse is laughable?"
"Madam, the ingredients were indeed taken by the third young master, this old servant is not lying!" Aunt Niu hurriedly said: "Yesterday afternoon the third young master packed some ingredients from the small kitchen into a bamboo basket and carried them away, didn't even bring back the basket."
Mrs. Zhou put down the teacup in her hand and asked Aunt Niu puzzledly?
"What did he take the ingredients for?"