Chapter 11: Cash Flow Ability

“What good plan do you have?” Shangguan looked calmly at Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan felt for a moment like he was back in the classroom, being interrogated by his teacher, an overwhelming sense of pressure weighing down on him!

“We could rent a place near the academy, right? Then we can transport all the ingredients there for your sister-in-law to cook. This way, it eliminates the time spent on back-and-forth trips and ensures the dishes retain their best flavor.”

“More importantly, you could help your sister-in-law during your spare time, and you won’t have to worry about being scolded by those old fossils at the academy for taking too many leave days.”

After listening to Zhang Yan’s words, Shangguan pondered for a moment. This method indeed addressed all their issues very well.

No wonder he was the richest man in the county; this kind of financial insight was something only he could come up with. However, although it was a good solution, renting a house would require a considerable expense. Their stall hadn’t even taken off yet, and they would need to front a large sum of money, which made Xu Nuo wince at the thought.

Just as Xu Nuo was about to suggest that Shangguan think of a different approach, she heard Shangguan’s magnetic voice, “Zhang Yan, please go back this afternoon to see if you can find a suitable house near the academy. It doesn’t need to be too big, just two bedrooms and a kitchen will suffice, and the price should be reasonable.”

“This is no trouble at all; consider it done!” Zhang Yan eagerly took on the task. If this went well, it would mean he could enjoy free meals in the future—surely a portable eatery of sorts!

As for the monthly rent, Shangguan wasn’t overly worried. Worst case, he could sell more books when he returned to the academy. He could go into the mountains next month for a hunt, and if luck was on his side, he might even score some game. If they ran into a ginseng root, that would be even better.

Seeing that Shangguan was determined to rent a place in the county, Xu Nuo figured it was pointless to try to persuade him otherwise. She might as well let him go on this path.

At lunchtime, to entertain Zhang Yan, Wang went out to buy some spareribs. During this time, ribs were not more expensive than pork, since there was hardly any meat on the bones. Yet, Xu Nuo insisted that Wang buy them.

Xu Nuo aimed to turn scraps into treasures and impress everyone. Combining local flavors, she made sweet and sour spareribs, stir-fried potato shreds, and tossed the rice with meat, carrots, and cucumbers, adding scrambled eggs to create a fragrant egg fried rice dish.

This meal didn’t include extravagant dishes but rather was made up of simple home-cooked meals that Zhang Yan happily devoured!

After filling his belly, Zhang Yan excitedly headed into the city to look for a house. He was determined to find a place that would satisfy his big brother—indeed, after just a few meals, he had tacitly accepted Xu Nuo as his boss! Following his boss meant more meat to eat!

Meanwhile, Wang went to visit neighbors in the village who had more mouths than hands. This was Shangguan’s idea, as he mentioned these families had a lower labor force and consumed fewer resources, meaning they could buy fresh vegetables at a very low price.

As for Xu Nuo and Shangguan, they brought along a plate of cold dishes and a plate of braised foods to Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang’s house. At this moment, Aunt Zhang was also having her meal. When they saw the two arrive, she warmly invited them to join. Xu Nuo and Shangguan repeatedly emphasized that they had already eaten at home and declined.
Aunt Zhang took a bite of the braised food and was utterly astonished. She never expected that such a delicious dish could come from the pile of pig offal that no one wanted. Biting into the fatty intestine, the rich juices surged forth, and the chewy texture made it much more enjoyable than the meat!

Uncle Zhang, though he appeared burly and rough, was quite perceptive. He quickly understood the couple’s intentions. If this food was promoted, it could certainly generate income. That would be great; the young couple would finally have a somewhat stable source of income. It wasn’t that he looked down on scholars—he simply believed that no matter how much one studied, they shouldn’t go hungry. Life had to be lived, and to live, one needed money; without money, one couldn’t make ends meet.

Shangguan Ziqian wasted no time with pleasantries and directly stated the purpose of their visit: he hoped to engage Uncle Zhang to provide them with the pig offal daily, with the price being negotiable.

Uncle Zhang initially hesitated about taking money; he thought it would be fine for them to take what they needed. However, Shangguan insisted they must pay. “After all, we’re not just eating this ourselves; we’re preparing food to sell to others. How can we expect to get rich at someone else’s expense?”

In the end, they settled on a price of fifty wen per batch of pig offal. Furthermore, whenever Uncle Zhang delivered pork to the county, he could also bring the offal for Xu Nuo. If other slaughterhouses had offal available, he could collect it and deliver that as well.

Since Uncle Zhang would be making daily trips to deliver fresh pork, Xu Nuo thought about transporting vegetables at the same time. She offered to pay Uncle Zhang an extra ten wen for each trip, which he was more than happy to accept.

With solutions for both the vegetables and pig offal sorted out, and even the transportation issues resolved, they just needed to wait for Zhang Yan’s news.

Young Zhang Yan eagerly returned and put his connections to use, rallying his circle of friends to quickly find a place. It was true—there’s strength in numbers. Within two hours, he found a small courtyard just a kilometer from the academy.

This small courtyard was tucked away in a corner and didn’t stand out much. It had a well, with kitchen and bathroom facilities included. The house was about eighty percent intact, clearly well-preserved by the previous tenants.

Once Zhang Yan found this property, he asked the carriage driver to take him back to Shangguan’s home to share the exciting news.

Shangguan hurried over to check out the house with Xu Nuo and Wang. They examined every nook and cranny and were very satisfied with the rental price of two hundred wen per month. With no issues arising, both parties signed the contract, and Xu Nuo paid two months’ rent in advance.

By now, night had fallen. They had intended to spend the night in the new house, but it hadn’t been cleaned yet, and there was dust everywhere. Moreover, there weren’t even any bedding items, so they decided to head back home and return to tidy up the next day. Zhang Yan generously lent his cart to Shangguan, as it was too dark to travel safely alone—better to avoid any potential mishaps on the road.

Rushing home, they arrived just before midnight. After tying up the horse in the yard and feeding it, they all washed up and settled down for the night.

After a long day, Xu Nuo lay in bed, gazing up at the ceiling, and said to Shangguan, “Am I dreaming? What if our stall fails? What should we do?” She felt uncertain about making money.

Shangguan rubbed Xu Nuo’s head and reassured her, “Why worry about that? Even if we fail, it’s okay. I’ll take care of you.”

“I married you to provide for you for life! I’ll make sure you want for nothing!” Hearing those words, Xu Nuo’s doubts melted away. Yes, what was there to be afraid of? Worst case, she could just return home and live like a rice worm, waiting for Shangguan to strike it rich so she could enjoy life!