【Quick Wear】My Years as a Mother-in-law

Twelve taels of silver? Yun Xi thought about it. During the Ming Dynasty, one tael of gold was equivalent to ten taels of silver. The same was true in the early Qing Dynasty. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, due to the improvement of silver mining technology, one tael of gold could be exchanged for ten to twenty taels of silver.

"I'll change it to two taels."

Yun Xi handed over a small piece of gold.

The other party checked the purity and weighed it several times to confirm that it was two taels of gold. Then he asked with confidence, "Do you want it all in silver?"

"Twenty-three taels of silver, one tael for copper."

"no problem."

Yun Xi left after receiving twenty-three taels of silver and one thousand copper coins.

Arriving at the gate of the yamen again, she took a deep breath, walked up the steps, and stuffed a handful of copper coins into the hands of one of the yamen runners. "Sir, I'm here to do some business. Could you please lead the way?"

"Ah? Okay, what do you want to do?" The yamen runner was stunned for a moment, and a look of joy unconsciously appeared on his face. He stuffed the copper coins into his arms, winked at his colleague, and led Yun Xi into the yamen.

"I want to buy a house, but I couldn't find a middleman, so I had to come and ask." This was also true. Yun Xi hadn't seen any real estate agents along the way, and she couldn't walk any further because she was very hungry.

"So that's how it is. Come with me to the household."

The county government generally has three shifts and six rooms. The three shifts refer to the Zao, Zhuang and Kuai shifts, which are the yamen runners of three departments. The six rooms refer to the Li, Hu, Li, Bing, Xing, Gong and Shu clerk rooms, each with its own duties.

Yun Xi was taken to a clerk in the household department. "Clerk Zhang, this woman wants to buy a house."

Clerk Zhang squinted his eyes at the man and asked, "Why are you here instead of looking for a middleman to buy a house?"

"Hey, the middleman is several streets away from here, and the woman is nowhere to be found." The bailiff helped explain and quickly slipped away.

Yun Xi was helpless. With a humble smile, she pushed a piece of silver onto the table in front of her and whispered, "Master Zhang, I'm sorry to trouble you with this matter."

Zhang, the clerk, snorted softly and reached for his pen when the change on the table was already in his hand. "Which house do you want to see?"

"I wanted to buy the yard at the end of the first street from the south in Taolifang, North City. The house was listed for sale, but no one had bought it. It was a lucky coincidence that I got there." Yun Xi said hurriedly.

"The first street in Taolifang? Oh, that one. Let me show you."

After receiving the money, Zhang the clerk worked quickly, finding the information in less than five minutes. "Hey, the house under the name of the Earl of Changping is a simple quadrangle courtyard with nearly an acre of land. I'm telling you, in the capital, a house of this size wouldn't be available without several hundred taels."

"Yes Yes Yes."

After saying that, Zhang the clerk asked a yamen runner to find the housekeeper of the Marquis of Changping's mansion. Half an hour later, Yun Xi saw a fat man enter the house. The man was wearing a stone-blue robe with round floral patterns and a pine green and mouse-gray jacket. He looked very impressive.

I heard he was a housekeeper, but he didn't look like a servant at all.

It contrasts sharply with Zhang Liyuan's gray robe.

"Mr. Zhang, I heard someone wants to buy my uncle's house in Taolifang?"

He also spoke in a domineering manner.

Zhang, the clerk who had always looked down on her, stood up and said respectfully, "This young lady wants to buy the house. I wonder how much it costs?"

"Oh? It's a woman. That courtyard house is quite old, but the materials used are genuine. I'm sure you've seen it. The price is three hundred taels of silver."

Upon hearing that the buyer was a woman, the housekeeper became even more casual.

"make a deal."

Yun Xi didn't have that much time to dawdle. She took out thirty taels of gold from her pocket and said, "Butler, you need to give me sixty taels of silver."

The two people opposite paused, as if they didn't expect that she could really afford it.

After the butler realized what was happening, he took the gold and took out a sixty-liang silver note from his purse. He nodded and said, "Let's transfer it."

In this way, the house was under Yun Xi's name.

Holding the two deeds, Yun Xi walked out of the yamen, thanked the yamen runner at the door, and walked towards the grocery store she had just passed by.

After she left, the housekeeper of the Marquis of Changping's mansion and Zhang the clerk started chatting.

"Butler Qian, what have you been busy with lately? Do you have time to go out for a drink with the brothers?" Clerk Zhang said in a flattering tone.

"Oh! I'm busy. Some things happened in the mansion recently and I'm worried about it." Butler Qian took a sip of tea and said helplessly.

"That thing again?"

"That's the thing! I don't know why the young master has no talent for either civil or martial arts. It's really frustrating."

……

Yun Xi, who had already walked into the grocery store, first asked for a cart, then bought some pots, pans, and daily necessities, spending one or two taels of silver. There was a grain store next door, and she asked for two stone of rice and two stone of flour.

"Can you help with the delivery?"

These grains cost her four taels of silver, which was so expensive.

"No problem, what's the address?" The shopkeeper was used to it.

"It's the last house at the end of the first street south of Taolifang, right at the foot of the city wall."

"can."

"Wait while I go buy some more things."

He found a cloth shop and bought two pieces of cotton cloth and ten pounds of cotton. He then went to a carpenter's shop and bought six beds and two sets of tables and chairs. Then he led his people home in a mighty procession.

In Taolifang, Taoyao was being scolded by her mother.

"The Lu family is just talking about it. Have you ever acted like they're in-laws? Your family conditions are so poor, they're a perfect match, and you're still giving them food. Aren't you stupid?"

Mother Zhao poked her daughter's forehead in frustration.

Zhao Taoyao covered her forehead and said, "Mom, you hurt me."

"Stop talking nonsense. You are not allowed to get close to the Lu family. I will ask the matchmaker to find a good husband for you." Mother Zhao snorted.

"No! Mom, I must have Brother Lu! He is so handsome, and the child he gives birth to will definitely be good-looking. Do you want a handsome grandson or an ugly grandson?" Zhao Taoyao pulled her mother and acted coquettishly.

"There are many men more handsome than him."

"No, I haven't seen it anyway."

At this moment, there was a commotion outside. Zhao Taoyao opened the door and saw Yun Xi leading the group. "You! You bought so many things? Aren't you afraid of being discovered by the landlord?"

"Don't worry, I've bought the house and will settle here from now on."

Yun Xi didn't want to open her mouth. When she opened it, she spit out a mouthful of sand. She covered her mouth with her sleeve and spoke in a muffled voice.

Zhao Taoyao opened her mouth wide, and only then did she react when the wind and sand got into her eyes. She rushed home and said, "Mom! The Lu family bought the house next door, and you still say they are poor!"

What?

Mother Zhao's hand was pierced by the needle without her knowing it.

"I said, Madam Lu bought the empty house next door."

Zhao Taoyao found a handkerchief and bandaged her mother's wound.

Mother Zhao was puzzled. "Isn't it said that the Lu family is poor? How come they can suddenly afford to buy a house?"

"Maybe it's Aunt Lu's private savings. She was the only daughter in the family, so she must have inherited money from her parents." Zhao Taoyao thought it was easy to understand. The most important thing was that Aunt Lu was really rich, so it was possible for her and Brother Lu.

Zhao's mother recalled the past, "You don't understand. Before you were born, the couple had a big fight."

Zhao Taoyao didn't care. "How big is it?"