A string of stunning images flashed through Fu Xin Ci's mind. As she gathered them together, it was like accumulating a large sum of money.
Her mind whirred again, and a plan for making money began to take shape.
Just as her head was filled with thoughts of how to make a fortune, she heard someone call her name, "Xin Ci is here."
"Mm," Fu Xin Ci replied to Uncle Xu, her eyes darting with images of piles of silver ingots.
Seeing Xin Ci's greedy little expression, Uncle Xu smiled. "Last night, your Uncle Sun and I made some small pastries. Xin Ci, come and try them."
Having been made last night, Fu Xin Ci guessed they were her favorite sha qima.
Indeed, soon Uncle Sun emerged from the kitchen with cut sha qima and egg yolk biscuits.
Fu Xin Ci picked up a piece of sha qima, brought it to her lips, and took a bite, letting out a satisfied "Mmm" before saying, "These all-natural, additive-free foods are still the most delicious."
"It should be said that the grains you grow in your space are the finest. However, it's also good that the crops here haven't been poisoned by pesticides."
"It's just that if there were no seeds from Xin Ci's space, would the yield drop?"
"Definitely, wouldn't it? Don't you remember the ancient records stating that the yield was only two to three hundred, or even less."
"Mm. But I wonder if we'll have enough manure for our fields this year?"
"This year should be better than last. Don't forget we have so many more horses this year."
"Yes, Xiang Tong is organizing people to transport manure to the fields every day."
"Would those people be willing to do it?" Fu Xin Ci really couldn't imagine the people of Long City transporting manure.
"They have no complaints. This is a hundred times better than fighting monsters in the apocalypse."
"Although it's a bit tiring here, our lives are guaranteed. With green mountains and clear waters, even the white snow in winter is better than facing monsters in the apocalypse."
"Everyone cherishes this hard-won living environment."
"Aren't there any resourceful individuals?"
"Yes, how could there not be. Some secretly ran dozens of miles away, saw no one, and then sheepishly returned."
"What for?"
Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun exchanged glances. That person wanted to go out and fool around. But they couldn't say that in front of the young lady and ruin their own glorious image.
"They were bored. Xiang Tong was so angry that he made a stern promise in front of everyone: anyone who runs around like this again, without organization or discipline, will not be welcomed back."
"Would they be afraid?"
"Of course, they would be afraid. Nearby, there are only us and Qilin Town. The people expelled by Long City would not be accepted by Qilin Town either. They don't have household registration in the Ming Dynasty, so they can only wander north. Not only is it close to the Tatars there, but even without the Tatars, there are wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards. They don't have energy crystals to cultivate supernatural abilities now, so they are nothing."
"That's good, it saves trouble."
"Exactly."
After finishing a piece of sha qima, Fu Xin Ci pointed to the pieces of glass stuck under the windowsill and discussed with Uncle Xu and the others.
"Uncle, how do you plan to sell this glass?"
"How does Xin Ci want to sell it?"
"Such a good thing, I want to take it back first for Grandfather and Father to see, and then let them give us advice on pricing."
"I agree with Xin Ci's idea."
The two handsome uncles understood Xin Ci's intention, as only the natives would better understand the value of glass in this era.
So, when Fu Xin Ci returned home with the pastries freshly made by Uncle Sun and various patterned glass, Grandpa Meng and Fu Yu, who had just returned from school, were stunned.
"Ci'er, this is..." The father and son looked at the clump of bamboo on the glass and admired it several times, wishing they could immediately replace the one in their own room.
Madam Fang, on the other hand, was captivated by the piece with peony patterns.
Fu Xin Ci: She knew this would happen.
Qi He returned and was also incredibly fond of it. He immediately went to the Thousand Household Office to ask his father to come and appraise it for him.
Qi Yuanshan was generous and said, "This is too beautiful! Why pick and choose? If it doesn't work, we'll have a different pattern in each room."
Fu Xin Ci wanted to say that would be too chaotic.
Later, Grandpa Meng offered a more sensible suggestion, "Use one pattern for the main room, and other patterns for the side rooms."
"Mm, Uncle Meng's method is good."
Fu Xin Ci patiently waited for her grandfather and the others to finish speaking before asking about the serious business.
"Grandfather, if this patterned glass were sold in the capital, how much silver could one piece fetch?"
"That depends on who sells it."
Grandpa Meng saw everyone looking at him and didn't keep them in suspense.
"If we sell it, it's at most ten taels of silver. If someone with connections in the capital sells it, it will be more than that."
"..." After Grandpa Meng finished speaking, everyone, uncharacteristically, thought of the same person.
"If Lord Yan handles it, the price would double."
"It might even multiply several times."
"Mm, this is a good idea. Yuanshan, you will send someone to Ningyuan City tomorrow to deliver a letter to Liu Hai, asking Lord Yan to come over. This way, things will be easier for us to handle."
"Alright, I'll handle this matter."
When Yan Yi, who was far away in the capital, received the carrier pigeon from Liu Hai and saw that it mentioned glass, he immediately smelled money.
When he arrived in Liaodong with an excited expression, Fu Xin Ci had already notified Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun to increase production.
Xiang Tong was the happiest. With commodity revenue for Long City, a large amount of silver would flow in.
What was even more important was that having commodity exchange with the people of this world finally allowed them to integrate into this world and era.
Moreover, this glass workshop could employ many workers, thus completely eliminating idlers in Long City.
Earning money and saving trouble was a win-win situation for him.
On Qi Yuanshan's end, however, he was somewhat overwhelmed and unable to cope.
It turned out that the female relatives of the soldiers in the Thousand Household Office had heard the news from somewhere.
They heard that Miss Fu had glass to sell to the capital, and that she was going through the channels of Lord Yan, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Upon hearing this news, these women panicked. If this glass fell into Lord Yan's hands, what would they use?
Therefore, these women put their heads together and, without involving their husbands, they banded together to find the Thousand Household Official.
They had to get their hands on the glass before Lord Yan arrived in Liaodong.
Qi Yuanshan hadn't been close to women for how many years? Being surrounded by such a group of women made his head throb.
It was Xiao Linzi who reacted quickly. He led a horse from the side and ran towards the Meng family courtyard.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Meng family, he couldn't afford to be so careful. He threw the reins to Meng Qicheng and rushed to inform his granduncle.
Grandpa Meng had not expected the female relatives of the soldiers in the Thousand Household Office to be so frantic.