Chapter 66: Investing in the Future

Everyone in the room fell silent. What seemed like an ordinary conversation was actually about a matter that concerned the future of the Zhang family.

If anyone else had brought up the topic, Zhang Shuisheng wouldn’t even need to say a word—Second Lady Liu could dismiss them with just a few sentences. But the one making the suggestion was Wu Wei. The couple had witnessed her abilities firsthand. She didn’t seem flashy on the surface, yet her background was so profound it defied imagination.

She wasn’t just on good terms with The Jade-Faced Divine Strategist, Dongfang Rui; she also had some mysterious connection to Taizhou Prefecture.

They truly didn’t dare to brush off what such a person had to say. That was precisely why the couple was so conflicted.

Wu Wei lifted her gaze to Embroider Maiden, her eyes filled with a gentle concern that even she herself hadn’t noticed.

Wu Wei was certainly someone who repaid kindness, but in this matter, she was clearly prioritizing the Zhang family’s well-being over her own.

She had been a free-spirited modern woman, after all. She didn’t go out of her way to curry favor with Gao Ningxue or Dongfang Rui, yet she was putting extra heart into the Zhang family’s affairs. Perhaps even she hadn’t realized the reason why.

Meeting Wu Wei’s gaze, Embroider Maiden’s heart skipped a beat. Her face grew hot, and she averted her eyes in embarrassment.

Wu Wei let out a soft breath and composed her expression before speaking to Zhang Shuisheng and Second Lady Liu. “Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law. You’ve only seen how Zhang Cheng squandered the family fortune, but you’ve overlooked the greatest benefit. With his scholar’s title, even if their fields lie fallow and untended, the government won’t come collecting taxes, right? I recall you saying the Zhang family has considerable ancestral land and quite a few fields. Now there’s only Zhang Cheng left. Without that title, just think—how much silver would their land taxes cost each year? Have you ever calculated it?”

Zhang Shuisheng and his wife exchanged a glance. Wu Wei pressed on. “Buying land with silver is certainly a safe bet, but farming depends on the weather—heaven’s mercy, really. Droughts and floods can ruin everything. The more land you have, the higher the taxes climb. In good years, all’s well. But in bad ones, it’s not the tenants paying the taxes. If you can’t hand over the silver, you’ll not only lose the land but invite disaster on the whole family. This is just a hypothesis of mine, but the risk is real. If the family had a scholar’s status, they’d be exempt from all sorts of miscellaneous taxes and land duties in peaceful times. And if chaos struck, they’d dodge conscription and corvée labor too. Just those invisible perks—how much silver do you suppose that saves in a year?”

Zhang Shuisheng’s brows knitted tightly. He had some insight, after all, and could see further ahead. Second Lady Liu asked, “Little Sister, we’re all just simple farmers without any real skills. What if we raise the child to be like Zhang Cheng—all ambition and no action, money flowing out like water? What then?”

Wu Wei chuckled lightly. “Second Sister, do you really think Zhang Cheng is utterly useless? Don’t you suppose he could think of all this himself? His family may have fallen on hard times, but their foundations were always thicker than ours. Hiring tenants is straightforward, especially with his scholar status. Managing the fields would be pure profit for him every year. The fact that he’s lived so absurdly must stem from some other reason.”

Second Lady Liu looked baffled. “Then what is it? Why squander a perfectly good life?”

Wu Wei explained patiently, “It’s unwillingness, Second Sister. For Zhang Cheng to earn a scholar’s title at such a young age, he must have real talent and learning. Though I don’t know him well, I can tell there’s a streak of pride in him. The four occupations—scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants—are a strict hierarchy. Zhang Cheng has one foot in the scholar class. How easy would it be for him to step back down? But staying means failing exam after exam. Each trip to the capital costs a fortune, and coming home empty-handed just brings mockery. In the end, that’s what turned him into the man he is today.”

Zhang Shuisheng suddenly spoke up. “Little Sister, can you point us down a clear path? I know you’re thinking of us sincerely, but I’m still worried we won’t have the silver when it counts. As you said, these hundred taels seem like a lot at first glance, but not so much in the long run. Your Second Sister and I lack your vision and experience. We just can’t see how it supplies a scholar.”

Wu Wei replied, “Second Brother-in-law, I remember when we sold those Spring Festival couplets last time, I asked if small-scale trading would draw official scrutiny. You said as long as the fields aren’t left fallow, the authorities won’t care. So let me ask—does doing business affect the imperial exams? Has the court ever decreed or legislated that merchants’ descendants can’t take the exams and enter officialdom?”

Zhang Shuisheng thought for a moment and shook his head. “I’ve never heard of such a law. If there were, Zhang Cheng wouldn’t have joined us selling couplets back then. A scholar turning merchant might draw laughs for lowering himself, but I’ve never heard of merchant children being barred from the exams.”

“Then it’s simple. Second Brother-in-law… why not try investing for a share of the profits?”

“Investing for a share of the profits?” Zhang Shuisheng, Second Lady Liu, and even Embroider Maiden asked in unison.

