RPAGF Chapter 148 Buying a Shop and Yard
Chapter 148 Buying a Shop and Yard
On the ninth day of the ninth month on Changsheng Island, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the ancestors of heaven is held in the front yard of Jianglin Pavilion.
"The sky is bright and clear, all things are joyful. Our ancestors and descendants have prepared the proper rituals, offering a variety of delicacies, fireworks, and incense to worship our ancestors. With the utmost filial piety, we respectfully invite the Emperor of Heaven and our ancestors to enjoy a taste of steamed millet."
The current owner of Changsheng Island, Jiang Li, led all the islanders, regardless of gender, age or status, to kneel respectfully in front of the altar and perform the ritual of three kneelings and nine bows.
After Jiang Li finished reading the sacrificial words, he bowed three times and stood up, inserting three incense sticks into the incense burner on the altar.
In addition to the freshly picked fruits and vegetables grown on the island, the altar also includes three rice ears specially selected from the autumn harvest, as well as three bowls of cooked rice, three basins of white flour steamed buns, and three pieces of blanched pork. Everything is prepared according to the tradition of previous years.
After Jiang Li finished worshipping, he turned around and gestured to An Ge'er who was holding incense in his hands: "An Ge'er, come here."
The little boy blinked and walked forward happily. Under his mother's instruction, he performed three bows in front of the altar in an orderly manner. Jiang Li took the incense and placed it on the altar.
Next, the brothers Que Ge'er, Heng Ge'er and Jing Ge'er came forward to burn incense and offer sacrifices.
In turn, it was the elders, clan members, old people and children of each tribe. The autumn wind blew, and the incense of Buddhism filled the air. They paid tribute to the blessings of the Emperor of Heaven and ancestors this year.
The ceremony lasted until noon, when the clansmen finished their worship in turn and then left Jianglin Pavilion one after another.
The altar must be placed until sunset, and the incense must not be interrupted during this period, as a sign of respect for the gods.
Jiang Li returned to the bedroom and looked through the records of Jianglin Pavilion's autumn harvest this year. After Lan Jie'er had eaten her fill, she took a nap. Jiang Li finally calmed down to deal with the matters at hand.
This year, the autumn harvest of Jianglin Pavilion was ten dan more than in previous years, and there was still half a warehouse full of surplus from the previous year. On this island, there was no need to worry about not having enough to eat.
At this time, Mingye's figure appeared outside the gatehouse: "Lady Li."
Jiang Li raised his head from the booklet and said calmly, "Come in."
Fang was waiting beside Jiang Li. Seeing the man of the house holding a letter in his hand, she couldn't help but take a few more glances.
"Madam, Deputy General Cheng just sent someone to deliver a letter to you."
Jiang Li nodded and took it. The envelope was signed with the three words "Changsheng Island", and it was obvious who wrote it.
Finally, Jiang Li received Zhou Chunfeng's letter of safety. She opened the seal and took out the letter inside.
In the letter, Zhou Chunfeng first expressed his longing for her and the children, and then told the good news of the great victory in the battle between Huizhou and Jingzhou City.
Although the process was difficult and the rebels lost many soldiers and horses, they gained a lot. Now, heroes from all over the country have heard of the rebels' heroic deeds, and many have volunteered to join the rebels, which has invisibly strengthened the army's strength.
He told Jiang Li that the rebel army would rest in Jingzhou for more than a month before setting off for Yingzhou and Yangzhou, pursuing the victory and capturing important Chinese cities in one fell swoop, thus laying the foundation for the unification of China.
The rising momentum of the rebel army is certainly a good thing. Jiang Li is happy for Zhou Chunfeng, but she is also worried about his health.
Thinking of this, Jiang Li told Fang, "Bring me the pills I made a few days ago."
"Yes."
After Jiang Li finished his instructions, he stood up and found his brush, inkstone, and inkstone. He estimated that Zhou Chunfeng should be able to receive the letter before he left Jingzhou with the army.
She sealed the envelope with wax and handed the medicine box that Fang had brought to Mingye. "Send it to Deputy General Cheng as soon as possible and ask him to deliver it to Jingzhou City as quickly as possible."
"Yes." Ming Ye took the letter and medicine box, then turned and left.
Mingye had just left when Dashuan followed him: "Sister-in-law."
Seeing Dashuan coming over, Jiang Li guessed what was going on: "Have you finished your business in the city?"