The term was entirely new to the three of them.

Wu Wei nodded. “To build up wealth, you either cut costs or boost income. No need to dwell on scrimping—you and Second Sister are thrifty already. The key is boosting income. As long as your yearly earnings exceed expenses, wealth accumulates. Second Sister, you’ve just gotten pregnant. Wait until the child is four to start schooling. Use these four years to grow your silver steadily. By the time the child is old enough for an academy, if you can bring in fifty taels a year, you’ll break even—no eating into the principal.

“Here’s how we split the hundred taels: twenty for emergencies. Of the rest, forty to buy land and hire tenants. The final forty goes to investments. Scout reliable shops, give them the silver to expand, but they don’t repay the principal—just a cut of the yearly dividends. If a shop fails, they compensate proportionally. Make it official with government paperwork. Can’t find the right shop right away? No matter—pick a prime spot at the market, buy it, and rent it out for steady rent.

“For the fields, keep enough grain for your household, set aside for taxes, then sell the surplus at the granary for silver. Don’t aim high at first… if you clear five taels profit after costs in year one, that’s success. Earn three to five more each year after. By academy age, fifty taels income means you’re set.”

Zhang Shuisheng pondered, a glint of insight flashing in his eyes. He looked at Wu Wei, curious and puzzled. “Little Sister, where do you come up with these ways to make money?”

Wu Wei just smiled, a touch of emotion in her voice. “These aren’t complicated schemes—just paths ordinary folk dream of but lack the means to tread.”

She felt it deeply. In this era of smallholder farming, most families’ wealth came from the soil. Crop prices were low, and bare hands couldn’t amass capital. She and Embroider Maiden had endured long stretches of anxiety, their little household utterly vulnerable to mishaps. No matter how hard they toiled, they spun their wheels at bare subsistence. Even treating menstrual cramps had been a luxury.

Wu Wei couldn’t help thinking: Ordinary folk or not, Blue Star was still better.

“Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law—this concerns your Zhang family’s next generation, maybe decades to come. The choice is yours. All I can do is offer suggestions. Whether they make money, whether the child becomes a scholar… that’s beyond me.”

Zhang Shuisheng nodded. “I’ll discuss it with Father and Mother tonight. Little Sister, stay here awhile this visit. Your Second Sister’s pregnancy is advancing—she could use some family around to help.”

Hearing this, Second Lady Liu sighed despite herself. A married daughter might be spilled water, but this was her first child. Since getting pregnant, she’d only seen her mother once, during the New Year’s return visit. Other families at least brought gifts and visited to show support. But here, not even a word of greeting.

Thank goodness she had Embroider Maiden as a sister—and Wu Wei, practically family too. Otherwise…

Wu Wei turned to Embroider Maiden. “What do you think, Embroider Maiden?”

Embroider Maiden nodded. “Farming season’s here, and Old Madam can’t handle the work and deliveries alone. I’m happy to stay and care for Second Sister until the baby’s born.”

Wu Wei said, “Alright then. I have something I’d like Second Brother-in-law to help me with too.” She took down the wrapped bundle of silver and placed it on the low table atop the kang. “Second Brother-in-law, this is twenty-five taels of silver. Embroider Maiden and I plan to use ten of them to build a house in Zhang Family Village—just two rooms, one on the east side and one on the west, with a cellar underneath. Somewhere close to your house would be ideal, and even better if there’s a well in the yard or nearby. Use the rest to buy land, farm tools, and seeds. I’m counting on you to handle it all. For the fieldwork, feel free to hire a helper; Embroider Maiden and I will cover the wages.”

“There’s no need for you two to worry about the farm work,” Zhang Shuisheng replied. “My father can handle it, and we can always round up some neighbors to lend a hand. Tomorrow, I’ll go settle things with the village head first, then make a trip to Little Locust Village to transfer Embroider Maiden’s household registration over to Zhang Family Village.”

Second Lady Liu chimed in happily, “As for building the house, you two don’t need to fret. Your father-in-law and Second Brother-in-law have done plenty for the villagers over the years. Any wedding, funeral, or slaughtering of pigs and sheep—they’re always the first ones there. For their own little sister’s big move and new house? No way there’ll be a shortage of help. We’ll make sure it’s built spacious and sturdy!”

Zhang Shuisheng nodded. “Your Second Sister’s right. I’ll round up a few skilled workers. With the cellar and two rooms, as long as the materials are ready, we can have it done in ten days or so. I’ll even find you a couple of reliable carpenters who won’t drag their feet—they can make a full set of furniture too.”

Second Lady Liu added, “We’ll pick a lucky day for raising the ridge beam and make a real celebration of it—firecrackers popping, drums beating, a few big tables of food laid out. It’ll infuse the new house with plenty of lively energy, and your days ahead are sure to be prosperous and bright!”

Listening to her own Second Sister and Second Brother-in-law, Embroider Maiden’s eyes sparkled. Weiwei had taken out all her savings to build a house in Zhang Family Village—did that mean she planned to stay?