"Yes, sister-in-law." Dashuan took out a stack of documents from his arms and handed them to Jiang Li.
Jiang Li took it and looked through it carefully. The documents in his hand were stamped with the military seal of the rebel army and the seal of the government office.
Dashuan said, "I followed your instructions and bought two three-story houses, one four-story house, an inn, five shops facing the main street, and a humble abode in the city."
Now that Yanzhou City is being rebuilt, the entire city, whether it is the fields in the towns and villages, or the shops and courtyards in the city, will all be channels for making money in the future.
Jiang Li allocated some money from the Jianglin Pavilion's treasury. In the future, these shops will be rented out to wealthy people who come to Yanzhou City to seek refuge and survive. The income will be enough to support the monthly expenses of the Jianglin Pavilion.
Although the old island owner left behind a large amount of property, it's not possible to just spend money without bringing in any. If Jiang Li wasn't afraid of buying too much at once and arousing suspicion from those with ulterior motives, he would have wanted to buy a few more.
She carefully checked each deed and document and said with satisfaction, "Well done, thank you for your hard work."
Dashuan felt embarrassed by the praise and scratched his head, saying, "Look at what you said, sister-in-law. I can still handle such a small matter."
Jiang Li couldn't help but laugh as he carefully looked at the area registered on the deed of his humble abode, as well as the fact that there were more than twenty independent small rooms in the abode.
After thinking for a moment, he instructed, "In a few days, take the two of you and tidy up my humble abode. If anything is too old or broken, replace it with a new one."
"Okay, sister-in-law."
"In the future, I will leave someone in the city to look after these houses and shops. If anyone asks for rent, I can rent each small room in my humble abode on a daily or monthly basis."
"Yes."
"I'm thinking of opening a few more shops in a few days. Once the locations are chosen, if my humble abode is good enough, I might also buy one or two more."
"Okay, sister-in-law, I've remembered everything."
Jiang Li thought that shops and humble homes would be the most sought-after businesses. She had considered buying farmland in the villages outside the city, but how many refugees had enough money? It would be a shame to see them all fall into the trap of spending money in such a short period of time.
After Dashuan left, Jiang Li handed the deed to Fang, who was standing beside her: "Take it and register it, and lock it in the warehouse."
"Yes."
Now, despite the ongoing war, the uprising army was gaining momentum, and every city they conquered was guarded by soldiers and generals. Jiang Li wasn't worried about losing the title to the house he'd bought. He was worried about being slow to act, waiting for prices and title deeds to rise dramatically before buying in, which would be a loss.
Time flies, autumn turns to winter, and this year the snow in Yanzhou City is heavier and heavier than in previous years. The cold wind is like an ice knife breaking through the ground, scratching people's faces painfully.
Jiang Li, wearing a thick cloak, stood in the corridor in front of the palace. He reached out to catch a piece of fallen snow and looked into the distance, which was the direction of Yangzhou City.
Since the letter from Jingzhou, she has never received a letter of safety from Zhou Chunfeng, but she firmly believes that Zhou Chunfeng is doing well.
It is said that since the snow began, more and more refugees have poured into Yanzhou City, and the charity halls inside and outside the city are crowded with people every day. However, many refugees still cannot survive this winter.
In the snow-covered courtyard, Jingger and Xingyun beside him were practicing martial arts with wooden swords in hand.
The children grew up gradually. Among them, Jing'er looked very much like Zhou Chunfeng. Perhaps his personality was also like his father's. This child had a mysterious obsession with martial arts.
"Mother~"
Hearing Ang'er's gentle call from behind, Jiang Li turned around and saw Yuan Niang coming out holding the child who had just woken up.
Jiang Li smiled softly and reached out to hug him: "Are you awake?"
"Mommy~." The little guy hugged his mother's neck tightly with both hands, fearing that his younger sister would come and occupy his mother again.
"Mother."
"aunt."
Que Ge'er and Heng Ge'er, who had just returned from school, smiled at Jiang Li from afar.
"Come in quickly." Jiang Li really didn't want to say that these two children had become stupid from studying too much. Instead of going to the corridor, they chose to walk outside in the snow.
Jing Ge'er turned around and saw his brothers surrounding his mother. Not willing to be outdone, he ran into the corridor with a wooden sword in hand: "Mother."
For a moment, Jiang Li was surrounded by several children. The children's childish calls were like hundreds of bees buzzing around her ears.
She didn't even know which child to respond to. It was truly a happy trouble!